E-COMMERCE CHINA DANGDANG INC. 17,000,000 American Depositary Shares Representing Five Class A Common Shares UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
Exhibit 1.1
17,000,000 American Depositary Shares
Representing
Five Class A Common Shares
December , 2010
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. International plc
00 Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxxx, X00 0XX
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx
00 Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxxx, X00 0XX
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx
As Representatives of the Several Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto
Ladies and Gentlemen;
1. Introductory. E-Commerce China Dangdang Inc., an exempted company with limited liability
incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands (“Company”) agrees with the several Underwriters
named in Schedule A hereto (“Underwriters”) to issue and sell, and certain shareholders listed in
Schedule B hereto (“Firm Selling Shareholders”) agree to sell, to the several Underwriters, an
aggregate 17,000,000 American Depositary Shares (“ADSs”), each ADS representing five Class A common
shares, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Class A Common Shares”) of the Company. The 17,000,000
ADSs to be sold by the Company and the Firm Selling Shareholders are hereinafter referred to as the
“Firm Securities.” The Company and certain other shareholders listed in Schedule B hereto (the
“Optional Selling Shareholder,” together with the Firm Selling Shareholders, the “Selling
Shareholders”) also agree to sell to the Underwriters, at the option of the Underwriters, an
aggregate of not more than 2,550,000 additional ADSs (“Optional Securities”). The Firm Securities
and the Optional Securities are herein collectively called the “Offered Securities.” Schedule B
attached hereto lists the number of Firm Securities and maximum number of Optional Securities to be
sold by the Selling Shareholders. Unless the context otherwise requires, each reference to the
Firm Securities, the Optional Securities or the Offered Securities herein also includes the
underlying Class A Common Shares (hereinafter referred to as the “Firm Shares,” “Optional Shares”
and “Offered Shares”).
As part of the offering contemplated by this Agreement, Xxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. (the “Designated
Underwriter”) has agreed to reserve out of the Firm Securities purchased by it under this
Agreement, up to 1,020,000 ADSs, for sale to the Company’s directors, officers, employees and other parties
associated with the Company (collectively, “Participants”), as set forth in the Final Prospectus
(as defined herein) under the heading “Underwriting” (the “Directed Share Program”). The Firm
Securities to be sold by the Designated Underwriter pursuant to the Directed Share Program (the
“Directed Shares”) will be sold by the Designated Underwriter pursuant to this Agreement at the
Public Offering Price (as defined below). Any Directed Shares not subscribed for by the end of the
business day on which this Agreement is executed will be offered to the public by the Underwriters
as set forth in the Final Prospectus.
The ADSs purchased by the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement will be issued pursuant to a
deposit agreement (the “Deposit Agreement”), to be entered into among the Company, The Bank of New
York Mellon (the “Depositary”), and owners and beneficial owners from time to time of the ADSs.
2. Representations and Warranties of the Company and the Selling Shareholders. (A) The Company
represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the several Underwriters that:
(a) Filing and Effectiveness of Registration Statement; Certain Defined Terms. The
Company has filed with the Commission a registration statement on Form F-1 (No. 333-170663)
covering the registration of the Offered Securities under the Act, including a related
preliminary prospectus or prospectuses. At any particular time, this initial registration
statement, in the form then on file with the Commission, including all information contained
in the registration statement (if any) pursuant to Rule 462(b) and then deemed to be a part
of the initial registration statement, and all 430A Information and all 430C Information,
that in any case has not then been superseded or modified, shall be referred to as the
“Initial Registration Statement.” The Company may also have filed, or may file with the
Commission, a Rule 462(b) registration statement covering the registration of Offered
Securities. At any particular time, this Rule 462(b) registration statement, in the form
then on file with the Commission, including the contents of the Initial Registration
Statement incorporated by reference therein and including all 430A Information and all 430C
Information, that in any case has not then been superseded or modified, shall be referred to
as the “Additional Registration Statement.” A registration statement on Form F-6 (No.
333-170795) relating to the ADSs has been filed with the Commission and has become effective
(such registration statement on Form F-6, including all exhibits thereto, as amended at the
time such registration statement becomes effective, being hereinafter called the “ADS
Registration Statement”). The Company has also filed, in accordance with Section 12 of the
Exchange Act, a registration statement (the “Exchange Act Registration Statement”), on Form
8-A (No. 001-34982) under the Exchange Act to register, under Section 12(b) of the Exchange
Act, the Class A Common Shares and the ADSs. For purposes of this Agreement, all references
to the Initial Registration Statement, the Additional Registration Statement, the ADS
Registration Statement, the Exchange Act Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus
or any amendment or supplement, or the Final Prospectus (including any prospectus wrapper)
to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission
pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (“XXXXX”).
As of the time of execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Initial Registration
Statement has been declared effective under the Act and is not proposed to be amended. Any
Additional Registration Statement has or will become effective upon filing with the
Commission pursuant to Rule 462(b) and is not proposed to be amended. The Offered
Securities all have been or will be
2
duly registered under the Act pursuant to the Initial
Registration Statement and, if applicable, the Additional Registration Statement.
For purposes of this Agreement:
“430A Information”, with respect to any registration statement, means information
included in a prospectus and retroactively deemed to be a part of such registration
statement pursuant to Rule 430A(b).
“430C Information”, with respect to any registration statement, means information
included in a prospectus then deemed to be a part of such registration statement pursuant to
Rule 430C.
“Act” means the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
“Applicable Time” means [•]:00 [a/p]m (New York City time) on the date of this
Agreement.
“Closing Date” has the meaning defined in Section 3 hereof.
“Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Effective Time” with respect to the Initial Registration Statement or, if filed prior
to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Additional Registration Statement means
the date and time as of which such Registration Statement was declared effective by the
Commission or has become effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(c). If an Additional
Registration Statement has not been filed prior to the execution and delivery of this
Agreement but the Company has advised the Representatives that it proposes to file one,
“Effective Time” with respect to such Additional Registration Statement means the date and
time as of which such Registration Statement is filed and becomes effective pursuant to Rule
462(b).
“Exchange Act” means the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
“Final Prospectus” means the Statutory Prospectus that discloses the Public Offering
Price, other 430A Information and other final terms of the Offered Securities and otherwise
satisfies Section 10(a) of the Act.
“General Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus
that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors (other than a Bona Fide
Electronic Road Show (as defined below)), as evidenced by its being so specified in Schedule
C-1 to this Agreement.
“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined
in Rule 433, relating to the Offered Securities in the form filed or required to be filed
with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s
records pursuant to Rule 433(g). The Company has made available a “bona fide electronic
road show,” as defined in Rule 433, in compliance with Rule 433(d)(8)(ii) (the “Bona Fide
Electronic Road Show”) such that no filing of any “road show” (as defined in Rule 433(h)) is
required in connection with the offering of the Offered Securities.
“Limited Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus
that is not a General Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as evidenced by its being so
specified in Schedule C-2 to this Agreement.
3
The Initial Registration Statement and the Additional Registration Statement are
referred to collectively as the “Registration Statements” and individually as a
“Registration Statement”. A “Registration Statement” with reference to a particular time
means the Initial Registration Statement and any Additional Registration Statement as of
such time. A “Registration Statement” without reference to a time means such Registration
Statement as of its Effective Time. For purposes of the foregoing definitions, 430A
Information with respect to a Registration Statement shall be considered to be included in
such Registration Statement as of the time specified in Rule 430A.
“Rules and Regulations” means the rules and regulations of the Commission.
“Securities Laws” means, collectively, the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002
(“Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx”), the Act, the Exchange Act, the Rules and Regulations, the auditing
principles, rules, standards and practices applicable to auditors of “issuers” (as defined
in Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx) promulgated or approved by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board
and, as applicable, the rules of the New York Stock Exchange (“Exchange Rules”).
“Statutory Prospectus” with reference to a particular time means the prospectus
included in a Registration Statement immediately prior to that time, including any 430A
Information or 430C Information with respect to such Registration Statement. For purposes
of the foregoing definition, 430A Information shall be considered to be included in the
Statutory Prospectus as of the actual time that form of prospectus is filed with the
Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) or Rule 462(c) and not retroactively.
Unless otherwise specified, a reference to a “rule” is to the indicated rule under the
Act.
(b) Compliance with Securities Act Requirements. (i) (A) At their respective Effective
Times, (B) on the date of this Agreement and (C) on each Closing Date, each of the Initial
Registration Statement, the Additional Registration Statement (if any), the ADS Registration
Statement and any amendments and supplement thereto conformed and will conform in all
material respects to the requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations and did not
and will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material
fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading, and (ii) on its date, at the time of filing of the Final Prospectus pursuant to
Rule 424(b) or (if no such filing is required) at the Effective Time of the Additional
Registration Statement in which the Final Prospectus is included, and on each Closing Date,
the Final Prospectus will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Act
and the Rules and Regulations and will not include any untrue statement of a material fact
or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances in which they were made, not
misleading. and (iii) on the date of this Agreement, at their respective Effective Times or
issue dates and on each Closing Date, each Registration Statement, the Final Prospectus, any
Statutory Prospectus, any prospectus wrapper and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus complied
or comply, and such documents and any further amendments or supplements thereto will comply,
with any applicable laws or regulations of foreign jurisdictions in which the Final
Prospectus, any Statutory Prospectus, any prospectus wrapper or any Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, are distributed in connection with
the Directed Share Program. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or
omissions from any such document based upon 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 is that described as such in Section
8(d) hereof.
4
(c) Ineligible Issuer Status. (i) At the time of the initial filing of the Initial
Registration Statement and (ii) at the date of this Agreement, the Company was not and is
not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405, including (x) the Company or any other
subsidiary in the preceding three years not having been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor
or having been made the subject of a judicial or administrative decree or order as described
in Rule 405 and (y) the Company in the preceding three years not having been the subject of
a bankruptcy petition or insolvency or similar proceeding, not having had a registration
statement be the subject of a proceeding under Section 8 of the Act and not being the
subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the Act in connection with the offering of the
Offered Securities, all as described in Rule 405.
(d) General Disclosure Package. As of the Applicable Time, neither (i) the General Use
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus(es) issued at or prior to the Applicable Time and the
preliminary prospectus, dated November 23, 2010 (which is the most recent Statutory Prospectus
distributed to investors generally) and the other information, if any, stated in Schedule
C-1 to this Agreement to be included in the General Disclosure Package, all considered
together (collectively, the “General Disclosure Package”), nor (ii) any individual Limited
Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus stated in Schedule C-2 to this Agreement, when considered
together with the General Disclosure Package, included any untrue statement of a material
fact or omitted 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 any Statutory
Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance 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
is that described as such in Section 8(d) hereof.
(e) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its
issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale
of the Offered Securities 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
then contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Final
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 then contained in the
Registration Statement or as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, if
republished immediately following such event or development, would include an untrue
statement of a material fact or omitted or would 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, (i) the Company has promptly notified or will promptly notify the
Representatives and (ii) the Company has promptly amended or will promptly amend or
supplement such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue
statement or omission.
(f) Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been duly incorporated and is
existing and in good standing under the laws of the Cayman Islands, with power and authority
(corporate and other) to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the
Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus; and the
Company is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation in good standing in all
other jurisdictions in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its
business requires such qualification. The Memorandum
5
and Articles of Association or other
constitutive or organizational documents of the Company comply with the requirements of
applicable Cayman Islands law and are in full force and effect. Complete and correct copies
of all constitutive documents of the Company and all amendments thereto have been delivered
to the Representatives; no change will be made to any such constitutive documents on or
after the date of this Agreement through and including each Closing Date.
(g) Controlled Entities. (a) The Company does not own or control, directly or
indirectly, any corporation or entity other than Beijing Dangdang Information Technology
Co., Ltd. (“Dangdang Information”), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company incorporated
under the laws of the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC”), Wuxi Dangdang Information
Technology Co., Ltd. (“Wuxi Dangdang Information”), an indirect subsidiary of the Company
incorporated under the laws of the PRC, Beijing Dangdang Kewen E-Commerce Co., Ltd.
(“Dangdang Kewen”), a variable interest entity of the Company incorporated under the laws of
the PRC and Wuxi Dangdang Kewen E-Commerce Co., Ltd. (“Wuxi Dangdang Kewen”), the subsidiary
of Dangdang Kewen incorporated under the laws of the PRC. Dangdang Information, Wuxi
Dangdang Information, Dangdang Kewen and Wuxi Dangdang Kewen shall be referred to
hereinafter each as a “Controlled Entity” and collectively as “Controlled Entities.” Other
than the equity interests in Dangdang Information and Wuxi Dangdang Information and the
control over Dangdang Kewen and Wuxi Dangdang Kewen, the Company does not own, directly or
indirectly, any share capital or any other equity interests or long-term debt securities of,
or otherwise control, any corporation, firm, partnership, joint venture, association or
other entity. (b) Each Controlled Entity has been duly incorporated and is validly existing
and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, with power and
authority (corporate and other) to own its properties and conduct its business as described
in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus; and
each Controlled Entity is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation in good
standing in all other jurisdictions in which its ownership or lease of property or the
conduct of its business requires such qualification; the constitutive documents of each
Controlled Entity comply with the requirements of applicable laws of the jurisdiction of its
incorporation and are in full force and effect. (c) All of the issued and outstanding share
capital of Dangdang Information and Wuxi Dangdang Information has been duly authorized and
validly issued and is fully or partially paid as permitted by applicable PRC laws, and,
except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, such share capital is owned, directly
or indirectly, by the Company free from liens, encumbrances and defects. (d) All of the
issued and outstanding share capital of Dangdang Kewen and Wuxi Dangdang Kewen has been duly
authorized and validly issued and is fully paid, and such share capital is owned, directly
or indirectly, by Xxxxx Xx Yu and Xxxxxxx Xx as set forth in the Registration Statement, the
General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, free from liens, encumbrances and
defects except such as disclosed therein. To the Company’s knowledge, Xxxxx Xx Yu and
Xxxxxxx Xx are citizens of the PRC, and no application is pending in any other jurisdiction
by them or on their behalf for naturalization or citizenship.
(h) Offered Securities. The Offered Securities and all other outstanding share capital
of the Company have been duly authorized; the authorized equity capitalization of the
Company is as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and
the Final Prospectus; all outstanding common shares of the Company are, and, when the
Offered Securities have been delivered and paid for in accordance with this Agreement on
each Closing Date, such Offered Securities will be, validly issued, fully paid and
nonassessable, and will conform to the information in the Registration Statement, the
General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus and to the description of such Offered
Securities contained in the Final Prospectus;
6
except as disclosed in the General Disclosure
Package, there are no outstanding rights (including, without limitation, preemptive rights),
warrants or options to acquire, or instruments convertible into or exchangeable for, any
common shares or other equity interest in the Company or any of the Controlled Entities, or
any contract, commitment, agreement, understanding or arrangement of any kind relating to
the issuance of any common shares of the Company or any such Controlled Entity, any such
convertible or exchangeable securities or any such rights, warrants or options; the Offered
Shares to be sold by the Company, when issued and delivered against payment thereof, may be
freely deposited by the Company with the Depositary against issuance of the Offered
Securities; the ADSs to be sold by the Company, when issued and delivered against payment
thereof, will be freely transferable by the Company to or for the account of the
Underwriters; and except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, there are no
restrictions on subsequent transfers of such ADSs under the laws of the Cayman Islands, the
PRC or the United States.
(i) VIE Agreements. (a) The description of each of the agreements under the caption
“Corporate History and Structure” in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure
Package and the Final Prospectus, to which any of Dangdang Information, Dangdang Kewen and
the shareholders of Dangdang Kewen is a party (collectively, the “VIE Agreements”), is fair
and accurate in all respects, and all agreements relating to the Company’s corporate
structure have been so disclosed. Each party of the VIE Agreements has the legal right,
power and authority (corporate and other, as the case may be) to enter into and perform its
respective obligations under the VIE Agreements and has taken all necessary corporate action
to authorize the execution, delivery and performance of, and has authorized, executed and
delivered, each of the VIE Agreements; and each of the VIE Agreements constitutes a valid
and legally binding obligation of the parties thereto, enforceable in accordance with its
terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization, moratorium or similar laws of general applicability affecting creditors’
rights or by equitable principles relating to enforceability. (b) The execution and
delivery by Dangdang Information, Dangdang Kewen and the shareholders of Dangdang Kewen of,
and the performance by Dangdang Information, Dangdang Kewen and the shareholders of Dangdang
Kewen of their respective obligations under, each of the VIE Agreements will not: (A)
conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or
constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, lease, loan agreement or
other agreement or instrument to which the Company, Dangdang Information, Dangdang Kewen
and, to the knowledge of the Company, the shareholders of Dangdang Kewen, as the case may
be, are a party or by which the Company, Dangdang Information, Dangdang Kewen and, to the
knowledge of the Company, the shareholders of Dangdang Kewen are bound or to which any of
the properties or assets of the Company, Dangdang Information, Dangdang Kewen and the
shareholders of Dangdang Kewen are subject; (B) result in any violation of the provisions of
constitutive documents or business license of the Company, Dangdang Information and Dangdang
Kewen, as the case may be; or (C) result in any violation of any PRC statute or any order,
rule or regulation of any PRC governmental agency having jurisdiction over the Company,
Dangdang Information, Dangdang Kewen and, to the knowledge of the Company, the shareholders
of Dangdang Kewen or any of their properties. (c) To the extent required under the laws of
the PRC, the VIE Agreements have been registered with relevant PRC governmental or
regulatory agencies and it is not necessary that any such document be further filed or
recorded with any court or other authority in the PRC or that any stamp or similar tax be
paid on or in respect of any of the VIE Agreements to ensure the legality, validity,
enforceability and performance of ach of the VIE Agreements in the PRC. (d) The Company
possesses, directly or indirectly, the power to direct or cause the direction of the
management and
7
policies of Dangdang Kewen, through its rights to authorize the shareholders
of Dangdang Kewen to exercise their voting rights. (e) The agreements relating to the
structure of the predecessors of the Company and the Controlled Entities, to the extent such
agreements bear on the business of the Company and the Controlled Entities as described in
the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, were in
compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
(j) Operating and Other Company Data. All operating and other Company data disclosed
in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus,
including but not limited to the number of book titles, active customers, average daily
unique visitors, total number of orders, the number of orders the Company is capable of
handling per day and the number of share options granted under the Company’s share incentive
plans, are true and accurate in all respects.
(k) Operations. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, there have been
no disruptions to the operations of any of the Company’s data centers or warehouse
facilities nor any breaches of any payment terms agreed by the Company and the Controlled
Entities, except for such disruptions or breaches as would not, individually or in the
aggregate, result in a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise),
results of operations, business, properties or prospects of the Company and the Controlled
Entities taken as a whole (“Material Adverse Effect”), and to the best knowledge of the
Company after due inquiry, there are no facts or circumstances that may lead to such disruptions or breaches.
(l) Directors and Officers. The Company’s directors and executive officers are not a
party to any legal, governmental or regulatory proceedings that would result in such
director or officer to be unsuitable for his or her position on the Board or in the Company.
(m) Independent Accountants. Ernst & Young Hua Ming, which has certified certain
financial statements of the Company and the Controlled Entities, is an independent
registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company and the Controlled Entities
within the applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Commission and the Public Company
Accounting Oversight Board (United States) and as required by the Act.
(n) No Finder’s Fee. There are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the
Company and any person that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any
Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or other like payment in connection
with this offering. There are also no arrangements, agreements, understandings, payments or
issuance with respect to the Company, the Controlled Entities, or any of their officers,
directors, or, to the Company’s knowledge, any of the shareholders, employees or affiliates
of the Company or the Controlled Entities that may affect the Underwriters’ compensation as
determined by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (the “FINRA”).
(o) Registration Rights. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, there
are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person granting
such person the right to require the Company to file a registration statement under the Act
with respect to any securities of the Company owned or to be owned by such person or to
require the Company to include such securities in the securities registered pursuant to a
Registration Statement or in any securities being registered pursuant to any other
registration statement filed by the Company under
8
the Act (collectively, “registration
rights”), and any person to whom the Company has granted registration rights has agreed not
to exercise such rights until after the expiration of the Lock-Up Period referred to in
Section 5(A)(l) hereof.
(p) Listing. The Offered Securities have been approved for listing on the New York
Stock Exchange, subject to notice of issuance.
(q) Absence of Further Requirements. No consent, approval, authorization, or order of,
or filing or registration with, any person (including any governmental agency or body or any
court) is required to be obtained or made by the Company for the consummation of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Deposit Agreement (collectively, the
“Transaction Documents”) in connection with the issuance, offering and sale of the Offered
Securities, except such as have been obtained, or made and such as may be required under
state securities laws. No authorization, consent, approval, license, qualification or order
of, or filing or registration with any person (including any governmental agency or body or
any court) in any foreign jurisdiction is required for the consummation of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement in connection with the offering, issuance and sale of the
Directed Shares under the laws and regulations of such jurisdiction except such as have been
obtained or made.
(r) Title to Property. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, the
Company and the Controlled Entities have good and marketable title to all real properties
and all other properties and assets owned by them, in each case free from liens, charges,
encumbrances and defects that would materially affect the value thereof or materially
interfere with the use made or to be made thereof by them and, except as disclosed in the
General Disclosure Package, the Company and the Controlled Entities hold any leased real or personal property under valid and
enforceable leases with no terms or provisions that would materially interfere with the use
made or to be made thereof by them.
(s) Absence of Defaults and Conflicts Resulting from Transaction. The execution,
delivery and performance of the Transaction Documents, and the issuance and sale of the
Offered Securities hereunder and the deposit of the Offered Shares with the Depositary
against issuance of the Offered Securities and the consummation of the transactions
contemplated by the Transaction Documents in connection with this offering will not (a)
conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or
constitute a default or a Debt Repayment Triggering Event (as defined below) under, or
result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or
assets of the Company or any of the Controlled Entities pursuant to, any indenture,
mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the
Company or any of the Controlled Entities is a party or by which the Company or any of the
Controlled Entities is bound or to which any of the properties or assets of the Company or
any of the Controlled Entities is subject; (b) result in any violation of the provisions of
the articles of association, business license or other constitutive documents of the Company
or any of the Controlled Entities; and (c) result in the violation of any judgment, law or
statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or
regulatory authority having jurisdiction over the Company or any of the Controlled Entities
or any of their properties or assets. A “Debt Repayment Triggering Event” means any event or
condition that gives, or with the giving of notice or lapse of time would give, the holder
of any note, debenture, or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such
holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a
portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any of the Controlled Entities.
9
(t) Absence of Existing Defaults and Conflicts. Neither the Company nor any of the
Controlled Entities is in violation of its respective charter or other constitutive
documents or in default (or with the giving of notice or lapse of time would be in default)
under any existing obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any indenture,
loan agreement, mortgage, lease or other agreement or instrument to which any of them is a
party or by which any of them is bound or to which any of the properties of any of them is
subject, except such defaults that would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a
Material Adverse Effect.
(u) Authorization of Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized,
executed and delivered by the Company.
(v) Authorization of Deposit Agreement. The Deposit Agreement has been duly
authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming due authorization, execution
and delivery by the Depositary, constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of the
Company, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject, as to enforceability, to
bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of
general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity
principles. Upon due execution and delivery by the Depositary of the ADSs and the deposit
of the Offered Shares in respect thereof in accordance with the provisions of the Deposit
Agreement, such ADSs will be duly and validly issued and the persons in whose names the ADSs
are registered will be entitled to the rights specified therein and in the Deposit
Agreement; and the Deposit Agreement and the ADSs conform in all material respects to the
descriptions thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package
and the Final Prospectus.
(w) Possession of Licenses and Permits. The Company and the Controlled Entities
possess, and are in compliance with the terms of, all adequate certificates, authorizations,
franchises, licenses and permits and have made all declarations and filings with, the appropriate domestic
or foreign governmental or regulatory authorities (collectively, “Licenses”) necessary or
material to the conduct of the business now conducted as described in the Registration
Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus and have not received any
notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Licenses.
(x) Absence of Labor Dispute. No material labor dispute with the employees of the
Company or any of the Controlled Entities exists or, to the Company’s knowledge, is
contemplated. To the Company’s knowledge, no labor dispute with the employees of any of the
Company’s or the Controlled Entities’ suppliers, transportation companies and courier
companies exists or is imminent.
(y) Possession of Intellectual Property. The Company and the Controlled Entities own,
possess or can acquire on reasonable terms sufficient trademarks, trade names, patent
rights, copyrights, domain names, licenses, approvals, trade secrets, inventions,
technology, know-how and other intellectual property and similar rights, including
registrations and applications for registration thereof (collectively, “Intellectual
Property Rights”) necessary or material to the conduct of the business now conducted, and
the expected expiration of any such Intellectual Property Rights would not, individually or
in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as disclosed in the General
Disclosure Package, (i) there are no rights of third parties to any of the Intellectual
Property Rights owned by the Company or the Controlled Entities; (ii) there is no material
infringement,
10
misappropriation breach, default or other violation, or the occurrence of any
event that with notice or the passage of time would constitute any of the foregoing, by the
Company, the Controlled Entities of any of the Intellectual Property Rights of the Company
or the Controlled Entities; (iii) there is no pending or threatened action, suit, proceeding
or claim by others challenging the Company’s or any Controlled Entity’s rights in or to, or
the violation of any of the terms of, any of their Intellectual Property Rights, and the
Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; (iv)
there is no pending or threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging
the validity, enforceability or scope of any such Intellectual Property Rights, and the
Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; (v)
there is no pending or threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others that the
Company or any Controlled Entity infringes, misappropriates or otherwise violates or
conflicts with any Intellectual Property Rights or other proprietary rights of others and
the Company is unaware of any other fact which would form a reasonable basis for any such
claim; and (vi) none of the Intellectual Property Rights used by the Company or the
Controlled Entities in their businesses has been obtained or is being used by the Company or
the Controlled Entities in violation of any contractual obligation binding on the Company,
any of the Controlled Entities in violation of the rights of any persons, except in each
case covered by clauses (i) — (vi) such as would not, if determined adversely to the
Company or any of the Controlled Entities, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material
Adverse Effect.
(z) Environmental Laws. Neither the Company nor any of the Controlled Entities is in
violation of any statute, any rule, regulation, decision or order of any governmental agency
or body or any court, domestic or foreign, relating to the use, disposal or release of
hazardous or toxic substances or relating to the protection or restoration of the
environment or human exposure to hazardous or toxic substances (collectively,
“environmental laws”), owns or operates any real property contaminated with any substance
that is subject to any environmental laws, is liable for any off-site disposal or
contamination pursuant to any environmental laws, or is subject to any claim relating to any
environmental laws; and the Company is not aware of any pending investigation which might
lead to such a claim.
(aa) Accurate Disclosure. The statements in the Registration Statement, the General
Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus insofar as such statements summarize legal
matters, agreements, documents or proceedings discussed therein, are accurate and fair
summaries of such legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings and present the
information required to be shown. The preceding sentence, insofar as it relates to
statements in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final
Prospectus under the heading “Underwriting,” does not apply to 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 is that described as such in
Section 8(d) hereof.
(bb) Absence of Manipulation. Neither the Company, any of the Controlled Entities nor
any of their respective directors, officers, or, to the Company’s knowledge, any of the
affiliates or controlling persons of the Company or the Controlled Entities, acting on its
behalf, has taken, directly or indirectly, any action that is designed to or that has
constituted or that would reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or
manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of
the Offered Securities.
(cc) Statistical and Market-Related Data. Any third-party statistical and
market-related data
11
included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package
and the Final Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to
be reliable and accurate, and such data agree with the sources from which they are derived.
The Company has obtained written consents for the use of such data from such sources to the
extent required.
(dd) Internal Controls and Compliance with the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act. The Company, the
Controlled Entities and the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) are in compliance
with Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx and all applicable Exchange Rules, to the extent applicable as of the
date of this Agreement. The Company and each of the Controlled Entities maintain a system
of internal controls, including, but not limited to, disclosure controls and procedures,
internal controls over accounting matters and financial reporting, an internal audit
function and legal and regulatory compliance controls that comply with the Securities Laws
and are sufficient to provide reasonable assurances 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 U.S.
General Accepted Accounting Principles and to maintain accountability for assets, (iii)
access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific
authorization, and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing
assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any
differences. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, since the end of the
Company’s latest audited financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the
General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, there has been (i) no material weakness
in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and
(ii) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has
materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal
control over financial reporting.
(ee) Litigation. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, there are no
pending actions, suits or proceedings (including any inquiries or investigations by any
court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign) against or affecting the Company,
any of the Controlled Entities or any of their respective properties that, if determined
adversely to the Company or any of the Controlled Entities, would individually or in the
aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect, or would materially and adversely affect the
ability of the Company to perform its obligations under the Transaction Documents, or which
are otherwise material in the context of the sale of the Offered Securities; and no such
actions, suits or proceedings (including any inquiries or investigations by
any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign) are threatened or, to
the Company’s knowledge, contemplated. There are no legal or government proceedings that
are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package
or the Final Prospectus and are not so described.
(ff) Exhibits. There are no statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents that
are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package
and the Final Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement (those so
filed, collectively, the “Filed Documents”) that are not described or filed as required.
Neither the Company nor any of the Controlled Entities has knowledge that any other party to
any Filed Document has any intention not to render full performance as contemplated by the
terms thereof.
(gg) Financial Statements. The financial statements included in the Registration
Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, together with the
related notes and schedules thereto, present fairly the consolidated financial position of
the Company and the
12
Controlled Entities as of the dates indicated and the consolidated
results of operations, cash flows and changes in shareholders’ equity of the Company for the
periods specified and have been prepared in conformity with United States generally accepted
accounting principles applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved; the other
financial and statistical data contained in the Registration Statement, the General
Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus are accurately and fairly presented and prepared
on a basis consistent with the financial statements and books and records of the Company;
there are no financial statements (historical or pro forma) that are required to be included
in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus that
are not included as required; the Company and the Controlled Entities do not have any
material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet
obligations), that are not described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure
Package and the Final Prospectus.
(hh) No Material Adverse Change in Business. Except as disclosed in the General
Disclosure Package, since the end of the period covered by the latest reviewed financial
statements included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the
Final Prospectus (i) there has been no material adverse change, nor any development or event
involving a prospective change, in the condition (financial or otherwise), results of
operations, business, properties or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as
a whole, (ii) there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made
by the Company on any class of its share capital, (iii) there has been no material adverse
change in the share capital, short-term indebtedness, long-term indebtedness, net current
assets or total assets of the Company and its subsidiaries, (iv) neither the Company nor any
of the Controlled Entities has entered into any material transaction or agreement or
incurred any material liability or obligation, direct or contingent, that is not disclosed
in the General Disclosure Package, and (v) neither the Company nor any of the Controlled
Entities has sustained any material loss or interference with its business from fire,
explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor
dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or
contemplated in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final
Prospectus.
(ii) Investment Company Act. The Company is not and, after giving effect to the
offering and sale of the Offered Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof as
described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final
Prospectus, will not be an “investment company” as defined in the United States Investment
Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”).
(jj) PFIC Status. The Company was not a “passive foreign investment company” (“PFIC”)
as defined in Section 1297 of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
(the “Code”), for its most recently completed taxable year and, based on the Company’s
current projected income, assets and activities, the Company does not expect to be
classified as a PFIC for any subsequent taxable year.
(kk) Payments of Dividends from the Company. Except as disclosed in the General
Disclosure Package, all dividends and other distributions declared and payable on the common shares of the Company may under the current laws and regulations of the Cayman Islands be
paid to the Depositary, and where they are to be paid from the Cayman Islands are freely
transferred out of the Cayman Islands; all such dividends and other distributions will not
be subject to withholding or other taxes under the laws and regulations of the Cayman
Islands and are
13
otherwise free and clear of any other tax, withholding or deduction in the
Cayman Islands and without the necessity of obtaining any governmental authorization in the
Cayman Islands.
(ll) Absence of Unlawful Influence. The Company has not offered or sold, or caused the
Underwriters to offer or sell, any Offered Securities to any person pursuant to the Directed
Share Program with the specific intent to unlawfully influence (i) a supplier of the Company
to alter the supplier’s level or type of business with the Company or (ii) a trade
journalist or publication to write or publish favorable information about the Company or its
business.
(mm) Tax. All tax returns required to be filed by the Company or any of the Controlled
Entities have been timely filed except for those tax returns the failure to file which does
not and would not be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, and all taxes
and other assessments of a similar nature (whether imposed directly or through withholding)
including any interest, additions to tax or penalties applicable thereto due or claimed to
be due from such entities have been timely paid, other than those being contested in good
faith and for which adequate reserves have been provided or as would not be reasonably
expected to, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(nn) Insurance. The Company and each of the Controlled Entities are insured by
insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such
amounts as are prudent and covering such risks as is adequate for the conduct of their
respective businesses and the value of their respective properties; neither the Company nor
any of the Controlled Entities has been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied
for; and neither the Company nor any of the Controlled Entities has any reason to believe
that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage
expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue
its business at a cost that would not have a Material Adverse Effect except as disclosed in
the General Disclosure Package.
(oo) Business Practices. Neither the Company nor any of the Controlled Entities or
affiliates, nor, to the Company’s best knowledge, any director, officer, or employee acting
on the behalf of the Company or any of the Controlled Entities and affiliates, nor, to the
Company’s best knowledge, any agent or representative of the Company or of any of the
Controlled Entities acting on the behalf of the Company or any of the Controlled Entities,
has taken or will take any action in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or
authorization or approval of the payment or giving of money, property, gifts or anything
else of value, directly or indirectly, to any “government official” (including any officer
or employee of a government or 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) to influence official action or secure an improper advantage; and the
Company and the Controlled Entities have conducted their businesses in compliance with
applicable anti-corruption laws and have instituted and maintain and will continue to
maintain policies and procedures designed to promote and achieve compliance with such laws
and with the representation and warranty contained herein.
(pp) Compliance with Anti-Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and the
Controlled Entities are and have been conducted in compliance with all applicable financial
recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including those of the Bank Secrecy Act, as
amended by Title III of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools
Required
14
to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act), and the
applicable anti-money laundering statutes of jurisdictions where the Company and the
Controlled Entities conduct 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 the Controlled Entities with respect to the
Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(qq) Compliance with OFAC. (i) The Company represents that neither the Company nor any
of the Controlled Entities (collectively, the “Entity”) or, to the knowledge of the Company,
any director, officer, employee, agent, affiliate or representative of the Entity, is an
individual or entity (“Person”) that is, or is owned or controlled by a Person that is: (A)
the subject of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s
Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) , the United Nations Security Council (“UNSC”),
the European Union (“EU”), Her Majesty’s Treasury (“HMT”), or other relevant sanctions
authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor (B) located, organized or resident in a country
or territory that is the subject of Sanctions (including, without limitation, Burma/Myanmar,
Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria). (ii) The Company represents and covenants that
the Entity will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the offering, or lend,
contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture
partner or other Person: (A) to fund or facilitate any activities or business of or with any
Person or in any country or territory that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is
the subject of Sanctions; or (B) in any other manner that will result in a violation of
Sanctions by any Person (including any Person participating in the offering, whether as
underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise). (iii) The Company represents and covenants
that, the Entity is not now knowingly engaged in, and will not engage in, any dealings or
transactions with any Person, or in any country or territory, that at the time of the
dealing or transaction is or was the subject of Sanctions.
(rr) No Restrictions on Dividends from Subsidiary. Except as disclosed in the General
Disclosure Package, no subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or
indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on
such subsidiary’s share capital, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such
subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s property or assets
to the Company or any other subsidiary.
(ss) Critical Accounting Policies. The section entitled “Management’s Discussion and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in the Registration Statement,
the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus accurately and fully describes (i)
accounting policies that the Company believes are the most important in the portrayal of the
Company’s financial condition and results of operations and that require management’s most
difficult, subjective or complex judgments, (ii) judgments and uncertainties affecting the
application of the foregoing critical accounting policies and (iii) the likelihood that
different amounts would be reported under different conditions or using different
assumptions and an explanation thereof. The Company’s directors and management have reviewed
and agreed with the selection, application and disclosure of the Company’s critical
accounting policies as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure
Package and the Final Prospectus and have consulted with its independent accountants with
regards to such disclosure.
15
(tt) Liquidity and Capital Resources. The Registration Statement, the General
Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus fairly and accurately describe all material
trends, demands, commitments, events, uncertainties and the potential effects thereof known
to the Company, and that the Company believes would materially affect its liquidity and are
reasonably likely to occur. There are no off-balance sheet transactions, arrangements,
commitments and obligations of the Company or the Controlled Entities that need to be
disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final
Prospectus.
(uu) Related Party Transaction. All the related party transactions required to be
disclosed under the Securities Laws are disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General
Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus under the heading “Related Party Transactions,”
and such disclosure is true and accurate in all material respects.
(vv) No Undisclosed Relationships. No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between
or among the Company or any of the Controlled Entities, on the one hand, and the directors,
officers, shareholders or suppliers of the Company or any of the Controlled Entities, on the
other, that is required by the Act to be described in the Registration Statement, the
General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus and that is not so described in such
documents.
(ww) No Sale, Issuance or Distribution of Shares. Except as disclosed in the General
Disclosure Package, the Company has not sold, issued or distributed any common shares during
the six-month period preceding the date hereof, including any sales pursuant to Rule 144A
under, or Regulation D or S of, the Act, other than shares issued pursuant to employee
benefit plans, qualified stock option plans or other employee compensation plans or pursuant
to outstanding options, rights or warrants.
(aaa) Foreign Private Issuer. The Company is a “foreign private issuer” within the
meaning of Rule 405 under the Act.
(bbb) Filing of Registration Statements. The Registration Statement, the Statutory
Prospectus, the Final Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the ADS
Registration Statement and the filing of the Registration Statement, the Statutory
Prospectus, the Final Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the ADS
Registration Statement with the Commission have been duly authorized by and on behalf of the
Company, and the Registration Statement and the ADS Registration Statement have been duly
executed pursuant to such authorization by and on behalf of the Company.
(ccc) No Transfer Tax. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, no
transaction, stamp, capital or other issuance, registration, transaction, transfer or
withholding taxes or duties are payable in the PRC and the Cayman Islands by or on behalf of
the Underwriters to any PRC or Cayman Islands taxing authority in connection with (i) the
issuance, sale and delivery of the Offered Shares by the Company, the issuance of the
Offered Securities by the Depositary, and the delivery of the Offered Securities to or for
the account of the Underwriters, (ii) the purchase from the Company of the Offered Shares
and the initial sale and delivery of the Offered Securities representing the Offered Shares to purchasers
thereof by the Underwriters, (iii) the deposit of the Offered Shares with the Depositary and
the Custodian (as defined below) and the issuance and delivery of the Offered Securities, or
(iv) the execution and
16
delivery of this Agreement or the Deposit Agreement.
(ddd) Merger or Consolidations. Neither the Company nor any of the Controlled Entities
has entered into any memorandum of understanding, letter of intent, definitive agreement or
any similar agreements with respect to a merger or consolidation or an acquisition or
disposition of assets, technologies, business units or businesses.
(eee) Termination of Contracts. Neither the Company nor any of the Controlled Entities
has sent or received any communication regarding termination of, or intent not to renew, any
of the contracts or agreements referred to or described in the Registration Statement, the
General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus or filed as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement, and no such termination or non-renewal has been threatened by the
Company or any of the Controlled Entities or, to the best knowledge of the Company after due
inquiry, by any other party to any such contract or agreement.
(fff) Compliance with PRC Regulations. Each of the Company and the Controlled Entities
has taken all necessary steps to comply with, and to make its best efforts to ensure
compliance by all of the Company’s direct or indirect shareholders who are PRC residents or
PRC citizens with any applicable rules and regulations of the State Administration of
Foreign Exchange of the PRC (the “SAFE Rules and Regulations”), including, without
limitation, requiring each shareholder that is, or is directly or indirectly owned or
controlled by, a PRC resident or PRC citizen to complete any registration and other
procedures required under applicable SAFE Rules and Regulations.
(ggg) PRC Mergers and Acquisitions Rules. The Company is aware of, and has been
advised as to, the content of the Rules on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises
by Foreign Investors jointly promulgated on August 8, 2006 by the Ministry of Commerce, the
State Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, the State Administration of
Taxation, the State Administration of Industry and Commerce, the China Securities Regulatory
Commission (“CSRC”) and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange of the PRC (the “M&A
Rules”) and any official clarifications, guidance, interpretations or implementation rules
in connection with or related to the M&A Rules, including the guidance and notices issued by
the CSRC on September 8 and September 21, 2006 (together with the M&A Rules, the “M&A Rules
and Related Clarifications”), in particular the relevant provisions thereof that purport to
require offshore special purpose vehicles controlled directly or indirectly by
PRC-incorporated companies or PRC residents and established for the purpose of obtaining a
stock exchange listing outside of the PRC to obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to the
listing and trading of their securities on any stock exchange located outside of the PRC.
The Company has received legal advice specifically with respect to the M&A Rules from its
PRC counsel and the Company understands such legal advice. The issuance and sale of the
Offered Shares and the Offered Securities, the listing and trading of the ADSs on the New
York Stock Exchange and the consummation of the transactions contemplated under the
Transaction Documents, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, the Final
Prospectus are not and will not be, as of the date hereof and on the Closing Date, adversely
affected by the M&A Rules and Related Clarifications. The M&A Rules and Related
Clarifications do not require the Company to obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to the
issuance and sale of the Offered Shares or the Offered Securities, the listing and trading
of the ADSs on the New York Stock Exchange and the consummation of the transactions
contemplated under the Transaction Documents, the
17
Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, the Final Prospectus.
(hhh) Choice of Law. The choice of the laws of the State of New York as the governing
law of the Transaction Documents is a valid choice of law under the laws of the Cayman
Islands and the PRC and will be honored by courts in the Cayman Islands and the PRC. The
Company has the power to submit, and pursuant to Section 17 of this Agreement and Section
7.08 of the Deposit Agreement, has legally, validly, effectively and irrevocably submitted,
to the personal jurisdiction of each New York State and United States Federal court sitting
in The City of New York (each, a “New York Court”) and has validly and irrevocably waived
any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or proceeding brought in any such
court; and the Company has the power to designate, appoint and empower, and pursuant to
Section 17 of this Agreement and Section 7.08 of the Deposit Agreement, has legally,
validly, effectively and irrevocably designated, appointed and empowered, an authorized
agent for service of process in any action arising out of or relating to the Transaction
Documents, the General Disclosure Package, the Registration Statement, the ADS Registration
Statement or the offering of the Offered Securities in any New York Court, and service of
process in any manner permitted by applicable laws effected on such authorized agent will be
effective to confer valid personal jurisdiction over the Company as provided herein or in
the Deposit Agreement.
(iii) No Immunity. None of the Company, any of the Controlled Entities or any of their
respective properties, assets or revenues has any right of immunity, under the laws of the
Cayman Islands, the PRC or the State of New York, from any legal action, suit or proceeding,
the giving of any relief in any such legal action, suit or proceeding, set-off or
counterclaim, the jurisdiction of any Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx, XXX, Xxx Xxxx xx Xxxxxx Xxxxxx federal
court, service of process, attachment upon or prior to judgment, or attachment in aid of
execution of judgment, or execution of a judgment, or other legal process or proceeding for
the giving of any relief or for the enforcement of a judgment, in any such court, with
respect to its obligations, liabilities or any other matter under or arising out of or in
connection with the Transaction Documents; and, to the extent that the Company, any of the
Controlled Entities or any of their respective properties, assets or revenues may have or
may hereafter become entitled to any such right of immunity in any such court in which
proceedings may at any time be commenced, each of the Company and the Controlled Entities
waives or will waive such right to the extent permitted by law and has consented to such
relief and enforcement as provided in Section 17 of this Agreement and Section 7.07 of the
Deposit Agreement.
(jjj) Enforcement of Judgment. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package,
any final judgment for a fixed sum of money rendered by a New York Court having jurisdiction
under its own domestic laws in respect of any suit, action or proceeding against the Company
based upon the Transaction Documents would be recognized and enforced by (A) Cayman Islands
courts without re-examining the merits of the case under the common law doctrine of
obligation; provided that (i) adequate service of process has been effected and the
defendant has had a reasonable opportunity to be heard, (ii) such judgments or the
enforcement thereof are not contrary to the law, public policy, security or sovereignty of
the Cayman Islands, (iii) such judgments were not obtained by fraudulent means and do not
conflict with any other valid judgment in the same matter between the same parties and (iv)
an action between the same parties in the same matter is not pending in any Cayman Islands
court at the time the lawsuit is instituted in the foreign court; and (B) PRC courts,
subject to compliance with relevant civil procedural requirements under the PRC Civil
Procedures Law. It is not necessary that the Transaction
18
Documents, the Registration
Statement, the General Disclosure Package, the Final Prospectus or any other document be
filed or recorded with any court or other authority in the Cayman Islands or the PRC.
(kkk) Residence and Domicile of Underwriters. None of the Underwriters will be deemed
to be resident, domiciled, carrying on business or subject to taxation in the Cayman Islands
or the PRC solely by reason of its execution, delivery, performance or enforcement of, or
the consummation of any transaction contemplated by the Transaction Documents or any other
document furnished thereunder.
(lll) FINRA Affiliation. There are no affiliations or associations between (i) any
member of FINRA and (ii) the Company or any of the Company’s officers, directors or 5% or
greater security holders or any beneficial owner of the Company’s unregistered equity
securities that were acquired at any time on or after the 180th day immediately preceding
the date the Registration Statement was first submitted to the Commission.
B. Each Selling Shareholder, severally and not jointly and in respect of itself only,
represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the several Underwriters that:
(a) Title to Securities. Such Selling Shareholder has and on each Closing Date
hereinafter mentioned will have valid and unencumbered title to the Class A Common Shares
underlying the ADSs to be delivered by such Selling Shareholder on such Closing Date and
full right, power and authority to enter into this Agreement and, assuming effectiveness of
the Registration Statement and the ADS Registration Statement, to sell, assign, transfer and
deliver the Offered Securities to be delivered by such Selling Shareholder and to deposit
with the Depositary the Class A Common Shares underlying the ADSs to be sold by such Selling
Shareholder on such Closing Date hereunder.
(b) Absence of Further Requirements. No consent, approval, authorization or order of,
or filing with, any person (including any governmental agency or body or any court) is
required to be obtained or made by such Selling Shareholder for the consummation of the
transactions contemplated by the Custody Agreement (the “Custody Agreement”) entered into by
such Selling Shareholder and the Company, as custodian (the “Custodian”) or this Agreement
in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Securities sold by such Selling
Shareholders, except for such consents, approvals, authorizations or orders of, or filings
with, any person which, if not obtained, would not have an adverse effect on the ability of
such Selling Shareholder to perform its obligations hereunder.
(c) Absence of Defaults and Conflicts Resulting from Transaction. The execution,
delivery and performance of the Custody Agreement and this Agreement and the consummation of
the transactions therein and herein contemplated 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, or
result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or
assets of such Selling Shareholder pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan
agreement or other agreement or instrument to which such Selling Shareholder is a party or
by which such Selling Shareholder is bound or to which any of the properties or assets of
such Selling Shareholder is subject, except for such conflict, breach or violation that
would not have a material adverse effect on the ability of such Selling Shareholder to
perform its obligations hereunder, (ii) result in any violation of the
19
provisions of the
articles of association, business license or other constituent documents of any Selling
Shareholder that is not a natural person, and (iii) result in the violation of any judgment,
law or statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental
or regulatory authority having jurisdiction over such Selling Shareholder or any of its
properties or assets.
(d) Security Interests. Upon payment for the Offered Securities sold by such Selling
Shareholder under this Agreement and the delivery by such Selling Shareholder to The
Depositary Trust Company (“DTC”) or its agent of the Securities in book entry form to a securities
account maintained by the Representatives at the DTC or its nominee, and payment therefor in
accordance with this Agreement, the Underwriters will acquire a securities entitlement
(within the meaning of Section 8-501 of the UCC) with respect to such Offered Securities,
and no action based on an “adverse claim” (as defined in UCC Section 8-102) may be asserted
against the Underwriters with respect to such security entitlement if, at such time, the
Underwriters do not have notice of any adverse claim within the meaning of UCC Section
8-105.
(e) Custody Agreement. The Custody Agreement with respect to such Selling Shareholder
has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by such Selling Shareholder. Such Selling
Shareholder has full right, power and authority to execute and deliver the Custody Agreement
and to perform its obligations thereunder.
(f) Power of Attorney.
To the extent such Selling Shareholder has executed a power of attorney (such Selling Shareholders,
as specified in Schedule B, the “Represented Selling Shareholders” and such document, the “Power of
Attorney”) appointing certain individuals named therein as certain Selling Shareholders’
attorneys-in-fact, such Power of Attorney constitutes a valid instrument granting the
attorney-in-fact named in such Power of Attorney the power and authority stated therein, and
permits the attorneys-in-fact to bind such Represented Selling Shareholders with respect to all
matters granted in such Power of Attorney, and such Power of Attorney has not been revoked,
cancelled or terminated at any time.
(g) Compliance with Securities Act Requirements. On their respective date, at the time
of filing of the Final Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) or (if no such filing is required)
at the Effective Time of the Additional Registration Statement in which the Final Prospectus
is included, and on each Closing Date, the Final Prospectus will not contain any untrue
statement of a material fact relating to such Selling Shareholder or, in the section
entitled “Principal and Selling Shareholders” and other sections in which such Selling
Shareholder is referred to in the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus, omit
to state any material fact required to be stated therein relating to such Selling
Shareholder or necessary to make the statements therein relating to such Selling
Shareholder, in the light of the circumstances they were made, not misleading. The
preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any such document based
upon 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 is that described as such in Section 8(d) hereof.
(h) No Other Material Information. Such Selling Shareholder has reviewed the General
Disclosure Package and does not know of any material information concerning the Company or
any of its Controlled Entities which is not disclosed in the General Disclosure Package.
(i) Authorization of Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
delivered by such Selling Shareholder.
20
(j) FINRA Affiliation. There are no affiliations or associations between any member of
FINRA and such Selling Shareholder; none of the proceeds received by such Selling
Shareholder from the sale of the Offered ADSs to be sold by such Selling Shareholder
pursuant to this Agreement will be paid to a member of FINRA or any affiliate of (or person
“associated with,” as such terms are used in the Bylaws of FINRA) such member.
(k) No Finder’s Fee. There are no contracts, agreements or understandings between such
Selling Shareholder and any person that would give rise to a valid claim against such
Selling Shareholder or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or other
like payment in connection with this offering.
(l) Absence of Manipulation. Such Selling Shareholder has not taken, directly or
indirectly, any action that is designed to or that has constituted or that would reasonably
be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any
security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Securities.
(m) No Registration Rights. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, such
Selling Shareholder does not have any registration or other similar rights to have any
equity or debt securities registered for sale by the Company.
(n) No Pre-emptive Rights. Such Selling Shareholder does not have any preemptive right,
co-sale right or right of first refusal or other similar right to purchase any of the
Offered Shares that are to be sold by the Company or any other Selling Shareholder to the
Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement; and such Selling Shareholder does not own any
warrants, options or similar rights to acquire, and does not have any right or arrangement
to acquire, any capital shares, right, warrants, options or other securities from the
Company, except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package.
(C) Representations and Warranties of Management Selling Shareholder. Kewen Holding Co., Limited
(the “Management Selling Shareholder”) represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the several
Underwriters that it has reviewed the Registration Statement and General Disclosure Package and
will review the Final Prospectus and none of the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package
and Final Prospectus nor any amendments or supplements thereto includes any untrue statement of a
material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein,
in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
3. Purchase, Sale and Delivery of Offered Securities. On the basis of the representations,
warranties and agreements and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Company and
each Firm Selling Shareholder agree, severally and not jointly and for itself only, to sell to each
Underwriter, and each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company
and each Firm Selling Shareholder, at a purchase price of $[•] per ADS (the “Purchase
Price”), that number of Firm Securities (subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares
as the Representatives may determine) that bears the same proportion to the number of Firm
Securities to be sold by the Company and the Firm Selling Shareholders as the number of Firm
Securities set forth in Schedule A hereto opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total
number of Firm Securities.
Executed transfer forms for the Offered Shares represented by the Offered Securities to be
sold
21
by the Optional Selling Shareholders hereunder have been placed in custody, for delivery under this
Agreement, under the Custody Agreement. Each Optional Selling Shareholder agrees, severally and
not jointly and for itself only, that the Offered Shares represented by the transfer forms held in
custody for such Optional Selling Shareholder under the Custody Agreement are subject to the
interests of the Underwriters hereunder, that the arrangements made by such Optional Selling
Shareholder for such custody are to that extent irrevocable, and that the obligations of such
Optional Selling Shareholder hereunder shall not be terminated by operation of law, whether by the
death of any individual Optional Selling Shareholder or the occurrence of any other event, or in
the case of a trust, by the death of any trustee or trustees or the termination of such trust. If
any individual Optional Selling Shareholder or any such trustee or trustees should die, or if any
other such event should occur, or if any of such trusts should terminate, before the delivery of
such Optional Selling Shareholder’s Offered Securities hereunder, certificates for such Offered
Securities shall be delivered by the Custodian in accordance with the terms and conditions of this
Agreement as if such death or other event or termination had not occurred, regardless of whether or
not the Custodian shall have received notice of such death or other event or termination.
The Company and the Firm Selling Shareholders agree, severally and not jointly and for itself
only, to deliver or cause to be delivered the Firm Securities to or as instructed by the
Representatives for the accounts of the several Underwriters in a form reasonably acceptable to the
Representatives against payment of the purchase price in Federal (same day) funds by official bank
check or checks or wire transfer to an account at a bank acceptable to the Representatives drawn to
the order of the Company at [•] A.M., New York City time, on [•], 2010, or at such
other time not later than seven full business days thereafter as the Representatives and the
Company determine, such time being herein referred to as the “First Closing Date”. For purposes of
Rule 15c6-1 under the Exchange Act, the First Closing Date (if later than the otherwise applicable
settlement date) shall be the settlement date for payment of funds and delivery of securities for
all the Firm Securities sold pursuant to the offering. The Firm Securities so to be delivered or
evidence of their issuance will be made available for checking at such place designated by the
Representatives at least 24 hours prior to the First Closing Date.
In addition, upon written notice from the Representatives given to the Company and the
Optional Selling Shareholders from time to time not more than 30 days subsequent to the date of the
Final Prospectus, the Underwriters may purchase all or less than all of the Optional Securities at
the Purchase Price per ADS. The Company and the Optional Selling Shareholders agree, severally and
not jointly and for itself only, to sell to the Underwriters the number of Optional Securities
specified in such notice and the Underwriters agree, severally and not jointly, to purchase such
Optional Securities. Such Optional Securities shall be purchased for the account of each
Underwriter in the same proportion as the number of Firm Securities set forth opposite such
Underwriter’s name bears to the total number of Firm Securities (subject to adjustment by the
Representatives to eliminate fractions). No Optional Securities shall be sold or delivered unless
the Firm Securities previously have been, or simultaneously are, sold and delivered. The right to
purchase the Optional Securities or any portion thereof may be exercised (in the proportions
described immediately above) from time to time and to the extent not previously exercised may be
surrendered and terminated at any time upon notice by the Representatives to the Company and the
Optional Selling Shareholders.
Each time for the delivery of and payment for the Optional Securities, being herein referred
to as an “Optional Closing Date”, which may be the First Closing Date (the First Closing Date and
each Optional Closing Date, if any, being sometimes referred to as a “Closing Date”), shall be
determined by the Representatives but shall be not earlier than two full business days or later
than five full business days after written notice of election to purchase Optional Securities is
given. The Company and the Custodian agree,
22
severally and not jointly and for itself only, to
deliver the Optional Securities being purchased on each Optional Closing Date to or as instructed
by the Representatives for the accounts of the several
Underwriters in a form reasonably acceptable to the Representatives against payment of the purchase
price therefor in Federal (same day) funds by wire transfer to an account at a bank acceptable to
the Representatives drawn to the order of the Company, on behalf of itself and the Optional Selling
Shareholders. The Optional Securities being purchased on each Optional Closing Date or evidence of
their issuance will be made available for checking at such place designated by the Representatives
at a reasonable time in advance of such Optional Closing Date.
4. Offering by Underwriters. It is understood that the several Underwriters propose to offer the
Offered Securities for sale to the public as set forth in the Final Prospectus. It is further
understood that the Offered Securities are to be offered to the public initially at $[•] per
ADS (the “Public Offering Price”) and to certain dealers selected by you at a price that represents
a concession not in excess of $[•] per ADS under the Public Offering Price.
5. Certain Agreements of the Company and the Selling Shareholders.
A. The Company agrees with the several Underwriters that:
(a) Additional Filings. Unless filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) as part of the Additional
Registration Statement in accordance with the next sentence, the Company will file the Final
Prospectus, in a form approved by the Representatives, with the Commission pursuant to and
in accordance with subparagraph (1) (or, if applicable and if consented to by the
Representatives, subparagraph (4)) of Rule 424(b) not later than the earlier of (i) the
second business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement or (ii) the
fifteenth business day after the Effective Time of the Initial Registration Statement. The
Company will advise the Representatives promptly of any such filing pursuant to Rule 424(b)
and provide satisfactory evidence to the Representatives of such timely filing. If an
Additional Registration Statement is necessary to register a portion of the Offered
Securities under the Act but the Effective Time thereof has not occurred as of the execution
and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will file the Additional Registration Statement
or, if filed, will file a post-effective amendment thereto with the Commission pursuant to
and in accordance with Rule 462(b) on or prior to 10:00 P.M., New York City time, on the
date of this Agreement or, if earlier, on or prior to the time the Final Prospectus is
finalized and distributed to any Underwriter, or will make such filing at such later date as
shall have been consented to by the Representatives.
(b) Filing of Amendments: Response to Commission Requests. The Company will promptly
advise the Representatives of any proposal to amend or supplement at any time the Initial
Registration Statement, any Additional Registration Statement or any Statutory Prospectus
and will not effect such amendment or supplementation without the Representatives’ consent;
and the Company will also advise the Representatives promptly of (i) the effectiveness of
any Additional Registration Statement (if its Effective Time is subsequent to the execution
and delivery of this Agreement), (ii) any amendment or supplementation of a Registration
Statement or any Statutory Prospectus, (iii) any request by the Commission or its staff for
any amendment to any Registration Statement, for any supplement to any Statutory Prospectus
or for any additional information, (iv) the institution by the Commission of any stop order
proceedings in respect of a Registration Statement or the threatening of any proceeding for
that purpose, and (v) the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the
suspension of the qualification of the Offered Securities in
23
any jurisdiction or the
institution or threatening of any proceedings for such purpose. The Company will use its
best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order or the suspension of any such
qualification and, if issued, to obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.
(c) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. If, at any time when a prospectus
relating to the Offered Securities is (or but for the exemption in Rule 172 would be)
required to be delivered under the Act by any Underwriter or dealer, any event occurs as a
result of which the Final Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading, or if it is necessary at any time to amend the Registration Statement or
supplement the Final Prospectus to comply with the Act, the Company will promptly notify the
Representatives of such event and will promptly prepare and file with the Commission and
furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and the dealers and any other dealers upon
request of the Representatives, an amendment or supplement which will correct such statement
or omission or an amendment which will effect such compliance. Neither the Representatives’
consent to, nor the Underwriters’ delivery of, any such amendment or supplement shall
constitute a waiver of any of the conditions set forth in Section 7 hereof.
(d) Rule 158. As soon as practicable, but not later than the Availability Date (as
defined below), the Company will make generally available to its security holders an
earnings statement covering a period of at least 12 months beginning after the Effective
Time of the Initial Registration Statement (or, if later, the Effective Time of the
Additional Registration Statement) which will satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the
Act and Rule 158 under the Act. For the purpose of the preceding sentence, “Availability
Date” means the 45th day after the end of the fourth fiscal quarter following the fiscal
quarter that includes such Effective Time, except that, if such fourth fiscal quarter is the
last quarter of the Company’s fiscal year, “Availability Date” means the 180th day after the
end of such fourth fiscal quarter.
(e) Furnishing of Prospectuses. The Company will furnish to the Representatives copies
of each Registration Statement (four of which will be signed and will include all exhibits),
each related Statutory Prospectus, and, so long as a prospectus relating to the Offered
Securities is (or but for the exemption in Rule 172 would be) required to be delivered under
the Act, the Final Prospectus and all amendments and supplements to such documents, in each
case in such quantities as the Representatives request. The Final Prospectus shall be so
furnished within 24 hours following the execution and delivery of this Agreement. All other
such documents shall be so furnished as soon as available. The Company will pay the expenses
of printing and distributing to the Underwriters all such documents.
(f) Blue Sky Qualifications. The Company will arrange for the qualification of the
Offered Securities for sale under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives
designate and will continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for the
distribution.
(g) Reporting Requirements. During the period of five years hereafter, the Company
will furnish to the Representatives and, upon request, to each of the other Underwriters, as
soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year, a copy of its annual report to
shareholders for such year; and the Company will furnish to the Representatives (i) as soon
as available, a copy of each report and any definitive proxy statement of the Company filed
with the Commission under the Exchange Act or mailed to shareholders, and (ii) from time to
time, such other information
24
concerning the Company as the Representatives may reasonably
request. However, so long as the Company is subject to the reporting requirements of either
Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the
Exchange Act and is timely filing reports with the Commission on XXXXX, it is not
required to furnish such reports or statements to the Underwriters.
(h) Payment of Expenses. [The Company will pay all expenses incident to the
performance of the obligations of the Company under this Agreement, including but not
limited to (i) all fees and expenses in connection with the preparation and filing of the
Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits), the ADS Registration
Statement, the Exchange Act Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the General
Disclosure Package,, the Final Prospectus and any Free Writing Prospectus prepared by or on
behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company and amendments and supplements to any of
the foregoing, including all printing costs associated therewith, and the mailing and
delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers, in the quantities hereinabove
specified, (ii) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Company’s counsels and
accountants, (iii) all costs and expenses related to the transfer and delivery of the ADSs
to the Underwriters, including any transfer or other taxes payable thereon, (iv) the cost of
printing or producing any Blue Sky or legal investment memorandum in connection with the
offer and sale of the Offered Securities under state or foreign securities laws and all
expenses in connection with the qualification of the Offered Shares and the Offered
Securities for offer and sale under state or foreign securities laws as provided in Section
5(A)(f) hereof, including filing fees, (v) all FINRA filing fees, (vi) all costs and
expenses incident to listing the Offered Securities on the New York Stock Exchange and any
registration thereof under the Exchange Act, (vii) the costs and expenses of qualifying the
Offered Securities for inclusion in the book-entry settlement system of the DTC, (viii) the
costs and charges of any transfer agent, registrar or depositary, (ix) the costs and
expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in
connection with the marketing of the offering of the Offered Securities, including, without
limitation, expenses associated with the preparation or dissemination of any electronic
roadshow, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and
expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations with the
prior approval of the Company, and travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and
officers of the Company and any such consultants, and (x) all other costs and expenses
incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company hereunder for which provision
is not otherwise made in this Section. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Underwriters have
agreed to reimburse the Company for a portion of its documented fees and expenses in
connection with the transactions contemplated hereunder, up to a maximum of 7% of the total
underwriting discounts and commissions payable to the Underwriters, provided that the
Company shall pay the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the road show up to
$100,000. Any reimbursement of the Company’s expenses and fees pursuant to the preceding
sentence shall be paid together with the purchase price for the Offered Securities set forth
in Section 3 hereof .] If the purchase of the Offered Securities by the Underwriters is not
consummated for any reason other than solely because of the termination of this Agreement
pursuant to Section 10 hereof, the Company and the Selling Shareholders
will, severally and not jointly, bear all of their respective out-of-pocket expenses
(including fees and disbursements of counsel) incurred by them in connection with the
offering of the Offered Securities.
(i) Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the net proceeds received by it in
connection with this offering in the manner described in the “Use of Proceeds” section of
the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus. The
Company will not invest, or
25
otherwise use the proceeds received by the Company from its sale
of the Offered Securities in such a manner (i) as would require the Company or any of the
Controlled Entities to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act, and (ii) that would result in the
Company being not in compliance with any applicable SAFE Rules and Regulations. The Company
will not use, or will cause the Controlled Entities not to use, the proceeds of the Offered
Securities hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any
subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing
the activities of any person currently subject to Sanctions
(j) Taxes. The Company will indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriters against any
withholding tax, goods and service tax, value added tax, business tax, documentary, stamp or
similar issue tax, including any interest and penalties, on the creation, issue and sale of
the Offered Securities and on the execution and delivery of this Agreement and on payment
received by the Underwriters under this Agreement. All payments to be made by the Company
hereunder shall be made without withholding or deduction for or on account of any present or
future taxes, duties or governmental charges whatsoever unless the Company or any Selling
Shareholder is compelled by law to deduct or withhold such taxes, duties or charges. In that
event, the Company shall pay such additional amounts as may be necessary in order that the
net amounts received after such withholding or deduction shall equal the amounts that would
have been received if no withholding or deduction had been made.
(k) Restriction on Sale of Securities by Company. For the period specified below (the
“Lock-Up Period”), the Company will not, directly or indirectly, take any of the following
actions with respect to its common shares or ADSs, or any securities convertible into or
exchangeable or exercisable for any of its common shares or ADSs (“Lock-Up Securities”): (i)
offer, sell, issue, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of Lock-Up Securities,
(ii) offer, sell, issue, contract to sell, contract to purchase or grant any option, right
or warrant to purchase Lock-Up Securities, (iii) enter into any swap, hedge or any other
agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, the economic consequences of ownership of
Lock-Up Securities, (iv) establish or increase a put equivalent position or liquidate or
decrease a call equivalent position in Lock-Up Securities within the meaning of Section 16
of the Exchange Act or (v) file with the Commission a registration statement under the Act
relating to Lock-Up Securities, or publicly disclose the intention to take any such action,
without the prior written consent of the Representatives, except issuances of Lock-Up
Securities pursuant to this Agreement or the conversion or exchange of convertible or
exchangeable securities or the exercise of warrants or options, in each case outstanding on
the date hereof, grants of employee stock options or other equity incentives pursuant to the
terms of the Company’s existing share incentive plans within the number of options
authorized for grant as of the date hereof, issuances of Lock-Up Securities pursuant to the
exercise of such options. The initial Lock-Up Period will commence on the date hereof and
continue for 180 days after the date hereof or such earlier date that the Representatives
consent to in writing; provided, however, that if (1) during the last 17 days of the initial
Lock-Up Period, the Company releases earnings results or material news or a material event
relating to the Company occurs or (2) prior to the expiration of the initial Lock-Up Period,
the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period
beginning on the last day of the initial Lock-Up Period, then in each case the Lock-Up
Period will be extended until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the date of
release of the earnings results or the occurrence of the materials news or material event,
as applicable, unless the Representatives waive, in writing, such extension. The Company
will provide the Representatives with notice of any announcement
26
described in clause (2) of
the preceding sentence that gives rise to an extension of the Lock-Up Period.
(l) Listing of Securities. The Company will use its best efforts to maintain the
listing of the Offered Securities on the New York Stock Exchange.
(m) Deposit of Shares. The Company will, prior to each Closing Date, deposit the
Offered Shares with the Depository in accordance with the provisions of the Deposit
Agreement and otherwise comply with the Deposit Agreement so that Firm Securities or
Optional Securities, as the case may be, will be issued by the Depositary against receipt of
such Offered Shares and delivered to the Underwriters at each Closing Date.
(n) License of Trademarks. Upon request of any Underwriter, the Company will furnish,
or cause to be furnished, to such Underwriter an electronic version of the Company’s
trademarks, service marks and corporate logo for use on the website, if any, operated by
such Underwriter for the purpose of facilitating the offering of the Offered Securities.
(o) Judgment and Approval. The Company agrees that (i) it will not attempt to avoid
any judgment applied or denied to it in a court of competent jurisdiction outside the Cayman
Islands, (ii) following the consummation of the offering of the Offered Securities, it will
use its best efforts to obtain and maintain all approvals required in the Cayman Islands to
pay and remit outside the Cayman Islands all dividends declared by the Company and payable
on the Ordinary Shares, if any, and (iii) it will use its best efforts to obtain and
maintain all approvals required in the Cayman Islands for the Company to acquire sufficient
foreign exchange for the payment of dividends, if any, and all other relevant purposes.
(p) Compliance with SAFE Rules and Regulations. The Company will comply with the SAFE
Rules and Regulations, and will use its best efforts to cause its shareholders that are, or
that are directly or indirectly owned or controlled by, PRC residents or PRC citizens, to
comply with the SAFE Rules and Regulations applicable to them, including, without
limitation, requesting each such shareholder to complete any registration and other
procedures required under applicable SAFE Rules and Regulations.
(q) Compliance with Laws. The Company will comply with and will require the Company’s
directors and executive officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with all applicable
Securities Laws, rules and regulations, including, without limitation, Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx.
(r) No Manipulation. The Company agrees not to, and to cause the Controlled Entities
not to, take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or
that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of
the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered
Shares or the Offered Securities.
(s) Lock-up Arrangements. The Company agrees to cause each option holder of the Company
who has not entered into a “lock-up” agreement contemplated in Section 7(p) to be subject to
and comply with all of the restrictions set forth in such “lock-up” agreement, including
having a legend with respect to such restrictions on the certificates evidencing the
Company’s Class A Common Shares to be issued to any such option holder upon exercise of the
options
27
during the 180-day period after the date of the Final Prospectus; and to enter into
the Depositary Letter (as defined in Section 7(r) hereof) with the Depositary, and not to
release the Depositary
from any of its obligations set forth in, or otherwise amend, terminate or fail to
enforce, the Depositary Letter during the Lock-Up Period.
(t) Directed Share Program. (i) The Company will ensure that the Directed Shares will
be restricted to the extent required by the FINRA or the FINRA rules from sale, transfer,
assignment, pledge or hypothecation for a period of three months following the date of the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement. The Designated Underwriter will notify the
Company as to which Participants will need to be so restricted. The Company will direct the
transfer agent to place stop transfer restrictions upon such securities for such period of
time. (ii) The Company will pay all fees and disbursements of counsel (including non-U.S.
counsel) incurred by the Underwriters in connection with the Directed Share Program and
stamp duties, similar taxes or duties or other taxes, if any, incurred by the underwriters
in connection with the Directed Share Program. (iii) The Company will comply with all
applicable securities and other applicable laws, rules and regulations in each foreign
jurisdiction in which the Directed Shares are offered in connection with the Directed Share
Program.
B. Each Selling Shareholder, severally and not jointly and for itself only, agrees
with the several Underwriters that:
(a) Absence of Manipulation. Such Selling Shareholder will not take, directly or
indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be
expected to cause or result in, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities
of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Securities.
(b) Use of Proceeds. Such Selling Shareholder represents and covenants that such
Selling Shareholder will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the offering, or
lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture
partner or other Person, to fund or facilitate any activities or business of or with any
Person or in any country or territory that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is
the subject of Sanctions.
(c) Tax Form. Such Selling Shareholder agrees to deliver to the Representatives prior
to or at the Closing Date a properly completed and executed United States Treasury
Department Form W-8 or Form W-9, as applicable (or other applicable form or statement
specified by United States Treasury Department regulations in lieu thereof).
C. The Management Selling Shareholder further agrees with the several Underwriters that:
(a) Material Event. The Management Selling Shareholder shall notify promptly the
Company and the Representatives any change in the information relating to itself in the
Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus at any time
prior to the date on which the distribution of the Offered Securities as contemplated herein
and in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus
has been completed, as determined by the Representatives.
(b) Lock-Up. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in the lock-up letter
delivered by the Management Selling Shareholder to the Representatives, the Management
Selling
28
Shareholder shall not, during the Lock-Up Period, transfer the Common Shares or ADSs
owned by the Management Selling Shareholder as of the date of this Agreement as a bona fide
gift, or through will or intestacy, or to an immediate family member or trust or entity beneficially
owned and controlled by the Management Selling Shareholder, or to a partner, member or an
“affiliate” of the Management Selling Shareholder, as such term is defined under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
6. Free Writing Prospectuses. Each of the Company and Selling Shareholders, severally and not
jointly and for itself only, represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of
the Representatives, and each Underwriter represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the
prior consent of the Company and the Representatives, it has not made and will not make any offer
relating to the Offered Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or that
would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405, required to be
filed with the Commission. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Company and
the Representatives is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.”
Each of the Company and Selling Shareholders, severally and not jointly and for itself only,
represents that it has treated and agrees that it will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus
as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and have complied and will comply
with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus,
including timely Commission filing where required, legending and record keeping. Each of the
Company and Selling Shareholders, severally and not jointly and for itself only, represents that it
has satisfied and agree that it will satisfy the conditions in Rule 433 to avoid a requirement to
file with the Commission any electronic road show.
7. Conditions of the Obligations of the Underwriters. The obligations of the several Underwriters
to purchase and pay for the Firm Securities on the First Closing Date and the Optional Securities
to be purchased on each Optional Closing Date will be subject to the following conditions
precedent:
(a) Accuracy of Representations. The representations and warranties of the Company
and the Selling Shareholders (including the Management Selling Shareholder) contained in
this Agreement and any certificates delivered pursuant to this Agreement shall be true and
correct as of the Closing Date, and each of the Company and the Selling Shareholders
(including the Management Selling Shareholder) shall have complied with all of the
agreements, performed all of its obligations and satisfied all of the conditions hereunder
on its part that are required to be complied with, performed or satisfied on or before the
Closing Date.
(b) Effectiveness of Registration Statement. The Registration Statement, the ADS
Registration Statement and the Exchange Act Registration Statement shall have become
effective. The Final Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission in accordance with
the Rules and Regulations and Section 5(A)(a) hereof. Prior to such Closing Date, no stop
order suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement shall have been issued and no
proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or, to the knowledge of the Company,
shall be contemplated by the Commission.
(c) No Material Adverse Change. Subsequent to the execution and delivery
of this Agreement, no event or condition of a type described in Section 2(A)(hh) shall have
occurred or shall exist, which event or condition is not described in the Registration
Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus and the effect of which
in the sole judgment of the Representatives makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed
with the offering, sale or delivery
29
of the Offered Securities on the Closing Date or the
Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, on the terms and in the manner contemplated by
this Agreement.
(d) Adverse Developments in PRC Legislation. There shall not be any
adverse legislative or regulatory developments in the PRC, including but not limited to the
SAFE Rules and Regulations, which in the sole judgment of the Representatives would make it
inadvisable or impractical to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the
Offered Securities at the First Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may
be, on the terms and in the manner contemplated in this Agreement.
(e) Accountants’ Comfort Letter. The Representatives shall have received
letters, dated, respectively, the date hereof and each Closing Date, of Ernst & Young Hua
Ming confirming that they are a registered public accounting firm and independent public
accountants within the meaning of the Securities Laws and substantially in form and
substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, containing statements and information of the
type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to
the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration
Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus; provided that the letter
delivered on the Closing Date shall use a “cut-off date” not earlier than the date
hereof.
(f) Opinion of United States Counsel for the Company. The
Representatives shall have received an opinion, dated such Closing Date, of Skadden,
Arps, Slate, Xxxxxxx & Xxxx LLP, United States counsel for the Company and the
Management Selling Shareholder, dated the Closing Date, in form and substance
satisfactory to the Representatives.
(g) Opinion of PRC Counsel for the Company. The
Company shall have received an opinion from Commerce & Finance Law Offices,
PRC counsel for the Company, dated such Closing Date, in form and substance
satisfactory to the Underwriters. A copy of such opinion shall have been provided to the
Representatives with consent from such counsel.
(h) Opinion of Cayman Counsel for the Company. The Representatives shall
have received an opinion from Xxxxxx & Calder, Cayman Islands counsel for the Company, dated
such Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters.
(i) Opinion of BVI Counsel for Management Selling Shareholder. The
Representatives shall have received an opinion from Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx, British Virgin Islands
counsel for the Management Selling Shareholder, dated such Closing Date, in form and
substance satisfactory to the Underwriters.
(j) Opinion of United States Counsel for Underwriters. The Representatives
shall have received from O’Melveny & Xxxxx LLP, United States counsel for the Underwriters,
such opinion or opinions, dated such Closing Date, with respect to such matters as the
Representatives may require, and the Selling Shareholders 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.
(k) Opinion of PRC Counsel for Underwriters. The Representatives shall
have received from Xxx Xx Law Offices, PRC counsel for the Underwriters, such opinion or
opinions, dated such Closing Date, with respect to such matters as the Representatives may
require, and the Selling
30
Shareholders 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.
(l) Opinion of Firm Selling Shareholders’ Counsels on the First Closing
Date. The Representatives shall have received such opinion or opinions from the respective
counsels for each Firm Selling Shareholder, dated such Closing Date, in form and substance
satisfactory to the Representatives.
(m) Opinion of Optional Selling Shareholders’ Counsels on Each Optional
Closing Date. The Representatives shall have received such opinion or opinions from the
respective counsels for each Optional Selling Shareholder, dated such Closing Date, in form
and substance satisfactory to the Representatives.
(n) Opinion of Depositary’s Counsel. The Representatives shall have
received an opinion from Xxxxx, Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx, LLP, counsel for the Depositary, in form
and substance satisfactory to the Representatives.
(o) Executive Officers’ Certificate. The Representatives shall have received
a certificate, dated such Closing Date, of an executive officer of the Company and a
principal financial or accounting officer of the Company in which such officers shall state
that: (i) the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are
true and correct; the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions
on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such Closing Date,
(ii) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of any Registration Statement has been
issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or, to the best of their
knowledge and after telephone conversations with the Commission, are contemplated by the
Commission, (iii) the Additional Registration Statement (if any) satisfying the
requirements of subparagraphs (1) and (3) of Rule 462(b) was timely filed pursuant to Rule
462(b), including payment of the applicable filing fee in accordance with Rule 111(a) or (b)
of Regulation S-T of the Commission, and (iv) subsequent to the date of the
most recent financial statements in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure
Package and the Final Prospectus, there has been no material adverse change, nor any
development or event involving a prospective material adverse change, in the condition
(financial or otherwise), results of operations, business, properties or prospects of the
Company and the Controlled Entities taken as a whole except as set forth in the General
Disclosure Package or as described in such certificate.
(p) Lock-Up Agreements. On or prior to the date hereof, the Representatives
shall have received lock-up letters from each of the directors, executive officers,
shareholders of the Company and holders of share options of the Company whose names are
set forth in Schedule D, each substantially in the form and substance set forth in Exhibit
A.
(q) Execution of Deposit Agreement. The Company and the Depositary shall
have executed and delivered the Deposit Agreement and the Deposit Agreement shall be in full
force and effect and the Company and the Depositary shall have taken all action necessary to
permit the deposit of the Offered Shares and the issuance of the Offered Securities in
accordance with the Deposit Agreement.
(r) Depositary’s Certificates. The Depositary shall have furnished or
caused to be furnished to the Representatives at such Closing Date, certificates
satisfactory to the Representatives
31
evidencing the deposit with it of the Offered Shares
being so deposited against issuance of the Offered Securities to be delivered by the Company
at such Closing Date, and the execution, countersignature (if applicable), issuance and delivery of such Offered Securities
pursuant to the Deposit Agreement and such other matters related thereto as the
Representatives may reasonably request.
(s)
Instruction Letter to Depositary. The Company shall have delivered an
instruction letter to the Depositary, substantially in the form and substance set forth in
Exhibit B hereto (the “Depositary Letter”), obligating the Depositary, during the Lock-Up
Period, not to accept any deposit of any Common Shares in the Company’s ADS facility or
issue any new ADSs to any such person subject to the exceptions stated in the Depositary
Letter or further instructions by the Company or take any measures to establish any
additional ADS facility for any other securities relating to the Company.
(t) No FINRA Objection. FINRA shall not have raised any objection with
respect to the fairness or reasonableness of the underwriting or other arrangements of the
transactions contemplated hereunder.
(u) Exchange Listing. The Offered Securities shall have been approved to be
listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
(v) Custody Agreement. Each Selling Shareholder shall have delivered to
the Representatives a Power of Attorney and a Custody Agreement, each of which duly executed
and in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives.
(w) Selling Shareholder’s Certificate. The Representative shall have
received a certificate, dated such Closing Date, of each Selling Shareholder or of an
attorney-in-fact of each Represented Selling Shareholder in which such Selling Shareholder
or the attorney-in-fact shall state that: the representations and warranties of such Selling
Shareholder in this Agreement are true and correct as of such Closing Date; and such Selling
Shareholder has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on their part to
be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such Closing Date.
(x) Tax Forms. The Representatives shall have received from the
Custodian and the Management Selling Shareholder a United States Treasury Department
Form W-9 or the applicable Form W-8 (or other applicable form or statement specified
by the United States Treasury Department regulations in lieu thereof) properly completed
and executed by each Selling Shareholder.
(y) Additional Documents. On or prior to such Closing Date, the Company
and each of the Selling Shareholders shall have furnished to the Representative such further
certificates and documents and such conformed copies of such opinions, certificates, letters
and documents as the Representatives may reasonably request.
If any condition specified in this Section shall not have been fulfilled
when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement, or, in the case of any condition to
the purchase of Optional Securities on a Optional Closing Date which is after the First
Closing Date, the obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase the relevant Optional
Securities shall be
32
deemed terminated by the Company and the Selling Shareholder at any time
at or prior to the First Closing Date or such Optional Closing Date, as the case may be
unless as otherwise provided, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other
party except as provided in Section 11.
Notwithstanding the immediately preceding paragraph, the Representatives
may in their sole discretion waive on behalf of the Underwriters compliance with any
conditions to the obligations of the Underwriters hereunder, whether in respect of an
Optional Closing Date or otherwise.
8. Indemnification and Contribution. (a) Indemnification of Underwriters by Company. The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its partners, members, directors,
officers, employees, agents, affiliates and each person, if any who controls such Underwriter
within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (each an “Indemnified
Party”), against any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which
such Indemnified Party may become subject, under the Act, the Exchange Act, other Federal or state
statutory law or regulation or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities
(or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged
untrue statement of any material fact contained in any part of any Registration Statement at any
time, any Statutory Prospectus as of any time, the Final Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission of a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and will
reimburse each Indemnified Party for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such
Indemnified Party in connection with investigating or defending against any loss, claim, damage,
liability, action, litigation, investigation or proceeding whatsoever (whether or not such
Indemnified Party is a party thereto), whether threatened or commenced, and in connection with the
enforcement of this provision with respect to any of the above as such expenses are incurred;
provided, however, that the Company will not be liable in
any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is
based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement in or omission or alleged omission from
any of such documents in reliance 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 is that
described as such in Section 8(d) hereof.
The Company further agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Designated Underwriter and its
affiliates and each person, if any, who controls the Designated Underwriter within the meaning of
either Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (the “Designated Entities”), from
and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, any
legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending or investigating any such
action or claim) (i) arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement
of a material fact contained in any material prepared by or with the consent of the Company for
distribution to Participants in connection with the Directed Share Program or arising out of or
based upon any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) arising out of or based upon the
failure of any Participant to pay for and accept delivery of Directed Shares that the Participant
agreed to purchase, or (iii) arising out of, related to, or in connection with the Directed Share
Program, other than losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or expenses relating
33
thereto) that are
finally judicially determined to have resulted from the willful misconduct or gross negligence of
the Designated Entities.
(b) Indemnification of Underwriters by the Management Selling Shareholder. The Management Selling
Shareholder will indemnify and hold harmless each Indemnified Party against any and all losses,
claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Indemnified Party may become
subject, under the Act, the Exchange Act, other Federal or state statutory law or regulation or
otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof)
arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material
fact contained in any part of any Registration Statement at any time, any Statutory Prospectus as
of any time, the Final Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or arise out of or are
based upon the omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and will reimburse each Indemnified Party
for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Indemnified Party in connection with
investigating or defending against any loss, claim, damage, liability, action, litigation,
investigation or proceeding whatsoever (whether or not such Indemnified Party is a party thereto),
whether threatened or commenced, and in connection with the enforcement of this provision with
respect to any of the above as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the Management
Selling Shareholder will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim,
damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement
in or omission or alleged omission from any of such documents in reliance 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 is that
described as such in Section 8(d) hereof; provided further, that the aggregate amount of the
Management Selling Shareholder’s liability pursuant to this Section 8(b) shall not exceed the
aggregate amount of net proceeds received by it from the sale of its Class A Common Shares
hereunder (after deduction of underwriting discounts and commissions).
(c) Indemnification of Underwriters by Selling Shareholders. Each Selling
Shareholder, severally and not jointly and for itself only, will indemnify and hold
harmless each Indemnified Party against any and all losses, claims, damages or
liabilities, joint or several, to which such Indemnified Party may become subject, under the
Act, the Exchange Act, other Federal or state statutory law or regulation or otherwise,
insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise
out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material
fact, relating to such Selling Shareholder, contained in any part of any Registration
Statement at any time, any Statutory Prospectus as of any time, the Final Prospectus or any
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged
omission of a material fact in the section entitled “Principal and Selling Shareholders” and
other sections in which such Selling Shareholder is referred to in the General Disclosure
Package or the Final Prospectus relating to such Selling Shareholder required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein relating to such Selling Shareholder not
misleading, and will reimburse each Indemnified Party for any legal or other expenses
reasonably incurred by such Indemnified Party in connection with investigating or defending
against any loss, claim, damage, liability, action, litigation, investigation or proceeding
whatsoever (whether or not such Indemnified Party is a party thereto), whether threatened or
commenced, and in connection with the enforcement of this provision with respect to the above
as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the Selling Shareholders will
not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability
arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement in or omission
or alleged omission from any of such documents in reliance 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 is
that described as such in Section 8(d) hereof; provided further that the aggregate amount of
each Selling Shareholder’s liability pursuant to this Section 8(c) shall not exceed the
aggregate amount of net proceeds received by such Selling Shareholder from the sale of its
Class A Common Shares hereunder (after deduction of underwriting discounts and
commissions).
(d) Indemnification of Company and Selling Shareholders. Each Underwriter will severally
and not jointly indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors and each of its
officers who signs a Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company
within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and each
Selling Shareholder (each, an “Underwriter Indemnified Party”) against any losses, claims,
damages or liabilities to which such Underwriter Indemnified Party may become subject, under
the Act, the Exchange Act, or other Federal or state statutory law or regulation or otherwise,
insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise
out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact
contained in any Registration Statement at any time, any Statutory Prospectus at any time, the
Final Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or arise out of or are based upon the
omission or the alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary
to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the
extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission
was made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company
by such Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, and will
reimburse any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Underwriter Indemnified
Party in connection with investigating or defending against any such loss,
34
claim, damage,
liability, action, litigation, investigation or proceeding whatsoever (whether or not such
Underwriter Indemnified Party is a party thereto), whether threatened or commenced, based
upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or
omission as such expenses are incurred, it being understood and agreed that the only such
information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the concession figures appearing in the
third paragraph, [the last sentence in the ninth paragraph and the information
contained in the eighth, seventeenth, eighteenth, and twenty-second paragraphs] under the
caption “Underwriting”.
(e) Actions against Parties; Notification. Promptly after receipt by an indemnified
party under this Section of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party
will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against an indemnifying party under
subsection (a), (b), (c) or (d) above, notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof;
but the failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability that
it may have under subsection (a), (b), (c) or (d) 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 party shall not
relieve it from any liability that it may have to an indemnified party otherwise than under
subsection (a), (b), (c) or (d) above. In case any such action is brought against any indemnified
party and it notifies an indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying
party will be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it may wish, jointly
with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with
counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall not, except with the consent of the
indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party), and after notice from the
indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof,
the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party under this Section for any
legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the
defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation. Notwithstanding anything
contained herein to the contrary, if indemnity may be sought pursuant to the last paragraph in
Section 8(a) hereof in respect of such action or proceeding, then in addition to such separate
firm for the indemnified parties, the indemnifying party shall be liable for the reasonable
fees and expenses of not more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for
the Designated Underwriter for the defense of any losses, claims, damages and liabilities
arising out of the Directed Share Program, and all persons, if any, who control the Designated
Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Act of Section 20 of the Exchange
Act. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party,
effect any settlement of any pending or threatened action in respect of which any indemnified
party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such
indemnified party unless such settlement (i) includes an unconditional release of such
indemnified party from all liability on any claims that are the subject matter of such action
and (ii) does not include a statement as to, or an admission of, fault, culpability or a
failure to act by or on behalf of an indemnified party.
(f) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in this Section is unavailable or
insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection
(a), (b), (c) or (d) above,
then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such
indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to in
subsection (a), (b),(c) or (d) above (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the
relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Shareholders on the one hand
and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Securities or (ii) if the
allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion
as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above
35
but also the relative fault of the Company and the Selling Shareholders on the one
hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which
resulted in such
losses, claims, damages or liabilities as well as any other relevant equitable
considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling
Shareholders on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be
in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses)
received by the Company and the Selling Shareholders bear to the total underwriting
discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters. The relative fault shall be determined
by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a
material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to
information supplied by the Company, the Selling Shareholders or the Underwriters and
the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or
prevent such untrue statement or omission. The amount paid by an indemnified party as a result
of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to in the first sentence of this
subsection (f) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by
such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any action or claim which
is the subject of this subsection (f). Notwithstanding the provisions
of this subsection (f),
no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the
total price at which the Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public were
offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which 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 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty
of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’
obligations in this subsection (f) to
contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not
joint. The Company, the Selling Shareholders and the Underwriters agree that it would
not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 8(f) were determined by pro
rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by
any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations
referred to in this Section 8(f). Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 8, in no
event shall a Selling Shareholder be required to contribute any amount in excess of the total
amount of net proceeds received by such Selling Shareholder from the sale of its Class A
Common Shares pursuant to this Agreement. The Selling Shareholders’ obligations to contribute
pursuant to this Section 8(f) are several in proportion to the number of Class A Common Shares
to be sold by each of them pursuant to this Agreement and not joint.
9. Termination. [The Underwriters may terminate this Agreement by notice given by the
Representatives to the Company, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to
the Closing Date, (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on, or by,
as the case may be, any of the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange, the NASDAQ
Global Market, the Chicago Board of Options Exchange, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange or
the Chicago Board of Trade, (ii) trading of any securities of the Company shall have been suspended
on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market, (iii) a material disruption in securities
settlement, payment or clearance services in the United States, the Cayman Islands, or the PRC
shall have occurred, (iv) any moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared
by United States Federal, New York State, Cayman Islands, or the PRC authorities or (v) there shall
have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities, or any change in financial markets,
currency exchange rates or controls or any calamity or crisis that, in the reasonable judgment of
the Representatives, is material and adverse and which, singly or together with any other event
specified in this clause (v), makes it, in the reasonable judgment the Representatives,
impracticable to proceed with the offer, sale or delivery of the Offered Securities on the terms
and in the manner contemplated in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or
36
the Final Prospectus.]
10. Default of Underwriters. If any Underwriter or Underwriters default in their obligations to
purchase Offered Securities hereunder on either the First or any Optional Closing Date and the
aggregate number of shares of Offered Securities that such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters
agreed but failed to purchase does not exceed 10% of the total number of shares of Offered
Securities that the Underwriters are obligated to purchase on such Closing Date, the
Representatives may make arrangements satisfactory to the Company and the relevant Selling
Shareholders for the purchase of such Offered Securities by other persons, including any of
the Underwriters, but if no such arrangements are made by such Closing Date, the non-defaulting
Underwriters shall be obligated severally, in proportion to their respective commitments hereunder,
to purchase the Offered Securities that such defaulting Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase
on such Closing Date. If any Underwriter or Underwriters so default and the aggregate number of
shares of Offered Securities with respect to which such default or defaults occur exceeds 10% of
the total number of shares of Offered Securities that the Underwriters are obligated to purchase on
such Closing Date and arrangements satisfactory to the Representatives, the Company and the
relevant Selling Shareholders for the purchase of such Offered Securities by other persons
are not made within 36 hours after such default, this Agreement will terminate without liability on
the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter, the Company or the relevant Selling
Shareholders, except as provided in Section 11 (provided that if such default
occurs with respect to Optional Securities after the First Closing Date, this Agreement will not
terminate as to the Firm Securities or any Optional Securities purchased prior to such
termination). As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for
an Underwriter under this Section. Nothing herein will relieve a defaulting Underwriter from
liability for its default.
11. Survival of Certain Representations and Obligations. The respective indemnities, agreements,
representations, warranties and other statements of the Company, of the Selling
Shareholders and of the several Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this
Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation, or statement as to
the results thereof, made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, the Company, any Selling Shareholder
or any of their respective representatives, officers or directors or any controlling person, and
will survive delivery of and payment for the Offered Securities. If the purchase of the Offered
Securities by the Underwriters is not consummated for any reason other than solely because of the
termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 10 hereof, the respective obligations of
the Company, the Selling Shareholders and the Underwriters pursuant to Section 8 hereof
shall remain in effect. In addition, if any Offered Securities have been purchased hereunder, the
representations and warranties in Section 2 and all obligations under Section 5 shall also remain
in effect.
12. Notices. All communications hereunder will be in writing and, if sent to the Underwriters, will
be mailed, delivered or telegraphed and confirmed to the Representatives (i) Credit Suisse
Securities (USA) LLC at Eleven Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000-0000, the United
States of America, to the attention of Legal & Compliance Department and (ii) Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co.
International plc at 00 Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxxx, X00 0XX, Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx, to the
attention of Head of Capital Markets; or, if sent to the Company, the Management Selling
Shareholder or the Represented Selling Shareholders, will be mailed, delivered or telegraphed and
confirmed to it at 0/X, Xxxxx X, Xxx 0xx Xxxxxx, Xx. 0, Xxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx
District, Beijing 100010, PRC, Attention: Chief Financial Officer; or, if sent to the Selling
Shareholders or any of them, will be mailed, delivered or telegraphed and confirmed to
[•] at [•]; provided, however, that any notice to an Underwriter
pursuant to Section 8 will be mailed, delivered or telegraphed and confirmed to such Underwriter.
37
13. Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto
and their respective personal representatives and successors and the officers and directors and
controlling persons referred to in Section 7, and no other person will have any right or obligation
hereunder.
14. Representation. The Representatives will act for the several Underwriters in connection with
the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and any action under this Agreement taken by the
Representatives will be binding upon all the Underwriters.
Before the Power of Attorney is terminated as set forth therein,
Xx. Xxxxx Xx Yu and Xx. Xxxxx Xxxx
will act for the Represented Selling Shareholders in connection with such transactions,
and any action under or in respect of this Agreement taken by Xx. Xxxxx Xx Yu or Xx. Xxxxx Xxxx
will be binding upon all the Represented Selling Shareholders.
15. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which
shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the
same Agreement.
16. Absence of Fiduciary Relationship. The Company and the Selling Shareholders acknowledge and
agree that:
(a) No Other Relationship. The Representatives have been retained solely to act as
underwriters in connection with the sale of the Offered Securities and that no fiduciary,
advisory or agency relationship between the Company or the Selling Shareholders, on
the one hand, and the Representatives, on the other, has been created in respect of any of
the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the Final Prospectus, irrespective of
whether the Representatives have advised or is advising the Company or the Selling
Shareholders on other matters;
(b) Arms’ Length Negotiations. The price of the Offered Securities set forth in this
Agreement was established by Company and the Selling Shareholders following
discussions and arms-length negotiations with the Representatives and the Company and the
Selling Shareholders are capable of evaluating and understanding and understand and
accept the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;
(c) Absence of Obligation to Disclose. The Company and the Selling
Shareholders have been advised that the Representatives and their affiliates are
engaged in a broad range of transactions which may involve interests that differ from those
of the Company or the Selling Shareholders and that the Representatives have no
obligation to disclose such interests and transactions to the Company or the Selling
Shareholders by virtue of any fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship; and
(d) Waiver. The Company and the Selling Shareholders waive, to the fullest
extent permitted by law, any claims they may have against the Representatives for breach of
fiduciary duty or alleged breach of fiduciary duty and agree that the Representatives shall
have no liability (whether direct or indirect) to the Company or the Selling
Shareholders in respect of such a fiduciary duty claim or to any person asserting a
fiduciary duty claim on behalf of or in right of the Company and the Selling Shareholder,
including their respective shareholders, employees or creditors.
17. Applicable Law. This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws
of the State of New York.
38
Each of the Company and the Selling Shareholders hereby submit to the
non-exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal and state courts in the Borough of Manhattan in The City
of New York in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
The Company and the Selling Shareholders irrevocably and unconditionally waive any
objection to the laying of venue of any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this
Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby in Federal and state courts in the Borough of
Manhattan in the City of New York and irrevocably and unconditionally waives and agrees not to
please or claim in any such court that any such suit or proceeding in any such court has been
brought in an inconvenient forum. The Company and the Selling Shareholders irrevocably
appoint Law Debenture Corporate Services Inc., as its authorized agent in the Borough of Manhattan
in The City of New York upon which process may be served in any such suit or proceeding, and agrees
that service of process upon such agent, and written notice of said service to the Company and
the Selling Shareholders by the person serving the same to the address provided in Section
12, shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon the Company and
the Selling Shareholders in any such suit or proceeding. The Company and the Selling
Shareholders further agree to take any and all action as may be necessary to maintain such
designation and appointment of such agent in full force and effect for a period of seven years from
the date of this Agreement.
The obligation of the Company or any Selling Shareholder pursuant to this Agreement in respect
of any sum due to any Underwriter shall, notwithstanding any judgment in a currency other than
United States dollars, not be discharged until the first business day, following receipt by such
Underwriter of any sum adjudged to be so due in such other currency, on which (and only to the
extent that) such Underwriter may in accordance with normal banking procedures purchase United
States dollars with such other currency; if the United States dollars so purchased are less than
the sum originally due to such Underwriter hereunder, the Company and such Selling Shareholder
agree, as a separate obligation and notwithstanding any such judgment, to indemnify such
Underwriter against such loss. If the United States dollars so purchased are greater than the sum
originally due to such Underwriter hereunder, such Underwriter agrees to pay to the Company or such
Selling Shareholder an amount equal to the excess of the dollars so purchased over the sum
originally due to such Underwriter hereunder.
39
If the foregoing is in accordance with the Representatives’ understanding of our agreement, kindly
sign and return to the Company, Selling Shareholders and the Attorney-in-Fact for the Represented
Selling Shareholder one of the counterparts hereof, whereupon it will become a binding agreement
among the Company, the Selling Shareholders and the several Underwriters in accordance with its
terms.
Very truly yours, E-commerce China Dangdang Inc. |
||||
By: | ||||
Name: | ||||
Title: | ||||
Kewen Holding Co. Limited |
||||
By: | ||||
Name: | ||||
Title: | ||||
Tiger Global II, L.P. Tiger Global Private Investment Partners, L.P. |
||||
By: | ||||
Name: | ||||
Title: | ||||
DCM Affiliates Fund IV, L.P. DCM IV, L.P. |
||||
By: | ||||
Name: | ||||
Title: | ||||
Attorney-in-Fact for the Represented Selling Shareholders |
||||
Name: | Xxxxx Xx Yu | |||
The foregoing Underwriting Agreement is hereby
confirmed and accepted as of the date first
above written.
confirmed and accepted as of the date first
above written.
Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC |
||||
By: | ||||
Name: | ||||
Title: | ||||
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. International plc |
||||
By: | ||||
Name: | ||||
Title: | ||||
Acting on behalf of themselves and as the
Representatives of the several Underwriters.
Representatives of the several Underwriters.
SCHEDULE A
Total | ||||||||||||
Number of Firm Securities | Number of | |||||||||||
to Be Sold By | Firm Securities | |||||||||||
Selling | to be | |||||||||||
Underwriter | Company | Shareholders | Purchased | |||||||||
Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC |
||||||||||||
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. International plc |
||||||||||||
Xxxxxxxxxxx & Co. Inc. |
||||||||||||
Xxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. |
||||||||||||
Xxxxx and Company, LLC. |
||||||||||||
Total |
||||||||||||
SCHEDULE B
Number of | ||||||||
Number of | Optional | |||||||
Firm Securities | Securities to | |||||||
Selling Shareholder | to be Sold | be Sold | ||||||
Firm Selling Shareholders |
||||||||
Luxembourg Cambridge Holding Group (Asia) S.A.* |
1,071,428 | — | ||||||
LCHG (Asia) Partners, L.L.C.* |
1,428,572 | — | ||||||
Kewen Holding Co., Limited |
1,300,000 | — | ||||||
Optional Selling Shareholders |
||||||||
AGI-GTA-No.1 Investment Partnership* |
— | |||||||
IDG Technology Venture Investment, Inc.* |
— | |||||||
China Enterprise Investment No.4 Limited* |
— | |||||||
Tiger Global II, L.P. |
— | |||||||
Tiger Global Private Investment Partners, L.P. |
— | |||||||
DCM Affiliates Fund IV, L.P. |
— | |||||||
DCM IV, L.P. |
— | |||||||
Total |
3,800,000 | 2,250,000 | ||||||
* | Represented Selling Shareholders who have appointed Xx. Xxxxx Xx Yu and Xx. Xxxxx Xxxx as their attorneys-in-fact |
SCHEDULE C-1
1. | General Use Free Writing Prospectuses (included in the General Disclosure Package) |
“General Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” includes each of the following documents:
SCHEDULE C-2
2. | Limited Use Free Writing Prospectuses (included in the General Disclosure Package) |
“Limited Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” includes each of the following documents:
SCHEDULE D
Parties Signed a Lock-up Agreement
Exhibit A
FORM OF LOCK-UP AGREEMENT
November , 2010
Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC
Eleven Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10010-3629
U.S.A.
Eleven Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10010-3629
U.S.A.
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. International PLC
25 Cabot Square, Xxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxxx, X00 0XX
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx
25 Cabot Square, Xxxxxx Xxxxx
Xxxxxx, X00 0XX
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx
As Representatives of the several Underwriters named in
Schedule A attached to the Underwriting Agreement
Schedule A attached to the Underwriting Agreement
Dear Sirs:
As an inducement to the Underwriters to execute the Underwriting Agreement, pursuant to which
an offering will be made that is intended to result in the establishment of a public market for
American Depositary Shares (“ADSs”) representing Class A common shares (together with Class B
common shares, “Common Shares”) of E-Commerce China Dangdang Inc., a company incorporated under the
laws of the Cayman Islands, and any successor (by merger or otherwise) thereto, (the “Company”),
the undersigned hereby agrees that during the period specified in the following paragraph (the
“Lock-Up Period”), the undersigned will not offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option
or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or
warrant to purchase, lend or otherwise transfer or dispose of directly or indirectly, any Common
Shares or ADSs or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for such Common Shares
or ADSs, enter into a transaction which would have the same effect, or enter into any swap, hedge
or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic
consequences of ownership of the Common Shares or ADSs, whether any such aforementioned transaction
is to be settled by delivery of Common Shares or ADSs or such other securities, in cash or
otherwise, or publicly disclose the intention to make any such offer, sale, pledge or disposition,
or to enter into any such transaction, swap, hedge or other arrangement, without, in each case, the
prior written consent of Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC (“Credit Suisse”) and Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx &
Co. International PLC (“Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx,” together with Credit Suisse, the “Representatives”). In
addition, the undersigned agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, it
will not, during the Lock-Up Period, make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to, the
registration of any Common Shares or ADSs or any security convertible into or exercisable or
exchangeable for Common Shares or ADSs.
The initial Lock-Up Period will commence on the date of this Lock-Up Agreement and continue
and include the date 180 days after the public offering date set forth on the final prospectus used
to sell the ADSs (the “Public Offering Date”) pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement; provided,
however, that if (1) during the last 17 days of the initial Lock-Up Period, the Company releases
earnings results or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs or (2) prior
to the expiration of the initial Lock-Up Period, the Company announces that it will release
earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the initial Lock-Up Period,
then in each case the Lock-Up Period will be extended until the expiration of the 18-day period
beginning on the date of release of the
earnings results or the occurrence of the material news or material event, as applicable, unless
the Representatives waive, in writing, such extension.
The undersigned hereby acknowledges and agrees that written notice of any extension of the
Lock-Up Period pursuant to the previous paragraph will be delivered by the Representatives to the
Company (in accordance with Section 12 of the Underwriting Agreement) and that any such notice
properly delivered will be deemed to have given to, and received by, the undersigned. The
undersigned further agrees that, prior to engaging in any transaction or taking any other action
that is subject to the terms of this Lock-Up Agreement during the period from the date of this
Lock-Up Agreement to and including the 34th day following the expiration of the initial
Lock-Up Period, it will give notice thereof to the Company and will not consummate such transaction
or take any such action unless it has received written confirmation from the Company that the
Lock-Up Period (as may have been extended pursuant to the previous paragraph) has expired.
Any Common Shares or ADSs granted to the undersigned or received upon exercise of options
granted to the undersigned will also be subject to this Agreement. The exercise of any of the
undersigned’s rights to acquire Common Shares upon the exercise of options that were granted under
the 2004 Share Incentive Plan or the 2010 Share Incentive Plan and outstanding on the date of the
prospectus will not be subject to this Agreement. Any Common Shares or ADSs or other securities
acquired by the undersigned in the open market after the completion of the public offering as
contemplated under the Underwriting Agreement will not be subject to this Agreement. A transfer of
Common Shares or ADSs as a bona fide gift, or through will or intestacy, or to an immediate family
member or trust or entity beneficially owned and controlled by the undersigned, and for
institutional shareholders, a transfer of Common Shares or ADSs to a partner, member or an
“affiliate” of the undersigned, as such term is defined under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, may be made, provided that the transferee agrees to be bound in writing by the terms of
this Agreement prior to such transfer, any such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value
and no filing by any party (donor, donee, transferor or transferee) under the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 shall be required or shall be voluntarily made in connection with such transfer. In
addition Common Shares sold or tendered to the Company or withheld by the Company for tax
withholding purposes in connection with the vesting of equity awards that are subject to a taxable
event upon vesting; or the establishment of a trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, for the transfer of ADSs or Common Shares will not be
subject to this Agreement, provided that such plan does not provide for the transfer of ADSs or
Common Shares during the Lock-Up Period.
In furtherance of the foregoing, the Company and its transfer agent and registrar for the
Common Shares and ADSs are hereby authorized to decline to make any transfer of Common Shares or
ADSs if such transfer would constitute a violation or breach of this Agreement.
This Agreement shall be binding on the undersigned and the successors, heirs, personal
representatives and assigns of the undersigned. This Agreement shall lapse and become null and
void if the Underwriting Agreement is not executed within three months of the date of this
Agreement, or if the Underwriting Agreement (other than the provisions thereof which survive
termination) shall terminate or be terminated prior to payment for and delivery of the ADSs to be
sold thereunder,. This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws
of the State of New York.
[Signature page follows]
Very truly yours, |
||||
By: | ||||
Name: | ||||
Exhibit B
Form of Depositary Letter
, 2010
The Bank of New York Mellon
000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Reference is made to the Deposit Agreement dated as of [December 7] , 2010 among E-Commerce
China Dangdang Inc. (the “Company”), The Bank of New York Mellon, as depositary (the “Depositary”),
and holders of the American Depositary Shares (“ADSs”) issued thereunder (the “Deposit Agreement”).
Any capitalized term used but not defined herein shall have the meaning ascribed to it in the
Deposit Agreement.
Pursuant to the Deposit Agreement, the Company hereby instructs the Depositary, for a period
beginning from [December 7], 2010, which is the date of the prospectus in relation to the public
offering of the ADSs, and continuing to and including the date 180 days thereafter (the “Lock-Up
Period”), not to accept any deposit of any shares in the Company’s ADS facility, or issue any new
ADSs evidencing any deposit of shares or further instructions by the Company or take any
measures to establish any additional ADS facility for any other securities relating to the Company.
For avoidance of doubt, this instruction letter shall not affect the right of ADS holders to
cancel their ADSs, withdraw the underlying Shares and/or re-deposit such Shares pursuant to General
Instructions of Form F-6.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if (A) during the last 17 days of the initial Lock-Up Period
the Company releases earnings results or material news or a material event relating to the Company
occurs; or (B) prior to the expiration of the initial Lock-Up Period, the Company announces that it
will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the initial
Lock-Up Period, then in each case the Lock-Up Period shall be extended until the expiration of the
18-day period beginning on the date of the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of
the material news or material event, as applicable, unless the representatives of the underwriters
for the Company’s initial public offering of ADSs (the “Representatives”) waive, in writing, such
an extension. In the event that the Lock-Up Period is extended pursuant to the foregoing, the
Company shall further instruct the Depositary to extend the restrictions imposed by this Letter
Agreement.
The Company confirms that this instruction letter shall not be amended or revoked without the
prior written consent of the Representatives.
Very truly yours, E-Commerce China Dangdang Inc. |
||||
By: | ||||
Name: | ||||
Title: | ||||