MCMORAN EXPLORATION CO. 14,500,000 Shares of Common Stock (Par Value $0.01 Per Share) Underwriting Agreement June 16, 2009
Exhibit 1.1
EXECUTION COPY
MCMORAN EXPLORATION CO.
14,500,000 Shares of Common Stock
(Par Value $0.01 Per Share)
June 16, 2009
X.X. Xxxxxx Securities Inc.
As Representative of the several Underwriters listed in Schedule 1 hereto
As Representative of the several Underwriters listed in Schedule 1 hereto
c/o X.X. Xxxxxx Securities Inc.
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
McMoRan Exploration Co., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to
the several Underwriters listed in Schedule 1 hereto (the “Underwriters”), for whom you are acting
as representative (the “Representative”), an aggregate of 14,500,000 shares of Common Stock, par
value $0.01 per share, of the Company (the “Underwritten Shares”) and, at the option of the
Underwriters, up to an additional 2,175,000 shares of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of
the Company (the “Option Shares”). The Underwritten Shares and the Option Shares are herein
referred to as the “Shares”. The shares of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share of the Company
(the “Common Stock”) to be outstanding after giving effect to the sale of the Shares are herein
referred to as the “Stock”.
The Company hereby confirms its agreement with the several Underwriters concerning the
purchase and sale of the Shares, as follows:
1. Registration Statement. The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-144496),
which contains a base prospectus (the “Base Prospectus”), to be used in connection with the public
offering and sale of the Shares. Such registration statement, as amended, including the financial
statements, exhibits and schedules thereto, in the form in which it was
declared effective by the Commission under the Securities Act of 1933 and the rules and
regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”), including any required
information deemed to be a part thereof at the time of
effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430B under
the Securities Act or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules and regulations promulgated
thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”), is called the “Registration Statement”. Any
preliminary prospectus supplement to the Base Prospectus that describes the Shares and the offering
thereof and is used prior to filing of the final prospectus supplement relating to the Shares is
called, together with the Base Prospectus, a “Preliminary Prospectus”. The term “Prospectus” shall
mean the final prospectus supplement relating to the Shares that is first filed pursuant to Rule
424(b) after the date and time that this Agreement is executed and delivered by the parties hereto,
together with the Base Prospectus. Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, any
Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents
incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act; any
reference to any amendment or supplement to any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be
deemed to refer to and include any documents filed after the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or
Prospectus, as the case may be, under the Exchange Act, that are incorporated by reference in such
preliminary prospectus or Prospectus, as the case may be; and any reference to any amendment to the
Registration Statement shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing of any document under the
Exchange Act that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, including, without
limitation, any annual report of the Company filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the
Exchange Act after the effective date of the Registration Statement that is incorporated by
reference in the Registration Statement.
At or prior to the time when sales of the Shares were first made (the “Time of Sale”), the
Company had prepared the following information (collectively, the “Time of Sale Information”): a
Preliminary Prospectus dated June 15, 2009, and each “free-writing prospectus” (as defined pursuant
to Rule 405 under the Securities Act) listed on Schedule 3 hereto.
2. Purchase of the Shares by the Underwriters. (a) The Company agrees to issue and sell the
Underwritten Shares to the several Underwriters as provided in this Agreement, and each
Underwriter, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements set forth herein and
subject to the conditions set forth herein, agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the
Company the respective number of Underwritten Shares set forth opposite such Underwriter’s name in
Schedule 1 hereto at a price per share (the “Purchase Price”) of $5.4769.
In addition, the Company agrees to issue and sell the Option Shares to the several
Underwriters as provided in this Agreement, and the Underwriters, on the basis of the
representations, warranties and agreements set forth herein and subject to the conditions set forth
herein, shall have the option to purchase,
severally and not jointly, from the Company the Option Shares at the Purchase Price.
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If any Option Shares are to be purchased, the number of Option Shares to be purchased by each
Underwriter shall be the number of Option Shares which bears the same ratio to the aggregate number
of Option Shares being purchased as the number of Underwritten Shares set forth opposite the name
of such Underwriter in Schedule 1 hereto (or such number increased as set forth in Section 10
hereof) bears to the aggregate number of Underwritten Shares being purchased from the Company by
the several Underwriters, subject, however, to such adjustments to eliminate any fractional Shares
as the Representative in its sole discretion shall make.
The Underwriters may exercise the option to purchase the Option Shares at any time in whole,
or from time to time in part, on or before the thirtieth day following the date of this Agreement,
by written notice from the Representative to the Company. Such notice shall set forth the
aggregate number of Option Shares as to which the option is being exercised and the date and time
when the Option Shares are to be delivered and paid for which may be the same date and time as the
Closing Date (as hereinafter defined) but shall not be earlier than the Closing Date nor later than
the tenth full business day (as hereinafter defined) after the date of such notice (unless such
time and date are postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10 hereof). Any such
notice shall be given at least two Business Days prior to the date and time of delivery specified
therein.
(b) The Company understands that the Underwriters intend to make a public offering of
the Shares as soon after the effectiveness of this Agreement as in the judgment of the
Representative is advisable, and initially to offer the Shares on the terms set forth in
the Prospectus. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters may offer and
sell Shares to or through any affiliate of an Underwriter and that any such affiliate may
offer and sell Shares purchased by it to or through any Underwriter.
(c) Payment for the Shares shall be made by wire transfer in immediately available
funds to the account specified by the Company to the Representative in the case of the
Underwritten Shares, at the offices of Xxxxx Xxxx & Xxxxxxxx, 000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx
Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx at 10:00 A.M. New York City time on June 22, 2009, or at such other time or
place on the same or such other date, not later than the fifth business day thereafter, as
the Representative and the Company may agree upon in writing, or, in the case of the
Option Shares, on the date and at the time and place specified by the Representative in
the written notice of the Underwriters’ election to purchase such Option Shares. The time
and date of such payment for the Underwritten Shares is referred to herein as the “Closing
Date” and the time and date for such payment for the Option
Shares, if other than the Closing Date, is herein referred to as the “Additional
Closing Date”.
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Payment for the Shares to be purchased on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date,
as the case may be, shall be made against delivery to the Representative for the
respective accounts of the several Underwriters of the Shares to be purchased on such date
in definitive form registered in such names and in such denominations as the
Representative shall request in writing not later than two full business days prior to the
Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, with any transfer taxes
payable in connection with the sale of such Shares duly paid by the Company. Delivery of
the Shares shall be made through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company unless the
Representative shall otherwise instruct. The certificates for the Shares will be made
available for inspection and packaging by the Representative at the office of Xxxxx Xxxx &
Xxxxxxxx set forth above not later than 1:00 P.M., New York City time, on the business day
prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.
(d) The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters are acting solely in
the capacity of an arm’s length contractual counterparty to the Company with respect to
the offering of Shares contemplated hereby (including in connection with determining the
terms of the offering) and not as a financial advisor or a fiduciary to, or an agent of,
the Company or any other person. Additionally, neither the Representative nor any other
Underwriter is advising the Company or any other person as to any legal, tax, investment,
accounting or regulatory matters in any jurisdiction. The Company shall consult with its
own advisors concerning such matters and shall be responsible for making its own
independent investigation and appraisal of the transactions contemplated hereby, and the
Underwriters shall have no responsibility or liability to the Company with respect
thereto. Any review by the Underwriters of the Company, the transactions contemplated
hereby or other matters relating to such transactions will be performed solely for the
benefit of the Underwriters and shall not be on behalf of the Company.
3. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to each
Underwriter as of the date of this Agreement, the Closing Date and each Additional Closing Date
that:
(a) Preliminary Prospectus. No order preventing or suspending the use of any
Preliminary Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and each Preliminary Prospectus,
at the time of filing thereof, complied in all material respects with the Securities Act
and did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material
fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein,
in the light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty
with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance
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upon and in conformity with
the Underwriter Information as defined in Section 7(b) hereof.
(b) Time of Sale Information. The Time of Sale Information, at the Time of Sale did
not, and at the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be,
will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the
light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the
Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions
made in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information as defined in
Section 7(b) hereof. No statement of material fact included in the Prospectus has been
omitted from the Time of Sale Information and no statement of material fact included in
the Time of Sale Information that is required to be included in the Prospectus has been
omitted therefrom.
(c) Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. Other than the Registration Statement, the
Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company (including its agents and
representatives, other than the Underwriters in their capacity as such) has not made,
used, prepared, authorized, approved or referred to and will not prepare, make, use,
authorize, approve or refer to any “written communication” (as defined in Rule 405 under
the Securities Act) that constitutes an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy
the Shares (each such communication by the Company or its agents and representatives
(other than a communication referred to in clause (i) below) an “Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus”) other than (i) any document not constituting a prospectus pursuant to Section
2(a)(10)(a) of the Securities Act or Rule 134 under the Securities Act or (ii) the
documents listed on Schedule 3 hereto, each electronic road show and any other written
communications approved in writing in advance by the Representative. Each such Issuer
Free Writing Prospectus complied in all material respects with the Securities Act, has
been filed in accordance with the Securities Act (to the extent required thereby) and,
when taken together with the Preliminary Prospectus filed prior to the first use of such
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, did not, and at the Closing Date and as of the Additional
Closing Date, as the case may be, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material
fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein,
in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided
that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or
omissions made in each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in
conformity with the Underwriter Information as defined in Section 7(b) hereof. Each such
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 Shares or until any earlier date that the
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Company
notified or notifies the Representative as described in Section 4(e), did not, does not
and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the
information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, including any
document incorporated by reference therein and any Preliminary Prospectus deemed to be a
part thereof that has not been superseded or modified.
(d) Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Registration Statement has been
declared effective by the Commission. No order suspending the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement has been issued by the Commission and no proceeding for that
purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act against the Company or related to
the offering has been initiated or threatened by the Commission; as of the applicable
effective date of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, the
Registration Statement complied and will comply in all material respects with the
Securities Act, and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact
or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to
make the statements therein not misleading; and as of the date of the Prospectus and any
amendment or supplement thereto and as of the Closing Date and as of the Additional
Closing Date, as the case may be, the Prospectus does not and will not contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes
no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in
reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information as defined in Section
7(b) hereof.
(e) Incorporated Documents. The documents incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Time of Sale Information, when they became
effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, conformed in all
material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act and none of such documents
contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of
the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and any further documents so
filed and incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the
Time of Sale Information, when such documents become effective or are filed with the
Commission, as the case may be, will conform in all material respects to the requirements
of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and will not contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances
under which they were made, not misleading.
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(f) Financial Statements. The financial statements and the related notes thereto of
the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries included or incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus comply in all
material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange
Act, as applicable, and present fairly the financial position of the Company and its
consolidated subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the results of their operations
and the changes in their cash flows for the periods specified; such financial statements
have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles
applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered thereby except as otherwise
disclosed in the financial statement footnotes, and the supporting schedules included or
incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement present fairly the information
required to be stated therein; the other financial information included or incorporated by
reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus
has been derived from the accounting records of the Company and its consolidated
subsidiaries and presents fairly the information shown thereby.
(g) No Material Adverse Change. Since the date of the most recent financial
statements of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, (i) there has not been any
change in the capital stock, long-term debt, notes payable or current portion of long-term
debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any dividend or distribution of any
kind declared, set aside for payment, paid or made by the Company on any class of capital
stock except dividends declared and paid pursuant to the terms of the Company’s
outstanding preferred stock, or any material adverse change, or any development that would
reasonably be expected to have a material adverse change, in or affecting the business,
properties, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity, results of operations or
prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; (ii) neither the Company
nor any of its subsidiaries has entered into any transaction or agreement that is material
to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or incurred any liability or
obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries
taken as a whole; and (iii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries 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 disturbance or dispute or
any action, order or decree of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory
authority, except in each case as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the
Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus.
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(h) Organization and Good Standing. The Company and each of its Identified
Subsidiaries (as defined below) have been duly organized
and are validly existing and in good standing under the laws of their respective
jurisdictions of organization, are duly qualified to do business and are in good standing
in each jurisdiction in which their respective ownership or lease of property or the
conduct of their respective businesses requires such qualification, and have all power and
authority necessary to own or hold their respective properties and to conduct the
businesses in which they are engaged, except where the failure to be so qualified or have
such power or authority would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material
adverse effect on the business, properties, management, financial position, stockholders’
equity, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a
whole or on the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement (a
“Material Adverse Effect”). As used in this Agreement, “Identified Subsidiary” means the
subsidiaries listed in Schedule 2 to this Agreement. The Company does not have any
significant subsidiaries that are not listed on Schedule 2 hereto.
(i) Capitalization. The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the
Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus under the heading
“Capitalization”; all the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been
duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable and are not
subject to any pre-emptive or similar rights; except as described in or expressly
contemplated by the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, there are no outstanding
rights (including, without limitation, pre-emptive rights), warrants or options to
acquire, or instruments convertible into or exchangeable for, any shares of capital stock
or other equity interest in the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any contract,
commitment, agreement, understanding or arrangement of any kind relating to the issuance
of any capital stock of the Company or any such subsidiary, any such convertible or
exchangeable securities or any such rights, warrants or options; the capital stock of the
Company conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the
Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus; and all the
outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity interests of each subsidiary owned,
directly or indirectly, by the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued,
are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned directly or indirectly by the Company,
free and clear of any lien, charge, encumbrance, security interest, restriction on voting
or transfer or any other claim of any third party.
(j) Stock Options. With respect to the stock options (the “Stock Options”) granted
pursuant to the stock-based compensation plans of the Company and its subsidiaries (the
“Company Stock Plans”), (i)
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each Stock Option intended to qualify as an “incentive stock
option” under Section 422 of the Code so qualifies, (ii) each grant of a Stock Option was
duly authorized no later than the date on which the grant of
such Stock Option was by its terms to be effective (the “Grant Date”) by all
necessary corporate action, including, as applicable, approval by the board of directors
of the Company (or a duly constituted and authorized committee thereof) and any required
stockholder approval by the necessary number of votes or written consents, and the award
agreement governing such grant (if any) was duly executed and delivered by each party
thereto, (iii) each such grant was made in accordance with the terms of the Company Stock
Plans, the Exchange Act and all other applicable laws and regulatory rules or
requirements, including the rules of the New York Stock Exchange and any other exchange on
which Company securities are traded, (iv) the per share exercise price of each Stock
Option was equal to or greater than the fair market value of a share of Common Stock on
the applicable Grant Date and (v) each such grant was properly accounted for in accordance
with GAAP in the financial statements (including the related notes) of the Company and
disclosed in the Company’s filings with the Commission in accordance with the Exchange Act
and all other applicable laws; provided, however, that the Company has granted Stock
Options pursuant to Company Stock Plans authorized by the Board of Directors that were
subsequently approved by shareholders with fair market value of a share of Common Stock
being the fair market value at the time the Board of Directors authorized such grant. The
Company has not knowingly granted, and there is no and has been no policy or practice of
the Company of granting, Stock Options prior to, or otherwise coordinate the grant of
Stock Options with, the release or other public announcement of material information
regarding the Company or its subsidiaries or their results of operations or prospects.
(k) Due Authorization. The Company has full right, power and authority to execute
and deliver this Agreement and to perform its obligations hereunder and all action
required to be taken for the due and proper authorization, execution and delivery by it of
this Agreement and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated thereby or by
the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus has been duly and validly taken.
(l) Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
delivered by the Company.
(m) The Shares. The Shares to be issued and sold by the Company hereunder have been
duly authorized by the Company and, when issued and delivered and paid for as provided
herein, will be duly and validly issued and will be fully paid and nonassessable and will
conform to the descriptions thereof in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale
Information and the Prospectus; the Shares and all other
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shares of outstanding capital
stock of the Company are consistent with the information in the time of Sale Information
and conform to the description
thereof contained in the Prospectus; and the shareholders of the Company do not have
any preemptive or similar rights with respect to the Shares.
(n) No Violation or Default. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (i)
in violation of its charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents; (ii) in
default, and no event has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would
constitute such a default, in the due performance or observance of any term, covenant or
condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other
agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by
which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or
assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject; or (iii) in violation of any
law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or
governmental or regulatory authority, except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above,
for any such default or violation that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a
Material Adverse Effect.
(o) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this
Agreement, the issuance and sale of the Shares and the consummation of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement or the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus 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 the Company or any of its subsidiaries
pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or
instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the
Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of
the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, (ii) result in any violation of the
provisions of the charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents of the Company or
any of its subsidiaries or (iii) result in the violation of any law or statute or any
judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or
regulatory authority, except, in the case of clauses (i) and (iii) above, for any such
conflict, breach, violation or default that would not, individually or in the aggregate,
have a Material Adverse Effect.
(p) No Consents Required. No consent, approval, authorization, order, registration
or qualification of or with any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory
authority is required for the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this
Agreement, the issuance and sale of the Shares and the consummation of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement, or the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, except
for the registration of the Shares
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under the Securities Act and such consents, approvals,
authorizations, orders and registrations or qualifications as may be required under
applicable state securities laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of
the Shares by the Underwriters.
(q) Legal Proceedings. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time
of Sale Information and the Prospectus, there are no legal, governmental or regulatory
investigations, actions, suits or proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its
subsidiaries is or may be a party or to which any property of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries is or may be the subject that, individually or in the aggregate, if
determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, could reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or materially and adversely affect the ability
of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement; no such investigations,
actions, suits or proceedings are threatened or, to the best knowledge of the Company,
contemplated by any governmental or regulatory authority or threatened by others; and (i)
there are no current or pending legal, governmental or regulatory actions, suits or
proceedings that are required under the Securities Act to be described in the Registration
Statement that are not so described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale
Information and the Prospectus and (ii) there are no contracts or other documents that are
required under the Securities Act to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or
described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information or the Prospectus
that are not so filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the
Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus.
(r) Independent Accountants. Ernst & Young LLP, who have certified certain financial
statements of the Company and its subsidiaries are an independent registered public
accounting firm with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries within the applicable
rules and regulations adopted by the Commission and the Public Company Accounting
Oversight Board (United States) and as required by the Securities Act.
(s) Title to Real and Personal Property. The Company and its subsidiaries have good
and marketable title in fee simple to, or have valid rights to lease or otherwise use, all
items of real and personal property that are material to the respective businesses of the
Company and its subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances,
claims and defects and imperfections of title except those that (i) do not materially
interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and
its subsidiaries, (ii) are disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale
Information or the Prospectus or (iii) could not reasonably be expected, individually or
in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.
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(t) Title to Intellectual Property. The Company and its subsidiaries own or possess
adequate rights to use all material patents,
patent applications, trademarks, service marks, trade names, trademark registrations,
service xxxx registrations, copyrights, licenses and know-how (including trade secrets and
other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or
procedures) necessary for the conduct in all material respects of their respective
businesses; and the conduct of their respective businesses will not conflict in any
material respect with any such rights of others, and the Company and its subsidiaries have
not received any notice of any claim of infringement or conflict with any such rights of
others.
(u) No Undisclosed Relationships. No relationship, direct or indirect, exists
between or among the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the one hand, and the
directors, officers, stockholders, customers or suppliers of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries, on the other, that is required by the Securities Act to be described in the
Registration Statement and the Prospectus and that is not so described in such documents
and in the Time of Sale Information.
(v) Investment Company Act. The Company is not and, after giving effect to the
offering and sale of the Shares and the application of the proceeds thereof as described
in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, will not
be required to register as an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an
“investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended,
and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, “Investment
Company Act”).
(w) Taxes. The Company and its subsidiaries have paid all federal, state, local and
foreign taxes and filed all tax returns required to be paid or filed through the date
hereof; and except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale
Information and the Prospectus, there is no tax deficiency that has been, or could
reasonably be expected to be, asserted against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or
any of their respective properties or assets.
(x) Licenses and Permits. The Company and its subsidiaries possess all licenses,
certificates, permits and other authorizations issued by, and have made all declarations
and filings with, the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign governmental or
regulatory authorities that are necessary for the ownership or lease of their respective
properties or the conduct of their respective businesses as described in the Registration
Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus,
except where the failure to
possess or make the same would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material
Adverse Effect; and except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale
Information and the Prospectus,
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neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has
received notice of any revocation or modification of any such license, certificate, permit
or authorization or has any reason to believe that any such license, certificate, permit
or authorization will not be renewed in the ordinary course.
(y) No Labor Disputes. No labor disturbance by or dispute with employees of the
Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the best knowledge of the Company, is
contemplated or threatened, except as would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
(z) Compliance With Environmental Laws. (i) Except as described in the Time of Sale
Information or the Prospectus, the Company and its subsidiaries (A) are, and at all prior
times were, in compliance with any and all applicable federal, state, local and foreign
laws, rules, regulations, requirements, decisions and orders relating to the protection of
human health or safety, the environment, natural resources, hazardous or toxic substances
or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (collectively,
“Environmental Laws”); (B) have
received and are in compliance with all permits, licenses, certificates or other
authorizations or approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to
conduct their respective businesses; and (C) have not received notice of any actual or
potential liability under or relating to any Environmental Laws, including for the
investigation or remediation of any disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances
or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, and have no knowledge of any event or condition
that would reasonably be expected to result in any such notice, and (ii) there are no
costs or liabilities associated with Environmental Laws of or relating to the Company or
its subsidiaries, except in the case of each of (i) and (ii) above, for any such failure
to comply, or failure to receive required permits, licenses or approvals, or cost or
liability, as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect;
and (iii) except as described in each of the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus,
(A) there are no proceedings that are pending, or that are known to be contemplated,
against the Company or any of its subsidiaries under any Environmental Laws in which a
governmental entity is also a party, other than such proceedings regarding which it is
reasonably believed no monetary sanctions of $100,000 or more will be
imposed, (B) the
Company and its subsidiaries are not aware of any issues regarding compliance with
Environmental Laws, or liabilities or other obligations under Environmental Laws or
concerning hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, that could
reasonably be expected to have a material effect on the capital expenditures, earnings or
competitive position of the Company and its subsidiaries, and (C) none of the Company and
its subsidiaries anticipates material capital expenditures relating to any Environmental
Laws.
(aa) Compliance With ERISA. (i) Each employee benefit plan, within the meaning of
Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income
13
Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”),
for which the Company or any member of its “Controlled Group” (defined as any
organization which is a member of a controlled group of corporations within the
meaning of Section 414 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”))
would have any liability (each, a “Plan”) has been maintained in compliance with its terms
and the requirements of any applicable statutes, orders, rules and regulations, including
but not limited to ERISA and the Code; (ii) no prohibited transaction, within the meaning
of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred with respect to any Plan
excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption; (iii)
for each Plan that is subject to the funding rules of Section 412 of the Code or Section
302 of ERISA, no “accumulated funding deficiency” as defined in Section 412 of the Code,
whether or not waived, has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur; (iv) the fair
market value of the assets of each Plan exceeds the present value of all benefits accrued
under such Plan (determined based on those assumptions used to fund such Plan); (v) no
“reportable event” (within the meaning of Section 4043(c) of ERISA) has occurred or is
reasonably expected to occur; and (vi) neither the Company nor any member of the
Controlled Group has incurred, nor reasonably expects to incur, any liability under Title
IV of ERISA (other than contributions to the Plan or premiums to the PBGC, in the ordinary
course and without default) in respect of a Plan (including a “multiemployer plan”, within
the meaning of Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA).
(bb) Disclosure Controls. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain an effective
system of “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the
Exchange Act) that is designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the
Company in reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed,
summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and
forms, including controls and procedures designed to ensure that such information is
accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management as appropriate to allow timely
decisions regarding required disclosure. The Company and its subsidiaries have carried
out evaluations of the effectiveness of their disclosure controls and procedures as
required by Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act.
(cc) Accounting Controls. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain systems of
“internal control over financial reporting” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange
Act) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act and have been designed by, or
under the supervision of, their respective principal executive and principal financial
officers, or persons performing similar functions, to provide reasonable assurance
regarding the reliability of financial reporting and
14
the preparation of financial
statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles, including, but not limited to internal accounting controls sufficient to
provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with
management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as
necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to
assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific
authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the
existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to
any differences. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale
Information and the Prospectus, there are no material weaknesses in the Company’s internal
controls. The Company’s auditors and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the
Company have been advised of: (i) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in
the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting which are reasonably
likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report
financial information; and (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves
management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal
controls over financial reporting.
(dd) Insurance. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale
Information or the Prospectus, the Company and its subsidiaries have insurance covering
their respective properties, operations, personnel and businesses, including business
interruption insurance, which insurance is in amounts and insures against such losses and
risks as the Company believes in its reasonable judgment are adequate to protect the
Company and its subsidiaries and their respective businesses; and neither the Company nor
any of its subsidiaries has (i) received notice from any insurer or agent of such insurer
that a material amount of capital improvements or other expenditures are required or
necessary to be made in order to continue such insurance or (ii) any notice from its
insurers that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when
such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage at reasonable cost from similar
insurers as may be necessary to continue its business.
(ee) No Unlawful Payments. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to
the best knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or other person
associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has (i) used
any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful
expense relating to political activity; (ii) made any direct or indirect unlawful payment
to any foreign or domestic government official or
15
employee from corporate funds; (iii)
violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977;
or (iv) made any bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful
payment.
(ff) Compliance with Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its
subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable
financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign
Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all
jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules,
regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency
(collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before
any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the
Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending
or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(gg) Compliance with OFAC. None of the Company, any of its subsidiaries or, to the
knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or Affiliate of the
Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered
by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“OFAC”);
and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the
Shares 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 any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.
(hh) No Restrictions on Subsidiaries. No subsidiary of the Company is currently
prohibited, directly or indirectly, under any agreement or other instrument to which it is
a party or is subject, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other
distribution on such subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or
advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s
properties or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company other than
transfers of properties or assets to a subsidiary of the Company that is not a guarantor
under the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated August 6, 2007, as amended.
(ii) No Broker’s Fees. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to
any contract, agreement or understanding with any person (other than this Agreement) that
would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any
Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with
the offering and sale of the Shares.
16
(jj) No Registration Rights. No person has the right to require the Company or any
of its subsidiaries to register any securities for sale
under the Securities Act by reason of the filing of the Registration Statement with
the Commission or the issuance and sale of the Shares.
(kk) No Stabilization. The Company has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action
designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization
or manipulation of the price of the Shares.
(ll) Business With Cuba. The Company has complied with all provisions of Section
517.075, Florida Statutes (Chapter 92-198, Laws of Florida) relating to doing business
with the Government of Cuba or with any person or affiliate located in Cuba.
(mm) Margin Rules. Neither the issuance, sale and delivery of the Shares nor the
application of the proceeds thereof by the Company as described in the Registration
Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus will violate Regulation T, U or
X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or any other regulation of such
Board of Governors.
(nn) Forward-Looking Statements. No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of
Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in the
Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus has been made or
reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith, in
each case as of the date such statement was made or reaffirmed.
(oo) Statistical and Market Data. Nothing has come to the attention of the Company
that has caused the Company to believe that the statistical and market-related data
included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale
Information and the Prospectus is not based on or derived from sources that are reliable
and accurate in all material respects.
(pp) Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company
or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with
any provision of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated
in connection therewith (the “Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act”), including Section 402 related to loans
and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.
(qq) Status under the Securities Act. At the time of filing the Registration
Statement and any post-effective amendments thereto, at the earliest time thereafter that
the Company or any offering participant made
17
a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule
164(h)(2) under the Securities Act) of the Shares and at the date hereof, the
Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined under the Securities
Act in connection with the offering of the Shares. The Company has paid the registration
fee for this offering pursuant to Rule 457 under the Securities Act.
(rr) Reserve Report Data. Except as otherwise described in the letter of Xxxxx Xxxxx
to be delivered pursuant to Section 6(g) hereof, the oil and gas reserve estimates of the
Company and its subsidiaries contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale
Information and the Prospectus have been prepared by independent reserve engineers in
accordance with Commission guidelines applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods
involved. Other than production of the reserves in the ordinary course of business and
intervening product price fluctuations or as described in the Registration Statement, the
Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, the Company is not aware of any facts or
circumstances that, taken together, would have a Material Adverse Effect on the reserves
or the present value of future net cash flows therefrom as described in the Registration
Statement, Time of Sale Information or the Prospectus.
(ss) Independent Reserve Engineering Firm. Xxxxx Xxxxx Company L.P., Petroleum
Engineers (“Xxxxx Xxxxx”) are independent reserve engineers with respect to the Company
and its subsidiaries and for the periods set forth in the Time of Sale Information and the
Prospectus.
4. Further Agreements of the Company. The Company covenants and agrees with each Underwriter
that:
(a) Required Filings. The Company will file the final Prospectus with the Commission
within the time periods specified by Rule 424(b) and Rule 430A, 430B or 430C under the
Securities Act, will file any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (including the Term Sheet in
the form of Schedule 3 hereto) to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Securities
Act; and will file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements
required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c),
14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and for so long
as the delivery of a prospectus is required in connection with the offering or sale of the
Shares; and the Company will furnish copies of the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus (to the extent not previously delivered) to the Underwriters in New York City
prior to 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the business day next succeeding the date of
this Agreement in such quantities as the Representative may reasonably request.
18
(b) Delivery of Copies. The Company will deliver, without charge, (i) to the
Representative, two signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and
each amendment thereto, in each case
including all exhibits and consents filed therewith and documents incorporated by
reference therein; and (ii) to each Underwriter (A) a conformed copy of the Registration
Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (without exhibits) and (B) during
the Prospectus Delivery Period (as defined below), as many copies of the Prospectus
(including all amendments and supplements thereto and documents incorporated by reference
therein) and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as the Representative may reasonably
request. As used herein, the term “Prospectus Delivery Period” means such period of time
after the first date of the public offering of the Shares as in the opinion of counsel for
the Underwriters a prospectus relating to the Shares is required by law to be delivered
(or required to be delivered but for Rule 172 under the Securities Act) in connection with
sales of the Shares by any Underwriter or dealer.
(c) Amendments or Supplements, Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. Before preparing,
using, authorizing, approving, referring to or filing any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus
and before filing any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus (whether before or after the time that the Registration Statement becomes
effective), the Company will furnish to the Representative and counsel for the
Underwriters a copy of the proposed Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, amendment or
supplement for review and will not prepare, use, authorize, approve, refer to or file any
such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or file any such proposed amendment or supplement to
which the Representative reasonably objects.
(d) Notice to the Representative. The Company will advise the Representative
promptly, and confirm such advice in writing, (i) when the Registration Statement has
become effective; (ii) when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or
becomes effective; (iii) when any supplement to the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus or any amendment to the Prospectus has been filed; (iv) of any request by the
Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement
to the Prospectus or the receipt of any comments from the Commission relating to the
Registration Statement or any other request by the Commission for any additional
information; (v) of the issuance by the Commission of any order suspending the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement or preventing or suspending the use of any
Preliminary Prospectus, any of the Time of Sale Information or the Prospectus or the
initiation or threatening of any proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of
the Securities Act; (vi) of the occurrence of any event within the Prospectus Delivery
Period
19
as a result of which the Prospectus, the Time of Sale Information or any Issuer
Free Writing Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement
of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary in order to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus,
the Time of Sale Information or any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus is delivered to a
purchaser, not misleading; and (vii) of the receipt by the Company of any notice with
respect to any suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offer and sale in any
jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; and the
Company will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such order suspending the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement, preventing or suspending the use of any
Preliminary Prospectus, any of the Time of Sale Information or the Prospectus or
suspending any such qualification of the Shares and, if any such order is issued, will
obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.
(e)
Ongoing Compliance. (a) If during the Prospectus Delivery Period (i) any event
shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended
or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements
therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a
purchaser, not misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to
comply with law, the Company will immediately notify the Underwriters thereof and
forthwith prepare and, subject to paragraph (c) above, file with the Commission and
furnish to the Underwriters and to such dealers as the Representative may designate, such
amendments or supplements to the Prospectus as may be necessary so that the statements in
the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances
existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the
Prospectus will comply with law and (b) if at any time prior to the Closing Date (i) any
event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which the Time of Sale
Information as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements
therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Time of Sale Information is
delivered to a purchaser, not misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend or supplement
the Time of Sale Information to comply with law, the Company will immediately notify the
Underwriters thereof and forthwith prepare and, subject to paragraph (c) above, file with the Commission (to the extent
required) and furnish to the Underwriters and to such dealers as the Representative may designate, such amendments or supplements to the
Time of Sale Information as may be necessary so that the statements in the
Time of Sale Information as so amended or supplemented will not, in the
20
light of the circumstances, be misleading or so that the Time of Sale Information will
comply with law.
(f) Blue Sky Compliance. The Company will qualify the Shares for offer and sale
under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Representative shall
reasonably request and will continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for
distribution of the Shares; provided that the Company shall not be required to (i) qualify
as a foreign corporation or other entity or as a dealer in securities in any such
jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to so qualify, (ii) file any general
consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction or (iii) subject itself to taxation
in any such jurisdiction if it is not otherwise so subject.
(g) Earning Statement. The Company will make generally available to its security
holders and the Representative as soon as practicable an earning statement that satisfies
the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 of the Commission
promulgated thereunder covering a period of at least twelve months beginning with the
first fiscal quarter of the Company occurring after the “effective date” (as defined in
Rule 158) of the Registration Statement.
(h) Clear Market. During the period from the date hereof through and including the
date that is 90 days after the date hereof, the Company will not (i) offer, pledge,
announce the intention to sell, 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 or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common
Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock
or (ii) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of
the economic consequences of ownership of Common Stock, whether any such transaction
described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such
other securities, in cash or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the
Representative, other than (A) the Shares to be sold hereunder, (B) any shares of Common
Stock of the Company issued upon the exercise of options granted under existing employee
stock option plans, (C) the grant of equity-based awards in the ordinary course of
business consistent with past practice pursuant to existing Company Stock Plans, (D) the
issuance of shares of Common Stock upon conversion of any of the Company’s outstanding
convertible securities and (E) any shares of the Company’s 8.0% Convertible Perpetual
Preferred Stock (the “Convertible Perpetual Preferred Stock”) to be sold to the
underwriters therefor in the Company’s concurrent and separate Convertible Perpetual
Preferred Stock offering.
21
(i) Use of Proceeds. The Company will apply the net proceeds from the sale of the
Shares as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the
Prospectus under the heading “Use of Proceeds”.
(j) No Stabilization. The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action
designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization
or manipulation of the price of the Shares.
(k) Exchange Listing. The Company will use its best efforts to list, subject to
notice of issuance, the Shares on the New York Stock Exchange (the “Exchange”).
(l) Reports. Unless otherwise filed on XXXXX, so long as the Shares are outstanding,
the Company will furnish to the Representative, as soon as they are available, copies of
all reports or other communications (financial or other) furnished to holders of the
Shares, and copies of any reports and financial statements furnished to or filed with the
Commission or any national securities exchange or automatic quotation system.
(m) Legending and Record Retention. The Company will, pursuant to reasonable
procedures developed in good faith, comply with legending requirements applicable to
Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses and retain copies of each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus
that is not filed with the Commission in accordance with Rule 433 under the Securities
Act.
5. Certain Agreements of the Underwriters. Each Underwriter hereby represents and agrees
that:
(a) It has not and will not use, authorize use of, refer to, or participate in the
planning for use of, any “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405 under the
Securities Act (which term includes use of any written information furnished to the
Commission by the Company and not incorporated by reference into the Registration
Statement and any press release issued by the Company) other than (i) a free writing
prospectus that contains no “issuer information” (as defined in Rule 433(h)(2) under the
Securities Act) that was not included (including through incorporation by reference) in
the Preliminary Prospectus or a previously filed Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, (ii) any
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus listed on Schedule 3 or prepared pursuant to Section 3(c)
or Section 4(c) above, or (iii) any free writing prospectus prepared by such Underwriter
and approved by the Company in advance in writing (each such free writing prospectus
referred to in clauses (i) or (iii), an “Underwriter Free Writing Prospectus”).
22
(b) It has not and will not, without the prior written consent of the Company, use
any free writing prospectus that contains the final terms of the Shares unless such terms
have previously been included in a free writing prospectus filed with the Commission;
provided that Underwriters may use a term sheet substantially in the form of Annex C
hereto without the consent of the Company; provided further that any Underwriter using
such term sheet shall notify the Company, and provide a copy of such term sheet to the
Company, prior to, or substantially concurrently with, the first use of such term sheet.
(c) It is not subject to any pending proceeding under Section 8A of the Securities
Act with respect to the offering (and will promptly notify the Company if any such
proceeding against it is initiated during the Prospectus Delivery Period).
6. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligation of each Underwriter to purchase
the Underwritten Shares on the Closing Date or the Option Shares on the Additional Closing Date, as
the case may be as provided herein is subject to the performance by the Company of its covenants
and other obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:
(a) Registration Compliance; No Stop Order. No order suspending the effectiveness of
the Registration Statement shall be in effect, and no proceeding for such purpose or
pursuant to Section 8A under the Securities Act shall be pending before or threatened by
the Commission; the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been
timely filed with the Commission under the Securities Act (in the case of an Issuer Free
Writing Prospectus, to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Securities Act) and in
accordance with Section 4(a) hereof; and all requests by the Commission for additional
information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the
Representative.
(b) Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of the
Company contained herein shall be true and correct on the date hereof and on and as of the
Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be; and the statements of the
Company and its officers made in any certificates delivered pursuant to this Agreement
shall be true and correct on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as
the case may be.
(c) No Downgrade. Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, (i) no
downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded any securities or preferred stock
of or guaranteed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries by any “nationally recognized
statistical rating organization”, as such term is defined by the Commission for purposes
of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Securities Act and
23
(ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under
surveillance or review, or has changed its outlook with respect to, its rating of any
securities or preferred stock of or guaranteed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries
(other than an announcement with positive implications of a possible upgrading).
(d) No Material Adverse Change. No event or condition of a type described in Section
3(g) hereof shall have occurred or shall exist, which event or condition is not described
in the Time of Sale Information (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) and the
Prospectus (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) and the effect of which in the
judgment of the Representative makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the
offering, sale or delivery of the Shares 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,
the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus.
(e) Officer’s Certificate. The Representative shall have received on and as of the
Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, a certificate of the
chief financial officer or chief accounting officer of the Company and one additional
senior executive officer of the Company who is satisfactory to the Representative (i)
confirming that such officers have carefully reviewed the Registration Statement, the Time
of Sale Information and the Prospectus and, to the best knowledge of such officers, the
representations set forth in Sections 3(b) and 3(d) hereof are true and correct, (ii)
confirming that the other representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement
are true and correct and that 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 and (iii) to the effect set forth in paragraphs (a), (c) and (d) above.
(f) Ernst & Young LLP Comfort Letters. On the date of this Agreement and on the
Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, Ernst & Young LLP shall
have furnished to the Representative, at the request of the Company, letters, dated the
respective dates of delivery thereof and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and
substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative, containing statements and
information of the type customarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to
underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information
contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale
Information and the Prospectus; provided, that the letter delivered on the Closing Date or
the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be shall use a “cut-off” date no more than
three business days prior to such Closing Date or such Additional Closing Dates, as the
case may be.
24
(g) Xxxxx Xxxxx Letter. On the date of this Agreement and on the Closing Date, Xxxxx
Xxxxx shall have furnished to the Representative, at the request of the Company, a letter
dated the respective date of delivery thereof, in form and substance reasonably
satisfactory to the Representative stating the conclusions and findings of such firm with
respect to the oil and gas reserves of the Company and its subsidiaries as reported in a
letter to the Company.
(h) Opinions of Counsel for the Company. (i) Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent,
Carrère & Xxxxxxx, L.L.P., counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to the
Representative, at the request of the Company, their written opinion, dated the Closing
Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and addressed to the
Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative, to the
effect set forth in Annex A hereto; and (ii) Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx XX, Assistant General
Counsel and Assistant Secretary to the Company, shall have furnished to the
Representative, at the request of the Company, his written opinion, dated the Closing Date
or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and addressed to the Underwriters, in
form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative, to the effect set forth
in Annex B hereto.
(i) Opinion of Counsel for the Underwriters. The Representative shall have received
on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, an
opinion of Xxxxx Xxxx & Xxxxxxxx, counsel for the Underwriters, with respect to such
matters as the Representative may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received
such documents and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon
such matters.
(j) No Legal Impediment to Issuance. No action shall have been taken and no statute,
rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any federal, state
or foreign governmental or regulatory authority that would, as of the Closing Date or the
Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, prevent the issuance or sale of the Shares;
and no injunction or order of any federal, state or foreign court shall have been issued
that would, as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be,
prevent the issuance or sale of the Shares.
(k) Good Standing. The Representative shall have received on and as of the Closing
Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, satisfactory evidence of the good
standing of the Company and its Identified Subsidiaries in their respective jurisdictions
of organization and their good standing as foreign entities in such other jurisdictions as
the Representative may reasonably request, in each case in writing or any standard form of
telecommunication from the appropriate Governmental Authorities of such jurisdictions.
25
(l) Exchange Listing. The Shares to be delivered on the Closing Date or the
Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall have been approved for listing on the
Exchange, subject to official notice of issuance.
(m) Lock-up Agreements. The “lock-up” agreements, each substantially in the form of
Exhibit A hereto, between you and each of the Co-Chairman of the Board and each of the
executive officers of the Company relating to sales and certain other dispositions of
shares of Common Stock and certain other securities, delivered to you on or before the
date hereof, shall be in full force and effect on the Closing Date or the Additional
Closing Date, as the case may be.
(n) Additional Documents. On or prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing
Date, as the case may be, the Company shall have furnished to the Representative such
further certificates and documents as the Representative may reasonably request. All
opinions, letters, certificates and evidence mentioned above or elsewhere in this
Agreement shall be deemed to be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are
in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters.
7. Indemnification and Contribution.
(a) Indemnification of the Underwriters. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold
harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and each person, if any,
who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or
Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and
liabilities (including, without limitation, legal fees and other expenses incurred in
connection with any suit, action or proceeding or any claim asserted, as such fees and
expenses are incurred), joint or several, that arise out of, or are based upon, (i) any
untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the
Registration Statement or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements
therein, not misleading, or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a
material fact contained in the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Time of Sale Information (including any Time of Sale
Information that has subsequently been amended), or caused by any omission or alleged
omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in
order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading, in each case except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or
liabilities arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged
untrue
26
statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any Underwriter
Information as defined in subsection (b) below.
(b) Indemnification of the Company. Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not
jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers who
signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within
the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act to the
same extent as the indemnity set forth in paragraph (a) above, but only with respect to
any losses, claims, damages or liabilities that arise out of, or are based upon, any
untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon
and in conformity with the following information: (i) the name of each Underwriter on the
front cover of the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus and (ii) in the section
captioned “Underwriting” in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, the name of
each Underwriter in the table in such section and the information set forth in (A) the
third paragraph and fourth paragraph in each of the Preliminary Prospectus and the
Prospectus, respectively, concerning the terms of the offering, (B) the last sentence of
the fourth paragraph and fifth paragraph in each of the Preliminary Prospectus and the
Prospectus, respectively, concerning the terms of the offering of additional shares of
Common Stock and (C) the twelfth through fourteenth paragraphs and the thirteenth through
fifteenth paragraphs in each of the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus,
respectively (the “Underwriter Information”).
(c) Notice and Procedures. If any suit, action, proceeding (including any
governmental or regulatory investigation), claim or demand shall be brought or asserted
against any person in respect of which indemnification may be sought pursuant to either
paragraph (a) or (b) above, such person (the “Indemnified Person”) shall promptly notify
the person against whom such indemnification may be sought (the “Indemnifying Person”) in
writing; provided that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it
from any liability that it may have under paragraph (a) or (b) above except to the extent
that it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or
defenses) by such failure; and provided, further, that the failure to notify the
Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have to an
Indemnified Person otherwise than under paragraph (a) or (b) above. If any such
proceeding shall be brought or asserted against an Indemnified Person and it shall have
notified the Indemnifying Person thereof, the Indemnifying Person shall retain counsel
reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person (who shall not, without the consent of
the Indemnified Person, be counsel to the Indemnifying Person) to represent the
Indemnified Person in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and expenses of such counsel
related to such proceeding, as incurred. In
27
any such proceeding, any Indemnified Person shall have the right to retain its own
counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such
Indemnified Person unless (i) the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person shall
have mutually agreed to the contrary; (ii) the Indemnifying Person has failed within a
reasonable time to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person; (iii)
the Indemnified Person shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses
available to it that are different from or in addition to those available to the
Indemnifying Person; or (iv) the named parties in any such proceeding (including any
impleaded parties) include both the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person and
representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or
potential differing interest between them. It is understood and agreed that the
Indemnifying Person shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceeding in
the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm
(in addition to any local counsel) for all Indemnified Persons, and that all such fees and
expenses shall be paid or reimbursed as they are incurred. Any such separate firm for any
Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and any control persons of such
Underwriter shall be designated in writing by the Representative and any such separate
firm for the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement
and any control persons of the Company shall be designated in writing by the Company. The
Indemnifying Person shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected
without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final
judgment for the plaintiff, the Indemnifying Person agrees to indemnify each Indemnified
Person from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment.
Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an Indemnified Person shall have
requested that an Indemnifying Person reimburse the Indemnified Person for fees and
expenses of counsel as contemplated by this paragraph, the Indemnifying Person shall be
liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i)
such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by the Indemnifying Person
of such request and (ii) the Indemnifying Person shall not have reimbursed the
Indemnified Person in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.
No Indemnifying Person shall, without the written consent of the Indemnified Person,
effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any
Indemnified Person is or could have been a party and indemnification could have been
sought hereunder by such Indemnified Person, unless such settlement (A) includes an
unconditional release of such Indemnified Person, in form and substance reasonably
satisfactory to such Indemnified Person, from all liability on claims that are the subject
matter of such proceeding and (B) does not include any statement as to or any admission of
fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any Indemnified Person.
28
(d) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in paragraphs (a) and (b)
above is unavailable to an Indemnified Person or insufficient in respect of any losses,
claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each Indemnifying Person under
such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such Indemnified Person thereunder, shall
contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Person as a result of such
losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect
the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on
the other, from the offering of the Shares or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause
(i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect
not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) but also the relative fault of
the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, in connection with the
statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as
well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by
the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, shall be deemed to be in
the same respective proportions as the net proceeds (before deducting expenses) received
by the Company from the sale of the Shares and the total underwriting discounts and
commissions received by the Underwriters in connection therewith, in each case as set
forth in the table on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate offering price of
the Shares. The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on
the other, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or
alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a
material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters and
the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct
or prevent such statement or omission.
(e) Limitation on Liability. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would
not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by
pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose)
or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable
considerations referred to in paragraph (d) above. The amount paid or payable by an
Indemnified Person as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to
in paragraph (d) above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth
above, any legal or other expenses incurred by such Indemnified Person in connection with
any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, in no event
shall an Underwriter be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which
the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriter with respect
to the offering of the Shares exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has
otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue
29
statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent
misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be
entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent
misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7
are several in proportion to their respective purchase obligations hereunder and not
joint.
(f)
Non-Exclusive Remedies. The remedies provided for in this Section 7 are not
exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to
any Indemnified Person at law or in equity.
8. Effectiveness of Agreement. This Agreement shall become effective upon the execution and
delivery hereof by the parties hereto.
9. Termination. This Agreement may be terminated in the absolute discretion of the
Representative by notice to the Company, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and
prior to the Closing Date or, in the case of the Option Shares, prior to the Additional Closing
Date (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on or by any of the New
York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the
Chicago Board Options Exchange, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange or the Chicago Board of Trade; (ii)
trading of any securities issued or guaranteed by the Company shall have been suspended on any
exchange or in any over-the-counter market; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking
activities shall have been declared by federal or New York State authorities; or (iv) there shall
have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or any change in financial markets or any
calamity or crisis, either within or outside the United States, that, in the judgment of the
Representative is material and adverse and makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with
the offering, sale or delivery of the Shares 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, the Time of Sale
Information and the Prospectus.
10. Defaulting Underwriter. (a) If, on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as
the case may be, any Underwriter defaults on its obligation to purchase the Shares that it has
agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, the non-defaulting Underwriters may in their discretion
arrange for the purchase of such Shares by other persons satisfactory to the Company on the terms
contained in this Agreement. If, within 36 hours after any such default by any Underwriter, the
non-defaulting Underwriters do not arrange for the purchase of such Shares, then the Company shall
be entitled to a further period of 36 hours within which to procure other persons satisfactory to
the non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase such Shares on such terms. If other persons become
obligated or agree to purchase the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter, either the non-defaulting
Underwriters or the Company may postpone the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the
case may be, for up to five full business days
30
in order to effect any changes that in the opinion of counsel for the Company or counsel for
the Underwriters may be necessary in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or in any other
document or arrangement, and the Company agrees to promptly prepare any amendment or supplement to
the Registration Statement and the Prospectus that effects any such changes. As used in this
Agreement, the term “Underwriter” includes, for all purposes of this Agreement unless the context
otherwise requires, any person not listed in Schedule 1 hereto that, pursuant to this Section 10,
purchases Shares that a defaulting Underwriter agreed but failed to purchase.
(b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Shares of a
defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company
as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate number of Shares that remain unpurchased
on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be does not exceed
one-eleventh of the aggregate number of Shares to be purchased on such date, then the
Company shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the
number of Shares that such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder on such date plus such
Underwriter’s pro rata share (based on the number of Shares that such Underwriter agreed
to purchase on such date) of the Shares of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for
which such arrangements have not been made.
(c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Shares of a
defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company
as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate number of Shares that remain unpurchased
on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, exceeds
one-eleventh of the aggregate amount of Shares to be purchased on such date, or if the
Company shall not exercise the right described in paragraph (b) above, then this Agreement
or, with respect to any Additional Closing Date, the obligation of the Underwriters to
purchase Shares on the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall terminate
without liability on the part of the non-defaulting Underwriters. Any termination of this
Agreement pursuant to this Section 10 shall be without liability on the part of the
Company, except that the Company will continue to be liable for the payment of expenses as
set forth in Section 11 hereof and except that the provisions of Section 7 hereof shall
not terminate and shall remain in effect.
(d) Nothing contained herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter of any liability
it may have to the Company or any non-defaulting Underwriter for damages caused by its
default.
11. Payment of Expenses. (a) Whether or not the transactions contemplated by this Agreement
are consummated or this Agreement is
31
terminated, the Company will pay or cause to be paid all costs and expenses incident to the
performance of its obligations hereunder, including without limitation, (i) the costs incident to
the authorization, issuance, sale, preparation and delivery of the Shares and any taxes payable in
that connection; (ii) the costs incident to the preparation, printing and filing under the
Securities Act of the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus, any Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus (including all exhibits, amendments and
supplements thereto) and the distribution thereof; (iii) the reasonable fees and expenses of the
Company’s counsel and independent accountants and independent reserve engineers (iv) the fees and
expenses incurred in connection with the registration or qualification and determination of
eligibility for investment of the Shares under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representative
may designate and the preparation, printing and distribution of a Blue Sky Memorandum (including
the related fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters); (v) the cost of preparing stock
certificates; (vi) the costs and charges of any transfer agent and any registrar; (vii) all
expenses and application fees incurred in connection with any filing with, and clearance of the
offering by, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority; (viii) all expenses incurred by the
Company in connection with any “road show” presentation to potential investors; and (ix) all
expenses and application fees related to the listing of the Shares on the Exchange.
(b) If (i) this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 9, (ii) the Company for
any reason fails to tender the Shares for delivery to the Underwriters or (iii) the
Underwriters decline to purchase the Shares for any reason permitted under this Agreement,
the Company agrees to reimburse the Underwriters for all out-of-pocket costs and expenses
(including the fees and expenses of their counsel) reasonably incurred by the Underwriters
in connection with this Agreement and the offering contemplated hereby.
12. Persons Entitled to Benefit of Agreement. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of
and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers and
directors and any controlling persons referred to in Section 7 hereof. Nothing in this Agreement
is intended or shall be construed to give any other person any legal or equitable right, remedy or
claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision contained herein. No purchaser of
Shares from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor merely by reason of such purchase.
13. Survival. The respective indemnities, rights of contribution, representations, warranties
and agreements of the Company and the Underwriters contained in this Agreement or made by or on
behalf of the Company or the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement or any certificate delivered
pursuant hereto shall survive the delivery of and payment for the Shares and shall remain in full
force and effect, regardless of any termination of this Agreement or any investigation made by or
on behalf of the Company or the Underwriters.
32
14. Certain Defined Terms. For purposes of this Agreement, (a) except where otherwise
expressly provided, the term “affiliate” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities
Act; (b) the term “business day” means any day other than a day on which banks are permitted or
required to be closed in New York City; and (c) the term “subsidiary” has the meaning set forth in
Rule 405 under the Securities Act; and (d) the term “significant subsidiary” has the meaning set
forth in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X under the Exchange Act.
15. Miscellaneous. (a) Authority of X.X. Xxxxxx Securities Inc. Any action by the
Underwriters hereunder may be taken by X.X. Xxxxxx Securities Inc. on behalf of the Underwriters,
and any such action taken by X.X. Xxxxxx Securities Inc. shall be binding upon the Underwriters.
(b) Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and
shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted and confirmed by any
standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be given to the
Representative c/o X.X. Xxxxxx Securities Inc., 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, 0xx Xxxxx,
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000 (fax: 000-000-0000); Attention: Equity Syndicate Desk. Notices to
the Company shall be given to them c/o McMoRan Exploration Co. at 0000 Xxxxxxx Xx, Xxx
Xxxxxxx XX 00000, (fax: 000-000-0000); Attention: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx, Senior Vice
President, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary.
(c) Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance
with the laws of the State of New York.
(d) Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in counterparts (which may include
counterparts delivered by any standard form of telecommunication), each of which shall be
an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
(e) Amendments or Waivers. No amendment or waiver of any provision of this
Agreement, nor any consent or approval to any departure therefrom, shall in any event be
effective unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the parties hereto.
(f) Headings. The headings herein are included for convenience of reference only and
are not intended to be part of, or to affect the meaning or interpretation of, this
Agreement.
33
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please indicate your acceptance of
this Agreement by signing in the space provided below.
Very truly yours, MCMORAN EXPLORATION CO. |
||||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxxxx X. Xxxxx | |||
Name: | Xxxxxxxx X. Xxxxx | |||
Title: | Senior Vice President and Treasurer |
Accepted: June 16, 2009
X.X. XXXXXX SECURITIES INC.
For itself and on behalf of the several
Underwriters listed in Schedule 1
hereto.
Underwriters listed in Schedule 1
hereto.
By:
|
X.X. XXXXXX SECURITIES INC.
|
|||
By:
|
/s/ Xxx Xxxxxxx — Duodo
|
|||
Authorized Signatory |
Schedule 1
Underwriter | Number of Shares | |||
X.X. Xxxxxx Securities Inc. |
8,917,500 | |||
Xxxxxxx Xxxx & Company, LLC |
1,957,500 | |||
BNP Paribas
Securities Corp. |
725,000 | |||
Capital One
SouthCoast, Inc. |
725,000 | |||
Xxxxxx Xxxx Incorporated |
725,000 | |||
TD Securities (USA) LLC |
725,000 | |||
ING Financial Markets LLC |
362,500 | |||
Xxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. |
362,500 | |||
Total |
14,500,000 |