9,000,000 Shares ENERGY EAST CORPORATION COMMON STOCK (PAR VALUE $0.01 PER SHARE) UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
9,000,000 Shares
ENERGY EAST CORPORATION
COMMON STOCK (PAR VALUE $0.01 PER SHARE)
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
March 21, 2007
March 21, 2007
To the Managers named in Schedule I hereto
for the Underwriters named in Schedule II hereto
Energy East Corporation, a New York corporation (the "Company"), proposes to issue and sell to the several underwriters named in Schedule II hereto (the "Underwriters"), for whom you are acting as managers (the "Managers"), the number of shares of its common stock, par value $0.01 per share, set forth in Schedule I hereto (the "Firm Shares"). The Company also proposes to issue and sell to the several Underwriters not more than the number of additional shares of its common stock, par value $0.01 per share, set forth in Schedule I hereto (the "Additional Shares") if and to the extent that you, as Managers of the offering, shall have determined to exercise, on behalf of the Underwriters, the right to purchase such shares of common stock granted to the Underwriters in Section 2 hereof. The Firm Shares and the Additional Shares are hereinafter collectively referred to as the "Shares." The shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company to be outstanding after giving effect to the sales contemplated hereby are hereinafter referred to as the "Common Stock." If the firm or firms listed in Schedule II hereto include only the Managers listed in Schedule I hereto, then the terms "Underwriters" and "Managers" as used herein shall each be deemed to refer to such firm or firms.
The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") a registration statement, including a prospectus, (the file number of which is set forth in Schedule I hereto) on Form S-3, relating to the securities (the "Shelf Securities"), including the Shares, to be issued from time to time by the Company. The registration statement as amended to the date of this Agreement, including the information (if any) deemed to be part of the registration statement at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430A or Rule 430B under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), is hereinafter referred to as the "Registration Statement", and the related prospectus covering the Shelf Securities dated March 16, 2007 in the form first used to confirm sales of the Shares (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) is hereinafter referred to as the "Basic Prospectus." The Basic Prospectus, as supplemented by the prospectus supplement specifically relating to the Shares in the form first used to confirm sales of the Shares (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) is hereinafter referred to as the "Prospectus," and the term "preliminary prospectus" means the Basic Prospectus as supplemented by the preliminary prospectus supplement dated March 19, 2007 specifically relating to the Shares. For purposes of this Agreement, "free writing prospectus" has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, "Time of Sale Prospectus" means the preliminary prospectus together with the free writing prospectuses, if any, each identified in Schedule I hereto, and "broadly available road show" means a "bona fide electronic road show" as defined in Rule 433(h)(5) under the Securities Act that has been made available without restriction to any person. As used herein, the terms "Registration Statement," "Basic Prospectus," "preliminary prospectus," "Time of Sale Prospectus" and "Prospectus" shall include the documents, if any, incorporated by reference therein. The terms "supplement," "amendment," and "amend" as used herein with respect to the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus or free writing prospectus shall include all documents subsequently filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), that are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein.
1. Representations and Warranties. The Company represents and warrants to and agrees 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 knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission. The Company is a well-known seasoned issuer (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) eligible to use the Registration Statement as an automatic shelf registration statement and the Company has not received notice that the Commission objects to the use of the Registration Statement as an automatic shelf registration statement.
(b) (i) Each document, if any, filed or to be filed pursuant to the Exchange Act and incorporated by reference in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus complied or will comply when so filed in all material respects with 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 as of the date hereof does 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, (iv) the Registration Statement and the Prospectus comply, and as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, (v) the Time of Sale Prospectus does not, and at the time of each sale of the Shares in connection with the offering when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and at the Closing Date (as defined in Section 4), the Time of Sale Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented by the Company, if applicable, 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, (vi) each broadly available road show, if any, when considered together with the Time of Sale Prospectus, does 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 and (vii) the Prospectus does not contain and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, 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 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 expressly for use therein.
(c) The Company is not an "ineligible issuer" in connection with the offering pursuant to Rules 164, 405 and 433 under the Securities Act. Any free writing prospectus that the Company is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act has been, or will be, filed with the Commission in accordance with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. Each free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act or that was prepared by or on behalf of or used or referred to by the Company complies or will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. Except for the free writing prospectuses, if any, identified in Schedule I hereto forming part of the Time of Sale Prospectus, and electronic road shows, if any, each furnished to you before first use, the Company has not prepared, used or referred to, and will not, without your prior written consent, prepare, use or refer to, any free writing prospectus.
(d) The issue and sale of the Shares and the execution and delivery by the Company of, and the performance by the Company of its obligations under, this Agreement will not contravene (i) any provision of applicable law, or (ii) the certificate of incorporation or bylaws of the Company, or (iii) any agreement or other instrument binding upon the Company or any of its subsidiaries 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 Company or any subsidiary, except, in case of clauses (iii) and (iv) for such contraventions as would not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the condition, financial or otherwise, earnings, business or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole (a "Material Adverse Effect") or adversely affect the ability of the Company to enter into and perform its obligations hereunder, and no consent, approval, authorization or order of, or qualification with, any governmental body or agency is required for the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement, except such as have already been obtained or may be required by the securities or Blue Sky laws of the various states or the bylaws and rules of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. ("NASD") in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares.
(e) The consolidated financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries filed with or as part of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus present fairly the financial position, results of operations and changes in financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries at the dates and for the periods indicated, all in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, consistently applied through the periods involved except as may be stated in the related notes thereto, and the Company has no material contingent obligation which is not disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.
(f) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained, since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, which would result in any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change in or affecting the condition, financial or otherwise, earnings, business or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus; and, since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, there has not been any material change in the capital stock (other than pursuant to the Company's common stock repurchase program, or its dividend reinvestment and other common stock or employee benefit plans) or long-term debt of the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries (as defined below), otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus. The term "Significant Subsidiaries" shall have the meaning as defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X and shall be deemed to include New York State Electric & Gas Corporation, Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation, Central Maine Power Company, Connecticut Natural Gas Corporation and The Southern Connecticut Gas Company
(g) No issuer free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 433 of the Securities Act (each, an "Issuer Free Writing Prospectus"), as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the offering or until any earlier date that the Company notified or notifies the Managers as described in the next sentence, included, includes or will include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein that has not been superseded or modified. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein that has not been superseded or modified, the Company has promptly notified or will promptly notify the Managers and has promptly amended or supplemented or will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict. The foregoing two sentences do not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Managers specifically for use therein.
(h) The Company has not distributed and will not distribute, prior to the later of the Closing Date and the completion of the Underwriters' distribution of the Shares, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares other than the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus reviewed and consented to by the Managers and included in Schedule II hereto or the Registration Statement.
(i) The Company has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing 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 and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
(j) Each Significant Subsidiary of the Company has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing 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 the Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a Material Adverse Effect; except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, each Significant Subsidiary of the Company holds all material licenses, certificates and permits from governmental authorities necessary for the conduct of its business.
(k) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable.
(l) All of the issued shares of common stock of each Significant Subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance or claim.
(m) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(n) The Shares have been duly authorized and, when issued and delivered in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, and the issuance of such Shares will not be subject to any preemptive or similar rights.
(o) Neither the Company nor any of its Significant Subsidiaries is in violation of its certificate of incorporation or by-laws, or in default in the performance or observance of any material obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contracts, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it is bound or to which any of its property or assets is subject.
(p) There has not occurred any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change in or affecting the condition, financial or otherwise, earnings, business or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus.
(q) Other than as set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or to which any of the properties of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject which, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect, or would materially and adversely affect the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement, or are otherwise material in the context of the sale of the Shares; and, to the Company's knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or threatened by others.
(r) The Company is not, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Shares and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Prospectus will not be, required to register as an "investment company" as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "Investment Company Act").
(s) PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, who has certified certain consolidated financial statements of the Company incorporated by reference in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, is a registered independent public accounting firm as required by the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
(t) Other than as set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Company and its Significant Subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with any and all applicable foreign, federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants ("Environmental Laws"), (ii) have received all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses and (iii) are in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval, except where such noncompliance with Environmental Laws, failure to receive required permits, licenses or other approvals or failure to comply with the terms and conditions of such permits, licenses or approvals would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(u) There are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person granting such person the right to require the Company to file a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to any securities of the Company or to require the Company to include such securities with the Shares registered pursuant to the Registration Statement.
(v) The Company and each of its Significant Subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management's general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management's general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.
(w) Since the end of the Company's most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (i) no material weakness in the Company's internal control over financial reporting, as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act, (whether or not remediated) and (ii) no change in the Company's internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company's internal control over financial reporting.
(x) The Company is insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as the Company believes are prudent and customary in the businesses in which it is engaged; the Company has not been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied for; and the Company has no reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not have a Material Adverse Effect, except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus.
On the basis of the representations and warranties contained in this Agreement, and subject to its terms and conditions, the Company agrees to sell to the Underwriters the Additional Shares, and the Underwriters shall have the right to purchase, severally and not jointly, up to number of Additional Shares set forth in Schedule I hereto at the Purchase Price. You may exercise this right on behalf of the Underwriters in whole or from time to time in part by giving written notice not later than 30 days after the date of the Prospectus. Any exercise notice shall specify the number of Additional Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters and the date on which such shares are to be purchased. Each purchase date must be at least one business day after the written notice is given and may not be earlier than the closing date for the Firm Shares nor later than ten business days after the date of such notice. Additional Shares may be purchased as provided in Section 4 hereof solely for the purpose of covering over-allotments made in connection with the offering of the Firm Shares. On each day, if any, that Additional Shares are to be purchased (an "Option Closing Date"), each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase the number of Additional Shares (subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as you may determine) that bears the same proportion to the total number of Additional Shares to be purchased on such Option Closing Date as the number of Firm Shares set forth in Schedule II hereto opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Firm Shares.
3. Public Offering. The Company is advised by you that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of their respective portions of the Shares as soon after the Registration Statement and this Agreement have become effective as in your judgment is advisable. The Company is further advised by you that the Shares are to be offered to the public upon the terms set forth in the Prospectus and Schedule I hereto.
4. Payment and Delivery. Payment for the Firm Shares shall be made to the Company in Federal or other funds immediately available in New York City on the closing date and time set forth in Schedule I hereto, or at such other time on the same or such other date, not later than the fifth business day thereafter, as may be designated in writing by you. The time and date of such payment are hereinafter referred to as the "Closing Date."
Payment for any Additional Shares shall be made to the Company in Federal or other funds immediately available in New York City , on the date specified in the corresponding notice described in Section 2 or at such other time on the same or on such other date, in any event not later than the tenth business day thereafter, as may be designated in writing by you.
The Firm Shares and the Additional Shares shall be registered in such names and in such denominations as you shall request in writing not later than one full business day prior to the Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters, with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the transfer of the Shares to the Underwriters duly paid, against payment of the Purchase Price therefor.
5. Conditions to the Underwriters' Obligations. The several obligations of the Underwriters are subject to the following conditions:
(a) Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date:
(ii) there shall not have occurred any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus on the date of this Agreement that, in your judgment, is material and adverse and that makes it, in your judgment, impracticable to market the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospectus.
(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 above and to the effect that the representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement are true and correct as of the 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 the Closing Date.
The officer signing and delivering such certificate may rely upon the best of his or her knowledge as to proceedings threatened.
(i) the Company is validly existing as a corporation in good standing 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 and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a Material Adverse Effect;
(ii) each Significant Subsidiary of the Company is validly existing as a corporation in good standing 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 and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a Material Adverse Effect;
(iii) all of the issued shares of common stock of each Significant Subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance or claim;
(iv) to such counsel's knowledge and other than as set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus and Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is the subject which, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect, or would materially and adversely affect the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement, or are otherwise material in the context of the sale of the Securities; and, to such counsel's knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or threatened by others;
(v) this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company;
(vi) the Shares have been duly authorized and, when issued and delivered in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, and the issuance of such Shares will not be subject to any preemptive or similar rights;
(vii) the issue and sale of the Shares and the compliance by the Company with all of the provisions of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated will not conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument known to us to which the Company is party or by which the Company is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company is subject, nor will such actions result in any violation of the provisions of the Company's restated certificate of incorporation, as amended, or by-laws of the Company or any statute or any order, rule or regulation known to such counsel of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company;
(viii) no consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company is required for the issue and sale of the Shares or the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except such as have been obtained under the Securities Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, registrations or qualifications as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares by the Underwriters;
(ix) the statements set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus and Prospectus under the captions "Description of Securities - Capital Stock" and "Description of the Capital Stock," insofar as they purport to constitute a summary of the terms of the Shares, fairly summarize the matters described therein in all material respects;
(x) to such counsel's knowledge, neither the Company nor any of its Significant Subsidiaries is in violation of its by-laws or certificate of incorporation or in default in the performance or observance of any material obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other instrument to which it is a party or by which it is bound or to which any of its property or assets is subject, except in each case for violations or defaults which do not individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect;
(xi) the Company is not, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Shares and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Prospectus will not be, required to register as an "investment company," as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act;
(xii) (A) in the opinion of such counsel (1) each document filed pursuant to the Exchange Act and incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (except for the financial statements and financial schedules and other financial and statistical data included therein, as to which such counsel need not express any opinion) appeared on its face to comply as to form as of its filing date in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and (2) the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (except for the financial statements and financial schedules and other financial and statistical data included therein as to which such counsel need not express any opinion) appear on their face to comply as to form in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and (B) nothing has come to the attention of such counsel that causes such counsel to believe that (1) any part of the Registration Statement, when such part became effective, (except for the financial statements and financial schedules and other financial and statistical data included therein as to which such counsel need not express any belief) contained any 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, (2) the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (except for the financial statements and financial schedules and other financial and statistical data included therein as to which such counsel need not express any belief) on the date of this Agreement contained any 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, (3) the Time of Sale Prospectus (except for the financial statements and financial schedules and other financial and statistical data included therein, as to which such counsel need not express any belief) as of the date of this Agreement or as amended or supplemented, if applicable, as of the Closing Date contained or contains any 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 or (4) the Prospectus (except for the financial statements and financial schedules and other financial and statistical data included therein, as to which such counsel need not express any belief) as amended or supplemented, if applicable, as of the Closing Date contains any untrue statement of a material fact 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 Section 5(a)(xii) above, counsel for the Company may state that their opinions and beliefs are based upon their participation in the preparation of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto and review and discussion of the contents thereof, but are without independent check or verification, except as specified.
The opinion of counsel for the Company described in Section 5(c) above shall be rendered to the Underwriters at the request of the Company and shall so state therein.
(d) The Vice President - General Counsel of the Company shall have furnished to the Underwriters his opinion, dated the Closing Date, with respect to such matters as the Managers on the behalf of the Underwriters may reasonably request.
(e) Xxxxx Xxxx & Xxxxxxxx, counsel for the Underwriters, shall have furnished to the Underwriters their opinion, dated the Closing Date, with respect to such matters as the Managers on the behalf of the Underwriters may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received such documents and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.
(f) The Underwriters shall have received, on each of the date hereof and the Closing Date, a letter dated the date hereof or the Closing Date, as the case may be, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, to the effect set forth in Exhibit A hereto, and to such other matters as the Underwriters may reasonably request; provided that the letter delivered on the Closing Date shall use a "cut-off date" not earlier than the date hereof.
(g) The "lock-up" agreements, each substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, between you and certain officers and directors of the Company relating to sales and certain other dispositions of shares of Common Stock or certain other securities, delivered to you on or before the date hereof, shall be in full force and effect on the Closing Date.
The several obligations of the Underwriters to purchase Additional Shares hereunder are subject to the delivery to you on the applicable Option Closing Date of such documents as you may reasonably request with respect to the good standing of the Company, the due authorization and issuance of the Additional Shares to be sold on such Option Closing Date and other matters related to the issuance of such Additional Shares.
6. Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants with each Underwriter as follows:
(a) To furnish to you, without charge, a signed copy of the Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto and the documents incorporated by reference therein) and to deliver to each of the Underwriters during the period mentioned in Section 6(e) or 6(f) below, as many copies of the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, any documents incorporated by reference therein and any supplements and amendments thereto or to the Registration Statement as you may reasonably request.
(b) Before amending or supplementing the Registration Statement, 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 furnish to you a copy of each proposed free writing prospectus to be prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company and not to use or refer to any proposed free writing prospectus to which you reasonably object.
(d) Not to take any action that would result in an Underwriter or the Company 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.
(f) If, during such period after the first date of the public offering of the Shares 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 in connection with sales by an Underwriter or dealer, 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 to prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to the dealers (whose names and addresses you will furnish to the Company) to which Shares may have been sold by you on behalf of the Underwriters and to any other dealers upon request, 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 applicable law.
(i) Whether or not the transactions contemplated in this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, to pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Company's counsel and the Company's accountants in connection with the registration and delivery of the Shares under the Securities Act and all other fees or expenses in connection with the preparation and filing of the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company and amendments and supplements to any of the foregoing, including the filing fees payable to the Commission relating to the Shares (within the time required by Rule 456 (b)(1), if applicable), all printing costs associated therewith, and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers, in the quantities hereinabove specified, (ii) all costs and expenses related to the transfer and delivery of the Shares to the Underwriters, including any transfer or other taxes payable thereon, (iii) the cost of printing or producing any Blue Sky or Legal Investment memorandum in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares under state securities laws and all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Shares for offer and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section 6(g) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky or Legal Investment memorandum, (iv) all filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters incurred in connection with the review and qualification of the offering of the Shares by the NASD, Inc., (v) all costs and expenses incident to listing the Shares on the NYSE, (vi) the cost of printing certificates representing the Shares, (vii) the costs and charges of any transfer agent, registrar or depositary, (viii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any "road show" undertaken in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Shares, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the preparation or dissemination of any electronic road show, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations with the prior approval of the Company, travel and lodging expenses of the Managers and officers of the Company and any such consultants (provided that the Company and Underwriters shall evenly share the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the road show), (ix) the document production charges and expenses associated with printing this Agreement and (x) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company hereunder for which provision is not otherwise made in this Section. It is understood, however, that except as provided in this Section, Section 8 entitled "Indemnity and Contribution," and the last paragraph of Section 10 below, the Underwriters will pay all of their costs and expenses, including fees and disbursements of their counsel, stock transfer taxes payable on resale of any of the Shares by them and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may make.
The Company also covenants with each Underwriter that, without the prior written consent of the Manager identified in Schedule I with the authorization to release this lock-up on behalf of the Underwriters, it will not, during the restricted period set forth in Schedule I hereto, (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or (2) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise or (3) file any registration statement with the Commission relating to the offering of any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock.
The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (a) the Shares to be sold hereunder, (b) the issuance by the Company of shares of Common Stock upon the exercise of an option or warrant, stock appreciation right or the conversion of a security outstanding on the date hereof, (c) the issuance of options or stock appreciation rights under any stock option plan existing and in effect on the date hereof, (d) shares issued under the Company's Investor Services Program or (e) shares issued under any employee stock purchase plan, deferred savings plan or other employee benefit plan maintained by the Company or any of its subsidiaries and existing and in effect on the date hereof.
7. Covenants of the Underwriters. Each Underwriter severally covenants with the Company not to take any action that would result in the Company being required to file with the Commission under Rule 433(d) a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter that otherwise would not be required to be filed by the Company thereunder, but for the action of the Underwriter.
8. Indemnity and Contribution. (a) The Company 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, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act, any Company information that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement 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 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 the Company, its directors, its officers who sign the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, 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, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act, any Company information that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement 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, but only with reference to information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through you expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any amendment thereof, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto.
(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 reasonably incurred 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 reasonably incurred 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 Manager authorized to appoint counsel under this Section set forth in Schedule I hereto, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 8(a), and by 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. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by the second and third sentences of this paragraph, the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request and (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. 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.
(e) The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just or equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 8 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 Section 8(d) 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, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Shares underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered 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 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies that may otherwise be available to any indemnified party at law or in equity.
(b) The indemnity and contribution provisions contained in this Section 8 and the representations, warranties and other statements of 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 Company, its officers or directors or any person controlling the Company and (iii) acceptance of and payment for any of the Shares.
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 shall have been suspended or materially limited on, or by, as the case may be, any of the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange, the NASDAQ Global Market, the Chicago Board of Options Exchange, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange or the Chicago Board of Trade, (ii) trading of any securities of the Company shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market, (iii) a material disruption in securities settlement, payment or clearance services in the United States shall have occurred, (iv) any moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by Federal or New York State authorities or (v) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities, or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis that, in your judgment, is material and adverse and which, singly or together with any other event specified in this clause (v), makes it, in your judgment, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offer, sale or delivery of the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus.
If, on the Closing Date or an Option Closing Date, as the case may be, any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Shares that it has or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, and the aggregate number of Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase is not more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of the Shares to be purchased on such date, the other Underwriters shall be obligated severally in the proportions that the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule II bears to the aggregate number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the names of all such non-defaulting Underwriters, or in such other proportions as you may specify, to purchase the Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase on such date; provided that in no event shall the number of Shares 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 number of Shares without the written consent of such Underwriter. If, on the Closing Date, any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Firm Shares and the aggregate number of Firm Shares with respect to which such default occurs is more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of Firm Shares to be purchased on such date, and arrangements satisfactory to you and the Company for the purchase of such Firm Shares are not made within 36 hours after such default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company. In any such case either you 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, in the Time of Sale Prospectus, in the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected. If, on an Option Closing Date, any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Additional Shares and the aggregate number of Additional Shares with respect to which such default occurs is more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of Additional Shares to be purchased on such Option Closing Date, the non-defaulting Underwriters shall have the option to (i) terminate their obligation hereunder to purchase the Additional Shares to be sold on such Option Closing Date or (ii) purchase not less than the number of Additional Shares that such non-defaulting Underwriters would have been obligated to purchase in the absence of such default. 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 Company to comply with the terms or to fulfill any of the conditions of this Agreement, or if for any reason the Company shall be unable to perform its obligations under this Agreement, the Company will reimburse the 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) reasonably incurred by such Underwriters in connection with this Agreement or the offering contemplated hereunder.
11. Entire Agreement. (a) This Agreement, together with any contemporaneous written agreements and any prior written agreements (to the extent not superseded by this Agreement) that relate to the offering of the Shares, represents the entire agreement between the Company and the Underwriters with respect to the preparation of any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, the conduct of the offering, and the purchase and sale of the Shares.
(b) The Company acknowledges that in connection with the offering of the Shares: (i) the Underwriters have acted at arm's length, are not agents of, and owe no fiduciary duties to, the Company or any other person, (ii) the Underwriters owe the Company only those duties and obligations set forth in this Agreement and prior written agreements (to the extent not superseded by this Agreement), if any, and (iii) the Underwriters may have interests that differ from those of the Company. The Company waives to the full extent permitted by applicable law any claims it may have against the Underwriters arising from an alleged breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the offering of the Shares.
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. Notices. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and effective only upon receipt and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered, mailed or sent to you at the address set forth in Schedule I hereto; and if to the Company shall be delivered, mailed or sent to the address set forth in Schedule I hereto.
|
Very truly yours, |
|
By: /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxx |
|
Accepted as of the date hereof |
|
Acting on behalf of itself and the |
|
By: Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated |
SCHEDULE I
|
Manager: |
|
|
Manager authorized to release lock-up under Section 6: |
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated |
|
Manager authorized to appoint counsel under Section 8: |
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated |
|
Registration Statement File No.: |
333-141367 |
|
Time of Sale Prospectus |
1. Prospectus dated March 16, 2007 |
|
2. the preliminary prospectus |
|
|
3. Final term sheet for the Shares as |
|
|
Lock-up Restricted Period: |
90 days after the date of the Prospectus |
|
Title of Shares to be purchased: |
Common stock, par value $0.01 per share |
|
Number of Firm Shares: |
9,000,000 |
|
Number of Additional Shares |
1,000,000 |
|
Purchase Price: |
$23.5225 a share |
|
Initial Public Offering Price |
$24.25 a share |
|
Selling Concession: |
$0.4365 a share |
|
Reallowance: |
N/A |
|
Closing Date and Time: |
March 27, 2007 9:00 a.m. |
|
Closing Location: |
Xxxxx Xxxx & Xxxxxxxx |
|
Address for Notices to Underwriters: |
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated |
|
Address for Notices to the Company: |
Energy East Corporation, |
SCHEDULE II
|
Underwriter |
Number of Firm Shares To Be Purchased |
|
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated |
4,500,000 |
|
X.X. Xxxxxxx & Sons, Inc. |
900,000 |
|
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. |
900,000 |
|
X.X. Xxxxxx Securities Inc. |
900,000 |
|
KeyBanc Capital Markets, a division of XxXxxxxx Investments Inc. |
900,000 |
|
UBS Securities LLC |
900,000 |
|
Total: |
9,000,000 |
SCHEDULE III
Energy East Corporation
$218,250,000
9,000,000 Shares
|
Issuer: |
Energy East Corporation |
A copy of the prospectus relating to this offering may be
obtained by contacting Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated,
000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, 0xx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000;
Attention:Prospectus Department or by email at xxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
EXHIBIT B
March __, 2007
To the Managers named in the Underwriting
Agreement referred to below for the Underwriters
named in Schedule II thereto
c/o Morgan Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated
0000 Xxxxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned understands that Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated ("Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx") proposes to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the "Underwriting Agreement") with Energy East Corporation, a New York corporation (the "Company"), providing for the public offering (the "Public Offering") by the several Underwriters, including Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx (the "Underwriters"), of shares (the "Shares") of the Common Stock (par value $0.01 per share) of the Company (the "Common Stock").
To induce the Underwriters that may participate in the Public Offering to continue their efforts in connection with the Public Offering, the undersigned hereby agrees that, without the prior written consent of Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx on behalf of the Underwriters, it will not, during the period commencing on the date hereof and ending 90 days after the date of the final prospectus relating to the Public Offering (the "Restricted Period"), (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or (2) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (a) transactions relating to shares of Common Stock or other securities acquired in open market transactions after the completion of the Public Offering, provided that no filing under Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act") shall be required or shall be voluntarily made in connection with subsequent sales of Common Stock or other securities acquired in such open market transactions, (b) transfers of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible, exchangeable or exercisable into Common Stock as a bona fide gift, (c) transfers of shares of Common Stock to any trust, partnership, limited liability company or other entity for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned, (d) transfers of shares of Common Stock to any beneficiary of the undersigned pursuant to a will or other testamentary document or applicable laws of descent, (e) transfers of shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock to the Company or (f) distributions of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible, exchangeable for or exercisable into Common Stock to limited partners or stockholders of the undersigned; provided that in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clause (b), (c), (d), (e) or (f) of this lock-up letter, (i) each donee, trustee, distributee or transferee shall sign and deliver a lock-up letter substantially in the form of this letter and (ii) no filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of shares of Common Stock, shall be required or shall be voluntarily made during the restricted period referred to in the foregoing sentence. For purposes of this lock-up letter, "immediate family" shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage or adoption, not more remote than first cousin. In addition, the undersigned agrees that, without the prior written consent of Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx on behalf of the Underwriters, it will not, during the Restricted Period, make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to, the registration of any shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock. The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company's transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of the undersigned's shares of Common Stock except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.
The undersigned understands that the Company and the Underwriters are relying upon this agreement in proceeding toward consummation of the Public Offering. The undersigned further understands that this agreement is irrevocable and shall be binding upon the undersigned's heirs, legal representatives, successors and assigns.
Whether or not the Public Offering actually occurs depends on a number of factors, including market conditions. Any Public Offering will only be made pursuant to an Underwriting Agreement, the terms of which are subject to negotiation between the Company and the Underwriters.
This lock-up letter shall terminate immediately if (1) for any reason the Underwriting Agreement is terminated prior to the closing of the Public Offering or (2) prior to the execution and delivery of the Underwriting Agreement, the Company notifies you in writing that it does not intend to proceed with the Public Offering.
|
Very truly yours, |
|
|
|
|
[Signature page to Lock-up Letter]
