Archaea Energy Inc. Class A Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
Exhibit 1.1
12,993,603
Class A Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share
March 22, 2022
Barclays Capital Inc.
c/o Barclays Capital Inc.
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Jefferies LLC
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
As Representatives of the several
Underwriters named in Schedule I attached hereto
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Aria Renewable Energy Systems LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Selling Stockholder”), a stockholder of Archaea Energy Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to sell an aggregate of 12,993,603 shares (the “Firm Stock”) of the Company’s Class A Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”). In addition, the Selling Stockholder proposes to grant to the underwriters named in Schedule I (the “Underwriters”) attached to this agreement (this “Agreement”) an option to purchase up to an aggregate of 1,949,040 additional shares of the Common Stock on the terms set forth in Section 3 (the “Option Stock”). The Firm Stock and the Option Stock, if purchased, are hereinafter collectively called the “Stock”. This Agreement is to confirm the agreement concerning the purchase of the Stock from the Selling Stockholder by the Underwriters.
All of the Stock to be sold by the Selling Stockholder consists of Common Stock issuable upon redemption of Class A units representing limited liability company interests (the “Opco Units”) of LFG Acquisition Holdings LLC (“Opco”), a Delaware limited liability company, pursuant to the Second Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of Opco (the “Opco LLC Agreement”). Such redemption is hereinafter referred to as the “Redemption Transaction” and any such Stock issued in the Redemption Transaction is hereinafter referred to as “Redemption Stock”. The Selling Stockholder has delivered a notice pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement (as defined in the Opco LLC Agreement) to demand a Registered Offering (as defined in the Opco LLC Agreement), and pursuant to the Opco LLC Agreement, such notice is deemed to constitute a Redemption Notice (as defined in the Opco LLC Agreement).
1. Representations, Warranties and Agreements of the Company. The Company represents, warrants and agrees that:
(a) A registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-260094) relating to the Stock has (i) been prepared by the Company in conformity with the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) thereunder; (ii) been filed with the Commission under the Securities Act; and (iii) become effective under the Securities Act. Copies of such registration statement and any amendment thereto have been delivered by the Company (or made available through the Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering Analysis and Retrieval System (“XXXXX”)) to you as the representatives (the “Representatives”) of the Underwriters. As used in this Agreement:
(i) “Applicable Time” means 6:15 P.M. (New York City time) on March 22, 2022;
(ii) “Effective Date” means the date and time as of which such registration statement was declared effective by the Commission in accordance with the rules and regulations under the Securities Act;
(iii) “Preliminary Prospectus” means any preliminary prospectus relating to the Stock included in such registration statement or filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act;
(iv) “Pricing Disclosure Package” means, as of the Applicable Time, the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, together with the information included in Schedule III hereto, if any;
(v) “Prospectus” means the final prospectus relating to the Stock, including any prospectus supplement thereto related to the Stock, as filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act;
(vi) “Registration Statement” means, collectively, the various parts of such registration statement, each as amended as of the Effective Date for such part, including any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, all exhibits to such registration statement and including the information deemed by virtue of Rule 430A or 430C under the Securities Act to be part of such registration statement as of the Effective Date;
(vii) “Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any oral or written communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Securities Act or Rule 163B under the Securities Act; and
(viii) “Written Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any Testing-the-Waters Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
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Any reference to any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any documents therein pursuant to Form S-1 under the Securities Act as of the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be. Any reference to the “most recent Preliminary Prospectus” shall be deemed to refer to the latest Preliminary Prospectus included in the Registration Statement or filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act prior to or on the date hereof. Any reference to any amendment or supplement to any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any document filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), after the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, and before the date of such amendment or supplement, and any reference to any amendment to the Registration Statement shall be deemed to include any document filed with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the Effective Date and before the date of such amendment. The Commission has not issued any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, and no proceeding or examination for such purpose has been instituted or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened by the Commission.
(b) The Company has not, directly or indirectly, used or referred to any “free writing prospectus” (as defined under Rule 405 of the Securities Act) in connection with the offering of the Stock.
(c) From the time of initial filing of the Registration Statement to the Commission (or, if earlier, the first date on which the Company engaged directly or through any person authorized to act on its behalf in any Testing-the-Waters Communication) through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act (an “Emerging Growth Company”).
(d) The Company (i) has not engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communication other than Testing-the-Waters Communications with, the consent of the Representatives, with entities that are reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers within the meaning of Rule 144A under the Securities Act, or with institutions that are reasonably believed to be accredited investors within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Securities Act and (ii) has not authorized anyone other than the Representatives to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company reconfirms that the Representatives have been authorized to act on its behalf in undertaking Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company has not distributed or approved for distribution any Written Testing-the-Waters Communications other than those listed on Schedule IV hereto.
(e) The Registration Statement conformed and will conform in all material respects on the Effective Date and on the applicable Delivery Date, and any amendment to the Registration Statement filed after the date hereof will conform in all material respects when filed, to the requirements of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder. The most recent Preliminary Prospectus conformed, and the Prospectus will conform, in all material respects when filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act and on the applicable Delivery Date to the requirements of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder. The documents included in any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus conformed when filed with the Commission in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act or the Securities Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
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(f) The Registration Statement did not, as of the Effective Date, 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; provided that no representation or warranty is made as to information contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company (i) through the Representatives by or on behalf of any Underwriter, specifically for inclusion therein, which information is specified in Section 10(f) or (ii) by the Selling Stockholder, specifically for inclusion therein, which information is Selling Stockholder Information (as defined below).
(g) The Prospectus will not, as of its date or as of the applicable Delivery Date, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that no representation or warranty is made as to information contained in or omitted from the Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company (i) through the Representatives by or on behalf of any Underwriter, specifically for inclusion therein, which information is specified in Section 10(f) or (ii) by the Selling Stockholder, specifically for inclusion therein, which information is Selling Stockholder Information.
(h) The documents included in any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus did not, when filed with the Commission, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(i) The Pricing Disclosure Package did not, as of the Applicable Time, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that no representation or warranty is made as to information contained in or omitted from the Pricing Disclosure Package made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company (i) through the Representatives by or on behalf of any Underwriter, specifically for inclusion therein, which information is specified in Section 10(f) or (ii) by the Selling Stockholder, specifically for inclusion therein, which information is Selling Stockholder Information.
(j) No Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, as of the Applicable Time, when taken together with the Pricing Disclosure Package, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that no representation or warranty is made as to information contained in or omitted from such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication listed on Schedule IV hereto in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company through the Representatives by or on behalf of any Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information is specified in Section 10(f). Each Written Testing-the-Waters Communications did not, as of the Applicable Time, and at all times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Stock will not, include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus.
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(k) The Company and each of its subsidiaries have been duly organized, is validly existing and in good standing as a corporation or other business entity under the laws of its respective jurisdiction of organization and is duly qualified to do business and in good standing as a foreign corporation or other business entity in each jurisdiction in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its businesses requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, stockholders’ equity, properties, business or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole (a “Material Adverse Effect”). The Company and each of its subsidiaries have all power and authority necessary to own or hold its properties and to conduct the businesses in which it is engaged as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus. Exhibit 21 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year includes each “significant subsidiary” (as such term is defined in Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X) of the Company.
(l) The Company owns a managing member interest in Opco; such managing member interest and all Opco Units have been duly authorized and validly issued in accordance with the Opco LLC Agreement and are fully paid and non-assessable, and such managing member interest and all Opco Units owned by the Company are free and clear of all liens, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement.
(m) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in each of the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus as of the date or dates set forth therein, and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company, including the Stock to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Selling Stockholder and any Stock redeemed as part of the Redemption Transaction, have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable, conform in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and were issued in compliance with federal and state securities laws and not in violation of any preemptive right, resale right, right of first refusal or similar right. All of the Company’s options, warrants and other rights to purchase or exchange any securities for shares of the Company’s capital stock have been duly authorized and validly issued, conform in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and were issued in compliance with federal and state securities laws. All of the issued shares of capital stock or other ownership interest of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable (to the extent such concepts are applicable under relevant law) and are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims, except for such liens, encumbrances, equities or claims as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus or as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(n) The shares of Stock to be sold by the Selling Stockholder will be sold in compliance with federal and state securities laws.
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(o) The Company has all requisite corporate power and authority to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under this Agreement. This Agreement has been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(p) The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, impose any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company and its subsidiaries, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, license, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject; (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws (or similar organizational documents) of the Company or any of its subsidiaries; or (iii) result in any violation of any statute or any judgment, order, decree, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties or assets, except, with respect to clauses (i) and (iii), conflicts or violations that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(q) No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing, registration or qualification with, any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties or assets is required for the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, except for the registration of the Stock under the Securities Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, filings, registrations or qualifications as may be required under the Exchange Act and applicable state securities laws and/or the bylaws and rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (the “FINRA”) in connection with the purchase and sale of the Stock by the Underwriters.
(r) The historical financial statements (including the related notes) included in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus comply as to form in all material respects with the requirements of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act and present fairly in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the entities purported to be shown thereby at the dates and for the periods indicated and have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved, except as otherwise stated therein. The supporting schedules, if any, present fairly in all material respects in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated therein. No historical or pro forma financial statements or supporting schedules that would be required to be included in a registration statement on Form S-1 under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act are omitted from the Preliminary Prospectus. All disclosures contained in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply in all material respects with Regulation G of the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K of the Securities Act, to the extent applicable.
(s) The pro forma financial statements included in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus include assumptions that provide a reasonable basis for presenting the significant effects directly attributable to the transactions and events described therein, the related pro forma adjustments give appropriate effect to those assumptions, and the pro forma adjustments reflect the proper application of those adjustments to the historical financial statement amounts in the pro forma financial statements included in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus. The pro forma financial statements included in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable requirements of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act.
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(t) KPMG US LLP, who have certified the (i) consolidated balance sheets of the Company, as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the related consolidated statements of operations, consolidated statements of equity, consolidated statements of cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, and the related notes; and (ii) consolidated balance sheet of Aria Energy LLC as of September 14, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income, equity and cash flows for the period from January 1 to September 14, 2021 and for the year ended December 31, 2020, and the related notes, whose report appears in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and who have delivered the initial letter referred to in Section 9(g) hereof, are independent public accountants as required by the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder during the periods covered by the financial statements on which they reported in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus.
(u) WithumSmith+Xxxxx, PC, who have certified the consolidated balance sheet of Rice Acquisition Corp., as of December 31, 2020, the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in stockholders’ equity and cash flows for the period from September 1, 2020 (inception) through December 31, 2020, and the related notes, whose report appears in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and who have delivered the initial letter referred to in Section 9(i) hereof, are independent public accountants as required by the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder during the periods covered by the financial statements on which they reported in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus.
(v) The Company and each of its subsidiaries, considered together as one entity, maintain a system of internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that complies with the requirements of the Exchange Act and that has been designed by, or under the supervision of, the Company’s principal executive and principal financial officers, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States. The Company and each of its subsidiaries, considered together as one entity, maintain internal accounting controls designed 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 the Company’s financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States and to maintain accountability for its assets, (iii) access to the Company’s assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, (iv) the recorded accountability for the Company’s assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences and (v) the interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly present the information called for in all material respects and are prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto. As of the date of the most recent balance sheet of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries reviewed or audited by KPMG LLP and the audit committee of the board of directors of the Company (the “Audit Committee”), there were no material weaknesses in the Company’s internal controls, except as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus.
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(w) (i) The Company and each of its subsidiaries, considered together as one entity, maintain disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act), (ii) such disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that the information required to be disclosed by the Company and its subsidiaries in the reports the Company files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to management of the Company, including its principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure to be made, and (iii) such disclosure controls and procedures are effective in all material respects to perform the functions for which they were established, except as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus.
(x) Since the date of the most recent balance sheet of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries reviewed or audited by KPMG LLP and the Audit Committee, except as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, (i) the Company has not been advised of or become aware of (A) any significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal controls that could adversely affect the ability of the Company or any of its subsidiaries to record, process, summarize and report financial data, or any material weaknesses in internal controls, or (B) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the internal controls of the Company and each of its subsidiaries; and (ii) 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.
(y) The section entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Significant Accounting Policies” set forth in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus accurately describes, in all material respects, (i) the accounting policies that the Company believes are the most important in the portrayal of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations and that require management’s most difficult, subjective or complex judgments (“Critical Accounting Policies”); and (ii) the judgments and uncertainties affecting the application of Critical Accounting Policies.
(z) There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company and any of the Company’s directors or executive officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with any provision of the applicable portions of Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith.
(aa) Except as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, has (i) sustained any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree (whether domestic or foreign), (ii) issued or granted any securities, other than pursuant to the equity incentive plan described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, (iii) incurred any material liability or obligation, direct or contingent, other than liabilities and obligations that were incurred in the ordinary course of business, (iv) entered into any material transaction not in the ordinary course of business, or (v) declared or paid any dividend on its capital stock, and since such date, there has not been any change in the capital stock, partnership or limited liability interests, as applicable, or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any adverse change, or any development involving a prospective adverse change, in or affecting the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, stockholders’ equity, properties, management, business or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, in each case except as would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
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(bb) The Company and each of its subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property and good and marketable title to all personal property owned by them necessary to conduct their business (other than with respect to intellectual property, title to which is addressed exclusively in Section 1(dd)), in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects, except such liens, encumbrances and defects as are described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, as such as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its subsidiaries, or as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect. All assets held under lease by the Company and its subsidiaries are held by them, as applicable, under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases, with such exceptions as do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such assets by the Company and its subsidiaries or would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(cc) The Company and each of its subsidiaries have, and are operating in compliance with, such permits, licenses, patents, franchises, certificates of need and other approvals or authorizations of governmental or regulatory authorities (“Permits”) as are necessary under applicable law to own their properties and conduct their businesses in the manner described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, except for any of the foregoing that would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or except as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus. The Company and each of its subsidiaries have fulfilled and performed all of their respective obligations with respect to the Permits, and no event has occurred that allows, or after notice or lapse of time would allow, revocation or termination thereof or results in any other impairment of the rights of the holder or any such Permits, except for any of the foregoing that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or except as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received written notice of any revocation or modification of any such Permits or has any reason to believe that any such Permits will not be renewed in the ordinary course, except for any of the foregoing that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(dd) The Company and each of its subsidiaries own or possess adequate rights to use all material patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, trade names, trademark registrations, service xxxx registrations, copyrights, licenses, know-how, inventions, domain names, software, systems and technology (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures) necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses in the manner described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus without infringement or other violation of any such rights of others and have not received any notice of any claim of conflict with any such rights of others.
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(ee) Except as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is the subject that would, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or would, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby; and to the Company’s knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened by governmental authorities or others.
(ff) There are no contracts or other documents required to be described in the Registration Statement or the most recent Preliminary Prospectus or filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement, that are not described and filed as required. The statements made in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, insofar as they purport to constitute summaries of the terms of the contracts and other documents described and filed, constitute accurate summaries of the terms of such contracts and documents in all material respects. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has knowledge that any other party to any such contract or other document has any intention not to render performance in all material respects as contemplated by the terms thereof.
(gg) The Company and each of its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, carry, or are covered by, insurance from insurers of recognized financial responsibility in such amounts and covering such risks as are, in the reasonable judgment of the Company, is reasonable for the conduct of their respective businesses as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and the value of their respective properties and as is customary for companies engaged in similar businesses in similar industries. All policies of insurance of the Company and its subsidiaries are in full force and effect; the Company and each of its subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms of such policies in all material respects; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received notice from any insurer or agent of such insurer that capital improvements or other expenditures are required or necessary to be made in order to continue such insurance; there are no material claims by the Company or any of its subsidiaries under any such policy or instrument as to which any insurance company is denying liability or defending under a reservation of rights clause; and neither the Company nor any such subsidiary has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(hh) Except as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, no relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders, customers or suppliers of the Company, on the other hand, that is required to be described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus which is not so described.
(ii) Except as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, no labor disturbance by or dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(jj) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries (i) is in violation of its charter or by-laws (or similar organizational documents), (ii) is in default, and no event has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a default, in the due performance or observance of any term, covenant, condition or other obligation contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, license or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it is bound or to which any of its properties or assets is subject, (iii) is in violation of any law, statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over it or its property or assets or (iv) has failed to obtain any license, permit, certificate, franchise or other governmental authorization or permit necessary to the ownership of its property or to the conduct of its business as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, except in the case of clauses (ii), (iii) and (iv), to the extent any such conflict, breach, violation or default would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
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(kk) Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a material liability, the Company and each of its subsidiaries (i) is in compliance with all rules, laws and regulations relating to the use, treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous, flammable, or toxic substances; protection of health (to the extent related to exposure to hazardous or toxic substances) or the environment, including natural resources; and the generation, holding, transfer, sale, validity or otherwise relating to Environmental Attributes (“Environmental Laws”) which are applicable to its business; (ii) neither the Company nor its subsidiaries has received any unresolved written notice from any governmental authority or third party of an asserted claim under Environmental Laws; (iii) each of the Company and each of its subsidiaries has obtained all permits, licenses or other approvals required of it under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct its business as currently conducted and is in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval; (iv) to the Company’s knowledge, no capital expenditures to comply with Environmental Laws are presently required; (v) no property which is or has been owned, leased or occupied by the Company or its subsidiaries has been designated as a Superfund site pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation of Liability Act of 1980, as amended (42 U.S.C. Section 9601, et. seq.) (“CERCLA”) or otherwise designated as a contaminated site under applicable state or local law, and (vi) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has been named as a “potentially responsible party” under CERCLA. For purposes of this Agreement, “Environmental Attributes” means any and all credits, benefits, emissions reductions, offsets and allowances of any kind, howsoever entitled, resulting from, or attributable to, the avoidance of the emissions of any gas, chemical, or other substance to the environment, including (but not limited to) the avoidance of lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions, associated with the use of renewable natural gas, including (but not limited to) renewable identification numbers and low carbon fuel standard credits.
(ll) In the ordinary course of its business, the Company identifies and evaluates costs and liabilities of the Company or its subsidiaries (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up or closure of properties), in each case to the extent relating to compliance with or liability under Environmental Laws or any permit, license or approval issued under Environmental Laws. On the basis of such review, as of the date of this Agreement, to the Company’s knowledge, no such costs or liabilities identified by the Company would, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a material liability to the Company or its subsidiaries.
(mm) The Company and each of its subsidiaries have filed all federal, state, local and foreign income tax returns and other material tax returns required to be filed through the date hereof, subject to permitted extensions, and have paid all material taxes which have become due and payable by the Company or its subsidiaries, except such taxes, if any, as are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings, and no tax deficiency has been determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, nor does the Company have any knowledge of any tax deficiencies that have been, or would reasonably be expected to be asserted against the Company, in each case, that would, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
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(nn) Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (i) each “employee benefit plan” (within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”)) for which the Company or any member of its “Controlled Group” (defined as any organization which is a member of a controlled group of corporations within the meaning of Section 414 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”)) would have any liability (each a “Plan”) has been maintained in compliance with its terms and with the requirements of all applicable statutes, rules and regulations including ERISA and the Code; (ii) no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred with respect to any Plan excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption; (iii) with respect to each Plan subject to Title IV of ERISA (A) no “reportable event” (within the meaning of Section 4043(c) of ERISA) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur, (B) no failure to meet the minimum funding standard set forth in Sections 412 of the Code and 303 of ERISA, whether or not waived, has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur, (C) no Plan is or is reasonably expected to be in “at risk” status (within the meaning of Section 430 of the Code or Section 303 of ERISA), (D) there has been no filing pursuant to Section 412(c) of the Code or Section 302(c) of ERISA of an application for a waiver of the minimum funding standard with respect to any Plan or the receipt by the Company or any member of its Controlled Group from the PBGC or the Plan administrator of the notice relating to the intention to terminate any Plan or Plans or to appoint a trustee to administer any Plan, (E) no conditions contained in Section 303(k)(1)(A) of ERISA for the imposition of a lien shall have been met with respect to any Plan, (F) the fair market value of the assets under each Plan exceeds the present value of all benefits accrued under such Plan (determined based on those assumptions used to fund such Plan) and (G) neither the Company or any member of its Controlled Group has incurred, or reasonably expects to incur, any liability under Title IV of ERISA (other than contributions to the Plan or premiums to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation in the ordinary course and without default) in respect of a Plan (including a “multiemployer plan”, within the meaning of Section 4001(c)(3) of ERISA) (“Multiemployer Plan”); (iv) no Multiemployer Plan is, or is expected to be, “insolvent” (within the meaning of Section 4245 of ERISA), or in “endangered” or “critical” status (within the meaning of Section 432 of the Code or Section 304 of ERISA); and (v) each Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified and nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which would cause the loss of such qualification.
(oo) The statistical and market-related data included in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and “road show” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act) and the consolidated financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries included in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and “road show” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act) are based on or derived from sources that the Company reasonably believes to be reliable in all material respects.
(pp) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is, and as of the applicable Delivery Date and, after giving effect to the offer and sale of the Stock, none of them will be, an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”), and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
(qq) The statements set forth in each of the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus under the captions “Description of Securities” and “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences to Non-U.S. Holders,” insofar as they purport to summarize the provisions of the laws and documents referred to therein, are accurate summaries of the matters described therein in all material respects.
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(rr) Except as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person granting such person the right (other than rights that have been waived in writing or otherwise satisfied) to require the Company to file a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to any securities of the Company owned or to be owned by such person or to require the Company to include such securities in the securities registered pursuant to the Registration Statement or in any securities being registered pursuant to any other registration statement filed by the Company under the Securities Act.
(ss) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any person (other than this Agreement) that would give rise to a valid claim against any of them or the Underwriters for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with the offering and sale of the Stock.
(tt) The Company has not sold or issued any securities that would be integrated with the offering of the Stock contemplated by this Agreement pursuant to the Securities Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or the interpretations thereof by the Commission.
(uu) The Company and its affiliates have not taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to constitute, or that has constituted, or that would reasonably be expected to cause or result in, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company in connection with the offering of the shares of the Stock.
(vv) The Stock is listed on The New York Stock Exchange.
(ww) The Company has not distributed and, prior to the later to occur of any Delivery Date and completion of the distribution of the Stock by the Selling Stockholder, will not distribute any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Stock by the Selling Stockholder other than any Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus.
(xx) Neither the Company nor any subsidiary is in violation of or has received notice of any violation with respect to any federal or state law relating to discrimination in the hiring, promotion or pay of employees, nor any applicable federal or state wage and hour laws, nor any state law precluding the denial of credit due to the neighborhood in which a property is situated, the violation of any of which would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
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(yy) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, directors, executive officers or controlled affiliates, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any agent, employee, non-controlled affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, in each case in their capacity as such, has in the course of its actions for, or on behalf of, the Company or any of its subsidiaries: (i) made any unlawful contribution, gift, or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made any unlawful direct or indirect bribe, kickback, rebate, payoff, influence payment, or otherwise unlawfully provided anything of value, to any “foreign official” (as defined in the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended (collectively, the “FCPA”)) or domestic government official; or (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the FCPA, the Xxxxxxx Xxx 0000 of the United Kingdom, as amended (the “Xxxxxxx Xxx 0000”), or any other applicable anti-corruption or anti-bribery statute or regulation. The Company and its subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company, the Company’s controlled affiliates, have conducted their respective businesses in compliance with the XXXX, Xxxxxxx Xxx 0000 and all other applicable anti-corruption and anti-bribery statutes or regulations, and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to ensure, continued compliance therewith.
(zz) The operations of the Company and its 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 all jurisdictions in which the Company or its subsidiaries conduct business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, that have been issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency having jurisdiction over the Company or such subsidiary (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 its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(aaa) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, directors, executive officers or controlled affiliates, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any agent, employee, non-controlled affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is: (i) currently the subject or the target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department, the U.S. Department of State, the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury, or other sanctions authority having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries (collectively, “Sanctions”); or (ii) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject or target of Sanctions (at present, the Crimea Region of Ukraine, the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Syria). The Company and its subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in for the past five (5) years, are not now knowingly engaged in any dealings or transactions with any individual or entity, or in any country or territory, that at the time of the dealing or transaction, is or was the subject or target of Sanctions in violation of applicable Sanctions, and the Company does not intend to engage in such dealings or transactions.
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(bbb) Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its subsidiaries’ information technology assets and equipment, computers, systems, networks, hardware, software, websites, applications, and databases (collectively, “IT Systems”) are adequate for, and the Company and its subsidiaries have taken all commercially reasonable technical and organizational measures necessary to protect information technology and Personal Data (as defined below) used in connection with, the operation of the business of the Company and its subsidiaries as currently conducted, to the knowledge of the Company, free and clear of all material bugs, errors, defects, Trojan horses, time bombs, malware and other corruptants. The Company and its subsidiaries have implemented and maintained commercially reasonable controls, policies, procedures, and safeguards to maintain and protect their material confidential information and the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems and data (including “personal data” as defined by the EU General Data Protection Regulations (“GDPR”) (EU 2016 679) and any personal, personally identifiable, household, sensitive, confidential or regulated data (“Personal Data”)) used in connection with their businesses, and there have been no breaches, violations, outages or unauthorized uses of or accesses to any IT System or Personal Data used in connection with the operation of the Company’s and its subsidiaries’ businesses in the past five (5) years, except, in each case, as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its subsidiaries are presently in material compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Personal Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Personal Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification, except, in each case, as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(ccc) Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (i) the Company and each of its subsidiaries are, and at all times during the past year were, in compliance in all material respects with all applicable data privacy and security laws, statutes, judgements, orders, rules and regulations of any relevant court or arbitrator or any other governmental or regulatory authority and all applicable laws regarding the collection, use, transfer, export, storage, protection, disposal or disclosure by the Company and its subsidiaries of Personal Data collected from or provided by third parties. (collectively, the “Privacy Laws”), (ii) the Company and its subsidiaries have in place, in material compliance with, and take commercially appropriate steps reasonably designed to (A) ensure compliance with its privacy policies and all third-party obligations regarding Personal Data; and (B) reasonably protect the security and confidentiality of all Personal Data (collectively, the “Policies”), (iii) to the knowledge of the Company, the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement or any other agreement referred to in this Agreement will not result in a breach of violation of any Privacy Laws or Policies, (iv) neither the Company nor any subsidiary has received notice of any actual or potential material liability under or relating to, or actual or potential violation of, any of the Privacy Laws, (v) the Company is unaware of any other facts that, individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably indicate non-compliance with any Privacy Laws or Policies, and (vi) to the Company’s knowledge, there is no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body pending or threatened alleging non-compliance with Privacy Laws or Policies.
(ddd) No forward looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) included in any of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any “road show” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act) has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.
(eee) Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company and delivered to the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the offering of the Stock shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company, as to matters covered thereby, to each Underwriter.
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2. Representations, Warranties and Agreements of the Selling Stockholder. The Selling Stockholder represents, warrants and agrees that:
(a) The Selling Stockholder has been duly organized and is validly existing as a limited liability company in good standing in its jurisdiction of formation.
(b) Neither the Selling Stockholder nor any person acting on behalf of the Selling Stockholder has used or referred to any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) relating to the Stock.
(c) The Selling Stockholder has, and immediately prior to any Delivery Date on which the Selling Stockholder is selling shares of Stock (and after completion of the Redemption Transaction), the Selling Stockholder will have, good and marketable title to the shares of Stock to be sold by the Selling Stockholder hereunder on such Delivery Date and any “security entitlement” within the meaning of Section 8-501 of the New York Uniform Commercial Code (the “UCC”) in respect thereof, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities, community property rights, restrictions on transfer or claims.
(d) Upon payment for the Stock to be sold by the Selling Stockholder, delivery of such Stock, as directed by the Underwriters, to Cede & Co. (“Cede”) or such other nominee as may be designated by The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), registration of such Stock in the name of Cede or such other nominee and the crediting of such Stock on the books of DTC to securities accounts of the Underwriters (i) DTC shall be a “protected purchaser” of such Stock within the meaning of Section 8-303 of the UCC, (ii) under Section 8-501 of the UCC, the Underwriters will acquire a valid security entitlement in respect of such Stock, and (iii) an action based on an adverse claim to such securities entitlement, whether framed in conversion, replevin, constructive trust, equitable lien or other theory may not be successfully asserted against the Underwriters with respect to such security entitlement. For purposes of this representation, such Selling Stockholder may assume that when such payment, delivery and crediting occur, (x) such Stock will have been registered in the name of Cede or another nominee designated by DTC, in each case on the Company’s share registry in accordance with its certificate of incorporation, bylaws and applicable law, (y) DTC will be registered as a “clearing corporation” within the meaning of Section 8-102 of the UCC, and (z) appropriate entries to the accounts of the several Underwriters on the records of DTC will have been made pursuant to the UCC.
(e) The Selling Stockholder has full right, power and authority, corporate or otherwise, to enter into this Agreement.
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(f) This Agreement has been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered by or on behalf of the Selling Stockholder.
(g) The sale of the Stock by the Selling Stockholder, the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Selling Stockholder and the consummation by the Selling Stockholder of the transactions contemplated hereby do not and will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, license, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Selling Stockholder is a party or by which the Selling Stockholder is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Selling Stockholder is subject, (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws (or similar organizational documents) of the Selling Stockholder or (iii) result in any violation of any statute or any judgment, order, decree, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Selling Stockholder or the property or assets of the Selling Stockholder, except in the case of clauses (i) and (iii) above, for any such conflict, breach, violation or default that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the ability of the Selling Stockholder to consummate the transactions contemplated herein.
(h) No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing or registration with, any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Selling Stockholder or the property or assets of the Selling Stockholder is required for the sale of the Stock by the Selling Stockholder, the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Selling Stockholder and the consummation by the Selling Stockholder of the transactions contemplated hereby, except for the registration of the Stock under the Securities Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, filings, registrations or qualifications as may be required under the Exchange Act, the rules and regulations of FINRA and applicable state or foreign securities laws in connection with the purchase and sale of the Stock by the Underwriters or as would not, individually or in the aggregate reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the ability of the Selling Stockholder to perform its obligations hereunder.
(i) The Registration Statement (as of its Effective Date), the Prospectus (as of its date or as of the applicable Delivery Date) and the Pricing Disclosure Package (as of the Applicable Time) did not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; provided that (i) no representation or warranty is made as to information contained in or omitted from the Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company through the Representatives by or on behalf of any Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information is specified in Section 10(f) and (ii) such representations and warranties set forth in subsection (i) apply only to statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to the Selling Stockholder furnished in writing to the Company by the Selling Stockholder expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Pricing Disclosure Package; it being understood and agreed that the only information furnished by the Selling Stockholder consists of the name of the Selling Stockholder, the number of offered shares and the address and other information with respect to the Selling Stockholder (excluding percentages) which appears in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Pricing Disclosure Package in the table (and corresponding footnotes) under the caption “Selling Stockholders” (collectively, the “Selling Stockholder Information”).
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(j) The Selling Stockholder is not prompted to sell the shares of Common Stock to be sold by it pursuant to this Agreement by any material information concerning the Company that is not set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(k) The Selling Stockholder has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action that is designed to or that has constituted or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company in connection with the offering of the shares of the Stock.
(l) The Selling Stockholder is not (i) currently subject to or the target of any Sanctions; or (ii) located, organized or resident in a country that is the subject of Sanctions (including, without limitation, the Crimea Region of Ukraine, the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Syria); and the Selling Stockholder will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person, or in any country or territory, that currently is the subject or target of Sanctions or in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction whether as an underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions.
(m) Any certificate signed by any officer of any Selling Stockholder and delivered to the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the offering of the Stock shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by such Selling Stockholder, as to matters covered thereby, to each Underwriter.
3. Purchase of the Stock by the Underwriters. On the basis of the representations, warranties and covenants contained in, and subject to the terms and conditions of, this Agreement, the Selling Stockholder agrees to sell 12,993,603 shares of the Firm Stock to the several Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase the number of shares of the Firm Stock set forth opposite that Underwriter’s name in Schedule I hereto. Each Underwriter shall be obligated to purchase from the Selling Stockholder, that number of shares of the Firm Stock that represents the same proportion of the number of shares of the Firm Stock to be sold by the Selling Stockholder as the number of shares of the Firm Stock set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I represents the total number of shares of the Firm Stock to be purchased by all of the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement. The respective purchase obligations of the Underwriters with respect to the Firm Stock shall be rounded among the Underwriters to avoid fractional shares, as the Representatives may determine.
In addition, the Selling Stockholder grants to the Underwriters an option to purchase 1,949,040 additional shares of Option Stock, at a price of $17.04 per share. Such option is exercisable in the event that the Underwriters sell more shares of Common Stock than the number of shares of Firm Stock in the offering and as set forth in Section 5 hereof. Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase the number of shares of Option Stock (subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as the Representatives may determine) that bears the same proportion to the total number of shares of Option Stock to be sold on such Delivery Date as the number of shares of Firm Stock set forth in Schedule I hereto opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of shares of Firm Stock.
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The Selling Stockholder is not obligated to deliver any of the Firm Stock or Option Stock to be delivered on the applicable Delivery Date, except upon payment for all such Stock to be purchased on such Delivery Date as provided herein.
4. Offering of Stock by the Underwriters. Upon authorization by the Representatives of the release of the Firm Stock, the several Underwriters propose to offer the Firm Stock for sale upon the terms and conditions to be set forth in the Prospectus.
5. Delivery of and Payment for the Stock. Delivery of and payment for the Firm Stock shall be made at 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the second full business day following the date of this Agreement or at such other date or place as shall be determined by agreement between the Representatives, the Company and the Selling Stockholder. This date and time are sometimes referred to as the “Initial Delivery Date”. Delivery of the Firm Stock shall be made to the Representatives for the account of each Underwriter against payment by the several Underwriters through the Representatives and of the respective aggregate purchase prices of the Firm Stock being sold by the Selling Stockholder to or upon the order of the Selling Stockholder of the purchase price by wire transfer in immediately available funds to the account(s) specified by the Selling Stockholder. Time shall be of the essence, and delivery at the time and place specified pursuant to this Agreement is a further condition of the obligation of each Underwriter and the Selling Stockholder hereunder. The Company shall deliver the Firm Stock through the facilities of DTC unless the Representatives shall otherwise instruct.
The option granted in Section 3 will expire 30 days after the date of this Agreement and may be exercised in whole or from time to time in part by written notice being given to the Company and the Selling Stockholder by the Representatives; provided that if such date falls on a day that is not a business day, the option granted in Section 3 will expire on the next succeeding business day. Such notice shall set forth the aggregate number of shares of Option Stock as to which the option is being exercised, the names in which the shares of Option Stock are to be registered, the denominations in which the shares of Option Stock are to be issued and the date and time, as determined by the Representatives, when the shares of Option Stock are to be delivered; provided, however, that this date and time shall not be earlier than the Initial Delivery Date nor earlier than the second business day after the date on which the option shall have been exercised nor later than the fifth business day after the date on which the option shall have been exercised. Each date and time the shares of Option Stock are delivered is sometimes referred to as an “Option Stock Delivery Date”, and the Initial Delivery Date and any Option Stock Delivery Date are sometimes each referred to as a “Delivery Date”.
Delivery of the Option Stock by the Selling Stockholder and payment for the Option Stock by the several Underwriters through the Representatives shall be made at 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the date specified in the corresponding notice described in the preceding paragraph or at such other date or place as shall be determined by agreement between the Representatives, the Company and the Selling Stockholder. On each Option Stock Delivery Date, the Selling Stockholder shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, the Option Stock, to the Representatives for the account of each Underwriter, against payment by the several Underwriters through the Representatives and of the respective aggregate purchase prices of the Option Stock being sold by the Selling Stockholder to or upon the order of the Selling Stockholder of the purchase price by wire transfer in immediately available funds to the accounts specified by the Selling Stockholder. Time shall be of the essence, and delivery at the time and place specified pursuant to this Agreement is a further condition of the obligation of each Underwriter and the Selling Stockholder hereunder. The Selling Stockholder shall deliver the Option Stock through the facilities of DTC unless the Representatives shall otherwise instruct.
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6. Further Agreements of the Company and the Underwriters. The Company agrees:
(a) To prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by the Representatives and to file such Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act not later than the Commission’s close of business on the second business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement; to make no further amendment or any supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus prior to the last Delivery Date to which the Representatives reasonably object in a timely manner, except as provided herein; to advise the Representatives, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus has been filed and to furnish the Representatives with copies thereof in accordance with the Representatives’ request; to advise the Representatives, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of the Prospectus, of the suspension of the qualification of the Stock for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding or examination for any such purpose, or any notice from the Commission objecting to the use of the form of Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or for additional information; and, in the event of the issuance of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of the Prospectus or suspending any such qualification, to use promptly its reasonable best efforts to obtain its withdrawal.
(b) Upon written request, to furnish promptly to the Representatives and to counsel for the Underwriters a signed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed with the Commission, and each amendment thereto filed with the Commission, including conformed copies of all consents and exhibits filed therewith.
(c) To deliver promptly to the Representatives such number of the following documents as the Representatives shall reasonably request: (i) conformed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed with the Commission and each amendment thereto (in each case excluding exhibits other than this Agreement and the computation of per share earnings) and (ii) each Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and any amended or supplemented Prospectus; and, if the delivery of a prospectus is required at any time after the date hereof in connection with the offering or sale of the Stock and if at such time any events shall have occurred as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made when such Prospectus is delivered, not misleading, or, if for any other reason it shall be necessary during such time to amend or supplement the Prospectus or to file under the Exchange Act any document in the Prospectus in order to comply with the Securities Act, to notify the Representatives and, upon their request, to file such document and to prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter and to any dealer in securities (whose name and address the Representatives shall furnish to the Company) as many copies as the Representatives may from time to time reasonably request of an amended or supplemented Prospectus that will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance.
(d) To file as promptly as practicable with the Commission any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus that may, in the judgment of the Company or the Representatives, be required by the Securities Act or requested by the Commission in connection with the offering and sale of the Stock.
(e) Prior to filing with the Commission any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, to furnish a copy thereof to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters and obtain the consent of the Representatives to the filing (such consent not to be unreasonably delayed or withheld).
(f) As soon as practicable after the Effective Date (it being understood that the Company shall have until at least 410 days or, if the fourth quarter following the fiscal quarter that includes the Effective Date is the last fiscal quarter of the Company’s fiscal year, 455 days after the end of the Company’s current fiscal quarter), to make generally available to the Company’s security holders (including by making available on XXXXX) and to deliver to the Representatives (or make available on XXXXX) an earnings statement of the Company and its subsidiaries (which need not be audited) complying with Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder (including, at the option of the Company, Rule 158).
(g) Promptly from time to time to take such action as the Representatives may reasonably request to qualify the Stock for offering and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of Canada and such other jurisdictions as the Representatives may reasonably request and to comply with such laws so as to permit the continuance of sales and dealings therein in such jurisdictions for as long as may be necessary to complete the distribution of the Stock; provided, that in connection therewith the Company shall not be required to (i) qualify as a foreign corporation in any jurisdiction in which it would not otherwise be required to so qualify, (ii) file a general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction, or (iii) subject itself to taxation in any jurisdiction in which it would not otherwise be subject.
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(h) For a period commencing on the date hereof and ending on the 45th day after the date of the Prospectus (the “Lock-Up Period”), not to, directly or indirectly, (i) offer for sale, sell, pledge, or otherwise dispose of (or enter into any transaction or device that is designed to, or would be expected to, result in the disposition by any person at any time in the future of) any shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock (other than the Stock; shares issued pursuant to employee benefit plans, qualified stock option plans or other employee compensation plans existing on the date hereof; pursuant to currently outstanding warrants or rights not issued under one of those plans; or upon redemption of units pursuant to the Opco LLC Agreement), (ii) enter into any swap or other derivatives transaction that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic benefits or risks of ownership of such shares of Common Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise, (iii) file, confidentially submit or cause to be confidentially submitted or filed a registration statement, including any amendments thereto, with respect to the registration of any shares of Common Stock or securities convertible, exercisable or exchangeable into Common Stock or any other securities of the Company (other than any registration statement on Form S-8), or (iv) publicly disclose the intention to do any of the foregoing, in each case without the prior written consent of Barclays Capital Inc. and Jefferies LLC, on behalf of the Underwriters, and to cause each officer, director and stockholder of the Company set forth on Schedule II hereto to furnish to the Representatives, prior to the Initial Delivery Date, a letter or letters, substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto (the “Lock-Up Agreements”).
(i) To file with the Commission such information on Form 10-Q or Form 10-K as may be required by Rule 463 under the Securities Act.
(j) The Company will promptly notify the Representatives if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the later of (i) the time when a prospectus relating to the offering or sale of the Stock is not required by the Securities Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule) and (ii) completion of the Lock-Up Period.
(k) If at any time following the distribution of any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication to eliminate or correct such untrue statement or omission. The Company will promptly notify the Representatives of (i) any distribution by the Company of Written Testing-the-Waters Communications and (ii) any request by the Commission for information concerning the Written Testing-the-Waters Communications.
(l) The Company and its affiliates will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that has constituted or that reasonably would be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company in connection with the offering of the Stock.
(m) The Company will do and perform all things required to be done and performed under this Agreement by it prior to each Delivery Date, and to satisfy all conditions precedent to the Underwriters’ obligations hereunder to purchase the Stock.
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7. Further Agreements of the Selling Stockholder. The Selling Stockholder agrees:
(a) To deliver to the Representatives, prior to the Initial Delivery Date, an executed Lock-Up Agreement.
(b) Neither the Selling Stockholder nor any person acting on behalf of the Selling Stockholder (other than, if applicable, the Company and the Underwriters) shall use or refer to any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act), relating to the Stock.
(c) To deliver to the Representatives, prior to the Initial Delivery Date, a properly completed and executed United States Treasury Department Form W-8 (if the Selling Stockholder is a non-United States person) or Form W-9 (if the Selling Stockholder is a United States person).
(d) The Selling Stockholder will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that has constituted or that reasonably would be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company in connection with the offering of the Stock.
(e) The Selling Stockholder will do and perform all things required or necessary to be done and performed under this Agreement by it prior to each Delivery Date, and to satisfy all conditions precedent to the Underwriters’ obligations hereunder to purchase the Stock.
8. Expenses. The Company agrees, whether or not the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, to pay all reasonably incurred and documented expenses, costs, fees and taxes incident to and in connection with (a) the authorization, issuance, sale and delivery of the Stock and any stamp duties or other taxes payable in that connection, and the preparation and printing of certificates for the Stock, if any; (b) the preparation, printing and filing under the Securities Act of the Registration Statement (including any exhibits thereto), any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, and any amendment or supplement thereto; (c) the distribution of the Registration Statement (including any exhibits thereto), any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, and any amendment or supplement thereto, all as provided in this Agreement; (d) the production and distribution of this Agreement, any supplemental agreement among Underwriters, and any other related documents in connection with the offering, purchase, sale and delivery of the Stock; (e) the qualification of the Stock under the securities laws of the several jurisdictions as provided in Section 6(g) and the preparation, printing and distribution of a Blue Sky Memorandum (including related reasonable and documented fees and expenses of counsel to the Underwriters); (f) the preparation, printing and distribution of one or more versions of the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus for distribution in Canada, including in the form of a Canadian “wrapper” (including related reasonable and documented fees and expenses of Canadian counsel to the Underwriters); (g) the investor presentations on any “road show” or any Testing-the-Waters Communication undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Stock, including, without limitation, expenses associated with any electronic road show and travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company; and (h) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company and the Selling Stockholder under this Agreement (including the reasonable fees and expenses of one legal counsel selected by the Selling Stockholder); provided that, except as provided in this Section 8 and in Section 13, the Underwriters shall pay their own costs and expenses, including the costs and expenses of their counsel, any transfer taxes on the Stock which they may sell and the expenses of advertising any offering of the Stock made by the Underwriters. For the avoidance of doubt, the Company is not responsible for the payment of any underwriting discounts and commissions in connection with the sale of the Stock, and the provisions of this Section 8 shall not supersede or otherwise affect the agreement that the Selling Stockholder and the Company otherwise have for the allocation of expenses among themselves as set forth in the Stockholders’ Agreement, dated as of September 15, 2021, by and among the Company, LFG Buyer Co LLC, Rice Acquisition Sponsor LLC, LFG Acquisition Holdings LLC, the Selling Stockholder and certain other stockholders party thereto.
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9. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The respective obligations of the Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy, when made and on each Delivery Date, of the representations and warranties of the Company and the Selling Stockholder contained herein, to the performance by the Company and the Selling Stockholder of their respective obligations hereunder in all material respects, and to each of the following additional terms and conditions:
(a) The Prospectus shall have been timely filed with the Commission in accordance with Section 6(a). No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or preventing or suspending the use of the Prospectus shall have been issued and no proceeding or examination for such purpose shall have been initiated or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission; and any request of the Commission for inclusion of additional information in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or otherwise shall have been complied with to the Representative’s reasonable satisfaction.
(b) No Underwriter shall have discovered and disclosed to the Company on or prior to such Delivery Date that the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Pricing Disclosure Package, or any amendment or supplement thereto, contains an untrue statement of a fact which, in the opinion of Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx L.L.P., counsel for the Underwriters, is material or omits to state a fact which, in the opinion of such counsel, is material and is required to be stated therein or is necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.
(c) All corporate proceedings and other legal matters incident to the authorization, form and validity of this Agreement, the Stock, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, and all other legal matters relating to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby shall be reasonably satisfactory in all material respects to counsel for the Underwriters, and the Selling Stockholder shall have furnished to such counsel all documents and information that they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.
(d) Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxx LLP shall have furnished to the Representatives its written opinion, as counsel to the Company, addressed to the Underwriters and dated such Delivery Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.
(e) The counsel for the Selling Stockholder shall have furnished to the Representatives its written opinion, as counsel to the Selling Stockholder, addressed to the Underwriters and dated such Delivery Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.
(f) The Representatives shall have received from Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx L.L.P., counsel for the Underwriters, such opinion, dated such Delivery Date, with respect to the issuance and sale of the Stock, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Pricing Disclosure Package and other related matters as the Representatives may reasonably require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they reasonably request for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters.
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(g) At the time of execution of this Agreement, the Representatives shall have received from KPMG LLP a letter, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, addressed to the Underwriters and dated the date hereof (i) confirming that they are independent public accountants within the meaning of the Securities Act and are in compliance with the applicable requirements relating to the qualification of accountants under Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X of the Commission, and (ii) stating, as of the date hereof (or, with respect to matters involving changes or developments since the respective dates as of which specified financial information is given in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, as of a date not more than three business days prior to the date hereof), the conclusions and findings of such firm with respect to the financial information and other matters ordinarily covered by accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters in connection with registered public offerings.
(h) With respect to the letter of KPMG LLP referred to in the preceding paragraph and delivered to the Representatives concurrently with the execution of this Agreement (the “initial letter”), the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives a letter (the “bring-down letter”) of such accountants, addressed to the Underwriters and dated such Delivery Date (i) confirming that they are independent public accountants within the meaning of the Securities Act and are in compliance with the applicable requirements relating to the qualification of accountants under Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X of the Commission, (ii) stating, as of the date of the bring-down letter (or, with respect to matters involving changes or developments since the respective dates as of which specified financial information is given in the Prospectus, as of a date not more than three business days prior to the date of the bring-down letter), the conclusions and findings of such firm with respect to the financial information and other matters covered by the initial letter, and (iii) confirming in all material respects the conclusions and findings set forth in the initial letter.
(i) At the time of execution of this Agreement, the Representatives shall have received from WithumSmith+Xxxxx, PC a letter, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, addressed to the Underwriters and dated the date hereof (i) confirming that they are independent public accountants within the meaning of the Securities Act and are in compliance with the applicable requirements relating to the qualification of accountants under Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X of the Commission, and (ii) stating, as of the date hereof (or, with respect to matters involving changes or developments since the respective dates as of which specified financial information is given in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, as of a date not more than three business days prior to the date hereof), the conclusions and findings of such firm with respect to the financial information and other matters ordinarily covered by accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters in connection with registered public offerings.
(j) With respect to the letter of WithumSmith+Xxxxx, PC referred to in the preceding paragraph and delivered to the Representatives concurrently with the execution of this Agreement (the “Withum initial letter”), the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives a letter (the “Withum bring-down letter”) of such accountants, addressed to the Underwriters and dated such Delivery Date (i) confirming that they are independent public accountants within the meaning of the Securities Act and are in compliance with the applicable requirements relating to the qualification of accountants under Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X of the Commission, (ii) stating, as of the date of the Withum bring-down letter (or, with respect to matters involving changes or developments since the respective dates as of which specified financial information is given in the Prospectus, as of a date not more than three business days prior to the date of the Withum bring-down letter), the conclusions and findings of such firm with respect to the financial information and other matters covered by the Withum initial letter, and (iii) confirming in all material respects the conclusions and findings set forth in the Withum initial letter.
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(k) The Company shall have furnished to the Representatives, a certificate, dated such Delivery Date, of its Chief Executive Officer and its Chief Financial Officer (solely in their capacities as such) as to such matters as the Representatives may reasonably request, including, without limitation, a statement:
(i) That the representations, warranties and agreements of the Company in Section 1 are true and correct in all material respects (or, where such representations and warranties are already qualified as to materiality, in all respects) on and as of such Delivery Date, and the Company has complied with all its agreements contained herein in all material respects and satisfied in all material respects all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such Delivery Date;
(ii) That no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued; and no proceedings or examination for that purpose have been instituted or, to the knowledge of such officers, threatened;
(iii) That they have examined the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Pricing Disclosure Package, and, in their opinion, (A) (1) the Registration Statement, as of the Effective Date, (2) the Prospectus, as of its date and on the applicable Delivery Date, and (3) the Pricing Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, did not and do not contain any untrue statement of a material fact and did not and do not omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (except in the case of the Registration Statement, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, and (B) since the Effective Date, no event has occurred that should have been set forth in a supplement or amendment to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus that has not been so set forth; and
(iv) To the effect of Section 9(m) (provided that no representation with respect to the judgment of the Representatives need be made) and Section 9(n).
(l) The Selling Stockholder shall have furnished to the Representatives on such Delivery Date a certificate, dated such Delivery Date, signed by, or on behalf of, the Selling Stockholder stating that the representations, warranties and agreements of the Selling Stockholder contained herein are true and correct in all material respects (or, where such representations are already qualified as to materiality, in all respects) on and as of such Delivery Date and that the Selling Stockholder has complied with all its agreements contained herein in all material respects and has satisfied in all material respects all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such Delivery Date.
(m) Except as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, (i) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries shall have sustained, since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, or (ii) since such date there shall not have been any change in the capital stock (other than shares issued pursuant to employee benefit plans, qualified stock option plans or other employee compensation plans existing on the date hereof; pursuant to currently outstanding warrants or rights not issued under one of those plans; or upon redemption of units pursuant to the Opco LLC Agreement) or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any adverse change, or any development involving a prospective adverse change, in or affecting the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, stockholders’ equity, properties, management, business or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, the effect of which, in any such case described in clause (i) or (ii), is, individually or in the aggregate, in the judgment of the Representatives, so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Stock being delivered on such Delivery Date on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus.
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(n) Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded the Company’s debt securities by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as defined by the Commission in Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act), and (ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, with possible negative implications, its rating of any of the Company’s debt securities.
(o) Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement there shall not have occurred any of the following: (i) (A) trading in securities generally on any securities exchange that has registered with the Commission under Section 6 of the Exchange Act (including the New York Stock Exchange, The Nasdaq Global Select Market, The Nasdaq Global Market or The Nasdaq Capital Market), or (B) trading in any securities of the Company on any exchange or in the over-the-counter market, shall have been suspended or materially limited or the settlement of such trading generally shall have been materially disrupted or minimum prices shall have been established on any such exchange or such market by the Commission, by such exchange or by any other regulatory body or governmental authority having jurisdiction, (ii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by federal or state authorities, (iii) the United States shall have become engaged in hostilities, there shall have been an escalation in hostilities involving the United States or there shall have been a declaration of a national emergency or war by the United States, or (iv) there shall have occurred such a material adverse change in general economic, political or financial conditions, including, without limitation, as a result of terrorist activities after the date hereof (or the effect of international conditions on the financial markets in the United States shall be such) or any other calamity or crisis, either within or outside the United States, in each case as to make it, in the judgment of the Representatives, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or delivery of the Stock being delivered on such Delivery Date on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus.
(p) The Lock-Up Agreements between the Representatives and the officers, directors and stockholders of the Company set forth on Schedule II, delivered to the Representatives on or before the date of this Agreement, shall be in full force and effect on such Delivery Date.
(q) On or prior to each Delivery Date, the Company shall have furnished to the Underwriters such further certificates and documents as the Representatives may reasonably request.
(r) All opinions, letters, evidence and certificates mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall be deemed to be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters.
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10. Indemnification and Contribution.
(a) The Company hereby agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, directors, officers and employees and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any loss, claim, damage or liability, joint or several, or any action in respect thereof (including, but not limited to, any loss, claim, damage, liability or action relating to purchases and sales of Stock), to which that Underwriter, affiliate, director, officer, employee or controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or action arises out of, or is based upon, (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in (A) any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto, (B) any materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Stock, including any “road show” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act) and any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication (“Marketing Materials”), or (C) any Blue Sky application or other document prepared or executed by the Company (or based upon any written information furnished by the Company for use therein) specifically for the purpose of qualifying any or all of the Stock under the securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction (any such application, document or information being hereinafter called a “Blue Sky Application”), (ii) the omission or alleged omission to state in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto, any Marketing Materials or any Blue Sky Application, any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and shall reimburse each Underwriter and each such affiliate, director, officer, employee or controlling person promptly upon demand for any legal or other documented out-of-pocket expenses reasonably incurred by that Underwriter, affiliate, director, officer, employee or controlling person in connection with investigating or defending or preparing to defend against any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action as such expenses are incurred or (iii) any act or failure to act or any alleged act or failure to act by any Underwriter in connection with, or relating in any manner to, the shares of Stock or the offering contemplated hereby, and which is included as part of or referred to in any loss, claim, damage, liability or action arising out of or based upon any matter covered by clauses (i) or (ii) above; provided, however, that the Company shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action arises out of, or is based upon, any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, or in any such amendment or supplement thereto, any Marketing Materials or any Blue Sky Application, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information concerning such Underwriter or the Selling Stockholder furnished to the Company through the Representatives by or on behalf of any Underwriter or by the Selling Stockholder specifically for inclusion therein, which information consists solely of the information specified in Section 10(f) or which is Selling Stockholder Information, respectively. The foregoing indemnity agreement is in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have to any Underwriter or to any affiliate, director, officer, employee or controlling person of that Underwriter.
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(b) The Selling Stockholder shall indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, directors, officers and employees, and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any loss, claim, damage or liability, joint or several, or any action in respect thereof (including, but not limited to, any loss, claim, damage, liability or action relating to purchases and sales of Stock), to which that Underwriter, affiliate, director, officer, employee or controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or action arises out of, or is based upon, (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto, any Marketing Materials, any Blue Sky Application, or (ii) the omission or alleged omission to state in any Preliminary Prospectus, Registration Statement, the Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto, any Marketing Materials, any Blue Sky Application, any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and shall reimburse each Underwriter, its affiliates, directors, officers and employees and each such controlling person promptly upon demand for any legal or other documented out-of-pocket expenses reasonably incurred by that Underwriter, its affiliates, directors, officers and employees or controlling persons in connection with investigating or defending or preparing to defend against any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action as such expenses are incurred, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in any Preliminary Prospectus, Registration Statement, the Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto, any Marketing Materials or Blue Sky Application, in reliance upon and in conformity with the Selling Stockholder Information. The liability of the Selling Stockholder under the indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph shall be limited to an amount equal to the total gross proceeds from the offering of the shares of the Stock purchased under the Agreement received by the Selling Stockholder net of underwriting commissions and discounts but before expenses, as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus (the “Selling Stockholder Proceeds”). The foregoing indemnity agreement is in addition to any liability that the Selling Stockholder may otherwise have to any Underwriter or any affiliate, director, officer, employee or controlling person of that Underwriter.
(c) Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, shall indemnify and hold harmless the Company, the Selling Stockholder, their respective controlled affiliates, directors (including any person who, with his or her consent, is named in the Registration Statement as about to become a director of the Company), officers and employees, and each person, if any, who controls the Company or such Selling Stockholder within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any loss, claim, damage or liability, joint or several, or any action in respect thereof, to which the Company, the Selling Stockholder or any such controlled affiliate, director, officer, employee or controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or action arises out of, or is based upon, (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto or in any Marketing Materials or Blue Sky Application, or (ii) the omission or alleged omission to state in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto or in any Marketing Materials or Blue Sky Application, any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, but in each case only to the extent that the untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information concerning such Underwriter furnished to the Company through the Representatives by or on behalf of that Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information is limited to the information set forth in Section 10(f). The foregoing indemnity agreement is in addition to any liability that any Underwriter may otherwise have to the Company, such Selling Stockholder or any such controlled affiliate, director, officer, employee or controlling person.
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(d) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 10 of notice of any claim or the commencement of any action, the indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under this Section 10, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the claim or the commencement of that action; provided, however, that the failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have under this Section 10 except to the extent it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights and defenses) by such failure and, provided, further, that the failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have to an indemnified party otherwise than under this Section 10. If any such claim or action shall be brought against an indemnified party, and it shall notify the indemnifying party thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it wishes, jointly with any other similarly notified indemnifying party, to assume the defense thereof with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party. After notice from the indemnifying party to the indemnified party of its election to assume the defense of such claim or action, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to the indemnified party under this Section 10 for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by the indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable and documented out-of-pocket costs of investigation; provided, however, that the indemnified party shall have the right to employ counsel to represent jointly the indemnified party and those other indemnified parties and their respective directors, officers, employees and controlling persons who may be subject to liability arising out of any claim in respect of which indemnity may be sought under this Section 10 if (i) the indemnified party and the indemnifying party shall have so mutually agreed; (ii) the indemnifying party has failed within a reasonable time to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party; (iii) the indemnified party and its directors, officers, employees and controlling persons shall have reasonably concluded based on the advice of counsel, that there may be legal defenses available to them that are different from or in addition to those available to the indemnifying party; or (iv) the named parties in any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the indemnified parties or their respective directors, officers, employees or controlling persons, on the one hand, and the indemnifying party, on the other hand, and based on the advice of counsel, representation of both sets of parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them, and in any such event the reasonable and documented fees and expenses of such separate counsel shall be paid by the indemnifying party. It is understood and agreed that the indemnifying party shall not, in connection with any action or claim or related action or claim in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for each indemnified party. No indemnifying party shall (x) without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any pending or threatened claim, action, suit or proceeding in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties to such claim or action) unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such claim, action, suit or proceeding and does not include a statement as to, or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party, or (y) be liable for any settlement of any such action effected without its written consent (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), but if settled with the consent of the indemnifying party or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff in any such action, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify and hold harmless any indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment in accordance with this Agreement.
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(e) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 10 shall for any reason be unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under Section 10(a), 10(b) or 10(c) in respect of any loss, claim, damage or liability, or any action in respect thereof, referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party, contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such loss, claim, damage or liability, or action in respect thereof, (i) in such proportion as shall be appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Stockholder, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, from the offering of the Stock, or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company and the Selling Stockholder, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, with respect to the statements or omissions that resulted in such loss, claim, damage or liability, or action in respect thereof, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Stockholder, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, with respect to such offering shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Stock purchased under this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Selling Stockholder, as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus, on the one hand, and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters with respect to the shares of the Stock purchased under this Agreement, as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus, on the other hand. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company, the Selling Stockholder or the Underwriters, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Company, the Selling Stockholder and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this Section 10(e) were to be 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 into account the equitable considerations referred to herein. The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the loss, claim, damage or liability, or action in respect thereof, referred to above in this Section 10(e) shall be deemed to include, for purposes of this Section 10(e), any documented out-of-pocket legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim, subject to the provisions of Section 10(d). Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 10(e), in no event shall an Underwriter be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriter with respect to the offering of the Stock exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 10(e), the Selling Stockholder’s obligation to contribute as provided in this Section 10(e) shall in no event exceed the Selling Stockholder Proceeds. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute as provided in this Section 10(e) are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.
(f) The Underwriters severally confirm and the Company and the Selling Stockholder acknowledge and agree that the statements regarding delivery of shares by the Underwriters set forth on the cover page of, and the concession and reallowance figures and the paragraph relating to stabilization and short sales by the Underwriters appearing in the eleventh and twelfth paragraphs under the caption “Underwriting” in, the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus are correct and constitute the only information concerning such Underwriters furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf of the Underwriters specifically for inclusion in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, or in any amendment or supplement thereto or in any Marketing Materials.
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11. Defaulting Underwriters.
(a) If, on any Delivery Date, any Underwriter defaults in its obligations to purchase the Stock that it has agreed to purchase under this Agreement, the remaining non-defaulting Underwriters may in their discretion arrange for the purchase of such Stock by the non-defaulting Underwriters or other persons satisfactory to the Company on the terms contained in this Agreement. If, within 36 hours after any such default by any Underwriter, the non-defaulting Underwriters do not arrange for the purchase of such Stock, then the Company shall be entitled to a further period of 36 hours within which to procure other persons satisfactory to the non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase such Stock on such terms. In the event that within the respective prescribed periods, the non-defaulting Underwriters notify the Company that they have so arranged for the purchase of such Stock, or the Company notifies the non-defaulting Underwriters that it has so arranged for the purchase of such Stock, either the non-defaulting Underwriters or the Company may postpone such Delivery Date for up to seven full business days in order to effect any changes that in the reasonable opinion of counsel for the Company or counsel for the Underwriters may be necessary in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or in any other document or arrangement, and the Company agrees to promptly prepare any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or in any such other document or arrangement that effects any such changes. As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter,” unless the context requires otherwise, includes any party not listed in Schedule I hereto that, pursuant to this Section 11, purchases Stock that a defaulting Underwriter agreed but failed to purchase.
(b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Stock of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company as provided in paragraph (a) above, the total number of shares of the Stock that remains unpurchased does not exceed one-eleventh of the total number of shares of all the Stock, then the Company and the Selling Stockholder shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the total number of shares of Stock that such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder plus such Underwriter’s pro rata share (based on the total number of shares of Stock that such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder) of the Stock of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made; provided that the non-defaulting Underwriters shall not be obligated to purchase more than 110% of the total number of shares of Stock that it agreed to purchase on such Delivery Date pursuant to the terms of Section 3.
(c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Stock of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company as provided in paragraph (a) above, the total number of shares of Stock that remains unpurchased exceeds one-eleventh of the total number of shares of all the Stock, or if the Company shall not exercise the right described in paragraph (b) above, then this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of the non-defaulting Underwriters. Any termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section 11 shall be without liability on the part of the Company or the Selling Stockholder, except that the Company will continue to be liable for the payment of expenses as set forth in Sections 8 and 13 and except that the provisions of Section 10 shall not terminate and shall remain in effect.
(d) Nothing contained herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter of any liability it may have to the Company, the Selling Stockholder or any non-defaulting Underwriter for damages caused by its default.
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12. Termination. The obligations of the Underwriters hereunder may be terminated by the Representatives by notice given to and received by the Company and the Selling Stockholder prior to delivery of and payment for the Firm Stock if, prior to that time, any of the events described in Sections 9(m), 9(n) and 9(o) shall have occurred or if the Underwriters shall decline to purchase the Stock for any reason permitted under this Agreement.
13. Reimbursement of Underwriters’ Expenses. Except as set forth in the next sentence, if (a) the Company or the Selling Stockholder shall fail to tender the Stock for delivery to the Underwriters for any reason, or (b) the Underwriters shall decline to purchase the Stock for any reason permitted under this Agreement (except as a result of the occurrence of any of the events described in Section 9(o) (excluding clause (i)(B) thereof), the Company will reimburse the Underwriters for all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses (including the reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters) incurred by the Underwriters in connection with this Agreement and the proposed purchase of the Stock, and upon demand the Company shall pay the full amount thereof to the Representatives. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 11 (i) by reason of the default of one or more Underwriters or (ii) as a result of the occurrence of any of the events described in Section 9(o) (excluding clause (i)(B) thereof), the Company shall not be obligated to reimburse any defaulting Underwriter, in the case of clause (i) of this sentence, or any Underwriter, in the case of clause (ii) of this sentence, on account of those expenses. In no event shall the Selling Stockholder be obligated to reimburse the Underwriters for any expenses.
14. Research Analyst Independence. The Company acknowledges that the Underwriters’ research analysts and research departments are required to be independent from their respective investment banking divisions and are subject to certain regulations and internal policies, and that such Underwriters’ research analysts may hold views and make statements or investment recommendations and/or publish research reports with respect to the Company and/or the offering that differ from the views of their respective investment banking divisions. The Company and the Selling Stockholder hereby waive and release, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that the Company or the Selling Stockholder may have against the Underwriters with respect to any conflict of interest that may arise from the fact that the views expressed by their independent research analysts and research departments may be different from or inconsistent with the views or advice communicated to the Company or the Selling Stockholder by such Underwriters’ investment banking divisions. The Company and the Selling Stockholder acknowledge that each of the Underwriters is a full service securities firm and as such from time to time, subject to applicable securities laws, may effect transactions for its own account or the account of its customers and hold long or short positions in debt or equity securities of the companies that may be the subject of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
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15. No Fiduciary Duty. The Company and the Selling Stockholder acknowledge and agree that in connection with this offering, sale of the Stock or any other services the Underwriters may be deemed to be providing hereunder, notwithstanding any preexisting relationship, advisory or otherwise, between the parties or any oral representations or assurances previously or subsequently made by the Underwriters: (a) no fiduciary or agency relationship between the Company, the Selling Stockholder and any other person, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, exists; (b) the Underwriters are not acting as advisors, expert or otherwise and are not providing a recommendation or investment advice, to either the Company or the Selling Stockholder, including, without limitation, with respect to the determination of the public offering price of the Stock, and such relationship between the Company and the Selling Stockholder, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, is entirely and solely commercial, based on arms-length negotiations and, as such, not intended for use by any individual for personal, family or household purposes; (c) any duties and obligations that the Underwriters may have to the Company or Selling Stockholder shall be limited to those duties and obligations specifically stated herein; (d) the Underwriters and their respective affiliates may have interests that differ from those of the Company and the Selling Stockholder; and (e) does not constitute a solicitation of any action by the Underwriters. The Company and the Selling Stockholder hereby (x) waive any claims that the Company or the Selling Stockholder may have against the Underwriters with respect to any breach of fiduciary duty in connection with this offering and (y) agree that none of the activities of the Underwriters in connection with the transactions contemplated herein constitutes a recommendation, investment advice or solicitation of any action by the Underwriters with respect to any entity or natural person. Each of the Company and the Selling Stockholder has consulted their own legal, accounting, financial, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent deemed appropriate.
16. Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes.
(a) In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer from such Underwriter of this Agreement, and any interest and obligation in or under this Agreement, will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement, and any such interest and obligation, were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.
(b) In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity or a BHC Act Affiliate of such Underwriter becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under this Agreement that may be exercised against such Underwriter are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.
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For the purposes of this Section 16, a “BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k). “Covered Entity” means any of the following: (i) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b); (ii) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or (iii) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b). “Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable. “U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) Title II of the Xxxx-Xxxxx Xxxx Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
17. Notices, etc. All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in writing, and:
(a) if to the Underwriters, shall be delivered or sent by mail or facsimile transmission to (i) Barclays Capital Inc., 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attention: Syndicate Registration (Fax: (000) 000-0000) and (ii) Jefferies LLC, 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attention: General Counsel (Fax: (000) 000-0000), with a copy, in the case of any notice pursuant to Section 10(d), to the Director of Litigation, Office of the General Counsel, Barclays Capital Inc., 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000;
(b) if to the Company, shall be delivered or sent by mail to the address of the Company set forth in the Registration Statement, Attention: Xxxxxx Xxxxx or by e-mail to xxxxxx@xxxxxxx.xxxxxx; and
(c) if to the Selling Stockholder, shall be delivered or sent by mail or e-mail to Aria Renewable Energy Systems LLC, c/o Ares Management LLC, Three Xxxxxxx River Place, Suite 101, 00 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxx, XX 00000, Attention: Xxxx Xxxxxxxxxx, e-mail: xxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx; with a copy to: Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxxx LLP, 0000 Xxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxx Xxxx, XX 00000, Attention: Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx and Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx, e-mail: xxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxx and xxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxx.
Any such statements, requests, notices or agreements shall take effect at the time of receipt thereof. The Company and the Selling Stockholder shall be entitled to act and rely upon any request, consent, notice or agreement given or made on behalf of the Underwriters by Barclays Capital Inc. and Jefferies LLC, and the Company and the Underwriters shall be entitled to act and rely upon any request, consent, notice or agreement given or made on behalf of the Selling Stockholder.
18. Persons Entitled to Benefit of Agreement. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters, the Company, the Selling Stockholder and their respective successors. This Agreement and the terms and provisions hereof are for the sole benefit of only those persons, except that (a) the representations, warranties, indemnities and agreements of the Company and the Selling Stockholder contained in this Agreement shall also be deemed to be for the benefit of the directors, officers and employees of the Underwriters and each person or persons, if any, who control any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and (b) the indemnity agreement of the Underwriters contained in Section 10(c) of this Agreement shall also be deemed to be for the benefit of the directors of the Company, the officers of the Company who have signed the Registration Statement and any person controlling the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act. Nothing in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, other than the persons referred to in this Section 18, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision contained herein.
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19. Survival. The respective indemnities, rights of contributions, representations, warranties and agreements of the Company, the Selling Stockholder and the Underwriters contained in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them, respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall survive the delivery of and payment for the Stock and shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any of them or any person controlling any of them.
20. Definition of the Terms “Business Day”, “Affiliate” and “Subsidiary”. For purposes of this Agreement, (a) “business day” means each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday that is not a day on which banking institutions in New York are generally authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close, and (b) “affiliate” and “subsidiary” have the meanings set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
21. Governing Law. This Agreement and any transaction contemplated by this Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York without regard to conflict of laws principles that would result in the application of any other law than the laws of the State of New York (other than Section 5-1401 of the General Obligations Law).
22. Waiver of Jury Trial. The Company and the Underwriters hereby irrevocably waive, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
23. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts and, if executed in more than one counterpart, the executed counterparts shall each be deemed to be an original but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument. Delivery of an executed Agreement by one party to any other party may be made by facsimile, electronic mail (including any electronic signature complying with the New York Electronic Signatures and Records Act (N.Y. State Tech. §§ 301-309), as amended from time to time, or other applicable law) or other transmission method, and the parties hereto agree that any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.
24. Headings. The headings herein are inserted for convenience of reference only and are not intended to be part of, or to affect the meaning or interpretation of, this Agreement.
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If the foregoing correctly sets forth the agreement among the Company, the Selling Stockholder and the Underwriters, please indicate your acceptance in the space provided for that purpose below.
Very truly yours, | |||
ARCHAEA ENERGY INC. | |||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx | ||
Name: | Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx | ||
Title: | General Counsel and Executive Vice | ||
President Strategic Initiatives and | |||
Government Affairs |
ARIA RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS LLC | |||
By: | /s/ Xxxx Xxxxxxxxxx | ||
Name: | Xxxx Xxxxxxxxxx | ||
Title: | Vice President |
Accepted: | |||
Barclays Capital Inc. | |||
By: | /s/ Xxxx Xxxxxxx | ||
Name: | Xxxx Xxxxxxx | ||
Title: | Managing Director | ||
Jefferies LLC | |||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxxx Xxxx | ||
Name: | Xxxxxxx Xxxx | ||
Title: | Managing Director |
For themselves and as Representatives
of the several Underwriters named
in Schedule I hereto
SCHEDULE I
Underwriters | Number of Shares of Firm Stock | Number of Shares of Option Stock | ||||||
Barclays Capital Inc. | 3,508,273 | 526,241 | ||||||
Jefferies LLC | 3,508,273 | 526,241 | ||||||
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. | 1,819,105 | 272,864 | ||||||
BofA Securities, Inc. | 649,680 | 97,452 | ||||||
Xxxxx Fargo Securities, LLC | 649,680 | 97,452 | ||||||
Capital One Securities, Inc. | 519,744 | 77,962 | ||||||
USCA Securities LLC | 519,744 | 77,962 | ||||||
X.X. Xxxxxx Securities LLC | 389,808 | 58,471 | ||||||
Tudor, Pickering, Xxxx & Co. Securities, LLC | 389,808 | 58,471 | ||||||
Xxxxxxx Rice & Company L.L.C. | 259,872 | 38,981 | ||||||
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx & Company, Incorporated | 259,872 | 38,981 | ||||||
Xxxxx Brothers Investment Research, Inc. | 259,872 | 38,981 | ||||||
Xxxxxxxx Trading, LLC | 259,872 | 38,981 | ||||||
Total | 12,993,603 | 1,949,040 |
SCHEDULE II
PERSONS DELIVERING LOCK-UP AGREEMENTS
Directors
Xxxxxx X. Xxxx, XX
J. Xxxx Xxxxxx
Dr. Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx
Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
Officers
Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxx XxXxxxxx
Xxxxxx Xxxxx
Stockholders
Aria Renewable Energy Systems LLC
Rice Acquisition Sponsor LLC
Archaea Energy LLC
Shalennial Fund I, L.P.
SCHEDULE III
ORALLY CONVEYED PRICING INFORMATION
1. Offering price: $17.75
2. Number of Firm Shares offered: 12,993,603
3. Number of Option Shares offered: 1,949,040
SCHEDULE IV
WRITTEN TESTING-THE-WATERS COMMUNICATIONS
None.
LOCK-UP LETTER AGREEMENT
Barclays Capital Inc.
c/o Barclays Capital Inc.
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Jefferies LLC.
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
As Representatives of the several
Underwriters named in Schedule I attached hereto
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned understands that you and certain other firms (the “Underwriters”) propose to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) providing for the purchase by the Underwriters of shares (the “Stock”) of Class A Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”), of Archaea Energy Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and that the Underwriters propose to reoffer the Stock to the public (the “Offering”). Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the respective meanings ascribed to such terms in the Underwriting Agreement.
In consideration of the execution of the Underwriting Agreement by the Underwriters, and for other good and valuable consideration, the undersigned hereby irrevocably agrees that, without the prior written consent of Barclays Capital Inc. and Jefferies LLC, on behalf of the Underwriters, the undersigned will not, directly or indirectly, (1) offer for sale, sell, pledge, or otherwise dispose of (or enter into any transaction or device that is designed to, or would be expected to, result in the disposition by any person at any time in the future of) any shares of Common Stock (including, without limitation, shares of Common Stock that may be deemed to be beneficially owned by the undersigned in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and shares of Common Stock that may be issued upon exercise of any options or warrants) or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, except sales of the Stock pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, (2) enter into any swap or other derivatives transaction that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic benefits or risks of ownership of shares of Common Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise, (3) make any demand for the filing of or exercise any right or cause to be confidentially submitted or filed, a registration statement, including any amendments thereto, with respect to the registration of any shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or any other securities of the Company, except for any registration on Form S-8 or pursuant to clause (i) in the second succeeding paragraph below, or (4) publicly disclose the intention to do any of the foregoing for a period commencing on the date hereof and ending on the 45th day after the date of the Prospectus relating to the Offering (such 45-day period, the “Lock-Up Period”).
Exhibit A-1
The foregoing restrictions are expressly agreed to preclude the undersigned from engaging in any hedging or other transaction which is designed to or which reasonably would be expected to lead to or result in a sale or disposition of Common Stock or any other securities of the Company even if such Common Stock or other securities of the Company would be disposed of by someone other than the undersigned, including, without limitation, any short sale or any purchase, sale or grant of any right (including without limitation any put or call option, forward, swap or any other derivative transaction or instrument) with respect to any Common Stock, or any other security of the Company that includes, relates to, or derives any significant part of its value from Common Stock or other securities of the Company.
The foregoing restrictions, including without limitation the immediately preceding sentence, shall not apply to:
(a) transactions relating to shares of Common Stock or other securities acquired in the open market after the completion of the offering;
(b) bona fide gifts, sales or other dispositions of shares of any class of the Company’s capital stock, in each case that are made exclusively between and among the undersigned or members of the undersigned’s family, or affiliates of the undersigned, including its partners (if a partnership) or members (if a limited liability company) or to any investment fund or other entity controlling, controlled by, managing or managed by or under common control with the undersigned or affiliates of the undersigned (including, for the avoidance of doubt, where the undersigned is a partnership, to its general partner or a successor partnership or fund, or any other funds managed by such partnership), or as part of a distribution, transfer or disposition to its members, partners, shareholders or other equity holders of the undersigned; provided that it shall be a condition to any transfer pursuant to this clause (b) that (i) the transferee/donee agrees to be bound by the terms of this Lock-Up Letter Agreement (including, without limitation, the restrictions set forth in the preceding sentence) to the same extent as if the transferee/donee were a party hereto, (ii) each party (donor, donee, transferor or transferee) shall not be required by law (including without limitation the disclosure requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act”), and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)), to make, and shall agree to not voluntarily make, any filing or public announcement of the transfer or disposition prior to the expiration of the 45-day period referred to above, and if any filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, or other public filing, report or announcement reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of shares of Common Stock in connection with such transfer or distribution, or other public filing, report or announcement reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of shares of Common Stock in connection with such transfer or distribution, shall be legally required during the Lock-Up Period, such filing, report or announcement shall clearly indicate in the footnotes thereto the nature and conditions of such transfer and (iii) the undersigned notifies Barclays Capital Inc. and Jefferies LLC at least two business days prior to the proposed transfer or disposition;
Exhibit A-2
(c) a redemption of any units of LFG Acquisition Holdings LLC (“LFG LLC”) (together with a corresponding number of shares of Class B Common Stock of the Company) pursuant to the Second Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of LFG Acquisition Holdings LLC, dated as of September 15, 2021; provided, however, that the shares of Common Stock issuable upon such redemption shall be subject to the restrictions set forth in this Lock-Up Letter Agreement;
(d) transfers to the Company to the extent necessary to fund the exercise price of options held by the undersigned and the payment of taxes due with respect to the exercise, vesting, or lapse of substantial risk of forfeiture or other similar taxable event, of restricted stock, restricted stock units, stock options or other rights to purchase or receive shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Company’s stock option/equity incentive plans disclosed in the Prospectus relating to the Offering;
(e) transfers pursuant to an order of a court or regulatory agency (for purposes of this Lock-Up Letter Agreement, a “court or regulatory agency” means any domestic or foreign, federal, state or local government, including any political subdivision thereof, any governmental or quasi-governmental authority, department, agency or official, any court or administrative body, and any national securities exchange or similar self-regulatory body or organization, in each case of competent jurisdiction); provided that any filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act in connection with such transfer shall indicate, to the extent permitted by such section and the related rules and regulations, that such transfer is pursuant to an order of a court or regulatory agency;
(f) the establishment of any contract, instruction or plan that satisfies all of the requirements of Rule 10b5-1 (a “Rule 10b5-1 Plan”) under the Exchange Act; provided, however, that no sales of Common Stock or securities convertible into, or exchangeable or exercisable for, Common Stock, shall be made pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 Plan prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period; provided further, that the Company is not required to report the establishment of such Rule 10b5-1 Plan in any public report or filing with the Commission under the Exchange Act during the Lock-Up Period and does not otherwise voluntarily effect any such public filing or report regarding such Rule 10b5-1 Plan;
(g) tenders or other transfers pursuant to a bona fide third-party tender offer, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction made to all holders of shares of Common Stock involving a “change of control” (as defined below) of the Company (provided that if such transaction is not consummated, the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock shall remain subject to the restrictions set forth herein). For purposes of this clause (g), “change of control” means the consummation of any bona fide third party tender offer, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction the result of which is that any “person” (as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act, or group of persons, other than the Company, becomes the beneficial owner (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 of the Exchange Act) of more than 50% of total voting power of the voting stock of the Company;
Exhibit A-3
(h) transfers by will, other testamentary document or intestate succession upon the death of the undersigned or for bona fide estate planning purpose; provided that it shall be a condition to any transfer pursuant to this clause (h) that (i) the beneficiary agrees to be bound by the terms of this Lock-Up Letter Agreement (including, without limitation, the restrictions set forth in the preceding sentence) to the same extent as if the beneficiary were a party hereto, (ii) each party (benefactor, beneficiary, transferor or transferee) shall not be required by law (including without limitation the disclosure requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act), to make, and shall agree to not voluntarily make, any filing or public announcement of the transfer or disposition prior to the expiration of the 45-day period referred to above, and if any filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, or other public filing, report or announcement reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of shares of Common Stock in connection with such transfer or distribution, or other public filing, report or announcement reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of shares of Common Stock in connection with such transfer or distribution, shall be legally required during the Lock-Up Period, such filing, report or announcement shall clearly indicate in the footnotes thereto the nature and conditions of such transfer; and
(i) any demands or requests for, exercises of any right with respect to, or taking of any action in preparation of, the registration by the Company under the Securities Act of the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock, provided that no transfer of the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock registered pursuant to the exercise of any such right and no registration statement shall be filed under the Securities Act with respect to any of the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock during the Lock-Up Period.
In furtherance of the foregoing, the Company and its transfer agent are hereby authorized to decline to make any transfer of securities if such transfer would constitute a violation or breach of this Lock-Up Letter Agreement.
It is understood that, if the Company notifies the Underwriters that it does not intend to proceed with the Offering through the Representatives, if the Underwriters notify the Company that they do not intend to proceed with the Offering, if the Underwriting Agreement does not become effective, or if the Underwriting Agreement (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination) shall terminate or be terminated prior to payment for and delivery of the Stock, the undersigned will be released from its obligations under this Lock-Up Letter Agreement.
The undersigned understands that the Company and the Underwriters will proceed with the Offering in reliance on this Lock-Up Letter Agreement.
Exhibit A-4
Whether or not the Offering actually occurs depends on a number of factors, including, without limitation, market conditions. Any Offering will only be made pursuant to an Underwriting Agreement, the terms of which are subject to negotiation between the Company, the Selling Stockholder named therein and the Underwriters.
The undersigned acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters have not provided any recommendation or investment advice nor have the Underwriters solicited any action from the undersigned with respect to the Offering and the undersigned has consulted their own legal, accounting, financial, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent deemed appropriate.
This Lock-Up Letter Agreement and any transaction contemplated by this Lock-Up Letter Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York without regard to conflict of laws principles that would result in the application of any other law than the laws of the State of New York (other than Section 5-1401 of the General Obligations Law).
Delivery of an executed Lock-Up Letter Agreement by one party to any other party may be made by facsimile, electronic mail (including any electronic signature complying with the New York Electronic Signatures and Records Act (N.Y. State Tech. §§ 301-309), as amended from time to time, or other applicable law) or other transmission method, and the parties hereto agree that any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.
This Lock-Up Letter Agreement shall automatically terminate upon the earlier to occur, if any, of (1) the Underwriting Agreement (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination) terminating prior to payment for and delivery of the Common Stock to be sold thereunder and (2) the Underwriters notifying the Company and the Selling Stockholder, or the Company or the Selling Stockholder notifying the Underwriters, in writing, prior to the execution of the Underwriting Agreement, that it has determined not to proceed with the Offering.
[Signature page follows]
Exhibit A-5
The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power and authority to enter into this Lock-Up Letter Agreement and that, upon request, the undersigned will execute any additional documents necessary in connection with the enforcement hereof. Any obligations of the undersigned shall be binding upon the heirs and executors (in the case of individuals), personal representatives, successors and assigns of the undersigned.
Very truly yours, | ||
By: | ||
Name: | ||
Title: |
Dated: _______________
Exhibit A-6