ACTIVISION BLIZZARD, INC. UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT dated May 23, 2017 Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated J.P. Morgan Securities LLC Wells Fargo Securities, LLC
Exhibit 1.1
Execution Version
dated May 23, 2017
Xxxxxxx Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx Incorporated
X.X. Xxxxxx Securities LLC
Xxxxx Fargo Securities, LLC
May 23, 2017
XXXXXXX LYNCH, PIERCE, XXXXXX & XXXXX INCORPORATED
X.X. XXXXXX SECURITIES LLC
XXXXX FARGO SECURITIES, LLC
As Representatives of the several Underwriters
c/o MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, XXXXXX & XXXXX INCORPORATED
Xxx Xxxxxx Xxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Introductory. Activision Blizzard, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the several underwriters named in Schedule A hereto (the “Underwriters”), for whom you (the “Representatives”) are acting as representatives, $400,000,000 principal amount of its 2.600% Senior Notes due 2022 (the “2022 Notes”), $400,000,000 principal amount of its 3.400% Senior Notes due 2027 (the “2027 Notes”) and $400,000,000 principal amount of its 4.500% Senior Notes due 2047 (the “2047 Notes” and, together with the 2022 Notes and the 2027 Notes, the “Securities”)]. The Securities will be issued pursuant to an indenture to be dated as of May 26, 2017 (the “Base Indenture”), among the Company and Xxxxx Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”). Certain terms of the Securities will be established pursuant to a supplemental indenture to be dated as of May 26, 2017 (the “Supplemental Indenture”) to the Base Indenture (together with the Base Indenture, the “Indenture”). To the extent there are no additional underwriters listed on Schedule A other than you, the term Representatives as used herein shall mean you as the Underwriters, and the terms Representatives and Underwriters shall mean either the singular or plural as the context requires. The use of the neuter in this Underwriting Agreement (the “Agreement”) shall include the feminine and masculine wherever appropriate.
1. Representations and Warranties. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each of the Underwriters as of the date hereof that:
(a) The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-213520), which contains a base prospectus (the “Base Prospectus”), to be used in connection with the public offering and sale of the Securities. Such registration statement, as amended, including the financial statements, exhibits and schedules thereto, at each time of effectiveness under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”), including any required information deemed to be a part thereof at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430B or 430C under the Securities Act or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”), is called the “Registration Statement.” Any preliminary prospectus supplement relating to the Securities that is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule
424(b), together with the Base Prospectus, is hereafter called a “Preliminary Prospectus.” The term “Prospectus” shall mean the final prospectus supplement relating to the Securities that is first filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) after the date and time that this Agreement is executed and delivered by the parties hereto, including the Base Prospectus. Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act; any reference to any amendment or supplement to any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any documents filed after the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, as the case may be, under the Exchange Act, and incorporated by reference in such Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, as the case may be; and any reference to any amendment to the Registration Statement shall be deemed to refer to and include any annual report of the Company filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the effective date of the Registration Statement that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement.
(b) Compliance with Registration Requirements. The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the Securities Act. The Registration Statement has become effective upon filing with the Commission under the Securities Act. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement is in effect, the Commission has not issued any order or notice preventing or suspending the use of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus and no proceedings for such purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act have been instituted or are pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, are contemplated or threatened by the Commission.
Each of the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus when filed complied in all material respects with the Securities Act. Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at each time of effectiveness, at the date hereof and at the Closing Date, complied and will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading. The Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, as of its date, at the time of any filing pursuant to Rule 424(b) and, at the Closing Date, did not and will not contain 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 under which they were made, not misleading. The representations and warranties set forth in the two immediately preceding sentences do not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto, or the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements thereto, made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by the Representatives expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Representatives consists of the information described as such in Section 8(b) hereof.
The documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package (as defined herein) and the Prospectus, when they were filed with the Commission conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act. Any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement thereto, when such documents are filed with the Commission will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act. All documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, as of their respective dates, when taken together with the other information in the Disclosure Package, at the Applicable Time and, when taken together with the other information in the Prospectus, as of its date, at the time of any filing pursuant to Rule 424(b) and, at the Closing Date, did not or will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(c) Well-Known Seasoned Issuer. (i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement, (ii) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or form of prospectus), (iii) at the time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c) of the Securities Act) made any offer relating to the Securities in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163 of the Securities Act, and (iv) at the Applicable Time (with such date and time being used as the determination date for purposes of this clause (iv)), the Company was and is a “well-known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. The Registration Statement is an “automatic shelf registration statement,” as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act that has been filed with the Commission not earlier than three years prior to the Closing Date; the Company has not received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) of the Securities Act objecting to use of the automatic shelf registration statement form; and the Company has not otherwise ceased to be eligible to use the automatic shelf registration form.
(d) Disclosure Package. The term “Disclosure Package” shall mean (i) the Preliminary Prospectus, if any, as amended or supplemented, (ii) the issuer free writing prospectuses as defined in Rule 433 of the Securities Act (each, an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”), if any, identified in Schedule B hereto, (iii) any other free writing prospectus that the parties hereto shall hereafter expressly agree in writing to treat as part of the Disclosure Package and (iv) the Final Term Sheet (as defined herein), which also shall be identified in Schedule B hereto. As of 4:45 p.m. (Eastern time) on the date of this Agreement (the “Applicable Time”), the Disclosure Package did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from the Disclosure Package based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by or on behalf of any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 8(b) hereof.
(e) Company Not Ineligible Issuer. (i) At the earliest time after the filing of the Registration Statement relating to the Securities that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the Securities Act and (ii) as of the Applicable Time (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 of the Securities Act), without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 of the Securities Act that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an “ineligible issuer.”
(f) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the offering of Securities under this Agreement or until any earlier date that the Company notified or notifies the Representatives as described in the next sentence, did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, the Company has promptly notified or will promptly notify the Representatives and has promptly amended or supplemented or will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict. Any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus not identified on Schedule B, when taken together with the Disclosure Package, did not, and at the Closing Date will not, contain 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 under which they were made, not misleading. The foregoing three sentences do not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the 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 8(b) hereof.
(g) Distribution of Offering Material by the Company. The Company has not distributed nor will distribute, prior to the later of the Closing Date and the completion of the Underwriters’ distribution of the Securities, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities other than the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, the Final Term Sheet and any other Issuer Free Writing Prospectus reviewed and consented to by the Representatives.
(h) No Applicable Registration or Other Similar Rights. Other than as it relates to (i) the outstanding offer to exchange $650,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 2.300% Senior Notes due 2021 for $650,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 2.300% Senior Notes due 2021 that are registered under the Securities Act and (ii) the outstanding offering to exchange $850,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 3.400% Senior Notes due 2026 for $850,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 3.400% Senior Notes due 2026 that are registered under the Securities Act, there are no persons with registration or other similar rights to have any equity or debt securities registered for sale under the Registration Statement or included in the offering contemplated by this Agreement, except for such rights as have been duly waived.
(i) No Material Adverse Change. Since the date of the most recent financial statements of the Company incorporated by reference in each of the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there has not been any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the business, properties, rights, assets, management, financial position, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole (a “Material Adverse Change”), except in each case as otherwise disclosed in each of the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(j) Organization and Good Standing. The Company and each of its Significant Subsidiaries (as defined below) have been duly organized and are validly existing and in good standing under the laws of their respective jurisdictions of organization, are duly qualified to do business and are in good standing in each jurisdiction in which their respective ownership or lease of property or the conduct of their respective businesses requires such qualification, and have all power and authority necessary to own or hold their respective properties and to conduct the businesses in which they are engaged, except where the failure to be so qualified, in good standing or have such power or authority could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse effect in the business, properties, rights, assets, management, financial position, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or on the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement, the Indenture and the Securities (a “Material Adverse Effect”). The Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity that is a “significant subsidiary” as defined by Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X, promulgated pursuant to the Securities Act, other than the subsidiaries set forth in Schedule C to this Agreement (each a “Significant Subsidiary” and, collectively, the “Significant Subsidiaries”).
(k) Capitalization. The Company has the capitalization as set forth in each of the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the heading “Capitalization”; and all the outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity interests of each Significant Subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of any lien, charge, encumbrance, security interest, restriction on voting or transfer or any other claim of any third party (collectively, “Liens”), except for Liens permitted pursuant to the Indenture on the Closing Date
(l) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(m) The Securities. The Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Company have been duly authorized by the Company for issuance and sale pursuant to this Agreement and the Indenture and, at the Closing Date, will have been duly executed by the Company and, when authenticated in the manner provided for in the Indenture and delivered against payment of the purchase price therefor, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by general equitable principles, and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.
(n) The Indenture. The Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act. The Indenture has been duly authorized by the Company and, at the Closing Date, will have been duly executed and delivered by the Company and will constitute a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by general equitable principles.
(o) Description of Documents. The Securities and the Indenture will conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the captions “Description of Notes” and “Description of Debt Securities.”
(p) No Violation or Default. Neither the Company nor any of its Significant Subsidiaries is (i) in violation of its charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents; (ii) in default, and no event has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a default (“Default”), in the due performance or observance of any term, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries is bound or to which any property, right or asset of the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries is subject; or (iii) in violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, for any such default or violation that could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(q) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, the Securities and the Indenture (collectively, the “Transaction Documents”), the issuance and sale of the Securities and compliance by the Company with the terms thereof and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, result in the termination, modification or acceleration of, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property, right or asset of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument
to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any property, right or asset of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents of the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries or (iii) result in the violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except, in the case of clauses (i) and (iii) above, for any such conflict, breach, violation, default, lien, charge or encumbrance that could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(r) No Consents Required. No consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority is required for the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Transaction Documents, the issuance and sale of the Securities and compliance by the Company with the terms thereof and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, except for such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders and registrations or qualifications as may be required under applicable state securities laws in connection with the purchase and resale of the Securities by the Underwriters.
(s) Legal Proceedings. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no legal, governmental or regulatory investigations, actions, demands, claims, suits, arbitrations, inquiries or proceedings (“Actions”) pending to which the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries is or may be a party or to which any property, right or asset of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or may be the subject that, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; and no such Actions are, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by any governmental or regulatory authority.
(t) Independent Accountants. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, who have expressed their opinion with respect to the financial statements (which term as used in this Agreement includes the related notes thereto) and supporting schedules included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are independent public accountants with respect to the Company as required by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the applicable published rules and regulations thereunder and the rules of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States).
(u) Financial Statements. The financial statements and the related notes thereto included or incorporated by reference in each of the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the results of their operations and the changes in their cash flows for the periods specified; such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered thereby; and the other financial information included or incorporated by reference in each of the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus has been derived from the accounting
records of the Company and its subsidiaries and presents fairly in all material respects the information shown thereby. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly present the information called for in all material respects and have been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.
(v) Intellectual Property. (i) The Company and its Significant Subsidiaries own or have the right to use all material patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, trade names, trademark registrations, service xxxx registrations, domain names and other source indicators, copyrights and copyrightable works, know-how, trade secrets, systems, procedures, proprietary or confidential information and all other worldwide intellectual property, industrial property and proprietary rights (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) used in the conduct of their respective businesses; (ii) to the knowledge of the Company, the Company and its Significant Subsidiaries’ conduct of their respective businesses does not infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any Intellectual Property of any person; (iii) the Company and its Significant Subsidiaries have not received any written notice of any claim relating to Intellectual Property; and (iv) to the knowledge of the Company, the Intellectual Property of the Company and their Significant Subsidiaries is not being infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated by any person, except in each case of the foregoing clauses (i) to (iv) as could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(w) Licenses and Permits. The Company and its Significant Subsidiaries possess all licenses, sub-licenses, certificates, permits and other authorizations issued by, and have made all declarations and filings with, the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory authorities that are necessary under applicable law for the ownership or lease of their respective properties or the conduct of their respective businesses as described in each of the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except where the failure to possess or make the same could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect or except as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and except as described in each of the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its Significant Subsidiaries has received notice of any revocation or modification of any such license, sub-license, certificate, permit or authorization or has any reason to believe that any such license, certificate, permit or authorization will not be renewed in the ordinary course except for any of the foregoing that could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(x) Taxes. The Company and its Significant Subsidiaries have paid all federal, state, local and foreign taxes and filed all tax returns required to be paid or filed through the date hereof; after giving effect to any applicable extensions, except for (i) any such tax that is currently being contested in good faith or the failure of which to pay would not result in a Material Adverse Effect, (ii) any such return the failure of which to file would not result in a Material Adverse Effect or (iii) those disclosed in each of the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(y) Investment Company Act. The Company is not, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in each of the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, will not be, 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 “Investment Company Act”).
(z) No Price Stabilization or Manipulation. The Company has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that might be reasonably expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Securities.
(aa) Disclosure Controls. The Company maintains an effective system of “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act) that is designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, including controls and procedures designed to ensure that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. The Company has carried out evaluations of the effectiveness of their disclosure controls and procedures as required by Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act.
(bb) Accounting Controls. 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, 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. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as disclosed in each of the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in the Company’s internal controls.
(cc) No Unlawful Payments. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, nor any director, officer or employee of the Company or any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any agent, affiliate or representative of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made or taken an act in furtherance of an offer, promise or authorization of any direct or indirect unlawful
payment or benefit to any foreign or domestic government official or employee, including any government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or any applicable law or regulation implementing the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, or committed an offence under the Xxxxxxx Xxx 0000 of the United Kingdom, or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption law; or (iv) made, offered, agreed, requested or taken an act in furtherance of any unlawful bribe or other unlawful benefit, including, without limitation, any rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful or improper payment or benefit.
(dd) Compliance with Anti-Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including those of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the applicable money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions where the Company or any of its subsidiaries conducts business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Anti-Money Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(ee) No Conflicts with Sanctions Laws. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, directors, officers or employees, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any agent, affiliate or representative of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently the subject or the target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. government, (including, without limitation, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“OFAC”) or the U.S. Department of State and including, without limitation, the designation as a “specially designated national” or “blocked person”), the United Nations Security Council (“UNSC”), the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury (“HMT”), or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor is the Company or any of its subsidiaries located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject or target of Sanctions, including, without limitation, Burma (Myanmar), Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria and Crimea (each, a “Sanctioned Country”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Securities hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity (i) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business with any person that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject or target of Sanctions, (ii) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business in any Sanctioned Country or (iii) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, initial purchaser, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions.
(ff) Compliance with Environmental Laws. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company and its Significant Subsidiaries (x) are in compliance with any and all applicable foreign, federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (collectively, “Environmental Laws”); (y) have received all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses, and (z) are in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval, except where such noncompliance with Environmental Laws, failure to receive required permits, licenses or other approvals or failure to comply with the terms and conditions of such permits, licenses or approvals could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Except as described in each of the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company has not incurred and does not expect to incur costs or liabilities associated with Environmental Laws (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure of properties or compliance with Environmental Laws or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties) which could, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(gg) Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with any provision of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith (the “Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act”), including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.
Any certificate signed by an officer of the Company and delivered to the Representatives or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriter as to the matters set forth therein.
2. Purchase and Sale. The Company agrees to issue and sell to the several Underwriters the Securities upon the terms herein set forth and, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements and upon the terms but subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Underwriters agree, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company the respective aggregate principal amount of Securities set forth opposite their names on Schedule A. The purchase price per Security to be paid by the several Underwriters to the Company shall be equal to (i) 99.070% of the principal amount of the 2022 Notes, (ii) 98.717% of the principal amount of the 2027 Notes and (iii) 97.679% of the principal amount of the 2047 Notes.
3. Delivery and Payment; Representations and Warranties and Covenants of the Underwriters.
(a) Delivery of certificates or security entitlements for the Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters and payment therefor shall be made at the offices of Xxxxxx Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP (or such other place as may be agreed to by the Company and the Representatives) at 9:00 a.m. New York time, on May 26, 2017, or such other time and date not later than 1:30 p.m. New York time, on June 12, 2017, as the Representatives shall designate by notice to the Company (the time and date of such closing are called the “Closing Date”). Delivery of the Securities shall be made through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) unless the Representatives shall otherwise instruct.
(b) Public Offering of the Securities. The Representatives hereby advise the Company that the Underwriters intend to offer for sale to the public, as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, their respective portions of the Securities as soon after this Agreement has been executed the Representatives, in their sole judgment, have determined is advisable and practicable.
(c) Payment for the Securities. Payment for the Securities shall be made on the Closing Date by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the order of the Company.
It is understood that the Representatives have been authorized, for their own account and the accounts of the several Underwriters, to accept delivery of and receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Securities. Xxxxxxx Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx Incorporated (“Xxxxxxx Xxxxx”), X.X. Xxxxxx Securities LLC and Xxxxx Fargo Securities, LLC, individually and not as the Representative of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment for any Securities to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds shall not have been received by the Representatives by the Closing Date for the account of such Underwriter, but any such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from any of its obligations under this Agreement.
(d) Delivery of the Securities. Delivery of the Securities shall be made through the facilities of DTC unless the Representatives shall otherwise instruct. Time shall be of the essence, and delivery at the time and place specified in this Agreement is a further condition to the obligations of the Underwriters.
(e) Delivery of Prospectus to the Underwriters. Not later than 10:00 a.m. on the second business day following the date the Securities are first released by the Underwriters for sale to the public, the Company shall deliver or cause to be delivered, copies of the Prospectus in such quantities and at such places as the Representatives shall reasonably request.
4. Covenants. The Company covenants and agrees with each of the Underwriters as follows:
(a) Representatives Review of Proposed Amendments and Supplements. During the period beginning at the Applicable Time and ending on the later of the Closing Date or such date, as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, the Prospectus is no longer required by law to be delivered in connection with sales by an Underwriter or dealer, including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”), prior to amending or supplementing the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, the Company shall furnish to the Representatives for review a copy of each such proposed amendment or supplement, and the Company shall not file or use any such proposed amendment or supplement to which the Representatives reasonably object.
(b) Securities Act Compliance. After the date of this Agreement and during the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company shall promptly advise the Representatives in writing (i) when the Registration Statement, if not effective at the Applicable Time, shall have become effective, (ii) of the receipt of any comments of, or requests for additional or supplemental information from, the Commission, (iii) of the time and date of any filing of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, (iv) of the time and date that any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement becomes effective, and (v) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any order or notice preventing or suspending the use of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, or of any receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for sale in any jurisdiction or of the threatening or initiation of any proceedings for any of such purposes (including any notice or order pursuant to Section 8A or Rule 401(g)(2) of the Securities Act). The Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order or notice of prevention or suspension of such use. If the Commission shall enter any such stop order or issue any such notice at any time, the Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain the lifting or reversal of such order or notice at the earliest possible moment, or, subject to Section 4(a), will file an amendment to the Registration Statement or will file a new registration statement and use its best efforts to have such amendment or new registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable. Additionally, the Company agrees that it shall comply with the provisions of Rules 424(b) and 430B, as applicable, under the Securities Act, including with respect to the timely filing of documents thereunder, and will use commercially reasonable efforts to confirm that any filings made by the Company under such Rule 424(b) were received in a timely manner by the Commission.
(c) Final Term Sheet. The Company will prepare a final term sheet in a form approved by the Representatives, and will file such term sheet pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act within the time required by such rule (such term sheet, the “Final Term Sheet”).
(d) Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company represents that it has not made, and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Representatives, it will not make, any offer relating to the Securities that constitutes or would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that otherwise constitutes or would constitute a “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act) or a portion thereof required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433 of the Securities Act; provided that the prior written consent of the Representatives hereto shall be deemed to have been given in respect of the Free Writing Prospectuses included in Schedule B hereto and any electronic road show. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Representatives is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company agrees that (i) it has treated and will treat, as the case may be, each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and (ii) has complied and will comply, as the case may be, with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 of the Securities Act applicable to any Permitted
Free Writing Prospectus, including in respect of timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping. The Company consents to the use by any Underwriter of a free writing prospectus that (a) is not an “issuer free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 433, or (b) contains only (1) information describing the preliminary terms of the Securities or their offering, (2) information that describes the final terms of the Securities or their offering and that is included in the Final Term Sheet of the Company contemplated in Section 1(d) or (3) information permitted under Rule 134 under the Securities Act; provided that each Underwriter severally covenants with the Company not to take any action without the Company’s consent which consent shall be confirmed in writing that would result in the Company being required to file with the Commission under Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter that otherwise would not be required to be filed by the Company thereunder, but for the action of the Underwriter.
(e) Amendments and Supplements to the Registration Statement, Disclosure Package and Prospectus and Other Securities Act Matters. If, during the Prospectus Delivery Period, any event or development shall occur or condition exist as a result of which the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or if it shall be necessary to amend or supplement the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or to file under the Exchange Act any document incorporated by reference in the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or if it is otherwise necessary to amend or supplement the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or to file under the Exchange Act any document incorporated by reference in the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order to comply with law, the Company agrees to (i) notify the Representatives of any such event or condition and (ii) promptly prepare (subject to Section 4(a) and 4(e) hereof), file with the Commission (and use its best efforts to have any amendment to the Registration Statement or any new registration statement to be declared effective) and furnish at its own expense to the Underwriters and to dealers, amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, necessary in order to make the statements in the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading or so that the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with law.
(f) Copies of Any Amendments and Supplements to the Prospectus. The Company agrees to furnish to the Representatives, without charge, during the Prospectus Delivery Period, as many copies of the Prospectus and any amendments and supplements thereto (including any documents incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference therein) and the Disclosure Package as the Representatives may reasonably request.
(g) Copies of the Registration Statements and the Prospectus. The Company will furnish to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters signed copies of the Registration Statement and of each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed therewith but excluding any documents incorporated by reference therein and documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein) and, during the Prospectus Delivery Period, as many copies of each Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and any supplement thereto and the Disclosure Package as the Representatives may reasonably request.
(h) Blue Sky Compliance. The Company shall cooperate with the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters to qualify or register the Securities for sale under (or obtain exemptions from the application of) the state securities or blue sky laws or Canadian provincial securities laws or other foreign laws of those jurisdictions designated by the Representatives and consented to by the Company, and the Company shall comply in all material respects with such laws and shall continue such qualifications, registrations and exemptions in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Securities. The Company shall not be required to (i) qualify as a foreign corporation or other entity or as a dealer in securities in any such jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to so qualify, (ii) file any general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction or (iii) subject itself to taxation in any such jurisdiction if it is not otherwise so subject. The Company will advise the Representatives promptly of the suspension of the qualification or registration of (or any such exemption relating to) the Securities for offering, sale or trading in any jurisdiction or any initiation or threat of any proceeding for any such purpose, and in the event of the issuance of any order suspending such qualification, registration or exemption, the Company shall use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal thereof as soon as possible.
(i) Use of Proceeds. The Company shall apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities sold by it in the manner described under the caption “Use of Proceeds” in each of the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(j) Agreement Not to Offer to Sell Additional Securities. During the period from the date hereof through and including the Closing Date, the Company will not, without the prior written consent of Xxxxxxx Xxxxx (which consent may not be unreasonably withheld), directly or indirectly, sell, offer, contract or grant any option to sell, pledge, transfer or establish an open “put equivalent position” within the meaning of Rule 16a-1 under the Exchange Act, or otherwise dispose of or transfer, or announce the offering of, or file any registration statement under the Securities Act in respect of, any debt securities of the Company having a tenor of more than one year or securities exchangeable for or convertible into such debt securities of the Company (other than as contemplated by this Agreement).
(k) DTC. The Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to assist the Representatives in obtaining the approval of DTC to permit the Securities to be eligible for “book-entry” transfer and settlement through the facilities of DTC.
(l) Earnings Statement. As soon as practicable, the Company will make generally available to its security holders and to the Representatives an earnings statement
(which need not be audited) covering a period of at least twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company occurring after the “effective date” (as defined in Rule 158 under the Securities Act) of the Registration Statement.
(m) Periodic Reporting Obligations. During the Prospectus Delivery Period the Company shall file, on a timely basis, with the Commission and the Nasdaq Global Select Market all reports and documents required to be filed under the Exchange Act.
(n) Filing Fees. The Company agrees to pay the required Commission filing fees relating to the Securities within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1) of the Securities Act without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) of the Securities Act.
(o) Compliance with Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act. During the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company will comply with all applicable securities and other laws, rules and regulations, including, without limitation, the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act, and use its best efforts to cause the Company’s directors and officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with such laws, rules and regulations, including, without limitation, the provisions of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act.
(p) No Manipulation of Price. 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, under the Exchange Act or otherwise, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Securities.
5. Payment of Expenses. The Company agrees to pay all costs, fees and expenses incurred in connection with the performance of their obligations hereunder and in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including without limitation (i) all expenses incident to the issuance and delivery of the Securities (including all printing and engraving costs), (ii) all necessary issue, transfer and other stamp taxes in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities to the Underwriters, (iii) all fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel, independent public or certified public accountants and other advisors, (iv) all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation, printing, filing, shipping and distribution (including any form of electronic distribution) of the Registration Statement (including financial statements, exhibits, schedules, consents and certificates of experts), each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, each Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, and all amendments and supplements thereto, and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers, this Agreement, the Indenture and the Securities (but not, however, legal fees and expenses of the Underwriters’ counsel incurred in connection with any of the foregoing), (v) all filing fees, reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred by the Company or the Underwriters in connection with qualifying or registering (or obtaining exemptions from the qualification or registration of) all or any part of the Securities for offer and sale under the securities laws of the several states of the United States, the provinces of Canada or other jurisdictions designated by the Underwriters (including, without limitation, the cost of preparing, printing and mailing preliminary and final blue sky or legal investment memoranda, (vi) the fees and expenses of the Trustee, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Trustee in connection with the Indenture and the Securities,
(vii) any fees payable in connection with the rating of the Securities with the ratings agencies, (viii) the filing fees for FINRA’s review of the offering of the Securities, and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters in connection with compliance with FINRA’s rules and regulations, (ix) all fees and expenses (including reasonable fees and expenses of counsel) of the Company in connection with approval of the Securities by DTC for “book-entry” transfer, and the performance by the Company of its other obligations under this Agreement, (x) reasonable expenses incurred by the Company incident to the “road show” for the offering of the Securities, (xi) all other fees, costs and expenses referred to in Item 14 of Part II of the Registration Statement, and (xii) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder which are not otherwise specifically provided for in this Section 5. It is understood, however, that, except as provided in this Section 5, Section 7, Section 8 and Section 10 hereof, the Underwriters will pay all of their own costs and expenses, including the fees and expenses of their counsel.
6. Conditions to the Obligations of the Underwriters. The obligations of the Underwriters hereunder shall be subject, in their discretion, to the condition that all representations and warranties of the Company herein are true and correct at and as of the date hereof and the Closing Date, the condition that the Company shall have performed all of their respective obligations hereunder theretofore to be performed, and the following additional conditions:
(a) Accountants’ Comfort Letter. On the date hereof, the Underwriters shall have received from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent public accountants for the Company, a letter dated the date hereof addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, covering certain financial information included in or incorporated by reference in the Disclosure Package and other customary information.
(b) Compliance with Registration Requirements; No Stop Order. For the period from and after effectiveness of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date and, with respect to the Securities:
(i) the Company shall have filed the Prospectus with the Commission (including the information required by Rules 430A, 430B and 430C under the Securities Act) in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act;
(ii) the Final Term Sheet, and any other material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time periods prescribed for such filings under such Rule 433; and
(iii) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, or any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, shall be in effect and no proceedings for such purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act shall have been instituted or threatened by the Commission; and the Company shall not have received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) of the Securities Act objecting to use of the automatic shelf registration statement form.
(c) No Material Adverse Change or Ratings Agency Change. For the period from and after the date of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date:
(i) In the judgment of the Representatives, there shall not have occurred any Material Adverse Change; and
(ii) No downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded any of the Company’s securities, including the Securities, by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization,” as such term is defined under Section 3(a)(62) under the Exchange Act and (ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, or has changed its outlook with respect to, its rating of any of the Company’s securities, including the Securities (other than an announcement with positive implications of a possible upgrading).
(d) Opinion of Counsel for the Company. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Xxxxxxx & Xxxx LLP, counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to the Underwriters, at the request of the Company, their written opinion letters and 10b-5 statement, dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Underwriters, (x) in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect set forth in Exhibit A hereto and (y) with respect to tax matters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect set forth in Exhibit A hereto.
(e) Opinion and 10b-5 Statement of Counsel for the Underwriters. On the Closing Date, the Underwriters shall have received the opinion and 10b-5 statement of Xxxxxx Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated as of such Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to, and addressed to, the Underwriters, with respect to the issuance and sale of the Securities, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus (together with any supplement thereto), the Disclosure Package and other related matters as the Representatives may reasonably require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they reasonably request for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters.
(f) Officer’s Certificate. On the Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received a certificate of an executive officer or treasurer of the Company who has specific knowledge of the Company’s financial matters and is reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, dated as of the Closing Date, to the effect that the signer of such certificate has carefully examined the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto and this Agreement, to the effect set forth in subsections (b) and (c)(ii) of this Section 6, and further to the effect that:
(i) for the period from and after the date of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date, there has not occurred any Material Adverse Change;
(ii) the representations and warranties of the Company set forth in Section 1 of this Agreement are true and correct on and as of the Closing Date with the same force and effect as though expressly made on and as of the Closing Date; and
(iii) the Company has complied with all the agreements hereunder and satisfied all the conditions on its respective part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to the Closing Date.
(g) Bring-down Comfort Letter. On the Closing Date, the Underwriters shall have received from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent public accountants for the Company, a letter dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished by them pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section 6, except that (i) it shall cover certain financial information included in or incorporated by reference to the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto and (ii) the specified date referred to therein for the carrying out of procedures shall be no more than three business days prior to the Closing Date, as the case may be.
(h) Good Standing. The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date satisfactory evidence of the good standing of the Company in its jurisdiction of organization, in writing or any standard form of telecommunication from the appropriate governmental authorities of such jurisdictions.
(i) Form of Securities and Indenture. The Securities and the Indenture shall have been duly executed and delivered by a duly authorized officer of the Company and the Trustee, and the Securities shall have been duly executed and delivered by a duly authorized officer of the Company and duly authenticated by the Trustee.
(j) Closing Documents. At the Closing Date, the Company shall have furnished counsel for the Company or the Underwriters, as the case may be, such documents as they reasonably require for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties or fulfillment of any of the conditions herein contained.
If any condition specified in this Section 6 is not satisfied when and as required to be satisfied, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representatives by notice to the Company at any time on or prior to the Closing Date, which termination shall be without liability on the part of any party to any other party, except that Section 5, Section 7, Section 8, Section 12 and Section 15 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.
7. Reimbursement of Underwriters’ Expenses.
If this Agreement is terminated by the Representatives pursuant to Section 6, Section 9 or Section 10, or if the sale to the Underwriters of the Securities on the Closing Date is not consummated because of any refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company to perform any agreement herein or to comply with any provision hereof, the Company agrees to reimburse the Representatives and the other Underwriters (or such Underwriters as have terminated this Agreement with respect to themselves), severally, upon demand for all out-of-pocket expenses that shall have been reasonably incurred by the Representatives and the Underwriters in connection with the proposed purchase and the offering and sale of the Securities, including but not limited to fees and disbursements of counsel, printing expenses, travel expenses, postage, facsimile and telephone charges; provided that the Company shall not be obligated to reimburse any defaulting Underwriter for such costs and expenses in the event this Agreement is terminated pursuant to the second sentence of Section 9.
8. Indemnification.
(a) Indemnification of the Underwriters. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, legal fees and other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with any suit, action or proceeding or any claim asserted, as such fees and expenses are incurred), joint or several, that arise out of, or are based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, or any amendment thereto, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, in each case except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein.
(b) Indemnification of the Company. Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors and officers who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act to the same extent as the indemnity set forth in paragraph (a) above, but only with respect to any losses, claims, damages or liabilities that arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), it being understood and agreed that the only such information consists of the following paragraphs in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus: the fourth paragraph, the third and fourth sentences of the sixth paragraph and the seventh paragraph, under the heading “Underwriting” in each of the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(c) Notifications and Other Indemnification Procedures. If any suit, action, proceeding (including any governmental or regulatory investigation), claim or demand shall be brought or asserted against any person in respect of which indemnification may be sought pursuant to either paragraph (a) or (b) above, such person (the “Indemnified Person”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnification may be sought (the “Indemnifying Person”) in writing; provided that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have under paragraph (a) or (b) above except to the extent that it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) by such failure; and provided, further, that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have to an Indemnified Person otherwise than under paragraph (a) or (b) above. If any such proceeding shall be brought or asserted against an Indemnified Person and it shall have notified the Indemnifying Person thereof, the Indemnifying Person shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person (who shall not, without the consent of the Indemnified Person, be counsel to the Indemnifying Person) to represent the Indemnified Person and any others entitled to indemnification pursuant to this Section 8 that the Indemnifying Person may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and expenses of such proceeding and shall pay the fees and expenses of such counsel related to such proceeding, as incurred. In any such proceeding, any Indemnified Person shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Person unless (i) the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person shall have mutually agreed to the contrary; (ii) the Indemnifying Person has failed within a reasonable time to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person; (iii) the Indemnified Person shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it that are different from or in addition to those available to the Indemnifying Person; or (iv) the named parties in any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. It is understood and agreed that the Indemnifying Person shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceeding in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all Indemnified Persons, and that all such fees and expenses shall be reimbursed as they are incurred. Any such separate firm for any Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and any control persons of such Underwriter shall be designated in writing by the Representatives and any such separate firm for the Company, its directors and officers and any control persons of the Company shall be designated in writing by the Company. The Indemnifying Person shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the Indemnifying Person agrees to indemnify each Indemnified Person from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an Indemnified Person shall have requested that an Indemnifying Person reimburse the Indemnified Person for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by this paragraph, the Indemnifying Person shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by the Indemnifying Person of such request and (ii) the Indemnifying Person shall not have reimbursed the Indemnified Person in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No Indemnifying Person shall, without the written consent of the Indemnified Person, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any Indemnified Person is
or could have been a party and indemnification could have been sought hereunder by such Indemnified Person, unless such settlement (x) includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Person, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Person, from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding and (y) does not include any statement as to or any admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any Indemnified Person.
(d) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in paragraph (a) or (b) above is unavailable to an Indemnified Person or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each Indemnifying Person under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such Indemnified Person thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Person as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Securities or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds (before deducting expenses) received by the Company from the sale of the Securities and the total discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case, as set forth on the front cover page of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate offering price of the Securities. The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other 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 by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
(e) Limitation on Liability. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 8 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in paragraph (d) above. The amount paid or payable by an Indemnified Person as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in paragraph (d) above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses incurred by such Indemnified Person in connection with any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (d) above, in no event shall an Underwriter be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total discounts and commissions received by such Underwriter with respect to the offering of the Securities exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant to paragraph (d) above are several in proportion to their respective purchase obligations hereunder and not joint.
(f) Non-Exclusive Remedies. The remedies provided for in this Section 8 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies that may otherwise be available to any Indemnified Person at law or in equity.
9. Default of One or More of the Several Underwriters.
If, on the Closing Date, any one or more of the several Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Securities that it or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, and the aggregate principal amount of Securities which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase does not exceed 10% of the aggregate principal amount of the Securities to be purchased on such date, the other Underwriters shall be obligated, severally, in the proportions that the principal amount of Securities to be purchased set forth opposite their respective names on Schedule A bears to the aggregate principal amount of Securities set forth opposite the names of all such non-defaulting Underwriters, or in such other proportions as may be specified by the Representatives with the consent of the non-defaulting Underwriters, to purchase the Securities which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase on such date. If, on the Closing Date, any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Securities and the principal amount of Securities with respect to which such default occurs exceeds 10% of the principal amount of Securities to be purchased on such date, and arrangements satisfactory to the Representatives and the Company for the purchase of such Securities are not made within 48 hours after such default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Section 5, Section 7, Section 8, Section 12 and Section 15 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination. In any such case either the Representatives or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date, but in no event for longer than seven days in order that the required changes, if any, to the Registration Statement, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or any other documents or arrangements may be effected. As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” shall be deemed to include any person substituted for a defaulting Underwriter under this Section 9. 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. Termination of this Agreement.
This Agreement may be terminated in the absolute discretion of the Representatives, by notice to the Company, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and on or prior to the Closing Date (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on the New York Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq Global Select Market or the over-the-counter market; (ii) trading of any securities issued or guaranteed by the Company shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by federal or New York State authorities; or (iv) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis, either within or outside the United States, that, in the judgment of the Representatives, is material and adverse and makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
11. No Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility.
The Company acknowledges and agrees that: (i) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price of the Securities and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other hand, and the Company are capable of evaluating and understanding and understand and accept the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; (ii) in connection with each transaction contemplated hereby and the process leading to such transaction each Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the financial advisor, agent or fiduciary of the Company or any of its affiliates, stockholders, creditors or employees or any other party; (iii) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an advisory, agency or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to any of the transactions contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) and no Underwriter has any obligation to the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement; (iv) the several Underwriters and their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company and that the several Underwriters have no obligation to disclose any of such interests by virtue of any advisory, agency or fiduciary relationship; and (v) the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering contemplated hereby and the Company has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent they deemed appropriate.
This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company and the several Underwriters, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof. The Company hereby waives and releases, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that the Company may have against the several Underwriters with respect to any breach or alleged breach of agency or fiduciary duty.
12. Representations and Indemnities to Survive Delivery. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company, of its officers and of the several Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of any (A) investigation, or statement as to the results thereof, made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, the officers or employees of any Underwriter, or any person controlling the Underwriter or (B) acceptance of the Securities and payment for them hereunder. The provisions of Section 5, Section 7, Section 8, this Section 12 and Section 15 hereof shall survive the termination or cancellation of this Agreement.
13. Notices. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be mailed, hand delivered or telecopied and confirmed to the parties hereto as follows:
If to the Representatives:
c/o Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx Incorporated
00 Xxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxx
XX0-000-00-00
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000
Attention: High Grade Transaction Management/Legal
If to the Company:
Activision Blizzard, Inc.
0000 Xxxxx Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx
Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000
Attention: Chief Legal Officer
Any party hereto may change the address for receipt of communications by giving written notice to the others.
14. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto, including any substitute Underwriters pursuant to Section 9 hereof, and to the benefit of (i) the Company, its directors, any person who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and any officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, (ii) the Underwriters, the affiliates, officers, directors, employees and agents of the Underwriters, and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, and (iii) the respective successors and assigns of any of the above, all as and to the extent provided in this Agreement, and no other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement. The term “successors and assigns” shall not include a purchaser of any of the Securities from any of the several Underwriters merely because of such purchase.
15. Governing Law and Waiver of Jury Trial Provisions. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED AND INTERPRETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INTERNAL LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO CONFLICTS OF LAW PRINCIPLES THEREOF. THE COMPANY AND EACH OF THE UNDERWRITERS HERETO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER THEORY). EACH PARTY HERETO (A) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PERSON HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PERSON WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER AND (B) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT AND THE OTHER PARTIES HERETO HAVE BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION.
16. General Provisions. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all prior written or oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each one of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page to this Agreement by telecopier, facsimile, email or other electronic transmission (i.e., “pdf” or “tif”) shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Agreement. This Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit. The section headings herein are for the convenience of the parties only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.
Each of the parties hereto acknowledges that it is a sophisticated business person who was adequately represented by counsel during negotiations regarding the provisions hereof, including, without limitation, the indemnification and contribution provisions of Section 8, and is fully informed regarding said provisions. Each of the parties hereto further acknowledges that the provisions of Section 8 hereto fairly allocate the risks in light of the ability of the parties to investigate the Company, its affairs and its business in order to assure that adequate disclosure has been made in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (and any amendments and supplements thereto), as required by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, kindly sign and return to the Company the enclosed copies hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts hereof, shall become a binding agreement in accordance with its terms.
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Very truly yours, | ||
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By: |
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/s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxx |
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Name: |
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx |
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Title: |
Chief Financial Officer and |
The foregoing Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted by the Representatives as of the date first above written.
XXXXXXX LYNCH, PIERCE, XXXXXX & XXXXX
INCORPORATED
X.X. XXXXXX SECURITIES LLC
XXXXX FARGO SECURITIES, LLC
Acting as Representatives of the
several Underwriters named in
the attached Schedule A.
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By: |
Xxxxxxx Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx |
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Incorporated |
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By: |
/s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx |
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Name: |
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx |
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Title: |
Managing Director |
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By: |
X.X. Xxxxxx Securities LLC |
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By: |
/s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx |
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Name: |
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx |
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Title: |
Executive Director |
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By: |
Xxxxx Fargo Securities, LLC |
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By: |
/s/ Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx |
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Name: |
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx |
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Title: |
Director |
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SCHEDULE A
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Underwriters |
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Principal Amount |
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Principal |
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Principal |
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Xxxxxxx Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx |
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$68,000,000 |
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$68,000,000 |
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$68,000,000 |
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X.X. Xxxxxx Securities LLC |
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68,000,000 |
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68,000,000 |
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68,000,000 |
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Xxxxx Fargo Securities, LLC |
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56,000,000 |
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56,000,000 |
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56,000,000 |
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Mizuho Securities USA LLC |
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46,000,000 |
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46,000,000 |
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46,000,000 |
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MUFG Securities Americas Inc. |
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46,000,000 |
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46,000,000 |
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46,000,000 |
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SunTrust Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx, Inc. |
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46,000,000 |
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46,000,000 |
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46,000,000 |
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BMO Capital Markets Corp. |
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15,000,000 |
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15,000,000 |
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15,000,000 |
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Citigroup Global Markets Inc. |
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15,000,000 |
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15,000,000 |
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15,000,000 |
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Xxxxxxx Sachs & Co. LLC |
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15,000,000 |
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15,000,000 |
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15,000,000 |
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U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. |
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15,000,000 |
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15,000,000 |
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15,000,000 |
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Barclays Capital Inc. |
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4,500,000 |
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4,500,000 |
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4,500,000 |
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PNC Capital Markets LLC |
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4,500,000 |
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4,500,000 |
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4,500,000 |
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Academy Securities, Inc. |
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1,000,000 |
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1,000,000 |
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1,000,000 |
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Total |
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$400,000,000 |
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$400,000,000 |
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$400,000,000 |
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SCHEDULE B
Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses
Schedule of Free Writing Prospectuses included in the Disclosure Package:
1. Final Term Sheet dated May 23, 2017, substantially in the form attached hereto.
SCHEDULE C
Significant Subsidiaries
Activision Publishing, Inc.
ATVI C.V.
Activision Blizzard International BV
Xxxx.xxx Limited
