SOGOU INC. 45,000,000 American Depositary Shares Representing 45,000,000 Class A Ordinary Shares UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
Exhibit 1.1
45,000,000 American Depositary Shares
Representing
45,000,000 Class A Ordinary Shares
November [·], 2017
X.X. Xxxxxx Securities LLC
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx,
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx of America
Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC
Eleven Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx of America
Xxxxxxx Sachs (Asia) L.L.C.
68th Floor, Xxxxxx Kong Center
2 Queen’s Road Central
Hong Kong
China International Capital Corporation Hong Kong Securities Limited
29th Floor, One International Finance Centre
0 Xxxxxxx Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxx
Xxxx Xxxx
As Representatives of the Several Underwriters named in SCHEDULE A hereto
Ladies and Gentlemen:
1. Introductory. Sogou Inc., an exempted company incorporated in the Cayman Islands (“Company”), agrees, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to issue and sell to the several Underwriters named in SCHEDULE A hereto (“Underwriters”), an aggregate of 45,000,000 American Depositary Shares (“ADSs”), each ADS representing one Class A ordinary share, par value US$0.001 per share (the “Ordinary Shares”) of the Company (the “Firm Securities”). The Company also agrees to sell to the Underwriters, at the option of the Underwriters, an aggregate of not more than 6,750,000 ADSs (the “Optional Securities”), subject to the terms and conditions stated herein. The Firm Securities and the Optional Securities are hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Offered Securities.” Unless the context otherwise requires, each reference to the Firm Securities, the Optional Securities or the Offered Securities herein also includes the underlying Ordinary Shares (hereinafter referred to as the “Offered Shares”).
The ADSs are to be issued pursuant to a deposit agreement (the “Deposit Agreement”), dated as of November [·], 2017 among the Company, The Bank of New York Mellon, as depositary (the “Depositary”), and holders and beneficial holders from time to time of the American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) issued by the Depositary and evidencing the ADSs.
The Company hereby acknowledges that, as part of the proposed offering of the Offered ADSs, it has requested Xxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co., and Xxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. has agreed, to administer a directed share program (the “Directed Share Program”) under which up to [·] ADSs, or approximately [·]% of the ADSs to be purchased by the Underwriters (the “Directed ADSs”), shall be reserved for purchase at the initial public offering price by the Company’s directors, executive officers, employees, business associates and members of their families
as designated by the Company (collectively, the “Participants”) as part of the distribution of the Offered Securities by the Underwriters, subject to the terms of this Underwriting Agreement, the applicable rules, regulations and interpretations of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) and all other applicable laws, rules and regulations. The number of ADSs available for sale to the general public will be reduced to the extent that the Participants purchase Directed ADSs. The Underwriters may offer any Directed ADSs not purchased by the Participants to the general public on the same basis as the other Offered ADSs being sold hereunder.
2. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the several Underwriters that:
(a) Filing and Effectiveness of Registration Statement; Certain Defined Terms. The Company has filed with the Commission a registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333- 220928) covering the registration of the Offered Securities under the Act, including a related preliminary prospectus or prospectuses. At any particular time, this initial registration statement, in the form then on file with the Commission, including all information contained in the registration statement (if any) pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the Act (as defined below) and then deemed to be a part of the initial registration statement, and all 430A Information and all 430C Information, that in any case has not then been superseded or modified, shall be referred to as the “Initial Registration Statement.” The Company may also have filed, or may file with the Commission, a Rule 462(b) registration statement covering the registration of Offered Securities. At any particular time, this Rule 462(b) registration statement, in the form then on file with the Commission, including the contents of the Initial Registration Statement incorporated by reference therein and including all 430A Information and all 430C Information, that in any case has not then been superseded or modified, shall be referred to as the “Additional Registration Statement.” A registration statement on Form F-6 (File No. 221233) relating to the ADSs has been filed with the Commission and has become effective (such registration statement on Form F-6, including all exhibits thereto, as amended at the time such registration statement becomes effective, being hereinafter referred to as the “ADS Registration Statement”). The Company has also filed, in accordance with Section 12 of the Exchange Act (as defined below), a registration statement (such registration statement, as amended through the time such registration statement becomes effective being hereinafter called the “Exchange Act Registration Statement”) on Form 8-A (File No. [·]) under the Exchange Act to register, under Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act, the Ordinary Shares and the ADSs. For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Initial Registration Statement, the Additional Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement, the Exchange Act Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or any amendment or supplement, or the Final Prospectus (including any prospectus wrapper) to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (“XXXXX”).
As of the time of execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Initial Registration Statement has been declared effective under the Act and is not proposed to be amended. Any Additional Registration Statement has or will become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(b) and is not proposed to be amended. The Offered Securities all have been or will be duly registered under the Act pursuant to the Initial Registration Statement and, if applicable, the Additional Registration Statement.
For purposes of this Agreement:
“430A Information”, with respect to any registration statement, means information included in a prospectus and retroactively deemed to be a part of such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430A(b).
“430C Information”, with respect to any registration statement, means information included in a prospectus then deemed to be a part of such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430C.
“Act” means the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
“Applicable Time” means [Ÿ P.M.] (New York City time) on the date of this Agreement.
“Closing Date” has the meaning defined in Section 4 hereof.
“Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Effective Time” with respect to the Initial Registration Statement or, if filed prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Additional Registration Statement, means the date and time as of which such Registration Statement was declared effective by the Commission or has become effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(c). If an Additional Registration Statement has not been filed prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement but the Company has advised the Representatives that it proposes to file one, “Effective Time” with respect to such Additional Registration Statement means the date and time as of which such Registration Statement becomes effective pursuant to Rule 462(b).
“Exchange Act” means the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
“Final Prospectus” means the Statutory Prospectus that discloses the Public Offering Price, other 430A Information and other final terms of the Offered Securities and otherwise satisfies Section 10(a) of the Act.
“General Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors (other than a Bona Fide Electronic Road Show (as defined below)), as evidenced by its being so specified in SCHEDULE B-1 to this Agreement.
“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, relating to the Offered Securities in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g), or is a “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i), whether or not required to be filed with the Commission. The Company has made available a “bona fide electronic road show,” as defined in Rule 433, in compliance with Rule 433(d)(8)(ii) (the “Bona Fide Electronic Road Show”) such that no filing of any “road show” (as defined in Rule 433(h)) is required in connection with the offering of the Offered Securities.
“Limited Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not a General Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and as stated in SCHEDULE B-2 to this Agreement.
“Material Adverse Effect” means a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, business, management, properties or prospects of the Company and the Controlled Entities, taken as a whole.
The Initial Registration Statement and the Additional Registration Statement are referred to collectively as the “Registration Statements” and individually as a “Registration Statement.” A “Registration Statement” with reference to a particular time means the Initial Registration Statement and any Additional Registration Statement as of such time. A “Registration Statement” without reference to a time means such Registration Statement as of its Effective Time. For purposes of the foregoing definitions, 430A Information with respect to a Registration Statement shall be considered to be included in such Registration Statement as of the time specified in Rule 430A.
“Rules and Regulations” means the rules and regulations of the Commission.
“Securities Laws” means, collectively, the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002 (“Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx”), the Act, the Exchange Act, the Rules and Regulations, the auditing principles, rules, standards and practices applicable to auditors of “issuers” (as defined in Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx) promulgated or approved by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and, as applicable, the rules of the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) (“Exchange Rules”).
“Statutory Prospectus” with reference to a particular time means the prospectus included in a Registration Statement immediately prior to that time, including any 430A Information or 430C Information with respect to such Registration Statement. For purposes of the foregoing definition, 430A Information shall be considered to be included in the Statutory Prospectus as of the actual time that form of prospectus is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) or Rule 462(c) and not retroactively.
“Testing-the-Water Communications” means any oral or written communications undertaken solely pursuant to Section 5(d) of the Act (including any presentation slides used in connection with such communication).
Unless otherwise specified, a reference to a “Rule” is to the indicated rule under the Act.
(b) Compliance with Securities Act Requirements. (i) (A) At their respective Effective Times, (B) on the date of this Agreement and (C) on each Closing Date, each of the Initial Registration Statement, the Additional Registration Statement (if any), the ADS Registration Statement and any amendments and supplement thereto conformed and will conform in all respects to the requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations and did not and will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) on its date, at the time of filing of the Final Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) or (if no such filing is required) at the Effective Time of the Additional Registration Statement in which the Final Prospectus is included, and on each Closing Date, the Final Prospectus will conform in all respects to the requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations and will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading, and (iii) on the date of this Agreement, at their respective Effective Times or issue dates and on each Closing Date, each Registration Statement, the Final Prospectus, any Statutory Prospectus, any prospectus wrapper and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus complied or comply, and such documents and any further amendments or supplements thereto will comply, with any applicable laws or regulations of foreign jurisdictions in which the Final Prospectus, any Statutory Prospectus, any prospectus wrapper or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, are distributed in connection with the Directed Share Program. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any such document based upon written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information is that described as such in Section 9(b) hereof.
(c) Ineligible Issuer Status. (i) At the time of the initial filing of the Initial Registration Statement and (ii) at the date of this Agreement, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405, including (x) the Company or any subsidiary of the Company in the preceding three years not having been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor or having been made the subject of a judicial or administrative decree or order as described in Rule 405, and (y) the Company in the preceding three years not having been the subject of a bankruptcy petition or insolvency or similar proceeding, not having had a registration statement be the subject of a proceeding under Section 8 of the Act and not being the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the Act in connection with the offering of the Offered Securities, all as described in Rule 405.
(d) EGC Status and Testing-the-Water Communications. (i) At the time of (A) the initial filing of the Initial Registration Statement and any Additional Registration Statement and (B) any Testing-the-Water Communications, the Company was, and on the date hereof the Company is, an “emerging growth company”(“EGC”) as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Act; (ii) The Company (A) has not alone engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communication other than Testing-the-Waters Communications with the consent of the Representatives with entities that are qualified institutional buyers within the meaning of Rule 144A under the Securities Act or institutions that are accredited investors within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Securities Act, and (B) has not authorized anyone other than the Representatives to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company reconfirms that the Representatives have been authorized to act on its behalf in undertaking Testing-the-Waters Communications; and (iii) The Company has not distributed or approved for distribution of any Written Testing-the-Waters Communications other than those listed on SCHEDULE B-3 hereto. “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 and any other materials listed on SCHEDULE B-3 hereto.
(e) General Disclosure Package. As of the Applicable Time, neither (i) the General Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus(es) issued at or prior to the Applicable Time and the preliminary prospectus, dated October 27, 2017 (which is the most recent Statutory Prospectus distributed to investors generally) and the other information, if any, stated in SCHEDULE B-1 to this Agreement, all considered together (collectively, the “General Disclosure Package”), nor (ii) any individual Limited Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus stated in SCHEDULE B-2 to this Agreement, nor (iii) any written Testing-the-Water Communication stated in SCHEDULE B-3 to this Agreement, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included any untrue statement of a material fact or
omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Statutory Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any written Testing-the-Water Communication in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information is that described as such in Section 9(b) hereof.
(f) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses and Written Testing-the-Water Communications. Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and all Written Testing-the-Water Communications, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Offered Securities or until any earlier date that the Company notified or notifies the Representatives as described in the next sentence, did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information then contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or Written Testing-the-Water Communication there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as applicable, conflicted or would conflict with the information then contained in the Registration Statement or as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or Written Testing-the-Water Communication, as applicable, if republished immediately following such event or development, would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, (i) the Company has promptly notified or will promptly notify the Representatives and (ii) the Company has promptly amended or will promptly amend or supplement such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and Written Testing-the-Water Communication, as applicable, to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.
(g) Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the Cayman Islands, with power and authority (corporate and other) to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus; and the Company is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation in good standing in all other jurisdictions in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification. The form of the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of the Company comply with the requirements of applicable Cayman Islands law and, once they become effective on the Closing Date, will be in full force and effect. Complete and correct copies of all constitutive documents of the Company and all amendments thereto have been delivered to the Representatives.
(h) Controlled Entities. (a) The Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation or entity other than (i) Sogou (BVI) Limited (“Sogou BVI”), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands (“BVI”), (ii) Sogou Hong Kong Limited (“Sogou HK”), an indirect subsidiary of the Company incorporated in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China (“Hong Kong”), (iii) Vast Creation Adverting Media Services Limited (“Vast Creation”), an indirect subsidiary of the Company incorporated in Hong Kong, (iv) Beijing Sogou Technology Development Co., Ltd (“Sogou Technology”), an indirect subsidiary of the Company incorporated under the laws of the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC”), (v) Beijing Sogou Network Technology Co., Ltd (“Sogou Network”), an indirect subsidiary of the Company incorporated under the laws of the PRC, (vi) Sogou Technology Hong Kong Limited (“Sogou Technology HK”), an indirect subsidiary of the Company incorporated in Hong Kong, (vii) Beijing Sogou Information Service Co., Ltd, (“Sogou Information”), a variable interest entity of the Company incorporated under the laws of the PRC, (viii) Shenzhen Shi Ji Guang Su Information Technology Co., Ltd (“Shi Ji Guang Su”), a variable interest entity of the Company incorporated under the laws of the PRC, (IX) Beijing Shi Ji Si Su Technology Co., Ltd (“Shi Ji Si Su”), a variable interest entity of the Company incorporated under the laws of the PRC, (X) Tianjin Sogou Network Technology Co., Ltd (“Tianjin Sogou Network”), an indirect subsidiary of the Company incorporated under the laws of the PRC and Chengdu Easypay Technology Co., Ltd. (“Chengdu EasyPay”), a variable interest entity of the Company incorporated under the laws of the PRC. Sogou BVI, Sogou HK, Vast Creation, Sogou Technology, Sogou Network, Sogou Technology HK, Sogou Information, Shi Ji Guang Su, Shi Ji Si Su,
Tianjin Sogou Network and Chengdu Easypay shall be referred to hereinafter each as a “Controlled Entity” and collectively as “Controlled Entities.” Other than the equity interests in Sogou BVI, Sogou HK, Vast Creation, Sogou Technology, Sogou Network, Sogou Technology HK and Tianjin Sogou Network and the control over Sogou Information, Shi Ji Guang Su, Shi Ji Si Su, Chengdu Easypay, the Company does not own, directly or indirectly, any share capital or any other equity interests or long-term debt securities of, or otherwise control, any corporation, firm, partnership, joint venture, association or other entity; (b) Each Controlled Entity has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, with power and authority (corporate and other) to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus; and each Controlled Entity is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation in all other jurisdictions in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except where such failure to be qualified would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; the constitutive documents of each Controlled Entity comply with the requirements of applicable laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation and are in full force and effect; (c) All of the issued and outstanding share capital of Sogou HK, Vast Creation, Sogou Technology, Sogou Technology HK, Sogou Network and Tianjin Sogou Network, has been duly authorized and validly issued and is fully paid and non-assessable, and such share capital is owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company free and clear from all liens, encumbrances, equities, claims and defects; and (d) All of the issued and outstanding share capital of Sogou Information has been duly authorized and validly issued and is fully paid and non-assessable, and the share capital of Sogou Information is owned, directly or indirectly, by the individuals and entities as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, free and clear from all liens, encumbrances, equities, claims and defects except such as disclosed therein, and the share capital of Shi Ji Guang Su and Shi Ji Si Su is owned directly by Sogou Information, free and clear from all liens, encumbrances, equities, claims and defects, and the share capital of Chengdu Easypay is owned directly by Sogou Information and Shi Ji Si Su, free and clear from all liens, encumbrances, equities, claims and defects. Beijing Century High-Tech Investment Co., Ltd and Shenzhen Tencent Computer System Co., Ltd are incorporated in the PRC. Xx. Xxxx Xiaochuan is a citizen of the PRC, and no application is pending in any other jurisdiction by him or on his behalf for naturalization or citizenship.
(i) Offered Securities. The Offered Securities and all other outstanding share capital of the Company have been duly authorized; the authorized equity capitalization of the Company is as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus; all outstanding ordinary shares of the Company are, and, when the Offered Securities have been issued, delivered and paid for in accordance with this Agreement on each Closing Date, such Offered Securities will be validly authorized and issued, fully paid and non-assessable, and conform in all respects to the description of such Offered Securities contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus; except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, there are no outstanding rights (including, without limitation, preemptive rights), warrants or options to acquire, or instruments convertible into or exchangeable for, any ordinary shares or other equity interest in the Company or any of the Controlled Entities, or any contract, commitment, agreement, understanding or arrangement of any kind relating to the issuance of any ordinary shares of the Company or any such Controlled Entity, any such convertible or exchangeable securities or any such rights, warrants or options; the Offered Shares, when issued and delivered against payment thereof, may be freely deposited by the Company with the Depositary against issuance of the Offered Securities; the ADSs to be sold by the Company, when issued and delivered against payment thereof, will be freely transferable by the Company to or for the account of the Underwriters; and except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus, there are no restrictions on subsequent transfers of such ADSs under the laws of the Cayman Islands, the PRC or the United States.
(j) VIE Agreements and Ownership Structure.
(i) The description of each of the agreements under the caption “Corporate History and Structure” in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, to which any of Sogou Technology, Sogou Information and the shareholders of Sogou Information is a party (each a “VIE Agreement” and collectively, the “VIE
Agreements”), is true, complete and correct in all material respects, and all material agreements relating to the Company’s corporate structure have been so disclosed. Each party of the VIE Agreements has the legal right, power and authority (corporate and other, as the case may be) to enter into and perform its respective obligations under the VIE Agreements and has taken all necessary corporate action to authorize the execution, delivery and performance of, and has authorized, executed and delivered, each of the VIE Agreements; and each of the VIE Agreements constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of the parties thereto, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws of general applicability affecting creditors’ rights or by equitable principles relating to enforceability. No consent, approval, authorization, or order of, or filing or registration with, any person (including any governmental agency or body or any court) is required for the performance of the obligations under any VIE Agreement by the parties thereto, except as already obtained or disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus; no consent, approval, authorization, order, filing or registration that has been obtained is being withdrawn or revoked or is subject to any condition precedent which has not been fulfilled or performed.
(ii) the ownership structure of the Company complies with all laws and regulations of the PRC, and neither the ownership structure nor any of the VIE Agreements violate, breach, contravene or otherwise conflict with any laws and regulations of the PRC. There is no legal or governmental proceeding, inquiry or investigation pending against the Company, Sogou Technology, Sogou Information and the shareholders of Sogou Information in any jurisdiction challenging the validity of any of the VIE Agreements, and, to the knowledge of the Company, no such proceeding, inquiry or investigation is threatened in any jurisdiction;
(iii) The execution and delivery by Sogou Technology, Sogou Information and the shareholders of Sogou Information of, and the performance by Sogou Technology, Sogou Information and the shareholders of Sogou Information of their respective obligations under, each of the VIE Agreements and the consummation by Sogou Technology, Sogou Information and the shareholders of Sogou Information of the transactions contemplated therein, will not: (A) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, lease, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company, Sogou Technology, Sogou Information and the shareholders of Sogou Information, as the case may be, are a party or by which the Company, Sogou Technology, Sogou Information and the shareholders of Sogou Information are bound or to which any of the properties or assets of the Company, Sogou Technology, Sogou Information and the shareholders of Sogou Information are subject; (B) result in any violation of the provisions of constitutive documents or business licenses of the Company, Sogou Technology and Sogou Information, as the case may be; or (C) result in any violation of any laws and regulations of the PRC or any order, rule or regulation of any PRC governmental agency having jurisdiction over the Company, Sogou Technology, Sogou Information and the shareholders of Sogou Information or any of their properties;
(iv) Each of the VIE Agreements is in proper legal form under the laws of the PRC for the enforcement thereof against Sogou Technology, Sogou Information and the shareholders of Sogou Information, as the case may be, in the PRC without further action by Sogou Technology, Sogou Information and the shareholders of Sogou Information, as the case may be; and to ensure the legality, validity, enforceability or admissibility in evidence of each of the VIE Agreements in the PRC, it is not necessary that any such document be filed or recorded with any court or other authority in the PRC or that any stamp or similar tax be paid on or in respect of any of the VIE Agreements; and
(v) The Company possesses, directly or indirectly, the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of Sogou Information, through its rights to authorize the shareholders of Sogou Information to exercise their respective voting rights.
(k) Financial Statements. The audited consolidated financial statements (and the notes thereto) of the Company included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus comply in all respects with the applicable requirements of the Act, and fairly present in all respects the consolidated financial position of the Company and the Controlled Entitles as of the dates specified and the consolidated results of operations, cash flows and changes in shareholders’ equity and consolidated financial position of the Company for the periods specified, and such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with United States generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods presented (other than as described therein); the summary and selected consolidated financial data and the unaudited financial results included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus comply in all respects with the applicable requirements of the Act, and present fairly the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited consolidated financial statements included therein; the assumptions used in preparing the pro forma financial statements included in each Registration Statement and the General Disclosure Package provide a reasonable basis for presenting the significant effects directly attributable to the transactions or events described therein, the related pro forma adjustments give appropriate effect to those assumptions, and the pro forma columns therein reflect the proper application of those adjustments to the corresponding historical financial statement amounts; there are no financial statements (historical or pro forma) that are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus that are not included as required; the Company and the Controlled Entities do not have any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations), that are not described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus.
(l) Operating and Other Company Data. All operating and other Company data disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, including but not limited to, mobile MAU, mobile DAU, PC MAU, PC DAU, and average revenue per advertiser (ARPA), each as defined therein, are true and accurate.
(m) No Material Adverse Change. Since the end of the period covered by the latest audited financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus: (i) there has been no development or event that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (ii) there has been no purchase of its own outstanding share capital by the Company or dividends or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its share capital; (iii) there has been no material adverse change in the share capital, short-term indebtedness, long-term indebtedness, net current assets or net assets of the Company and the Controlled Entities, or any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the general affairs, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and the Controlled Entities and the Company’s relationships with Xxxx.xxx Inc. (“Sohu”) and Tencent Holdings Limited; (iv) neither the Company nor any of the Controlled Entities has entered into any material transaction or agreement or incurred any material liability or obligation, direct or contingent, that is not disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus; and (v) neither the Company nor any of the Controlled Entities has sustained any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus.
(n) Title to Property. The Company and the Controlled Entities have good and marketable title to all real properties and all other material properties and assets owned by them, in each case free and clear from liens, charges, encumbrances and defects that would materially affect the value thereof or materially interfere with the use made or to be made thereof by them and, any real property and buildings held under lease by each of the Company and the Controlled Entities are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with such exceptions as are not material and do not interfere
with the use made and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company and the Controlled Entities.
(o) Insurance. The Company and each of the Controlled Entities have insurance covering their respective properties, operations, personnel and businesses as the Company reasonably deems adequate; all such insurance is fully in force on the date hereof and will be fully in force on each Closing Date; neither the Company nor any of the Controlled Entities has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew any such insurance as and when such insurance expires; and there is no material insurance claim made by or against the Company or any of the Controlled Entities, pending, outstanding, or to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, and no facts or circumstances exist which would reasonably be expected to give rise to any such claim and all due premiums in respect thereof have been paid.
(p) Termination of Contracts. Neither the Company nor any of the Controlled Entities has sent or received any communication regarding termination of, or intent not to renew, any of the contracts or agreements referred to or described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus or filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, and no such termination or non-renewal has been threatened by the Company or any of the Controlled Entities or, to the knowledge of the Company, by any other party to any such contract or agreement.
(q) Possession of Licenses and Permits. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, (i) the Company and each of the Controlled Entities possess, and are in compliance with the terms of, all adequate certificates, authorizations, franchises, licenses and permits and have made all declarations and filings with, the appropriate domestic or foreign governmental or regulatory authorities (collectively, “Licenses”) necessary or material to the conduct of the business now conducted or proposed to be conducted as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus; (ii) to the Company’s knowledge, such Licenses are valid and in full force and effect in all material respects and contain no materially burdensome restrictions or conditions not described in the General Disclosure Package except where any such restrictions or conditions would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; (iii) neither the Company nor any of the Controlled Entities has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or adverse modification of any Licenses and, to the knowledge of the Company, neither the Company nor any of the Controlled Entities has reason to believe that such Licenses will not be renewed in the ordinary course, except where any such revocation, modification or failure to renew any Licenses would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; and (iv) the Company and the Controlled Entities are in compliance with the terms and conditions of all such Licenses in all material respects. In particular, the Company and the Controlled Entities have obtained, and are in compliance with the terms of, all Licenses required, pursuant to applicable PRC laws and regulations, for (A) the provisions of video and music link-aggregation services; (B) the provision of online literature services and the Sogou Ask services; and (C) the provisions of image search services and the distribution of online games through the Sogou Game Center, except where the failure to obtain any of such Licenses would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(r) Absence of Existing Defaults and Conflicts. Neither the Company nor any of the Controlled Entities is (i) in violation of its respective charter, by-laws, articles of association, business license (as one of the basic organizational documents in the case of an entity incorporated in the PRC) or other constitutive documents, (ii) in violation of any statue, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, directive, judgment, decree or order of any judicial, regulatory or other legal or governmental agency or body, foreign or domestic, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of the Controlled Entities, or (iii) in default (or with the giving of notice or lapse of time would be in default) under any existing obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, loan agreement, deed of trust, mortgage, lease or other agreement or instrument to which any of them is a party or by which any of them is bound or to which any of the properties of any of them is subject, except, in the case of (ii) and (iii) above, such violations or defaults that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(s) Absence of Further Requirements. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, no consent, approval, authorization, or order of, or filing or registration with, any person (including any governmental agency or body or any court) is required to be obtained or made by the Company for the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Deposit Agreement (collectively, the “Transaction Documents”) in connection with the issuance, offering and sale of the Offered Securities by the Company, except such as have been obtained, or made and such as may be required under state securities laws. No authorization, consent, approval, license, qualification or order of, or filing or registration with any person (including any governmental agency or body or any court) in any foreign jurisdiction is required to be obtained by the Company for the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement in connection with the offering, issuance and sale of the Directed ADSs under the laws and regulations of such jurisdiction except such as have been obtained or made.
(t) Absence of Defaults and Conflicts Resulting from Transaction. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Transaction Documents, and the issuance and sale of the Offered Securities by the Company hereunder and the deposit of the Offered Shares with the Depositary against issuance of the Offered Securities and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents in connection with the offering of the Offered Securities will not (a) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default or, except that the Company has agreed with Sohu that a demand loan for working capital provided by Sohu to the Company in the aggregate outstanding principal amount of approximately US$45,312,308 will be paid in full immediately prior to the completion of the sale of the Offered Securities, a Debt Repayment Triggering Event (as defined below) 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 the Controlled Entities pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of the Controlled Entities is a party or by which the Company or any of the Controlled Entities is bound or to which any of the properties or assets of the Company or any of the Controlled Entities is subject; (b) result in any violation of the provisions of the articles of association, business license or other constitutive documents of the Company or any of the Controlled Entities; and (c) result in the violation of any judgment, law or statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority having jurisdiction over the Company or any of the Controlled Entities or any of their properties or assets. A “Debt Repayment Triggering Event” means any event or condition that gives, or with the giving of notice or lapse of time would give, the holder of any note, debenture, or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any of the Controlled Entities.
(u) Listing. The Offered Securities have been approved for listing on the NYSE, subject to only official notice of issuance.
(v) Registration Rights. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person granting such person the right to require the Company to file a registration statement under the Act with respect to any securities of the Company owned or to be owned by such person or to require the Company to include such securities in the securities registered pursuant to a Registration Statement or in any securities being registered pursuant to any other registration statement filed by the Company under the Act (collectively, “registration rights”), and any person to whom the Company has granted registration rights has agreed not to exercise such rights until after the expiration of the Lock-Up Period referred to in Section 6(k) hereof.
(w) Authorization of the Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(x) Authorization of the Deposit Agreement. The Deposit Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the Depositary, constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, subject, as to enforceability, to
bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles. The ADSs, when issued by the Depositary against the deposit of the Offered Shares in respect thereof in accordance with the provisions of the Deposit Agreement, will be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, and the persons in whose names such ADSs are registered will be entitled to the rights of registered holders of the ADSs specified therein and in the Deposit Agreement. The Deposit Agreement and the ADSs conforms in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus.
(y) Payments in Foreign Currency. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus, all dividends and other distributions declared and payable on the ordinary shares of the Company may under the current laws and regulations of the Cayman Islands be paid to the Depositary, and where they are to be paid from the Cayman Islands are freely transferred out of the Cayman Islands; all such dividends and other distributions will not be subject to income, withholding or other taxes under the laws and regulations of the Cayman Islands and are otherwise free and clear of any other tax, duty, withholding or deduction in the Cayman Islands and without the necessity of obtaining any governmental authorization in the Cayman Islands.
(z) Payments of Dividends. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, no subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Company or its respective shareholder (as applicable), from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s share capital, from repaying to the Company or its respective shareholder (as applicable) any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s property or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary to the extent permitted under the applicable laws.
(aa) No Transaction or Other Taxes. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, no transaction, stamp, capital, issuance, registration, transaction, transfer, withholding or other taxes, duties or similar governmental charges are payable in the PRC, the Cayman Islands or the United States by or on behalf of the Underwriters to any PRC, Cayman Islands or U.S. taxing authority in connection with (i) the issuance, sale and delivery of the Offered Shares by the Company, the issuance of the Offered Securities by the Depositary, and the delivery of the Offered Securities to or for the account of the Underwriters, (ii) the purchase from the Company of the Offered Shares and the initial sale and delivery of the Offered Securities representing the Offered Shares to purchasers thereof by the Underwriters, (iii) the deposit of the Offered Shares with the Depositary and the Custodian (as defined below) and the issuance and delivery of the Offered Securities, or (iv) the execution, delivery, performance or enforcement of this Agreement or the Deposit Agreement; except that Cayman Islands stamp duty may be payable in the event that this Agreement or the Deposit Agreement is executed in or brought within the jurisdiction of the Cayman Islands.
(bb) Absence of Manipulation. Neither the Company, any of the Controlled Entities nor any of their respective directors, officers, affiliates or controlling persons, acting on its behalf, has taken, directly or indirectly, any action that is designed to or that has constituted or that would reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Securities.
(cc) Accurate Disclosure. The statements in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus under the headings “Prospectus Summary,” “Risk Factors,” “Use of Proceeds,” “Dividend Policy,” “Enforceability of Civil Liabilities,” “Our History and Corporate Structure,” “Our Relationships with Sohu and Tencent, “ “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” “Business,” “PRC Regulation,” “Management,” “Principal Shareholders,” “Related Party Transactions,” “Description of Share Capital,” “Description of American Depositary Shares,” “Shares Eligible for Future Sale,” “Taxation” and “Underwriting,” 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 in all material respects and present the information required to be shown.
(dd) Material Agreements. The descriptions of each of the Second Amended and Restated Mobile Browser Cooperation Agreement, Cooperation Agreement between Weixin Official Platform and Sogou Search, and the Amended and Restated Business Development and Resource Sharing Agreement (each a “Material Agreement” and collectively, the “Material Agreements”) by and among the Company and Shenzhen Tencent Computer Systems Co., Ltd. under the captions “Related Party Transactions” and “Our Relationships with Sohu and Tencent” in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus are true and correct in all material respects. To the knowledge of the Company, each Material Agreement is in full force and effect, and constitutes a valid and binding obligation of such parties, enforceable against such parties in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws of general applicability affecting creditors’ rights or by equitable principles relating to enforceability. No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing or registration with, any court or governmental agency or body is required for the execution and delivery by the Company or its Controlled Entity of, and compliance by the Company or its Controlled Entity with, the provisions of each of the Material Agreements, except such as shall have been obtained or waived or as would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect if not obtained.
(ee) Forward-Looking Statements. No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus (including all amendments and supplements thereto) has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.
(ff) Statistical and Market-Related Data. Any third-party statistical and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, the Final Prospectus and any written Testing-the-Water Communication are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate, and such data agree with the sources from which they are derived. The Company has obtained written consents for the use of such data from such sources to the extent required.
(gg) Litigation. (i) Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, there are no pending actions, suits or proceedings (including any inquiries or investigations by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign) against or affecting the Company, any of the Controlled Entities or any of their respective properties that, if determined adversely to the Company or any of the Controlled Entities, would individually or in the aggregate reasonably be expect to have a Material Adverse Effect, or would materially and adversely affect the ability of the Company to perform its obligations, or to consummate the transactions contemplated, under the Transaction Documents, or which are otherwise material in the context of the sale of the Offered Securities; and no such actions, suits or proceedings (including any inquiries or investigations by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign) are, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened or contemplated; (ii) there are no legal or governmental proceedings that are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus and are not so described; and (iii) the pending legal or governmental proceedings to which the Company or any of the Controlled Entities is a party or of which any of their respective property or assets is the subject that are not described in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package or Final Prospectus, including ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business conducted by the Company or the Controlled Entities, would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in any Material Adverse Effect.
(hh) No Pending Proceedings against directors and executive officers. None of the Company’s directors and executive officers is a party to any legal, governmental or regulatory proceedings that would cause such director or executive officer to be restricted from serving in his or her position on the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) or in the Company.
(ii) Investment Company Act. The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Offered Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, will not be an “investment company” as defined in the United States Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”).
(jj) PFIC Status. Subject to the qualifications, limitations, exceptions and assumptions set forth in the Final Prospectus, the Company does not expect to be a passive foreign investment company as defined in Section 1297 of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), for the current taxable year.
(kk) Exhibits. There are no statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents that are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement (those so filed, collectively, the “Filed Documents”) that are not described or filed as required. Neither the Company nor any of the Controlled Entities has knowledge that any other party to any Filed Document has any intention not to render full performance as contemplated by the terms thereof.
(ll) Possession of Intellectual Property. The Company and the Controlled Entities own, possess, have obtained valid and enforceable licenses for, or can acquire on reasonable terms, sufficient trademarks (both registered and unregistered), trade names, service marks (both registered and unregistered), patent rights, copyrights and copyrightable works (including rights relating to software), domain names and other source indicators, source code, social media identifiers or accounts, licenses, approvals, inventions, technology, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures) and other intellectual property and similar rights, including registrations and applications for registration thereof (collectively, “Intellectual Property Rights”) necessary or material to the conduct of the business now conducted or proposed to be conducted as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, and the expected expiration of any such Intellectual Property Rights would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(mm) Absence of Infringement; Compliance with License Agreements. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, (i) there are no rights of third parties to any of the Intellectual Property Rights owned by the Company or the Controlled Entities, and there are no third parties who have established or, to the Company’s knowledge, will be able to establish rights to any Intellectual Property Rights owned by or licensed to the Company or any of the Controlled Entities; (ii) there is no material infringement, misappropriation, breach, default or other violation, or the occurrence of any event that with notice or the passage of time would constitute any of the foregoing, by the Company or any of the Controlled Entities or any third parties of any of the Intellectual Property Rights owned by or licensed to the Company or any of the Controlled Entities; (iii) there is no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging (A) the Company’s or any Controlled Entity’s rights in or to, or the violation of any of the terms of, any of their respective Intellectual Property Rights, or (B) the validity, enforceability or scope of any such Intellectual Property Rights, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such action, suit, proceeding or claim; (iv) there is no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others that the Company or any Controlled Entity infringes, misappropriates or otherwise violates or conflicts with any Intellectual Property Rights or other proprietary rights of others and the Company is unaware of any other fact which would form a reasonable basis for any such action, suit, proceeding or claim; (v) the Company and the Controlled Entities have complied in all material respects with the terms of each agreement pursuant to which Intellectual Property Rights have been licensed to the Company or any of the Controlled Entities, and all such agreements are in full force and effect; and (vi) none of the Intellectual Property Rights used by the Company or the Controlled Entities in their businesses has been obtained or is being used by the Company or the Controlled Entities in violation of any contractual obligation binding on the Company or any of the Controlled Entities or, to the knowledge of the Company, is in violation of the rights of any persons, except for, in the case of each of clauses (iii) to (vi) above, such situations would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(nn) No Sale, Issuance and Distribution of Shares. Except as set forth in the General Disclosure Package, the Company has not sold, issued or distributed any ordinary shares during the six-month period preceding the date hereof, including any sales pursuant to Rule 144A under, or Regulation
D or S of, the Act, other than shares issued pursuant to employee benefit plans, qualified stock option plans or other employee compensation plans or pursuant to outstanding options, rights or warrants.
(oo) Foreign Private Issuer. The Company is a “foreign private issuer” within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Act.
(pp) No Undisclosed Relationships. No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or any of the Controlled Entities, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, shareholders or suppliers of the Company or any of the Controlled Entities, on the other, that is required by the Act to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus and that is not so described in such documents; the Company has not, directly or indirectly, including through any of the Controlled Entities: (A) extended credit, arranged to extend credit, or renewed any extension of credit, in the form of a personal loan, to or for any director or executive officer of the Company or any of the Controlled Entities, or to or for any family member or affiliate of any director or executive officer of the Company or any of the Controlled Entities; or (B) made any material modification, including any renewal thereof, to any term of any personal loan to any director or executive officer of the Company or any of the Controlled Entities, or any family member or affiliate of any director or executive officer , that (x) is outstanding on the date hereof and (y) constitutes a violation of any applicable law or regulation.
(qq) Independent Accountants. PricewaterhouseCoopers Xxxxx Xxxx LLP, which has certified certain financial statements of the Company and the Controlled Entities, is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company and the Controlled Entities within the applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Commission and the U.S. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and as required by the Act.
(rr) Internal Controls and Compliance with the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act. The Company, the Controlled Entities and the Board are in compliance with the provisions of Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx and all Exchange Rules that are applicable to them as of the date of this Agreement. The Company and each of the Controlled Entities maintain a system of internal controls, including, but not limited to, disclosure controls and procedures, internal controls over accounting matters and financial reporting, an internal audit function and legal and regulatory compliance controls (collectively, “Internal Controls”) that comply with the Securities Laws and are sufficient to provide reasonable assurances, regarding the reliability of financial reporting, 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 U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain accountability for assets, (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. The Internal Controls will be, upon consummation of the offering of the Offered Securities, overseen by an Audit Committee (the “Audit Committee”) of the Board in accordance with Exchange Rules. The Company’s internal controls over financial reporting and disclosure controls (as such terms are defined in Rule 13a-15(f) and Rule 13a-15(e), respectively) comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act and the Company’s internal control over financial reporting is effective. Since the end of the Company’s latest audited consolidated financial statements included in the General Disclosure Package, there has been (i) no significant deficiency or material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) ,(ii) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting, (iii) no fraud involving management or other employees who have a significant role in Internal Controls and (iv) no violation of, or failure to comply with, the Securities Laws, or any matter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (each, an “Internal Control Event”). Each of the Company’s independent directors meets the criteria for “independence” under the rules and regulations under the Exchange Act, the Exchange Rules and, with respect to independent directors who are members of the Audit Committee, the Sarbanes Oxley.
(ss) Disclosure Controls. The Company and the Controlled Entities maintain an effective system of “disclosure controls and procedures” (as 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 the Controlled Entities have carried out evaluations of the effectiveness of their disclosure controls and procedures as required by Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act.
(tt) Absence of Accounting Issues. The Company has not received any notice, oral or written, from the Board stating that it is reviewing or investigating, and neither have the Company’s independent auditors recommended that the Board review or investigate, (i) adding to, deleting, changing the application of, or changing the Company’s disclosure with respect to, any of the Company’s material accounting policies; (ii) any matter which could result in a restatement of the Company’s financial statements for any annual or interim period during the current or prior two fiscal years; or (iii) any Internal Control Event.
(uu) Employees Benefits. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of the Controlled Entities has any material obligation to provide or has not made the required payment for retirement, healthcare, death or disability benefits to any of the present or past employees of the Company or any of the Controlled Entities, or to any other person.
(vv) Absence of Labor Dispute; Compliance with Labor Law. No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of the Controlled Entities exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is threatened or contemplated. The Company is not aware of any existing, threatened or imminent material labor disturbance by the employees of any of the Company’s or the Controlled Entities’ suppliers and courier companies that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and the Controlled Entities are and have been at all times in compliance in all material respects with all applicable labor laws and regulations, and no governmental investigation or proceedings with respect to labor law compliance exists, or to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent.
(ww) Critical Accounting Policies. The section entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Critical Accounting Policies” in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus accurately and fully describes (i) accounting policies that the Company believes are the most important in the portrayal of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations and that require management’s most difficult, subjective or complex judgments, (ii) judgments and uncertainties affecting the application of the foregoing critical accounting policies, and (iii) the likelihood that different amounts would be reported under different conditions or using different assumptions and an explanation thereof. The Company’s directors and management have reviewed and agreed with the selection, application and disclosure of the Company’s critical accounting policies as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus and have consulted with its independent accountants with regard to such disclosure.
(xx) Liquidity. The Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus fairly and accurately describe all material trends, demands, commitments, events, uncertainties and the potential effects thereof known to the Company, and that the Company believes would materially affect its liquidity and are reasonably likely to occur. The Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus fairly and accurately describe in all material respects all off-balance sheet transactions, arrangements, commitments and obligations of the Company or the Controlled Entities.
(yy) No Finder’s Fee. There are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or other like payment in connection with the offering of the
Offered Securities. There are also no arrangements, agreements, understandings, payments or issuance with respect to the Company, the Controlled Entities, or any of their officers, directors, shareholders, partners, employees or affiliates that may affect the Underwriters’ compensation as determined by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (the “FINRA”).
(zz) Absence of Default and Conflicts Resulting from the Use of Proceeds. The application of the net proceeds received by the Company in connection with the offering of the Offered Securities as described in the General Disclosure Package will not (a) contravene any provision of any current and applicable laws or the current constituent documents of the Company or any of the Controlled Entities, (b) contravene the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument currently binding upon the Company or any of the Controlled Entities, or (c) contravene any governmental authorization applicable to any of the Company or any of the Controlled Entities.
(aaa) Environmental Laws. The Company and the Controlled Entities (i) are, and have been, in compliance with any and all applicable international, federal, national, regional, local and other laws, rules, regulations, requirements, decisions and orders relating to the protection of human health or safety, the environment, natural resources, hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (ii) 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 (collectively, “Environmental Permits”), (iii) will not require material expenditures to maintain such compliance with environmental laws or environmental permits and (iv) have not received notice of any actual or potential liability for the investigation or remediation of any disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, except in the case of each of clauses (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) above, for any such failure to comply with, or failure to receive required permits, licenses or approvals, or actual or potential liability, as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and the Company and the Controlled Entities are not aware of any pending investigation which might reasonably be expected to lead to a claim of such liability, except any such liability as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(bbb) Absence of Unlawful Influence. The Company has not offered or sold, or caused the Underwriters to offer or sell, any Offered Securities to any person pursuant to the Directed Share Program with the specific intent to unlawfully influence (i) a supplier of the Company to alter the supplier’s level or type of business with the Company or (ii) a trade journalist or publication to write or publish favorable information about the Company or its business.
(ccc) Taxes. All tax returns required to be filed by the Company or any of the Controlled Entities have been timely filed except for those tax returns the failure to file which does not and would not be reasonably expected to, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, and all taxes and other assessments of a similar nature (whether imposed directly or through withholding) including any interest, additions to tax or penalties applicable thereto due or claimed to be due from such entities have been timely paid, other than those being contested in good faith and for which adequate reserves have been provided or as would not be reasonably expected to, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. All local and national PRC governmental tax holidays, exemptions, waivers, financial subsidies, and other local and national PRC tax relief, concessions and preferential treatment enjoyed by the Company or any of the Controlled Entities as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus are valid, binding and enforceable and do not violate any laws, regulations, rules, orders, decrees, guidelines, judicial interpretations, notices or other legislation of the PRC.
(ddd) Compliance with Anti-Corruption Laws. Neither the Company nor any of the Controlled Entities, nor any director, officer or employee thereof, nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any agent, representative, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of the Controlled Entities, has (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made or taken or will make or take any action in furtherance of an unlawful offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization or approval of the unlawful
payment or benefit, giving or receipt of money, property, gifts or anything else of value, directly or indirectly, to any foreign or domestic “government official” (including any officer or employee of a government or government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office); (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or any applicable law or regulation implementing the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, or committed an offence under the Xxxxxxx Xxx 0000 of the United Kingdom, the Anti-Unfair Competition Law of the PRC, the Criminal Law of the PRC or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption laws (collectively, the “Anti-Corruption Laws”); or (iv) made, offered, agreed, requested or taken an act in furtherance of any unlawful bribe or other unlawful benefit, including, without limitation, any unlawful rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful or improper payment or benefit. The Company and the Controlled Entities and their respective affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with all applicable Anti-Corruption Laws and have instituted, maintained and enforced, and will continue to maintain and enforce, policies and procedures reasonably designed to promote and ensure compliance with such laws and with the representations and warranties contained herein. No investigation (to the knowledge of the Company), action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of the Controlled Entities with respect to the Anti-Corruption Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(eee) Compliance with Anti-Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and the Controlled Entities are and have been conducted at all times in compliance in all material respects with all applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by Title III of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act), the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, and the applicable anti-money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions where the Company and the Controlled Entities conduct business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Anti-Money Laundering Laws”); and no investigation (to the knowledge of the Company), action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental or regulatory agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of the Controlled Entities with respect to the Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(fff) Compliance with Sanctions Laws. (i) None of the Company, any of the Controlled Entities, or any director, officer or employee of any of the foregoing, or, to the Company’s knowledge, any agent, affiliate or representative of the Company or any of the Controlled Entities, is an individual or entity (“Person”) that is, or is owned 50% or more or controlled by one or more Persons that are (such Persons referred to as “Sanctioned Persons”):
(A) the target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. government (including but not limited to the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“OFAC”) 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 (“UNSC”), the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury (“HMT”) or any other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), including by being listed on any Sanctions related list of designated persons, or
(B) located, organized or resident in, or a national, governmental entity, or agent of, a country, region or territory that is the subject or target Sanctions (as of the date hereof, including but not limited to, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria and Crimea (each, a “Sanctioned Country”)).
(ii) The Company represents and covenants that the Company and the Controlled Entities have not engaged in, are not now engaged in, and will not engage in, any dealings or transactions
directly or indirectly with any Sanctioned Person, or in any country or territory, that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject or the target of Sanctions.
(ggg) Due Authorization of Registration Statements. The Registration Statements, the Statutory Prospectus, the Final Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the ADS Registration Statement and the Exchange Act Registration Statement and the filing of the Registration Statements, the Statutory Prospectus, the Final Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the ADS Registration Statement and the Exchange Act Registration Statement with the Commission have been duly authorized by and on behalf of the Company, and the Registration Statements, the ADS Registration Statement and the Exchange Act Registration Statement have been duly executed pursuant to such authorization by and on behalf of the Company.
(hhh) Merger or Consolidation. Neither the Company nor any of the Controlled Entities is a party to any memorandum of understanding, letter of intent, definitive agreement or any similar agreements with respect to a merger or consolidation or an acquisition or disposition of assets, technologies, business units or businesses which is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus and which is not so disclosed.
(iii) Compliance with PRC Overseas Investment and Listing Regulations. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, each of the Company and the Controlled Entities has taken all necessary steps to comply with, and to ensure compliance by all of the Company’s direct or indirect shareholders who are PRC residents or PRC citizens with any applicable rules and regulations of the relevant PRC government agencies (including but not limited to the Ministry of Commerce (“MOFCOM”), the National Development and Reform Commission (“NDRC”), the China Securities Regulatory Commission (“CSRC”) and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange ( “SAFE”)) relating to overseas investment by PRC residents and citizens (the “PRC Overseas Investment and Listing Regulations”), including, without limitation, requiring each shareholder that is, or is directly or indirectly owned or controlled by, a PRC resident or PRC citizen, to complete any registration and other procedures required under applicable PRC Overseas Investment and Listing Regulations (including any applicable rules and regulations of SAFE).
(jjj) M&A Rules. The Company is aware of, and has been advised as to, the content of the Rules on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors jointly promulgated on August 8, 2006 by the MOFCOM, the State Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, the State Administration of Taxation, the State Administration of Industry and Commerce, the CSRC and SAFE, as amended by the MOFCOM on June 22, 2009 (the “M&A Rules”) and any official clarifications, guidance, interpretations or implementation rules in connection with or related to the M&A Rules (together with the M&A Rules, the “M&A Rules and Related Clarifications”), in particular the relevant provisions thereof that purport to require offshore special purpose vehicles controlled directly or indirectly by PRC-incorporated companies or PRC residents and established for the purpose of obtaining a stock exchange listing outside of the PRC to obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to the listing and trading of their securities on any stock exchange located outside of the PRC. The Company has received legal advice specifically with respect to the M&A Rules from its PRC counsel and the Company understands such legal advice. In addition, the Company has communicated such legal advice in full to each of its directors that signed the Registration Statement and each such director has confirmed that he or she understands such legal advice. The issuance and sale of the Offered Shares and the Offered Securities, the listing and trading of the ADSs on the NYSE and the consummation of the transactions contemplated under the Transaction Documents, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus are not and will not be, as of the date hereof and on the Closing Date, adversely affected by the M&A Rules and Related Clarifications. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the General Disclosure Package, the M&A Rules and Related Clarifications do not require the Company to obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to the issuance and sale of the Offered Shares or the Offered Securities, the listing and trading of the ADSs on the NYSE and the consummation of the transactions contemplated under the Transaction Documents, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus.
(kkk) Validity of Choice of Law. The choice of the laws of the State of New York as the governing law of the Transaction Documents is a valid choice of law under the laws of the Cayman Islands and the PRC and would be recognised by courts in the Cayman Islands and the PRC, subject to the conditions and restrictions described under the caption “Enforceability of Civil Liabilities” in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus. The Company has the power to submit, and pursuant to Section 20 of this Agreement and Section [Ÿ] of the Deposit Agreement, has legally, validly, effectively and irrevocably submitted, to the personal jurisdiction of each New York State and United States Federal court sitting in The City of New York (each, a “New York Court”) and has validly and irrevocably waived any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or proceeding brought in any such court; and the Company has the power to designate, appoint and empower, and pursuant to Section 20 of this Agreement and Section [·] of the Deposit Agreement, has legally, validly, effectively and irrevocably designated, appointed and empowered, an authorized agent for service of process in any action arising out of or relating to the Transaction Documents, the General Disclosure Package, the Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement or the transactions contemplated hereby in any New York Court, and service of process in any manner permitted by applicable laws effected on such authorized agent will be effective to confer valid personal jurisdiction over the Company as provided herein or in the Deposit Agreement.
(lll) No Immunity. None of the Company, any of the Controlled Entities or any of their respective properties, assets or revenues has any right of immunity, under the laws of the Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxx Xxxx, the PRC or the State of New York, from any legal action, suit or proceeding, the giving of any relief in any such legal action, suit or proceeding, set-off or counterclaim, the jurisdiction of any Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxx Xxxx, the PRC, New York State or United States federal court, service of process, attachment upon or prior to judgment, or attachment in aid of execution of judgment, or 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 with the Transaction Documents; and, to the extent that the Company, any of the Controlled Entities or any of their respective properties, assets or revenues may have or may hereafter become entitled to any such right of immunity in any such court in which proceedings may at any time be commenced, each of the Company and the Controlled Entities waives or will waive such right to the extent permitted by law and has consented to such relief and enforcement as provided in Section 20 of this Agreement and Section [Ÿ] of the Deposit Agreement.
(mmm) Enforceability of Judgment. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus, any final judgment for a fixed sum of money rendered by a New York Court having jurisdiction under its own domestic laws in respect of any suit, action or proceeding against the Company based upon the Transaction Documents would be recognized and enforced by: (i) Cayman Islands courts without re-examining the merits of the case under the common law doctrine of obligation; provided that (A) the New York court had proper jurisdiction over the parties subject to such judgment; (B) the New York court did not contravene the rules of natural justice of the Cayman Islands; (C) such judgment was not obtained by fraud; (D) the enforcement of the judgment would not be contrary to the public policy of the Cayman Islands; (E) no new admissible evidence relevant to the action is submitted prior to the rendering of the judgment by the courts of the Cayman Islands; and (F) there is due compliance with the correct procedures under the laws of the Cayman Islands; and (ii) PRC courts, subject to compliance with relevant requirements under the PRC civil law and rules of civil procedures. It is not necessary that the Transaction Documents, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, the Final Prospectus or any other document be filed or recorded with any court or other authority in the Cayman Islands or the PRC.
(nnn) No Unapproved Marketing Documents. The Company has not distributed and will not distribute, prior to the later of the latest Closing Date and the completion of the Underwriters’ distribution of the Offered Securities, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Securities, other than any registration statements referenced herein, any preliminary prospectus, the Final Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to which the Representatives have consented in accordance with this Agreement and any General Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus set forth on SCHEDULE B-1 hereto.
(ooo) No Broker-Dealer Affiliation. There are no affiliations or associations between (i) any member of FINRA, and (ii) the Company or any of the Company’s officers, directors or 5% or greater security holders or any beneficial owner of the Company’s unregistered equity securities that were acquired at any time on or after the 180th day immediately preceding the date the Registration Statement was first filed with the Commission.
(ppp) Certificate of Officers. Any certificate signed by any officer or director of the Company and delivered to the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters as required or contemplated by this Agreement shall constitute a representation and warranty hereunder by the Company, as to matters covered thereby, to each Underwriter.
(qqq) Stock Options. With respect to the stock options (the “Stock Options”) granted pursuant to the stock-based compensation plans of the Company (the “Company Stock Plans”), (i) each grant of a Stock Option was duly authorized no later than the date on which the grant of such Stock 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 (or a duly constituted and authorized committee thereof) of the Company or, if applicable, a Controlled Entity, 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; (ii) each such grant was made in accordance with the terms of the Company Stock Plans, the Exchange Act and all other applicable Exchange Rules; and (iii) each such grant was properly accounted for in accordance with GAAP in the consolidated financial statements (and the notes thereto) of the Company included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus. The Company has not knowingly granted, and there is no and has been no policy or practice of the Company of granting, Stock Options prior to, or otherwise coordinating the grant of Stock Options with, the release or other public announcement of material information regarding the Company or the Controlled Entities or their results of operations or prospects.
(rrr) No Ratings. There are (and prior to the Closing Date, will be) no debt securities or preferred stock issued or guaranteed by the Company or any of the Controlled Entities that are rated by a “nationally recognized statistical rating organization,” as such terms is defined under Section 3(a)(62) under the Securities Act.
3. Representations and Warranties of Sohu. Sohu represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the several Underwriters that:
(a) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by or on behalf of Sohu.
(b) Sohu has no reason to believe that the representations and warranties of the Company contained in Section 2(b), 2(e) and 2(f) of this Agreement are not true and correct.
4. Purchase, Sale and Delivery of Offered Securities. On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter, and each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at a purchase price of US$[·] per ADS (the “Purchase Price”), that number of Firm Securities (subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as the Representatives may determine) as is set forth in SCHEDULE A hereto opposite the name of such Underwriter.
The Company will deliver the Firm Securities to or as instructed by the Representatives for the accounts of the several Underwriters through the facilities of DTC in a form reasonably acceptable to the Representatives against payment of the purchase price in Federal (same day) funds by wire transfer to an account at a bank acceptable to the Representatives drawn to the order of the Company at 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on [·], 2017, or at such other time not later than seven full business days thereafter as the Representatives and the Company determine, such time being herein referred to as the “First Closing Date.” For purposes of Rule 15c6-1 under the Exchange Act, the First Closing Date shall be the settlement date for payment of funds and delivery of securities for all the Firm Securities sold pursuant to the offering.
In addition, upon written notice from the Representatives given to the Company from time to time not more than 30 days subsequent to the date of the Final Prospectus, the Underwriters may purchase all or less than all of the
Optional Securities at the Purchase Price per ADS. The Company agrees to sell to the Underwriters the number of Optional Securities specified in such notice and the Underwriters agree, severally and not jointly, to purchase such Optional Securities. Such Optional Securities shall be purchased for the account of each Underwriter in the same proportion as the number of Firm Securities set forth opposite such Underwriter’s name bears to the total number of Firm Securities (subject to adjustment by the Representatives to eliminate fractions). No Optional Securities shall be sold or delivered unless the Firm Securities previously have been, or simultaneously are, sold and delivered. The right to purchase the Optional Securities or any portion thereof may be exercised from time to time (but in no event later than 30 days subsequent to the date of the Final Prospectus) and to the extent not previously exercised may be surrendered and terminated at any time upon notice by the Representatives to the Company.
Each time for the delivery of and payment for the Optional Securities, being herein referred to as an “Optional Closing Date”, which may be the First Closing Date (the First Closing Date and each Optional Closing Date, if any, being sometimes referred to as a “Closing Date”), shall be determined by the Representatives but shall be not later than five full business days after written notice of election to purchase Optional Securities is given. The Company will deliver the Optional Securities being purchased on each Optional Closing Date to or as instructed by the Representatives for the accounts of the several Underwriters in a form reasonably acceptable to the Representatives against payment of the purchase price therefor in Federal (same day) funds by wire transfer to an account at a bank acceptable to the Representatives drawn to the order of the Company. The Company will cause the certificates representing the Offered Shares to be made available for inspection at a reasonable time in advance of the Closing Date or Optional Closing Date, as the case may be.
5. Offering by Underwriters. It is understood that the several Underwriters propose to offer the Offered Securities for sale to the public upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Final Prospectus. It is further understood that the Offered Securities are to be offered to the public initially at US$[·] per ADS (the “Public Offering Price”).
6. Certain Agreements of the Company. The Company agrees with the several Underwriters that:
(a) Additional Filings. Unless filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) as part of the Additional Registration Statement in accordance with the last sentence of this paragraph, the Company will file the Final Prospectus, in a form approved by the Representatives, with the Commission pursuant to and in accordance with subparagraph (1) (or, if applicable and if consented to by the Representatives, subparagraph (4)) of Rule 424(b) not later than the earlier of (i) the second business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement or (ii) the fifteenth business day after the Effective Time of the Initial Registration Statement. The Company will advise the Representatives promptly of any such filing pursuant to Rule 424(b) and provide satisfactory evidence to the Representatives of such timely filing. If an Additional Registration Statement is necessary to register a portion of the Offered Securities under the Act but the Effective Time thereof has not occurred as of the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will file the Additional Registration Statement or, if filed, will file a post-effective amendment thereto with the Commission pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 462(b) on or prior to 10:00 P.M., New York City time, on the day following the date of this Agreement or, if earlier, on or prior to the time the Final Prospectus is finalized and distributed to any Underwriter, or will make such filing at such later date as shall have been consented to by the Representatives.
(b) Filing of Amendments; Response to Commission Requests. The Company will promptly advise the Representatives of any proposal to amend or supplement at any time the Initial Registration Statement, any Additional Registration Statement or any Statutory Prospectus and will not effect such amendment or supplement without the Representatives’ consent; and the Company will also advise the Representatives promptly of (i) the effectiveness of any Additional Registration Statement (if its Effective Time is subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement), (ii) any amendment or supplement of a Registration Statement or any Statutory Prospectus, (iii) any request by the Commission or its staff for any amendment to any Registration Statement, for any supplement to any Statutory Prospectus or for any additional information including, but not limited to, any request for information concerning any Testing-the-Water Communication, (iv) the institution by the Commission of any stop order proceedings in respect of a Registration Statement or the threatening of any proceeding for that purpose, and (v) the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Offered Securities in any jurisdiction or the institution or threatening of any
proceedings for such purpose. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order or the suspension of any such qualification and, if issued, to obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.
(c) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. If, at any time when a prospectus relating to the Offered Securities is (or but for the exemption in Rule 172 would be) required to be delivered under the Act by any Underwriter or dealer, any event occurs as a result of which the Final Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or if it is necessary at any time to amend the Registration Statement or supplement the Final Prospectus to comply with the Act, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives of such event and will promptly prepare and file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and the dealers and any other dealers upon request of the Representatives, an amendment or supplement which will correct such statement or omission or an amendment which will effect such compliance. Neither the Representatives’ consent to, nor the Underwriters’ delivery of, any such amendment or supplement shall constitute a waiver of any of the conditions set forth in Section 8 hereof.
(d) Written Testing-the-Water Communication. If at any time following the distribution of any written Testing-the-Water Communication there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such written Testing-the-Water Communication included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives of such event and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such written Testing-the-Water Communication to eliminate or correct such untrue statement or omission. Neither the Representatives’ consent to, nor the Underwriters’ delivery of, any such amendment or supplement shall constitute a waiver of any of the conditions set forth in Section 8 hereof.
(e) Rule 158. As soon as practicable, but not later than the Availability Date (as defined below), the Company will make generally available to its security holders an earnings statement covering a period of at least 12 months beginning after the Effective Time of the Initial Registration Statement (or, if later, the Effective Time of the Additional Registration Statement) which will satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158 under the Act. For the purpose of the preceding sentence, “Availability Date” means the 45th day after the end of the fourth fiscal quarter following the fiscal quarter that includes such Effective Time, except that, if such fourth fiscal quarter is the last quarter of the Company’s fiscal year, “Availability Date” means the 120th day after the end of such fourth fiscal quarter.
(f) Furnishing of Prospectuses. The Company will furnish to the Representatives copies of each Registration Statement, each related Statutory Prospectus, and, so long as a prospectus relating to the Offered Securities is (or but for the exemption in Rule 172 would be) required to be delivered under the Act, the Final Prospectus and all amendments and supplements to such documents, in each case in such quantities as the Representatives request. The Final Prospectus shall be so furnished within 24 hours following the execution and delivery of this Agreement. All other such documents shall be so furnished as soon as available.
(g) Blue Sky Qualifications. The Company will arrange for the qualification of the Offered Securities for sale under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives designate and will continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution.
(h) Reporting Requirements. During the period of five years hereafter, the Company will furnish to the Representatives and, upon request, to each of the other Underwriters, as soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year, a copy of its annual report to shareholders for such year; and the Company will furnish to the Representatives (i) as soon as available, a copy of each report and any definitive proxy statement of the Company filed with the Commission under the Exchange Act or mailed to shareholders, and (ii) from time to time, such other information concerning the Company as
the Representatives may reasonably request. However, so long as the Company is subject to the reporting requirements of either Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act and is timely filing reports with the Commission on XXXXX, it is not required to furnish such reports or statements to the Underwriters.
(i) Expenses. The Company will pay all expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company under this Agreement (including any taxes thereon), including but not limited to (i) all fees and expenses of the Company in connection with the preparation and filing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits), the ADS Registration Statement, the Exchange Act Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the General Disclosure Package, the Final Prospectus and any Free Writing Prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company and amendments and supplements to any of the foregoing, including all printing costs associated therewith, and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers, in the quantities hereinabove specified, (ii) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Company’s counsels and accountants, (iii) all costs and expenses related to the transfer and delivery of the ADSs to the Underwriters, including any transfer or other taxes payable thereon, (iv) the cost of printing or producing any Blue Sky or legal investment memorandum in connection with the offer and sale of the Offered Securities under state or foreign securities laws and all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Offered Shares and the Offered Securities for offer and sale under state or foreign securities laws as provided in Section 6(g) hereof, including filing fees in connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky or legal investment memorandum, (v) all filing fees incurred in connection with the review and qualification of the offering of the Offered Securities by FINRA, (vi) all costs and expenses incident to listing the Offered Securities on the NYSE and any registration thereof under the Exchange Act, (vii) the costs and expenses of qualifying the Offered Securities for inclusion in the book-entry settlement system of The Depositary Trust Company (“DTC”), (viii) the cost of printing ADRs corresponding to the Offered Securities, (ix) the costs and charges of any transfer agent, registrar or depositary, and (x) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations or any “road show” or Testing-the-Water Communication undertaken in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Offered Securities, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the preparation or dissemination of any electronic roadshow, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations with the prior approval of the Company, travel and lodging expenses of the officers and employees of the Company, and the cost of any aircraft incurred by the officers and employees of the Company and the Underwriters in connection with the road show. The Company agrees to reimburse the Underwriters for expenses up to US$10,000 relating to clearance of the offering of the Offered Securities with FINRA and to pay the costs of any aircraft utilized by the Company and the Underwriters for purposes of the roadshow, including reimbursing the Underwriters for the cost of such aircraft to the extent arranged and incurred by the Underwriters on behalf of the Company and the Underwriters.
(j) Taxes. The Company will indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriters against any documentary, stamp, registration, issue, transfer, capital, business, value-added or similar tax or duty, including any interest and penalties, on the creation, issue and sale of the Offered Securities and on the execution, delivery, performance and enforcement of this Agreement. All payments to be made by the Company hereunder shall be made without withholding or deduction for or on account of any present or future taxes, duties or governmental charges whatsoever unless the Company is compelled by law to deduct or withhold such taxes, duties or charges. In that event, and except for any net income, capital gains or franchise taxes imposed on the Underwriters by a taxing jurisdiction as a result of any present or former connection (other than any connection resulting solely from the transactions contemplated by this Agreement) between the Underwriters and the jurisdiction imposing such withholding or deductions, the Company shall pay such additional amounts as may be necessary in order that the net amounts received after such withholding or deduction shall equal the amounts that would have been received by the payee if no withholding or deduction had been made.
(k) Tax election. The Company will execute and file with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service a validly completed Form 8832, electing to be treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, which election will become effective on or before the date of this Agreement.
(l) Restriction on Sale of Securities. (A) For the period specified below (the “Lock-Up Period”), the Company will not, directly or indirectly, take any of the following actions with respect to its ordinary shares or ADSs, or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for any of its ordinary shares or ADSs (“Lock-Up Securities”): (i) offer, pledge, issue, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of Lock-Up Securities, (ii) offer, sell, issue, contract to sell, contract to purchase or grant any option, right or warrant to purchase Lock-Up Securities, (iii) enter into any swap, hedge or any other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, the economic consequences of ownership of Lock-Up Securities, (iv) establish or increase a put equivalent position or liquidate or decrease a call equivalent position in Lock-Up Securities within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act or (v) file with the Commission a registration statement under the Act relating to Lock-Up Securities, or publicly disclose the intention to take any such action, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, except (A) the sale and transfer of the Offered Securities in this offering, (B) the issuance of ordinary shares or the grant of options to purchase ordinary shares under the Company’s share incentive plans existing on the date hereof, and (C) the issuance by the Company of Lock-Up Securities upon the exercise of an option or a warrant or the conversion of a security outstanding on the date hereof of which the Representatives have been advised in writing or which is otherwise described in the Final Prospectus. The Lock-Up Period will commence on the date hereof and continue for 180 days after the date hereof or such earlier date that the Representatives consent to in writing.
(m) Maintain the Listing Status. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to maintain the listing of the Offered Securities on the NYSE.
(n) Deposit Offered Shares. The Company will, on or prior to each Closing Date, deposit the Offered Shares with the Depository in accordance with the provisions of the Deposit Agreement and otherwise comply with the Deposit Agreement so that Firm Securities or Optional Securities, as the case may be, will be issued by the Depositary against receipt of such Offered Shares and delivered to the Underwriters at each Closing Date.
(o) Amend and Supplement the Prospectus. If, during such period after the first date of the public offering of the Offered Securities when in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters the Final Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Act) is required by law to be delivered in connection with sales by an Underwriter or dealer (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”), any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Final Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Final Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Act) is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Final Prospectus to comply with applicable law, the Company will forthwith prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to the dealers (whose names and addresses the Representatives will furnish to the Company) to which Offered Securities may have been sold by the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters and to any other dealers upon reasonable request either amendments or supplements to the Final Prospectus so that the statements in the Final Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when the Final Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Act) is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Final Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.
(p) Furnish Trademarks and Corporate Logos. Upon request of any Underwriter, the Company will furnish, or cause to be furnished, to such Underwriter an electronic version of the Company’s trademarks, service marks and corporate logo for use on the website, if any, operated by such Underwriter for the purpose of facilitating the offering of the Offered Securities.
(q) No Avoidance or Denial of Judgments. The Company agrees that (i) it will not attempt to avoid any judgment applied or denied to it in a court of competent jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands; (ii) following the consummation of the offering of the Offered Securities, it will use its reasonable best efforts to obtain and maintain all approvals required in the Cayman Islands to pay and remit outside the Cayman Islands all dividends declared by the Company and payable on the Ordinary Shares, if any; and (iii) it will use its reasonable best efforts to obtain and maintain all approvals
required in the Cayman Islands for the Company to acquire sufficient foreign exchange for the payment of dividends, if any, and all other relevant purposes.
(r) Compliance with SAFE Rules and Regulations. The Company will comply in all material respects with any applicable rules and regulations of SAFE (the “SAFE Rules and Regulations”), and will use its reasonable efforts to cause its shareholders named in the Company’s share register and option holders that are, or that are directly or indirectly owned or controlled by, PRC residents or PRC citizens, to comply in all material respects with the SAFE Rules and Regulations applicable to them in connection with the Company, including, without limitation, requesting each such shareholder named in the Company’s share register and option holder that is, or is directly or indirectly owned or controlled by, a PRC resident or PRC citizen to complete any registration and other procedures required under applicable SAFE Rules and Regulations.
(s) Use of Proceeds. The Company agrees (A) to apply the net proceeds to the Company from the sale of the Offered Securities in the manner set forth under the heading “Use of Proceeds” in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus and to file such reports with the Commission with respect to the sale of the Offered Securities and the application of the proceeds therefrom as may be required by Rule 463 under the Act; (B) not to invest, or otherwise use the proceeds received by the Company from its sale of the Offered Securities in such a manner (i) as would require the Company or any of the Controlled Entities to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act, and (ii) that would result in the Company being not in compliance with any applicable SAFE Rules and Regulations; and (C) not to, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, (i) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business with any person that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject or the target of Sanctions, (ii) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business in any Sanctioned Country or (iii) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the offering, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of the Anti-Corruption Laws; and (D) not to use, and to ensure that none of the Controlled Entities will use, directly or indirectly, the proceeds of the offering in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization of the payment or giving of money, or anything else of value, to any person in violation of any Anti-Corruption Laws. Neither the Company nor the Controlled Entities has any material lending or other relationship with any bank or lending affiliate of any Underwriter and intends to use any of the proceeds from the sale of the Offered Securities hereunder to repay any outstanding debt owed to any affiliate of any Underwriter.
(t) Compliance with Securities Laws. The Company will comply with and will require the Company’s directors and executive officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with all applicable Securities Laws, rules and regulations, including, without limitation, Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx.
(u) Absence of Manipulation. The Company agrees not to, and to cause the Controlled Entities not to, take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Shares or the Offered Securities.
(v) Agreement to Announce Lock-up Waiver. If the Representatives, in their sole discretion, agree to release or waive the restrictions set forth in a lock-up letter described in Section 8(o) hereof for an officer or director of the Company and provide the Company with notice of the impending release or waiver at least three business days before the effective date of the release or waiver, the Company agrees to announce the impending release or waiver by a press release substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto through a major news service at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver.
(w) Citizenship of the Shareholders of the VIE. The Company agrees that in the event any of the shareholders of any of Sogou Information, Shi Ji Guang Su, Shi Ji Si Su, or Chengdu EasyPay (each, a “VIE”) is no longer a PRC citizen or a PRC entity; or has obtained citizenship or naturalization in any other jurisdiction, the Company will immediately (i) undertake to use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the transfer of shares in the VIE(s) owned by such shareholder to existing shareholders of the
respective VIE or such other persons who are PRC citizens and who do not have applications for naturalization pending in any other jurisdiction to the extent necessary to comply with the terms of any Licenses necessary or material to the conduct of the business of the Company and the Controlled Entities as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, (ii) cause the amendment and the execution and delivery of the relevant VIE Agreements to the extent necessary to become valid and legally binding obligations of the parties thereto, enforceable in accordance with their terms, and (iii) undertake to complete any required filing or registration with any person (including any governmental agency or body or any court) pursuant to relevant PRC law, statutes or any order, rule or regulation of any PRC governmental agency and the VIE Agreements.
(x) Notification of Change of EGC status. The Company agrees, until the 15th day after the expiration of the Lock-Up Period, to notify the Underwriters on or prior to the date on which the Company is no longer an “emerging growth company” as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Act.
(y) Transfer Restrictions, Payment of Expenses and Regulations Related to Directed Share Program. (i) The Company will ensure that the Directed ADSs will be restricted to the extent required by FINRA or the FINRA rules from sale, transfer, assignment, pledge or hypothecation for a period of three months following the date of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement. Xxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. will notify the Company as to which individuals will need to be so restricted. The Company will direct the transfer agent to place stop transfer restrictions upon such securities of such individuals for such period of time; (ii) The Company will pay all fees and disbursements of counsel (including non-U.S. counsel) incurred by the Underwriters in connection with the Directed Share Program and stamp duties, similar taxes or duties or other taxes, if any, incurred by the Underwriters in connection with the Directed Share Program; and (iii) The Company will comply with all applicable securities and other applicable laws, rules and regulations in each foreign jurisdiction in which the Directed ADSs are offered in connection with the Directed Share Program.
(z) Lock-up Period. The Company agrees not to facilitate any shareholder’s conversion of shares to ADSs during the Lock-Up Period without the prior written consent of the Representatives during the Lock-Up Period.
7. Free Writing Prospectuses and Testing-the-Water Communications. The Company represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Representatives, and each Underwriter represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Company and the Representatives, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Offered Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405, required to be filed with the Commission. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Company and the Representatives is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company represents that it has treated and agrees that it will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including timely Commission filing where required, legending and record keeping. The Company represents that it has satisfied and agrees that it will satisfy the conditions in Rule 433 to avoid a requirement to file with the Commission any electronic road show.
The Company represents and agrees that, without the prior consent of the Representatives, (i) it did not make any Testing-the-Water Communications prior to the filing of the Initial Registration Statement and (ii) it has not made any written Testing-the-Water Communications after the filing of the Initial Registration Statement; each Underwriter represents and agrees that, without the prior consent of the Company and the Representatives, (i) it did not make any Testing-the-Water Communications prior to the filing of the Initial Registration Statement and (ii) it has not made any written Testing-the-Water Communications after the filing of the Initial Registration Statement; any written Testing-the-Water Communication which has been consented to by the Company and the Representatives is listed on SCHEDULE B-3 hereto.
8. Conditions of the Obligations of the Underwriters. The obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Firm Securities on the First Closing Date and the Optional Securities to be purchased on each Optional Closing Date will be subject to the condition that each of the Registration Statement, the ADS
Registration Statement and the Exchange Act Registration Statement shall have become effective not later than [·] p.m. (New York City time) on the date hereof and to the following additional conditions precedent:
(a) Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement and any certificates delivered pursuant to this Agreement shall be true and correct as of the date hereof and each Closing Date, and the Company shall have complied with all of the agreements, performed all of its obligations and satisfied all of the conditions hereunder on its part that are required to be complied with, performed or satisfied on or before each Closing Date.
(b) Effectiveness of Registration Statement. If the Effective Time of the Additional Registration Statement (if any) is not prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, such Effective Time shall have occurred not later than [10:00 P.M.], New York time, on the date of this Agreement or, if earlier, the time the Final Prospectus is finalized and distributed to any Underwriter, or shall have occurred at such later time as shall have been consented to by the Representatives. The Final Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission in accordance with the Rules and Regulations and Section 6(a) hereof. Prior to such Closing Date, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or, to the knowledge of the Company, shall be contemplated by the Commission.
(c) No Material Adverse Change. Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, there shall not have occurred any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or operations of the Company and the Controlled Entities, taken as a whole, 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 Offered Securities on the Closing Date or the Optional Closing Date, as the case may be, on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement.
(d) No Adverse Legislative Change in the PRC. There shall not be any adverse legislative or regulatory developments in the PRC, including but not limited to the M&A Rules and Related Clarifications and laws, rules and regulations that would affect the validity and enforceability of the VIE Agreements, which in the sole judgment of the Representatives would make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Offered Securities at the First Closing Date or the Optional Closing Date, as the case may be, on the terms and in the manner contemplated in this Agreement. There shall not be any litigation, proceedings, investigations, processes for administrative sanctions or other actions initiated or threatened by any governmental agency before any governmental agency, in each case with due authority, against or involving any party hereto, in the PRC or elsewhere, that seeks to declare non-compliance, unlawful or illegal, under PRC laws, rules and regulations, the VIE Agreements, the issuance and sales of the Offered Shares and ADSs, the listing and trading of the ADSs on the NYSE or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Deposit Agreement 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 Offered Securities on the Closing Date or the Optional Closing Date, as the case may be, on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement.
(e) Comfort Letters. The Representatives shall have received letters, dated, respectively, the date hereof and each Closing Date, of PricewaterhouseCoopers Xxxxx Xxxx LLP, confirming that they are a registered public accounting firm and independent public accountants within the meaning of the Securities Laws and substantially in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus; provided that the letter delivered on the Closing Date shall use a “cut-off date” not earlier than the date hereof.
(f) Opinion of United States Counsel for the Company. The Representatives shall have received the opinions dated such Closing Date of Goulston & Storrs PC, United States counsel for the Company, dated the Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives and substantially in the form as set forth in Exhibit C hereto.
(g) Opinion of PRC Counsel for the Company. The Company shall have received the opinions of Commerce & Finance Law Offices, PRC counsel for the Company, dated the Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory
to the Representatives and substantially in the form as set forth in Exhibit D hereto. A copy of such opinion shall have been provided to the Representatives with consent from such counsel.
(h) Opinion of Cayman Island Counsel for the Company. The Representatives shall have received the opinions of Xxxxxxx Xxxx & Xxxxxxx, Cayman Islands counsel for the Company, dated such Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives and substantially in the form as set forth in Exhibit E hereto.
(i) Opinion of BVI Counsel for the Company. The Representatives shall have received the opinions of Xxxxxxx Xxxx & Xxxxxxx, British Virgin Islands counsel for the Company, dated such Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives and substantially in the form as set forth in Exhibit F hereto.
(j) Opinion of Hong Kong Counsel for the Company. The Representatives shall have received the opinions of Li & Partners, Hong Kong counsel for the Company, dated such Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives and substantially in the form as set forth in Exhibit G hereto.
At the request of the Company, the opinions of counsel for the Company described above (except for the opinion of the PRC counsel for the Company) shall be addressed to the Underwriters and shall so state therein.
(k) Opinion of United States Counsel for the Underwriters. The Representatives shall have received from Xxxxx Xxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP, United States counsel for the Underwriters, such opinion or opinions, dated such Closing Date, with respect to such matters as the Representatives may require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they request for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters.
(l) Opinion of PRC Counsel for the Underwriters. The Representatives shall have received from Global Law Office, PRC counsel for the Underwriters, such opinion or opinions, dated such Closing Date, with respect to such matters as the Representatives may require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they request for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters.
(m) Opinion of Counsel for the Depositary. The Representatives shall have received the opinions of Xxxxx, Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Depositary, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives.
(n) Officer’s Certificate. The Company shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to the Representatives certificates of executive and principal financial or accounting officers of the Company, dated such Closing Date, satisfactory to the Representatives, in which such officers shall represent as follows: (i) the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct; the Company 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, (ii) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of any Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or, to their knowledge, are contemplated by the Commission, (iii) the Additional Registration Statement (if any) satisfying the requirements of subparagraphs (1) and (3) of Rule 462(b) was timely filed pursuant to Rule 462(b), including payment of the applicable filing fee in accordance with Rule 111(a) or (b) of Regulation S-T of the Commission, and (iv) subsequent to the date of the most recent financial statements in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, there has been no development or event having a Material Adverse Effect, or any development or event involving a prospective change that is reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus.
(o) Lock-up Letters. On or prior to the date hereof, the Representatives shall have received lock-up letters, each substantially in the form and substance set forth in Exhibit A, executed by each of the persons as set forth in SCHEDULE C and such lock-up letters shall be in full force and effect on the Closing Date.
(c) CFO Certificate. The Chief Financial Officer of the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives, dated such Closing Date, a certificate to the effect that certain operating and financial data disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus have been derived from and verified against the Company’s accounting and business records, and he or she has no reason to believe that such data is not true and correct.
(p) Effectiveness of the Deposit Agreement. The Company and the Depositary shall have executed and delivered the Deposit Agreement and the Deposit Agreement shall be in full force and effect and the Company and the Depositary shall have taken all action necessary to permit the deposit of the Offered Shares and the issuance of the Offered Securities in accordance with the Deposit Agreement.
(q) Depositary’s Certificate. The Depositary shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to the Representatives at such Closing Date, certificates satisfactory to the Representatives evidencing the deposit with it of the Offered Shares being so deposited against issuance of the Offered Securities to be delivered by the Company at such Closing Date, and the execution, countersignature (if applicable), issuance and delivery of such Offered Securities pursuant to the Deposit Agreement and such other matters related thereto as the Representatives may reasonably request.
(r) No FINRA Objection. FINRA shall not have raised any objection with respect to the fairness or reasonableness of the underwriting or other arrangements of the transactions contemplated hereunder.
(s) No Objection from Underwriters. No Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, Statutory Prospectus or amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement or the Final Prospectus shall have been filed to which the Representatives shall have objected in writing.
(t) Listing. The Offered Securities shall have been approved to be listed on the NYSE, subject to only official notice of issuance.
The Company will furnish the Representatives with such conformed copies of such opinions, certificates, letters and documents as the Representatives may reasonably request.
If any condition specified in this Section shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement, or, in the case of any condition to the purchase of Optional Securities on an Optional Closing Date which is after the First Closing Date, the obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase the relevant Optional Securities shall be deemed terminated by the Company at any time at or prior to the First Closing Date or such Optional Closing Date, as the case may be, unless as otherwise provided, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section [12].
Notwithstanding the immediately preceding paragraph, the Representatives may in their sole discretion waive on behalf of the Underwriters compliance with any conditions to the obligations of the Underwriters hereunder, whether in respect of an Optional Closing Date or otherwise.
9. Indemnification and Contribution.
(a) Indemnification of Underwriters. The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter and its affiliates and such Underwriter and affiliates’ respective partners, members, directors, officers, employees, agents and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (each an “Indemnified Party”), against any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Indemnified Party may become subject, under the Act, the Exchange Act, other Federal or state statutory law or regulation or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in any part of any Registration Statement at any time, any Statutory Prospectus as of any time, the Final Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any written Testing-the-Water Communication, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and will reimburse each Indemnified Party for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Indemnified Party in connection with investigating or defending against any loss, claim, damage, liability, action, litigation, investigation or proceeding whatsoever (whether or not such Indemnified Party is a party thereto), whether threatened or commenced, and in connection with the enforcement of this provision with respect to any of the above as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the Company will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement in or omission or alleged omission from any of such documents in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in subsection (b) below.
The Company further agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Xxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co., and its affiliates and each person, if any, who controls Xxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co., within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (the “Designated Entities”), from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending or investigating any such action or claim) (i) arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any material prepared by or with the consent of the Company for distribution to Participants in connection with the Directed Share Program or arising out of or based upon any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) arising out of or based upon the failure of any Participant to pay for and accept delivery of Directed ADSs that the Participant agreed to purchase, or (iii) arising out of, related to, or in connection with the Directed Share Program, other than losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or expenses relating thereto) that are finally judicially determined to have resulted from the willful misconduct or gross negligence of the Designated Entities.
(b) Indemnification of Company. Each Underwriter will severally and not jointly indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors and each of its officers who signs a Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (each, an “Underwriter Indemnified Party”) against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which such Underwriter Indemnified Party may become subject, under the Act, the Exchange Act, or other Federal or state statutory law or regulation or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in any Registration Statement at any time, any Statutory Prospectus at any time, the Final Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any written Testing-the-Water Communication or arise out of or are based upon the omission or the alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, and will reimburse any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Underwriter Indemnified Party in connection with investigating or defending against any such loss, claim, damage, liability, action, litigation, investigation or proceeding whatsoever (whether or not such Underwriter Indemnified Party is a party thereto), whether threatened or commenced, based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission as such expenses are incurred, it being understood that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the following information in the Final Prospectus furnished on behalf of each Underwriter: their respective names and addresses appearing in the first paragraph, and the concession and reallowance figure appearing in the third paragraph under the caption “Underwriting.”
(c) Actions against Parties, Notification. 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 either subsection (a) or (b) above, 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 subsection (a) or (b) above 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 subsection (a) or (b) above. In case any such suit, action, or proceeding is brought or asserted against any Indemnified Person and it notifies an Indemnifying Person of the commencement thereof, the Indemnifying Person shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person (who shall not, except with the consent of the Indemnified Person, be counsel to the Indemnifying Person) to represent the Indemnified Person and any others entitled to indemnification pursuant to this Section that the Indemnifying Person may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and expenses 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 interests between them. It is understood and agreed that the Indemnifying Person shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceeding 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. 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, the engagement of which has been agreed between the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person, as contemplated by this paragraph, 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 30 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 prior written consent of the Indemnified Person, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened action in respect of which any Indemnified Person is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such Indemnified Person unless such settlement (i) includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Person, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Person, from all liability on any claims that are the subject matter of such action and (ii) does not include a statement as to, or an admission of, fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of such Indemnified Person.
(d) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in this Section is unavailable or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to in subsection (a) or (b) above (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Securities or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement or omission. The amount paid by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to in the first sentence of this subsection (d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any action or claim which is the subject of this subsection (d). Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (d), no Underwriter shall 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 Offered Securities underwritten by it exceeds the amount of any damages which 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 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations in this subsection (d) to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 9 (d) were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this Section 9(d).
10. Termination. (i) The Underwriters may terminate this Agreement by notice given by all of the Representatives to the Company, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the First Closing Date, (A) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on, or by, as the case may be, any of the NYSE the NASDAQ, (B) trading of any securities of the Company shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market, (C) a material disruption in securities settlement, payment or clearance services in
the United States, the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong or the PRC shall have occurred, (D) any moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by United States Federal, New York State, Cayman Islands, Hong Kong or the PRC authorities or (E) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities, or any change in financial markets, currency exchange rates or controls or any calamity or crisis that, in the judgment of the Representatives, is material and adverse and which makes it, in the judgment of the Representatives, impracticable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Offered Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus.
(ii) If this Agreement is terminated by the Representatives, or any of them, or if the sale to the Underwriters of the ADSs on the Closing Date is not consummated, because of any failure, inability or refusal on the part of the Company to comply with the terms or to fulfill any of the conditions of this Agreement, or if for any reason the Company shall be unable to perform its obligations under this Agreement, the Company will reimburse the Representatives or such Representatives as have so terminated this Agreement with respect to themselves, severally, for all out-of-pocket expenses (including the fees and disbursements of their counsel) reasonably incurred by the Representatives and the Underwriters in connection with this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereunder.
11. Default of Underwriters. If any Underwriter or Underwriters default in their obligations to purchase Offered Securities hereunder on either the First or any Optional Closing Date and the aggregate number of shares of Offered Securities that such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase does not exceed 10% of the total number of shares of Offered Securities that the Underwriters are obligated to purchase on such Closing Date, the Representatives may make arrangements satisfactory to the Company for the purchase of such Offered Securities by other persons, including any of the Underwriters, but if no such arrangements are made by such Closing Date, the non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated severally, in proportion to their respective commitments hereunder, to purchase the Offered Securities that such defaulting Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase on such Closing Date. If any Underwriter or Underwriters so default and the aggregate number of shares of Offered Securities with respect to which such default or defaults occur exceeds 10% of the total number of shares of Offered Securities that the Underwriters are obligated to purchase on such Closing Date and arrangements satisfactory to the Representatives and the Company for the purchase of such Offered Securities by other persons are not made within 36 hours after such default, this Agreement will terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company, except as provided in Section 12 (provided that if such default occurs with respect to Optional Securities after the First Closing Date, this Agreement will not terminate as to the Firm Securities or any Optional Securities purchased prior to such termination). As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section. Nothing herein will relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.
12. Survival of Certain Representations and Obligations. The respective indemnities, rights of contribution, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company or its officers and of the several Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation, or statement as to the results thereof, made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, the Company or any of their respective representatives, officers or directors or any controlling person, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Offered Securities. If the purchase of the Offered Securities by the Underwriters is not consummated for any reason other than solely because of the termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 11 hereof, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters for all out-of-pocket expenses (including fees and disbursements of counsel) reasonably incurred by them in connection with the offering of the Offered Securities, and, the respective obligations of the Company and the Underwriters pursuant to Section 9 shall remain in effect. In addition, if any Offered Securities have been purchased hereunder, the representations and warranties in Section 2 and all obligations under Section 6 shall also remain in effect.
13. Notices. All communications hereunder will be in writing and, if sent to the Underwriters, will be mailed, delivered or telegraphed and confirmed to the Representatives at: X.X. Xxxxxx Securities LLC, at 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Xxxxxx Xxxxxx of America; Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, at Eleven Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Xxxxxx Xxxxxx of America; Xxxxxxx Sachs (Asia) L.L.C., at 68th Floor, Xxxxxx Kong Center, 0 Xxxxx’x Xxxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxx Xxxx; China International Capital Corporation Hong Kong Securities Limited, at 29th Floor, One International Finance Centre, 0 Xxxxxxx Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxx, Xxxx Xxxx; or, if sent to the Company, will be mailed, delivered or telegraphed and confirmed to it at Xxxxx 00, Xxxx.xxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx, Xx.0 Unit Zhongguancun East Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100084, The People’s Republic of
China, Attention: Chief Financial Officer; provided, however, that any notice to an Underwriter pursuant to Section 9 will be mailed, delivered or telegraphed and confirmed to such Underwriter.
14. Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers and directors and controlling persons referred to in Section 9, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder.
15. Representatives. The Representatives will act for the several Underwriters in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and any action under this Agreement taken by the Representatives will be binding upon all the Underwriters.
16. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same Agreement.
17. Absence of Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that:
(a) No Other Relationship. The Representatives have been retained solely to act as underwriters in connection with the sale of the Offered Securities and that no fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship between the Company, on the one hand, and the Representatives, on the other, has been created in respect of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the Final Prospectus, irrespective of whether the Representatives have advised or are advising the Company on other matters;
(b) Arms’ Length Negotiations. The price of the Offered Securities set forth in this Agreement was established by the Company following discussions and arms-length negotiations with the Representatives, and the Company is capable of evaluating and understanding and understand and accept the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;
(c) Absence of Obligation to Disclose. The Company has been advised that the Representatives and their affiliates are engaged in a broad range of transactions which may involve interests that differ from those of the Company and that the Representatives have no obligation to disclose such interests and transactions to the Company by virtue of any fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship; and
(d) Waiver. The Company waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims it may have against the Representatives for breach of fiduciary duty or alleged breach of fiduciary duty and agrees that the Representatives shall have no liability (whether direct or indirect) to the Company in respect of such a fiduciary duty claim or to any person asserting a fiduciary duty claim on behalf of or in right of the Company, including their respective shareholders, employees or creditors.
18. Currency. The obligation of the Company pursuant to this Agreement in respect of any sum due to any Underwriter shall, notwithstanding any judgment in a currency other than United States dollars, not be discharged until the first business day, following receipt by such Underwriter of any sum adjudged to be so due in such other currency, on which (and only to the extent that) such Underwriter may in accordance with normal banking procedures purchase United States dollars with such other currency; if the United States dollars so purchased are less than the sum originally due to such Underwriter hereunder, the Company agrees, as a separate obligation and notwithstanding any such judgment, to indemnify such Underwriter against such loss. If the United States dollars so purchased are greater than the sum originally due to such Underwriter hereunder, such Underwriter agrees to pay to the Company an amount equal to the excess of the dollars so purchased over the sum originally due to such Underwriter hereunder.
19. Effect of Headings. The headings of the sections of this Agreement have been inserted for convenience of reference only and shall not be deemed a part of this Agreement.
20. Applicable Law and Jurisdiction. 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. The Company hereby submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal and 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. The Company irrevocably and unconditionally waives any objection to the laying of venue of any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated
hereby in Federal and state courts in the Borough of Manhattan in the City of New York and irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim in any such court that any such suit or proceeding in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum. The Company irrevocably appointed C T Corporation System 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 agent, and written notice of said service to the Company by the person serving the same to the address provided in Section 13, shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon the Company in any such suit or proceeding. The Company further agrees to take any and all action as may be necessary to maintain such designation and appointment of such agent in full force and effect for a period of seven years from the date of this Agreement. The Company irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any and all rights to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
If the foregoing is in accordance with the Representatives’ understanding of our agreement, kindly sign and return to the Company one of the counterparts hereof whereupon it will become a binding agreement among the Company and the several Underwriters in accordance with its terms.
The foregoing Underwriting Agreement
is hereby confirmed and accepted as of
the date first above written.
X.X. XXXXXX SECURITIES LLC |
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By: |
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Name: |
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Title: |
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XXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX SECURITIES LIMITED |
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By: |
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Name: |
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Acting on behalf of themselves and as the
“Representatives” of the several Underwriters.
SCHEDULE A
Underwriter |
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Total Number of |
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Number of Optional |
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X.X. Xxxxxx Securities LLC |
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Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC |
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Xxxxxxx Xxxxx (Asia) L.L.C. |
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China International Capital Corporation Hong Kong Securities Limited |
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China Renaissance Securities (Hong Kong) Limited |
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Total |
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[·] |
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[·] |
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SCHEDULE B-1
General Use Free Writing Prospectuses (included in the General Disclosure Package)
1. The Issuer Free Writing Prospectus filed by the Company with the Commission on November [·], 2017
Other Information Included in the General Disclosure Package
1. Pricing Information: US$[·] per ADS
SCHEDULE B-2
Limited Use Free Writing Prospectuses (included in the General Disclosure Package)
SCHEDULE B-3
Written Testing-the-Water Communications
SCHEDULE C
List of Lock-up Persons
Exhibit B
FORM OF PRESS RELEASE