] Shares VIRGIN AMERICA INC. Common Stock ($0.01 Par Value) UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
Exhibit 1.1
[ ] Shares
Common Stock
($0.01 Par Value)
[ ], 2014
Barclays Capital Inc.
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.
As Representatives of the
several Underwriters named in
Schedule I hereto
c/o Barclays Capital Inc.
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
c/o Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.
00 Xxxx Xxxxxx, 0xx Xxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Virgin America Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and VX Employee Holdings LLC, a Company employee stock ownership vehicle (the “Firm Selling Shareholder”), propose to sell to the several underwriters (the “Underwriters”) named on Schedule I hereto for whom you are acting as representatives (the “Representatives”) an aggregate of [ ] shares (the “Firm Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), of which [ ] shares will be sold by the Company and [ ] shares will be sold by the Firm Selling Shareholder. The respective amounts of the Firm Shares to be so purchased by the several Underwriters are set forth opposite their names on Schedule I hereto. Certain shareholders of the Company listed on Schedule II hereto (the “Option Selling Shareholders”) also propose to sell at the Underwriters’ option an aggregate of up to [ ]
additional shares of the Company’s Common Stock (the “Option Shares”) as set forth below. The Company, the Firm Selling Shareholder and the Option Selling Shareholders are sometimes referred to herein collectively as the “Sellers.” The Firm Selling Shareholder and the Option Selling Shareholders are sometimes referred to herein collectively as the “Selling Shareholders.”
As the Representatives, you have advised the Company and the Selling Shareholders that the several Underwriters are willing, acting severally and not jointly, to purchase the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite their respective names on Schedule I hereto, plus their pro rata portion of the Option Shares if you elect to exercise the option in whole or in part for the accounts of the several Underwriters. The Firm Shares and the Option Shares (to the extent the aforementioned option is exercised) are herein collectively called the “Shares”.
In consideration of the mutual agreements contained herein and of the interests of the parties in the transactions contemplated hereby, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY AND THE SELLING SHAREHOLDERS.
(i) The Company represents and warrants to each of the Underwriters as follows:
(a) A registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-197660) with respect to the Shares has been prepared by the Company in conformity with the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), and the rules and regulations (the “Rules and Regulations”) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) thereunder and has been filed with the Commission. Copies of such registration statement, including any amendments thereto, the preliminary prospectuses (meeting the requirements of the Rules and Regulations) contained therein and the exhibits, financial statements and schedules, as finally amended and revised, have heretofore been delivered by the Company to you. Such registration statement, together with any registration statement filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Act, is herein referred to as the “Registration Statement,” which shall be deemed to include all information omitted therefrom in reliance upon Rules 430A, 430B or 430C under the Act and contained in the Prospectus referred to below, has become effective under the Act and no post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed as of the date of this equity underwriting agreement (this “Agreement”). “Prospectus” means the form of prospectus first filed with the Commission pursuant to and within the time limits described in Rule 424(b) under the Act. Each preliminary prospectus included in the Registration Statement prior to the time it becomes effective is herein referred to as a “Preliminary Prospectus”.
(b) As of the Applicable Time (as defined below) and as of the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date (each as defined below), as the case may be, neither (i) the General Use Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below) issued at or prior to the Applicable Time, the Statutory Prospectus (as defined below) and the information included on Schedule III hereto, all considered together (collectively, the “General Disclosure Package”), nor (ii) any individual Limited Use Free
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Writing Prospectus (as defined below), when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included or will include any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to information contained in or omitted from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below), in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives, specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information is that described in Section 13 hereof.
As used in this subsection and elsewhere in this Agreement:
“Applicable Time” means [ ] p.m. (New York time) on the date of this Agreement or such other time as agreed to by the Company and the Representatives.
“General Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (other than a “bona fide electronic road show,” as defined in Rule 433 (the “Bona Fide Electronic Road Show”) that is identified on Schedule IV hereto.
“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 under the Act, including without limitation any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations of the Act (“Rule 405”)) relating to the Shares that is (i) required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) a “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i), whether or not required to be filed with the Commission or (iii) excepted from filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Shares or of the offering that does not reflect the final terms, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).
“Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not a General Use Free Writing Prospectus.
“Statutory Prospectus” means the Preliminary Prospectus dated November 3, 2014.
“Subsidiary” means a “subsidiary” of the Company as defined under Rule 405 of the Act.
(c) The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation, limited liability company or similar entity in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, with requisite power and authority to own or lease its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. Each Subsidiary has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation,
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limited liability company or similar entity in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization with requisite power and authority to own or lease its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The Company and each of the Subsidiaries are duly qualified to transact business in all jurisdictions in which the conduct of their business requires such qualification except where the failure to be so qualified would not reasonably be expected to (i) have, individually or in the aggregate, a material adverse effect on the earnings, business, properties, assets, operations or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company and of the Subsidiaries taken as a whole or (ii) prevent the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby (the occurrence of any such effect or any such prevention described in the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii) being referred to as a “Material Adverse Effect”). The outstanding shares of capital stock of each of the Subsidiaries have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned by the Company or another Subsidiary free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and equities and claims; and no options, warrants or other rights to purchase, agreements or other obligations to issue or other rights to convert any obligations into shares of capital stock or ownership interests in the Subsidiaries are outstanding.
(d) The outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company, including all shares to be sold by the Selling Shareholders, have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable; the Shares to be issued and sold by the Company have been duly authorized and when issued and paid for as contemplated herein will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable; and no preemptive or similar rights of stockholders exist with respect to any of the Shares or the issue and sale thereof. Neither the filing of the Registration Statement nor the offering or sale of the Shares as contemplated by this Agreement gives rise to any rights, other than those which have been waived or satisfied, for or relating to the registration of any shares of Common Stock.
(e) The Company has taken all action required for the due authorization and consummation of the transactions contemplated by that certain Recapitalization Agreement by and among the Company and funds affiliated with or related to Cyrus Capital Partners L.P. and affiliates of Virgin Group Holdings Limited (the “2014 Recapitalization Agreement”) described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(f) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth under the caption “Capitalization” and the other information set forth under the caption “Capitalization” in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (and any similar section or information contained in the General Disclosure Package) is true and correct in all material respects. All of the Shares conform to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The form of certificates for the Shares conforms to the corporate law of the jurisdiction of the Company’s incorporation and to any requirements of the Company’s organizational documents. Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except as otherwise stated therein or in this Agreement or contemplated by the 2014 Recapitalization
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Agreement, the Company has not: (i) issued any securities; (ii) incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, for borrowed money; or (iii) declared or paid any dividend or made any other distribution on or in respect to its capital stock.
(g) The Commission has not issued an order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus relating to the proposed offering of the Shares, and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Act has been instituted or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened by the Commission. The Registration Statement contains, and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto will contain, all statements which are required to be stated therein by, and will conform in all material respects to, the requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations. The Registration Statement and any amendments thereto do not contain, and will not contain, any untrue statement of a material fact and do not omit, and will not omit, to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and the Prospectus and any amendments and supplements thereto do not contain, and will not contain, any untrue statement of a material fact; and do not omit, and will not omit, to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to information contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or any such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives, specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information is that described in Section 13 hereof.
(h) No Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, and any preliminary or other prospectus deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified. The foregoing sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives, specifically for use therein, it being understood that the only such information is that described in Section 13 hereof. The Company has made available a Bona Fide Electronic Road Show in compliance with Rule 433(d)(8)(ii) such that no filing of any “road show” (as defined in Rule 433(h)) is required in connection with the offering of the Shares.
(i) The Company has not, directly or indirectly, distributed and will not distribute any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares other than any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and other materials, if any, permitted under the Act and consistent with Section 4(b) hereof. The Company will file with the Commission all Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses in the time required under Rule 433(d) under the Act. The Company has satisfied or will satisfy the conditions in Rule 433 under the Act to avoid a requirement to file with the Commission any electronic road show.
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(j) (i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement and (ii) as of the date hereof (with such date being used as the determination date for purposes of this clause (ii)), the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Act, without taking into account any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 under the Act that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an ineligible issuer), including, without limitation, for purposes of Rules 164 and 433 under the Act with respect to the offering of the Shares as contemplated by the Registration Statement.
(k) The consolidated financial statements of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries, together with related notes and schedules as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Act and present fairly the financial position and the results of operations and cash flows of the Company and the consolidated Subsidiaries, at the indicated dates and for the indicated periods. Such financial statements and related schedules have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted principles of accounting (“GAAP”), consistently applied throughout the periods involved, except as disclosed therein, and all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of results for such periods have been made. The summary and selected consolidated financial and statistical data included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein and such data has been compiled on a basis consistent with the financial statements presented therein and the books and records of the Company. The pro forma financial statements and other pro forma financial information included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein, have been prepared in all material respects in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines with respect to pro forma financial statements, have been properly compiled on the pro forma bases described therein, and the assumptions used in the preparation thereof are reasonable and the adjustments used therein are appropriate to give effect to the transactions or circumstances referred to therein. All disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the Rules and Regulations) comply in all material respects with Regulation G of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the Act, to the extent applicable. The Company and the Subsidiaries do not have any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations or any “variable interest entities” within the meaning of Financial Accounting Standards Board Interpretation No. 46), not disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus. There are no financial statements (historical or pro forma) that are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that are not included as required.
(l) Ernst & Young LLP, which has certified certain of the financial statements filed with the Commission as part of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company and the Subsidiaries within the meaning of the Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (the “PCAOB”) as required by the Act.
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(m) Solely to the extent that the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission and the NASDAQ Global Market thereunder (collectively, the “Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act”) have been applicable to the Company, there is and has been no failure on the part of the Company and any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply in all material respects with any provision of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act. The Company presently expects to be in compliance with all additional provisions of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act that will become applicable to the Company.
(n) There is no legal, governmental, administrative or regulatory investigation, action, suit, claim or proceeding pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or to which any property of the Company or its Subsidiaries is subject, before any court or regulatory or administrative agency or otherwise which if determined adversely to the Company or any of Subsidiaries would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. There are no current or pending legal, governmental, administrative or regulatory investigations, actions, suits, claims or proceedings that are required under the Act to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that are not so described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus. There are no statutes, regulations or contracts or other documents that are required under the Act to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that are not so filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus.
(o) The Company and its Subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all of the properties and assets reflected in the consolidated financial statements hereinabove described or described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, subject to no lien, mortgage, pledge, charge or encumbrance of any kind except those reflected in such financial statements or described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or which (i) do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its Subsidiaries or (ii) would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its Subsidiaries occupy or possess their leased properties, including their aircraft, under valid and binding leases conforming in all material respects to the description thereof set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(p) The Company and its Subsidiaries have filed all U.S. federal, state, local and foreign tax returns which have been required to be filed taking into account any permitted extensions thereof; all tax returns filed are complete and correct in all material respects; and the Company and its Subsidiaries have paid all taxes indicated by such returns and all assessments received by them or any of them to the extent that such taxes have become due and are not being
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contested in good faith and for which an adequate reserve or accrual has been established in accordance with GAAP. All material tax liabilities have been adequately provided for in the financial statements of the Company, and the Company does not know of any actual or proposed additional material tax assessments.
(q) Since the date of the most recent financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (i) there has not been any material adverse change or any development involving a prospective material adverse change in or affecting the earnings, business, properties, assets, operations or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not occurring in the ordinary course of business, (ii) there has not been any material transaction entered into or any material transaction that is probable of being entered into by the Company or its Subsidiaries, other than transactions in the ordinary course of business and changes and transactions described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, as each may be amended or supplemented, (iii) there has been no prohibition or suspension of the operation of either the Company’s or any of its Subsidiaries’ aircraft, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect and (iv) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has sustained any loss or interference with its business that is reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect and that is either from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor disturbance or dispute or any action, order or decree of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except in each case as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(r) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is or with the giving of notice or lapse of time or both, will be, (i) in violation of its certificate or articles of incorporation, charter, by-laws, certificate of formation, limited liability company agreement, partnership agreement or other organizational documents, as applicable, (ii) in violation of or in default under any agreement, lease, contract, indenture or other instrument or obligation to which it is a party or by which it, or any of its properties, is bound or (iii) in violation of any law, order, rule or regulation judgment, order, writ or decree applicable to the Company or any Subsidiary of any court or of any government, regulatory body or administrative agency or other governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company or any Subsidiary, or any of their properties or assets, except in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), for such violations or defaults as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated and the fulfillment of the terms hereof do not and will not conflict with or result in a breach of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, (x) any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which the Company or any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties is bound, (y) of the certificate of incorporation or formation, articles of incorporation or association, charter, by-laws or other organizational documents, as applicable, of the Company or any Subsidiary, or (z) any law, order, rule or regulation judgment, order, writ or decree applicable to the Company or any Subsidiary of
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any court or of any government, regulatory body or administrative agency or other governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company or any Subsidiary, or any of their properties or assets, except in the case of clauses (x) and (z), for such violations or defaults as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(s) The execution and delivery of, and the performance by the Company of its obligations under, this Agreement has been duly and validly authorized by all necessary corporate, limited liability company or similar applicable action on the part of the Company, and this Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company.
(t) Each approval, consent, order, authorization, designation, declaration or filing by or with any regulatory, administrative or other governmental body necessary in connection with the execution and delivery by the Company of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated has been obtained or made and is in full force and effect (except such additional steps as may be required by the Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) or such additional steps as may be necessary to qualify the Shares for public offering by the Underwriters under state securities or blue sky laws).
(u) Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its Subsidiaries (i) hold all licenses, registrations, certificates and permits from governmental authorities, including the Department of Transportation, the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) and the Federal Communications Commission (collectively, “Governmental Licenses”), which are necessary to the conduct of their business, (ii) are in compliance with the terms and conditions of all Governmental Licenses, and all Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect, and (iii) have not received any written or other notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Governmental License.
(v) The Company and its Subsidiaries own or possess the right to use all patents, inventions, trademarks, trade names, service marks, logos, trade dress, designs, data, database rights, Internet domain names, rights of privacy, rights of publicity, copyrights, works of authorship, license rights, trade secrets, know-how and proprietary information (including unpatented and unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, inventions, systems or procedures) and other intellectual property rights, as well as registrations and applications for registration of any of the foregoing (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) necessary to conduct their business as presently conducted and as currently contemplated in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus to be conducted in the future, except where the failure to own or possess or otherwise be able to acquire such Intellectual Property would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. To the Company’s knowledge, neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries, whether through their respective products and services or the conduct of their respective businesses, has infringed, misappropriated, conflicted with or otherwise violated, or is currently infringing, misappropriating, conflicting with or otherwise violating any Intellectual Property of any other person or entity. None of the Company
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or the Subsidiaries have received any communication or notice of infringement of, misappropriation of, conflict with or violation of, any Intellectual Property of any other person or entity. The Company knows of no infringement, misappropriation or violation by others of Intellectual Property owned by or licensed to the Company or the Subsidiaries, except for such infringement, misappropriation or violation that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(w) The Company and the Subsidiaries own or have a valid right to access and use all material computer systems, networks, hardware, software, databases, websites, and equipment used to process, store, maintain and operate data, information, and functions used in connection with the business of the Company and the Subsidiaries (the “Company IT Systems”). The Company IT Systems are adequate for, and operate and perform in all material respects as required in connection with, the operation of the business of the Company and the Subsidiaries as currently conducted, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and the Subsidiaries have implemented commercially reasonable backup, security and disaster recovery technology consistent in all material respects with applicable regulatory standards and customary industry practices.
(x) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in, or which has constituted or which might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of the shares of Common Stock to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.
(y) Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is or, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Shares contemplated hereunder and the application of the net proceeds from such sale as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, will be required to register as an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “1940 Act”).
(z) The statements set forth in each of the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus under the captions “Description of Capital Stock,” “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences to Non-U.S. Holders,” “2014 Recapitalization,” “Risk Factors - Airlines are subject to extensive regulation and taxation by governmental authorities, and compliance with new regulations and any new or higher taxes will increase our operating costs and may materially adversely affect our business” and “Business - Government Regulation,” insofar as they purport to summarize the provisions of the laws and documents referred to therein, are accurate summaries in all material respects.
(aa) The Company and its Subsidiaries maintain systems of “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act and have been designed by, or under the supervision of,
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their respective principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”), including, but not limited to, internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that: (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there have been no material weaknesses in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting, and been no change in internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. The Company’s auditors and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company have been advised of: (i) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which have adversely affected or are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting.
(bb) The Company has established and maintains “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rules 13a-14(c) and 15d-14(c) under the Exchange Act); the Company’s “disclosure controls and procedures” are reasonably designed to ensure that all information (both financial and non-financial) required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and regulations under the Exchange Act, and that all such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure and to make the certifications of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company required under the Exchange Act with respect to such reports.
(cc) The statistical, industry-related and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources which the Company reasonably and in good faith believes are reliable and accurate, and such data agree with the sources from which they are derived.
(dd) The operations of the Company and the Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial record-keeping and reporting requirements, including those of the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by Title III of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act), the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting
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Act of 1970, as amended, the applicable money laundering statutes of jurisdictions where the Company and the Subsidiaries conduct business, the applicable rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any or the Subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened.
(ee) Neither the Company nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or representative of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”) or any similar sanctions imposed by any other body, governmental or other, to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is subject (collectively, “other economic sanctions”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any Subsidiary, joint venture partner or other Person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any Person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC or other economic sanctions.
(ff) Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries nor any director or officer thereof, nor to the Company’s knowledge, any agent, employee, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, in each case, only with respect to such capacity: (i) has used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity: (ii) has made any direct or indirect unlawful contribution or payment to any official of, or candidate for, or any employee of, any federal, state or foreign office from corporate funds; (iii) has made any bribe, unlawful rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment; or (iv) is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such Persons of the OECD Convention on Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions (“OECD Convention”), the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “FCPA”) or any similar law or regulation to which the Company, any of its Subsidiaries, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is subject. The Company and its Subsidiaries have each conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA and any applicable similar law or regulation and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.
(gg) The Company and each of the Subsidiaries carry, or are covered by, insurance, from insurers of recognized financial responsibility, in such amounts and covering such risks as is adequate for the conduct of their respective businesses and the value of their respective properties and as is prudent and customary for companies engaged in similar businesses, including war risk insurance on its aircraft under the FAA’s insurance program authorized under 49 U.S.C. §44301 et seq. or similar war risk coverage from commercial underwriters; neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries have been refused any coverage under insurance policies sought or
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applied for; and the Company and the Subsidiaries have no reason to believe that they will not be able to renew their existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue their respective businesses at a cost that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(hh) Each “employee benefit plan” (within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, including the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (“ERISA”)) for which the Company or any member of its “Controlled Group” (defined as any organization that is a member of a controlled group of corporations within the meaning of Section 414 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”)) would have liability (each a “Plan”) is in compliance in all material respects with all presently applicable statutes, rules and regulations, including ERISA and the Code; (ii) with respect to each Plan subject to Title IV of ERISA (a) no “reportable event” (as defined in Section 4043 of ERISA) has occurred for which the Company or any member of its Controlled Group would have any liability; and (b) neither the Company nor any member of its Controlled Group has incurred or expects to incur liability under Title IV of ERISA (other than for contributions to the Plan or premiums payable to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, in each case in the ordinary course and without default); (iii) no Plan which is subject to Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA has failed to satisfy the minimum funding standard within the meaning of such sections of the Code or ERISA; and (iv) each Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified and nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which would cause the loss of such qualification.
(ii) Except in each case as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus: (i) the Company and each Subsidiary have complied and are in compliance, in all material respects, with all applicable federal, state, local, foreign and international laws (including the common law), statutes, rules, regulations, orders, judgments, decrees or other legally binding requirements of any court, administrative agency or other governmental authority relating to pollution or to the protection of the environment, natural resources or human health or safety, or to the manufacture, use, generation, treatment, storage, disposal, release or threatened release of hazardous or toxic substances, pollutants, contaminants or wastes, or the arrangement for such activities (“Environmental Laws”); (ii) the Company and each Subsidiary have obtained and are in compliance, in all material respects, with all permits, licenses, authorizations or other approvals required of them under Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses and are not subject to any action to revoke, terminate, cancel, limit, amend or appeal any such permits, licenses, authorizations or approvals; (iii) neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is a party to any judicial or administrative proceeding (including a notice of violation) under any Environmental Laws (a) to which a governmental authority is also a party and which involves potential monetary sanctions, unless it could reasonably be expected that such proceeding will result in monetary sanctions of less than $100,000, or (b) which is otherwise material; and no such proceeding has been threatened or is known to the Company to be contemplated; (iv) neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has
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received notice or is otherwise aware of any pending or threatened material claim or potential liability under Environmental Laws in respect of its past or present business, operations (including the disposal of hazardous substances at any off-site location), facilities or real property (whether owned, leased or operated) or on account of any predecessor or any person whose liability under any Environmental Laws it has agreed to assume; and (v) neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is aware of any matters regarding compliance with existing or reasonably anticipated Environmental Laws, or with any liabilities or other obligations under Environmental Laws (including asset retirement obligations), that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(jj) The Company (i) is an “air carrier” within the meaning of 49 U.S.C. Section 40102(a); (ii) holds an air carrier operating certificate issued by the Secretary of Transportation pursuant to Chapter 447 of Title 49 of the United States Code for aircraft capable of carrying 10 or more individuals or 6,000 pounds or more of cargo; and (iii) is a “citizen of the United States” as defined in 49 U.S.C. Section 40102.
(kk) The Shares have been approved for listing subject to notice of issuance and evidence of satisfactory distribution on the NASDAQ Global Market.
(ll) There are no relationships, direct or indirect, or related-party transactions involving the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or any other person required to be described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus which have not been described in such documents and the General Disclosure Package as required.
(mm) No Subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such Subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such Subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such Subsidiary’s property or assets to the Company or any other Subsidiary of the Company.
(nn) Except as otherwise described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no labor disturbance by or dispute with employees of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is contemplated or threatened, and the Company is not aware of any existing, threatened or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its principal suppliers, manufacturers or contractors that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(oo) Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries is a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any person (other than this Agreement) that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares.
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Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company and delivered to the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the offering of Shares shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company, as to matters covered thereby, to each Underwriter.
(ii) Each of the Selling Shareholders severally, and not jointly, solely as to itself, represents and warrants as follows:
(a) As of the date of this Agreement, such Selling Shareholder has and at the Closing Date, and the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, as such dates are hereinafter defined, such Selling Shareholder will have good title to the Firm Shares or the Option Shares, as the case may be, to be sold by such Selling Shareholder, free and clear of any liens, encumbrances, equities and claims, and full right, power and authority to effect the sale and delivery of such Firm Shares and Option Shares. Upon payment for the Firm Shares or Option Shares, as the case may be, to be sold by such Selling Shareholder pursuant to this Agreement, delivery of such Shares, as directed by the Representatives, to Cede & Co. (“Cede”) or such other nominee as may be designated by the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), registration of such Shares in the name of Cede or such other nominee and the crediting of such Shares on the books of DTC to securities accounts of the Underwriters (assuming that neither DTC nor any such Underwriter has notice of any adverse claim (within the meaning of Section 8-105 of the UCC) to such Shares), (A) DTC shall be a “protected purchaser” of such Shares (within the meaning of Section 8-303 of the UCC), (B) under Section 8-501 of the UCC, the Underwriters will acquire a valid security entitlement in respect of such Shares and (C) no action based on any “adverse claim,” within the meaning of Section 8-102 of the UCC, to such Shares may be asserted against the Underwriters with respect to such security entitlement; for purposes of this representation, such Selling Shareholder may assume that when such payment, delivery and crediting occur, (x) such Shares will have been registered in the name of Cede or another nominee designated by DTC, in each case on the Company’s share registry in accordance with its certificate of incorporation, bylaws and applicable law, (y) DTC will be registered as a “clearing corporation” within the meaning of Section 8-102 of the UCC and (z) appropriate entries to the securities accounts of the several Underwriters on the records of DTC will have been made pursuant to the UCC. As used in this Section 1(ii)(a), the terms “delivery,” “securities account” and “securities entitlement” have the meanings given them in Article 8 of the UCC.
(b) Such Selling Shareholder has full right, power, and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and to perform its obligations under this Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by or on behalf of such Selling Shareholder. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the consummation by such Selling Shareholder of the transactions herein contemplated and the fulfillment by such Selling Shareholder of the terms hereof will not require any consent, approval, authorization, or other order of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency or other governmental body having jurisdiction over the Selling Shareholder (except as may be required under the Act, state securities laws or blue sky laws , the rules of FINRA in connection with the purchase and sale of
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the Shares and such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, filings, registrations or qualifications as may be required under the Exchange Act) and will not result in a breach of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default under, organizational documents of such Selling Shareholder, if not an individual, or any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust or other agreement or instrument to which such Selling Shareholder is a party, or of any order, rule or regulation applicable to such Selling Shareholder of any court or of any regulatory body or administrative agency or other governmental body having jurisdiction over the Selling Shareholder, except, in each case, where the failure to obtain such consent, approval or authorization, order, breach or default would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.
(c) Such Selling Shareholder has not taken and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to, or which has constituted, or which might reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Common Stock of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares and, other than as permitted by the Act, the Selling Shareholder will not distribute any prospectus or other offering material in connection with the offering of the Shares.
(d) The sale of the Firm Shares or the Option Shares, as the case may be, by such Selling Shareholder pursuant hereto is not prompted by any material information concerning the Company or any of the Subsidiaries which is not set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(e) To the extent that any statements or omissions made in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto are made in reliance upon and in conformity with such Selling Shareholder’s Information (as defined below), such Selling Shareholder Information contained therein will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in respect of such Selling Shareholder’s Information. For purposes of this Agreement, with respect to each Selling Shareholder, “Selling Shareholder’s Information” shall mean any written information furnished to the Company by such Selling Shareholder expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, it being understood that the only such information furnished by each Selling Shareholder consists of the statements contained with respect to such Selling Shareholder under the caption “Principal and Selling Stockholders.”
(f) Except as otherwise described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no affiliations or associations between any member of FINRA and such Selling Shareholder or any affiliate of such Selling Shareholder.
(g) Such Selling Shareholder is not a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any person (other than this Agreement) that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares.
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(h) Such Selling Shareholder has not prepared or had prepared on its behalf or used or referred to any “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 under the Act and has not distributed any written materials in connection with the offer or sale of the Shares.
(i) Neither such Selling Shareholder, nor any of its subsidiaries, or, to such Selling Shareholder’s knowledge, any director, officer, employee, agent, affiliate or representative of such Selling Shareholder or any of its Subsidiaries, is a Person that is, or is owned or controlled by a Person, that is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC or other similar economic sanctions; and the Selling Shareholders will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other Person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any Person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC or other similar economic sanctions.
(j) Neither such Selling Shareholder, nor, to the knowledge of such Selling Shareholder, any director, officer, employee, agent or other affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of such Selling Shareholder is aware of or has taken any action in the past five (5) years, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such Persons of the OECD Convention, the FCPA or any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency, to which the Selling Shareholder or any of its subsidiaries is subject.
(k) The operations of such Selling Shareholder and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with Money Laundering Laws in the past five (5) years.
2. PURCHASE, SALE AND DELIVERY OF THE FIRM SHARES.
(a) On the basis of the representations, warranties and covenants herein contained, and subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Company and the Firm Selling Shareholder agree to sell to the Underwriters and each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase, at a price of $[ ] per share, the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the name of each Underwriter on Schedule I hereto, subject to adjustments in accordance with Section 9 hereof. The number of Firm Shares to be purchased by each Underwriter from each Seller shall be as nearly as practicable in the same proportion to the total number of Firm Shares being sold by each Seller as the number of Firm Shares being purchased by each Underwriter bears to the total number of Firm Shares to be sold hereunder. The obligations of the Company and of each of the Selling Shareholders shall be several and not joint.
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(b) Payment for the Firm Shares to be sold hereunder is to be made in federal (same day) funds to an account designated by the Company for the shares to be sold by it and to an account designated by the Firm Selling Shareholder for the shares to be sold by the Firm Selling Shareholder, in each case against delivery of such Firm Shares to the Representatives for the several accounts of the Underwriters. Such payment and delivery are to be made through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York, at 10:00 a.m., New York time, on the third business day after the date of this Agreement or at such other time and date not later than five business days thereafter as you and the Company shall agree upon, such time and date being herein referred to as the “Closing Date”. As used herein, “business day” means a day on which the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading and on which banks in New York are open for business and are not permitted by law or executive order to be closed.
(c) In addition, on the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company and the Option Selling Shareholders hereby grant an option to the several Underwriters to purchase the Option Shares at the price per share as set forth in Section 2(a) hereof. The maximum number of Option Shares to be sold by the Company and the Option Selling Shareholders is set forth opposite their respective names on Schedule II hereto. The option granted hereby may be exercised in whole or in part by giving written notice (i) at any time before the Closing Date and (ii) only once thereafter within 30 days after the date of this Agreement, by you, as Representatives of the several Underwriters, to the Company, setting forth the number of Option Shares as to which the several Underwriters are exercising the option and the time and date at which such certificates are to be delivered. If the option granted hereby is exercised in part, the respective number of Option Shares to be sold by the Company and each of the Option Selling Shareholders listed on Schedule II hereto shall be determined on a pro rata basis in accordance with the percentages as set forth opposite their names on Schedule II hereto, adjusted by you in such manner as to avoid fractional shares. The time and date at which certificates for Option Shares are to be delivered shall be determined by the Representatives but shall not be earlier than three nor later than ten full business days after the exercise of such option, nor in any event prior to the Closing Date (such time and date being herein referred to as the “Option Closing Date”). If the date of exercise of the option is three or more days before the Closing Date, the notice of exercise shall set the Closing Date as the Option Closing Date. The number of Option Shares to be purchased by each Underwriter shall be in the same proportion to the total number of Option Shares being purchased as the number of Firm Shares being purchased by such Underwriter bears to the total number of Firm Shares, adjusted by you in such manner as to avoid fractional shares. You, as Representatives of the several Underwriters, may cancel such option at any time prior to its expiration by giving written notice of such cancellation to the Company. To the extent, if any, that the option is exercised, payment for the Option Shares shall be made on the Option Closing Date in federal (same day funds) drawn to the order of the Company for the Option Shares to be sold by it and to the order of the Option Selling Shareholders for the Option Shares to be sold by the Option Selling Shareholders against delivery of certificates therefor through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company in New York, New York. The obligations of the Company and of each of the Selling Shareholders shall be several and not joint.
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(d) If on the Closing Date the Firm Selling Shareholder fails to sell the Firm Shares which it has agreed to sell on such date, or if on the Option Closing Date any Option Selling Shareholder fails to sell the Option Shares which such Option Selling Shareholder has agreed to sell on such date as set forth on Schedule II hereto, the Company agrees that it will sell or arrange for the sale of that number of shares of Common Stock to the Underwriters which represents Firm Shares or the Option Shares which such Selling Shareholder has failed to so sell, or such lesser number as may be requested by the Representatives.
3. OFFERING BY THE UNDERWRITERS.
It is understood that the several Underwriters are to make a public offering of the Firm Shares as soon as the Representatives deem it advisable to do so. The Firm Shares are to be initially offered to the public at the initial public offering price set forth in the Prospectus. The Representatives may from time to time thereafter change the public offering price and other selling terms.
It is further understood that you will act as the Representatives for the Underwriters in the offering and sale of the Shares in accordance with a Master Agreement Among Underwriters entered into by you and the several other Underwriters.
4. COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY AND THE SELLING SHAREHOLDERS.
(i) The Company covenants and agrees with the several Underwriters that:
(a) The Company will (A) prepare and timely file with the Commission under Rule 424(b) under the Act a Prospectus in a form approved by the Representatives containing information previously omitted at the time of effectiveness of the Registration Statement in reliance on Rules 430A, 430B or 430C under the Act and (B) not file any amendment to the Registration Statement or distribute an amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus of which the Representatives shall not previously have been advised and furnished with a copy or to which the Representatives shall have reasonably objected in writing or which is not in compliance with the Rules and Regulations.
(b) The Company will (i) not make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Act) required to be filed by the Company with the Commission under Rule 433 under the Act unless the Representatives approve its use in writing prior to first use (each, a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus”); provided that the prior written consent of the Representatives hereto shall be deemed to have been given in respect of the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses included on Schedule IV hereto, (ii) treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, (iii) comply with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 under the Act applicable to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, including the requirements relating to timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping and (iv) not take any
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action that would result in an Underwriter or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter that such Underwriter otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder. The Company will satisfy the conditions in Rule 433 under the Act to avoid a requirement to file with the Commission any electronic road show.
(c) [The Company will prepare a final term sheet (the “Final Term Sheet”) reflecting the final terms of the Shares, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, and shall file such Final Term Sheet as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus pursuant to Rule 433 under the Act prior to the close of business two business days after the date hereof; provided that the Company shall provide the Representatives with copies of any such Final Term Sheet a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing and will not use or file any such document to which the Representatives or counsel to the Underwriters shall reasonably object.]
(d) The Company will advise the Representatives promptly (A) when the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto shall have become effective, (B) of receipt of any comments from the Commission, (C) when any supplement to the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or any amendment to the Prospectus has been filed, (D) of any request of the Commission for amendment of the Registration Statement or for supplement to the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or for any additional information, (E) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or of the institution of any proceedings for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Act, (F) of the occurrence of any event or development within the Prospectus Delivery Period (as defined below) as a result of which the Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, and (G) of the receipt by the Company of any notice with respect to any suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offer and sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatening of any proceeding for such purpose. The Company will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any order referred to in clause (E) or (G) of this paragraph and to obtain as soon as possible the lifting thereof, if issued.
(e) The Company will cooperate with the Representatives in endeavoring to qualify the Shares for sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives may reasonably have designated in writing and will make such applications, file such documents, and furnish such information as may be reasonably required for that purpose; provided that the Company shall not be required to (x) qualify as a foreign corporation, (y) file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified or required to file such a consent, or (z) subject itself to taxation in any such jurisdiction if it is not otherwise so subject. The Company will, from time to time, prepare and file such statements, reports, and other documents, as are or may be required to continue such qualifications in effect for so long a period as the Representatives may reasonably request for distribution of the Shares.
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(f) The Company will deliver to, or upon the order of, the Representatives, from time to time, as many copies of any Preliminary Prospectus as the Representatives may reasonably request. The Company will deliver to, or upon the order of, the Representatives, from time to time, as many copies of any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as the Representatives may reasonably request. The Company will deliver to, or upon the order of, the Representatives during the period when delivery of a Prospectus (or, in lieu thereof, the notice referred to under Rule 173(a) under the Act) (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”) is required under the Act, as many copies of the Prospectus in final form, or as thereafter amended or supplemented, as the Representatives may reasonably request. The Company will deliver to the Representatives at or before the Closing Date, four signed copies of the Registration Statement and all amendments thereto including all exhibits filed therewith, and will deliver to the Representatives such number of copies of the Registration Statement (including such number of copies of the exhibits filed therewith that may reasonably be requested), and of all amendments thereto, as the Representatives may reasonably request.
(g) The Company will comply with the Act and the Rules and Regulations, and the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Shares as contemplated in this Agreement and the Prospectus. If during the period in which a prospectus (or, in lieu thereof, the notice referred to under Rule 173(a) under the Act) is required by law to be delivered by an Underwriter or dealer, any event or development shall occur as a result of which, in the judgment of the Company or in the reasonable opinion of the Underwriters, it becomes necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at the time the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or, if it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with any law, the Company promptly will prepare and file with the Commission an appropriate amendment to the Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus so that the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when it is so delivered, be misleading, or so that the Prospectus will comply with the law.
(h) If the General Disclosure Package is being used to solicit offers to buy the Shares at a time when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and any event or development shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which, in the judgment of the Company or in the reasonable opinion of the Underwriters, it becomes necessary to amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances, not misleading, or to make the statements therein not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement then on file, or if it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package to comply with any law, the Company promptly will prepare, file with the Commission (if required) and furnish to the Underwriters and any dealers an appropriate amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package.
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(i) The Company will make generally available to its security holders, as soon as it is practicable to do so, but in any event not later than 15 months after the effective date of the Registration Statement, an earnings statement (which need not be audited) in reasonable detail, covering a period of at least 12 consecutive months beginning after the effective date of the Registration Statement, which earnings statement shall satisfy the requirements of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158 under the Act and will advise you in writing when such statement has been so made available.
(j) Prior to the Closing Date, the Company will furnish to the Underwriters, as soon as they have been prepared by or are available to the Company, a copy of any unaudited interim financial statements of the Company for any period subsequent to the period covered by the most recent financial statements appearing in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(k) No offering, pledge, sale, contract to sell, short sale or other disposition of any shares of Common Stock of the Company or other securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for shares of Common Stock or derivative of Common Stock (or agreement for such) will be made for a period of 180 days after the date of the Prospectus, directly or indirectly, by the Company otherwise than hereunder or with the prior written consent of the Representatives; provided, however, that (i) the Company may issue and sell Common Stock or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock pursuant to any compensatory stock option plan, stock ownership plan or dividend reinvestment plan of the Company in effect at the Applicable Time and disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (ii) the Company may issue and sell up to an aggregate of 149,285 shares of Common Stock pursuant to certain rights of its aircraft lessors to purchase shares of Common Stock disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and (iii) the Company may issue Common Stock issuable upon the exercise or conversion of securities outstanding at the Applicable Time or pursuant to the transactions contemplated by the 2014 Recapitalization Agreement, as disclosed in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if (1) during the last 17 days of the 180-day restricted period, the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs, or (2) prior to the expiration of the 180-day restricted period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period following the last day of the 180-day restricted period, then in each case the restrictions imposed by this Agreement shall continue to apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the date of the release of the earnings results or the occurrence of material news or a material event relating to the Company, as the case may be, unless the Representatives waive, in writing, such extension. The Company shall promptly notify the Representatives of any earnings release, news or event that may give rise to an extension of the initial 180-day restricted period.
(l) The Company will use its best efforts to list the Shares on the NASDAQ Global Market.
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(m) The Company has caused each officer and director and shareholder of the Company listed on Schedule V attached hereto to execute and deliver to you, on or prior to the date of this agreement, a letter or letters, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Lockup Agreement”). If the Representatives, in their sole discretion, agree to release or waive the restrictions set forth in a Lockup Agreement for an officer or director of the Company and provides the Company with notice of the impending release or waiver, substantially in the form attached as Exhibit B hereto, at least three business days before the effective date of the release or waiver, the Company agrees to announce the impending release or waiver by a press release substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto through a major news service or any other method that satisfies the obligations described in FINRA Rule 5131(d)(2) at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver.
(n) The Company shall apply the net proceeds of its sale of the Shares as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(o) The Company shall file with the Commission such information on Form 10-Q or Form 10-K, as may be required by Rule 463 under the Act.
(p) The Company shall not invest, or otherwise use the proceeds received by the Company from its sale of the Shares in such a manner as would require the Company or any of the Subsidiaries to register as an investment company under the 0000 Xxx.
(q) The Company will maintain a transfer agent and, if necessary under the jurisdiction of incorporation of the Company, a registrar for the Common Stock.
(r) The Company has entered, or will enter, stop transfer instructions with its transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of any of its equity securities by any person or entity who is an equityholder on the date hereof and is subject to the transfer restrictions set forth in a Lockup Agreement. The Company will not lift such stop transfer instructions during the period ending 180 days after the date of the Prospectus (or such restricted period as may be extended as set forth in the Lockup Agreements and the last paragraph of Section 4(k)) without the prior written consent of the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters.
(s) The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in, or that has constituted or might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities of the Company.
(ii) Each of the Selling Shareholders, severally and not jointly, covenants and agrees with the several Underwriters that:
(a) In order to document the Underwriters’ compliance with the reporting and withholding provisions of the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 and the Interest and Dividend Tax Compliance Act of 1983 with respect to the transaction herein contemplated, each of
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the Selling Shareholders agrees to deliver to you prior to or at the Closing Date a properly completed and executed United States Treasury Department Form W-8 or W-9 (or other applicable form or statement specified by Treasury Department regulations in lieu thereof).
(b) During the Prospectus Delivery Period, such Selling Shareholder will advise the Representatives promptly, and will confirm such advice in writing to the Representatives, of any material change in the information relating to such Selling Shareholder in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any document comprising the General Disclosure Package.
5. COSTS AND EXPENSES.
The Company will pay all costs, expenses and fees incident to the performance of the obligations of the Sellers under this Agreement, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the following: (i) accounting fees of the Company; (ii) the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company and the Selling Shareholders; (iii) all costs and expenses related to the transfer and delivery of the Shares to the Underwriters, including any transfer or other taxes payable thereon; (iv) any roadshow expenses; (v) the cost of printing and delivering to, or as requested by, the Underwriters copies of the Registration Statement, Preliminary Prospectuses, the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses, the Prospectus, this Agreement, the listing application, any blue sky survey, in each case, any supplements or amendments thereto; (vi) the filing fees of the Commission; (vii) the filing fees and expenses (including legal fees and disbursements) incident to securing any required review by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Shares; (viii) all expenses and application fees related to the listing of the Shares on the NASDAQ Global Market; (ix) the cost of printing certificates, if any, representing the Shares; (x) the costs and charges of any transfer agent, registrar or depositary; (xi) the costs and expenses (including without limitation any damages or other amounts payable in connection with legal or contractual liability) associated with the reforming of any contracts for sale of the Shares made by the Underwriters caused by a breach of the representation in Section 1(b) hereof; and (xii) and the expenses, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters, incurred in connection with the qualification of the Shares under foreign or state securities or blue sky laws and the preparation, printing and distribution of a blue sky memorandum (including the related fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters); provided that the amount payable by the Company with respect to fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters incurred pursuant to subsections (vii) and (xii) shall not exceed $35,000. Any transfer taxes imposed on the sale of the Shares to the several Underwriters will be paid by the Sellers pro rata. The Sellers shall not, however, be required to pay for any of the Underwriter’s expenses except that, if this Agreement shall not be consummated because the conditions in Section 6 hereof are not satisfied, or because this Agreement is terminated by the Representatives pursuant to Section 11(i) hereof, or by reason of any failure, refusal or inability on the part of the Company or the Selling Shareholders to perform any undertaking or satisfy any condition of this Agreement or to comply with any of the terms hereof on their part to be performed, unless such failure, refusal or inability is due primarily to the default or omission of any Underwriter, the Company shall reimburse the several Underwriters for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, including fees and disbursements of counsel, reasonably incurred in connection with
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investigating, marketing and proposing to market the Shares or in contemplation of performing their obligations hereunder; but the Company and the Selling Shareholders shall not in any event be liable to any of the several Underwriters for damages on account of loss of anticipated profits from the sale by them of the Shares.
6. CONDITIONS OF OBLIGATIONS OF THE UNDERWRITERS.
The several obligations of the Underwriters to purchase the Firm Shares on the Closing Date and the Option Shares, if any, on the Option Closing Date are subject to the accuracy, as of the Applicable Time, the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, of the representations and warranties of the Company and the Selling Shareholders contained herein, and to the performance by the Company and the Selling Shareholders of their covenants and obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:
(a) The Registration Statement and all post-effective amendments thereto shall have become effective and the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus required shall have been filed as required by Rules 424, 430A, 430B, 430C or 433 under the Act, as applicable, within the time period prescribed by, and in compliance with, the Rules and Regulations, and any request of the Commission for additional information (to be included in the Registration Statement or otherwise) shall have been disclosed to the Representatives and complied with to the Commission’s satisfaction. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, as amended from time to time, shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A under the Act shall have been taken or, to the knowledge of the Company or the Selling Shareholders, shall be contemplated or threatened by the Commission and no injunction, restraining order or order of any nature by a federal or state court of competent jurisdiction shall have been issued as of the Closing Date which would prevent the issuance of the Shares.
(b) The Representatives shall have received on the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, the opinions of (i) Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Company and the Firm Selling Shareholder, (ii) Akin Gump Xxxxxxx Xxxxx & Xxxx LLP, Xxxx, Weiss, Rifkind, Xxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP and Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP, counsel for each of the Option Selling Shareholders, respectively, and (iii) Xxxxxxx, Scoutt & Rasenberger, LLP, special regulatory counsel for the Company, each dated the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, addressed to the Underwriters (and stating that it may be relied upon by counsel to the Underwriters) substantially in the form of Annex A, Annex B and Annex C hereto, respectively.
(c) The Representatives shall have received from Xxxxx Xxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, an opinion and 10b-5 statement, dated the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, with respect to such matters as the Representatives may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received such documents and information as they may reasonably request from the Company to enable them to pass upon such matters.
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(d) You shall have received, on each of the date hereof, the Closing Date and, if applicable, the Option Closing Date, a letter dated the date hereof, the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, in form and substance satisfactory to you, of Ernst & Young LLP confirming that they are an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company and the Subsidiaries within the meaning of the Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations and the PCAOB and stating that in their opinion the financial statements and schedules examined by them and included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus comply in form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the related Rules and Regulations; and containing such other statements and information as is ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial and statistical information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(e) The Representatives shall have received on the Closing Date and, if applicable, the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, a certificate or certificates of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company to the effect that, as of the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, each of them severally represents as follows:
(i) The Registration Statement has become effective under the Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or no order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued, and no proceedings for such purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Act have been taken or are, to his or her knowledge, contemplated or threatened by the Commission;
(ii) The representations and warranties of the Company contained in Section 1 hereof are true and correct in all material respects as of the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be;
(iii) All filings required to have been made pursuant to Rules 424, 430A, 430B or 430C under the Act have been made as and when required by such rules;
(iv) He or she has carefully examined the General Disclosure Package and any individual Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus and, in his or her opinion, as of the Applicable Time, the statements contained in the General Disclosure Package and any individual Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact, and such General Disclosure Package and any individual Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, did not omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
(v) He or she has carefully examined the Registration Statement and, in his or her opinion, as of the effective date of the Registration Statement, the Registration Statement and
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any amendments thereto did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, and since the effective date of the Registration Statement, no event has occurred which should have been set forth in a supplement to or an amendment of the Prospectus which has not been so set forth in such supplement or amendment;
(vi) He or she has carefully examined the Prospectus and, in his or her opinion, as of its date and the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, the Prospectus and any amendments and supplements thereto did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and
(vii) Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and Prospectus, there has not been any material adverse change or any development involving a prospective material adverse change in the business, management, properties, assets, operations or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business.
(f) The Representatives shall have received on the Closing Date a certificate of the Firm Selling Shareholder, and, if applicable, on the Option Closing Date, a certificate of the Option Selling Shareholders, in each case to the effect that, as of the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be:
(i) The representations and warranties of such Selling Shareholder contained in Section 1 hereof are true and correct in all material respects as of the Closing Date (with respect to the Firm Shares) or the Option Closing Date (with respect to the Option Shares), as the case may be; and
(ii) Such Selling Shareholder has complied with all of the agreements and satisfied all of the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder on or prior to such date.
(g) The Company and the Selling Shareholders shall have furnished to the Representatives such further certificates and documents confirming the representations and warranties, covenants and conditions contained herein and related matters as the Representatives may reasonably have requested.
(h) The Firm Shares and Option Shares, if any, have been duly listed, subject to notice of issuance, on the NASDAQ Global Market.
(i) The Lockup Agreements described in Section 4(i)(m) hereof are in full force and effect.
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(j) No action shall have been taken and no statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any federal, state or foreign governmental or regulatory authority that would, as of the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, prevent the issuance or sale of the Shares by the Company or the sale of the Shares by the Selling Shareholders; and no injunction or order of any federal, state or foreign court shall have been issued that would, as of the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, prevent the issuance or sale of the Shares by the Company or the sale of the Shares by the Selling Shareholders.
(k) If any Selling Shareholder is not a U.S. person for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Company will deliver to each Underwriter (or its agent), on or before the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, (i) a certificate with respect to the Company’s status as a “United States real property holding corporation,” dated not more than thirty (30) days prior to the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, as described in Treasury Regulations Sections 1.897-2(h) and 1.1445-2(c)(3), and (ii) proof of delivery to the IRS of the required notice, as described in Treasury Regulations 1.897-2(h)(2).
The opinions and certificates mentioned in this Agreement shall be deemed to be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are in all material respects satisfactory to the Representatives and to Xxxxx Xxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Underwriters.
If any of the conditions hereinabove provided for in this Section 6 shall not have been fulfilled when and as required by this Agreement to be fulfilled, the obligations of the Underwriters hereunder may be terminated by the Representatives by notifying the Company and the Selling Shareholders of such termination in writing or by telegram at or prior to the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be.
In such event, the Selling Shareholders, the Company and the Underwriters shall not be under any obligation to each other (except to the extent provided in Sections 5 and 7 hereof).
7. INDEMNIFICATION.
(a) The Company agrees:
(i) to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, the directors and officers of each Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which such Underwriter or any such controlling person may become subject under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or
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supplement thereto, (ii) with respect to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement thereto, the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (iii) with respect to any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances under which they were made; provided, however, that the Company will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement, or omission or alleged omission made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus, or such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by or through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 13 hereof; and
(ii) to reimburse each Underwriter, each Underwriters’ directors and officers, and each such controlling person upon demand for any legal or other out-of-pocket expenses reasonably incurred by such Underwriter or such controlling person in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage or liability, action or proceeding or in responding to a subpoena or governmental inquiry related to the offering of the Shares, whether or not such Underwriter or controlling person is a party to any action or proceeding. In the event that it is finally judicially determined that the Underwriters were not entitled to receive payments for legal and other expenses pursuant to this subparagraph, the Underwriters will promptly return all sums that had been advanced pursuant hereto.
(b) Each Selling Shareholder agrees, severally and not jointly, in proportion to the number of shares of Common Stock to be sold by each of them hereunder, to indemnify the Underwriters, each Underwriter’s directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which such Underwriter or controlling person may become subject under the Act or otherwise to the same extent as indemnity is provided by the Company pursuant to Section 7(a) hereof; provided, however, that such Selling Shareholder shall be liable only to the extent that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information relating to such Selling Shareholder furnished by or on behalf of such Selling Shareholder to the Company or the Representatives, specifically for use therein, which written information is acknowledged to be limited to the information described in Section 1(ii)(e) above. This indemnity obligation will be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have. The aggregate liability of each Selling Shareholder under Section 7(b) and 7(e) or any claim for breach of representations and warranties of such Selling Shareholder contained in Section 1 shall be limited to the aggregate proceeds, after underwriting discounts and commissions (but before any taxes and expenses which may be payable by such Selling Shareholder), from the offering of the Option Shares purchased under this Agreement received by such Selling Shareholder.
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(c) Each Underwriter severally and not jointly will indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who have signed the Registration Statement, the Selling Shareholders, and each person, if any, who controls the Company or the Selling Shareholders within the meaning of the Act, against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Company or any such director, officer, Selling Shareholder or controlling person may become subject under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, (ii) with respect to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement thereto, the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (iii) with respect to any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances under which they were made; and will reimburse any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company or any such director, officer, Selling Shareholder, or controlling person in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability, action or proceeding; provided, however, that each Underwriter will be liable in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission has been made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by or through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 13 hereof. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which such Underwriter may otherwise have.
(d) In case any proceeding (including any governmental investigation) shall be instituted involving any person in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to this Section 7, such person (the “indemnified party”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnity may be sought (the “indemnifying party”) in writing. No indemnification provided for in Section 7(a), (b), or (c), hereof shall be available to any party who shall fail to give notice as provided in this Section 7(e) if the party to whom notice was not given was unaware of the proceeding to which such notice would have related and was materially prejudiced by the failure to give such notice, but the failure to give such notice shall not relieve the indemnifying party or parties from any liability which it or they may have to the indemnified party for contribution or otherwise than on account of the provisions of Section 7(a), (b), or (c), [hereof. In case any such proceeding shall be brought against any indemnified party and it shall notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume
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the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party and shall pay as incurred 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 at its own expense. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the indemnifying party shall pay as incurred (or within 30 days of presentation) the fees and expenses of the counsel retained by the indemnified party in the event (i) the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel, (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 or (iii) the indemnifying party shall have failed to assume the defense and employ counsel acceptable to the indemnified party within a reasonable period of time after notice of commencement of the action. Such firm shall be designated in writing by you in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 7(a), (b), or (c)] hereof and by the Company and the Selling Shareholders in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 7(c) hereof. 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. In addition, the indemnifying party will not, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment in any pending or threatened claim, action or proceeding of which indemnification may be sought hereunder (whether or not any indemnified party is an actual or potential party to such claim, action or proceeding) unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such claim, action or proceeding and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party. If at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, such 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 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.
(e) To the extent the indemnification provided for in this Section 7 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under Section 7(a), (b), or (c), hereof in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Shareholders on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Shares. If, however, the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by applicable law then each indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount paid or payable by such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only
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such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company and the Selling Shareholders on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Shareholders on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the Selling Shareholders bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or the Selling Shareholders on the one hand or the Underwriters on the other and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
The Company, the Selling Shareholders and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this Section 7(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 which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 7(e). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) referred to above in this Section 7(e) shall be deemed to include 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 7(e), (i) no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting discounts and commissions applicable to the Shares purchased by such Underwriter, (ii) no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation, and (iii) no Selling Shareholder shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the proceeds received by such Selling Shareholder in the offering of shares of Common Stock, after underwriting discounts and commissions (but before any taxes and expenses which may be payable by such Selling Shareholder). The Underwriters’ obligations in this Section 7(e) to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.
(f) In any proceeding relating to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any supplement or amendment thereto, each party against whom contribution may be sought under this Section 7 hereby consents to the exclusive jurisdiction of (i) the federal courts of the United States of America located in the City and County of New York, Borough of Manhattan and (ii) the courts of the State of New York located in the City and County of New York, Borough of Manhattan (collectively, the “Specified Courts”), agrees that process issuing from such courts may be served upon it by any other contributing party and consents to the service of such process and agrees that any other contributing party may join it as an additional defendant in any such proceeding in which such other contributing party is a party.
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(g) Any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses for which an indemnified party is entitled to indemnification or contribution under this Section 7 shall be paid by the indemnifying party to the indemnified party as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses are incurred. The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this Section 7 and the representations and warranties of the Company set forth in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, its directors or officers or any person controlling any Underwriter, the Company, its directors or officers or any persons controlling the Company, (ii) acceptance of any Shares and payment therefor hereunder, and (iii) any termination of this Agreement. A successor to any Underwriter, its directors or officers or any person controlling any Underwriter, or to the Company, its directors or officers, or any person controlling the Company, shall be entitled to the benefits of the indemnity, contribution and reimbursement agreements contained in this Section 7.
8. RESEARCH ANALYST INDEPENDENCE
The Company acknowledges that the Underwriters’ research analysts and research departments are required to be independent from their respective investment banking divisions and are subject to certain regulations and internal policies, and that such Underwriters’ research analysts may hold views and make statements or investment recommendations and/or publish research reports with respect to the Company and/or the offering that differ from the views of their respective investment banking divisions. The Company hereby waives and releases, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that the Company may have against the Underwriters with respect to any conflict of interest that may arise from the fact that the views expressed by their independent research analysts and research departments may be different from or inconsistent with the views or advice communicated to the Company by such Underwriters’ investment banking divisions. The Company acknowledges that each of the Underwriters is a full service securities firm and as such from time to time, subject to applicable securities laws, may effect transactions for its own account or the account of its customers and hold long or short positions in debt or equity securities of the companies that may be the subject of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
9. DEFAULT BY UNDERWRITERS.
If on the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, any Underwriter shall fail to purchase and pay for the portion of the Shares which such Underwriter has agreed to purchase and pay for on such date (otherwise than by reason of any default on the part of the Company or a Selling Shareholder), you, as Representatives of the Underwriters, shall use your reasonable efforts to procure within 36 hours thereafter one or more of the other Underwriters, or any others, to purchase from the Company and the Selling Shareholders such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms set forth herein, the Shares which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters failed to purchase. If during such 36 hours you, as such Representatives, shall not have procured such other Underwriters, or any others, to purchase the Shares agreed to be purchased by the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then (a) if the aggregate number of shares with
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respect to which such default shall occur does not exceed 10% of the Shares to be purchased on the Closing Date or the Option Closing date, as the case may be, the other Underwriters shall be obligated, severally, in proportion to the respective numbers of Shares which they are obligated to purchase hereunder, to purchase the Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters failed to purchase, or (b) if the aggregate number of shares of Shares with respect to which such default shall occur exceeds 10% of the Shares to be purchased on the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, the Company and the Selling Shareholders or you as the Representatives of the Underwriters will have the right, by written notice given within the next 36-hour period to the parties to this Agreement, to terminate this Agreement without liability on the part of the non-defaulting Underwriters or of the Company or the Selling Shareholders except to the extent provided in Sections 5 and 7 hereof. In the event of a default by any Underwriter or Underwriters, as set forth in this Section 9, the Closing Date or Option Closing Date, as the case may be, may be postponed for such period, not exceeding seven days, as you, as Representatives, may determine in order that the required changes in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or in the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected. The term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for a defaulting Underwriter. Any action taken under this Section 9 shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.
10. NOTICES.
All communications hereunder shall be in writing and, except as otherwise provided herein, will be mailed, delivered, telecopied or telegraphed and confirmed as follows: if to the Underwriters, to Barclays Capital Inc., 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attention: Syndicate Registration (Fax: (000) 000-0000), with a copy to the Director of Litigation, Office of the General Counsel, Barclays Capital Inc., 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, or to Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., 00 Xxxx Xxxxxx, 0xx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attention: Equity Capital Markets – Syndicate Desk, fax: (000) 000-0000 , with a copy to Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., 00 Xxxx Xxxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attention: General Counsel, fax: (000) 000-0000; if to the Company, to Virgin America Inc., 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000, Attention: Xxxx X. Xxxxxx; if to the Firm Selling Shareholder, to c/o Virgin America Inc., 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000, Attention: Xxxx X. Xxxxxx; or if to the Option Selling Shareholders, to (i) Cyrus Capital Partners, L.P., 000 Xxxx Xxxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000; Attention: Xxxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx, fax: (000) 000-0000, with a copy to Akin Gump Xxxxxxx Xxxxx & Xxxx LLP, at Xxx Xxxxxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000, Attention: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx III, fax: (000) 000-0000; (ii) CM Finance, Inc, 000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attention: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx, with a copy to Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP, 000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx XX, Xxxxx 000, Xxxxxxxxxx XX 00000, Attention: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx; and (iii) Virgin Management USA, Inc., 00 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, 0xx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, XX, 00000, Attention: Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxx, with a copy to Xxxx, Weiss, Rifkind, Xxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx, LLP, 0000 Xxxxxx xx xxx Xxxxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000, Attention: Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx, fax: (000) 000-0000.
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11. TERMINATION.
This Agreement may be terminated by you by notice to the Sellers (a) at any time prior to the Closing Date or any Option Closing Date (if different from the Closing Date and then only as to Option Shares) if any of the following has occurred: (i) since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, any material adverse change or any development involving a prospective material adverse change in the earnings, business, management properties, assets, operations or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business; (ii) any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or declaration of war or national emergency or other national or international calamity or crisis (including, without limitation, an act of terrorism) or change in economic or political conditions if the effect of such outbreak, escalation, declaration, emergency, calamity, crisis or change on the financial markets of the United States would, in your judgment, materially impair the investment quality of the Shares; (iii) suspension of trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange or the NASDAQ Global Market or limitation on prices (other than limitations on hours or numbers of days of trading) for securities on any such exchange; (iv) the declaration of a banking moratorium by the United States or New York State authorities; (v) any downgrading, or placement on any watch list for possible downgrading, in the rating of any of the Company’s debt securities or preferred stock by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (within the meaning of Rule 15c3-1(c)(2)(vi)(F) under the Exchange Act) or any public announcement by such organization that it has under surveillance or review, or has changed its outlook with respect to, its rating of any such debt securities or preferred stock (other than an announcement with positive implications of a possible upgrading); or (vii) the suspension of trading of the Company’s common stock by the NASDAQ Global Market, the Commission or any other governmental authority; or (b) as provided in Sections 6 and 9 of this Agreement.
12. SUCCESSORS.
This Agreement has been and is made solely for the benefit of the Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Shareholders and their respective successors, executors, administrators, heirs and assigns, and the officers, directors and controlling persons referred to herein, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder. No purchaser of any of the Shares from any Underwriter shall be deemed a successor or assign merely because of such purchase.
13. INFORMATION PROVIDED BY UNDERWRITERS.
The Company and the Selling Shareholders and the Underwriters acknowledge and agree that the only information furnished or to be furnished by any Underwriter to the Company for inclusion in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or the Prospectus consists of the information set forth in the [ ] paragraphs under the caption “Underwriting” in the Prospectus.
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14. MISCELLANEOUS.
The reimbursement, indemnification and contribution agreements contained in this Agreement and the representations, warranties and covenants in this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect regardless of (a) any termination of this Agreement, (b) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or controlling person thereof, or by or on behalf of the Company or its directors or officers, or any Selling Shareholder or controlling person thereof, as the case may be, and (c) delivery of and payment for the Shares under this Agreement.
The Company and the Selling Shareholders acknowledge and agree that each Underwriter in providing investment banking services to the Company and the Selling Shareholders in connection with the offering, including in acting pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, has acted and is acting as an independent contractor and not as a fiduciary and the Company and the Selling Shareholders do not intend such Underwriter to act in any capacity other than as an independent contractor, including as a fiduciary or in any other position of higher trust. Additionally, neither the Representatives nor any other Underwriter is advising the Company and the Selling Shareholders or any other person as to any legal, tax, investment, accounting or regulatory matters in any jurisdiction. The Company and the Selling Shareholders shall consult with their own advisors concerning such matters and shall be responsible for making their own independent investigation and appraisal of the transactions contemplated hereby, and the Underwriters shall have no responsibility or liability to the Company or the Selling Shareholders with respect thereto. Any review by the Underwriters of the Company, the transactions contemplated hereby or other matters relating to such transactions will be performed solely for the benefit of the Underwriters and shall not be on behalf of the Company or the Selling Shareholders.
This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the law of the State of New York, including, without limitation, Section 5-1401 of the New York General Obligations Law.
The Underwriters, on the one hand, and the Company (on its own behalf and, to the extent permitted by law, on behalf of its stockholders) and each of the Selling Shareholders, on the other hand, waive any right to trial by jury in any action, claim, suit or proceeding with respect to your engagement as underwriter or your role in connection herewith.
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to us the enclosed duplicates hereof, whereupon it will become a binding agreement among the Selling Shareholders, the Company and the several Underwriters in accordance with its terms.
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The foregoing Underwriting Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted as of the date first above written.
Very truly yours, | ||
VIRGIN AMERICA INC. | ||
By: |
| |
Name: |
| |
Title: |
|
The foregoing Underwriting Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted as of the date first above written.
VX EMPLOYEE HOLDINGS, LLC | ||
By: |
| |
Name: |
| |
Title: |
|
2
The foregoing Underwriting Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted as of the date first above written.
CYRUS AVIATION HOLDINGS, LLC | ||
By: |
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Name: |
| |
Title: |
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CM FINANCE INC | ||
By: |
| |
Name: |
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Title: |
| |
VX HOLDINGS, L.P. By: Corvina Holdings Limited, Its General Partner | ||
By: |
| |
Name: |
| |
Title: |
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3
The foregoing Underwriting Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted as of the date first above written.
BARCLAYS CAPITAL INC. | ||
DEUTSCHE BANK SECURITIES INC. | ||
As Representatives of the several | ||
Underwriters listed on Schedule I hereto | ||
By: Barclays Capital Inc. | ||
By: |
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Name: |
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Title: |
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By: Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. | ||
By: |
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Name: |
| |
Title: |
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4
SCHEDULE I
SCHEDULE OF UNDERWRITERS
Underwriter |
Number of Firm Shares to be Purchased | |
Barclays Capital Inc. |
||
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. |
||
Xxxxxxx Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx |
||
Incorporated |
||
Xxxxx and Company, LLC |
||
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co. |
||
Imperial Capital, LLC |
||
Loyal3 Securities, Inc. |
||
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx & Associates, Inc. |
||
| ||
Total |
||
|
SCHEDULE II
SCHEDULE OF OPTION SELLING SHAREHOLDERS
Name of Seller |
Maximum Number of Option Shares to be Sold |
Percentage of Total Number of Option Shares |
||||
Cyrus Aviation Holdings, LLC |
47.33 | % | ||||
CM Finance Inc |
2.67 | % | ||||
VX Holdings, L.P. |
50.00 | % | ||||
|
|
|
||||
Total |
100 | % | ||||
|
|
|