Globant S.A. 5,815,259 Common Shares Underwriting Agreement
Exhibit 1.1
Execution Copy
5,815,259 Common Shares
Underwriting Agreement
June 20, 2018
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx & Co. LLC
X.X. Xxxxxx Securities LLC
As Representatives of the
several Underwriters listed
in Schedule 1 hereto
c/o Goldman Xxxxx & Co. LLC
000 Xxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
and
X.X. Xxxxxx Securities LLC
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
WPP Luxembourg Gamma Three S.à x.x. (the “Selling Shareholder”), a société à responsabilité limitée organized under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (“Luxembourg”) and a shareholder of Globant S.A. (the “Company”), a société anonyme organized under the laws of Luxembourg, having its registered office at 00X Xxxxxx X.X. Xxxxxxx, X-0000, Xxxxxxxxxx, registered with the Luxembourg Trade and Companies Register under number B 173 727, proposes to sell to the several Underwriters listed in Schedule 1 hereto (the “Underwriters”) for whom you are acting as representatives (the “Representatives”) 5,815,259 common shares, nominal value US$1.20 per share (the “Common Shares”) of the Company (the “Underwritten Shares”). In addition, the Selling Shareholder proposes to sell, at the option of the Underwriters, up to an additional 872,289 Common Shares of the Company (the “Option Shares”). The Underwritten Shares and the Option Shares are herein referred to as the “Shares.” The Company and the Selling Shareholder hereby confirm their agreement with the several Underwriters concerning the purchase and sale of the Shares, as follows:
1. Registration Statement. The Company has, not earlier than three years prior to the date hereof, prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”), a registration statement on Form F-3 ASR (File No. 333-225731). Such registration statement, including all exhibits thereto and any prospectus supplement relating to the Shares that is filed with the Commission and deemed by virtue of Rule 430B to be part of such registration statement, each as amended at the time such part of the registration statement became effective, is referred to herein as the “Registration Statement”; as used herein, “Preliminary Prospectus” means each preliminary prospectus (including any preliminary prospectus supplement) relating to the Shares filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act; and as used herein “Prospectus” means the final prospectus relating to the Shares filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act in accordance with Section 5(a) hereof. Any reference herein to the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 6 of Form F-3 under the Securities Act as of the date of such prospectus. Any reference to any amendment or supplement to the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, any prospectus supplement relating to the Shares filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act and any documents filed under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and incorporated by reference therein, in each case after the date of the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be; and any reference to any amendment to the Registration Statement shall be deemed to refer to and include any annual report of the Company filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the effective date of the Registration Statement. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to such terms in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
At or prior to the Applicable Time (as defined below), the Company had prepared the following information (collectively with the pricing information set forth on Annex A hereto, the “Pricing Disclosure Package”): a Preliminary Prospectus dated June 20, 2018 (including the base prospectus dated June 20, 2018 forming a part of the Registration Statement and the documents incorporated therein by reference) and each “free-writing prospectus” (as defined pursuant to Rule 405 under the Securities Act) listed on Annex B hereto.
“Applicable Time” means 5:45 P.M. (New York City time), on June 20, 2018.
2. Purchase of the Shares by the Underwriters. (a) The Selling Shareholder agrees to sell the Underwritten Shares to the several Underwriters as provided in this Agreement, and each Underwriter, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements set forth herein and subject to the conditions set forth herein, agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase at a price per Share (the “Purchase Price”) of U.S.$50.44 from the Selling Shareholder the Underwritten Shares.
In addition, the Selling Shareholder agrees to sell the Option Shares to the several Underwriters as provided in this Agreement, and the Underwriters, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements set forth herein and subject to the conditions set forth herein, shall have the option to purchase from, severally and not jointly, the Selling Shareholder at the Purchase Price less an amount per Common Share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Underwritten Shares but not payable on the Option Shares. If any Option Shares are to be purchased, the number of Option Shares to be purchased by each Underwriter shall be the number of Option Shares which bears the same ratio to the aggregate number of Option Shares being purchased as the number of Underwritten Shares set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule 1 hereto (or such number increased as set forth in Section 12 hereof) bears to the aggregate number of Underwritten Shares being purchased from the Selling Shareholder by the several Underwriters.
-2- |
The Underwriters may exercise the option to purchase Option Shares at any time in whole, or from time to time in part on no more than two occasions, on or before the 30th day following the date of the Prospectus, by written notice from the Representatives to the Company and the Selling Shareholder. Such notice shall set forth the aggregate number of Option Shares as to which the option is being exercised and the date and time when the Option Shares are to be delivered and paid for, which may be the same date and time as the Closing Date (as hereinafter defined) but shall not be earlier than the Closing Date or later than the 10th full business day (as hereinafter defined) after the date of such notice (unless such time and date are postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 12 hereof). Any such notice shall be given at least two business days prior to the date and time of delivery specified therein; provided that if the Option Shares are to be delivered and paid for on the Closing Date, such notice may be given one business day prior to the Closing Date.
(b) The Company and the Selling Shareholder understand that the Underwriters intend to make a public offering of the Shares as soon after the effectiveness of this Agreement as in the judgment of the Representatives is advisable, and initially to offer the Shares on the terms set forth in the Prospectus. The Company and the Selling Shareholder acknowledge and agree that the Underwriters may offer and sell Shares to or through any affiliate (as hereinafter defined) of an Underwriter.
(c) Payment for the Shares shall be made by wire transfer in immediately available funds to the account or accounts specified by the Selling Shareholder in writing, to the Representatives in the case of the Underwritten Shares, at the offices of Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP at 9:00 A.M. (New York City time) on June 25, 2018, or at such other time or place on the same or such other date, not later than the fifth business day thereafter, as the Representatives, the Company and the Selling Shareholder may agree upon in writing or, in the case of the Option Shares, on the date and at the time and place specified by the Representatives in the written notice of the Underwriters’ election to purchase such Option Shares. The time and date of such payment for the Underwritten Shares is referred to herein as the “Closing Date,” and the time and date for such payment for the Option Shares, if other than the Closing Date, is herein referred to as the “Additional Closing Date.”
Payment for the Shares to be purchased on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall be made against delivery to the Representatives for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters of the Shares to be purchased on such date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, with any Transfer Taxes (as defined below) payable in connection with the sale of such Shares duly paid by the Selling Shareholder. Delivery of the Shares shall be made through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) unless the Representatives shall otherwise instruct. The register of share capital, or a copy thereof, shall be made available for inspection by the Representatives or its counsel not later than 9:00 A.M. (New York City time) on the business day prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.
-3- |
(d) Each of the Company and the Selling Shareholder acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters are acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length contractual counterparty to the Company and the Selling Shareholder with respect to the offering of Shares contemplated hereby (including in connection with determining the terms of the offering) and not as a financial advisor or a fiduciary to, or an agent of, the Company, the Selling Shareholder or any other person. Additionally, neither the Representatives nor any other Underwriter is advising the Company, the Selling Shareholder or any other person as to any legal, tax, investment, accounting or regulatory matters in any jurisdiction. Each of the Company and the Selling Shareholder shall consult with its own advisors concerning such matters and shall be responsible for making its own independent investigation and appraisal of the transactions contemplated hereby, and the Underwriters shall have no responsibility or liability to the Company or the Selling Shareholder with respect thereto. Any review by the Underwriters of the Company, the transactions contemplated hereby or other matters relating to such transactions shall be performed solely for the benefit of the Underwriters and shall not be on behalf of the Company or the Selling Shareholder.
(e) Each of the Company and the Selling Shareholder 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 Selling Shareholder and/or the offering that differ from the views of their respective investment banking divisions. Each of the Company and the Selling Shareholder hereby waives and releases, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that the Company or the Selling Shareholder 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 advise communicated to the Company and/or the Selling Shareholder by such Underwriters’ investment banking divisions. Each of the Company and the Selling Shareholder acknowledges 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.
3. Representations, Warranties and Agreements of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each Underwriter and the Selling Shareholder, as of the date hereof, as of the Closing Date, and as of the Additional Closing Date, that:
(a) Preliminary Prospectus. No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus has been issued by the Commission; each Preliminary Prospectus included in the Pricing Disclosure Package, at the time of filing thereof, complied in all material respects with the Securities Act; and no Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in any Preliminary Prospectus (it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 9(c) hereof).
-4- |
(b) Pricing Disclosure Package. The Pricing Disclosure Package as of the Applicable Time did not, and as of the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in such Pricing Disclosure Package (it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 9(c) hereof).
(c) Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and Marketing Materials. Other than the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company (including its agents and representatives, other than the Underwriters in their capacity as such) has not prepared, used, authorized, approved or referred to and will not prepare, use, authorize, approve or refer to any “written communication” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) that constitutes an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy the Shares (each such communication by the Company or its agents and representatives (other than a communication referred to in clause (i) below) an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”) other than (i) any document not constituting a prospectus pursuant to Section 2(a)(10)(a) of the Securities Act or Rule 134 under the Securities Act or (ii) the documents listed on Annex B hereto, each electronic road show and any other written communications approved in writing in advance by the Representatives. Each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus complied in all material respects with the Securities Act, has been or will be (within the time period specified in Rule 433) filed in accordance with the Securities Act (to the extent required thereby) and, when taken together with the Preliminary Prospectus accompanying, or delivered prior to delivery of, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, did not, and as of the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or Preliminary Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or Preliminary Prospectus (it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 9(c) hereof).
-5- |
(d) Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Registration Statement has become effective under the Securities Act. No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued by the Commission, and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act against the Company or related to the offering of the Shares has been initiated or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission; as of the applicable effective date of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment or supplement thereto, the Registration Statement and any such post-effective amendment or supplement complied and will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act, and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading; and as of the date of the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto and as of the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, the Prospectus will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto (it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 9(c) hereof).
(e) Documents Incorporated by Reference. The documents incorporated by reference in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, when they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and none of such documents contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement thereto, when such documents become effective or are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; and no such documents were filed with the Commission since the Commission’s close of business on the business day immediately prior to the date of this Agreement and prior to the execution of this Agreement.
(f) Financial Statements. The financial statements (including the related notes thereto) of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries (as hereinafter defined) included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the results of their operations and the changes in their cash flows for the periods specified; such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (“IFRS”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered thereby, and any supporting schedules included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement present fairly, in all material respects, the information required to be stated therein; and the other financial information included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus has been derived from the accounting records of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries and presents fairly, in all material respects, the information shown thereby.
-6- |
(g) Status Under the Securities Act. (A) (i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement, (ii) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or form of prospectus), and (iii) at the time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c) under the Securities Act) made any offer relating to the Shares in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163 under the Securities Act, the Company was a “well-known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act; and (B) at the time of filing the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or any offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) under the Securities Act) of the Shares, and at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
(h) Testing-the-Waters Materials. The Company (i) has not engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communications and (ii) has not authorized anyone to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company has not distributed or approved for distribution any Written Testing-the-Waters Communications. “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.
(i) No Material Adverse Change. Since the date of the most recent financial statements of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (i) there has not been (a) any material change in the share capital, short-term debt or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, (b) any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, set aside for payment, paid or made by the Company on any class of share capital, or (c) any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the business, properties, management, financial position, shareholders’ equity, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; (ii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has entered into any transaction or agreement (whether or not in the ordinary course of business) that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; and (iii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained any loss or interference with its business that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole and that is either from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor disturbance or dispute or any action, order or decree of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority; except, in the case of clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) immediately above, as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
-7- |
(j) Organization and Good Standing. The Company and each of its consolidated subsidiaries have been duly organized and are validly existing and in good standing (to the extent this concept exists in the relevant jurisdiction) under the laws of their respective jurisdictions of organization, are duly qualified to do business and are in good standing in each jurisdiction in which their respective ownership or lease of property or the conduct of their respective businesses requires such qualification, except where the failure to so qualify or to be in good standing could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect (as such term is defined below), and have all power and authority necessary to own or hold their respective properties and to conduct the businesses in which they are engaged. The subsidiaries listed in Schedule 2 hereto are the only significant subsidiaries (as hereinafter defined) of the Company.
(k) Capitalization. The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the heading “Capitalization”; all of the outstanding share capital of the Company (including the Shares to be sold by the Selling Shareholder) have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable and are not subject to any pre-emptive or similar rights; except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no outstanding rights (including, without limitation, pre-emptive rights), warrants or options to acquire, or instruments convertible into or exchangeable for, any share capital or other equity interest in the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any contract, commitment, agreement, understanding or arrangement of any kind relating to the issuance of any share capital of the Company or any such subsidiary, any such convertible or exchangeable securities or any such rights, warrants or options; the share capital of the Company conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and all the outstanding share capital or other equity interests of each subsidiary owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of any lien, charge, encumbrance, security interest, restriction on voting or transfer or any other claim of any third party.
(l) No Rated Securities. There are no debt securities or preferred stock of or guaranteed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries that are rated by a “nationally recognized statistical rating organization,” as such term is defined by the Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Securities Act.
(m) Share Options. With respect to the share options (the “Share Options”) granted pursuant to the share-based compensation plans of the Company and its subsidiaries (the “Company Share Plans”), (i) each Share Option intended to qualify as an “incentive stock option” under Section 422 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), so qualifies, (ii) each grant of a Share Option was duly authorized no later than the date on which the grant of such Share Option was by its terms to be effective (the “Grant Date”) by all necessary corporate action, including, as applicable, approval by the board of directors of the Company (or a duly constituted and authorized committee thereof) and any required shareholder approval by the necessary number of votes or written consents, and the award agreement governing such grant (if any) was duly executed and delivered by each party thereto, (iii) each such grant was made in accordance with the terms of the Company Share Plans, the Exchange Act, and all other applicable laws and regulatory rules or requirements, including the rules of the New York Stock Exchange (the “Exchange”), and (iv) each such grant was properly accounted for in accordance with IFRS in the financial statements (including the related notes) of the Company. The Company has not knowingly granted, and there is no and has been no policy or practice of the Company of granting, Share Options prior to, or otherwise coordinating the grant of Share Options with, the release or other public announcement of material information regarding the Company or its subsidiaries or their results of operations or prospects.
-8- |
(n) Due Authorization. The Company has full right, power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and to perform its obligations hereunder; and all action required to be taken for the due and proper authorization, execution and delivery by it of this Agreement and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby has been duly and validly taken.
(o) Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(p) The Shares. The Shares to be sold by the Selling Shareholder hereunder are duly and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and conform to the description thereof in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(q) Descriptions of the Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(r) No Violation or Default. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (i) in violation of its charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents; (ii) 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 or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement 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; or (iii) in violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any European Union, Luxembourg, Argentine, U.S. federal or state or other governmental or regulatory authority or court or arbitrator, except, with respect to clauses (ii) and (iii) above, for any such default or violation that, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the business, properties, management, financial position, shareholders’ equity, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or on the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement (a “Material Adverse Effect”).
(s) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, the sale of the Shares and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement 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, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement 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 the violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any European Union, Luxembourg, Argentine, U.S. federal or state or other governmental or regulatory authority or court or arbitrator.
-9- |
(t) No Consents Required. No consent, approval, authorization, order, license, registration or qualification of or with any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority is required for the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, the sale of the Shares and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except for the registration of the Shares under the Securities Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders and registrations or qualifications as may be required under applicable state securities laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares by the Underwriters.
(u) Legal Proceedings. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no legal, governmental or regulatory investigations, actions, suits or proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or may be a party or to which any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or may be the subject that, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; no such investigations, actions, suits or proceedings are threatened or, to the knowledge of the Company, contemplated by any governmental or regulatory authority or threatened by others; and (i) there are no current or pending legal, governmental or regulatory actions, suits or proceedings that are required under the Securities Act to be described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that are not so described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and (ii) there are no statutes, regulations or contracts or other documents that are required under the Securities Act to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that are not so filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(v) Independent Accountants. Deloitte & Co. S.A., who have certified certain financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries within the applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Commission and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) and as required by the Securities Act.
(w) Title to Real and Personal Property. The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple (in the case of real property) to, or have valid and marketable rights to lease or otherwise use, all items of real and personal property and assets that are material to the respective businesses of the Company and its subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, claims and defects and imperfections of title except those that (i) do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its subsidiaries or (ii) could not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.
-10- |
(x) Title to Intellectual Property. The Company and its subsidiaries own or possess adequate rights to use, on reasonable terms, all patents, patent applications, trade and service marks, trade and service xxxx registrations, trade names, copyrights, licenses, inventions, trade secrets, technology, know-how and other intellectual property (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures) (collectively, the “Intellectual Property”) necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses as currently conducted and as proposed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus to be conducted. (i) There are no rights of third parties to any such Intellectual Property; (ii) there is no material infringement by third parties of any such Intellectual Property; (iii) there is no pending or threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the Company’s, or any of its subsidiaries’, rights in or to, or that interferes with the issued or pending claims to, any such Intellectual Property, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; (iv) there is no pending or threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the validity or scope of any such Intellectual Property, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; and (v) there is no pending or threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others that the Company or any of its subsidiaries infringes or otherwise violates any patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret or other proprietary rights of others, and the Company is unaware of any other fact which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim.
(y) Descriptions of Intellectual Property. The statements contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the captions “D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Business and Industry—We may not be able to prevent unauthorized use of our intellectual property and our intellectual property rights may not be adequate to protect our business, competitive position, results of operations and financial condition,” “D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Business and Industry—If we incur any liability for a violation of the intellectual property rights of others, our reputation, business, financial condition and prospects may be adversely affected” and “B. Business overview—Intellectual Property,” insofar as such statements summarize legal matters, agreements, documents, or proceedings discussed therein, are accurate and fair summaries of such legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings.
(z) No Undisclosed Relationships. No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, shareholders, customers or suppliers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the other, that is required by the Securities Act to be described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and that is not so described in such documents and in the Pricing Disclosure Package.
(aa) Investment Company Act. The Company is not required to register as an “investment company” within the meaning of the U.S. Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Investment Company Act”).
(bb) Taxes. The Company and its subsidiaries have paid all taxes and filed all tax returns required to be paid or filed through the date hereof, except (i) as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (ii) for taxes, if any, as are being contested in good faith and as to which adequate reserves have been established by the Company, or (iii) insofar as the failure to pay such taxes or file such returns would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; and there is no tax deficiency that has been, or, to the knowledge of the Company, could reasonably be expected to be, asserted against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective properties or assets, except for assessments against which appeals have been or will promptly be taken and as to which adequate reserves have been or will promptly be provided.
-11- |
(cc) Licenses and Permits. The Company and its subsidiaries possess all licenses, certificates, permits and other authorizations issued by, and have made all declarations and filings with, the appropriate European Union, Luxembourg, Argentine or U.S. federal, state or local or other governmental or regulatory authorities that are necessary for the ownership or lease of their respective properties or the conduct of their respective businesses as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except where the failure to so possess the same would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received notice of any revocation or modification of any such license, certificate, permit or authorization or has any reason to believe that any such license, certificate, permit or authorization will not be renewed in the ordinary course, except where such revocation, modification or nonrenewal would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(dd) No Labor Disputes. No labor disturbance by or dispute with employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is contemplated or threatened, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by, or dispute with, the employees of any of its or its subsidiaries’ principal suppliers, contractors or customers, except as would not reasonably be expected to give rise to a Material Adverse Effect.
(ee) Compliance with and Liability under Environmental Laws. (i) Except in each case as could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its subsidiaries (a) are, and at all prior times were, in compliance with any and all applicable European Union, Luxembourg, Argentine and U.S. federal, state and local and other applicable laws, rules, regulations or requirements and applicable common law relating to pollution or the protection of the environment, natural resources or human health or safety, including those relating to the generation, storage, treatment, use, handling, transportation, release or threat of release of harmful or deleterious substances (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (b) have received and are in compliance with all permits, licenses, certificates or other authorizations or approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses, (c) have not received written notice of any actual or potential liability under or relating to, or actual or potential violation of, any Environmental Laws and have no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in any such notice, (d) are not conducting or paying for, in whole or in part, and investigation, remediation or other corrective action pursuant to any Environmental Law at any location, and (e) are not a party to any order, decree or agreement that imposes any obligation or liability under any Environmental Law, and (ii) except as described the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (a) there are no proceedings that are pending, or that are known to be contemplated, against the Company or any of its subsidiaries under any Environmental Laws in which a governmental entity is also a party, other than such proceedings regarding which it is reasonably believed no monetary sanctions of U.S.$100,000 or more will be imposed, and (b) none of the Company and its subsidiaries anticipates material capital expenditures relating to any Environmental Laws.
-12- |
(ff) Compliance with ERISA. (i) Each employee benefit plan, within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the U.S. Employee Retirement Income 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 Code) would have any liability (each, a “Plan”) has been maintained in compliance with its terms and the requirements of any applicable statutes, orders, rules and regulations, including but not limited to, ERISA and the Code, except for noncompliance that could not reasonably be expected to result in material liability to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; (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 that could reasonably be expected to result in a material liability to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; (iii) for each Plan that is subject to the funding rules of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, the minimum funding standard of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, as applicable, has been satisfied (without taking into account any waiver thereof or extension of any amortization period) and is reasonably expected to be satisfied in the future (without taking into account any waiver thereof or extension of any amortization period); (iv) no “reportable event” (within the meaning of Section 4043(c) of ERISA) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur that either has resulted, or could reasonably be expected to result, in material liability to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; (v) neither the Company nor any member of the Controlled Group has incurred, nor 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 (the “PBGC”), in the ordinary course and without default) in respect of a Plan (including a “multiemployer plan,” within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA); and (vi) there is no pending audit or investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Department of Labor, the PBGC or any other governmental agency or any foreign regulatory agency with respect to any Plan that could reasonably be expected to result in material liability to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole. None of the following events has occurred or is reasonably likely to occur: (x) a material increase in the aggregate amount of contributions required to be made to all Plans by the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole in the current fiscal year of the Company and its subsidiaries compared to the amount of such contributions made in the Company and its subsidiaries’ most recently completed fiscal year; or (y) a material increase in the Company and its subsidiaries’ “accumulated post-retirement benefit obligations” (within the meaning of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards 106) compared to the amount of such obligations in the Company and its subsidiaries’ most recently completed fiscal year.
(gg) Disclosure Controls. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain an effective system of “disclosure controls and procedures” (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act) that complies with the requirements of the Exchange Act and that has been designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, including controls and procedures designed to ensure that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. The Company and its subsidiaries have carried out evaluations of the effectiveness of their disclosure controls and procedures as required by Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act.
-13- |
(hh) Accounting Controls. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain a consolidated system of “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that complies with the requirements of the Exchange Act and have been designed by, or under the supervision of, their respective principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, 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, including, but not limited to internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with IFRS and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Based on the Company’s evaluation of its internal controls over financial reporting in connection with the preparation of its consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting is effective and the Company is not aware of any material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting.
(ii) Insurance. The Company and its subsidiaries have insurance from insurers of recognized financial responsibility covering their respective properties, operations, personnel and businesses, including business interruption insurance, which insurance is in amounts and insures against such losses and risks as are prudent, adequate and in accordance with market and industry practice to protect the Company and its subsidiaries and their respective businesses; all policies of insurance and fidelity or surety bonds insuring the Company or any of its subsidiaries or their respective businesses, assets, employees, officers and directors are in full force and effect; the Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms of such policies and instruments in all material respects; there are no 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; neither the Company nor any subsidiary has been refused any material insurance coverage sought or applied for; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has (i) received written 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 or (ii) 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 at reasonable cost 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.
-14- |
(jj) No Unlawful Payments. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made any direct or indirect unlawful payment to any European Union, Luxembourg, Argentine or U.S. federal, state or local or other government official or employee from corporate funds; (iii) is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of any provision of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “FCPA”), including, without limitation, making use of the mails or any means of instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any “foreign official” (as such term is defined in the FCPA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the FCPA or other applicable laws, rules and regulations regarding illegal payments and corrupt practices; or (iv) made any unlawful bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment. The Company, its subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company, its affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA or other applicable laws, rules and regulations regarding illegal payments and corrupt practices and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.
(kk) Compliance with Money Laundering Laws. 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 Bank Secrecy Act of 1970, as amended by the USA PATRIOT ACT of 2001, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, the money laundering statutes of all applicable jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator 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.
(ll) No Conflicts with Sanctions Laws. Neither the Company, any of its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently the subject or the target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. government (including, without limitation, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury or the U.S. Department of State and including, without limitation, the designation as a “specially designated national” or “blocked person”), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), and for the past five years, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject or target of Sanctions (each, a “Sanctioned Country”); and the Company and its subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in and are not now knowingly engaged in any dealings or transactions with any person that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject or the target of Sanctions or with any Sanctioned Country.
(mm) No Restrictions on Subsidiaries. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, under any agreement or other instrument to which it is a party or is subject, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s share capital, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s properties or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company.
-15- |
(nn) No Broker’s Fees. 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 the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares.
(oo) No Registration Rights. No person has the right to require the Company or any of its subsidiaries to register any securities for sale under the Securities Act by reason of the filing of the Registration Statement with the Commission or the sale of the Shares by the Selling Shareholder hereunder, other than any such rights that have been disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus.
(pp) No Stabilization. The Company has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares.
(qq) Forward-Looking Statements. No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.
(rr) Statistical and Market Data. Nothing has come to the attention of the Company that has caused the Company to believe that the statistical and market-related data included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus is not based on or derived from sources that are reliable and accurate in all material respects.
(ss) Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or, to the knowledge of the Company, any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with any provision of the U.S. Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith applicable to the Company (the “Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act”), including, without limitation, Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.
(tt) Accuracy. There is no franchise, contract or other document of a character required to be described in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package or Prospectus, or to be filed as an exhibit thereto, which is not described or filed as required (and the Preliminary Prospectus contains in all material respects the same description of the foregoing matters contained in the Prospectus); and the statements in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus under the heading “Taxation” insofar as such statements summarize legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings discussed therein, are accurate and fair summaries of such legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings.
-16- |
(uu) Passive Foreign Investment Company. The Company believes it was not a “passive foreign investment company” as defined in Section 1297 of the Code and the regulations promulgated thereunder, for the taxable year ended December 31, 2017; and the Company does not reasonably expect to be considered as such for the taxable year ending December 31, 2018 or any future year.
(vv) Foreign Private Issuer. The Company is a “foreign private issuer” (as defined in Rule 3b-4(c) under the Exchange Act).
(ww) Transfer and Similar Taxes. There are no documentary, stamp, other issuance or transfer taxes, sales or value added taxes or duties or other similar fees or charges (“Transfer Taxes”) and no capital gains, income, withholding or other taxes required to be paid by or on behalf of the Underwriters or the Company in any applicable taxing jurisdiction or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof in connection with: (i) the offer, sale and delivery of the Shares to or for the respective accounts of such Underwriters; (ii) the sale and delivery by such Underwriters of the Shares to the initial purchasers thereof; (iii) the execution and delivery of this Agreement or any payment to be made pursuant to this Agreement; and (iv) the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except that, in the case of (x) proceedings before a Luxembourg court or (y) the presentation of this Agreement (either directly or by way of reference) to an autorité constituée, such court or autorité constituée may require registration of this Agreement and of all or part of the documents referred to in this Agreement with the Administration de l’Enregistrement et des Domaines in Luxembourg, which may result in registration duties becoming due and payable, at a fixed rate of €12 or at an ad valorem rate which depends on the nature of the registered document.
(xx) Distributions in Respect of Common Shares. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no approvals are currently required in Luxembourg in order for the Company to pay dividends or other distributions declared by the Company to the holders of Common Shares; and under current laws and regulations of Luxembourg, any amounts payable with respect to the Common Shares upon liquidation of the Company or upon redemption thereof and dividends and other distributions declared and payable on the Common Shares may be paid by the Company in U.S. dollars and freely transferred out of Luxembourg. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no payments of dividends made to holders of Common Shares who are non-residents of Luxembourg currently are subject to income, withholding or other taxes under laws and regulations of Luxembourg or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein and such payments will be free and clear of any other tax, duty, withholding or deduction in Luxembourg or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein and without the necessity of obtaining any governmental authorization in Luxembourg or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein.
(yy) No Requirement to Qualify to do Business. It is not necessary under the laws of Luxembourg that any holder of Common Shares or the Underwriters should be licensed, qualified or entitled to carry on business in Luxembourg, as the case may be, (i) to enable any of them to enforce their respective rights under this Agreement or the Common Shares or the offer or sale of the Shares as described in the Pricing Disclosure Package or any other document to be delivered in connection herewith or therewith or (ii) solely by reason of the execution, delivery or performance of any such document.
-17- |
(zz) Indemnification and Contribution. The indemnification and contribution provisions set forth in Section 9 hereof do not contravene Luxembourg law, public order, mandatory law or public policy.
(aaa) No Immunity. The Company is not, and none of the properties of the Company is, subject to any right or immunity under European Union, Luxembourg, Argentine, U.S. federal or New York state law from any legal action, suit or proceeding, from the giving of any relief in any such legal action, suit or proceeding, from set-off or counterclaim, from the jurisdiction of any European Union, Luxembourg, Argentine, U.S. federal or New York state court, from service of process, attachment upon or prior to judgment, or attachment in aid of execution of judgment, or from execution of a judgment, or other legal process or proceeding for the giving of any relief or for the enforcement of a judgment, in any such court with respect to its obligations, liabilities or any other matter under or arising out of or in connection herewith; and to the extent that the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of its properties, assets or revenue may have or may hereafter become entitled to any such right of immunity in any such court in which proceedings arising out of, or relating to the transactions contemplated hereby, may at any time be commenced, the Company has waived or will waive such right to the extent permitted by law and has consented to such relief and enforcement as provided herein.
(bbb) Enforcement of Foreign Judgments. Any final judgment for a fixed or determined sum of money rendered by any U.S. federal or New York state court located in the State of New York (each, a “New York Court”) having jurisdiction under its own laws in respect of any suit, action or proceeding against the Company based upon this Agreement would be declared enforceable against the Company by the courts of Luxembourg, without reconsideration or reexamination of the merits; provided that (i) the judgment of the New York Court is final and enforceable (exécutoire) in the United States; (i) the New York Court had jurisdiction over the subject matter leading to the judgment; (iii) the New York Court has applied to the dispute the substantive law that would have been applied by Luxembourg courts; (iv) the judgment was granted following proceedings where the counterparty had the opportunity to appear and, if it appeared, to present a defense, and the decision of the New York Court must not have been obtained by fraud, but in compliance with the rights of the defendant; (v) the New York Court has acted in accordance with its own procedural laws; (vi) the judgment of the New York Court does not contravene Luxembourg international public policy; and (vii) the New York Court proceedings were not of a criminal or tax nature.
(ccc) Valid Choice of Law. The choice of laws of the State of New York as the governing law of this Agreement is a valid choice of law under the laws of Luxembourg and should be honored by the courts of Luxembourg.
-18- |
(ddd) No Requirement to File or Record. To ensure the legality, validity, enforcement or admissibility into evidence of this Agreement in a legal or administrative proceeding in Luxembourg, it is not necessary that (i) this Agreement be filed or recorded with any governmental or regulatory authority or court, except that Luxembourg courts may require that any document tabled as evidence be translated into French or German and further except that, in the case of (x) proceedings before a Luxembourg court or (y) the presentation of this Agreement (either directly or by way of reference) to an autorité constituée, such court or autorité constituée may require registration of this Agreement and of all or part of the documents referred to in this Agreement with the Administration de l’Enregistrement et des Domaines in Luxembourg, which may result in registration duties becoming due and payable, at a fixed rate of €12 or at an ad valorem rate which depends on the nature of the registered document, or (ii) that any registration tax, stamp duty or similar tax be paid on or in respect of this Agreement other than court costs (including, without limitation, filing fees, registration duties and deposits to guarantee judgment required by a court in Luxembourg), except as provided in clause (i) of this Section 3(ddd).
(eee) Submission to Jurisdiction. The Company has the power to submit, and pursuant to Section 17(c) hereof has legally, validly, effectively and irrevocably submitted, to the jurisdiction of any U.S. federal or New York state court located in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York and has the power to designate, appoint and empower, and pursuant to Section 17(c) hereof, has legally, validly and effectively designated, appointed and empowered an agent for service of process in any suit or proceeding based on or arising under this Agreement in any U.S. federal or New York state court located in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York, and service of process effected in the manner set forth in this Agreement, assuming validity under the laws of the State of New York, will be effective under the laws of Luxembourg to confer valid personal jurisdiction over the Company.
(fff) Exchange Controls. No exchange control authorization or any other authorization, approval, consent or license of any governmental or regulatory authority or court in Luxembourg is required for the payment of any amounts payable to the Underwriters or the Company under this Agreement.
(ggg) No Withholding Taxes. All payments made to the Underwriters or the Company under this Agreement will not be subject to income, withholding or other taxes under laws and regulations of Luxembourg or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein and will otherwise be free and clear of any other tax, duty, withholding or deduction in Luxembourg or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein and without the necessity of obtaining any governmental authorization in Luxembourg or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein.
4. Representations, Warranties and Agreements of the Selling Shareholder. The Selling Shareholder represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each Underwriter and the Company, as of the date hereof, as of the Closing Date, and as of the Additional Closing Date, that:
(a) Organization and Good Standing. The Selling Shareholder has been duly incorporated or formed and is validly existing and in good standing (to the extent applicable) under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation, is duly qualified to do business and is in good standing in its jurisdiction of incorporation and is duly qualified to do business in each other jurisdiction in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, and has all power and authority necessary to own or hold its properties and to conduct the business in which it is engaged.
-19- |
(b) Authority. The Selling Shareholder has full right, power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to sell, assign, transfer and deliver the Shares to be sold by the Selling Shareholder hereunder; and this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Selling Shareholder.
(c) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Selling Shareholder of this Agreement, the sale of the Shares to be sold by the Selling Shareholder and the consummation by such Selling Shareholder of the transactions contemplated herein or therein 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, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Selling Shareholder pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Selling Shareholder is a party or by which the Selling Shareholder is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Selling Shareholder is subject, (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents of the Selling Shareholder or (iii) result in the violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any Luxembourg, U.S. federal, state or local or other governmental or regulatory agency or court or arbitrator applicable to the Selling Shareholder, except, in the case of clauses (i) and (iii) above, for such conflicts or violations that would not, singly or in the aggregate, affect the validity of the Shares to be sold by the Selling Shareholder or impair the ability of the Selling Shareholder to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(d) Title to Shares. The Selling Shareholder is, as of the date hereof, and will be, as of the Closing Date and the Additional Closing Date, the record owner of the Shares to be sold by it hereunder free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities, claims, security interests and charges, and has full power and authority to sell its interest in such Shares, and, assuming that each Underwriter acquires its interest in the Shares it has purchased from the Selling Shareholder without notice of any adverse claim (within the meaning of Section 8-105 of the New York Uniform Commercial Code (“UCC”)), and assuming that when such payment, delivery and crediting occur, (x) such Shares will have been registered in the name of Cede & Co. or another nominee designated by DTC, in each case on the Company’s register in accordance with its articles of association and applicable law and (y) DTC is registered as a “clearing corporation” within the meaning of Section 8-102 of the UCC, each Underwriter that has purchased such Shares delivered on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, to DTC or other securities intermediary by making payment therefor as provided herein, and that has had such Shares credited to the securities account or accounts of such Underwriters maintained with DTC or such other securities intermediary will have acquired a security entitlement (within the meaning of Section 8-102(a)(17) of the UCC) to such Shares purchased by such Underwriter, and no action based on an adverse claim (within the meaning of Section 8-105 of the UCC) may be asserted against such Underwriter with respect to such Shares.
(e) No Stabilization. The Selling Shareholder has not taken and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares.
-20- |
(f) Pricing Disclosure Package. The Pricing Disclosure Package, at the Applicable Time did not, and as of the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the foregoing sentence shall only apply to statements or omissions relating to the Selling Shareholder made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to the Selling Shareholder furnished in writing by or on behalf of the Selling Shareholder expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any supplement or amendment thereto (the “Selling Shareholder Information”); provided that Selling Shareholder Information applicable to the Selling Shareholder consists solely of the name and address of the Selling Shareholder, the number of shares owned and the number of shares proposed to be sold by the Selling Shareholder (in all cases excluding percentages) and the other information with respect to the Selling Shareholder that appears in the table and corresponding footnotes describing the Selling Shareholder under the caption “Selling Shareholder” in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and provided, further, that the Selling Shareholder makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in such Pricing Disclosure Package (it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 9(c) hereof).
(g) Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and Written Testing-the-Waters Communications. Other than the information relating to the Selling Shareholder in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Selling Shareholder (including its agents and representatives, other than the Underwriters in their capacity as such) has not prepared, used, authorized, approved or referred to and will not prepare, use, authorize, approve or refer to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or Written Testing-the-Waters Communication relating to the Shares.
(h) Registration Statement and Prospectus. As of the applicable effective date of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, the Registration Statement and any such post-effective amendment complied and will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act, and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading; and as of the date of the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto and as of the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, the Prospectus will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the foregoing sentence shall only apply to statements or omissions relating to the Selling Shareholder Information; and provided, further, that the Selling Shareholder makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto (it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 9(c) hereof).
-21- |
(i) Material Information. As of the date hereof, as of the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, the sale of the Shares by the Selling Shareholder is not and will not be prompted by any material information concerning the Company which is not set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus.
(j) No Consents Required. No consent, approval, authorization, order, license, registration or qualification of or with any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority is required for the execution, delivery and performance by such Selling Shareholder of this Agreement, the sale of the Shares and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except for (i) the registration of the Shares under the Securities Act, (ii) such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders and registrations or qualifications as may be required under applicable state securities laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares by the Underwriters and (iii) as may be required by FINRA or the Exchange.
(k) Enforcement of Foreign Judgments. Any final judgment for a fixed or determined sum of money rendered by any New York Court having jurisdiction under its own laws in respect of any suit, action or proceeding against the Selling Shareholder based upon this Agreement would be declared enforceable against the Selling Shareholder by the courts of Luxembourg without reconsideration or reexamination of the merits.
(l) Submission to Jurisdiction. The Selling Shareholder has the power to submit, and pursuant to Section 17(c) hereof has legally, validly, effectively and irrevocably submitted, to the jurisdiction of any U.S. federal or New York state court located in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York and has the power to designate, appoint and empower, and pursuant to Section 17(c) hereof, has legally, validly and effectively designated, appointed and empowered an agent for service of process in any suit or proceeding based on or arising under this Agreement in any U.S. federal or New York state court located in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York, and service of process effected in the manner set forth in this Agreement, assuming validity under the laws of the State of New York, will be effective under the laws of Luxembourg to confer valid personal jurisdiction over such Selling Shareholder.
(m) No Withholding Taxes. All payments made to the Underwriters and the Selling Shareholder under this Agreement will not be subject to income, withholding or other taxes under laws and regulations of Luxembourg or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein, and will otherwise be free and clear of any other tax, duty, withholding or deduction in Luxembourg or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein, as applicable to the Selling Shareholder, and without the necessity of obtaining any governmental authorization in Luxembourg or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein.
(n) ERISA. The Selling Shareholder is not (i) an employee benefit plan subject to Title I of ERISA, (ii) a plan or account subject to Section 4975 of the Code or (iii) an entity deemed to hold “plan assets” of any such plan or account under Section 3(42) of ERISA, 29 C.F.R. 2510.3-101, or otherwise.
-22- |
5. Further Agreements of the Company. The Company covenants and agrees with each Underwriter that:
(a) Required Filings. The Company shall file the final Prospectus with the Commission within the time periods specified by Rule 424(b) and Rule 430A, 430B or 430C under the Securities Act, as applicable, shall file any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Securities Act; and shall furnish copies of the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (to the extent not previously delivered) to the Underwriters in New York City prior to 10:00 A.M. (New York City time) on the business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement in such quantities as the Representatives may reasonably request.
(b) Delivery of Copies. The Company shall deliver, without charge, (i) to the Representatives, three signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto, in each case including all exhibits and consents filed therewith; and (ii) to each Underwriter (A) a conformed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (without exhibits) and (B) during the Prospectus Delivery Period (as defined below), as many copies of the Prospectus (including all amendments and supplements thereto and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus) as the Representatives may reasonably request. As used herein, the term “Prospectus Delivery Period” means such period of time after the first date of the public offering of the Shares as in the opinion of U.S. counsel for the Underwriters a prospectus relating to the Shares is required by law to be delivered (or required to be delivered but for Rule 172 under the Securities Act) in connection with sales of the Shares by any Underwriter or dealer.
(c) Amendments or Supplements, Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. During the Prospectus Delivery Period and before (i) preparing, using, authorizing, approving, referring to or filing any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and (ii) filing any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, the Company shall furnish to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters a copy of the proposed Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, amendment or supplement for review and shall not prepare, use, authorize, approve, refer to or file any such proposed Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, amendment or supplement to which the Representatives reasonably object.
(d) Notice to the Representatives. The Company shall advise the Representatives promptly, and confirm such advice in writing (i) when the Registration Statement has become effective; (ii) when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective; (iii) when any supplement to the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any amendment to the Prospectus has been filed or distributed; (iv) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or the receipt of any comments from the Commission relating to the Registration Statement or any other request by the Commission for any additional information; (v) of the issuance by the Commission of any order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any of the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act; (vi) of the occurrence of any event or development within the Prospectus Delivery Period as a result of which the Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package or any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading; and (vii) of the receipt by the Company of any notice with respect to any suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offer and sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; and the Company shall use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any of the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus suspending any such qualification of the Shares and, if any such order is issued, shall obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.
-23- |
(e) Ongoing Compliance. (1) If during the Prospectus Delivery Period (i) any event or development shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with applicable law, the Company shall immediately notify the Underwriters thereof and forthwith prepare and, subject to Section 5(c) hereof, file with the Commission and furnish to the Underwriters and to such dealers as the Representatives may designate such amendments or supplements to the Prospectus as may be necessary so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus will comply with applicable law and (2) if at any time prior to the Closing Date (i) any event or development shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which the Pricing Disclosure Package as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Pricing Disclosure Package is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend or supplement the Pricing Disclosure Package to comply with applicable law, the Company shall immediately notify the Underwriters thereof and forthwith prepare and, subject to Section 5(c) hereof, file with the Commission (to the extent required) and furnish to the Underwriters and to such dealers as the Representatives may designate, such amendments or supplements to the Pricing Disclosure Package as may be necessary so that the statements in the Pricing Disclosure Package as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Pricing Disclosure Package is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Pricing Disclosure Package will comply with applicable law.
(f) Blue Sky Compliance. The Company shall qualify the Shares for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives shall reasonably request and shall continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for distribution of the Shares; provided that the Company shall not be required to (i) qualify as a foreign corporation or other entity or as a dealer in securities in any such jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to so qualify, (ii) file any general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction or (iii) subject itself to taxation in any such jurisdiction if it is not otherwise so subject.
-24- |
(g) Earnings Statement. The Company shall make generally available to its security holders and the Representatives as soon as practicable an earnings statement that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 of the Commission promulgated thereunder covering a period of at least 12 months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company occurring after the “effective date” (as defined in Rule 158) of the Registration Statement.
(h) Clear Market. For a period of 90 days after the date of the Prospectus, the Company shall not (i) offer, pledge, sell, announce the intention to sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, or file with the Commission a registration statement (or equivalent) under the Securities Act or in Luxembourg or any other jurisdiction relating to, any Common Shares or other share capital of the Company or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Shares or other share capital of the Company, or publicly disclose the intention to make any offer, sale, pledge, disposition or filing, or (ii) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of any Common Shares or other share capital of the Company or any such other securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) is to be settled by delivery of any Common Shares or other share capital of the Company or such other securities, in cash or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, other than (w) the Shares to be sold hereunder, (x) any Common Shares or other share capital of the Company issued upon the exercise of options outstanding on the date hereof or granted under Company Share Plans, (y) the filing of a registration statement on Form S-8 relating to an offering of securities pursuant to or reserved for issuance under the Company's Company Share Plans or any options granted to employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries prior to the date hereof or (z) the entry into an agreement providing for the issuance by the Company of Common Shares or any security convertible into or exercisable for Common Shares in connection with an acquisition, merger, joint venture, strategic alliance or partnership, which is not for the purpose of a raising capital, entered into by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, and the issuance of any such securities pursuant to any such agreement; provided that, in the case of this clause (z), (i) the aggregate number of Common Shares that the Company may issue or agree to issue (including any securities convertible into or exercisable for Common Shares) shall not exceed the number of shares equivalent to 5% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares on the Closing Date and (ii) the Company shall cause each recipient of such Common Shares or other securities to execute and deliver to the Representatives, on or prior to the date of issuance of such Common Shares or other securities, a lock-up agreement in the form set forth as Exhibit A hereto.
(i) No Stabilization. The Company shall not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Common Shares.
(j) Exchange Listing. For so long as the Company is a reporting company pursuant to Section 12 or Section 15 of the Exchange Act, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to maintain the listing of the Shares on the Exchange and on the LuxSE and the admission to trading on the regulated market of the LuxSE.
-25- |
(k) Reports. During a period of three years from the effective date of the Registration Statement, so long as the Company is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act, the Company shall furnish to the Representatives, as soon as they are available, copies of all reports or other communications (financial or other) furnished to holders of the Shares, and copies of any reports and financial statements furnished to or filed with the Commission or any national securities exchange or automatic quotation system; provided the Company will be deemed to have furnished such reports and financial statements to the Representatives to the extent they are filed on the Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval system.
(l) Record Retention. The Company shall, pursuant to reasonable procedures developed in good faith, retain copies of each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not filed with the Commission in accordance with Rule 433 under the Securities Act.
(m) Filings. The Company shall file with the Commission such reports as may be required by Rule 463 under the Securities Act.
(n) Tax Gross-Up. The Company agrees with each of the Underwriters to make all payments under this Agreement without withholding or deduction for or on account of any present or future taxes, duties or governmental charges whatsoever imposed by any applicable taxing jurisdiction (“Taxing Jurisdiction”), unless the Company is compelled by law to deduct or withhold such taxes, duties or charges. In that event, the Company shall pay such additional amounts as may be necessary in order that the net amounts received after such withholding or deduction will equal the amounts that would have been received if no withholding or deduction had been made, except to the extent that such taxes, duties or charges (a) were imposed due to some connection of an Underwriter with the Taxing Jurisdiction other than the mere entering into of this Agreement or receipt of payments hereunder or (b) would not have been imposed but for the failure of such Underwriter to comply with any reasonable certification, identification or other reporting requirements concerning the nationality, residence, identity or connection with the Taxing Jurisdiction of the Underwriter if such compliance is timely requested by the Company and required or imposed by the applicable law as a precondition to an exemption from, or reduction in, such taxes, duties or other charges.
(o) Filing Fees. To pay the required Commission filing fees relating to the Shares within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1) under the Securities Act without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the Securities Act.
6. Further Agreements of the Selling Shareholder. The Selling Shareholder covenants and agrees with each Underwriter that:
-26- |
(a) Clear Market. For a period of 60 days after the date of the Prospectus (the “Lock-up Period”), the Selling Shareholder shall not (i) offer, pledge, sell, announce the intention to sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any Common Shares or other share capital of the Company or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Shares or other share capital of the Company (including without limitation, Common Shares or other share capital of the Company or such other securities which may be deemed to be beneficially owned by the Selling Shareholder in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Commission and securities which may be issued upon exercise of a share option or warrant), or publicly disclose the intention to make any offer, sale, pledge or disposition, (ii) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common Shares or other share capital of the Company or such other securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Shares or other share capital of the Company or such other securities, in cash or otherwise or (iii) make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to the registration of any Common Shares or other share capital of the Company or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Shares or other share capital of the Company without the prior written consent of the Representatives, in each case other than (A) the Shares to be sold by such Selling Shareholder hereunder; (B) transfers of Common Shares or other share capital of the Company as a bona fide gift or gifts, including as a result of the operation of law or estate or intestate succession; (C) to (1) any trust or other entity for the direct or indirect benefit of the Selling Shareholder or any affiliate, wholly-owned subsidiary, limited partner, member or stockholder of the Selling Shareholder, (2) a corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity of which the Selling Shareholder and any affiliate, wholly-owned subsidiary, limited partner, member or stockholder of the Selling Shareholder are the direct or indirect legal and beneficial owners of all the outstanding equity securities or similar interests of such corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity, (3) partners, members or shareholders of the Selling Shareholder, or (4) pursuant to an order of a court or regulatory agency having jurisdiction over the Selling Shareholder or in compliance with applicable law or regulation; (D) to the Selling Shareholder’s affiliates or to any investment fund or other entity controlled or managed by the Selling Shareholder; and (E) the establishment of a trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act for the transfer of Common Shares; provided that such plan does not provide for the transfer of Common Shares during the Lock-Up Period and, other than any filing required to be made pursuant to Section 13 or Section 16 of the Exchange Act after the expiration of the Lock-Up Period, no public announcement of the establishment or existence of such plan and no filing with the Commission or other regulatory authority in respect of such plan or transactions thereunder or contemplated thereby, by the Selling Shareholder, the Company or any other person, shall be made by the Selling Shareholder, the Company or any other person, prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period; provided that in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clause (B), (C) or (D), each donee or distributee shall execute and deliver to the Representatives a lock-up letter in the form of this paragraph; and provided, further, that in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clause (B), (C) or (D), no filing by any party (donor, donee, transferor or transferee) under the Exchange Act, or other public announcement shall be required or shall be made voluntarily in connection with such transfer or distribution (other than a filing on a Form 5 made after the expiration of the Lock-Up Period). The provisions of this covenant shall be further subject to the terms of the lock-up agreement in substantially the form of Exhibit A hereto executed and delivered by the Selling Shareholder prior to the date hereof.
-27- |
(b) Tax Form. The Selling Shareholder shall deliver to the Representatives prior to or at the Closing Date a properly completed and executed United States Treasury Department Form W-9, W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E (or other applicable form or statement specified by the Treasury Department regulations in lieu thereof) in order to facilitate the Underwriters’ documentation of their compliance with the reporting and withholding provisions of the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 with respect to the transactions herein contemplated.
(c) Transfer Taxes. The Selling Shareholder shall bear and pay (or, in respect of any Transfer Tax for which the Underwriters are initially liable, shall promptly reimburse the same to the Underwriters) any Transfer Taxes (together with any related costs, fines, penalty or interest) that are payable on or in connection with the creation, subscription, distribution, offer, sale and/or delivery of the Shares to be sold by it or its nominees, agents or affiliates to the Underwriters and to subscribers procured by the Underwriters and the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and any value added tax payable in connection with the commissions and other amounts payable or allowable by the Selling Shareholder. The Selling Shareholder agrees that the Underwriters may each elect to deduct from the payments to be made by them to the Selling Shareholder under this Agreement, any amounts required to be paid by the Selling Shareholder or any Underwriter under this clause.
(d) Tax Gross-Up. The Selling Shareholder agrees with each of the Underwriters to make all payments under this Agreement without withholding or deduction for or on account of any present or future taxes, duties or governmental charges whatsoever imposed by any Taxing Jurisdiction, unless the Selling Shareholder is compelled by law to deduct or withhold such taxes, duties or charges. In that event, the Selling Shareholder shall pay such additional amounts as may be necessary in order that the net amounts received after such withholding or deduction will equal the amounts that would have been received if no withholding or deduction had been made, except to the extent that such taxes, duties or charges (a) were imposed due to some connection of an Underwriter with the Taxing Jurisdiction other than the mere entering into of this Agreement or receipt of payments hereunder or (b) would not have been imposed but for the failure of such Underwriter to comply with any reasonable certification, identification or other reporting requirements concerning the nationality, residence, identity or connection with the Taxing Jurisdiction of the Underwriter if such compliance is timely requested by the Selling Shareholder and required or imposed by the applicable law as a precondition to an exemption from, or reduction in, such taxes, duties or other charges.
(e) Use of Proceeds. The Selling Shareholder will not directly or indirectly knowingly use the proceeds of the sale of the Shares hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to a subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity (i) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business with any person, or in any country or territory, that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject or target of Sanctions or (ii) 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.
-28- |
7. Certain Agreements of the Underwriters. Each Underwriter hereby represents and agrees that:
(a) It has not used, authorized use of, referred to or participated in the planning for use of, and will not use, authorize use of, refer to or participate in the planning for use of, any “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act (which term includes use of any written information furnished to the Commission by the Company and not incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and any press release issued by the Company) other than (i) a free writing prospectus that contains no “issuer information” (as defined in Rule 433(h)(2) under the Securities Act) that was not included in the Preliminary Prospectus or a previously filed Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, (ii) any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus listed on Annex B or prepared pursuant to Section 3(c) hereof (including any electronic road show), or (iii) any free writing prospectus prepared by such Underwriter and approved by the Company in advance in writing (each such free writing prospectus referred to in clauses (i) or (iii), an “Underwriter Free Writing Prospectus”).
(b) It has not and shall not, without the prior written consent of the Company, use any free writing prospectus that contains the final terms of the Shares unless such terms have previously been included in a free writing prospectus filed with the Commission.
(c) It is not subject to any pending proceeding under Section 8A of the Securities Act with respect to the offering (and will promptly notify the Company and the Selling Shareholder if any such proceeding against it is initiated during the Prospectus Delivery Period).
8. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligation of each Underwriter to purchase the Underwritten Shares on the Closing Date or the Option Shares on the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, as provided herein, are subject to the performance by the Company and the Selling Shareholder of their respective covenants and other obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:
(a) Registration Compliance; No Stop Order. No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be in effect, and no proceeding for such purpose or pursuant to Section 8A under the Securities Act shall be pending before or threatened by the Commission; the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been timely filed with the Commission under the Securities Act (in the case of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Securities Act) and in accordance with Section 5(a) hereof; and all requests by the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Representatives.
(b) Representations and Warranties. The respective representations and warranties of the Company and the Selling Shareholder contained herein shall be true and correct on the date hereof and on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be; and the statements of the Company and its officers and of the Selling Shareholder and their respective officers made in any certificates delivered pursuant to this Agreement shall be true and correct on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.
-29- |
(c) No Material Adverse Change. No event or condition of a type described in Section 3(i) hereof shall have occurred or shall exist, which event or condition is not described in the Pricing Disclosure Package (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) and the Prospectus (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) and the effect of which in the judgment of the Representatives makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Shares on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(d) Officers’ Certificates. The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, (x) a certificate of the chief financial officer or chief accounting officer of the Company and one additional senior executive officer of the Company who is satisfactory to the Representatives (i) confirming that such officers have carefully reviewed the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and, to the best knowledge of such officers, the representations of the Company set forth in Sections 3(b) and 3(f) hereof are true and correct, (ii) confirming that the other representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct and that the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and (iii) to the effect set forth in paragraphs (a) and (c) above, and (y) a certificate of the Selling Shareholder, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, (A) confirming that the representations of the Selling Shareholder set forth in Sections 4(d), 4(e) and 4(f) hereof are true and correct and (B) confirming that the other representations and warranties of the Selling Shareholder in this Agreement are true and correct and that the Selling Shareholder has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such Closing Date or Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.
(e) Comfort Letters. On the date of this Agreement and on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, Deloitte & Co. S.A. shall have furnished to the Representatives, at the request of the Company, letters, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof and addressed to the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, containing statements and information of the type customarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; provided, that the letter delivered on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall use a “cut-off” date no more than three business days prior to such Closing Date or Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.
(f) Opinion and 10b-5 Disclosure Letter of U.S. Counsel for the Company. DLA Piper LLP (US), U.S. counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to the Representatives, at the request of the Company, their written opinion and 10b-5 disclosure letter, dated the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.
-30- |
(g) Opinion of Luxembourg Counsel for the Company. Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxxxx, Luxembourg counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to the Representatives, at the request of the Company, their written opinion, dated the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.
(h) Opinion of Argentine Counsel for the Company. Marval, X’Xxxxxxx & Mairal, special Argentine counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to the Representatives his written opinion, dated the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.
(i) Opinion of Luxembourg Counsel for the Selling Shareholder. Xxxxx & Xxxxx (Luxembourg), Luxembourg counsel for the Selling Shareholder, shall have furnished to the Representatives their written opinion, dated the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.
(j) Opinion of U.S. Counsel for the Selling Shareholder. Xxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP,U.S. counsel for the Selling Shareholder, shall have furnished to the Representatives their written opinion, dated the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.
(k) Opinion and 10b-5 Disclosure Letter of U.S. Counsel for the Underwriters. The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, an opinion and 10b-5 disclosure letter of Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP, U.S. counsel for the Underwriters, with respect to such matters as the Representatives may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received such documents and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.
(l) Opinion of Luxembourg Counsel for the Underwriters. The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, an opinion of Elvinger Hoss Prussen, société anonyme, Luxembourg counsel for the Underwriters, with respect to such matters as the Representatives may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received such documents and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.
(m) No Legal Impediment to Sale. No action shall have been taken and no statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any European Union, Luxembourg, Argentine or U.S. federal, state or local or other governmental or regulatory authority that would, as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, prevent the sale of the Shares by the Selling Shareholder; and no injunction or order of any European Union, Luxembourg, Argentine or U.S. federal, state or local or other court shall have been issued that would, as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, prevent the sale of the Shares by the Selling Shareholder.
-31- |
(n) Good Standing. The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, satisfactory evidence of the good standing of the Company and its significant subsidiaries in their respective jurisdictions of organization and their good standing as foreign entities in such other jurisdictions as the Representatives may reasonably request, in each case in writing or any standard form of telecommunication from the appropriate governmental authorities of such jurisdictions.
(o) Exchange Listing. The Shares to be delivered on the Closing Date and the Additional Closing Date shall have been listed on the Exchange and on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange (the “LuxSE”) and admitted to trading on the regulated market of the LuxSE.
(p) Lock-up Agreements. The “lock-up” agreements, each substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto, delivered to the Representatives by certain shareholders, officers and directors of the Company listed in Annex C hereto relating to sales and certain other dispositions of Common Shares or certain other securities, delivered to you on or before the date hereof, shall be in full force and effect on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.
(q) Additional Documents. On or prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, the Company and the Selling Shareholder shall have furnished to the Representatives such further certificates and documents as the Representatives may reasonably request.
All opinions, letters, certificates and evidence 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.
9. Indemnification and Contribution.
(a) Indemnification of the Underwriters by the Company. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, directors, officers, employees and agents and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, legal fees and other expenses incurred in connection with any suit, action or proceeding or any claim asserted, as such fees and expenses are incurred), that arise out of, or are based upon, (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, not misleading, (ii) or any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, any road show as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act (a “road show”), any Marketing Materials or the Pricing Disclosure Package (including any Pricing Disclosure Package that has subsequently been amended), or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, in each case except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 9(c) hereof.
-32- |
(b) Indemnification of the Underwriters by the Selling Shareholder. The Selling Shareholder agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, directors, officers, employees and agents and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act to the same extent as the indemnity set forth in paragraph (a) above, in each case except (i) the indemnity obligations set forth in this Section 9(b) shall only extend to statements or omissions relating to the Selling Shareholder only to the extent that such alleged untrue statement or omission has been made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with Selling Shareholder Information and (ii) insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Pricing Disclosure Package (including any Pricing Disclosure Package that has subsequently been amended), it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 9(c) hereof.
(c) Indemnification of the Company and the Selling Shareholder. Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act and the Selling Shareholder to the same extent as the indemnity set forth in paragraph (a) above, but only with respect to any losses, claims, damages or liabilities that arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus any road show or the Pricing Disclosure Package (including any Pricing Disclosure Package that has subsequently been amended), it being understood and agreed upon that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the following information in the Prospectus furnished on behalf of each Underwriter: the information contained in the seventh, eighth and ninth paragraphs under the caption “Underwriting.”
-33- |
(d) Notice and Procedures. If any suit, action, proceeding (including any governmental or regulatory investigation), claim or demand shall be brought or asserted against any person in respect of which indemnification may be sought pursuant to Section 9(a), (b) or (c) hereof, such person (the “Indemnified Person”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnification may be sought (the “Indemnifying Person”) in writing; provided that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have under Section 9(a), (b) or (c) hereof except to the extent that it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) by such failure; and provided, further, that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have to an Indemnified Person otherwise than under Section 9(a), (b) or (c) hereof. If any such proceeding shall be brought or asserted against an Indemnified Person and it shall have notified the Indemnifying Person thereof, the Indemnifying Person shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person (who shall not, without the consent of the Indemnified Person, be counsel to the Indemnifying Person) to represent the Indemnified Person in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and expenses of such counsel related to such proceeding, as incurred. In any such proceeding, any Indemnified Person shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Person unless (i) the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person shall have mutually agreed to the contrary; (ii) the Indemnifying Person has failed within a reasonable time to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person; (iii) the Indemnified Person shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it that are different from or in addition to those available to the Indemnifying Person; or (iv) the named parties in any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interest between them. It is understood and agreed that the Indemnifying Person shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all Indemnified Persons, and that all such fees and expenses shall be paid or reimbursed as they are incurred. Any such separate firm for any Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and any control persons of such Underwriter shall be designated in writing by the Representatives, any such separate firm for the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and any control persons of the Company shall be designated in writing by the Company and any such separate firm for the Selling Shareholder shall be designated in writing by the Selling Shareholder. The Indemnifying Person shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the Indemnifying Person agrees to indemnify each Indemnified Person from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an Indemnified Person shall have requested that an Indemnifying Person reimburse the Indemnified Person for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by this Section 9(d), the Indemnifying Person shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by the Indemnifying Person of such request and (ii) the Indemnifying Person shall not have reimbursed the Indemnified Person in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No Indemnifying Person shall, without the written consent of the Indemnified Person, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any Indemnified Person is or could have been a party and indemnification could have been sought hereunder by such Indemnified Person, unless such settlement (x) includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Person, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Person, from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding and (y) does not include any statement as to or any admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any Indemnified Person.
-34- |
(e) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in Section 9(a), (b) and (c) hereof is unavailable to an Indemnified Person or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each Indemnifying Person under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such Indemnified Person thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Person as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Shareholder, on the one hand, and the Underwriters on the other, from the offering of the Shares or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) but also the relative fault of the Company and the Selling Shareholder, on the one hand, and the Underwriters on the other, in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Shareholder, on the one hand, and the Underwriters on the other, shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the Selling Shareholder, on the one hand, from the sale of the Shares, as applicable, and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection therewith, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate offering price of the Shares. The relative fault of the Company and the Selling Shareholder, on the one hand, and the Underwriters on the other, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company, by the Selling Shareholder or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
(f) Limitation on Liability. The Company, the Selling Shareholder and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to Section 9(e) hereof were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in Section 9(d) hereof. The amount paid or payable by an Indemnified Person as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in Section 9(e) hereof shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses incurred by such Indemnified Person in connection with any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 9(e) and (f) hereof, 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 Shares 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. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant Sections 9(e) and 9(f) hereof are several in proportion to their respective purchase obligations hereunder and not joint.
-35- |
(h) Non-Exclusive Remedies. The remedies provided for in this Section 9 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any Indemnified Person at law or in equity. The provisions of this Section 9 shall not affect any agreement between the Company and the Selling Shareholder with respect to indemnification and contribution.
(i) Limitation on Selling Shareholder Liability. Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 9(b) hereof, the liability of the Selling Shareholder shall be limited to an amount equal to the net proceeds (before deducting expenses) to the Selling Shareholder from the sale of Shares sold by the Selling Shareholder hereunder, and the Selling Shareholder shall not be required to contribute under Section 9(e) hereof any amount in excess of the amount by which the net proceeds (before deducting expenses) received by the Selling Shareholder exceeds the amount of any damages which the Selling Shareholder has otherwise been required to pay by reason of any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission.
10. Effectiveness of Agreement. This Agreement shall become effective upon the execution and delivery hereof by the parties hereto.
11. Termination. This Agreement may be terminated in the absolute discretion of the Representatives, by notice to the Company and the Selling Shareholder, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date or, in the case of the Option Shares, prior to the Additional Closing Date (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on or by any of the Exchange, the LuxSE, the American Stock Exchange, The Nasdaq Stock Market, the Chicago Board Options Exchange, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange or the Chicago Board of Trade; (ii) trading of any securities issued or guaranteed by the Company shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by U.S. federal or New York State authorities; or (iv) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis, either within or outside the United States, that, in the judgment of the Representatives, is material and adverse and makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Shares on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
12. Defaulting Underwriter.
(a) If, on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, any Underwriter defaults on its obligation to purchase the Shares that it has agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, the non-defaulting Underwriters may in their discretion arrange for the purchase of such Shares by other persons satisfactory to the Company and the Selling Shareholder 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 Shares, then the Company and the Selling Shareholder 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 Shares on such terms. If other persons become obligated or agree to purchase the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter, either the non-defaulting Underwriters or the Company and the Selling Shareholder may postpone the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, for up to five full business days in order to effect any changes that in the opinion of counsel for the Company, counsel for the Selling Shareholder or counsel for the Underwriters may be necessary in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or in any other document or arrangement, and the Company agrees to promptly prepare any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus that effects any such changes. As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” includes, for all purposes of this Agreement unless the context otherwise requires, any person not listed in Schedule 1 hereto that, pursuant to this Section 12, purchases Shares that a defaulting Underwriter agreed but failed to purchase.
-36- |
(b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Shareholder as provided in Section 11(a) hereof, the aggregate number of Shares that remain unpurchased on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, does not exceed one-eleventh of the aggregate number of Shares to be purchased on such date, then the Company and the Selling Shareholder shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the number of Shares that such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder on such date plus such Underwriter’s pro rata share (based on the number of Shares that such Underwriter agreed to purchase on such date) of the Shares of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made.
(c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Shareholder as provided in Section 11(a) hereof, the aggregate number of Shares that remain unpurchased on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, exceeds one-eleventh of the aggregate amount of Shares to be purchased on such date, or if the Company and the Selling Shareholder shall not exercise the right described in Section 11(b) hereof, then the remaining Underwriters shall have the right to purchase all, but shall not be under any obligation to purchase any, of the Shares, and if such non-defaulting Underwriters do not purchase all the Shares, this Agreement or, with respect to any Additional Closing Date, the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase Shares on the Additional Closing Date shall terminate without liability on the part of the non-defaulting Underwriters. Any termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section 12 shall be without liability on the part of the Company or the Selling Shareholder, except that the Company and the Selling Shareholder shall continue to be liable for the payment of expenses as set forth in Section 13 hereof and except that the provisions of Section 9 hereof 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 Shareholder or any non-defaulting Underwriter for damages caused by its default.
-37- |
13. Payment of Expenses.
(a) Whether or not the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, the Company agrees to pay or cause to be paid all costs and expenses incident to the performance of the Company’s and the Selling Shareholder’s obligations hereunder, including, without limitation, (i) the costs incident to the sale, preparation and delivery of the Shares and any taxes payable in that connection; (ii) the costs incident to the preparation, printing and filing under the Securities Act of the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (including all exhibits, amendments and supplements thereto and all documents incorporated therein by reference) and the distribution thereof; (iii) the fees and expenses of the Company’s counsels and independent accountants and the Selling Shareholder’s counsels; (iv) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the registration or qualification and determination of eligibility for investment of the Shares under the state or foreign securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives may designate and the preparation, printing and distribution of a Blue Sky Memorandum (including the related fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters); (v) the delivery of the Shares, including any Transfer Taxes in connection with the sale of the Shares or the execution of this Agreement; (vi) the costs and charges of any transfer agent and any registrar; (vii) all expenses incurred by the Company in connection with any “road show” presentation to potential investors including, without limitation, expenses associated with the production of road show videos, slides and graphics, reasonable and documented fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company and any such consultants, and the cost of aircraft and other transportation chartered in connection with the road show; and (viii) all expenses and application fees related to the listing of the Shares on the Exchange. It is understood, however, that, except as specifically provided in this Section 13(a) and in Section 9 hereof, the Underwriters shall pay their own costs and expenses, including the fees of their counsel, any transfer taxes on the resale of Shares and any advertising expenses in connection with offers to prospective purchasers of the Shares.
(b) If (i) this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 11 hereof, (ii) the Selling Shareholder for any reason fail to tender the Shares for delivery to the Underwriters or (ii) the Underwriters decline to purchase the Shares for any reason permitted under this Agreement, the Company agrees to reimburse the Underwriters for all out-of-pocket costs and expenses (including the fees and expenses of their counsel) reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in connection with this Agreement and the offering contemplated hereby.
14. Persons Entitled to Benefit of Agreement. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers and directors and any controlling persons referred to in Section 9 hereof. Nothing in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any other person any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision contained herein. No purchaser of Shares from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor merely by reason of such purchase.
15. Survival. The respective indemnities, rights of contribution, representations, warranties and agreements of the Company, the Selling Shareholder and the Underwriters contained in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of the Company, the Selling Shareholder or the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement or any certificate delivered pursuant hereto shall survive the delivery of and payment for the Shares and shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any termination of this Agreement or any investigation made by or on behalf of the Company, the Selling Shareholder or the Underwriters. The provisions of Sections 9 and 13(b) hereof shall survive the termination or cancellation of this Agreement.
-38- |
16. Certain Defined Terms. For purposes of this Agreement, (a) except where otherwise expressly provided, the term “affiliate” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act; (b) the term “business day” means any day other than a day on which banks are permitted or required to be closed in New York City; and (c) the term “subsidiary” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act ; and (d) the term “significant subsidiary” has the meaning set forth in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X under the Exchange Act.
17. Miscellaneous.
(a) Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted and confirmed by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be given to the Representatives c/o Goldman Xxxxx & Co. LLC, 000 Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000-0000, Attention: Registration Department; and c/o X.X. Xxxxxx Securities LLC, 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000 (fax: (000) 000-0000), Attention: Equity Syndicate Desk. Notices to the Company shall be given to it at 00X Xxxxxx X.X. Xxxxxxx, X-0000, Xxxxxxxxxx (fax: +54 11 4109-1800 ext. 8100); Attention: Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx Xxxx, General Counsel. Notices to the Selling Shareholder shall be given to it at 000 xxxxxxxxx xx xx Xxxxxxxx X-0000, Xxxxxxxxxx; Attention: Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx.
(b) Governing Law. This Agreement, and any claim, controversy or dispute arising under or related to this Agreement, shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
(c) Submission to Jurisdiction. Each of the Company and the Selling Shareholder hereby submits to the jurisdiction of the U.S. federal and New York state courts in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby. Each of the Company and the Selling Shareholder waives any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such suit or proceeding in such courts. Each of the Company and the Selling Shareholder irrevocably appoints Corporation Service Company, 0000 Xxxxxx xx xxx Xxxxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, respectively, as its authorized agent in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York upon which process may be served in any such suit or proceeding, and agrees that service of process upon such authorized agents, and written notice of such service to the Company and the Selling Shareholder, as the case may be, by the person serving the same to the address provided in Section 17(a) hereof, shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon the Company and the Selling Shareholder, as the case may be, in any such suit or proceeding. Each of the Company and the Selling Shareholder hereby represents and warrants, severally and not jointly, that its authorized agent has accepted such appointment and has agreed to act as such authorized agent for service of process. Each of the Company and the Selling Shareholder further agrees to take any and all action as may be necessary to maintain such designation and appointment of its authorized agent in full force and effect for a period of seven years from the date of this Agreement. Each of the parties hereto hereby waives any right to trial by jury in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement.
-39- |
(d) Judgment Currency. The Company and the Selling Shareholder, severally and not jointly, agree to indemnify each Underwriter against any loss incurred by such Underwriter as a result of any judgment or order being given or made for any amount due hereunder and such judgment or order being expressed and paid in a currency (the “judgment currency”) other than U.S. dollars and as a result of any variation as between (i) the rate of exchange at which the U.S. dollar amount is converted into the judgment currency for the purpose of such judgment or order, and (ii) the rate of exchange at which such Underwriter is able to purchase U.S. dollars with the amount of the judgment currency actually received by the Underwriter. The foregoing indemnity shall constitute a separate and independent obligation of the Company and the Selling Shareholder, and shall continue in full force and effect notwithstanding any such judgment or order as aforesaid. The term “rate of exchange” shall include any premiums and costs of exchange payable in connection with the purchase of, or conversion into, the relevant currency.
(e) Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in counterparts (which may include counterparts delivered by any standard form of telecommunication), each of which shall be an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
(f) Waiver of Immunity. To the extent that the Company or the Selling Shareholder has or hereafter may acquire any immunity (sovereign or otherwise) from jurisdiction of any court of (i) the European Union, Luxembourg, Argentina or any political subdivision thereof, (ii) the United States or the State of New York, (iii) any jurisdiction in which it owns or leases property or assets or from any legal process (whether through service of notice, attachment prior to judgment, attachment in aid of execution, execution, set-off or otherwise) with respect to itself or its property and assets or this Agreement, each of the Company and the Selling Shareholder hereby irrevocably waives such immunity in respect of its obligations under this Agreement to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.
(g) Amendments or Waivers. No amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement, nor any consent or approval to any departure therefrom, shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the parties hereto.
(h) Headings. The headings herein are included for convenience of reference only and are not intended to be part of, or to affect the meaning or interpretation of, this Agreement.
(i) Integration. This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) among the Company, the Selling Shareholder and the Underwriters, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof.
(j) USA Patriot Act. In accordance with the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)), the Underwriters are required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies their respective clients, including the Company and the Selling Shareholder, which information may include the name and address of their respective clients, as well as other information that will allow the Underwriters to properly identify their respective clients.
[Signature pages follow]
-40- |
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please indicate your acceptance of this Agreement by signing in the space provided below.
Very truly yours, | ||
GLOBANT S.A. | ||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx Xxxx | |
Name: Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx Xxxx | ||
Title: General Counsel | ||
WPP LUXEMBOURG GAMMA THREE S.À X.X. | ||
By: | /s/ Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx | |
Name: Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx | ||
Title: Manager | ||
By: | /s/ Thierry Lenders | |
Name: Thierry Lenders | ||
Title: Manager |
-41- |
Accepted: June 20, 2018
For themselves and on behalf of the | ||
several Underwriters listed | ||
in Schedule 1 hereto. | ||
XXXXXXX XXXXX & CO. LLC | ||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxxx Xxxx | |
Name: Xxxxxxx Xxxx | ||
Title: Managing Director | ||
X.X. XXXXXX SECURITIES LLC | ||
By: | /s/ Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxx | |
Name: Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxx | ||
Title: Managing Director |
-42- |
Schedule 1
Underwriter | Number of Shares | |||
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx & Co. LLC | 2,907,630 | |||
X.X. Xxxxxx Securities LLC | 2,907,629 | |||
Total | 5,815,259 |
Sch. 1-1 |
Schedule 2
Significant Subsidiaries
Subsidiary | Jurisdiction of Organization | |
Sistemas Globales S.A. | Argentina | |
IAFH Global S.A. | Argentina | |
Globant, LLC | USA (Delaware) | |
Globant España S.A. (sociedad unipersonal) | Spain |
Sch. 2-1 |
Annex A
Pricing Information Provided by Underwriters
· | Aggregate Number of Shares being sold by the Selling Shareholder: 5,815,259 |
· | Price to Public: U.S.$52.00 per Share |
Annex A-1 |
Annex B
Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses
1. | Issuer Free Writing Prospectus dated June 20, 2018 filed with the Commission on June 20, 2018. |
Annex B-1 |
Annex C
Shareholders, Directors and Officers of the Company to provide Lock-Up Agreements
Name | Title | |
Noltur S.A. | Shareholder | |
Mifery S.A. | Shareholder | |
Ewerzy S.A. | Shareholder | |
Gylcer International S.A. | Shareholder | |
WPP Luxembourg Gamma Three S.à x.x. | Shareholder | |
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx | Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer | |
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx | Director and Chief of Staff | |
Guibert Englebienne | Director and Chief Technology Officer | |
Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx-Demalde | Director | |
Mario Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx | Director | |
Xxxxxx Xxxxx | Director | |
Xxxxx X. Xxxxx | Director | |
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx | Director | |
Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx | Director | |
Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxxxx | Chief Strategy Officer | |
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx | Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs | |
Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxx | Chief Financial Officer | |
Xxxxxx Xxxxx | Financial Controller | |
Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxx | Chief People Officer | |
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx | Chief Information Officer | |
Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx Xxxx | General Counsel | |
Xxxxx Xxxxxxx | Communications Director |
Annex C-1 |
Exhibit A
Form of Lock-Up Agreement
June __, 2018
Xxxxxxx Sachs & Co. LLC
X.X. Xxxxxx Securities LLC
As Representatives of the
several Underwriters listed
in Schedule 1 to the Underwriting
Agreement referred to below
c/o Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC
000 Xxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
and
X.X. Xxxxxx Securities LLC
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Re: Globant S.A. — Public Offering
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned understands that you, as Representatives of the several Underwriters, propose to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Globant S.A. (the “Company”), a société anonyme organized under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, and the selling shareholder named therein, providing for the public offering (the “Public Offering”) by the several Underwriters named in Schedule 1 to the Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriters”), of common shares of the Company (the “Shares”). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings set forth in the Underwriting Agreement.
Exhibit A-1 |
In consideration of the Underwriters’ agreement to purchase and make the Public Offering of the Shares, and for other good and valuable consideration receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the undersigned hereby agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, the undersigned shall not, during the period (the “Lock-Up Period”) ending 60 days after the date of the final prospectus relating to the Public Offering (the “Prospectus”), (1) offer, pledge, sell, announce the intention to sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any common shares of the Company (the “Common Shares”) or other share capital of the Company or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Shares or other share capital of the Company (including without limitation, Common Shares or other share capital of the Company or such other securities which may be deemed to be beneficially owned by the undersigned in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Commission and securities which may be issued upon exercise of a share option or warrant), or publicly disclose the intention to make any offer, sale, pledge or disposition, (2) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common Shares or other share capital of the Company or such other securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Shares or other share capital of the Company or such other securities, in cash or otherwise or (3) make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to the registration of any Common Shares or other share capital of the Company or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Shares or other share capital of the Company without the prior written consent of the Representatives, in each case other than (A) the Shares to be sold by the undersigned pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement; (B) transfers of Common Shares or other share capital of the Company as a bona fide gift or gifts, including as a result of the operation of law or estate or intestate succession; (C) if the undersigned is a natural person, to (i) a member of the immediate family of the undersigned (for purposes of this Letter Agreement, “immediate family” shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage, or adoption, not more remote than first cousin), (ii) any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned, and/or charitable organizations or (iii) a corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity of which the undersigned and the immediate family of the undersigned are the direct or indirect legal and beneficial owners of all the outstanding equity securities or similar interests of such corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity; (D) if the undersigned is a corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity, to (i) any trust or other entity for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or any affiliate, wholly-owned subsidiary, limited partner, member or stockholder of the undersigned, (ii) a corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity of which the undersigned and any affiliate, wholly-owned subsidiary, limited partner, member or stockholder of the undersigned are the direct or indirect legal and beneficial owners of all the outstanding equity securities or similar interests of such corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity, (iii) partners, members or shareholders of the undersigned, or (iv) pursuant to an order of a court or regulatory agency having jurisdiction over the undersigned or in compliance with applicable law or regulation; (E) to the undersigned’s affiliates or to any investment fund or other entity controlled or managed by the undersigned; and (F) the establishment of a trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act for the transfer of Common Shares; provided that such plan does not provide for the transfer of Common Shares during the Lock-Up Period and, other than any filing required to be made pursuant to Section 13 or Section 16 of the Exchange Act after the expiration of the Lock-Up Period, no public announcement of the establishment or existence of such plan and no filing with the Commission or other regulatory authority in respect of such plan or transactions thereunder or contemplated thereby, by the undersigned, the Company or any other person, shall be made by the undersigned, the Company or any other person, prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period; provided that in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clause (B), (C), (D) or (E), each donee or distributee shall execute and deliver to the Representatives a lock-up letter in the form of this paragraph; and provided, further, that in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clause (B), (C), (D) or (E), no filing by any party (donor, donee, transferor or transferee) under the Exchange Act, or other public announcement, shall be required or shall be made voluntarily in connection with such transfer or distribution (other than a filing on a Form 5 made after the expiration of the Lock-Up Period). If the undersigned is an officer or director of the Company, the undersigned further agrees that the foregoing provisions shall be equally applicable to any Shares the undersigned may purchase in the Public Offering.
Exhibit A-2 |
Furthermore, the undersigned may exercise options to purchase Common Shares or receive Common Shares upon the vesting of restricted stock awards in each case pursuant to the Plans (as defined in the Underwriting Agreement) or as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus and effect the related transfer of Common Shares to the Company (i) deemed to occur upon the cashless exercise of such options or (ii) for the primary purpose of paying the exercise price of such options or for paying taxes (including estimated taxes) due as a result of the exercise of such options or as a result of the vesting of such Common Shares under such restricted stock awards; provided that no filing under Section 16 of the Exchange Act reporting a disposition of Common Shares shall be required or shall be voluntarily made in connection with such exercise or vesting; and provided, further that the Common Shares purchased or received by the undersigned remain subject to this Letter Agreement.
In furtherance of the foregoing, the Company, and any duly appointed transfer agent for the registration or transfer of the securities described herein, is hereby authorized to decline to make any transfer of securities if such transfer would constitute a violation or breach of this Letter Agreement.
The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power and authority to enter into this Letter Agreement. All authority herein conferred or agreed to be conferred and any obligations of the undersigned shall be binding upon the successors, assigns, heirs or personal representatives of the undersigned.
This Letter Agreement shall automatically terminate upon the date that the Company provides written notice to the Representatives that the Company has determined not to proceed with the proposed Public Offering and is terminating this Letter Agreement on behalf of all of the Company’s holders of Common Shares subject to this Letter Agreement; provided that the Company and the Representatives shall not have executed the Underwriting Agreement on or prior to such date. Assuming the Underwriting Agreement has been executed, this Letter Agreement shall automatically terminate upon the date that the Underwriting Agreement is terminated in accordance with its terms if such termination occurs prior to the closing of the sale of the Shares as contemplated thereby. This Letter Agreement shall lapse and become null and void if the execution of the Underwriting Agreement has not occurred prior to September 30, 2018. The undersigned understands that the Underwriters are entering into the Underwriting Agreement and proceeding with the Public Offering in reliance upon this Letter Agreement.
[Signature page follows]
Exhibit A-3 |
This Letter Agreement and any claim, controversy or dispute arising under or related to this Letter Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
Very truly yours, | ||
[NAME OF SIGNATORY] | ||
By: | ||
Name: | ||
Title: |
Exhibit A-4 |