UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
April , 2011
UBS Securities LLC
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated
as Managing Underwriters
c/o UBS Securities LLC
000 Xxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000-0000
and
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated
0000 Xxxxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Box Ships Inc., a Xxxxxxxx Islands corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the underwriters named in Schedule A annexed hereto (the “Underwriters”), for whom you are acting as representatives (the “Representatives”), an aggregate of [10,000,000] shares (the “Firm Shares”) of common stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Company. In addition, solely for the purpose of covering over-allotments, the Company proposes to grant to the Underwriters the option to purchase from the Company up to an additional [1,500,000] shares of Common Stock (the “Additional Shares”). The Firm Shares and the Additional Shares are hereinafter collectively sometimes referred to as the “Shares.” The Shares are described in the Prospectus which is referred to below.
The Company has prepared and filed, in accordance with the provisions of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Act”), with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form F-1 (Registration No. 333-173280) under the Act, including a prospectus, relating to the Shares (the “Registration Statement”).
Except where the context otherwise requires, “Registration Statement,” as used herein, means the registration statement, as amended at the time of such registration statement’s effectiveness for purposes of Section 11 of the Act, as such section applies to the respective Underwriters (the “Effective Time”), including (i) all documents filed as a part thereof, (ii) any information contained in a prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act, to the extent such information is deemed, pursuant to Rule 430A or Rule 430C under the Act, to be part of the registration statement at the Effective Time, and (iii) any registration statement filed to register the offer and sale of Shares pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Act.
The Company has furnished to you, for use by the Underwriters and by dealers in connection with the offering of the Shares, copies of one or more preliminary prospectuses relating to the Shares. Except where the context otherwise requires, “Preliminary Prospectus,” as used herein, means each such preliminary prospectus, in the form so furnished.
Except where the context otherwise requires, “Prospectus,” as used herein, means the prospectus, relating to the Shares, filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act on or before the second business day after the date hereof (or such earlier time as may be required under the Act), or, if no such filing is required, the final prospectus included in the Registration
Statement at the time it became effective under the Act, in each case in the form furnished by the Company to you for use by the Underwriters and by dealers in connection with the offering of the Shares.
“Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses,” as used herein, means the documents listed on Schedule B attached hereto and each “road show” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Act), if any, related to the offering of the Shares contemplated hereby that is a “written communication” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Act) (each such road show, an “Electronic Road Show”). The Underwriters have not offered or sold and will not offer or sell, without the Company’s consent, any Shares by means of any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Act) that is required to be filed by the Underwriters with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433 under the Act, other than a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.
“Covered Free Writing Prospectuses,” as used herein, means (i) each “issuer free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 433(h)(1) under the Act), if any, relating to the Shares, which is not a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus and (ii) each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.
“Disclosure Package,” as used herein, means any Preliminary Prospectus together with any combination of one or more of the Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses, if any.
As used in this Agreement, “business day” shall mean a day on which the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) is open for trading. The terms “herein,” “hereof,” “hereto,” “hereinafter” and similar terms, as used in this Agreement, shall in each case refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular section, paragraph, sentence or other subdivision of this Agreement. The term “or,” as used herein, is not exclusive.
The Company has prepared and filed, in accordance with Section 12 of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”), a registration statement (as amended, 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 class of securities consisting of the Common Stock.
In connection with the offering of the Shares and prior to the closing of the purchase of the Firm Shares contemplated hereby, the Company and/or one or more subsidiaries of the Company has entered or will enter into (i) one or more long-term management agreements (the “Management Agreements”) with Allseas Marine S.A. (the “Manager”), pursuant to which the Manager will provide the Company with certain commercial, technical, administrative and strategic services, (ii) an administrative services agreement with the Manager pursuant to which the Manager will provide the Company with certain administrative and corporate services (the “Administrative Services Agreement”), (iii) an executive services agreement with the Manager pursuant to which the Manager will provide the Company with the services of its executive officers (the “Executive Services Agreement”), (iv) one or more agreements with Paragon Shipping Inc. (“Paragon”), the sole stockholder of the Company as of the date of this Agreement, pursuant to which Paragon will sell to the Company two 3,400 TEU 2010-built containerships, the Box Trader and the Box Voyager and one 5,100 TEU 2007-built containership, the CMA CGM Kingfish in exchange for cash and shares of Common Stock (the “Paragon Purchase Agreements”), (v) an agreement with Proplous Navigation S.A. (“Proplous Navigation”), a company controlled by Xx. Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxx, the Company’s chairman and chief executive officer, and Neige International (“Neige”), a company controlled by Xx. Xxxxxxxxxxx, pursuant to which Proplous Navigation will sell to the Company one 5,100 TEU 2007-built containership, the CMA CGM Xxxxxx, in exchange for cash and the issuance of shares of Common Stock to Neige (the “Proplous Navigation Purchase Agreement”), (vi) an agreement with the Manager pursuant to which the Manager will assign to the Company the right to purchase from Schiffahrtsgellshaft MBH & Co. KG a 4,500 TEU 2006-built
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containership, the MSC Siena (the “Siena Assignment Agreement”), (vii) an agreement with the Manager pursuant to which the Manager will assign to the Company the right to purchase from CSBC Hull 896 Limited a 6,500 TEU 2010-built containership, the Xxxxx (the “Xxxxx Assignment Agreement” and, collectively with the Paragon Purchase Agreements, the Proplous Navigation Purchase Agreement and the Siena Assignment Agreement, the “Vessel Purchase Agreements”), (viii) a commitment letter for an up to $100,000,000 credit facility with ABN Amro Bank N.V, as lender (the “ABN Amro Commitment Letter”), (ix) a commitment letter for an up to $30,000,000 credit facility with UniCredit Bank AG, as lender (the “UniCredit Commitment Letter” and, together with the ABN Amro Commitment Letter, the “Commitment Letters”), (x) a $30,000,000 credit facility with Paragon as lender (the “Paragon Credit Facility”, (xi) a non-competition agreement with Paragon and Xx. Xxxxxxxxxxx pursuant to which Paragon will be prohibited from acquiring or entering into any charter for containerships without the Company’s prior written consent and the Company will not acquire or enter into any charter for drybulk carriers without the prior written consent of Xx. Xxxxxxxxxxx, such entities controlled by him and Paragon, as applicable, (the “Non-Competition Agreement”), (xii) an agreement with Paragon pursuant to which Paragon will grant to the Company options to acquire two 4,800 TEU newbuilding containerships for which Paragon has entered into construction contracts, (the “Vessel Purchase Options”), and (xiii) an agreement with Paragon and Neige under which the Company will provide Paragon and Neige and their affiliates with certain rights with respect to the registration of the shares of Common Stock issued to them as part of the consideration under the Paragon Purchase Agreement and the Proplous Navigation Purchase Agreement, respectively (the “Registration Rights Agreement”). The Management Agreements, the Administrative Services Agreement, the Executive Services Agreement, the Vessel Purchase Agreements, the Commitment Letters, the Paragon Credit Facility, the Non-Competition Agreement, the Vessel Purchase Options and the Registration Rights Agreement are collectively referred to herein as the “Transaction Documents.”
The Company and the Underwriters agree as follows:
1. Sale and Purchase. Upon the basis of the representations and warranties and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to issue and sell to the respective Underwriters and each of the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule A attached hereto, subject to adjustment in accordance with Section 8 hereof, in each case at a purchase price of $[ ] per Share. The Company is advised by you that the Underwriters intend (i) to make a public offering of their respective portions of the Firm Shares as soon after the effective date of the Registration Statement as in your judgment is advisable and (ii) initially to offer the Firm Shares upon the terms set forth in the Prospectus. You may from time to time increase or decrease the public offering price after the initial public offering to such extent as you may determine.
In addition, the Company hereby grants to the several Underwriters the option (the “Over-Allotment Option”) to purchase, and upon the basis of the representations and warranties and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Underwriters shall have the right to purchase, severally and not jointly, from the Company, ratably in accordance with the number of Firm Shares to be purchased by each of them, all or a portion of the Additional Shares as may be necessary to cover over-allotments made in connection with the offering of the Firm Shares, at the same purchase price per share to be paid by the Underwriters to the Company for the Firm Shares. The Over-Allotment Option may be exercised by UBS Securities LLC (“UBS”) on behalf of the several Underwriters at any time and from time to time on or before the thirtieth day following the date of the Prospectus, by written notice to the Company. Such notice shall set forth the aggregate number of Additional Shares as to which the Over-Allotment Option is being exercised and the date and time when the Additional Shares are to be delivered (any such date and time being herein referred to as an “additional time of purchase”); provided, however, that no additional time of purchase shall be earlier than the “time of purchase” (as defined
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below) nor (unless otherwise agreed to between you and the Company) earlier than the second business day after the date on which the Over-Allotment Option shall have been exercised nor later than the tenth business day after the date on which the Over-Allotment Option shall have been exercised. The number of Additional Shares to be sold to each Underwriter shall be the number which bears the same proportion to the aggregate number of Additional Shares being purchased as the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter on Schedule A hereto bears to the total number of Firm Shares (subject, in each case, to such adjustment as UBS may determine to eliminate fractional shares), subject to adjustment in accordance with Section 8 hereof.
2. Payment and Delivery. Payment of the purchase price for the Firm Shares shall be made to the Company by Federal Funds wire transfer against delivery of the certificates for the Firm Shares to you through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) for the respective accounts of the Underwriters. Such payment and delivery shall be made at 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on April [ ], 2011 (unless another time shall be agreed to by you and the Company or unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 8 hereof). The time at which such payment and delivery are to be made is hereinafter sometimes called the “time of purchase.” Electronic transfer of the Firm Shares shall be made to you at the time of purchase in such names and in such denominations as you shall specify.
Payment of the purchase price for the Additional Shares shall be made at the additional time of purchase in the same manner and at the same office and time of day as the payment for the Firm Shares. Electronic transfer of the Additional Shares shall be made to you at the additional time of purchase in such names and in such denominations as you shall specify.
Deliveries of the documents described in Section 6 hereof with respect to the purchase of the Shares shall be made at the offices of Xxxxxx, Xxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP at 000 Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, beginning at 9:00 A.M., New York City time, on the date of the closing of the purchase of the Firm Shares or the Additional Shares, as the case may be.
3. Representations and Warranties of the Company. Each of the Company and Paragon and with respect to subsections (o), (s), (bb), (ff), (kk), (ll), (mm) and (ss) hereof, the Manager, jointly and severally, represents and warrants to and agrees with each of the Underwriters that:
(a) the Registration Statement has heretofore become effective under the Act or, with respect to any registration statement to be filed to register the offer and sale of Shares pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Act, will be filed with the Commission and become effective under the Act no later than 10:00 P.M., New York City time, on the date of determination of the public offering price for the Shares; no stop order of the Commission preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, or the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, has been issued, and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or, to the Company’s knowledge, are contemplated by the Commission; the Exchange Act Registration Statement has become effective as provided in Section 12 of the Exchange Act;
(b) the Registration Statement complied at the Effective Time, complies as of the date hereof and, as amended or supplemented, at the time of purchase, each additional time of purchase, if any, and at all times during which a prospectus is required by the Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Act or any similar rule) in connection with any sale of Shares, will comply, in all material respects, with the requirements of the Act; the conditions to the use of Form F-1 in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares as contemplated hereby have been satisfied; the Registration Statement did not, as of the Effective Time, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
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required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; each Preliminary Prospectus complied, at the time it was filed with the Commission, and complies as of the date hereof, in all material respects with the requirements of the Act; at no time during the period that begins on the earlier of the date of such Preliminary Prospectus and the date such Preliminary Prospectus was filed with the Commission and ends at the time of purchase did or will any Preliminary Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented, include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and at no time during such period did or will any Preliminary Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented, together with any combination of one or more of the then issued Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; the Prospectus will comply, as of its date, the date that it is filed with the Commission, the time of purchase, each additional time of purchase, if any, and at all times during which a prospectus is required by the Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Act or any similar rule) in connection with any sale of Shares, in all material respects, with the requirements of the Act (including, without limitation, Section 10(a) of the Act); at no time during the period that begins on the earlier of the date of the Prospectus and the date the Prospectus is filed with the Commission and ends at the later of the time of purchase, the latest additional time of purchase, if any, and the end of the period during which a prospectus is required by the Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Act or any similar rule) in connection with any sale of Shares did or will the Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented, include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; at no time during the period that begins on the date of such Permitted Free Writing Prospectus and ends at the time of purchase did or will any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no representation or warranty in this Section 3(b) with respect to any statement contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information concerning an Underwriter and furnished in writing by or on behalf of such Underwriter through you to the Company expressly for use in the Registration Statement, such Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or such Permitted Free Writing Prospectus;
(c) prior to the execution of this Agreement, the Company has not, directly or indirectly, offered or sold any Shares by means of any “prospectus” (within the meaning of the Act) or used any “prospectus” (within the meaning of the Act) in connection with the offer or sale of the Shares, in each case other than the Preliminary Prospectuses and the Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses, if any; the Company has not, directly or indirectly, prepared, used or referred to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus except in compliance with Rules 164 and 433 under the Act; assuming that such Permitted Free Writing Prospectus is accompanied or preceded by the most recent Preliminary Prospectus that contains a price range or the Prospectus, as the case may be, and that such Permitted Free Writing Prospectus is so sent or given after the Registration Statement was filed with the Commission (and after such Permitted Free Writing Prospectus was, if required pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act, filed with the Commission), the sending or giving, by any Underwriter, of any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus will satisfy the provisions of Rule 164 and Rule 433 (without reliance on subsections (b), (c) and (d) of Rule 164); the Preliminary Prospectus dated April [ ], 2011 is a prospectus that, other than by reason of Rule 433 or Rule 431 under the Act, satisfies the requirements of Section 10 of the Act,
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including a price range where required by rule; neither the Company nor the Underwriters are disqualified, by reason of subsection (f) or (g) of Rule 164 under the Act, from using, in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares, “free writing prospectuses” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Act) pursuant to Rules 164 and 433 under the Act; the Company is not an “ineligible issuer” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Act) as of the eligibility determination date for purposes of Rules 164 and 433 under the Act with respect to the offering of the Shares contemplated by the Prospectus, without taking into account any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 under the Act that it is not necessary under the circumstances that the Company be considered an “ineligible issuer”; the parties hereto agree and understand that the content of any and all “road shows” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Act) related to the offering of the Shares contemplated hereby is solely the property of the Company; the Company has caused there to be made available at least one version of a “bona fide electronic road show” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Act) in a manner that, pursuant to Rule 433(d)(8)(ii) under the Act, causes the Company not to be required, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act, to file, with the Commission, any Electronic Road Show;
(d) as of the date of this Agreement, the Company has an authorized and outstanding capitalization as set forth in the sections of the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectus entitled “Capitalization” and “Description of Capital Stock” (and any similar sections or information, if any, contained in any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus), and, as of the time of purchase and any additional time of purchase, as the case may be, and after giving effect to the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, the Company shall have an authorized and outstanding capitalization as set forth in the sections of the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectus entitled “Capitalization” and “Description of Capital Stock” (and any similar sections or information, if any, contained in any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus) (subject, in each case, to the issuance of restricted shares of Common Stock, as disclosed in the Registration Statement (excluding the exhibits thereto), each Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, and the grant of options under existing stock option plans described in the Registration Statement (excluding the exhibits thereto), each Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus); all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock, including the Common Stock, of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable, have been issued in compliance with all applicable securities laws and were not issued in violation of any preemptive right, resale right, right of first refusal or similar right; and the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of the Company and the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company, each in the form filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, have been heretofore duly authorized and approved in accordance with the Republic of the Xxxxxxxx Islands Business Corporations Act and shall become effective and in full force and effect at or before the time of purchase; the Shares are duly listed, and admitted and authorized for trading, subject to official notice of issuance and evidence of satisfactory distribution, on the NYSE;
(e) the Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the Republic of the Xxxxxxxx Islands, with full corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectuses, the Prospectus and the Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, to execute and deliver this Agreement and to issue, sell and deliver the Shares as contemplated herein;
(f) the Company is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing in each jurisdiction where the ownership or leasing of its properties or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified and in good
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standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, either (i) have a material adverse effect on the business, properties, financial condition, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, (ii) prevent or interfere with consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or (iii) prevent the shares of Common Stock from being accepted for listing on, or result in the delisting of Common Stock from, the NYSE (the occurrence of any such effect or any such prevention or interference or any such result described in the foregoing clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) being herein referred to as a “Material Adverse Effect”);
(g) the Company has no subsidiaries (as defined under the Act) ; the Company does not own, directly or indirectly, any shares of stock or any other equity interests or long-term debt securities of any corporation, firm, partnership, joint venture, association or other entity; complete and correct copies of the charters and the bylaws of the Company and all amendments thereto have been delivered to you, and, except as set forth in the exhibits to the Registration Statement, no changes therein will be made on or after the date hereof through and including the time of purchase or, if later, any additional time of purchase;
(h) the Shares have been duly and validly authorized and, when issued and delivered against payment therefor as provided herein, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and free of statutory and contractual preemptive rights, resale rights, rights of first refusal and similar rights; the Shares, when issued and delivered against payment therefor as provided herein, will be free of any restriction upon the voting or transfer thereof pursuant to the Republic of Xxxxxxxx Islands Business Corporations Act or the Company’s charter or bylaws or any agreement or other instrument to which the Company is a party;
(i) the capital stock of the Company, including the Shares, conforms in all material respects to each description thereof, if any, contained in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectuses, the Prospectus and the Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses, if any; and the certificates for the Shares are in due and proper form;
(j) this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and by Paragon;
(k) the Stockholder Rights Agreement between the Company and the rights agent thereunder has been validly executed and delivered by the Company and constitutes a valid and binding agreement of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms;
(l) each of the Transaction Documents has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the parties thereto and is a valid and binding agreement of the parties thereto, enforceable against the parties thereto in accordance with its terms subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law). The Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus each contain a summary of the terms of each of the Transaction Documents, which summary is accurate in all material respects;
(m) the offer, sale and issuance of shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Paragon Purchase Agreement and the Proplous Navigation Purchase Agreement is exempt from the registration requirements of the Act and the securities laws of any state having jurisdiction with respect thereto; the shares of Common Stock to be issued pursuant to the Paragon Purchase Agreement and the Proplous Navigation Purchase Agreement have been duly authorized and,
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upon issuance and delivery in accordance with the terms of the Paragon Purchase Agreement and the Proplous Navigation Purchase Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, issued in compliance with all applicable securities laws, and will not be issued in violation of any preemptive right, resale right, right of first refusal or similar right;
(n) each of (i) the Memoranda of Agreement (the “MoAs” and each, an “MoA”) to purchase the vessels described in the Registration Statement, each Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus (the “Identified Vessels”) and (ii) the charters described in the Registration Statement, each Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus for each of the Identified Vessels, and the assignment to the Company or one of its subsidiaries of each of such charters, has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the respective parties thereto, and is a valid and binding agreement of each such party enforceable against each such party in accordance with its terms and the Registration Statement, each Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus each contains a summary of the terms of each of such documents which summaries are accurate and fair in all material respects; the assignment to the Company or one of its subsidiaries of the charters described in the Registration Statement, each Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus for each of the Identified Vessels have been validly consented to by the applicable charterer;
(o) none of the Company, the Manager, Paragon or their respective subsidiaries is in breach or violation of or in default under (nor has any event occurred which, with notice, lapse of time or both, would result in any breach or violation of, constitute a default under or give the holder of any indebtedness (or a person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a part of such indebtedness under) (A) its charter or bylaws, or (B) any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, bank loan or credit agreement or other evidence of indebtedness, or any license, lease, contract or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties may be bound or affected except where such breach, violation or default would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, or (C) any federal, state, local or foreign law, regulation or rule, or (D) any rule or regulation of any self-regulatory organization or other non-governmental regulatory authority (including, without limitation, the rules and regulations of the NYSE), or (E) any decree, judgment or order applicable to it or any of its properties;
(p) none of (A) the offering, issuance or sale of the Shares as contemplated hereby, (B) the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the Transaction Documents or (C) the consummation of any other transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the Transaction Documents, will conflict with, result in any breach or violation of or constitute a default under (or constitute any event which, with notice, lapse of time or both, would result in any breach or violation of, constitute a default under or give the holder of any indebtedness (or a person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a part of such indebtedness under) (or result in the creation or imposition of a lien, charge or encumbrance on any property or assets none of the Company, the Manager, Paragon or their respective subsidiaries, pursuant to) (A) the respective charter or bylaws of any of such entities, or (B) any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, bank loan or credit agreement or other evidence of indebtedness, or any license, lease, contract or other agreement or instrument to which any of such entities is a party or by which any of them or any of their respective properties may be bound or affected except where such breach, violation or default would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, or (C) any federal, state, local or foreign law, regulation or rule, or (D) any rule or regulation of any self-regulatory organization or other non-governmental regulatory authority (including, without limitation, the rules and regulations of
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the NYSE), or (E) any decree, judgment or order applicable to any of such entities or any of their respective properties;
(q) no approval, authorization, consent or order of or filing with any federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory commission, board, body, authority or agency, or of or with any self-regulatory organization or other non-governmental regulatory authority (including, without limitation, the NYSE), or approval of the shareholders of the Company, is required in connection with the issuance and sale of the Shares or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or by the Transaction Documents, other than (i) registration of the Shares under the Act, which has been effected (or, with respect to any registration statement to be filed hereunder pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Act, will be effected in accordance herewith), or (ii) any necessary qualification under the securities or blue sky laws of the various jurisdictions in which the Shares are being offered by the Underwriters or (iii) has been obtained;
(r) except as described in the Registration Statement (excluding the exhibits thereto), each Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, (i) no person has the right, contractual or otherwise, to cause the Company to issue or sell to it any shares of Common Stock or shares of any other capital stock or other equity interests of the Company, (ii) no person has any preemptive rights, resale rights, rights of first refusal or other rights to purchase any shares of Common Stock or shares of any other capital stock of or other equity interests in the Company and (iii) no person has the right to act as an underwriter or as a financial advisor to the Company in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares; no person has the right, contractual or otherwise, to cause the Company to register under the Act any shares of Common Stock or shares of any other capital stock of or other equity interests in the Company, other than under the Registration Rights Agreement as described in the Registration Statement (excluding the exhibits thereto), each Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, or to include any such shares or interests in the Registration Statement or the offering contemplated thereby;
(s) each of the Company, Paragon, the Manager and each of their respective subsidiaries has all necessary licenses, authorizations, consents and approvals and has made all necessary filings required under any applicable law, regulation or rule, and has obtained all necessary licenses, authorizations, consents and approvals from other persons, in order to conduct their respective businesses except where the failure to obtain such licenses, authorizations, consents or approvals would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; none of the Company, Paragon, the Manager and each of their respective subsidiaries is in violation of, or in default under, or has received notice of any proceedings relating to revocation or modification of, any such license, authorization, consent or approval or any federal, state, local or foreign law, regulation or rule or any decree, order or judgment applicable to such an entity, except where such violation, default, revocation or modification would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect or prevent or interfere with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents;
(t) there are no actions, suits, claims, investigations or proceedings pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened or contemplated to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective directors or officers is or would be a party or of which any of their respective properties is or would be subject at law or in equity, before or by any federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory commission, board, body, authority or agency, or before or by any self-regulatory organization or other non-governmental regulatory authority (including, without limitation, the NYSE), except any such action, suit, claim, investigation or proceeding which, if resolved adversely to the Company or any subsidiary, would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect or prevent or interfere with the
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transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents; all legal or governmental proceedings, affiliate transactions, off-balance sheet transactions, contracts, licenses, agreements, leases or documents of a character required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement have been so described or filed as required;
(u) Deloitte, Hadjipavlou, Sofianos & Cambanis S.A. (“Deloitte”), whose reports on the consolidated financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries and on the combined financial statements of Xxxxxxx Navigation Limited and Eridanous Trading Co. (collectively, the “Predecessor Companies”) are included in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectus, are independent registered public accountants as required by the Act and by the rules of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board;
(v) the financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectuses, the Prospectus and the Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, together with the related notes and schedules, present fairly the consolidated financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and of the Predecessor Companies as of the dates indicated and the consolidated results of operations, cash flows and changes in stockholders’ equity of the Company and its subsidiaries for the periods specified and of the Predecessor Companies as of the dates specified and have been prepared in compliance with the requirements of the Act and Exchange Act and in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved; all pro forma financial statements or data included in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectuses, the Prospectus and the Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, comply with the requirements of the Act and the Exchange Act, and the assumptions used in the preparation of such pro forma financial statements and data are reasonable, the pro forma adjustments used therein are appropriate to give effect to the transactions or circumstances described therein and the pro forma adjustments have been properly applied to the historical amounts in the compilation of those statements and data; the other financial and statistical data contained in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectuses, the Prospectus and the Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, are accurately and fairly presented and prepared on a basis consistent with the financial statements and books and records of the Company; there are no financial statements (historical or pro forma) that are required to be included in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus that are not included as required; the Company and its subsidiaries do not have any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations), not described in the Registration Statement (excluding the exhibits thereto), each Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus; and all disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectuses, the Prospectus and the Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply with Regulation G of the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the Act, to the extent applicable;
(w) subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectuses, the Prospectus and the Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, in each case excluding any amendments or supplements to the foregoing made after the execution of this Agreement, there has not been (i) any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in the business, properties, management, financial condition or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or of the Predecessor Companies, (ii) any transaction which is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or to the Predecessor Companies, (iii) any obligation or liability, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations),
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incurred by the Company or any subsidiary or either Predecessor Company, which is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or to the Predecessor Companies, as applicable, (iv) any change in the capital stock or outstanding indebtedness of the Company or any subsidiaries or the Predecessor Companies or (v) any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made on the capital stock of the Company or any subsidiary or the Predecessor Companies; neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor either Predecessor Company has sustained since the date of the most recent audited financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectuses and the Prospectus any loss or interference with its respective business from the actual or constructive loss of or to any vessel, the requisition for title of any vessel, 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 that resulted in a Material Adverse Effect;
(x) the Company has obtained for the benefit of the Underwriters the agreement (a “Lock-Up Agreement”), in the form set forth as Exhibit A hereto, of (i) each of its directors and “officers” (within the meaning of Rule 16a-1(f) under the Exchange Act) and (ii) each holder of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable for shares of Common Stock, or any warrant or other right to acquire shares of Common Stock or any such security, including Paragon and Neige.
(y) neither the Company nor any subsidiary is, and at no time during which a prospectus is required by the Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Act or any similar rule) in connection with any sale of Shares will either of them be, and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Shares and the application of the proceeds thereof, neither of them will be, an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company,” as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”) or a “passive foreign investment company” or a “controlled foreign corporation,” as such terms are defined in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”);
(z) the Company and each of its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all property (real and personal) described in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectuses, the Prospectus and the Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, as being owned by any of them, free and clear of all liens, claims, security interests or other encumbrances; all the property described in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectuses, the Prospectus and the Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, as being held under lease by the Company or a subsidiary is held thereby under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases;
(aa) each of the Company and its subsidiaries owns or possesses all inventions, patent applications, patents, trademarks (both registered and unregistered), tradenames, service names, copyrights, trade secrets and other proprietary information, if any, described in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectuses, the Prospectus and the Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, as being owned or licensed by it or which is necessary for the conduct of, or material to, its businesses (collectively, the “Intellectual Property”), and the Company is unaware of any claim to the contrary or any challenge by any other person to the rights of the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Intellectual Property. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has infringed or is infringing the intellectual property of a third party, and neither the Company nor any subsidiary has received notice of a claim by a third party to the contrary;
(bb) except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, (i) none of the Company, the Manager, the Predecessor Companies nor any of
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their respective subsidiaries is in violation of any federal, state, local or foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, policy or rule of common law or any judicial or administrative interpretation thereof, including any judicial or administrative order, consent, decree or judgment, relating to pollution or protection of human health, the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata), natural resources (including biota) or wildlife, including, without limitation, laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened release or discharge of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products, asbestos-containing materials, radioactive materials, polychlorinated biphenyls or mold (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”), or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (ii) the Company, the Manager and their respective subsidiaries has all permits, authorizations and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and is in compliance with its requirements, (iii) there are no pending or threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, claims, liens, notices of noncompliance or violation, investigation or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the Company, the Manager, the Predecessor Companies nor any of their respective subsidiaries, (iv) there are no events or circumstances that would reasonably be expected to form the basis of an order for clean-up or remediation, or an action, suit or proceeding by any private party or governmental body or agency, against or affecting the Company, the Manager, the Predecessor Companies nor any of their respective subsidiaries, relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental Laws, (v) none of the Company, the Manager, the Predecessor Companies nor any of their respective subsidiaries has been named as a “potentially responsible party” under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended, (vi) there has been no storage, generation, transportation, handling, treatment, disposal, discharge, emission or other release of any kind of toxic or other wastes or other hazardous substances by, due to, or caused by the Company, the Manager, the Predecessor Companies nor any of their respective subsidiaries (or, to the Company’s knowledge, upon any other entity for whose acts or omissions the Company is or may liable) upon any other property now or previously owned or leased by the Company, the Manager, the Predecessor Companies or any of their respective subsidiaries, or upon any other property, which would be a violation of or give rise to any liability under any applicable law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, decree or permit (including any applicable regulations and standards adopted by the International Maritime Organization) relating to pollution or protection of human health and the environment, (vii) there has been no disposal, discharge, emission or other release of any kind onto such property or into the environment surrounding such property, of any toxic or other wastes or other Hazardous Materials with respect to which the Company has knowledge, (viii) neither the Company, the Manager, the Predecessor Companies, nor any of their respective subsidiaries has agreed to assume, undertake or provide indemnification for any liability or any other person under any Environmental Law, including any obligation for cleanup or remedial action, other than by operation of law or due to the Company’s or any of its subsidiaries, membership in any mutual protection and indemnity association and (ix) neither the Company, the Manager, the Predecessor Companies, nor any of their respective subsidiaries is conducting or funding any investigation, remediation, remedial action or monitoring of actual or suspected Harzardous Materials in the environment;
(cc) in the ordinary course of its business, the Company conducts a periodic review of the effect of Environmental Laws on the business, operations and properties of the Company and its subsidiaries, in the course of which it identifies and evaluates associated costs and liabilities (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure of properties or compliance with Environmental Laws or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties); on the basis
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of such review, the Company has reasonably concluded that such associated costs and liabilities would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; to the Company’s knowledge, there are no requirements proposed for adoption or implementation under any Environmental Law that would have a Material Adverse Effect;
(dd) all tax returns required to be filed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries with any U.S. federal, state, local or foreign jurisdiction have been timely filed, 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;
(ee) the Company and each of its subsidiaries maintain insurance (which term shall include memberships in P&I Clubs) covering their respective properties, operations, personnel and businesses as the Company reasonably deems adequate; such insurance insures against such losses and risks to an extent which is adequate in accordance with customary industry practice to protect the Company and its subsidiaries and their respective businesses; all such insurance is fully in force on the date hereof and will be fully in force at the time of purchase and each additional time of purchase, if any; neither the Company nor any subsidiary has reason to believe that it will not be able to renew any such insurance as and when such insurance expires;
(ff) none of the Company, Paragon, the Manager nor any of their respective subsidiaries 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 any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, or referred to or described in, or filed as an exhibit to, the Registration Statement, and no such termination or non-renewal has been threatened by the Company, Paragon, the Manager nor any of their respective subsidiaries or, to the Company’s knowledge, any other party to any such contract or agreement;
(gg) the Company and each of its subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences;
(hh) the Company has established and maintains and evaluates “disclosure controls and procedures” (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act) and “internal control over financial reporting” (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act); such disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and its Chief Financial Officer by others within those entities, and such disclosure controls and procedures are effective to perform the functions for which they were established; the Company’s independent registered public accountants and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company have been advised of: (i) all significant deficiencies, if any, in the design or operation of internal controls which could adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data; and (ii) all fraud, if any, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a role in the Company’s internal controls; all “significant deficiencies” and “material
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weaknesses” (as such terms are defined in Rule 1-02(a)(4) of Regulation S-X under the Act) of the Company, if any, have been identified to the Company’s independent registered public accountants and are disclosed in the Registration Statement (excluding the exhibits thereto), each Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus; since the date of the most recent evaluation of such disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls, there have been no significant changes in internal controls or in other factors that could significantly affect internal controls, including any corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses; the Company, its subsidiaries and the Company’s directors and officers are each in compliance in all material respects with all applicable effective provisions of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission and the NYSE promulgated thereunder; and the Company has taken all necessary actions to ensure that, upon and at all times after the filing of the Registration Statement, the Company and its subsidiaries and their respective officers and directors, in their capacities as such, will be in compliance in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002 (the “Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act”) and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder;
(ii) each “forward-looking statement” (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Act or Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectuses, the Prospectus and the Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, has been made or reaffirmed with a reasonable basis and in good faith;
(jj) all statistical or market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectuses, the Prospectus and the Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, are based on or derived from sources that the Company reasonably believes to be reliable and accurate, and the Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources to the extent required;
(kk) none of the Company, Paragon, the Manager, their respective subsidiaries, nor, to the knowledge of the Company and Paragon, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company, Paragon, the Manager or their respective subsidiaries is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “Foreign Corrupt Practices Act”); and the Company, Paragon, the Manager and their respective subsidiaries, and, to the knowledge of the Company or Paragon, their respective affiliates have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure continued compliance therewith;
(ll) the operations of the Company, Paragon, the Manager and their respective subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”); and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator or non-governmental authority involving the Company, Paragon, the Manager or their respective subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the Company’s or Paragon’s knowledge, threatened;
(mm) none of the Company, Paragon, the Manager, their respective subsidiaries, nor, to the knowledge of the Company and Paragon, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company, Paragon, the Manager or their respective subsidiaries is currently subject to any
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U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Shares contemplated hereby, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC;
(nn) no subsidiary is currently prohibited nor, as of the time of purchase will be prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company 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 of the Company, except as described in the Registration Statement (excluding the exhibits thereto), each Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus;
(oo) neither the issuance and sale of the Shares as contemplated hereby or the issuance and sales of shares of Common Stock as contemplated by the Paragon Purchase Agreement and the Proplous Navigation Purchase Agreement will cause any holder of any shares of capital stock, securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for capital stock or options, warrants or other rights to purchase capital stock or any other securities of the Company to have any right to acquire any shares of capital stock of the Company;
(pp) except pursuant to this Agreement, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has incurred any liability for any finder’s or broker’s fee or agent’s commission in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or by the Registration Statement;
(qq) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor any of their respective directors, officers, affiliates or controlling persons has taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed, or which has constituted or might reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares;
(rr) the Company has not, directly or indirectly, including through any subsidiary, 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 to or for any family member or affiliate of any director or executive officer of the Company; there are no business relationships or related-party transactions involving the Company or any other person required to be described in the Registration Statement, Preliminary Prospectuses or the Prospectus that have not been described as required;
(ss) no labor dispute with the employees of the Company, the Manager or any of their respective affiliates or subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its, any subsidiary’s or the Manager’s principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or contractors, which, in any case, would result in a Material Adverse Effect;
(tt) to the Company’s knowledge, 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
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the Registration Statement was initially filed with the Commission;
(uu) the Company is a “foreign private issuer” as defined in Rule 405 of the Act;
(vv) the Company does not have outstanding, nor guarantees, any securities accorded a rating by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization”, as such term is defined in Rule 436(g)(2) under the Act;
(ww) no stamp duty, stock exchange tax, value-added tax, withholding or any other similar duty or tax is payable in the United States, the Republic of Xxxxxxxx Islands, the Republic of Greece, the Republic of Liberia, any political subdivision thereof or to any authority having power to tax, in connection with the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement by the Company or the issuance, sale or delivery of the Shares to be sold by the Company, to the Underwriters or the initial resales thereof by the Underwriters in the manner contemplated by this Agreement and the Prospectus;
(xx) dividends and other distributions declared and payable on the shares of capital stock of the Company may under the current laws and regulations of the Republic of the Xxxxxxxx Islands and the Republic of Greece be paid in United States dollars and may be freely transferred out of the Republic of the Xxxxxxxx Islands or the Republic of Greece, and all such dividends and other distributions are not subject to withholding or other taxes under the current laws and regulations of the Republic of the Xxxxxxxx Islands or the Republic of Greece and are otherwise free and clear of any other tax, withholding or deduction in, and without the necessity of obtaining any consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, licenses, registrations, clearances and qualifications of or with any court or governmental agency or body or any stock exchange authorities in, the Republic of the Xxxxxxxx Islands or the Republic of Greece;
(yy) neither the Company, Paragon nor any of their respective subsidiaries, nor any of their respective properties or assets has any immunity from the jurisdiction of any court or from any legal process (whether through service or notice, attachment prior to judgment, attachment in aid of execution or otherwise);
(zz) each of the Box Trader and Box Voyager has been duly registered in the name of Eridanus Trading Co. and Xxxxxxx Navigation Limited, respectively, under the laws and regulations and flag of the nation of its registration and no other action is necessary to establish and perfect such entity’s title to and interest in any of the vessels as against any charterer or third party and is owned directly by such Predecessor Company free and clear of all liens, claims, security interests or other encumbrances, except such as are described in or contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectuses, the Prospectus and any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus; all of the outstanding shares of capital stock of each Predecessor Company have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable, have been issued in compliance with all applicable securities laws, were not issued in violation of any preemptive right, resale right, right of first refusal or similar right and are owned by the Paragon subject to no security interest, other encumbrance or adverse claims;
(aaa) at the time of purchase, after giving effect to the transactions contemplated by the Vessel Purchase Agreements, each of the Identified Vessels will be duly registered as a vessel in the sole ownership of the Company or a subsidiary of the Company, the Company or such subsidiary of the Company will have good and marketable title each such vessel, free and clear of all liens and defects of the title of record; and each such vessel will be in good standing with respect to the payment of past and current taxes, fees and other amounts payable under the laws
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of the jurisdiction in which it is registered, except where such lien or defect of title or record would, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect;
(bbb) at the time of purchase, after giving effect to the transactions contemplated by the Vessel Purchase Agreements, the Company and each subsidiary of the Company owning an Identified Vessel will carry or be entitled to the benefits of insurance relating to such vessels and its respective properties, operations, personnel and business with financially sound and reputable insurers, in such amounts and covering such risks as is generally maintained by companies of established repute engaged in the same or similar business, and all such insurance is in full force and effect; the Company has no reason to believe that the Company and its subsidiaries will not be able (A) to renew their existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (B) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate and at a cost that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect; the Company and Paragon have no reason to believe that, upon the closing of the transactions contemplated by the Vessel Purchase Agreements, the Company and its subsidiaries will not be able (i) to obtain insurance relating to said vessels and their respective properties, operations, personnel and businesses with insurers of recognized international standing as of said dates, in such amounts and covering such risks as are generally maintained by companies of established repute engaged in the same or similar business, and (ii) to cause all such insurance to be in full force and effect;
(ccc) each of the Identified Vessels will be on the date of delivery, operated in compliance with the rules, codes of practice, conventions, protocols, guidelines or similar requirements or restrictions imposed, published or promulgated by any governmental authority, classification society or insurer applicable to the respective vessel (collectively, “Maritime Guidelines”) and all applicable international, national, state and local conventions, laws, regulations, orders, governmental licenses and other requirements (including, without limitation, all Environmental Laws), in each case as in effect on the date hereof, except where such failure to be in compliance would not have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect; the Company and each applicable subsidiary will be on the date of delivery, qualified to own or lease, as the case may be, and operate such vessels under all applicable international, national, state and local conventions, laws, regulations, orders, governmental licenses and other requirements (including, without limitation, all Environmental Laws) and Maritime Guidelines, including the laws, regulations and orders of each such vessel’s flag state, in each case as in effect on the date hereof, except where such failure to be so qualified would not have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect; and
(ddd) each of the Identified Vessels will be on the date of delivery, classed by a classification society which is a full member of the International Association of Classification Societies and such vessels will be on the date of delivery, in class with valid class and trading certificates, without any overdue recommendations, in each case based on the classification and certification requirements in effect on the date hereof.
In addition, any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries and delivered to the Underwriters or counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the offering of the Shares shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Company, as to matters covered thereby, to each Underwriter.
4. Certain Covenants of the Company. The Company hereby agrees:
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(a) to furnish such information as may be required and otherwise to cooperate in qualifying the Shares for offering and sale under the securities or blue sky laws of such states or other jurisdictions as you may designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect so long as you may request for the distribution of the Shares; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to consent to the service of process under the laws of any such jurisdiction (except service of process with respect to the offering and sale of the Shares); and to promptly advise you of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offer or sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose;
(b) to make available to the Underwriters in New York City, as soon as practicable after this Agreement becomes effective, and thereafter from time to time to furnish to the Underwriters, as many copies of the Prospectus (or of the Prospectus as amended or supplemented if the Company shall have made any amendments or supplements thereto after the Effective Time of the Registration Statement) as the Underwriters may request for the purposes contemplated by the Act; in case any Underwriter is required to deliver (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Act or any similar rule), in connection with the sale of the Shares, a prospectus after the nine-month period referred to in Section 10(a)(3) of the Act, the Company will prepare, at its expense, promptly upon request such amendment or amendments to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as may be necessary to permit compliance with the requirements of Section 10(a)(3) of the Act;
(c) if, at the time this Agreement is executed and delivered, it is necessary or appropriate for a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, or a Registration Statement under Rule 462(b) under the Act, to be filed with the Commission and become effective before the Shares may be sold, the Company will use its best efforts to cause such post-effective amendment or such Registration Statement to be filed and become effective, and will pay any applicable fees in accordance with the Act, as soon as possible; and the Company will advise you promptly and, if requested by you, will confirm such advice in writing, (i) when such post-effective amendment or such Registration Statement has become effective, and (ii) if Rule 430A under the Act is used, when the Prospectus is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act (which the Company agrees to file in a timely manner in accordance with such Rules);
(d) to advise you promptly, confirming such advice in writing, of any request by the Commission for amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Exchange Act Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus or for additional information with respect thereto, or of notice of institution of proceedings for, or the entry of a stop order, suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement and, if the Commission should enter a stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, to use its best efforts to obtain the lifting or removal of such order as soon as possible; to advise you promptly of any proposal to amend or supplement the Registration Statement or the Exchange Act Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, and to provide you and Underwriters’ counsel copies of any such documents for review and comment a reasonable amount of time prior to any proposed filing and to file no such amendment or supplement to which you shall object in writing;
(e) subject to Section 4(d) hereof, to file promptly all reports and documents and any preliminary or definitive proxy or information statement required to be filed by the Company with the Commission in order to comply with the Exchange Act for so long as a prospectus is required by the Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172
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under the Act or any similar rule) in connection with any sale of Shares; and to provide you, for your review and comment, with a copy of such reports and statements and other documents to be filed by the Company pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during such period a reasonable amount of time prior to any proposed filing, and to file no such report, statement or document to which you shall have objected in writing; and to promptly notify you of such filing;
(f) to advise the Underwriters promptly of the happening of any event within the period during which a prospectus is required by the Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Act or any similar rule) in connection with any sale of Shares, which event could require the making of any change in the Prospectus then being used so that the Prospectus would not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading, and to advise the Underwriters promptly if, during such period, it shall become necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to cause the Prospectus to comply with the requirements of the Act, and, in each case, during such time, subject to Section 4(d) hereof, to prepare and furnish, at the Company’s expense, to the Underwriters promptly such amendments or supplements to such Prospectus as may be necessary to reflect any such change or to effect such compliance;
(g) to make generally available to its security holders, and to deliver to you, an earnings statement of the Company (which will satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act) covering a period of twelve months beginning after the Effective Time of the Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c) under the Act) as soon as is reasonably practicable after the termination of such twelve-month period but in any case not later than [November 30], 2012;
(h) to furnish to you three copies of the Registration Statement, as initially filed with the Commission, and of all amendments thereto (including all exhibits thereto) and sufficient copies of the foregoing (other than exhibits) for distribution of a copy to each of the other Underwriters;
(i) to furnish to you as early as practicable prior to the time of purchase and any additional time of purchase, as the case may be, but not later than two business days prior thereto, a copy of the latest available unaudited interim and monthly consolidated financial statements, if any, of the Company and its subsidiaries which have been read by the Company’s independent registered public accountants, as stated in their letter to be furnished pursuant to Section 6(g) hereof;
(j) to apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Shares in the manner set forth under the caption “Use of Proceeds” in the Prospectus and to file such reports with the Commission with respect to the sale of the Shares and the application of the proceeds therefrom as may be required by Rule 463 under the Act;
(k) to pay all costs, expenses, fees and taxes in connection with (i) the preparation and filing of the Registration Statement, each Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, and the printing and furnishing of copies of each thereof to the Underwriters and to dealers (including costs of mailing and shipment), (ii) the registration, issue, sale and delivery of the Shares including any stock or transfer taxes and stamp or similar duties payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Shares to the Underwriters, (iii) the producing, word processing and/or printing of this Agreement, any Agreement Among Underwriters, any dealer agreements, any Powers of Attorney and any closing documents (including compilations thereof) and the reproduction and/or
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printing and furnishing of copies of each thereof to the Underwriters and (except closing documents) to dealers (including costs of mailing and shipment), (iv) the qualification of the Shares for offering and sale under state or foreign laws and the determination of their eligibility for investment under state or foreign law (including the legal fees and filing fees and other disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters) and the printing and furnishing of copies of any blue sky surveys or legal investment surveys to the Underwriters and to dealers, (v) any listing of the Shares on any securities exchange and any registration thereof under the Exchange Act, (vi) any filing for review of the public offering of the Shares by FINRA, including the legal fees and filing fees and other disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters relating to FINRA matters, (vii) the fees and disbursements of any transfer agent or registrar for the Shares, (viii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to presentations or meetings undertaken in connection with the marketing of the offering and sale of the Shares to prospective investors and the Underwriters’ sales forces, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations, travel, lodging and other expenses incurred by the officers of the Company and any such consultants, and the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the road show, (ix) the costs and expenses of qualifying the Shares for inclusion in the book-entry settlement system of the DTC, (x) the preparation and filing of the Exchange Act Registration Statement, including any amendments thereto and (xi) the performance of the Company’s other obligations hereunder.
(l) to comply with Rule 433(d) under the Act (without reliance on Rule 164(b) under the Act) and with Rule 433(g) under the Act;
(m) beginning on the date hereof and ending on, and including, the date that is 180 days after the date of the Prospectus (the “Lock-Up Period”), without the prior written consent of UBS and Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated, not to (i) issue, sell, offer to sell, contract or agree to sell, hypothecate, pledge, grant any option to purchase or otherwise dispose of or agree to dispose of, directly or indirectly, or establish or increase a put equivalent position or liquidate or decrease a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder, with respect to, any shares of Common Stock or any other securities of the Company that are substantially similar to Common Stock, or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for, or any warrants or other rights to purchase, the foregoing, (ii) file or cause to become effective a registration statement under the Act relating to the offer and sale of any shares of Common Stock or any other securities of the Company that are substantially similar to Common Stock, or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for, or any warrants or other rights to purchase, the foregoing, (iii) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of Common Stock or any other securities of the Company that are substantially similar to Common Stock, or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for, or any warrants or other rights to purchase, the foregoing, whether any such transaction is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise or (iv) publicly announce an intention to effect any transaction specified in clause (i), (ii) or (iii), except, in each case, for (A) the registration of the offer and sale of the Shares as contemplated by this Agreement and (B) the issuance of employee restricted shares, as disclosed in Registration Statement (excluding the exhibits thereto), each Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, or employee stock options not exercisable during the Lock-Up Period pursuant to stock option plans described in the Registration Statement (excluding the exhibits thereto), each Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus; provided, however, that if (a) during the period that begins on the date that is fifteen (15) calendar days plus three (3) business days before the last day of the Lock-Up Period and ends on the last day of the Lock-Up Period,
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the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs; or (b) prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the sixteen (16) day period beginning on the last day of the Lock-Up Period, then the restrictions imposed by this Section 4(m) shall continue to apply until the expiration of the date that is fifteen (15) calendar days plus three (3) business days after the date on which the issuance of the earnings release or the material news or material event occurs;
(n) prior to the time of purchase or any additional time of purchase, as the case may be, to issue no press release or other communication directly or indirectly and hold no press conferences with respect to the Company or any subsidiary, the financial condition, results of operations, business, properties, assets, or liabilities of the Company or any subsidiary, or the offering of the Shares or the Identified Vessels, without your prior consent;
(o) not, at any time at or after the execution of this Agreement, to, directly or indirectly, offer or sell any Shares by means of any “prospectus” (within the meaning of the Act), or use any “prospectus” (within the meaning of the Act) in connection with the offer or sale of the Shares, in each case other than the Prospectus;
(p) not to, and to cause its subsidiaries not to, take, directly or indirectly, any action designed, or which will constitute, or has constituted, or might reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares;
(q) to use its best efforts to cause the Common Stock, including the Shares, to be listed on the NYSE and to maintain such listing of the Common Stock, including the Shares, on the NYSE;
(r) to maintain a transfer agent and, if necessary under the jurisdiction of incorporation of the Company, a registrar for the Common Stock; and
(s) to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Vessel Purchase Agreements in accordance with the terms of such agreements.
5. Reimbursement of the Underwriters’ Expenses. If, after the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Shares are not delivered for any reason other than the termination of this Agreement pursuant to the fifth paragraph of Section 8 hereof or the default by one or more of the Underwriters in its or their respective obligations hereunder, the Company shall reimburse the Underwriters for all of their out-of-pocket expenses, including the fees and disbursements of their counsel. In such event, the Company shall also remain obligated to pay the amounts described in Section 4(k) hereof.
6. Conditions of the Underwriters’ Obligations. The several obligations of the Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the respective representations and warranties on the part of the Company and Paragon on the date hereof, at the time of purchase and, if applicable, at the additional time of purchase, the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions precedent:
(a) The Company shall furnish to you at the time of purchase and, if applicable, at the additional time of purchase, an opinion of Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx LLP, U.S. counsel for the Company, addressed to the Underwriters, and dated the time of purchase or the additional time of purchase, as the case may be, with executed copies for each of the other Underwriters, and in
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form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, in the form set forth in Exhibit B hereto.
(b) The Company shall furnish to you at the time of purchase and, if applicable, at the additional time of purchase, an opinion of Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx LLP, special Xxxxxxxx Islands counsel for the Company, addressed to the Underwriters, and dated the time of purchase or the additional time of purchase, as the case may be, with executed copies for each of the other Underwriters, and in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, in the form set forth in Exhibit C hereto.
(c) The Company shall furnish to you at the time of purchase and, if applicable, at the additional time of purchase, an opinion of a Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx LLP, special Liberian counsel for the Company, addressed to the Underwriters, and dated the time of purchase or the additional time of purchase, as the case may be, with executed copies for each of the other Underwriters, and in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, in the form set forth in Exhibit D hereto.
(d) The Company shall furnish to you at the time of purchase and, if applicable, at the additional time of purchase, an opinion of Xxxx X. Xxxxxxx, special Greek counsel for the Company, addressed to the Underwriters, and dated the time of purchase or the additional time of purchase, as the case may be, with executed copies for each of the other Underwriters, and in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, in the form set forth in Exhibit E hereto.
(e) You shall have received from Deloitte letters dated, respectively, the date of this Agreement, the date of the Prospectus, the time of purchase and, if applicable, the additional time of purchase, and addressed to the Underwriters (with executed copies for each Underwriter) in the forms satisfactory to the Representatives, which letters shall cover, without limitation, the various financial disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectuses, the Prospectus and the Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses, if any.
(f) You shall have received at the time of purchase and, if applicable, at the additional time of purchase, the favorable opinion and negative assurance letter of Xxxxxx, Xxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated the time of purchase or the additional time of purchase, as the case may be, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.
(g) No Prospectus or amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall have been filed to which you shall have objected in writing.
(h) The Registration Statement, the Exchange Act Registration Statement and any registration statement required to be filed, prior to the sale of the Shares, under the Act pursuant to Rule 462(b) shall have been filed and shall have become effective under the Act or the Exchange Act, as the case may be. If Rule 430A under the Act is used, the Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act at or before 5:30 P.M., New York City time, on the second full business day after the date of this Agreement (or such earlier time as may be required under the Act).
(i) Prior to and at the time of purchase, and, if applicable, the additional time of purchase, (i) no stop order with respect to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued under the Act or proceedings initiated under Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the Act; (ii) the Registration Statement and all amendments thereto shall not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
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statements therein not misleading; (iii) none of the Preliminary Prospectuses or the Prospectus, and no amendment or supplement thereto, shall include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading; (iv) no Disclosure Package, and no amendment or supplement thereto, shall include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading; and (v) none of the Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, shall include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading.
(j) The Company will, at the time of purchase and, if applicable, at the additional time of purchase, deliver to you a certificate of its Chief Executive Officer and its Chief Financial Officer, dated the time of purchase or the additional time of purchase, as the case may be, in the form attached as Exhibit F hereto. Paragon will, at the time of purchase and, if applicable, at the additional time of purchase, deliver to you a certificate of its Chief Executive Officer and Interim Chief Financial Officer, dated the time of purchase or the additional time of purchase, as the case may be, in the form attached as Exhibit G hereto.
(k) You shall have received each of the signed Lock-Up Agreements referred to in Section 3[( )] hereof, and each such Lock-Up Agreement shall be in full force and effect at the time of purchase and the additional time of purchase, as the case may be.
(l) The Company shall have furnished to you such other documents and certificates as to the accuracy and completeness of any statement in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as of the time of purchase and, if applicable, the additional time of purchase, as you may reasonably request.
(m) The Shares shall have been approved for listing on the NYSE, subject only to notice of issuance and evidence of satisfactory distribution at or prior to the time of purchase or the additional time of purchase, as the case may be.
(n) FINRA shall not have raised any objection with respect to the fairness or reasonableness of the underwriting, or other arrangements of the transactions, contemplated hereby.
(o) The Underwriters shall have received executed copies of each of the Transaction Documents, which shall be in full force and effect.
7. Effective Date of Agreement; Termination. This Agreement shall become effective when the parties hereto have executed and delivered this Agreement.
The obligations of the several Underwriters hereunder shall be subject to termination in the absolute discretion of UBS, if (1) since the time of execution of this Agreement or the earlier respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectuses, the Prospectus and the Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, there has been any change or any development involving a prospective change in the business, properties, management, financial condition or results of operations (including with respect to any damage to or loss of any vessel to be acquired by the Company pursuant to any of the Vessel Purchase Agreements) of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, the effect of which change or development is, in the sole judgment of UBS, so material and adverse as to make it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering
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or the delivery of the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Registration Statement, Preliminary Prospectuses, the Prospectus and the Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, or (2) since the time of execution of this Agreement, there shall have occurred: (A) a suspension or material limitation in trading in securities generally on the NYSE, the American Stock Exchange or the NASDAQ; (B) a suspension or material limitation in trading in the Company’s securities on the NYSE; (C) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities declared by either federal or New York State authorities or a material disruption in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States; (D) an outbreak or escalation of hostilities or acts of terrorism involving the United States or a declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war; or (E) any other calamity or crisis, or any material disruption in the international shipping industry, or any change in financial, political or economic conditions in the United States or elsewhere, if the effect of any such event specified in clause (D) or (E), in the sole judgment of UBS, makes it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectuses, the Prospectus and the Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses, if any or (3) since the time of execution of this Agreement, there shall have occurred any downgrading, or any notice or announcement shall have been given or made of: (A) any intended or potential downgrading or (B) any watch, review or possible change that does not indicate an affirmation or improvement in the rating accorded any securities of or guaranteed by the Company or any subsidiary by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization,” as that term is defined in Rule 436(g)(2) under the Act.
If UBS elects to terminate this Agreement as provided in this Section 7, the Company and each other Underwriter shall be notified promptly in writing.
If the sale to the Underwriters of the Shares, as contemplated by this Agreement, is not carried out by the Underwriters for any reason permitted under this Agreement, or if such sale is not carried out because the Company shall be unable to comply with any of the terms of this Agreement, the Company shall not be under any obligation or liability under this Agreement (except to the extent provided in Sections 4(k), 5 and 9 hereof), and the Underwriters shall be under no obligation or liability to the Company under this Agreement (except to the extent provided in Section 9 hereof) or to one another hereunder.
8. Increase in Underwriters’ Commitments. Subject to Sections 6 and 7 hereof, if any Underwriter shall default in its obligation to take up and pay for the Firm Shares to be purchased by it hereunder (otherwise than for a failure of a condition set forth in Section 6 hereof or a reason sufficient to justify the termination of this Agreement under the provisions of Section 7 hereof) and if the number of Firm Shares which all Underwriters so defaulting shall have agreed but failed to take up and pay for does not exceed 10% of the total number of Firm Shares, the non-defaulting Underwriters (including the Underwriters, if any, substituted in the manner set forth below) shall take up and pay for (in addition to the aggregate number of Firm Shares they are obligated to purchase pursuant to Section 1 hereof) the number of Firm Shares agreed to be purchased by all such defaulting Underwriters, as hereinafter provided. Such Shares shall be taken up and paid for by such non-defaulting Underwriters in such amount or amounts as you may designate with the consent of each Underwriter so designated or, in the event no such designation is made, such Shares shall be taken up and paid for by all non-defaulting Underwriters pro rata in proportion to the aggregate number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the names of such non-defaulting Underwriters in Schedule A.
Without relieving any defaulting Underwriter from its obligations hereunder, the Company agrees with the non-defaulting Underwriters that it will not sell any Firm Shares hereunder unless all of the Firm Shares are purchased by the Underwriters (or by substituted Underwriters selected by you with the approval of the Company or selected by the Company with your approval).
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If a new Underwriter or Underwriters are substituted by the Underwriters or by the Company for a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters in accordance with the foregoing provision, the Company or you shall have the right to postpone the time of purchase for a period not exceeding five business days in order that any necessary changes in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and other documents may be effected.
The term “Underwriter” as used in this Agreement shall refer to and include any Underwriter substituted under this Section 8 with like effect as if such substituted Underwriter had originally been named in Schedule A hereto.
If the aggregate number of Firm Shares which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed to purchase exceeds 10% of the total number of Firm Shares which all Underwriters agreed to purchase hereunder, and if neither the non-defaulting Underwriters nor the Company shall make arrangements within the five business day period stated above for the purchase of all the Firm Shares which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed to purchase hereunder, this Agreement shall terminate without further act or deed and without any liability on the part of the Company to any Underwriter and without any liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter to the Company. Nothing in this paragraph, and no action taken hereunder, shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.
9. Indemnity and Contribution.
(a) The Company and Paragon, jointly and severally, each agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless each Underwriter, its partners, directors, officers and members, and any person who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and any “affiliate”(within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Act) of such Underwriter, and the successors and assigns of all of the foregoing persons, from and against any loss, damage, expense, liability or claim (including the reasonable cost of investigation) which, jointly or severally, any such Underwriter or any such person may incur under the Act, the Exchange Act, the common law or otherwise, insofar as such loss, damage, expense, liability or claim arises out of or is based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or in the Registration Statement as amended by any post-effective amendment thereof by the Company) or arises out of or is based upon any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, except insofar as any such loss, damage, expense, liability or claim arises out of or is based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in, and in conformity with information concerning such Underwriter furnished in writing by or on behalf of such Underwriter through you to the Company expressly for use in, the Registration Statement or arises out of or is based upon any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact in the Registration Statement in connection with such information, which material fact was not contained in such information and which material fact was required to be stated in such Registration Statement or was necessary to make such information not misleading or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any Prospectus (the term Prospectus for the purpose of this Section 9 being deemed to include any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements to the foregoing), in any Covered Free Writing Prospectus, in any “issuer information” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Act) of the Company, which “issuer information” is required to be, or is, filed with the Commission, or in any Prospectus together with any combination of one or more of the Covered Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, or arises out of or is based upon any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
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misleading, except, with respect to such Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, insofar as any such loss, damage, expense, liability or claim arises out of or is based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in, and in conformity with information concerning such Underwriter furnished in writing by or on behalf of such Underwriter through you to the Company expressly for use in, such Prospectus or Permitted Free Writing Prospectus or arises out of or is based upon any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact in such Prospectus or Permitted Free Writing Prospectus in connection with such information, which material fact was not contained in such information and which material fact was necessary in order to make the statements in such information, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(b) Each Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Company, its directors and officers and any person who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and the successors and assigns of all of the foregoing persons, from and against any loss, damage, expense, liability or claim (including the reasonable cost of investigation) which, jointly or severally, the Company or any such person may incur under the Act, the Exchange Act, the common law or otherwise, insofar as such loss, damage, expense, liability or claim arises out of or is based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in, and in conformity with information concerning such Underwriter furnished in writing by or on behalf of such Underwriter through you to the Company expressly for use in, the Registration Statement (or in the Registration Statement as amended by any post-effective amendment thereof by the Company), or arises out of or is based upon any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact in such Registration Statement in connection with such information, which material fact was not contained in such information and which material fact was required to be stated in such Registration Statement or was necessary to make such information not misleading or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in, and in conformity with information concerning such Underwriter furnished in writing by or on behalf of such Underwriter through you to the Company expressly for use in, a Prospectus or a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, or arises out of or is based upon any omission or alleged omission to state a material fact in such Prospectus or Permitted Free Writing Prospectus in connection with such information, which material fact was not contained in such information and which material fact was necessary in order to make the statements in such information, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(c) If any action, suit or proceeding (each, a “Proceeding”) is brought against a person (an “indemnified party”) in respect of which indemnity may be sought against the Company or Paragon or an Underwriter (as applicable, the “indemnifying party”) pursuant to subsection (a), or (b), respectively, of this Section 9, such indemnified party shall promptly notify such indemnifying party in writing of the institution of such Proceeding and such indemnifying party shall assume the defense of such Proceeding, including the employment of counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party and payment of all fees and expenses; provided, however, that the omission to so notify such indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability which such indemnifying party may have to any indemnified party or otherwise. The indemnified party or parties shall have the right to employ its or their own counsel in any such case, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party or parties unless the employment of such counsel shall have been authorized in writing by the indemnifying party in connection with the defense of such Proceeding or the indemnifying party shall not have, within a reasonable period of time in light of the circumstances, employed counsel to defend such Proceeding or such indemnified party or parties shall have reasonably concluded that there may be defenses available to it or them which
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are different from, additional to or in conflict with those available to such indemnifying party (in which case such indemnifying party shall not have the right to direct the defense of such Proceeding on behalf of the indemnified party or parties), in any of which events such fees and expenses shall be borne by such indemnifying party and paid as incurred (it being understood, however, that such indemnifying party shall not be liable for the expenses of more than one separate counsel (in addition to any local counsel) in any one Proceeding or series of related Proceedings in the same jurisdiction representing the indemnified parties who are parties to such Proceeding). The indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any Proceeding effected without its written consent but, if settled with its written consent, such indemnifying party agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the indemnified party or parties from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party: to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by the second sentence of this Section 9(c), then the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any Proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 60 business days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have fully reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement and (iii) such indemnified party shall have given the indemnifying party: at least 30 days’ prior notice of its intention to settle. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened Proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such Proceeding and does not include an admission of fault or culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of such indemnified party.
(d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 9 is unavailable to an indemnified party under subsections (a) and (b) of this Section 9 or insufficient to hold an indemnified party harmless in respect of any losses, damages, expenses, liabilities or claims referred to therein, then each applicable indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, damages, expenses, liabilities or claims (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand from the offering of the Shares or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, damages, expenses, liabilities or claims, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total proceeds from the offering (net of underwriting discounts and commissions but before deducting expenses) received by the Company, and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, bear to the aggregate public offering price of the Shares. The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses, damages, expenses, liabilities and claims referred to in this subsection shall be deemed to include any legal or other fees or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with investigating, preparing to defend or defending any Proceeding.
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(e) The Company and Paragon and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 9 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in subsection (d) above. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 9, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Shares underwritten by such Underwriter and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damage which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue statement 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 to contribute pursuant to this Section 9 are several in proportion to their respective underwriting commitments and not joint.
(f) The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this Section 9 and the covenants, warranties and representations of the Company and Paragon contained in this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, its partners, directors, officers or members or any person (including each partner, officer, director or member of such person) who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, or by or on behalf of the Company, its directors or officers or any person who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and shall survive any termination of this Agreement or the issuance and delivery of the Shares. The Company and each Underwriter agree promptly to notify each other of the commencement of any Proceeding against it and, in the case of the Company, against any of the Company’s officers or directors in connection with the issuance and sale of the Shares, or in connection with the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.
10. Information Furnished by the Underwriters. The statements set forth in the last paragraph on the cover page of the Prospectus and the statements set forth in the fourth and 17th paragraphs under the caption “Underwriting” in the Prospectus, only insofar as such statements relate to the amount of selling concession and reallowance or to over-allotment and stabilization activities that may be undertaken by the Underwriters, constitute the only information furnished by or on behalf of the Underwriters, as such information is referred to in Sections 3 and 9 hereof.
11. Notices. Except as otherwise herein provided, all statements, requests, notices and agreements shall be in writing or by telegram or facsimile and, if to the Underwriters, shall be sufficient in all respects if delivered or sent to (i) UBS Securities LLC, 000 Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000-0000, Attention: Syndicate Department and (ii) Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated, 0000 Xxxxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attention: Equity Syndicate Desk, with a copy to the Legal Department and, if to the Company, shall be sufficient in all respects if delivered or sent to the Company at the offices of the Company at 00 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, 00000, Xxxxx, Xxxxxx, Attention: Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxx, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
12. Governing Law; Construction. This Agreement and any claim, counterclaim or dispute of any kind or nature whatsoever arising out of or in any way relating to this Agreement (“Claim”), directly or indirectly, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York. The section headings in this Agreement have been inserted as a matter of convenience of reference and are not a part of this Agreement.
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13. Submission to Jurisdiction. Except as set forth below, no Claim may be commenced, prosecuted or continued in any court other than the courts of the State of New York located in the City and County of New York or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, which courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction over the adjudication of such matters, and the Company, Paragon and the Manager each consents to the jurisdiction of such courts and personal service with respect thereto. The Company, Paragon and the Manager each hereby consents to personal jurisdiction, service and venue in any court in which any Claim arising out of or in any way relating to this Agreement is brought by any third party against any Underwriter or any indemnified party. Each Underwriter, the Company (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its stockholders and affiliates), Paragon (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its shareholders and affiliates) and the Manager (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its shareholders and affiliates) each waives all right to trial by jury in any action, proceeding or counterclaim (whether based upon contract, tort or otherwise) in any way arising out of or relating to this Agreement. The Company, Paragon and the Manager each agrees that a final judgment in any such action, proceeding or counterclaim brought in any such court shall be conclusive and binding upon the Company, Paragon or the Manager and may be enforced in any other courts to the jurisdiction of which the Company, Paragon or the Manager is or may be subject, by suit upon such judgment.
14. Appointment of Agent. Each of the Company, Paragon and the Manager hereby irrevocably designates and appoints [ ] (the “Process Agent”), as its authorized agent upon whom process may be served in any Claim brought against the Company, Paragon or the Manager, as applicable, it being understood that the designation and appointment of the Process Agent as such authorized agent shall become effective immediately without any further action on the part of the Company, Paragon or the Manager, as applicable. Each of the Company, Paragon and the Manager represents to each Underwriter that it has notified the Process Agent of such designation and appointment and that the Process Agent has accepted the same in writing. Each of the Company, Paragon and the Manager hereby irrevocably authorizes and directs the Process Agent to accept such service. Each of the Company, Paragon and the Manager further agrees that service of process upon the Process Agent and written notice of said service to the Company, Paragon or the Manager, as applicable, mailed by first-class mail or delivered to the Process Agent, shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon the Company, Paragon or the Manager, as applicable, in any such Claim. Nothing herein shall affect the right of each Underwriter, its partners, directors, officers and members, any person who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, or any “affiliate” (within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Act) of such Underwriter, or the successors and assigns of all of the foregoing persons, to serve process in any other manner permitted by law.
15. Parties at Interest. The Agreement herein set forth has been and is made solely for the benefit of the Underwriters and the Company and to the extent provided in Section 9 hereof the controlling persons, partners, directors, officers, members and affiliates referred to in such Section, and their respective successors, assigns, heirs, personal representatives and executors and administrators. No other person, partnership, association or corporation (including a purchaser, as such purchaser, from any of the Underwriters) shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement.
16. No Fiduciary Relationship. The Company and Paragon each hereby acknowledges that the Underwriters are acting solely as underwriters in connection with the purchase and sale of the Company’s securities. Each of the Company and Paragon further acknowledges that the Underwriters are acting pursuant to a contractual relationship created solely by this Agreement entered into on an arm’s length basis, and in no event do the parties intend that the Underwriters act or be responsible as a fiduciary to the Company or Paragon, their respective management, shareholders or creditors or any other person in connection with any activity that the Underwriters may undertake or have undertaken in furtherance of the purchase and sale of the Company’s securities, either before or after the date hereof.
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The Underwriters hereby expressly disclaim any fiduciary or similar obligations to the Company or Paragon, either in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any matters leading up to such transactions, and the Company and Paragon each hereby confirms its understanding and agreement to that effect. The Company, Paragon and the Underwriters agree that they are each responsible for making their own independent judgments with respect to any such transactions and that any opinions or views expressed by the Underwriters to the Company or Paragon regarding such transactions, including, but not limited to, any opinions or views with respect to the price or market for the Company’s securities, do not constitute advice or recommendations to the Company or Paragon. The Company and Paragon each hereby waives and releases, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that the Company or Paragon may have against the Underwriters with respect to any breach or alleged breach of any fiduciary or similar duty to the Company or Paragon in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any matters leading up to such transactions.
17. Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed by the parties in one or more counterparts which together shall constitute one and the same agreement among the parties.
18. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon the Underwriters, the Company and Paragon and their successors and assigns and any successor or assign of any substantial portion of the Company’s, Paragon’s and any of the Underwriters’ respective businesses and/or assets.
19. Miscellaneous. UBS, an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of UBS AG, is not a bank and is separate from any affiliated bank, including any U.S. branch or agency of UBS AG. Because UBS is a separately incorporated entity, it is solely responsible for its own contractual obligations and commitments, including obligations with respect to sales and purchases of securities. Securities sold, offered or recommended by UBS are not deposits, are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, are not guaranteed by a branch or agency, and are not otherwise an obligation or responsibility of a branch or agency.
[The Remainder of This Page Intentionally Left Blank; Signature Page Follows]
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If the foregoing correctly sets forth the understanding among the Company, Paragon, the Manager and the several Underwriters, please so indicate in the space provided below for that purpose, whereupon this Agreement and your acceptance shall constitute a binding agreement among the Company, Paragon, the Manager and the several Underwriters, severally.
| Very truly yours, | ||
| BOX SHIPS INC. | ||
| By: |
| |
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| PARAGON SHIPPING INC. | ||
| By: |
| |
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| ALLSEAS MARINE S.A. | ||
| By: |
| |
| Name: | ||
| Title | ||
| Accepted and agreed to as of the date first above written, on behalf of themselves and the other several Underwriters named in Schedule A | ||
| UBS SECURITIES LLC | ||
| XXXXXX XXXXXXX & CO. INCORPORATED | ||
| By: | UBS SECURITIES LLC | |
| By: |
| |
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| By: |
| |
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
| By: | XXXXXX XXXXXXX & CO. INCORPORATED | |
| By: |
| |
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
SCHEDULE A
| Underwriter |
Number of Firm Shares |
|||
| UBS SECURITIES LLC |
||||
| XXXXXX XXXXXXX & CO. INCORPORATED |
||||
| CANTOR XXXXXXXXXX & CO. |
||||
| ABN AMRO Bank N.V. |
||||
| XXXXXX, XXXXXXXX & COMPANY, INCORPORATED |
||||
| LAZARD CAPITAL MARKETS LLC |
||||
| UNICREDIT CAPITAL MARKETS, INC. |
||||
| Total |
[10,000,000 | ] | ||
SCHEDULE B
[None.]
SCHEDULE C
[Company to list any subsidiaries]
