—] Shares Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group, Inc. Common Stock ($0.001 Par Value) EQUITY UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
Exhibit 1.1
[—] Shares
Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group, Inc.
Common Stock
($0.001 Par Value)
[—], 2013
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.
Xxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co.
As Representatives of the
Several Underwriters
c/o Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.
00 Xxxx Xxxxxx, 0xx Xxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
c/o Xxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co.
000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxx
Xxxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx 00000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The shareholder of Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), named on Schedule II hereto (the “Selling Shareholder”), proposes to sell to the several underwriters (the “Underwriters”) named on Schedule I hereto for whom you are acting as representatives (the “Representatives”) an aggregate of [—] shares (the “Firm Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, $0.001 par value (the “Common Stock”). The respective amounts of the Firm Shares to be so purchased by the several Underwriters are set forth opposite their names on Schedule I hereto. The Selling Shareholder also proposes to sell at the Underwriters’ option an aggregate of up to [—] additional shares of Common Stock (the “Option Shares”) as set forth below.
As the Representatives, you have advised the Company and the Selling Shareholder that the several Underwriters are willing, acting severally and not jointly, to purchase the numbers of Firm Shares set forth opposite their respective names on Schedule I hereto, plus the number of Option Shares if you elect to exercise the option in whole or in part for the accounts of the several Underwriters. The Firm Shares and the Option Shares (to the extent the aforementioned option is exercised) are herein collectively called the “Shares”.
In consideration of the mutual agreements contained herein and of the interests of the parties in the transactions contemplated hereby, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY AND THE SELLING SHAREHOLDER.
(a) The Company represents and warrants to each of the Underwriters as follows:
(i) A registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-186927) with respect to the Shares has been prepared and filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), and the rules and regulations (the “Rules and Regulations”) of the Commission thereunder. Copies of such registration statement, including any amendments thereto, the preliminary prospectuses (meeting the requirements of the Rules and Regulations) contained therein and the exhibits, financial statements and schedules, as finally amended and revised, have heretofore been delivered by the Company to you. Such registration statement, together with any registration statement filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Act, is herein referred to as the “Registration Statement”, which shall be deemed to include all information omitted therefrom in reliance upon Rules 430A or 430C under the Act and contained in the Prospectus referred to below, has become effective under the Act and at such time of effectiveness conformed in all material respects with the requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations and no post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed as of the date of this equity underwriting agreement (this “Agreement”). “Prospectus” means the form of prospectus first filed with the Commission pursuant to and within the time limits described in Rule 424(b) under the Act. Each preliminary prospectus included in the Registration Statement prior to the time it becomes effective is herein referred to as a “Preliminary Prospectus”. Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or to the Prospectus or to any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing documents shall be deemed to refer to and include any documents incorporated by reference therein, and, in the case of any reference herein to the Prospectus, also shall be deemed to include any documents incorporated by reference therein, and any supplements or amendments thereto, filed with the Commission after the date of filing of the Prospectus under Rule 424(b) under the Act, and prior to the termination of the offering of the Shares by the Underwriters.
(ii) As of the Applicable Time (as defined below) and as of the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, neither (A) the General Use Free Writing Prospectus(es) (as defined below) issued at or prior to the Applicable Time, the Statutory Prospectus (as defined
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below) and the information included on Schedule III hereto, all considered together (collectively, the “General Disclosure Package”), nor (B) any individual Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below), when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included or will include any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to information contained in or omitted from the Statutory Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives, specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information is that described in Section 13 hereof.
As used in this subsection and elsewhere in this Agreement:
“Applicable Time” means 4:00 p.m. (New York time) on the date of this Agreement or such other time as agreed to by the Company and the Representatives.
“General Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (other than a “bona fide electronic road show,” as defined in Rule 433 (the “Bona Fide Electronic Road Show”) that is identified on Schedule IV hereto.
“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus”, as defined in Rule 433 under the Act, including without limitation any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations of the Act (“Rule 405”)) relating to the Shares that is (i) required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) a “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i), whether or not required to be filed with the Commission or (iii) excepted from filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Shares or of the offering that does not reflect the final terms, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).
“Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not a General Use Free Writing Prospectus.
“Statutory Prospectus” means the Preliminary Prospectus dated [—], 2013.
(iii) The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, with requisite power and authority to own or lease its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. Each of the subsidiaries of the Company listed in Exhibit 21 to Item 16(a) of the Registration Statement (collectively, the “Subsidiaries”) has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation, limited liability company or similar entity in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization with requisite power and
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authority to own or lease its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The Subsidiaries are the only subsidiaries, direct or indirect, of the Company required to be listed in Exhibit 21 to Item 16(a) of the Registration Statement under the Rules and Regulations. The Subsidiaries listed in Exhibit B hereto are the only “significant subsidiaries” of the Company (as such term is defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X). The Company and each of the Subsidiaries are duly qualified to transact business in all jurisdictions in which the conduct of their business requires such qualification except where the failure to be so qualified would not have, individually or in the aggregate, a material adverse effect on the earnings, business, management, properties, assets, rights, operations, condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects of the Company and of its subsidiaries taken as a whole (the occurrence of any such effect being referred to as a “Material Adverse Effect”). The outstanding ownership interests of each of the Subsidiaries have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and, to the extent such interests are shares of capital stock, non-assessable, and, except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are owned by the Company or another Subsidiary free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and equities and claims; and no options, warrants or other rights to purchase, agreements or other obligations to issue or other rights to convert any obligations into shares of capital stock or ownership interests in the Subsidiaries are outstanding.
(iv) From April 5, 2012 through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Act (an “Emerging Growth Company”).
(v) The outstanding shares of Common Stock, including the Shares to be sold by the Selling Shareholder, have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable. Neither the filing of the Registration Statement nor the offering or sale of the Shares as contemplated by this Agreement gives rise to any rights, other than those which have been waived or satisfied, for or relating to the registration of any shares of Common Stock.
(vi) The information set forth under the caption “Capitalization” in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (and any similar section or information contained in the General Disclosure Package) is true and correct. All of the Shares conform to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except as otherwise specifically stated therein or in this Agreement, the Company has not: (A) issued any securities; (B) incurred any material liability or obligation, direct or contingent, for borrowed money; or (C) declared or paid any dividend or made any other distribution on or in respect to its capital stock.
(vii) The Commission has not issued an order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus relating to the proposed offering of the Shares, and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Act has been instituted or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened by the Commission. The
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Registration Statement contains, and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto will contain, all statements which are required to be stated therein by, and will conform to, the requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations, in each case in all material respects. The documents incorporated, or to be incorporated, by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, at the time filed with the Commission conformed or will conform, in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or the Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. The Registration Statement and any amendments thereto do not contain, and will not contain, any untrue statement of a material fact and do not omit, and will not omit, to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and the Prospectus and any amendments and supplements thereto do not contain, and will not contain, any untrue statement of a material fact; and do not omit, and will not omit, to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to information contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or any such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives, specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information is that described in Section 13 hereof.
(viii) No Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, and any preliminary or other prospectus deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified. The Company has made available a Bona Fide Electronic Road Show in compliance with Rule 433(d)(8)(ii) such that no filing of any “road show” (as defined in Rule 433(h)) is required in connection with the offering of the Shares.
(ix) The Company (A) has not alone engaged in any Testing the Waters Communication and (B) has not authorized anyone other than the Representatives to engage in Testing the Waters Communications. The Company reconfirms that the Representatives have been authorized to act on its behalf in undertaking Testing the Waters Communications. The Company has not distributed any Written Testing the Waters Communications. “Testing the Waters Communication” means any oral or written communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Act. “Written Testing the Waters Communication” means any Testing the Waters Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Act.
(x) [Removed and reserved.]
(xi) The Company has not, directly or indirectly, distributed and will not distribute any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares other than any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and other materials, if any, permitted under the Act and consistent with Section 4(a)(ii) hereof. The Company will file with the Commission all Issuer Free
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Writing Prospectuses in the time required under Rule 433(d) under the Act. The Company has satisfied or will satisfy the conditions in Rule 433 under the Act to avoid a requirement to file with the Commission any electronic road show.
(xii)(A) At the time of filing the Registration Statement and (B) as of the date hereof (with such date being used as the determination date for purposes of this clause (C)), the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Act, without taking into account any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 under the Act that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an ineligible issuer), including, without limitation, for purposes of Rules 164 and 433 under the Act with respect to the offering of the Shares as contemplated by the Registration Statement.
(xiii) The consolidated financial statements of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries, together with related notes and schedules as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Act and present fairly the financial position and the results of operations and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries, at the indicated dates and for the indicated periods. Such financial statements and related schedules have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted principles of accounting (“GAAP”), consistently applied throughout the periods involved, except as disclosed therein, and all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of results for such periods have been made. The summary and selected consolidated financial and statistical data included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein and such data has been compiled on a basis consistent with the financial statements presented therein and the books and records of the Company. All disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the Rules and Regulations) comply with Regulation G of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the Act, to the extent applicable. The Company and its subsidiaries do not have any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations), not disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. There are no financial statements (historical or pro forma) that are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that are not included as required.
(xiv) Ernst & Young LLP, who have certified certain of the financial statements filed with the Commission as part of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries within the meaning of the Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (the “PCAOB”) as required by the Act.
(xv) Solely to the extent that the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission and the NASDAQ Global Select
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Market thereunder (collectively, the “Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act”) have been applicable to the Company, there is and has been no failure on the part of the Company to comply in all material respects with any provision of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act. The Company has taken all necessary actions to ensure that it is in compliance with all provisions of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act that are in effect and with which the Company is required to comply (including Section 402 related to loans) and is actively taking steps with a view to complying with other provisions of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act currently in effect which will become applicable to the Company in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby. As of the date of the initial filing of the registration statement referred to in Section 1(a)(i) hereof, there were no outstanding personal loans made, directly or indirectly, by the Company to any director or executive officer of the Company.
(xvi) There is no legal, governmental, administrative or regulatory investigation, action, suit, claim or proceeding pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or to which any property of the Company or its subsidiaries is, or to the knowledge of the Company, would reasonably be expected to be, subject, before any court or regulatory or administrative agency or otherwise which if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries would, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. There are no current or pending legal, governmental, administrative or regulatory investigations, actions, suits, claims or proceedings that are required under the Act to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that are not so described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus. There are no statutes, regulations or contracts or other documents that are required under the Act to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that are not so filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus.
(xvii) The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all of the properties and assets reflected in the consolidated financial statements hereinabove described or described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, subject to no lien, mortgage, pledge, charge or encumbrance of any kind except those reflected in such financial statements or described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or which, in either case, (A) do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its subsidiaries or (B) would, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its subsidiaries occupy their leased properties under valid and binding leases, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles.
(xviii) The Company and its subsidiaries have filed all material U.S. federal, state, local and foreign tax returns which have been required to be filed and have paid all taxes indicated by such returns and all assessments received by them or any of them to the extent that such taxes have become due, except for any such taxes currently being contested in good faith and in an
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amount the payment of which by the Company or its subsidiaries would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(xix) Since the date of the most recent financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (A) there has not been any material adverse change or any development involving a prospective material adverse change in or affecting the earnings, business, management, properties, assets, rights, operations, condition (financial or otherwise), or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not occurring in the ordinary course of business, (B) there has not been any material transaction entered into or any material transaction that is probable of being entered into by the Company or its subsidiaries, other than transactions in the ordinary course of business and changes and transactions described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, as each may be amended or supplemented, and (C) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained any loss or interference with its business that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole and that is either from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor disturbance or dispute or any action, order or decree of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except in each case as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(xx) Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries is or, with respect to clause (B) only, with the giving of notice or lapse of time or both, will be, (A) in violation of its certificate of incorporation or by-laws, (B) in violation of or in default under any agreement, lease, contract, indenture or other instrument or obligation to which it is a party or by which it, or any of its properties, is bound or (C) in violation of any law, order, rule or regulation judgment, order, writ or decree applicable to the Company or any Subsidiary of any court or of any government, regulatory body or administrative agency or other governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company or any Subsidiary, or any of their properties or assets, except in the case of clauses (B) and (C), with respect to such violations or defaults as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. Assuming the application of the proceeds from the transactions contemplated herein as set forth in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated and the and the fulfillment of the terms hereof do not and will not conflict with or result in a breach of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, (A) any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which the Company or any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties is bound, or (B) the certificate of incorporation or by-laws of the Company or (C) any law, rule or regulation or (D) any judgment, order, writ or decree applicable to the Company or any Subsidiary of any court or of any government, regulatory body or administrative agency or other governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company or any Subsidiary, or any of their properties or assets, except in the case of (A) and (C) as would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
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(xxi) The execution and delivery of, and the performance by the Company of its obligations under, this Agreement has been duly and validly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company, and this Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company.
(xxii) Each approval, consent, order, authorization, designation, declaration or filing by or with any regulatory, administrative or other governmental body necessary in connection with the execution and delivery by the Company of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated has been obtained or made and is in full force and effect (except such additional steps as may be required by the Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) or such additional steps as may be necessary to qualify the Shares for public offering by the Underwriters under state securities or Blue Sky laws).
(xxiii) Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its subsidiaries (A) hold all licenses, consents, approvals, registrations, certificates, clearances, authorizations and permits from governmental or regulatory authorities (collectively, “Governmental Licenses”) which are necessary to the conduct of their business, (B) are in compliance with the terms and conditions of all Governmental Licenses, and all Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect, and (C) have not received any written notice of proceedings relating to the revocation of, modification of, or non-compliance with, any Governmental License, and to the Company’s knowledge no such proceedings are pending or threatened. The Company has fulfilled and performed all of its obligations with respect to the Governmental Licenses of the United States Food and Drug Administration, the United States Department of Agriculture, and any and all comparable state and local authorities required for the conduct of its business as currently conducted (collectively, the “Regulatory Permits”), except where failure to fulfill and perform such obligations with respect to its Regulatory Permits would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. No event has occurred that allows, or after notice or lapse of time would allow, revocation, termination, suspension, or other modification of such Regulatory Permits or results in any other impairment of the rights of the holder of any Regulatory Permit that would, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(xxiv) The Company is operating in compliance with such Governmental Licenses of any and all jurisdictions (“Applicable Jurisdictions”) that require the Company to obtain such Governmental Licenses in respect of its sales or distribution of alcoholic beverages in the conduct of its business as currently conducted (collectively, the “Liquor Permits”), and all such Liquor Permits are in full force and effect, except where the failure to be in such compliance or for such Liquor Permits to be in full force and effect would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has fulfilled and performed all of its obligations with respect to the Liquor Permits, except where the failure to be in such compliance would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. To the Company’s knowledge, no event has occurred that has allowed, allows, or after notice or lapse of time would allow, revocation, termination, suspension or other modification thereof or results in any other impairment
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of the rights of the holder of any Liquor Permit that would, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has not received written notice, and has no knowledge, of any pending or threatened claim, suit, proceeding, hearing, enforcement, audit, investigation, arbitration or other action from the Applicable Jurisdictions alleging that any operation or activity of the Company is in violation of any applicable law, rule or regulation that would, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(xxv) Except for such failures that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its subsidiaries own or possess the right to use all patents, inventions, trademarks, trade names, service marks, logos, trade dress, designs, data, database rights, Internet domain names, rights of privacy, rights of publicity, copyrights, works of authorship, license rights, trade secrets, know-how and proprietary information (including unpatented and unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, inventions, systems or procedures) and other intellectual property rights, as well as related rights, such as the right to xxx for all past, present and future infringements or misappropriations of any of the foregoing, and registrations and applications for registration of any of the foregoing (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) necessary to conduct their business as presently conducted and currently contemplated to be conducted in the future. To the best of the Company’s knowledge, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, whether through their respective products and services or the conduct of their respective businesses, has materially infringed, misappropriated, conflicted with or otherwise violated, or is currently materially infringing, misappropriating, conflicting with or otherwise violating, and none of the Company or its subsidiaries have received any written communication or notice of infringement of, misappropriation of, conflict with or violation of, any Intellectual Property of any other person or entity. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any written communication or notice alleging that by conducting their business as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, such parties would infringe, misappropriate, conflict with, or violate, any of the Intellectual Property of any other person or entity. The Company knows of no infringement, misappropriation or violation by others of Intellectual Property owned by or licensed to the Company or its subsidiaries. The Company and its subsidiaries have taken all reasonable steps necessary to secure their interests in such Intellectual Property from their employees and contractors and to protect the confidentiality of all of their confidential information and trade secrets.
(xxvi) To the best of the Company’s knowledge, none of the Intellectual Property employed by the Company or its subsidiaries has been obtained or is being used by the Company or its subsidiaries in violation of any contractual obligation binding on the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective officers, directors or employees or otherwise in material violation of the rights of any persons. The Company and its subsidiaries own or have a valid right to access and use all computer systems, networks, hardware, software, databases, websites, and equipment used to process, store, maintain and operate data, information, and functions used in connection with the business of the Company and its subsidiaries (the “Company IT Systems”). The Company IT Systems are adequate for, and operate and perform in all material respects as required in connection with, the operation of the business of the Company and its subsidiaries as
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currently conducted, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its subsidiaries have implemented commercially reasonable backup, security and disaster recovery technology consistent in all material respects with applicable regulatory standards and customary industry practices.
(xxvii) Neither the Company nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any of its affiliates, has taken or may take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in, or which has constituted or which might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of the shares of Common Stock to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares. The Company acknowledges that the Underwriters may engage in passive market making transactions in the Shares on the NASDAQ Global Market in accordance with Regulation M under the Exchange Act.
(xxviii) Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is or, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Shares contemplated hereunder and the application of the net proceeds from such sale as described in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, will be required to register as an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “1940 Act”).
(xxix) 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 have been designed by, or under the supervision of, their respective principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP, including, but not limited to, internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that: (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. There are no material weaknesses in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. The Company’s auditors and the Board of Directors of the Company have been advised of: (X) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which have adversely affected or are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and (Y) 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.
(xxx) The Company has established and maintains “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rules 13a-14(c) and 15d-14(c) under the Exchange Act); the Company’s
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“disclosure controls and procedures” are reasonably designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it will file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and regulations under the Exchange Act, including controls and procedures designed to ensure that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including its Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure and to make the certifications of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company required under the Exchange Act with respect to such reports.
(xxxi) The statistical, industry-related and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources which the Company reasonably and in good faith believes are reliable and accurate, and such data agree with the sources from which they are derived.
(xxxii) The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial record-keeping and reporting requirements, including those of the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by Title III of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act), the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the applicable money laundering statutes of jurisdictions where the Company and its subsidiaries conduct business, the applicable rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened.
(xxxiii) Neither the Company nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or representative of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”) or any similar sanctions imposed by any other body, governmental or other, to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject (collectively, “other economic sanctions”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC or other economic sanctions.
(xxxiv) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries: (A) has used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity: (B) has made any direct or indirect unlawful contribution or payment to any official of, or candidate for, or any employee of, any federal, state or foreign office from corporate funds; (C) has made any
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bribe, unlawful rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment; or (D) is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of the OECD Convention on Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions (the “OECD Convention”), Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “FCPA”) or any similar law or regulation to which the Company, any of its subsidiaries, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject. The Company, its subsidiaries and their affiliates have each conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA and any applicable similar law or regulation.
(xxxv) The Company and each of its subsidiaries carry, or are covered by, insurance, from insurers of recognized financial responsibility, in such amounts and covering such risks as is adequate for the conduct of their respective businesses and the value of their respective properties and as is prudent and customary for companies engaged in similar businesses; and the Company and its subsidiaries have no reason to believe that they will not be able to renew their existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue their respective businesses at a cost that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(xxxvi) Each “employee benefit plan” (within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, including the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (“ERISA”)) for which the Company or any member of its “Controlled Group” (defined as any organization that is a member of a controlled group of corporations within the meaning of Section 414 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”)) would have liability (each a “Plan”) is in compliance in all material respects with all presently applicable statutes, rules and regulations, including ERISA and the Code; with respect to each Plan subject to Title IV of ERISA (A) no “reportable event” (as defined in Section 4043 of ERISA) has occurred for which the Company or any member of its Controlled Group would have any material liability; and (B) neither the Company nor any member of its Controlled Group has incurred or expects to incur material liability under Title IV of ERISA (other than for contributions to the Plan or premiums payable to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, in each case in the ordinary course and without default); no Plan which is subject to Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA has failed to satisfy the minimum funding standard within the meaning of such sections of the Code or ERISA; and each Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified and nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which would cause the loss of such qualification.
(xxxvii) Except in each case as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus: (A) the Company and each Subsidiary have complied and are in compliance, in all material respects, with all applicable federal, state, local, foreign and international laws (including the common law), statutes, rules, regulations, orders, judgments, decrees or other legally binding requirements of any court, administrative agency or other governmental authority relating to pollution or to the protection of the environment, natural
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resources or human health or safety, or to the manufacture, use, generation, treatment, storage, disposal, release or threatened release of hazardous or toxic substances, pollutants, contaminants or wastes, or the arrangement for such activities (“Environmental Laws”); (B) the Company and each Subsidiary have obtained and are in compliance, in all material respects, with all permits, licenses, authorizations or other approvals required of them under Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses and are not subject to any action to revoke, terminate, cancel, limit, amend or appeal any such permits, licenses, authorizations or approvals; (C) neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is a party to any judicial or administrative proceeding (including a notice of violation) under any Environmental Laws (1) to which a governmental authority is also a party and which involves potential monetary sanctions, unless it could reasonably be expected that such proceeding will result in monetary sanctions of less than $100,000, or (2) which is otherwise material; and no such proceeding has been threatened or is known to be contemplated; (D) neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received written notice or is otherwise aware of any pending or threatened material claim or potential liability under Environmental Laws in respect of its past or present business, operations (including the disposal of hazardous substances at any off-site location), facilities or real property (whether owned, leased or operated) or on account of any predecessor or any person whose liability under any Environmental Laws it has agreed to assume; and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is aware of any facts or conditions that could reasonably be expected to give rise to any such claim or liability; and (E) neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is aware of any matters regarding compliance with existing or reasonably anticipated Environmental Laws, or with any liabilities or other obligations under Environmental Laws (including asset retirement obligations), that could reasonably be expected to have a material effect on the capital expenditures, earnings or competitive position of the Company and its subsidiaries.
(xxxviii) The Shares are listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market.
(xil) There are no related-party transactions involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any other person required to be described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus which have not been described in such documents and the General Disclosure Package as required.
(xl) Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no Subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such Subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such Subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such Subsidiary’s property or assets to the Company or any other Subsidiary of the Company.
(xli) No labor disturbance by or dispute with employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is threatened, and the Company is not aware of any existing or threatened labor disturbance by the employees of any of its or its
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subsidiaries’ principal suppliers, contractors or distributors that would, in each case, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(xlii) 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.
(b) The Selling Shareholder represents and warrants as follows:
(i) The Selling Shareholder now has and at the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, as the case may be (as such dates are defined below) will have, valid title to the Shares, free and clear of any liens, encumbrances, equities and claims, and full right, power and authority to effect the sale and delivery of such Shares. Upon payment for the Shares to be sold by the Selling Shareholder pursuant to this Agreement, delivery of such Shares, as directed by the Representative, to Cede & Co. (“Cede”) or such other nominee as may be designated by the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), registration of such Shares in the name of Cede or such other nominee and the crediting of such Shares on the books of DTC to securities accounts of the Underwriters (assuming that neither DTC nor any such Underwriter has notice of any adverse claim (within the meaning of Section 8-105 of the UCC) to such Shares), (A) DTC shall be a “protected purchaser” of such Shares within the meaning of Section 8-303 of the UCC, (B) under Section 8-501 of the UCC, the Underwriters will acquire a valid security entitlement in respect of such Shares and (C) no action based on any “adverse claim”, within the meaning of Section 8-102 of the UCC, to such Shares may be asserted against the Underwriters with respect to such security entitlement; for purposes of this representation, the Selling Shareholder may assume that when such payment, delivery and crediting occur, (X) such Shares will have been registered in the name of Cede or another nominee designated by DTC, in each case on the Company’s share registry in accordance with its certificate of incorporation, bylaws and applicable law, (Y) DTC will be registered as a “clearing corporation” within the meaning of Section 8-102 of the UCC and (Z) appropriate entries to the accounts of the several Underwriters on the records of DTC will have been made pursuant to the UCC.
(ii) The Selling Shareholder has full right, power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and the Power of Attorney referred to below and to perform its obligations under such Agreements. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by or on behalf of the Selling Shareholder. The Power of Attorney has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by or on behalf of the Selling Shareholder and is a valid and binding agreement of the Selling Shareholder, enforceable against the Selling Shareholder in accordance with its terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the consummation by the Selling Shareholder of the transactions herein contemplated and the fulfillment by the Selling Shareholder of the terms hereof will not require any consent, approval, authorization, or other order of any court, regulatory
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body, administrative agency or other governmental body (except as may be required under the Act, state securities laws or Blue Sky laws) and will not result in a breach of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default under, (A) any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust or other agreement or instrument to which the Selling Shareholder is a party, (B) the organizational documents of the Selling Shareholder, (C) any law, rule or regulation or (D) any judgment, order, writ or decree applicable to the Selling Shareholder of any court or of any regulatory body or administrative agency or other governmental body having jurisdiction, except in the case of (A) and (C) as would not, individually or in the aggregate, materially and adversely affect the ability of the Selling Shareholder to perform its obligations hereunder.
(iii) The Selling Shareholder has not taken and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to, or which has constituted, or which might reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Common Stock and, other than as permitted by the Act, the Selling Shareholder will not distribute any prospectus or other offering material in connection with the offering of the Shares.
(iv) Without having undertaken to determine independently the accuracy or completeness of either the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein or the information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Selling Shareholder has no reason to believe that the representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Section 1 are not true and correct in all material respects, is familiar with the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and has no knowledge of any fact, condition or information not disclosed in the Registration Statement which would, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and the sale of the Shares by the Selling Shareholder pursuant hereto is not prompted by any material information concerning the Company or any of its subsidiaries which is not set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or the documents incorporated by reference therein.
(v) As of the Applicable Time and as of the Option Closing Date, neither (A) the General Disclosure Package nor (B) any individual Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included or will include any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that for the Selling Shareholder this representation and warranty applies only to information contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Underwriters by or on behalf of the Selling Shareholder in writing specifically for use therein.
(vi) No consent, approval or waiver is required under any instrument or agreement to which the Selling Shareholder is a party or by which the Selling Shareholder is bound or under which it is entitled to any right or benefit, in connection with the offering, sale or purchase by the Underwriters of any of the Shares which may be sold by the Selling Shareholder under this
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Agreement or the consummation by the Selling Shareholder of any of the other transactions contemplated hereby, except for such instruments or agreements that would not, individually or in the aggregate, adversely affect the ability of the Selling Shareholder to perform its obligations hereunder.
(vii) There are no affiliations or associations between any member of FINRA and the Selling Shareholder or any affiliate of the Selling Shareholder.
(viii) The Selling Shareholder is not a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any person (other than this Agreement) that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any of 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.
(ix) The Selling Shareholder has not prepared or had prepared on its behalf or used or referred to any “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 under the Act and has not distributed any written materials in connection with the offer or sale of the Shares.
(x) Neither the Selling Shareholder, nor any of its subsidiaries, nor, to the Selling Shareholder’s knowledge, any director, officer, employee, agent, affiliate or representative of the Selling Shareholder or any of its subsidiaries, is a person that is, or is owned or controlled by a person that is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC or other economics sanctions; and the Selling Shareholder will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC or other economic sanctions.
2. PURCHASE, SALE AND DELIVERY OF THE FIRM SHARES.
(a) On the basis of the representations, warranties and covenants herein contained, and subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Selling Shareholder agrees to sell to the Underwriters and each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase, at a price of $[—] per share, the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the name of each Underwriter on Schedule I hereto, subject to adjustments in accordance with Section 9 hereof.
(b) Payment for the Firm Shares to be sold hereunder is to be made in federal (same day) funds to an account designated by the Selling Shareholder against transfer of the Firm Shares to the Representatives for the several accounts of the Underwriters. Such payment and delivery are to be made through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York, at 10:00 a.m., New York time, on the third business day after the date of this Agreement or at such other time and date not later than five business days thereafter as you and the Selling Shareholder shall agree upon, such time and date being herein referred to as the “Closing Date”. As used
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herein, “business day” means a day on which the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading and on which banks in New York are open for business and not permitted by law or executive order to be closed.
(c) In addition, on the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Selling Shareholder hereby grants an option to the several Underwriters to purchase the Option Shares at the price per share as set forth in Section 2(a) hereof. The option granted hereby may be exercised in whole or in part by giving written notice (i) at any time before the Closing Date and (ii) at any time, from time to time thereafter within 30 days after the date of this Agreement, by you, as Representatives of the several Underwriters, to the Company and the Attorneys-in-Fact setting forth the number of Option Shares as to which the several Underwriters are exercising the option and the time and date at which such Option Shares are to be transferred. The time and date at which the Option Shares are to be transferred shall be determined by the Representatives but shall not be earlier than three nor later than 10 full business days after the exercise of such option, nor in any event prior to the Closing Date (such time and date being herein referred to as the “Option Closing Date”). If the date of exercise of the option is three or more days before the Closing Date, the notice of exercise shall set the Closing Date as the Option Closing Date. The number of Option Shares to be purchased by each Underwriter shall be in the same proportion to the total number of Option Shares being purchased as the number of Firm Shares being purchased by such Underwriter bears to the total number of Firm Shares, adjusted by you in such manner as to avoid fractional shares. You, as Representatives of the several Underwriters, may cancel such option at any time prior to its expiration by giving written notice of such cancellation to the Company and the Attorneys-in-Fact. To the extent, if any, that the option is exercised, payment for the Option Shares shall be made on the Option Closing Date in federal (same day) funds drawn to the order of the Selling Shareholder against transfer of the Option Shares through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York.
3. OFFERING BY THE UNDERWRITERS.
It is understood that the several Underwriters are to make a public offering of the Firm Shares as soon as the Representatives deem it advisable to do so. The Firm Shares are to be initially offered to the public at the public offering price set forth in the Prospectus. The Representatives may from time to time thereafter change the public offering price and other selling terms.
It is further understood that you will act as the Representatives for the Underwriters in the offering and sale of the Shares in accordance with a Master Agreement Among Underwriters entered into by you and the several other Underwriters.
4. COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY AND THE SELLING SHAREHOLDER.
(a) The Company covenants and agrees with the several Underwriters that:
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(i) The Company will (A) prepare and timely file with the Commission under Rule 424(b) under the Act a Prospectus in a form approved by the Representatives containing information previously omitted at the time of effectiveness of the Registration Statement in reliance on Rules 430A or 430C under the Act, (B) not file any amendment to the Registration Statement or distribute an amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or document incorporated by reference therein of which the Representatives shall not previously have been advised and furnished with a copy or to which the Representatives shall have reasonably objected in writing or which is not in compliance with the Rules and Regulations and (C) file on a timely basis all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and prior to the termination of the offering of the Shares by the Underwriters.
(ii) The Company will (A) not make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Act) required to be filed by the Company with the Commission under Rule 433 under the Act unless the Representatives approve its use in writing prior to first use (each, a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus”); provided that the prior written consent of the Representatives hereto shall be deemed to have been given in respect of the Issuer Free Writing Prospectus(es) included on Schedule IV hereto, (B) treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, (C) comply with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 under the Act applicable to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, including the requirements relating to timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping and (D) not take any action that would result in an Underwriter or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter that such Underwriter otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder. The Company will satisfy the conditions in Rule 433 under the Act to avoid a requirement to file with the Commission any electronic road show.
(iii) The Company will promptly notify the Representatives if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the later of (A) completion of the distribution of the Securities within the meaning of the Act and (B) completion of the 90-day restricted period referred to in Section 4(a)(x) hereof.
(iv) The Company will advise the Representatives promptly (A) when the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto shall have become effective, (B) of receipt of any comments from the Commission, (C) when any supplement to the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Written Testing the Waters Communication or any amendment to the Prospectus has been filed, (D) of any request of the Commission for amendment of the Registration Statement or for supplement to the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or for any additional information, including, but not limited to, any request for information concerning any Written Testing the Waters Communication, (E) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any order preventing or
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suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Written Testing the Waters Communication, or of the institution of any proceedings for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Act, (F) of the occurrence of any event or development within the Prospectus Delivery Period as a result of which the Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Written Testing the Waters Communication as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package, any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Written Testing the Waters Communication is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, and (G) of the receipt by the Company of any notice with respect to any suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offer and sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatening of any proceeding for such purpose. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance of any order referred to in clause (E) or (G) of this paragraph and to obtain as soon as practicable the lifting thereof, if issued.
(v) The Company will cooperate with the Representatives in endeavoring to qualify the Shares for sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives may reasonably have designated in writing and will make such applications, file such documents, and furnish such information as may be reasonably required for that purpose; provided that the Company shall not be required to (A) qualify as a foreign corporation, (B) file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified or required to file such a consent, or (C) subject itself to taxation in any such jurisdiction if it is not otherwise so subject. The Company will, from time to time, prepare and file such statements, reports, and other documents, as are or may be required to continue such qualifications in effect for so long a period as the Representatives may reasonably request for distribution of the Shares.
(vi) The Company will deliver to, or upon the order of, the Representatives, from time to time, as many copies of any Preliminary Prospectus as the Representatives may reasonably request. The Company will deliver to, or upon the order of, the Representatives, from time to time, as many copies of any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as the Representatives may reasonably request. The Company will deliver to, or upon the order of, the Representatives during the period when delivery of a Prospectus (or, in lieu thereof, the notice referred to under Rule 173(a) under the Act) (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”) is required under the Act, as many copies of the Prospectus in final form, or as thereafter amended or supplemented, as the Representatives may reasonably request. If requested, the Company will deliver to the Representatives at or before the Closing Date, four signed copies of the Registration Statement and all amendments thereto including all exhibits filed therewith, and will deliver to the Representatives such number of copies of the Registration Statement (including such number of copies of the exhibits filed therewith that may reasonably be requested), including documents incorporated by reference therein, and of all amendments thereto, as the Representatives may reasonably request.
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(vii) The Company will comply with the Act and the Rules and Regulations, and the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Shares as contemplated in this Agreement and the Prospectus. If during the period in which a prospectus (or, in lieu thereof, the notice referred to under Rule 173(a) under the Act) is required by law to be delivered by an Underwriter or dealer, any event shall occur as a result of which, in the judgment of the Company or in the reasonable opinion of the Underwriters, it becomes necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at the time the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or, if it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with any law, the Company as promptly as practicable will either (i) prepare and file with the Commission an appropriate amendment to the Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus or (ii) prepare and file with the Commission an appropriate filing under the Exchange Act which shall be incorporated by reference in the Prospectus so that the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when it is so delivered, be misleading, or so that the Prospectus will comply with the law.
(viii) If the General Disclosure Package is being used to solicit offers to buy the Shares at a time when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which, in the judgment of the Company or in the reasonable opinion of the Underwriters, it becomes necessary to amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances, not misleading, or to make the statements therein not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement then on file, or if it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package to comply with any law, the Company as promptly as practicable will either (i) prepare, file with the Commission (if required) and furnish to the Underwriters and any dealers an appropriate amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package or (ii) prepare and file with the Commission an appropriate filing under the Exchange Act which shall be incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package so that the General Disclosure Package as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances, be misleading or conflict with the Registration Statement then on file, or so that the General Disclosure Package will comply with law.
(ix) The Company will make generally available to its security holders, as soon as it is practicable to do so, but in any event not later than 15 months after the effective date of the Registration Statement, an earnings statement (which need not be audited) satisfying the requirements of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158 under the Act and will advise you in writing when such statement has been so made available.
(x) No offering, pledge, sale, contract to sell, short sale or other disposition of any shares of Common Stock of the Company or other securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for shares of Common Stock or derivative of Common Stock (or agreement for such) will be made for a period of 90 days after the date of the Prospectus, directly or indirectly, by the Company otherwise than hereunder or with the prior written consent of the Representatives, in each
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case except for (A) grants of stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units or other stock-based awards pursuant to the Company’s 2012 Stock Incentive Plan, (B) the filing of any registration statement on Form S-8 with respect to the Company’s 2012 Stock Incentive Plan, or (C) issuances of Common Stock pursuant to the exercise, conversion or vesting of stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, deferred stock units or other stock-based awards.
(xi) The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to maintain the listing of the Shares on the NASDAQ Global Select Market.
(xii) The Company has caused each executive officer, director and shareholder of the Company to execute and deliver to you, on or prior to the date of this agreement, a letter or letters, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Lockup Agreement”).
(xiii) The Company will maintain a transfer agent and, if necessary under the jurisdiction of incorporation of the Company, a registrar for the Common Stock.
(xiv) The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in, or that has constituted or might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities of the Company.
(b) The Selling Shareholder covenants and agrees with the several Underwriters that:
(i) In order to document the Underwriters’ compliance with the reporting and withholding provisions of the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 and the Interest and Dividend Tax Compliance Act of 1983 with respect to the transactions herein contemplated, the Selling Shareholder agrees to deliver to you prior to or at the Closing Date a properly completed and executed United States Treasury Department Form W-8 or W-9 (or other applicable form or statement specified by Treasury Department regulations in lieu thereof).
(ii) The Selling Shareholder agrees to deliver to you prior to or at the Closing Date a certification that it is not a foreign person for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Such certification shall be substantially in the form provided in Treasury Regulations Section 1.1445-2(b)(2)(iv)(A) (sample certification for an individual transferor) or Treasury Regulations Section 1.1445-2(b)(2)(iv)(B) (sample certification for an entity transferor), as applicable. If the Selling Shareholder fails to, or is not able to, provide such a certification, it shall be treated as not a U.S. person for U.S. federal income tax purposes with respect to this Agreement, and the Selling Shareholder shall agree that the Underwriters may (i) treat each Share sold by the Selling Shareholder as a United States Real Property Interest as such term is defined in Section 897 of the Code and, (ii) deduct and withhold tax pursuant to Section 1445 of the Code from the amounts paid to the Selling Shareholder under this Agreement. If an Underwriter so deducts or withholds
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amounts, such amounts shall be treated for all purposes of this Agreement as having been paid to the Selling Shareholder in respect of which the Underwriter made such deduction or withholding.
(iii) The Selling Shareholder will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in, or that has constituted or might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities of the Company.
(iv) The Selling Shareholder agrees that it will not prepare or have prepared on its behalf or use or refer to, any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Act), and agrees that it will not distribute any written materials in connection with the offer or sale of the Shares.
(v) During the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Selling Shareholder will advise the Representatives promptly, and will confirm such advice in writing to the Representatives, of any material change in the information relating to the Selling Shareholder in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any document comprising the General Disclosure Package.
5. COSTS AND EXPENSES.
The Company will pay all costs, expenses and fees incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company and Selling Shareholder under this Agreement, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the following: (a) accounting fees of the Company; (b) the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company and the Selling Shareholder (except to the extent the Selling Shareholder is obligated to pay any expenses described below); (c) all costs and expenses related to the transfer and delivery of the Shares to the Underwriters, including any transfer or other taxes payable thereon; (d) any roadshow expenses (except roadshow expenses incurred by the Underwriters); (e) the cost of printing and delivering to, or as requested by, the Underwriters copies of the Registration Statement, Preliminary Prospectuses, the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses, the Prospectus, this Agreement, the listing application, any Blue Sky survey, in each case, any supplements or amendments thereto; (f) the expenses relating to preparing and printing any Canadian “wrap” in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares in Canada and the expenses relating to the filing any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus in jurisdictions in which the Shares may be offered or sold; (g) the filing fees of the Commission; (h) the filing fees and expenses (including reasonable and documented legal fees and disbursements in an amount not to exceed $15,000) incident to secure any required review by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Shares; (i) all expenses and application fees related to the listing of the Shares on the NASDAQ Global Select Market; (j) the cost of printing certificates, if any, representing the Shares; (k) the costs and charges of any transfer agent, registrar or depositary; and (l) the expenses, including the reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters, incurred in connection with the qualification of the Shares under foreign or state securities or Blue Sky laws and the preparation, printing and distribution of a Blue Sky memorandum. To the extent, if at all, that the Selling Shareholder engages special legal counsel to represent it in connection with this offering, the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be borne by the Selling Shareholder. Any transfer taxes
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imposed on the sale of the Shares to the several Underwriters will be paid by the Selling Shareholder. Neither the Company nor the Selling Shareholder shall, however, be required to pay for any of the Underwriter’s expenses (other than those related to qualification under FINRA regulation and state securities or Blue Sky laws) except that, if this Agreement shall not be consummated because the conditions in Section 7 hereof are not satisfied, or because this Agreement is terminated by the Representatives pursuant to Section 11 hereof, or by reason of any failure, refusal or inability on the part of the Company or the Selling Shareholder to perform any undertaking or satisfy any condition of this Agreement or to comply with any of the terms hereof on their part to be performed, unless such failure, refusal or inability is due primarily to the default or omission of any Underwriter, the Company shall reimburse the several Underwriters for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, including reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of counsel, reasonably incurred in connection with investigating, marketing and proposing to market the Shares or in contemplation of performing their obligations hereunder; but the Company and the Selling Shareholder shall not in any event be liable to any of the several Underwriters for damages on account of loss of anticipated profits from the sale by them of the Shares. Except as expressly provided in this Section, and Section 8 hereof, the Underwriters will pay all of their own costs and expenses, including the fees of their counsel and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may make.
6. CERTAIN COVENANTS OF THE UNDERWRITERS.
Each Underwriter hereby represents to the Company and the Selling Shareholder and agrees that:
(a) It has not used, used, authorized use of, referred to or participated in the planning for use of, 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 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 Act) that was not included in the Preliminary Prospectus or a previously filed Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, (ii) any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus listed on Schedule IV hereto (including any electronic road show), 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”).
(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.
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(c) It is not subject to any pending proceeding under Section 8A of the Act with respect to the offering (and will promptly notify the Company and the Selling Shareholder if any such proceeding against it is initiated during the Prospectus Delivery Period).
7. CONDITIONS OF OBLIGATIONS OF THE UNDERWRITERS.
The several obligations of the Underwriters to purchase the Firm Shares on the Closing Date and the Option Shares, if any, on the Option Closing Date are subject to the accuracy, as of the Applicable Time, the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, of the representations and warranties of the Company and the Selling Shareholder contained herein, and to the performance by the Company and the Selling Shareholder of their covenants and obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:
(a) The Registration Statement and all post-effective amendments thereto shall have become effective and the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus required shall have been filed as required by Rules 424, 430A, 430C or 433 under the Act, as applicable, within the time period prescribed by, and in compliance with, the Rules and Regulations, and any request of the Commission for additional information (to be included in the Registration Statement or otherwise) shall have been disclosed to the Representatives and complied with to their reasonable satisfaction. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, as amended from time to time, shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A under the Act shall have been taken or, to the knowledge of the Company or the Selling Shareholder, shall be contemplated or threatened by the Commission and no injunction, restraining order or order of any nature by a federal or state court of competent jurisdiction shall have been issued as of the Closing Date which would prevent the sale of the Shares.
(b) The Representatives shall have received on the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, the opinion and letter of Xxxxxx, Xxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Company and the Selling Shareholder, dated the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, addressed to the Underwriters in substantially the form agreed to with counsel to the Underwriters.
(c) The Representatives shall have received from White & Case LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, an opinion and 10b-5 statement, dated the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, with respect to such matters as the Representatives may reasonably request.
(d) You shall have received, on each of the date hereof, the Closing Date and, if applicable, the Option Closing Date, a letter dated the date hereof, the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, in form and substance satisfactory to you, of Ernst & Young LLP containing such statements and information as is ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial disclosure contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
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(e) The Representatives shall have received on the Closing Date and, if applicable, the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, a certificate or certificates of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company to the effect that, as of the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, each of them severally represents as follows:
(i) The Registration Statement has become effective under the Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or no order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued, and no proceedings for such purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Act have been taken or are, to his or her knowledge, contemplated or threatened by the Commission;
(ii) The representations and warranties of the Company contained in Section 1 hereof are true and correct as of the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be;
(iii) He or she has carefully examined the General Disclosure Package and any individual Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus and, in his or her opinion, as of the Applicable Time, the statements contained in the General Disclosure Package and any individual Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact, and such General Disclosure Package and any individual Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, did not omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
(iv) He or she has carefully examined the Registration Statement and, in his or her opinion, as of the effective date of the Registration Statement, the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, and since the effective date of the Registration Statement, in his or her opinion, no event has occurred which should have been set forth in a supplement to or an amendment of the Prospectus which has not been so set forth in such supplement or amendment;
(v) He or she has carefully examined the Prospectus and, in his or her opinion, as of its date and the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, the Prospectus and any amendments and supplements thereto did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact and did not omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and
(vi) Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and Prospectus, there has not been a Material Adverse Effect, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business.
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(f) The Representatives shall have received on the Closing Date and, if applicable, the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, a certificate of the Selling Shareholder to the effect that, as of the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, the Selling Shareholder represents as follows:
(i) The representations and warranties of the Selling Shareholder contained in Section 1 hereof are true and correct as of the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be; and
(ii) The Selling Shareholder has complied with all of the agreements and satisfied all of the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder on or prior to such date.
(g) On or prior to the date hereof, the Selling Shareholder shall have furnished for review by the Representatives an executed copy of the Power of Attorney appointing certain individuals named therein as such Selling Shareholder’s attorneys-in-fact (collectively the “Attorneys-in-Fact” and individually an “Attorney-in-Fact”).
(h) The Company and the Selling Shareholder shall have furnished to the Representatives such further certificates and documents confirming the representations and warranties, covenants and conditions contained herein and related matters as the Representatives may reasonably have requested.
(i) The Firm Shares and Option Shares, if any, are quoted on the NASDAQ Global Select Market.
(i) The Lockup Agreements described in Section 4(a)(xii) hereof have been executed by all applicable parties and have not been rescinded thereby.
(k) No action shall have been taken and no statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any federal, state or foreign governmental or regulatory authority that would, as of the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, prevent the sale of the Shares by the Selling Shareholder; and no injunction or order of any federal, state or foreign court shall have been issued that would, as of the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, prevent the sale of the Shares by the Selling Shareholder.
If any of the conditions hereinabove provided for in this Section 7 shall not have been fulfilled when and as required by this Agreement to be fulfilled, the obligations of the Underwriters hereunder may be terminated by the Representatives by notifying the Company and the Selling Shareholder of such termination in writing or by telegram at or prior to the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be.
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In such event, the Selling Shareholder, the Company and the Underwriters shall not be under any obligation to each other (except to the extent provided in Sections 5 and 8 hereof).
8. INDEMNIFICATION.
(a) The Company agrees:
(i) to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, the directors and officers of each Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which such Underwriter or any such controlling person may become subject under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon (A) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Written Testing the Waters Communication, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, (B) with respect to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement thereto, the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (C) with respect to any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Written Testing the Waters Communication, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances under which they were made; provided, however, that the Company will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement, or omission or alleged omission made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus, or such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by or through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 13 hereof; and
(ii) to reimburse each Underwriter, each Underwriters’ directors and officers, and each such controlling person upon demand for any documented and reasonably incurred legal or other out-of-pocket expenses of such Underwriter or such controlling person in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage or liability, action or proceeding or in responding to a subpoena or governmental inquiry related to the offering of the Shares, whether or not such Underwriter or controlling person is a party to any action or proceeding. In the event that it is finally judicially determined that the Underwriters were not entitled to receive payments for such legal and other expenses pursuant to this subparagraph, the Underwriters will promptly return all sums that had been advanced pursuant hereto.
(b) The Selling Shareholder agrees to indemnify the Underwriters, each Underwriters’ directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within
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the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which such Underwriter or controlling person may become subject under the Act or otherwise to the same extent as indemnity is provided by the Company pursuant to Section 8(a) hereof; provided, however, that the Selling Shareholder shall be liable only to the extent that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information relating to the Selling Shareholder furnished by or on behalf of the Selling Shareholder to the Company or the Representatives, specifically for use therein, provided, further, that each Underwriter will be liable in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission has been made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by or through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 13 hereof. This indemnity obligation will be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have.
(c) Each Underwriter severally and not jointly will indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who have signed the Registration Statement, the Selling Shareholder, and each person, if any, who controls the Company or the Selling Shareholder within the meaning of the Act, against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Company or any such director, officer, Selling Shareholder or controlling person may become subject under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, (ii) with respect to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement thereto, the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (iii) with respect to any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances under which they were made; and will reimburse upon demand for any documented and reasonably incurred legal or other out-of-pocket expenses of the Company or any such director, officer, Selling Shareholder or controlling person in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability, action or proceeding or in responding to a subpoena or governmental inquiry related to the offering of the Shares, whether or not the applicable party or controlling person is a party to any action or proceeding; provided, however, that each Underwriter will be liable in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission has been made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus or such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company
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by or through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 13 hereof. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which such Underwriter may otherwise have.
(d) In case any proceeding (including any governmental investigation) shall be instituted involving any person in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to this Section 8, such person (the “indemnified party”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnity may be sought (the “indemnifying party”) in writing. No indemnification provided for in Section 8(a), (b) or (c) hereof shall be available to any party who shall fail to give notice as provided in this Section 8(d) if the party to whom notice was not given was unaware of the proceeding to which such notice would have related and was materially prejudiced by the failure to give such notice, but the failure to give such notice shall not relieve the indemnifying party or parties from any liability which it or they may have to the indemnified party for contribution or otherwise than on account of the provisions of Section 8(a), (b), or (c) hereof. In case any such proceeding shall be brought against any indemnified party and it shall notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party and shall pay as incurred the fees and disbursements of such counsel related to such proceeding. In any such proceeding, any indemnified party shall have the right to retain its own counsel at its own expense. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the indemnifying party shall pay as incurred (or within 30 days of presentation) the documented and reasonably incurred expenses of the counsel retained by the indemnified party in the event (i) the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel, (ii) the named parties to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the indemnifying party and the indemnified party and representation of both parties by the same counsel would, based on the advice of outside counsel to the parties, be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them or (iii) the indemnifying party shall have failed to assume the defense and employ counsel acceptable to the indemnified party within a reasonable period of time after notice of commencement of the action. Such firm shall be designated in writing by you in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 8(a) or (b) hereof and by the Company and the Selling Shareholder in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 8(c) hereof. The indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. In addition, the indemnifying party will not, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment in any pending or threatened claim, action or proceeding of which indemnification may be sought hereunder (whether or not any indemnified party is an actual or potential party to such claim, action or proceeding) unless such settlement, compromise or consent (1) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such claim, action or proceeding and (2) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party. If at
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any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.
(e) To the extent the indemnification provided for in this Section 8 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under Section 8(a), (b), or (c) hereof in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Shareholder on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Shares. If, however, the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by applicable law then each indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount paid or payable by such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company and the Selling Shareholder on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Shareholder on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Selling Shareholder bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or the Selling Shareholder on the one hand or the Underwriters on the other and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
The Company, the Selling Shareholder and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this Section 8(e) were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 8(e). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) referred to above in this Section 8(e) shall be deemed to include any documented and reasonably incurred legal or other out-of-pocket expenses of such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 8(e), (i) no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting discounts and commissions
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applicable to the Shares purchased by such Underwriter, (ii) no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation, and (iii) the Selling Shareholder shall not be required to contribute any amount in excess of the gross proceeds received by the Selling Shareholder from the Underwriters in the offering. The Underwriters’ obligations in this Section 8(e) to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.
(f) In any proceeding relating to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Written Testing the Waters Communication, the Prospectus or any supplement or amendment thereto, each party against whom contribution may be sought under this Section 8 hereby consents to the exclusive jurisdiction of (i) the federal courts of the United States of America located in the City and County of New York, Borough of Manhattan and (ii) the courts of the State of New York located in the City and County of New York, Borough of Manhattan (collectively, the “Specified Courts”), agrees that process issuing from such courts may be served upon it by any other contributing party and consents to the service of such process and agrees that any other contributing party may join it as an additional defendant in any such proceeding in which such other contributing party is a party.
(g) Any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses for which an indemnified party is entitled to indemnification or contribution under this Section 8 shall be paid by the indemnifying party to the indemnified party as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses are incurred. A successor to any Underwriter, its directors or officers or any person controlling any Underwriter, or to the Company, its directors or officers, or any person controlling the Company, shall be entitled to the benefits of the indemnity, contribution and reimbursement agreements contained in this Section 8.
9. DEFAULT BY UNDERWRITERS.
If on the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, any Underwriter shall fail to purchase and pay for the portion of the Shares which such Underwriter has agreed to purchase and pay for on such date (otherwise than by reason of any default on the part of the Company or the Selling Shareholder), you, as Representatives of the Underwriters, shall use your reasonable best efforts to procure within 36 hours thereafter one or more of the other Underwriters, or any others, to purchase from the Selling Shareholder such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms set forth herein, the Shares which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters failed to purchase. If during such 36 hours you, as such Representatives, shall not have procured such other Underwriters, or any others, to purchase the Shares agreed to be purchased by the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then (a) if the aggregate number of shares with respect to which such default shall occur does not exceed 10% of the Shares to be purchased on the Closing Date or the Option Closing date, as the case may be, the other Underwriters shall be obligated, severally, in proportion to the respective numbers of Shares which they are obligated to purchase hereunder, to purchase the Shares which such defaulting Underwriter
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or Underwriters failed to purchase, or (b) if the aggregate number of Shares with respect to which such default shall occur exceeds 10% of the Shares to be purchased on the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be, the Selling Shareholder or you as the Representatives of the Underwriters will have the right, by written notice given within the next 36-hour period to the parties to this Agreement, to terminate this Agreement without liability on the part of the non-defaulting Underwriters or of the Company or of the Selling Shareholder except to the extent provided in Sections 5 and 8 hereof. In the event of a default by any Underwriter or Underwriters, as set forth in this Section 9, the Closing Date or Option Closing Date, as the case may be, may be postponed for such period, not exceeding seven days, as you, as Representatives, may determine in order that the required changes in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or in the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected. The term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for a defaulting Underwriter. Any action taken under this Section 9 shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.
10. NOTICES.
All communications hereunder shall be in writing and, except as otherwise provided herein, will be mailed, delivered, telecopied or telegraphed and confirmed as follows: if to the Underwriters, to Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., 00 Xxxx Xxxxxx, 0xx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attention: Equity Capital Markets – Syndicate Desk, fax: (000) 000-0000 , with a copy to Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., 00 Xxxx Xxxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attention: General Counsel, fax: (000) 000-0000 and to Xxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co., 000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx 00000, Attention: Equity Capital Markets – Fax (000) 000-0000, with a copy to Xxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co., 000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx 00000, Attention: General Counsel – Fax (000) 000-0000; if to the Company, to Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group, Inc., 000 X. Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 000, Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxx 00000, Attention: Chief Financial Officer, fax: (000) 000-0000; or the Selling Shareholder, to Xxxxxx Americas LLC, 0000 X. Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000, Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 00000, Attention: Legal Department, fax: (000) 000-0000.
11. TERMINATION.
This Agreement may be terminated by you by notice to the Company and the Selling Shareholder:
(a) at any time prior to the Closing Date or any Option Closing Date (if different from the Closing Date and then only as to Option Shares) if any of the following has occurred: (i) since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, any material adverse change or any development involving a prospective material adverse change in or affecting the earnings, business, management, properties, assets, rights, operations, condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business; (ii) any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or declaration of war or national emergency or other national or international calamity or crisis (including, without limitation, an act of terrorism) or
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change in economic or political conditions if the effect of such outbreak, escalation, declaration, emergency, calamity, crisis or change on the financial markets of the United States would, in your judgment, materially impair the investment quality of the Shares; (iii) suspension of trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange or the NASDAQ Global Select Market or limitation on prices (other than limitations on hours or numbers of days of trading) for securities on any such exchange; (iv) the declaration of a banking moratorium by the United States or New York State authorities; (v) any downgrading, or placement on any watch list for possible downgrading, in the rating of any of the Company’s debt securities or preferred stock by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (within the meaning of Rule 15c3-1(c)(2)(vi)(F) under the Exchange Act) or any public announcement by such organization that it has under surveillance or review, or has changed its outlook with respect to, its rating of any such debt securities or preferred stock (other than an announcement with positive implications of a possible upgrading); (vi) the suspension of trading of the Company’s Common Stock by the NASDAQ Global Select Market, the Commission or any other governmental authority; or (vii) the taking of any action by any governmental body or agency in respect of its monetary or fiscal affairs which in your opinion has a material adverse effect on the securities markets in the United States; or
(b) as provided in Sections 7 and 9 of this Agreement.
12. SUCCESSORS.
This Agreement has been and is made solely for the benefit of the Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Shareholder and their respective successors, executors, administrators, heirs and assigns, and the officers, directors and controlling persons referred to herein, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder. No purchaser of any of the Shares from any Underwriter shall be deemed a successor or assign merely because of such purchase.
13. INFORMATION PROVIDED BY UNDERWRITERS.
The Company, the Selling Shareholder and the Underwriters acknowledge and agree that the only information furnished or to be furnished by any Underwriter to the Company for inclusion in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus consists of the information set forth in the third, ninth, and tenth through fifteenth paragraphs under the caption “Underwriting” in the Prospectus.
14. MISCELLANEOUS.
The reimbursement, indemnification and contribution agreements contained in this Agreement and the representations, warranties and covenants in this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect regardless of (a) any termination of this Agreement, (b) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or controlling person thereof, or by or on behalf of the Company or
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its directors or officers or any Selling Shareholder or controlling person thereof, as the case may be, and (c) delivery of and payment for the Shares under this Agreement.
The Company and the Selling Shareholder acknowledge and agree that each Underwriter in providing investment banking services to the Company and the Selling Shareholder in connection with the offering, including in acting pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, has acted and is acting as an independent contractor and not as a fiduciary and the Company and the Selling Shareholder do not intend such Underwriter to act in any capacity other than as an independent contractor, including as a fiduciary or in any other position of higher trust. Additionally, neither the Representatives nor any other Underwriter is advising the Company, the Selling Shareholder or any other person as to any legal, tax, investment, accounting or regulatory matters in any jurisdiction. Each of the Company and the Selling Shareholder 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 or the Selling Shareholder with respect thereto. Any review by the Underwriters of the Company, the transactions contemplated hereby or other matters relating to such transactions will be performed solely for the benefit of the Underwriters and shall not be on behalf of the Company or the Selling Shareholder.
This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the law of the State of New York, including, without limitation, Section 5-1401 of the New York General Obligations Law.
The Underwriters, on the one hand, and the Company (on its own behalf and, to the extent permitted by law, on behalf of its stockholders) and the Selling Shareholder, on the other hand, waive any right to trial by jury in any action, claim, suit or proceeding with respect to your engagement as underwriter or your role in connection herewith.
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to us the enclosed duplicates hereof, whereupon it will become a binding agreement among the Selling Shareholder, the Company and the several Underwriters in accordance with its terms.
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Any person executing and delivering this Agreement as Attorney-in-Fact for a Selling Shareholder represents by so doing that he has been duly appointed as Attorney-in-Fact by the Selling Shareholder pursuant to a validly existing and binding Power of Attorney which authorizes such Attorney-in-Fact to take such action.
Very truly yours, | ||
DEL FRISCO’S RESTAURANT GROUP, INC. | ||
By: |
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Name: | ||
Title: | ||
LSF5 WAGON HOLDINGS, LLC | ||
By: |
| |
Name: | ||
Title: |
The foregoing Underwriting Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted as of the date first above written. | ||
DEUTSCHE BANK SECURITIES INC. XXXXX XXXXXXX & CO. | ||
As Representatives of the several Underwriters listed on Schedule I hereto | ||
By: | Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. | |
By: |
| |
Name: | ||
Title: | ||
By: |
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Name: | ||
Title: | ||
By: | Xxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. | |
By: |
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Name: | ||
Title: |
SCHEDULE I
SCHEDULE OF UNDERWRITERS
Number of Firm Shares | ||
Underwriter |
to be Purchased | |
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. |
[—] | |
Xxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. |
[—] | |
Xxxxx Fargo Securities, LLC |
[—] | |
Xxxxx and Company, LLC |
[—] | |
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx & Associates, Inc. |
[—] | |
| ||
Total |
[—] |
SCHEDULE II
• | LSF5 Wagon Holdings, LLC |
SCHEDULE III
• | Price – $[—] per share |
• | Number of shares – [—] shares |
• | Option to purchase additional shares – [—] shares |
SCHEDULE IV
None.
EXHIBIT A
FORM OF LOCK-UP AGREEMENT
[—], 2013
Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group, Inc.
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.
Xxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co.
As Representatives of the
Several Underwriters
c/o Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.
00 Xxxx Xxxxxx, 0xx Xxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned understands that Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. and Xxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co., as representatives (the “Representatives”) of the several underwriters (the “Underwriters”), propose to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group, Inc. (the “Company”), providing for the public offering by the Underwriters, including the Representatives, of common stock, $0.001 par value (the “Common Stock”), of the Company (the “Public Offering”).
To induce the Underwriters that may participate in the Public Offering to continue their efforts in connection with the Public Offering, the undersigned agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, the undersigned will not, directly or indirectly, offer, sell, pledge, contract to sell (including any short sale), grant any option to purchase or otherwise dispose of any shares of Common Stock (including, without limitation, shares of Common Stock of the Company which may be deemed to be beneficially owned by the undersigned on the date hereof in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, shares of Common Stock which may be issued upon exercise of a stock option or warrant and any other security convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock) or enter into any Hedging Transaction (as defined below) relating to the Common Stock (each of the foregoing referred to as a “Disposition”) during the period commencing on the date hereof and continuing until, and including, the date that is 90 days after the date of the final prospectus relating to the Public Offering (the “Lock-Up Period”). The foregoing restriction is expressly intended to preclude the undersigned from engaging in any Hedging Transaction or other transaction which is designed to or reasonably expected to lead to or result in a Disposition during the Lock-Up Period even if the
securities would be disposed of by someone other than the undersigned. “Hedging Transaction” means any short sale (whether or not against the box) or any purchase, sale or grant of any right (including, without limitation, any put or call option) with respect to any security (other than a broad-based market basket or index) that includes, relates to or derives any significant part of its value from the Common Stock.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the undersigned may transfer any or all of the shares of Common Stock or other Company securities if the transfer does not trigger any public filing or reporting requirement or obligation or result in any other voluntary or mandatory public disclosure, in each case of a reduction in beneficial ownership, including but not limited to Form 4 of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, (other than a filing on a Form 5, Schedule 13D, Schedule 13G or an amendment thereto made after the expiration of the Lock-Up Period) and is (i) by gift, (ii) by will or intestacy, (iii) a disposition to any trust the beneficiaries of which are the undersigned and/or immediate family members of the undersigned, or in the case of such a trust, to any beneficiaries of the trust, (iv) to an immediate family member of the undersigned or (v) a distribution to partners, members or shareholders of the undersigned, or to any corporation, partnership or other entity that is an affiliate of the undersigned; provided, however, it shall be a condition to the transfer that the transferee execute an agreement stating that the transferee is receiving and holding the securities subject to the provisions of this Lock-Up Agreement (except that in the case of (ii), in which case agreement to be bound shall be required only upon such transfer).
The undersigned agrees that the Company may, and hereby authorizes the Company to, during the Lock-Up Period, with respect to any shares of Common Stock or other Company securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock for which the undersigned is either (i) the record holder, or (ii) the beneficial holder but not the record holder, in each case, cause the transfer agent for the Company to note stop transfer instructions with respect to such securities on the transfer books and records of the Company.
In addition, the undersigned hereby waives any and all notice requirements and rights with respect to registration of securities pursuant to any agreement, understanding or document setting forth the terms of any security of the Company held by the undersigned, including any registration rights agreement to which the undersigned and the Company may be party; provided that such waiver shall apply only to the proposed Public Offering.
The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power and authority to enter into this Lock-Up Agreement. All authority herein conferred or agreed to be conferred shall survive the death or incapacity of the undersigned and any obligations of the undersigned shall be binding upon the heirs, personal representatives, successors and assigns of the undersigned.
Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if the closing of the Public Offering has not occurred prior to June 30, 2013 this agreement shall be of no further force or effect.
Signature: |
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Print Name: |
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EXHIBIT B
SIGNIFICANT SUBSIDIARIES
Del Frisco’s of New York, LLC