US$500,000,000 AEGON FUNDING CORP., as Issuer AEGON N.V., as Guarantor 5.75% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2020 UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT dated December 5, 2005
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Exhibit 1.6
US$500,000,000
AEGON FUNDING CORP.,
as Issuer
AEGON N.V.,
as Guarantor
5.75% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2020
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
dated December 5, 0000
Xxxx xx Xxxxxxx Securities LLC Barclays Capital Inc. Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. |
December 5, 0000
Xxxx
xx Xxxxxxx Securities LLC
Barclays Capital Inc.
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.
As Representatives of the
several Underwriters
named in Schedule II hereto
c/o
Banc of America Securities LLC
0 Xxxx 00xx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
AEGON Funding Corp., a Delaware corporation (the "Issuer"), proposes to sell to the several Underwriters named in Schedule II hereto (the "Underwriters") for whom you (the "Representatives") are acting as representatives, the aggregate principal amount of its securities identified in Schedule I hereto, (the "Securities"). The Securities will be guaranteed (the "Guarantees") on a full and unconditional basis by AEGON N.V., a limited liability public company incorporated under the laws of the Netherlands and having its statutory seat at The Hague, The Netherlands (the "Company") and will be issued under an indenture (the "Base Indenture") dated as of October 11, 2001 among the Company, the Issuer, AEGON Funding Corp. II and Citibank, N.A., as trustee (the "Trustee"), as supplemented by a supplemental indenture dated as of November 14, 2003 (the "First Supplemental Indenture"), a second supplemental indenture dated as of June 1, 2005 (the "Second Supplemental Indenture"), a third supplemental indenture dated as of November 23, 2005 (the "Third Supplemental Indenture") and a fourth supplemental indenture to be dated as of the Closing Date as defined hereinafter (the "Fourth Supplemental Indenture" and, collectively, with the Base Indenture, the First Supplemental Indenture, the Second Supplemental Indenture and the Third Supplemental Indenture, the "Indenture").
The Company and the Issuer have filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") a shelf registration statement on Form F-3 (No. 333-71438) covering the registration of various types of securities under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), including the Securities and the Guarantees, and have filed with, or transmitted for filing to, or shall promptly hereafter file with or transmit for filing to, the Commission a prospectus supplement (the "Prospectus Supplement") specifically relating to the Securities and the Guarantees pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act. The term "Registration Statement" means the registration statement, including the exhibits thereto, as amended to the date of this Agreement and includes any prospectus supplement that is filed with the Commission and deemed by virtue of Rule 430B to be part of the Registration Statement. The term "Basic Prospectus" means the prospectus dated May 20, 2005 included in the Registration Statement. The term "Prospectus" means the Basic Prospectus together with the Prospectus Supplement in the form filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act (or in the form first made available to the Underwriters by the Company to meet requests of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act). The term "preliminary prospectus" means a preliminary prospectus supplement specifically relating to the Securities and the Guarantees, together with the Basic Prospectus. The preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus (as defined below) and the Prospectus will be used in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities and the Guarantees.
As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the following meanings:
"Free Writing Prospectus" has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
"Issuer Free Writing Prospectus" has the meaning set forth in Rule 433 under the Securities Act.
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"Time of Sale" means 4:50 p.m. (New York time) on December 5, 2005.
"Time of Sale Prospectus" means the preliminary prospectus, together with any Free Writing Prospectus listed on Schedule III hereof.
As used herein, the terms "Registration Statement," "Basic Prospectus," "Prospectus", "preliminary prospectus" and the "Time of Sale Prospectus" shall include, in each case, the documents, if any, incorporated by reference therein. The terms "supplement," "amendment" and "amend" as used herein shall include all documents deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus, the preliminary prospectus and the Time of Sale Prospectus that are filed subsequent to the date of the Basic Prospectus by the Company with the Commission pursuant to the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act") but, with respect to the Time of Sale Prospectus, shall not include any incorporated documents filed after the Time of Sale.
1. Representations and Warranties. The Issuer and the Company, jointly and severally, represent and warrant to and agree with each of the Underwriters that:
- (a)
- The
Registration Statement has become effective; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement is in effect, and no proceedings for such purpose are pending
before or, to the Company's knowledge, threatened by the Commission.
- (b)
- (i) Each
document, if any, incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, complied or will comply when
so filed in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, (ii) each part of the Registration Statement,
when such part became effective, did not contain, and each such part, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not contain, any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material
fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (iii) the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus comply and, as
amended or supplemented, if applicable, will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act, and the United States Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the
"Trust Indenture Act"), and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and (iv) the Time of Sale Prospectus as of the Time
of Sale did not contain and the Prospectus does not contain and the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that the representations and warranties set forth in this paragraph do
not apply to statements or omissions in (A) that part of the Registration Statement constituting the Statement of Eligibility and Qualification (Form T-1) under the Trust
Indenture Act of the Trustee or (B) the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus based upon information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in
writing by such Underwriter through you expressly for use therein.
- (c)
- The Issuer and the Company (including their agents and representatives, other than the Underwriters) have not made, used, prepared, authorized, approved or referred to and will not prepare, make, use, authorize, approve or refer to or make any offer relating to the Securities and the Guarantees that would constitute a Free Writing Prospectus other than (i) any document not constituting a prospectus pursuant to Section 2(a)(10)(a) of the Securities Act; (ii) other written communications approved in writing in advance by the Representatives including the term sheet as set forth in Schedule I; or (iii) an electronic road show, if any, furnished to the Representatives for their approval before first use. Any such Free Writing Prospectus as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Securities, complies or will comply in all
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- (d)
- Neither
the Issuer nor the Company has distributed and will not distribute, prior to the later of the Closing Date and the completion of the Underwriters' distribution of the
Securities and the Guarantees, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities and Guarantees other than a preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus, the Time of Sale
Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus reviewed and consented to by the Representatives or included in Schedule I hereto or the Registration Statement.
- (e)
- The
Issuer has been duly incorporated and is validly existing under the laws of the State of Delaware; the Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a public
company with limited liability under the laws of The Netherlands; each of the Issuer and the Company has the corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its property and to conduct its
business as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or
leasing of property requires such qualification and in which the failure to be so qualified would have a material adverse effect on the condition, financial or otherwise, or on the earnings, business,
prospects or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole (a "Material Adverse Effect"); and the Company owns, directly or
indirectly, all of the issued and outstanding share capital or capital stock of the Issuer.
- (f)
- Each
subsidiary of the Company has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has the corporate power and
authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its
business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification and in which the failure to be so qualified would have a Material Adverse Effect.
- (g)
- The
authorized capital stock of the Company conforms as to legal matters to the description thereof contained in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.
- (h)
- At the Closing Date (as defined below), the Securities will have been duly authorized, and, when executed and authenticated in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture and delivered and paid for pursuant to this Agreement, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Issuer enforceable in accordance with their terms subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors' rights and entitled to the benefits provided by the Indenture; the Guarantees have been duly authorized by the Company and, when the Securities are issued and delivered by the Issuer pursuant to this Agreement, the Guarantees will have been duly endorsed thereon and will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company with respect to such Securities, enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors' rights and to general equity principles; the Indenture has been duly authorized by each of the Issuer and the Company and, at the Closing Date, as defined hereinafter, will have been executed and delivered by each of the Issuer and the Company and duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery of the Indenture by the Trustee, the Indenture will, at the Closing Date, be a valid and legally binding instrument of each of the Issuer and the Company enforceable in accordance with its terms subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors' rights.
material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder and has been, or will be, filed with the Commission in accordance with the Securities Act (to the extent required pursuant to Rule 433(d) thereunder).
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- (i)
- This
Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by each of the Issuer and the Company.
- (j)
- The
execution and delivery by each of the Issuer and the Company of, and the performance by the Issuer and the Company of their respective obligations under, and the consummation by
the Issuer and the Company of the transactions contemplated in, this Agreement, the Securities, the Guarantees and the Indenture, as applicable, will not contravene any provision of
(i) applicable law or (ii) the Articles of Association of either the Issuer or the Company or any equivalent corporate governance document of any subsidiary (including the Issuer) or
(iii) any license, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument binding upon the Issuer, the Company or any of the Company's other subsidiaries (including
the Issuer) that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (iv) any judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having jurisdiction over the
Issuer or the Company or any of its subsidiaries (including the Issuer) or any of their respective properties or assets, and no consent, approval, authorization, registration, notification, clearance,
order or qualification of or with any court, governmental or supranational body or agency or taxing authority is required for the performance by the Issuer or the Company of its obligations under this
Agreement, the Securities, the Guarantees and the Indenture, as applicable, except such as may be required by the securities or Blue Sky laws of the various states in connection with the offer and
sale of the Securities.
- (k)
- There
are (1) no legal or governmental, administrative or other proceedings pending or, to the Issuer's or the Company's knowledge, threatened to which the Issuer or the
Company or any of their subsidiaries is a party or to which any of the properties of the Issuer or the Company or any of their subsidiaries is subject that (a) except as disclosed in the Time
of Sale Prospectus would have a Material Adverse Effect or in any manner question the validity of this Agreement, the Securities or the Guarantee or (b) are required to be described in the
Registration Statement or the Time of Sale Prospectus and are not so described and (2) no statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents that are required to be described in the
Registration Statement or the Time of Sale Prospectus or to be filed or incorporated by reference as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not described, filed or incorporated as required.
- (l)
- There
has not occurred any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings,
business, prospects or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus (exclusive of any amendments or supplements thereto
subsequent to the Time of Sale) other than any downgrading in the rating accorded any of the Company's securities by any "nationally recognized statistical rating organization," as such term is
defined for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Securities Act.
- (m)
- Each
preliminary prospectus filed as part of the Registration Statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto, or filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the
Securities Act, and the Basic Prospectus complied when so filed in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission
thereunder.
- (n)
- Neither the Issuer nor the Company is, and, after giving effect to this offering, will not be required to register as an "investment company" within the meaning of the United States Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
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2. Agreements to Sell and Purchase. Subject to the terms and conditions and in reliance upon the representations and warranties set forth herein, the Issuer agrees to sell to each Underwriter, and each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Issuer, at the purchase price set forth in Schedule I hereto the principal amount of the Firm Securities set forth opposite such Underwriter's name in Schedule II hereto.
3. Terms of the Offering. The Issuer and the Company are advised by you that the Underwriters propose to offer the Securities for sale to the public as set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus.
4. Payment and Delivery. Payment for the Securities shall be made to the Issuer in immediately available funds in New York, New York against delivery of such Securities for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters by 10:00 a.m., New York, New York time, on December 12, 2005, or at such other time on the same or such later date not more than three business days after that date as shall be designated in writing by you, which time and date may be postponed by agreement among the Representatives and the Issuer and the Company or as provided in Section 10. The time and date of such payment are herein referred to as the "Closing Date".
Delivery of the Securities shall be made through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company.
5. Conditions to the Underwriters' Obligations. The several obligations of the Underwriters are subject to the following conditions:
- (a)
- Subsequent
to the Time of Sale and prior to the Closing Date there shall have been no material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business,
prospects or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus (exclusive of any amendments or supplements thereto subsequent to the
date of this Agreement) other than any downgrading in the rating accorded any of the Company's securities by any "nationally recognized statistical rating organization," as such term is defined for
purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Securities Act.
- (b)
- The
Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date a certificate, dated the Closing Date and signed by an executive officer of the Company, to the effect set forth in
Section 5(a) above and to the effect that the representations and warranties of the Company, contained in this Agreement are true and correct as of such Closing Date and that the Company has
complied in all material respects with all of the agreements and satisfied all of the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder on or before such Closing Date. The officer signing
and delivering such certificate may rely upon the best of his or her knowledge as to proceedings threatened.
- (c)
- The
Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date a certificate, dated the Closing Date and signed by an executive officer of the Issuer to the effect that the representations
and warranties of the Issuer contained in this Agreement are true and correct as of such Closing Date and that the Issuer has complied in all material respects with all of the agreements and satisfied
all of the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder on or before such Closing Date. The officer signing and delivering such certificate may rely upon the best of his or her
knowledge as to proceedings threatened.
- (d)
- The
Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date (i) an opinion of Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx, general counsel for the Company, dated the Closing Date, in the form attached to this
Agreement as Exhibit A-1 and (ii) an opinion of Xxxxx Xxxxxx, General Counsel for the Issuer, dated the Closing Date in the form attached to this Agreement as
Exhibit A-2.
- (e)
- The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of Xxxxx & Xxxxx LLP, outside Dutch counsel for the Company, dated the Closing Date, in the form attached to this Agreement as Exhibit B.
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- (f)
- The
Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion and a disclosure letter of Xxxxx & Overy LLP, outside U.S. counsel for the Issuer and the Company, dated the
Closing Date, in the forms attached to this Agreement as Exhibits C-1 and C-2, respectively.
- (g)
- The
Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of Xxxxx Xxxx & Xxxxxxxx, outside U.S. counsel for the Underwriters, dated the Closing Date, in the form
attached to this Agreement as Exhibit D.
- (h)
- The
Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of Xxxxx, Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx, LLP, counsel for the Trustee, dated the Closing Date, in the form attached to
this Agreement as Exhibit E.
- (i)
- The Underwriters shall have received on the date hereof, and on the Closing Date, a letter dated as of the date hereof and the Closing Date, respectively, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters, from Ernst & Young, independent public accountants, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants' "comfort letters" to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.
6. Covenants of the Issuer and the Company. In further consideration of the agreements of the Underwriters herein contained, each of the Issuer and the Company, jointly and severally, covenants with each Underwriter as follows:
- (a)
- To
furnish to you upon request, without charge, three signed copies of the Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto and documents incorporated therein by reference) and for
delivery to each other Underwriter a conformed copy of the Registration Statement (without exhibits thereto) and to furnish to you in New York, New York, without charge, prior to 10:00 a.m. New
York, New York time on the business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement and during the period mentioned in Section 6(e) below, as many copies of the Prospectus, each Free Writing
Prospectus and the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Registration Statement as you may reasonably request.
- (b)
- Before
amending or supplementing the Registration Statement and the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, to furnish to you a copy of each such proposed amendment or supplement
and not to file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which you reasonably object, and to file with the Commission within the applicable period specified in Rule 424(b) under the
Securities Act any prospectus required to be filed pursuant to such Rule.
- (c)
- To
prepare any Free Writing Prospectus to be included in the Time of Sale Prospectus in relation to the Securities in a form which shall be provided to the Representatives for their
review and comment prior to the Time of Sale.
- (d)
- If
required by Rule 430B(h) under the Securities Act, to prepare a form of prospectus in a form which shall be provided to the Representatives for their review and comment
prior to any filing and to file such form of prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act.
- (e)
- If the Time of Sale Prospectus is being used to solicit offers to buy the Securities at a time when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances, not misleading, or if any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which any Free Writing Prospectus included as part of the Time of Sale Prospectus conflicts with the information
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- (f)
- If,
during such period after the first date of the offering of the Securities as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred
to in Rule 173(a) under the Securities Act) is required by law to be delivered or made available to investors in connection with sales by an Underwriter, any event shall occur or condition
exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the
notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Securities Act) is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, it is necessary to amend or
supplement the Prospectus to comply with applicable law, forthwith prepare (subject to Section 6(b) hereof), file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters,
either amendments or supplements to the Prospectus so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus (or in lieu
thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Securities Act) is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with law.
- (g)
- Before
preparing, using, authorizing, approving, referring to or filing any Free Writing Prospectus, the Issuer or the Company, as the case may be, will furnish to the Representatives
and counsel for the Underwriters a copy of the proposed Free Writing Prospectus. Neither the Company nor the Issuer will use, authorize, approve, refer to or file any Free Writing Prospectus to which
the Underwriters reasonably object. Neither the Issuer nor the Company will take any action that would result in an Underwriter being required to file with the Commission pursuant to
Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act a Free Writing Prospectus prepared by or on behalf of the Underwriter that the Underwriter otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder.
- (h)
- To
endeavor to qualify the Securities for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as you shall reasonably request.
- (i)
- To
make generally available to the Issuer's and the Company's security holders and to you as soon as practicable an earnings statement that satisfies the provisions of
Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
- (j)
- The
Issuer will, pursuant to reasonable procedures developed in good faith, retain copies of each Free Writing Prospectus that is not required to be filed with the Commission in
accordance with Rule 433 under the Securities Act.
- (k)
- Except as otherwise expressly provided or agreed, whether or not the transactions contemplated in this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, to pay or cause to be paid the following expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Issuer's and the Company's counsel and the Company's accountants in connection with the registration and delivery of the Securities and the Guarantees under the Securities Act and all other fees or
contained in the Registration Statement then on file, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus to comply with applicable law, the Issuer and the Company shall forthwith prepare (subject to Sections 6(b) and 6(c) hereof), file with the Commission and furnish, at their own expense, to the Underwriters and to any dealer upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Time of Sale Prospectus so that the statements therein as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when delivered to a prospective purchaser, be misleading or so that any Free Writing Prospectus which is included as part of the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will no longer conflict with the Registration Statement, or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.
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expenses in connection with the preparation and filing of the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus and amendments and supplements to any of the foregoing, including all printing costs associated therewith, and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters, in the quantities hereinabove specified, (ii) all costs and expenses related to the delivery of the Securities and the Guarantees to the Underwriters, including any taxes payable thereon, (iii) the costs and charges of any transfer agent, registrar or depositary, (iv) the fees and disbursements of the Trustee and its counsel, and (v) any fees charged by rating agencies for the rating of the Securities. Except as expressly provided otherwise, the Underwriters shall pay all their costs and expenses including, without limitation, fees and disbursements of their counsel.
7. Covenants of Underwriters.
- (a)
- Each
Underwriter understands that no action has been or will be taken in any jurisdiction, except in the United States, that would permit a public offering of the Securities, or the
possession, circulation or distribution of the Prospectus, any Free Writing Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or any other material relating to the Company in any jurisdiction where action for
that purpose is required.
- (b)
- (i) Each
of the Underwriters has complied and will comply with all applicable provisions of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (the
"FSMA") with respect to anything done by it in relation to the Securities in, from or otherwise involving the United Kingdom; and (ii) each of
the Underwriters has only communicated or caused to be communicated and it will only communicate or cause to be communicated any invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the
meaning of Section 21 of the FSMA) received by it in connection with the issue or sale of any Securities in circumstances in which Section 21(1) of the FSMA does not apply.
- (c)
- In relation to each Member State of the European Economic Area which has implemented the Prospectus Directive (each, a "Relevant Member State"), with effect from and including the date on which the Prospectus Directive is implemented in that Relevant Member State (the "Relevant Implementation Date"), each of the Underwriters has not made and will not make an offer of the Securities to the public in that Relevant Member State except that it may, with effect from and including the Relevant Implementation Date, make an offer of Securities to the public in that Relevant Member State: (a) in the period beginning on the date of publication of a prospectus in relation to those Securities which has been approved by the competent authority in that Relevant Member State in accordance with the Prospective Directive and/or, where appropriate, published in another Relevant Member State and notified to the competent authority in that Relevant Member State in accordance with Article 18 of the Prospectus Directive and ending on the date which is 12 months after the date of such publication; (b) at any time to legal entities which are authorized or regulated to operate in the financial markets or, if not so authorized or regulated, whose corporate purpose is solely to invest in securities; (c) at any time to any legal entity which has two or more of (1) an average of at least 250 employees during the last financial year; (2) a total balance sheet of more than EUR 43,000,000; and (3) an annual net turnover of more than EUR 50,000,000, as shown in its last annual or consolidated accounts; or (d) at any time in any other circumstances which do not require the publication by the Company of a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive. For the purposes of this Section 7(c) of this Agreement, the expression "an offer of Securities to the public" in relation to any Securities in any Relevant Member State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the Securities to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe the Securities, as the same may be
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- (d)
- The
Underwriters will not take any action (including without limitation, the possession or distribution of the Preliminary Prospectus, any Free Writing Prospectus, the Time of Sale
Prospectus, the Prospectus or any other offering document or any publicity or other material relating to the Securities) in any country or jurisdiction where such action would (i) result in any
violation of applicable law, or (ii) cause the issuance of the Securities to be considered an offering to the public under applicable law.
- (e)
- The
Underwriters shall not use, refer to or distribute any Free Writing Prospectus except:
- (i)
- a
Free Writing Prospectus that (a) is not an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and (b) contains only information describing the preliminary terms of the
Securities and the Guarantees or their offering, which information is limited to the categories of terms referenced on Schedule I or otherwise permitted under Rule 134 of the Securities
Act.
- (ii)
- a
Free Writing Prospectus as shall be agreed in writing with the Issuer and the Company that is not distributed, used or referenced by such Underwriter in a manner
reasonably designed to lead to its broad unrestricted dissemination unless the Issuer and the Company consent in writing to such dissemination; and
- (iii)
- a Free Writing Prospectus identified in Schedule III hereto as forming part of the Time of Sale Prospectus.
varied in that Member State by any measure implementing the Prospectus Directive in that Member State and the expression "Prospectus Directive" means Directive 2003/71/EC and includes any relevant implementing measure in each Relevant Member State.
The Issuer and the Company hereby agree that the Underwriters shall distribute to investors a Free Writing Prospectus that contains the final terms of the Securities substantially in the form set forth in Schedule I hereto and that such Free Writing Prospectus shall be filed by the Issuer in accordance with Rule 433(d) and shall be considered an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus for purposes of this Agreement.
8. Indemnity and Contribution.
- (a)
- Each
of the Issuer and the Company, jointly and severally, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning
of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act and each affiliate of any Underwriter within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act, from
and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending or investigating any such
action or claim) caused by any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or any amendment thereof any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer
Free Writing Prospectus that the Issuer or the Company has filed or is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, any Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus (as
amended or supplemented if the Issuer or the Company shall have furnished any amendments or supplements thereto), or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities are caused by any such untrue statement or
omission or alleged untrue statement or omission based upon information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Issuer or the Company in writing by such Underwriter through you expressly for use
therein.
- (b)
- Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless each of the Issuer and the Company, the directors of the Issuer and the Company, officers of the Issuer and Company who sign the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Issuer or the Company within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities
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- (c)
- In
case any proceeding (including any governmental investigation) shall be instituted involving any person in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to Section 8(a)
or 8(b), such person (the "indemnified party") shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnity may be sought (the
"indemnifying party") in writing and the indemnifying party, upon request of the indemnified party, shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the
indemnified party to represent the indemnified party and any others the indemnifying party may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and disbursements of such counsel related to such
proceeding. In any such proceeding, any indemnified party shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party
unless (i) the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel or (ii) the named parties to any such proceeding (including any
impleaded parties) include both the indemnifying party and the indemnified party and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing
interests between them. It is understood that the indemnifying party shall not, in respect of the legal expenses of any indemnified party in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in
the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all such indemnified parties and that all such fees and expenses shall
be reimbursed as they are incurred. Such firm shall be designated in writing by the Representatives, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 8(a), and by the Issuer or the
Company in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 8(b). The indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if
settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such
settlement or judgment. 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.
- (d)
- To the extent the indemnification provided for in Section 8(a) or 8(b) is unavailable to an indemnified party or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each indemnifying party under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Issuer and the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand from the offering of the Securities or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause 8(d)(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 8(d)(i) above but also the relative fault of the Issuer and the Company on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Issuer and the
Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Issuer and the Company to such Underwriter, but only with reference to information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Issuer or the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, any Free Writing Prospectus that the Issuer or the Company has filed or is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, any Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto.
10
- (e)
- Each
of the Issuer and the Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just or equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 8(e) were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the
Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take
account of the equitable considerations referred to in Section 8(d). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in
the immediately preceding paragraph shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with
investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 8(e), no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by
which the principal amount of Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such
untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be
entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The remedies provided for in this Section 8(e) are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights
or remedies which may otherwise be available to any indemnified party at law or in equity.
- (f)
- The indemnity and contribution provisions contained in this Section 8 and the representations, warranties and other statements of the Issuer and the Company contained in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any termination of this Agreement, (ii) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, any person controlling any Underwriter or any affiliate of any Underwriter or by or on behalf of the Issuer or the Company, the officers or directors of the Issuer or the Company or any person controlling the Issuer or the Company and (iii) acceptance of and payment for any of the Securities.
Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the offering of the Securities shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds from the offering of the Securities (before deducting expenses) received by the Issuer and the Company and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate offering price of the Securities. The relative fault of the Issuer and the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Issuer and 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 Underwriters' respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 8 are several in proportion to the respective principal amount of Securities they have purchased hereunder, and not joint.
9. Termination. The Underwriters may terminate this Agreement by notice given by you to the Company, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date (i) trading generally, or trading in the Company's common shares, shall have been suspended or materially limited on, or by, as the case may be, any of the New York Stock Exchange, Euronext Amsterdam N.V. or the London Stock Exchange (ii) a material disruption in securities settlement, payment or clearance services in the United States, The Netherlands or the United Kingdom shall have occurred, (iii) any moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by Federal or New York State authorities or by the competent governmental or regulatory authorities in The Netherlands or the United Kingdom or (iv) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities, or any change in financial markets, currency exchange rates or controls or any calamity or crisis that, in your judgment after consultation with us, is material and adverse and which, singly or together with any other event specified in this clause (iv), makes it, in your judgment, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offer, sale or delivery of the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospectus.
11
10. Effectiveness; Defaulting Underwriters. This Agreement shall become effective upon the execution and delivery hereof by the parties hereto.
If, on the Closing Date, any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Securities that it has or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, and the aggregate principal amount of Securities which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase is not more than one-tenth of the aggregate principal amount of Securities to be purchased on such date, the other Underwriters shall be obligated severally in the proportions that the principal amount of Securities set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule II bears to the aggregate principal amount of Securities set forth opposite the names of all such non-defaulting Underwriters, or in such other proportions as you may specify, to purchase the Securities which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase on such date; provided that in no event shall the principal amount of Securities that any Underwriter has agreed to purchase pursuant to this Agreement be increased pursuant to this Section 10 by an amount in excess of one-ninth of such principal amount of Securities without the written consent of such Underwriter. If, on the Closing Date any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Securities and the aggregate principal amount of Securities with respect to which such default occurs is more than one-tenth of the aggregate principal amount of Securities to be purchased, and arrangements satisfactory to you and the Issuer and the Company for the purchase of such Securities are not made within 36 hours after such default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter, the Issuer or the Company. In any such case either you, the Issuer or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date, but in no event for longer than seven days, in order that the required changes, if any, in the Registration Statement and in the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected. Any action taken under this paragraph shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.
If this Agreement shall be terminated by the Underwriters, or any of them, because of any failure or refusal on the part of the Issuer or the Company to comply with the terms or to fulfill any of the conditions of this Agreement, or if for any reason the Issuer or the Company shall be unable to perform its obligations under this Agreement, the Issuer or the Company, as the case may be, will reimburse the Underwriters or such Underwriters as have so terminated this Agreement with respect to themselves, severally, for all out-of-pocket expenses (including the fees and disbursements of their counsel) incurred by such Underwriters in connection with this Agreement or the offering contemplated hereunder.
11. Arm's Length Relationship; No Fiduciary Duty. Each of the Issuer and the Company acknowledges and agrees that: (i) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price of the Securities and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm's-length commercial transaction between the Issuer and the Company, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other hand, (ii) in connection with each transaction contemplated hereby and the process leading to such transaction each Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Issuer, the Company or their respective affiliates, stockholders, creditors or employees or any other party; (iii) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Issuer or the Company with respect to any of the transactions contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Issuer or the Company on other matters) and no Underwriter has any obligation to the Company or the Issuer with respect to the offering contemplated hereby except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement; (iv) the several Underwriters and their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Issuer or the Company; and (v) the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering
12
contemplated hereby and the Issuer and the Company have consulted their own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent they deemed appropriate.
12. Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.
13. Applicable Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York.
14. Headings. The headings of the sections of this Agreement have been inserted for convenience of reference only and shall not be deemed a part of this Agreement.
15. Submission to Jurisdiction; Appointment of Agent for Service.
- (a)
- The
Company irrevocably submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of any New York State or United States Federal court sitting in The City of New York over any suit,
action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement, the Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the offering of the Securities, and agrees that any such suit, action, or proceeding
may be brought in any such court. The Company irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such suit,
action or proceeding brought in any such court and any claim that any such suit, action or proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum. To the extent that the
Company has or hereafter may acquire any immunity (on the grounds of sovereignty or otherwise) from the jurisdiction of any court or from any legal process with respect to itself or its property, the
Company irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, such immunity in respect of any such suit, action or proceeding.
- (b)
- The Company hereby irrevocably designates and appoints CT Corporation System, 000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, as its authorized agent for service of process in any suit, action or proceeding described in the preceding paragraph and agrees that service of process in any such suit, action or proceeding may be made upon it at the office of such agent. The Company waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any other requirements of or objections to personal jurisdiction with respect thereto. The Company represents and warrants that such agent has agreed to act as the Company's agent for service of process, and the Company agrees to take any and all action, including the filing of any and all documents and instruments, that may be necessary to continue such appointment in full force and effect.
16. Judgment Currency. If for the purposes of obtaining judgment in any court it is necessary to convert a sum due hereunder into any currency other than United States dollars, the parties hereto agree, to the fullest extent permitted by law, that the rate of exchange used shall be the rate at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the Underwriters could purchase United States dollars with such other currency in The City of New York on the business day preceding that on which final judgment is given. The obligation of the Company with respect to any sum due from it to any Underwriter or any person controlling any Underwriter shall, notwithstanding any judgment in a currency other than United States dollars, not be discharged until the first business day following receipt by such Underwriter or controlling person of any sum in such other currency, and only to the extent that such Underwriter or controlling person may in accordance with normal banking procedures purchase United States dollars with such other currency. If the United States dollars so purchased are less than the sum originally due to such Underwriter or controlling person hereunder, the Company agrees as a separate obligation and notwithstanding any such judgment, to indemnify such Underwriter or controlling person against such loss. If the United States dollars so purchased are greater than the sum originally due to such Underwriter or controlling person hereunder, such Underwriter or
13
controlling person agrees to pay to the Company an amount equal to the excess of the dollars so purchased over the sum originally due to such Underwriter or controlling person hereunder.
Very truly yours, | ||||||
AEGON FUNDING CORP., as Issuer |
||||||
By: |
||||||
Name: | ||||||
Title: | ||||||
AEGON N.V., as Guarantor |
||||||
By: |
||||||
Name: | ||||||
Title: |
14
Accepted as of the date hereof. | ||||||
Banc of America Securities LLC Barclays Capital Inc. DeutscheBank Securities Inc. |
||||||
Acting severally on behalf of themselves and the several Underwriters named in Schedule II hereto. |
||||||
By: |
Banc of America Securities LLC |
|||||
By: |
||||||
Name: | ||||||
Title: | ||||||
By: |
Barclays Capital Inc. |
|||||
By: |
||||||
Name: | ||||||
Title: | ||||||
By: |
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. |
|||||
By: |
||||||
Name: | ||||||
Title: |
15
*** FINAL PRICING TERMS ON AEGON SENIOR NOTES 1 ***
ISSUER: AEGON FUNDING CORP.
GUARANTOR: AEGON NV (BLOOMBERG TICKER: AEGON)
SECURITIES: SENIOR NOTES DUE 2020
EXPECTED RATINGS: A2/A+
FORMAT: SEC REGISTERED (GLOBAL) (NO. 333-71438)
SIZE: US$ 500MN
MATURITY: 12/15/20
SETTLEMENT: 12/12/05 (T+5)
SPREAD: T10 + 119BPS
UST SPOT: 99-14.5 / 4.569%
PRICE TO PUBLIC PER SECURITY: $999.10; 99.910%
COUPON: 5.75% P.A. (PAYABLE SEMI-ANNUALLY)
INTEREST PAYMENT DATES: DECEMBER 15 AND JUNE 15, BEGINNING JUNE 15, 2006
MAKEWHOLE CALL AT ANY TIME: UST + 20
EARLY REDEMPTION DUE TO TAX CALL
DENOMS: $1,000 X $1,000
BOOKS: BAS, BARCAP, DEUTSCHE
CO-MANAGERS: BNP PARIBAS, CITIGROUP, XXXXXX BROTHERS, RBS GREENWICH CAPITAL
The issuer and the Company have filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with the SEC for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement and other documents the Company has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the issuer and this offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting XXXXX on the SEC Web site at xxx.xxx.xxx. Alternatively, the issuer, the Company, any underwriter or any dealer participating in the offering will arrange to send you the prospectus if you request it by calling toll-free:
BANC OF AMERICA: 1-800-294-1322
BARCLAYS CAPITAL: 0-000-000-0000 (ext. 2663)
DEUTSCHE BANK SECURITIES: 0-000-000-0000
16
Underwriters |
Principal Amount of Securities to be Purchased |
||
---|---|---|---|
Banc of America Securities LLC | $ | 155,000,000 | |
Barclays Capital Inc. | $ | 155,000,000 | |
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. | $ | 155,000,000 | |
BNP Paribas Securities Corp. | $ | 8,750,000 | |
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. | $ | 8,750,000 | |
Xxxxxx Brothers Inc. | $ | 8,750,000 | |
Greenwich Capital Markets, Inc. | $ | 8,750,000 | |
Total | US$ | 500,000,000 |
17
Basic Prospectus dated May 20, 2005 included in Registration Statement (File No. 333-71438) |
||||
Preliminary prospectus supplement dated December 5, 2005 with respect to the Securities and filed with the Commission under Rule 424 on December 5, 2005 |
||||
Final Term Sheet containing the final terms of the Securities as set forth in Schedule I hereto and filed with the Commission under Rule 433 |
18
[Form of Opinion of General Counsel to the Company]
Banc
of America Securities LLC
Barclays Capital Inc.
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.
As Representatives of the several Underwriters
c/o Banc of America Securities LLC
0 Xxxx 00xx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I refer to the Underwriting Agreement (the "Underwriting Agreement") dated December 5, 2005 between (among others) AEGON Funding Corp. (the "Issuer"), AEGON N.V. (the "Company"), and the Underwriters named therein (the "Underwriters"). All expressions defined in the Underwriting Agreement have the same meanings in this opinion unless otherwise defined herein.
I have acted as General Counsel to the Company in connection with the Underwriting Agreement.
I have examined originals or copies certified to my satisfaction of the following documents:
- (a)
- the
Underwriting Agreement;
- (b)
- the
constitutional documents of the Company;
- (c)
- the
Prospectus and the Time of Sale Prospectus;
- (d)
- the
Indenture;
- (e)
- a
specimen copy of the Guarantees;
- (f)
- a
specimen copy of the Securities;
- (g)
- a copy of the resolutions of the Company's Executive Board dated • , 2005, a copy of the certificate of the relevant Authorized Officer of the Company's Executive Board dated • , 2005 issued pursuant to such resolution and a copy of the certificate of [ • ] dated • , 2005;
and such other documents and certificates/searches/records as I have felt necessary to give this opinion.
I have not investigated the laws of any country other than the Netherlands. In particular I have made no independent investigation of the laws of the State of New York, United States of America.
In rendering my opinion, I have relied as to all matters governed by United States law upon the opinion of the general counsel of AEGON Funding Corp.
For the purpose of the opinions expressed herein, I have assumed:
- (i)
- that
(a) each party to the Underwriting Agreement and to the Indenture other than the Company has all requisite power (corporate and otherwise) to execute and
deliver, and to perform its obligations under, the Underwriting Agreement and the Indenture, (b) the Underwriting Agreement and the Indenture have been duly authorised, executed and delivered
by or on behalf of the parties thereto other than the Company and (c) each party to the Underwriting Agreement and the Indenture other than the Company has performed all its obligations and
otherwise complied in all respects with such agreements; and
- (ii)
- that the Underwriting Agreement and the Indenture constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of the parties thereto and are enforceable against those parties in accordance with
A-1-1
their terms under the laws by which they are expressed to be governed and under the laws of any other relevant jurisdiction (other than the laws of the Netherlands).
I am of the opinion that:
- 1.
- The
Company has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation under the laws of the Netherlands and is duly qualified to transact business in each jurisdiction in which
the conduct of its business or the ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification and has all corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and conduct its
business as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus; and the Company owns, directly or indirectly, all of the issued and outstanding share capital stock of the Issuer;
- 2.
- Each
of the Company's significant subsidiaries (as defined in Rule 1-02 of Article I of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act)
incorporated in the Netherlands, the United States, and the United Kingdom (the "Significant Subsidiaries"), has been duly incorporated, is validly
existing as a corporation under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has the corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its property and to conduct its business as described
in the Time of Sale Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or the ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification
except where the failure to be so qualified would not have a Material Adverse Effect;
- 3.
- The
authorized share capital of the Company conforms as to legal matters to the description thereof contained in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.
- 4.
- The
Guarantees have been duly authorized and, when the Securities are executed and authenticated in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture and delivered and paid for pursuant
to the Underwriting Agreement, the Guarantees will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company enforceable in accordance with their terms subject to bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors' rights and to general principles of equity and entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.
- 5.
- The
Underwriting Agreement and the Indenture, and all the transactions to which the Company is a party contemplated therein and completed or to be completed prior to or on the date
hereof have been duly authorized by the Company, and the agreements (or amendments to existing agreements) entered into in connection therewith, including the Underwriting Agreement and the Indenture
have been executed and delivered by the Company and constitute valid and binding agreements of the Company enforceable in accordance with their terms subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization,
moratorium and other laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors' rights and to general principles of equity.
- 6.
- The execution and delivery by the Company of, and the performance by the Company of its obligations under, and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated in the Underwriting Agreement, the Indenture and the Guarantees, upon the sale and delivery of the Securities, will not contravene, or result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any provision of (i) applicable law or administrative regulation or (ii) the Articles of Association of the Company or any equivalent corporate governance document of any Significant Subsidiary or, (iii) any license, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument, including, without limitation, the Indenture and the Guarantee, binding upon the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries that is material to the Company and its Significant Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (iv) any judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having jurisdiction over the Company or
A-1-2
- 7.
- After
due inquiry, I am not aware of (i) any legal or governmental, administrative or other proceedings pending or threatened to which the Company or any of its Significant
Subsidiaries is subject that (a) would have a Material Adverse Effect or in any manner question the validity of the Underwriting Agreement, the Guarantees or the Securities or (b) are
required to be described in the Registration Statement or Time of Sale Prospectus and are not so described, or of (ii) any statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents that are required
to be described in the Registration Statement or the Time of Sale Prospectus or to be filed or incorporated by reference as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not described, filed or
incorporated as required; and
- 8.
- The statements relating to legal matters, documents or proceedings included in (i) the Prospectus Supplement under the caption "Description of the Notes" (ii) the Basic Prospectus under the caption "Description of Debt Securities" and (iii) Items 4, 7 and 10 (except that no opinion is rendered with respect to "taxation") of the Company's most recent annual report on Form 20-F incorporated by reference into the Prospectus and Time of Sale Prospectus in each case fairly summarize in all material respects such matters, documents or proceedings.
any Significant Subsidiary or any of their respective properties or assets, and no consent, approval, authorization, registration, notification, clearance, order or qualification of or with, any governmental or supranational body or agency or taxing authority is required for the performance by the Company of its obligations under the Underwriting Agreement, the Indenture and the Guarantees, upon the sale and delivery of the Securities, except for (i) notice requirements to the Netherlands Central Bank pursuant to the Act on Foreign Financial Relations (Wet Financiele Betrekkingen Buitenland 1994) and regulations promulgated thereunder, (ii) publication and/or notice requirements, to the extent applicable, pursuant to the Securities Transactions Supervision Act 1995 (Wet toezicht effectenverkeer 1995) and (iii) such as have been obtained or made and are in full force and effect; however, non-observance of these notice and registration requirements does not render the Underwriting Agreement or the Guarantees void, nor does it affect the legality, validity or enforceability of the Underwriting Agreement, the Guarantees or the obligations of the Company thereunder;
Terms not defined herein have the meaning assigned to such terms in the Underwriting Agreement.
This opinion letter is addressed to you and may not be relied upon by any other person or entity without my prior written consent.
Yours
truly,
AEGON N.V.
Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx
A-1-3
[Form of Opinion of General Counsel to the Issuer]
Banc
of America Securities LLC
Barclays Capital Inc.
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.
As Representatives of the several Underwriters
c/o Banc of America Securities LLC
0 Xxxx 00xx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I refer to the Underwriting Agreement (the "Underwriting Agreement") dated December 5, 2005 between (among others) AEGON Funding Corp. (the "Company"), AEGON N.V. (the "Guarantor"), and the Underwriters named therein (the "Underwriters"). All expressions defined in the Underwriting Agreement have the same meanings in this opinion unless otherwise defined herein.
I have acted as General Counsel to the Company in connection with the Underwriting Agreement.
I have examined originals or copies certified to my satisfaction of the following documents:
- (a)
- the
Underwriting Agreement;
- (b)
- the
constitutional documents of the Company;
- (c)
- the
Prospectus and the Time of Sale Prospectus;
- (d)
- the
Indenture;
- (e)
- a
specimen copy of the Guarantees;
- (f)
- a
specimen copy of the Securities;
- (g)
- a copy of the resolutions of the Company's Board of Directors dated • , 2005, a copy of the certificate of the relevant Authorized Officer of the Company's Board of Directors dated • , 2005 issued pursuant to such resolution and a copy of the certificate of [ • ] dated • , 2005;
and such other documents and certificates/searches/records as I have felt necessary to give this opinion.
I have not investigated the laws of any jurisdiction other than the Delaware General Corporation Law and the federal law of the United States of America. In particular, I have made no independent investigation of the laws of the State of New York.
For the purpose of the opinions expressed herein, I have assumed:
- (i)
- that
(a) each party to the Underwriting Agreement and to the Indenture other than the Company has all requisite power (corporate and otherwise) to execute and
deliver, and to perform its obligations under, the Underwriting Agreement and the Indenture, (b) the Underwriting Agreement and the Indenture have been duly authorised, executed and delivered
by or on behalf of the parties thereto other than the Company and (c) each party to the Underwriting Agreement and the Indenture other than the Company has performed all its obligations and
otherwise complied in all respects with such agreements; and
- (ii)
- that the Underwriting Agreement and the Indenture constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of the parties thereto (other than the Company) and are enforceable against those parties (other than the Company) in accordance with their terms under the laws by which they
A-2-1
are expressed to be governed and under the laws of any other relevant jurisdiction (other than Delaware General Corporation Law).
I am of the opinion that:
- 1.
- The
Company has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation under the laws of the State of Delaware and is duly qualified to transact business in each jurisdiction in
which the conduct of its business or the ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification and has all corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and conduct its
business as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus;
- 2.
- The
Securities have been duly authorized and, when executed and authenticated in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture and delivered and paid for pursuant to the Underwriting
Agreement, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company enforceable in accordance with their terms subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws
of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors' rights and to general principles of equity and are entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.
- 3.
- The
Underwriting Agreement and the Indenture, and all the transactions to which the Company is a party contemplated therein and completed or to be completed prior to or on the date
hereof have been duly authorized by the Company, and the agreements (or amendments to existing agreements) entered into in connection therewith, including the Underwriting Agreement and the Indenture
have been executed and delivered by the Company and constitute valid and binding agreements of the Company enforceable in accordance with their terms subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization,
moratorium and other laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors' rights and to general principles of equity.
- 4.
- The
execution and delivery by the Company of, and the performance by the Company of its obligations under, and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated in the
Underwriting Agreement, the Securities and the Indenture, including the sale and delivery of the Securities, will not contravene, or result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under,
any provision of (i) applicable law or administrative regulation or (ii) the Certificate of Incorporation and bylaws of the Company or, (iii) any license, indenture, mortgage,
deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument, including, without limitation, the Indenture, binding upon the Company that is material to the Company or (iv) any judgment,
order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its properties or assets, and no consent, approval, authorization, registration, notification,
clearance, order or qualification of or with, any court, governmental or supranational body or agency or taxing authority is required for the performance by the Company of its obligations under the
Underwriting Agreement, the Securities and the Indenture, including the sale and delivery of the Securities, except as may be required by the Securities or Blue Sky laws of the various states in
connection with the offer and sale of the Securities.
- 5.
- After due inquiry, I am not aware of (i) any legal or governmental, administrative or other proceedings pending or threatened to which the Company is subject that (a) would have a Material Adverse Effect or in any manner question the validity of the Underwriting Agreement or the Securities or (b) are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Time of Sale Prospectus and are not so described, or of (ii) any statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Time of Sale Prospectus or to be filed or incorporated by reference as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not described, filed or incorporated as required.
A-2-2
Terms not defined herein have the meaning assigned to such terms in the Underwriting Agreement.
This opinion letter is addressed to you and may not be relied upon by any other person or entity without my prior written consent.
Yours
truly,
AEGON Funding Corp.
Xxxxx Xxxxxx
A-2-3
EXHIBIT B
[Form of Opinion of Dutch Counsel to the Company]
[A&O Amsterdam Letterhead]
- To:
- Banc
of America Securities LLC
Barclays Capital Inc.
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.
Acting severally on behalf of themselves and as
Representatives of the several Underwriters pursuant
To the Underwriting Agreement
Amsterdam December 12, 2005,
Re: Offer by AEGON Funding Corp. (the "Issuer") of US$ 500,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Securities (as such term is defined in the Underwriting Agreement), fully and unconditionally guaranteed by AEGON N.V. (the "Company")
Dear Madam, Sir:
We have acted as legal counsel on matters of Netherlands law to the Company in connection with the offer for sale by the Issuer of US$ 500,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 5.75% Senior Notes Due 2020 (the "Securities") guaranteed by the Company pursuant to an underwriting agreement among the Company and the Underwriters, dated December 5, 2005 (the "Underwriting Agreement").
This legal opinion is rendered to you pursuant to clause 5(e) of the Underwriting Agreement.
Capitalized terms used but not defined herein are used as defined in the Underwriting Agreement, unless the context requires otherwise.
In rendering this opinion, we have examined and relied upon the following documents:
- (a)
- a
signed faxed copy of the Underwriting Agreement;
- (b)
- a
signed faxed copy of the Indenture;
- (c)
- a
specimen copy of the Guarantees;
- (d)
- a
specimen copy of the Securities;
- (e)
- a
faxed copy of an excerpt dated December • , 2005 of the registration of the Company in the trade register of the Chamber of Commerce of
The Hague, the Netherlands (the "Trade Register"), confirmed by telephone to be correct on the date hereof (the
"Excerpt");
- (f)
- a
copy of the deed of incorporation (oprichtingsakte) of the Company;
- (g)
- a
copy of the articles of association (statuten) of the Company as, according to the Excerpt, deposited with the Trade Register as
being in force on the date hereof (the "Articles");
- (h)
- copies
of (i) the resolution of the Company's Executive Board dated • , 2005 (ii) the certificate of the relevant Authorized
Officer of the Company's Executive Board dated • , 2005 issued pursuant to such resolution (the "Officer's Certificate
I") and (iii) the certificate of [ • ] dated • , 2005 (the
"Officer's Certificate II"); and
- (i)
- a copy of the Registration Statement, the preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus;
B-1
For the purpose of the opinions expressed herein, we have assumed:
- (i)
- the
genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all agreements, certificates, instruments and other documents submitted to us as originals and the conformity of
all agreements, certificates, instruments and other documents submitted to us as copies;
- (ii)
- that
all factual matters, statements, certificates and other results of our investigation, relied upon or expressly assumed herein, are true and complete on the date of
execution of the Underwriting Agreement;
- (iii)
- that
the deed of incorporation of the Company is a valid notarial deed (authentieke akte), that the contents thereof
are correct and complete and that there were no defects in the incorporation (not appearing on the face of this deed) on the basis of which a court might dissolve the Company;
- (iv)
- that
the Company has not been dissolved (ontbonden), granted a suspension of payments
(surséance van betaling verleend), or declared bankrupt (failliet verklaard). Although
not constituting conclusive evidence thereof, our assumption is supported by (a) the contents of the Excerpt, and (b) information obtained by telephone today from the bankruptcy clerk's
office (faillissementsgriffie) of the district court (arrondissementsrechtbank) in The Hague;
- (v)
- that
the resolutions referred to above under (h) above have been validly passed and have not been, and will not be, revoked or declared null and void by a
competent court (we know of no reason, without having made any investigation, to suppose that such resolutions will be declared null and void);
- (vi)
- that
(a) each party to the Underwriting Agreement and to the Indenture other than the Company has all requisite power (corporate and otherwise) to execute and
deliver, and to perform its obligations under, the Underwriting Agreement and the Indenture, (b) the Underwriting Agreement and the Indenture have been duly authorized, executed and delivered
by or on behalf of the parties thereto other than the Company and (c) each party to the Underwriting Agreement and the Indenture other than the Company has performed all its obligations and
otherwise complied in all respects with the Underwriting Agreement and the Indenture;
- (vii)
- that
the Underwriting Agreement, the Securities and the Indenture constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of the parties thereto and are enforceable
against those parties in accordance with their terms, and that the Securities will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture, in each case under the laws by which they are expressed to be governed
and under the laws of any other relevant jurisdiction (other than the laws of the Netherlands);
- (viii)
- that
the Underwriting Agreement and the Indenture have been, and that the Guarantees will be, signed on behalf of the Company by [ ];
- (ix)
- that
the Guarantees will be issued in the form of the specimen copy of the Guarantees that we have reviewed, duly completed;
- (x)
- that
any law, other than Dutch law, which may apply to the Guarantees, the Indenture or the Underwriting Agreement (or any transactions contemplated thereby) or to any
power of attorney issued by the Company would not be such as to affect any conclusion stated in this opinion; and
- (xii)
- that the statements as made in the Officer's Certificate I and the Officer's Certificate II are correct as of the date hereof.
B-2
Based upon the foregoing and subject to any factual matters or documents not disclosed to us in the course of our investigation, and subject to the qualifications and limitations stated hereafter, we are of the opinion that:
- 1.
- The
Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a naamloze vennootschap (public company with limited liability) under
the laws of the Netherlands.
- 2.
- The
Company has the corporate power to issue, execute, sell and deliver the Guarantees and to enter into the Underwriting Agreement and the Indenture and to perform its obligations
thereunder.
- 3.
- The
Company has taken all necessary corporate action to authorise the execution and delivery by the Company of the Underwriting Agreement and the Indenture and the issuance, execution,
sale and delivery by the Company of the Guarantees.
- 4.
- The
Guarantees have been duly authorised and when executed in accordance with assumption (viii) above and when the Securities are authenticated in accordance with the provisions
of the Indenture and delivered and paid for pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, the Guarantees will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable in accordance with their
terms and entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.
- 5.
- The
Indenture constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of the Company enforceable in accordance with its terms.
- 6.
- The
Underwriting Agreement constitutes a valid and binding obligation of the Company.
- 7.
- No
approval, authorisation, or other action by, or registration or filing with any governmental authority is required in connection with the execution by the Company of the
Underwriting Agreement, the Guarantees and the Indenture and the performance by the Company of its obligations thereunder, and no relevant exchange control regulations are currently in force in the
Netherlands, except for (i) notice requirements to the Netherlands Central Bank (De Nederlandsche Bank N.V.) pursuant to the Act on Foreign
Financial Relations (Wet Financiële Betrekkingen Buitenland 1994) and regulations promulgated thereunder, (ii) publication and/or
notice requirements, to the extent applicable, pursuant to the Securities Transactions Supervision Act 1995 (Wet toezicht effectenverkeer 1995), and
(iii) such as have been obtained or made and are in full force and effect; however, non-observance of these notice and registration requirements does not render the Underwriting
Agreement, the Indenture or the Guarantees void, nor does it affect the legality, validity or enforceability of the obligations of the Company under the Underwriting Agreement, the Guarantees and the
Indenture.
- 8.
- The
execution and delivery by the Company of, and the performance by the Company of its obligations under, and the consummation by the Company of all of the transactions contemplated
in the Underwriting Agreement, the Indenture and the Guarantees do not conflict with or result in a violation of the Articles or the provisions of any applicable law, rule or regulation of general
application of the Netherlands or published case law of the courts of the Netherlands.
- 9.
- The choice of the laws of the State of New York as the law governing the Underwriting Agreement, the Indenture and the Guarantees is valid and binding under the laws of the Netherlands, except (i) to the extent that any term of the Underwriting Agreement, the Indenture or the Guarantees or any provision of the laws of the State of New York applicable to the Underwriting Agreement, the Indenture or the Guarantees is manifestly incompatible with the public policy (ordre public) of the Netherlands, and except (ii) that a Dutch court may give effect to mandatory rules of the laws of another (including the Dutch) jurisdiction
B-3
- 10.
- The
consent to jurisdiction, as provided in Clause 15 of the Underwriting Agreement and section 114 of the Indenture is, in each case, valid and binding upon the Company
under the laws of the Netherlands, provided, however, that such consent does not preclude that claims for provisional measures be brought before the president of a competent court in the Netherlands.
- 11.
- In
the absence of an applicable convention between the United States and the Netherlands, a judgement rendered by a New York court in that jurisdiction will not be enforced by the
courts of the Netherlands. In order to obtain a judgement which is enforceable in the Netherlands the claim must be re-litigated before a competent Netherlands court. A judgement rendered
by a foreign court pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, the Indenture or the Securities will, under current practice, be recognised by a Netherlands court (i) if that judgement results from
proceedings compatible with Netherlands concepts of due process, and (ii) if that judgement does not contravene public policy (ordre public) of
the Netherlands. If the judgement is recognised by a Netherlands court, that court will generally grant the same claim without re-litigation on the merits.
- 12.
- Under
the laws of the Netherlands, the Company would in the courts of the Netherlands not be entitled to invoke immunity from jurisdiction or immunity from execution on the grounds of
sovereignty in respect of any action arising out of its obligations under the Underwriting Agreement, the Indenture or the Guarantees.
- 13.
- With
respect to the execution and delivery of the Underwriting Agreement, no stamp duties (zegelrechten), issuance tax, transfer tax or
similar taxes or duties except for capital tax which is payable by the Company will be imposed upon any of the parties thereto or the purchasers of the Securities procured by the Underwriters.
- 14.
- In
order to ensure the legality, validity or admissibility in evidence of the Underwriting Agreement, the Indenture or the Guarantees it is not necessary that any of these be filed,
recorded or enrolled in any public office in the Netherlands.
- 15.
- The statements set forth in the preliminary prospectus supplement specifically relating to the Securities and the Guarantees which forms a part of the Time of Sale Prospectus under the caption "Netherlands Taxation" insofar as they purport to be a summary of Dutch tax laws, are fair and accurate.
with which the situation has a close connection, if and insofar as, under the laws of that other jurisdiction those rules must be applied, whatever the chosen law.
This opinion is subject to the following qualifications:
- (A)
- The
opinions expressed herein may be affected or limited by (i) the general defences available to obligors under Netherlands law in respect of the validity and enforceability
of agreements and (ii) the provisions of any applicable bankruptcy (faillissement), insolvency, fraudulent conveyance
(actio Pauliana), reorganisation, moratorium (surseánce van betaling), and other or
similar laws of general application now or hereafter in effect, relating to or affecting the enforcement or protection of creditors' rights.
- (B)
- The enforcement in the Netherlands of the Underwriting Agreement, the Indenture, or the Guarantees will be subject to the rules of civil procedure as applied by the Netherlands courts. Specific performance may not always be available under Netherlands law. Enforcement in the Netherlands of a judgement expressed in a currency other than in euro may give rise to complications and it is, therefore, advisable to obtain a judgement expressed both in that currency and the equivalent thereof in euro.
B-4
- (C)
- Under the laws of the Netherlands each power of attorney (volmacht) or mandate (lastgeving), whether or not irrevocable, granted by the Company in the Underwriting Agreement, the Indenture, or the Guarantees will terminate by force of law, and without notice, upon bankruptcy of the Company. To the extent that the appointment by the Company of a process agent would be deemed to constitute a power of attorney or a mandate, this qualification would apply.
We express no opinion on any law other than the law of the Netherlands (unpublished case law not included) as it currently stands. We express no opinion on European Community law (insofar as it is not directly implemented in the Netherlands in statutes, rules or other regulations of general application) or on any anti-trust laws.
In this opinion Netherlands legal concepts are expressed in English terms and not in their original Netherlands terms. The concepts concerned may not be identical to the concepts described by the same English term as they exist under the laws of other jurisdictions. This opinion may, therefore, only be relied upon under the express condition that any issues of interpretation or liability arising under the present legal opinion will be governed by Netherlands law and be brought before a Netherlands court only.
This opinion is strictly limited to the matters stated herein and may not be read as extending by implication to any matters not specifically referred to. Nothing in this opinion should be taken as expressing an opinion in respect of the factual accuracy of the truthfulness of any representations or warranties, or other information as to factual matters, contained in the Underwriting Agreement, the Indenture, the Guarantees or any other document referred to herein or examined in connection with this opinion except as expressly confirmed herein.
This opinion is addressed to you and may only be relied upon by you and by your legal counsel in connection with the transaction to which the Underwriting Agreement relates, and may not be relied upon by, or (except as required by applicable law) be transmitted to, or filed with any other person, firm, company, or institution without our prior written consent.
Yours sincerely,
Xxxxx & Xxxxx LLP
B-5
[Form of Opinion of U.S. Counsel to the Issuer and the Company]
December 12, 0000
Xxxx
xx Xxxxxxx Securities LLC
Barclays Capital Inc.
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.
Acting severally on behalf of themselves and as Representatives of the several
Underwriters
Offering of $500,000,000 aggregate principal amount of • % Senior Notes (the "Securities") by AEGON Funding Corp., fully and unconditionally guaranteed by AEGON N.V.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as special counsel to AEGON N.V., a company incorporated under the laws of the Netherlands (the "Company") and AEGON Funding Corp., a Delaware corporation (the "Issuer"), on matters of New York law, Delaware General Corporation Law and United States federal law in connection with the offer and sale of $500,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Securities. We are furnishing this opinion to you pursuant to Section 5(f) of the underwriting agreement dated December 5, 2005 (the "Underwriting Agreement"), among Banc of America Securities LLC, Barclays Capital Inc., Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., the other Underwriters and the Company. Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the respective meanings set forth in the Underwriting Agreement.
A. SCOPE OF REVIEW AND RELIANCE
For purposes of this opinion letter, we have reviewed such documents and made such other investigations as we have deemed appropriate. As to certain matters of fact material to the opinions expressed, we have relied on the representations and statements of fact made in the Underwriting Agreement and the other documents referred to below and other certificates of public officials and officers' certificates provided by the Issuer, the Company and others. We have not independently verified or established the facts so relied on.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, we have examined copies of:
- (i)
- the
registration statement of the Issuer and the Company on Form F-3 (No. 333-71438) filed with the Commission on
October 11, 2001, and declared effective on October 22, 2001, and the exhibits thereto (the "Registration Statement"), including the
information deemed to be a part thereof as of the effective date thereof pursuant to Rule 430A under the Securities Act;
- (ii)
- the
Basic Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, any Free Writing Prospectus and the Time of Sale Prospectus;
- (iii)
- advice
from the Commission that the Registration Statement was declared effective on October 22, 2001;
- (iv)
- an
executed copy of the Base Indenture;
- (v)
- an
executed copy of the Fourth Supplemental Indenture;
- (vi)
- a
specimen copy of the Securities;
- (vii)
- a
specimen copy of the Guarantees; and
- (viii)
- an executed copy of the Underwriting Agreement.
C-1-1
B. ASSUMPTIONS
In giving this opinion, we have assumed, without independent verification:
- (i)
- that
the performance of any obligation in any jurisdiction outside New York will not be illegal or ineffective by virtue of the laws of that jurisdiction;
- (ii)
- the
legal capacity of all signatories, the genuineness of all signatures, the conformity to original documents and the completeness of all documents submitted to us as
copies or received by us by facsimile or other electronic transmission, and the authenticity and completeness of the originals of those documents and of all documents submitted to us as originals;
- (iii)
- that
(a) each of the parties to the Underwriting Agreement (other than the Issuer), the Indenture and the Securities, as the case may be, is duly organized and
validly existing, has the power and authority to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under the Underwriting Agreement, the Indenture, the Guarantees and the Securities, as the case may be,
has taken all action necessary to authorize the execution, delivery and performance of the Underwriting Agreement, the Indenture, the Guarantees and the Securities, as the case may be, and, except to
the extent expressly set out in the opinions below as to the Company, has duly executed and delivered the Underwriting Agreement, the Indenture, the Guarantees and the Securities, as the case may be,
(b) the Underwriting Agreement constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation of each of the parties thereto, enforceable against each such party in accordance with its terms and
(c) except to the extent expressly set out in the opinions below as to the Company, each of the Indenture and the Securities constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation of the parties
thereto, enforceable against each such party in accordance with its terms;
- (iv)
- that
the Company is able lawfully to issue and sell the Guarantees to be issued and sold by it pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, and that such Guarantees have
been duly and validly authorized and issued;
- (v)
- the
accuracy of the representations and warranties, and compliance with the undertakings and agreements, of each of the parties contained in the Underwriting Agreement
and the Indenture; and
- (vi)
- that all offers and sales of the Securities will be made in compliance with, and in the manner contemplated by, the Prospectus, the Underwriting Agreement and the Indenture.
C. LIMITATIONS
Our opinion expressed below is subject to the following limitations:
- 1.
- We
are admitted to practice in the State of New York and we have not investigated and do not express any opinion as to the laws of any jurisdiction other than the Applicable Laws. As
used in this opinion, the term "Applicable Laws" refers to the laws of the State of New York, the federal laws of the United States of America and the
General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, in each case in effect on the date of this opinion, and to the extent they are normally applicable in relation to transactions of the type provided
for in the Underwriting Agreement or the Indenture and excluding any law, rule or regulation relating to the securities or "blue sky" laws of any State of the United States. In particular, in this
opinion we do not purport to pass on any matters governed by the laws of the Netherlands. In addition, our opinions do not address the effect on our opinions of laws not addressed by our opinions.
- 2.
- We express no opinion as to matters of fact.
C-1-2
D. OPINIONS
On the basis of the foregoing, and having regard to such legal considerations as we deem relevant, we are of the opinion that:
- 1.
- The
Underwriting Agreement has been duly authorized by the Issuer and duly executed and delivered by each of the Issuer and the Company insofar as New York law is concerned.
- 2.
- The
Securities have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Issuer.
- 3.
- The
Guarantees have been duly executed and delivered by the Company in so far as New York law is concerned.
- 4.
- The
Indenture has been duly authorized by the Issuer and duly executed and delivered by each of the Issuer and the Company insofar as New York law is concerned.
- 5.
- The
Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act.
- 6.
- The
Indenture constitutes a valid and binding obligation of the Issuer and the Company enforceable against the Issuer and the Company in accordance with its terms.
- 7.
- When
the Securities and the Guarantees are authenticated in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture and delivered and paid for pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, the
Securities and the Guarantees will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Issuer and the Company, respectively, enforceable in accordance with their terms and entitled to the benefits
of the Indenture insofar as New York law is concerned.
- 8.
- The
execution and delivery by the Issuer and the Company of the Underwriting Agreement and the performance by the Issuer and the Company of their respective obligations thereunder and
the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby do not and will not result in any violation of any Applicable Laws (other than the federal securities laws of the United States as to which we
express no opinion) or any agreement or other instrument that is listed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement as in effect on the date hereof and that is governed by the laws of the State of New
York and is binding upon the Issuer or the Company or any of their subsidiaries.
- 9.
- No
authorization, approval or consent of, and no filing or registration with, any governmental or regulatory authority or agency of the United States or of the State of New York is
required under Applicable Laws on the part of the Issuer or the Company for the execution, delivery or performance by the Issuer or the Company, as applicable, of the Underwriting Agreement, the
Indenture, the Guarantees or the Securities other than those required under the Securities Act, Exchange Act or the Trust Indenture Act, or the rules and regulations thereunder, which have been
obtained or effected (or as may be required under the securities or blue sky laws of the various states of the United States, as to which we express no opinion).
- 10.
- Neither
the Issuer nor the Company are, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Time of Sale
Prospectus will not be, required to register as an "investment company" as such term is defined in the U.S. Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
- 11.
- Assuming the validity of such actions under the laws of the Netherlands, under the laws of the State of New York and the applicable federal laws of the United States relating to submission to jurisdiction, pursuant to section 15 of the Underwriting Agreement and section 114 of the Indenture, the Company (a) has validly and irrevocably submitted to the non-exclusive personal jurisdiction of any federal or state court in The City of New York, State of New York, in any action arising out of or relating to the Underwriting Agreement and the Indenture or the transactions contemplated thereby, (b) has validly and effectively waived, to
C-1-3
- 12.
- The
discussions set forth in the preliminary prospectus supplement specifically relating to the Securities and the Guarantees which forms a part of the Time of Sale Prospectus under
"Taxation in the United States", to the extent that they constitute matters of law or legal conclusions with respect thereto currently applicable to U.S. holders and non-U.S. holders
described therein, are fair summaries of such matters in all material respects.
- 13.
- The statements relating to legal matters set forth in (i) the Prospectus Supplement under "Description of the Notes" and (ii) the Basic Prospectus under "Description of Debt Securities," in each case, are fair summaries of such legal matters in all material respects.
the extent it may effectively do so, any objection to the venue of a proceeding in any such court and (iii) has validly appointed CT Corporation as its initial authorized agent for the purpose described in section 15 of the Underwriting Agreement; and service of process effected on such agent in the manner set forth in the Underwriting Agreement will be effective under the laws of the State of New York to confer valid personal jurisdiction over the Company for such purposes.
E. LIMITATIONS AND QUALIFICATIONS
The foregoing opinion is subject to the following comments and qualifications:
- 1.
- Our
opinions are subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, fraudulent conveyance, preference, equitable subordination, moratorium and other similar laws affecting the rights
and remedies of creditors generally and to possible judicial action giving effect to governmental actions or foreign laws affecting creditors' rights. Our opinions are also subject to the effect of
general principles of equity, including without limitation concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing, regardless of whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law.
- 2.
- We
express no opinion as to the enforceability of the indemnification or contribution provisions of the Indenture that may violate any law, rule, regulation or public policy.
- 3.
- The
enforceability of provisions in the Indenture to the effect that terms may not be waived or modified except in writing may be limited under certain circumstances.
- 4.
- We
note that under certain circumstances the federal courts located in the State of New York may decline to exercise subject matter jurisdiction to adjudicate a controversy relating to
or arising under the Indenture, but this does not affect the ability of a party to the Indenture to bring an action relating to or arising under the Indenture in a New York State court.
- 5.
- The
opinion set forth in D.12 above is based on the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, Treasury Regulations, case law and Internal Revenue Service rulings or pronouncements as
they exist on the date of this opinion. These authorities are all subject to change and such change may be made with retroactive effect. We can give no assurance that after any such change, this
opinion would not be different. Moreover, this opinion is not binding on the Internal Revenue Service or the courts.
- 6.
- We
undertake no responsibility to update or supplement this opinion.
- 7.
- In
expressing the opinions set forth in paragraphs D.6 and D.7 above with respect to the Company:
- (a)
- we have assumed that if the U.S. federal courts are found to be an appropriate forum for the enforcement of rights and obligations under the Indenture, that jurisdiction would be based on the diversity of the parties to the action. Diversity may not in fact exist as a basis for federal jurisdiction in an action against a party to the Indenture if any party to
C-1-4
- (b)
- we
note that, despite any waivers contained in the Indenture, a court of the State of New York or a U.S. federal court has the power to transfer or dismiss an action on the grounds
that the court is an inconvenient forum for that action;
- (c)
- we
note that effective enforcement of a foreign currency claim in the courts of the State of New York may be limited by requirements that the claim (or a foreign currency judgment in
respect of a claim), or a claim with respect to any guarantee of the claim, be converted into U.S. dollars at the rate of exchange prevailing on the date of the judgment or decree by the New York
court or U.S. federal court.
- 8.
- The selection of New York law as the governing law of the Indenture is expressly permitted by New York General Obligations Law section 5-1401, but the enforceability of this selection may be subject to limitations under the Constitution of the United States of America.
the action maintains a place of business in any state of the United States in which another party to the action is organized or maintains a place of business or if more than one party to the action is incorporated or organized outside of the United States;
This opinion is given for the sole benefit of the Underwriters and may not be disclosed to any other person, nor relied upon by any other person or for any other purpose, nor is it to be quoted or made public in any way without our prior written consent.
Yours faithfully,
Xxxxx & Xxxxx LLP
C-1-5
[Form of Disclosure Letter of U.S. Counsel to the Issuer and the Company]
December 12, 0000
Xxxx
xx Xxxxxxx Securities LLC
Barclays Capital Inc.
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.
Acting severally on behalf of themselves and as Representatives of the several
Underwriters
Offering of US$ 500,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Senior Notes Due 2020 by AEGON Funding Corp., fully and unconditionally guaranteed by AEGON N.V.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as special counsel to AEGON Funding Corp., a Delaware corporation (the "Issuer") and AEGON N.V, a limited liability public company incorporated under the laws of the Netherlands (the "Company"), on matters of New York, Delaware General Corporation Law and United States Federal law in connection with the offer and sale of US$500,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Notes, fully and unconditionally guaranteed by the Company. We are furnishing this letter to you pursuant to Section 5(f) of the underwriting agreement dated December 5, 2005 (the "Underwriting Agreement"), among Banc of America Securities LLC, Barclays Capital Inc., Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., the other Underwriters named therein and the Company.
This letter deals with our involvement in the preparation of (i) the registration statement of the Company on Form F-3 (No. 333-71438) filed with the Commission on October 11, 2001 and declared effective by the Commission on October 22, 2001, including the information deemed to be a part thereof as of such time pursuant to Rule 430A under the Securities Act; (ii) the base prospectus dated May 20, 2005 (the "Basic Prospectus") filed with the Commission as part of the Registration Statement; (iii) the preliminary prospectus supplement dated December • , 2005 in the form filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act specifically relating to the Securities and the Guarantees (the "Preliminary Prospectus Supplement"); (iv) the Issuer and Company Free Writing Prospectus listed in Schedule III to the Underwriting Agreement (the "Issuer Free Writing Prospectus"); and the prospectus supplement of the Issuer and the Company dated December • , 2005, in the form filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act specifically relating to the Securities. The Basic Prospectus, the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement (including the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein) and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as of the Time of Sale are together hereinafter referred to as the "Time of Sale Prospectus". The Basic Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement (including the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein) that is in the form filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act (or in the form first made available to the Underwriters by the Company to meet requests of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act) are hereinafter together referred to as the "Prospectus".
Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the respective meanings set forth in the Underwriting Agreement.
We have participated with the Underwriters, the Issuer and the Company in meetings and telephone conversations with representatives of the Underwriters, representatives of the Issuer and the Company, representatives of the Issuer's and the Company's external auditors and representatives of Xxxxx Xxxx & Xxxxxxxx as legal advisers to the Underwriters during which the contents of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and Prospectus were discussed.
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Although we have made certain inquiries and investigations in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, the limitations inherent in the role of outside counsel are such that we cannot and do not assume responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements made in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, except insofar as such statements relate to us. We have not participated in the preparation of any documents incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus and we have not engaged in any independent check or verification of the contents of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus.
Subject to the foregoing, we hereby advise you that (i) each document, if any, filed pursuant to the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and incorporated by reference in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus (except for the information of an accounting, financial or statistical nature included therein or omitted therefrom, and except for the Statement of Eligibility (Form T-1) under the Trust Indenture Act, as to which we do not express any view), when so filed, complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder; and (ii) each part of the Registration Statement, when such part became effective, and the Prospectus, as of the date thereof and hereof (except for the information of an accounting, financial or statistical nature included therein or omitted therefrom, and except for the Statement of Eligibility (Form T-1) under the Trust Indenture Act, as to which we do not express any view), complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
Further, we hereby advise you that our work in connection with this matter did not disclose any information that gave us reason to believe that (i) the Registration Statement (except for the information of an accounting, financial or statistical nature included therein or omitted therefrom, and except for the Statement of Eligibility (Form T-1) under the Trust Indenture Act, as to which we do not express any view), at the date of the Underwriting Agreement, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) the Time of Sale Prospectus as of the Time of Sale (except for the information of an accounting, financial or statistical nature included therein or omitted therefrom and except for the Statement of Eligibility (Form T-1) under the Trust Indenture Act, as to which we do not express any view) contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading or (iii) as of the date hereof or the date of the Prospectus, the Prospectus (except for the information of an accounting, financial or statistical nature included therein or omitted therefrom, and except for the Statement of Eligibility (Form T-1) under the Trust Indenture Act, as to which we do not express any view) contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein in light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading.
We are furnishing this letter to you solely for your benefit in connection with the offering of the Securities. This letter is not to be used, circulated, quoted or otherwise referred to for any other purpose.
Yours faithfully, | |
Xxxxx & Overy LLP |
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EXHIBIT D
December 12, 0000 |
Xxxx
xx Xxxxxxx Securities LLC
Barclays Capital Inc.
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.
As Representatives of the several Underwriters
referred to below (the "Underwriters") c/o Banc of America Securities LLC
0 Xxxx 00xx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as special counsel for the several underwriters (the "Underwriters") named in Schedule II to the Underwriting Agreement dated December 5, 2005 (the "Underwriting Agreement") among AEGON Funding Corp., a Delaware corporation (the "Issuer"), AEGON N.V., a corporation organized under the laws of the Netherlands (the "Company"), and the Underwriters pursuant to which you have agreed to purchase severally from the Issuer $500,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Issuer's 5.75% Senior Notes due 2020 (the "Securities"). The Securities will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed by the Company (the "Guarantees"). The Securities and the Guarantees are to be issued pursuant to an indenture dated as of October 11, 2001 between the Company, the Issuer and AEGON Funding Corp. II and Citibank, N.A., as Trustee, (the "Base Indenture"), as supplemented by a supplemental indenture dated as of November 14, 2003 (the "First Supplemental Indenture"), a second supplemental indenture dated as of June 1, 2005 (the "Second Supplemental Indenture"), a third supplemental indenture dated as of November 23, 2005 (the "Third Supplemental Indenture") and a fourth supplemental indenture dated as of this date with respect to the Securities and the Guarantees (the "Fourth Supplemental Indenture") and collectively, with the Third Supplemental Indenture, the Second Supplemental Indenture, the First Supplemental Indenture, and the Base Indenture, the "Indenture"). This opinion is delivered pursuant to Section 5(g) of the Underwriting Agreement.
We have examined originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such documents, corporate records, certificates of public officials and other instruments as we have deemed necessary for the purposes of rendering this opinion.
We have (i) participated in the preparation of the preliminary prospectus supplement of the Issuer and the Company dated December • , 2005 with respect to the Securities and the Guarantees filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") on December 5, 2005 pursuant to Rule 424 under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act") (the "Preliminary Prospectus Supplement") (other than the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein (the "Incorporated Documents") (ii) participated in the preparation of the prospectus supplement of the Issuer and the Company dated December • , 2005 in the form filed with the Commission on December • , 2005 pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act (the "Prospectus Supplement") (other than the Incorporated Documents), (iii) participated in the preparation of the Issuer and Company Free Writing Prospectus containing the final terms of the Securities substantially in the form of Schedule III of the Underwriting Agreement (the "Free Writing Prospectus") and (iv) reviewed the registration statement of the Issuer and the Company on Form F-3 (File No. 333-71438), filed with the Commission on October 11, 2001 and declared effective on October 22, 2001, and the prospectus dated May 20, 2005 (the "Basic Prospectus"), filed with the Commission in accordance with Rule 424 under the Securities Act and part of such registration statement. The
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registration statement including exhibits thereto, as amended to the date of the Underwriting Agreement is hereinafter referred to as the "Registration Statement". The Basic Prospectus with the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement (including the Incorporated Documents) together with the Free Writing Prospectus are hereinafter referred to as the "Time of Sale Prospectus." The Basic Prospectus with the Prospectus Supplement (including the Incorporated Documents), in their respective form first used to confirm sales of Securities or made available to the Underwriters in accordance with Rule 173 of the Securities Act, are hereinafter referred to as the "Prospectus". In addition, we have reviewed evidence that such registration statement, as then amended, was declared effective on October 22, 2001, and that the Indenture has been qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the "Trust Indenture Act").
Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein are used as defined in the Underwriting Agreement.
Based upon the foregoing, we are of the opinion that:
- (i)
- The
issuer has duly authorized, executed and delivered the Underwriting Agreement.
- (ii)
- Assuming
that the Underwriting Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company insofar as Netherlands law is concerned, the Underwriting
Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company.
- (iii)
- The
Indenture has been qualified under the Trust Indenture Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. The Indenture has been duly authorized by
the Issuer and assuming that the Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company insofar as Netherlands law is concerned, the Indenture has been duly executed and delivered
by each of the Issuer and the Company, and assuming due authorization, execution and delivery of the Indenture by the Trustee and that each of the Trustee and the Company has full power, authority and
legal right to enter into and perform its obligations thereunder, the Indenture constitutes a valid and binding agreement of each of the Issuer and the Company;
- (iv)
- The
Securities have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Issuer and, when the Securities are authenticated in accordance with the terms of the Indenture
and the Securities are delivered and paid for in accordance with the terms of the Underwriting Agreement, will be valid and binding obligations of the Issuer entitled to the benefits of the Indenture;
and
- (v)
- Assuming that the Guarantees have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company insofar as Netherlands law is concerned, the Guarantees, when endorsed on the Securities authenticated in accordance with the terms of the Indenture and delivered and paid for in accordance with the terms of the Underwriting Agreement, will be valid and binding obligations of the Company entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.
We have considered the statements relating to legal matters included in the Prospectus Supplement under the caption "Description of the Notes" and "Underwriting" and in the Basic Prospectus under "Description of Debt Securities". In our opinion, such statements fairly summarize in all material respects such matters.
We have not ourselves checked the accuracy, completeness or fairness of, or otherwise verified, the information furnished with respect to other matters in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus. We have generally reviewed and discussed with your representatives, and with certain officers and employees of, and counsel and independent public accountants for, the Company the information furnished, whether or not subject to our check and verification. On the basis of such consideration, review and discussion, but without independent check or verification except as stated, nothing has come to our attention to cause us to believe that (i) the Registration Statement and
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the Prospectus (except for the financial statements and financial schedules and other financial and statistical data included therein and the statement of eligibility and qualification of the Trustee on Form T-1, as to which we express no belief) do not comply as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder; (ii) the Registration Statement (except as aforesaid) at the date of the Underwriting Agreement contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; (iii) the Time of Sale Prospectus as of the Time of Sale (except as aforesaid) contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and (iv) the Prospectus (except as aforesaid) as of the date of the Prospectus Supplement and as of the date hereof contained or contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
With respect to all matters of Netherlands law, you have been delivered, and we understand that you are relying upon, the opinions of Xxxxx & Xxxxx LLP, outside Dutch counsel for the Company, and Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx, general counsel for the Company, each of which has been delivered pursuant to Sections 5(e) and 5(d), respectively, of the Underwriting Agreement.
We are members of the Bar of the State of New York and the foregoing opinion is limited to the laws of the State of New York, the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and the federal laws of the United States. In expressing our opinions in the third preceding paragraph above, with respect to the statements set forth under the captions "Description of the Notes" and "Description of Debt Securities," we make no comment with respect to matters discussed therein which are governed by Dutch law.
This opinion is rendered solely to you in connection with the above matter. This opinion may not be relied upon by you for any other purpose or relied upon by or furnished to any other person without our prior written consent.
Very truly yours, | ||
Xxxxx Xxxx & Xxxxxxxx |
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FORM OF OPINION OF XXXXX, XXXXXX & XXXXXX LLP
1. The Trustee is a national banking association duly incorporated and validly existing under the laws of the United States of America.
2. The execution, delivery and performance by the Trustee of the Indenture has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Trustee. The Indenture has been duly executed and delivered by the Trustee and constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligations of the Trustee enforceable against the Trustee in accordance with its terms, except as enforcement thereof may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws relating to the enforcement of creditors' rights generally, and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).
3. The execution, delivery and performance of the Indenture by the Trustee does not conflict with or constitute a breach of the Organization Certificate or By-laws of the Trustee or the terms of any indenture or other agreement or instrument known to us to which the Trustee is a party or is bound or any judgment, order or decree known to us to be applicable to the Trustee of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body or arbitrator having jurisdiction over the Trustee. The execution, delivery and performance of the Indenture by the Trustee do not and will not result in a breach of any existing applicable New York or Federal law, rule or regulation.
4. No consent, approval or authorization of, or registration with or notice to any Federal or New York State banking authority is required for the execution, delivery or performance by the Trustee of the Indenture.
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[Form of Opinion of Dutch Counsel to the Company]
0207 418 1033