EXHIBIT 1.1
XXXXXX OCEANICS, INC.
COMMON STOCK, PAR VALUE $1.00 PER SHARE
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UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
October 13, 2004
Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co.,
Credit Suisse First Boston LLC
c/o Goldman, Xxxxx & Co.
0000 Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx 00000
As Representatives of the several Underwriters
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Xxxxxx Oceanics, Inc., a Texas corporation (the "COMPANY"), proposes,
subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to issue and sell to the
Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the "UNDERWRITERS") an aggregate of
1,175,000 shares of common stock, par value $1.00 per share ("STOCK") of the
Company and Helmerich & Xxxxx International Drilling Co., a stockholder of the
Company (the "SELLING STOCKHOLDER"), proposes, subject to the terms and
conditions stated herein, to sell to the Underwriters an aggregate of 1,000,000
shares of Stock. At the election of the Underwriters, up to an aggregate of
325,000 additional shares of Stock may be issued and sold by the Company. The
aggregate of 2,175,000 shares to be sold by the Company and the Selling
Stockholder is herein called the "FIRM SHARES" and the aggregate of up to
325,000 additional shares to be sold by the Company is herein called the
"OPTIONAL SHARES." The Firm Shares and the Optional Shares that the Underwriters
elect to purchase pursuant to Section 2 hereof are herein collectively called
the "SHARES." "MATERIAL SUBSIDIARIES" shall refer herein to Xxxxxx Oceanics
Management, L.P., Xxxxxx Drilling, Inc., Xxxxxx Oceanics Pacific Limited, Xxxxxx
Oceanics (M) Sdn Bhd and Xxxxxx Oceanics Australia Pty. Ltd. "NON-US MATERIAL
SUBSIDIARIES" shall refer to Xxxxxx Oceanics Australia Pty. Ltd., Xxxxxx
Oceanics Pacific Limited and Xxxxxx Oceanics (M) Sdn Bhd.
1. (a) The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each of
the Underwriters that:
(i) Two registration statements on Form S-3 (File Nos. 333-92388
and 333-117534), including (in each case) a related base prospectus (the
"INITIAL REGISTRATION STATEMENTS") in respect of the Shares have been
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "COMMISSION"); the
Initial Registration Statements and any post-effective amendments thereto,
each in the form heretofore delivered to you, and, excluding exhibits
thereto but including all documents incorporated by reference in the
prospectus included in the latest registration statement, to you for each
of the other Underwriters, have been declared effective by the Commission
in such form; the base prospectus included in the Initial Registration
Statements at the time the Initial Registration Statements were declared
effective are
hereinafter called the "BASE PROSPECTUS"; other than a registration
statement, if any, increasing the size of the offering (a "RULE 462(b)
REGISTRATION STATEMENT"), filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "ACT"), which became effective
upon filing, no other document with respect to the Initial Registration
Statements or document incorporated by reference therein has heretofore
been filed, or transmitted for filing, with the Commission (other than
prospectuses filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the rules and regulations of
the Commission under the Act, each in the form heretofore delivered to
you); and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Initial
Registration Statements, any post-effective amendment thereto or the Rule
462(b) Registration Statement, if any, has been issued and no proceeding
for that purpose has been initiated or threatened by the Commission (any
preliminary prospectus supplement to the Base Prospectus, together with
such Base Prospectus, filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b)
under the Act and used prior to the filing of the Prospectus (herein
defined) is hereinafter called a "PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS"; the various
parts of the Initial Registration Statements and the Rule 462(b)
Registration Statement, if any, including all exhibits thereto and the
documents incorporated by reference in the prospectus contained in the
Initial Registration Statements at the time such part of the Initial
Registration Statements became effective, each as amended at the time such
part of the Initial Registration Statements became effective, are
hereinafter collectively called the "REGISTRATION STATEMENT"; the final
prospectus supplement relating to the Shares, in the form first filed, or
transmitted for filing, with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under
the Act, together with the Base Prospectus, is hereinafter called the
"PROSPECTUS"; any reference herein to any Preliminary Prospectus or the
Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents
incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under
the Act, as of the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, as
the case may be; any reference to any amendment or supplement to any
Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and
include any documents filed after the date of such Preliminary Prospectus
or Prospectus, as the case may be, under the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended (the "EXCHANGE ACT"), and incorporated by reference in
such Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, as the case may be; and any
reference to any amendment to the Registration Statement shall be deemed
to refer to and include any annual report of the Company filed pursuant to
Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the effective date of the
Initial Registration Statement that is incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement;
(ii) The Company meets, and as of the applicable effective date of
each Initial Registration Statement met, the requirements for use of Form
S-3 under the Act;
(iii) No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary
Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and each Preliminary
Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, conformed in all material
respects to the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations of
the Commission thereunder, and did not contain an untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided,
however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any
statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with
information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through
Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein or by the Selling
Stockholder expressly for use in the preparation of answers therein to
Item 7 of Form S-3;
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(iv) The documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, when
they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may
be, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Act or
the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the
Commission thereunder, and none of such documents contained an untrue
statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required
to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading; and any further documents so filed and incorporated by
reference in the Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement
thereto, when such documents become effective or are filed with the
Commission, as the case may be, will conform in all material respects to
the requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the
rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and will not contain an
untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein
not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty
shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and
in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an
Underwriter through Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co. expressly for use therein;
(v) The Registration Statement conforms, and the Prospectus and any
further amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus will conform, in all material respects to the requirements of
the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and do
not and will not, as of the applicable effective date as to the
Registration Statement and any amendment thereto and as of the applicable
filing date as to the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto,
contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material
fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and
warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance
upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the
Company by an Underwriter through Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co. expressly for use
therein or by the Selling Stockholder expressly for use in the preparation
of the answers therein to Item 7 of Form S-3.
(vi) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered
by the Company;
(vii) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained
since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or
incorporated by reference in the Prospectus any material loss or
interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other
calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute
or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set
forth or contemplated in the Prospectus; and, since the respective dates
as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus, there has not been any change in the capital stock or
long-term debt, or any decreases in consolidated net current assets, of
the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any material adverse change, or
any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or
affecting the general affairs, management, financial position,
stockholders' equity or results of operations of the Company and its
subsidiaries, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the
Prospectus; (viii) The Company and its subsidiaries have good and
marketable title in fee simple to all real property and good and
marketable title to all drilling rigs, related equipment and other
personal property owned by them, in each case free and clear of all liens,
encumbrances and defects except those liens created under that certain
Credit Agreement by and among the Company, Xxxxxx Oceanics Pacific
Limited, the various lenders named therein and Nordea Bank Finland plc,
New York Branch dated April 1, 2003
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(as amended, the "CREDIT AGREEMENT") or such as are described in the
Prospectus or such as do not materially affect the value of such property
and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such
property by the Company and its subsidiaries; and any real property and
buildings held under lease by the Company and its subsidiaries are held by
them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with such exceptions
as are not material and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to
be made of such property and buildings by the Company and its
subsidiaries;
(ix) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing
as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Texas,
with power and authority (corporate and other) to own its properties and
conduct its business as described in the Prospectus, and has been duly
qualified as a foreign corporation for the transaction of business and is
in good standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which it
owns or leases properties or conducts any business so as to require such
qualification, or is subject to no material liability or disability by
reason of the failure to be so qualified in any such jurisdiction;
(x) The subsidiaries of the Company other than the Material
Subsidiaries would not, individually or in the aggregate, be a
"significant subsidiary" of the Company under the conditions specified in
Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X under the Act. Each Material Subsidiary of
the Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a
corporation or other legal entity in good standing under the laws of its
jurisdiction of incorporation with power and authority (corporate and
other) to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the
Prospectus, and has been duly qualified as a foreign corporation or other
legal entity for the transaction of business and is in good standing under
the laws of each other jurisdiction in which it owns or leases properties
or conducts any business so as to require such qualification, or is
subject to no material liability or disability by reason of the failure to
be so qualified in any such jurisdiction;
(xi) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in
the Prospectus, and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the
Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid
and non-assessable and conform to the description of the Stock contained
in the Prospectus and the stockholders of the Company have no preemptive
rights with respect to the Stock; and all of the issued shares of capital
stock or partnership interests of each subsidiary of the Company have been
duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable
and (except for directors' qualifying shares) are owned directly or
indirectly by the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances,
equities or claims, except for liens created under the Credit Agreement;
(xii) The unissued Shares to be issued and sold by the Company to
the Underwriters hereunder have been duly and validly authorized and, when
issued and delivered against payment therefor as provided herein, will be
duly and validly issued and fully paid and non-assessable and will conform
to the description of the Stock contained in the Prospectus and there are
no preemptive rights with respect to the Shares;
(xiii) The issue and sale of the Shares to be sold by the Company
and the compliance by the Company with all of the provisions of this
Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated
will not conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the
terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any indenture,
mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument
to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the
Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which
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any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is
subject, nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of
the Restated Articles of Incorporation (as amended, the "ARTICLES OF
INCORPORATION") or the Amended and Restated By-laws (the "BY-LAWS") of the
Company or any statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court or
governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of
its subsidiaries or any of their properties; and no consent, approval,
authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any such
court or governmental agency or body is required for the issue and sale of
the Shares or the consummation by the Company of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement, except the registration under the Act of
the Shares and such consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations or
qualifications as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws
in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares by the
Underwriters;
(xiv) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in
violation of its Articles or Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws or
other governing documents or in default in the performance or observance
of any material obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in
any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other
agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of
its properties may be bound or any material statute or any order, rule or
regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction
over the Company or its subsidiaries or any of their properties;
(xv) The Company and its subsidiaries possess adequate certificates,
authorities or permits issued by appropriate governmental agencies or
bodies necessary to conduct the business now operated by them and have not
received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or
modification of any such certificate, authority or permit that, if
determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, could have
a material adverse effect on the current or future consolidated financial
position, general affairs, stockholders' equity or results of operations
of the Company and its subsidiaries ("MATERIAL ADVERSE EFFECT");
(xvi) The statements set forth in the Prospectus under the caption
"Description of Capital Stock", insofar as they purport to constitute a
summary of the terms of the Stock, under the caption "Certain U.S. Tax
Consequences to Non-U.S. Holders", and under the caption "Underwriting",
insofar as they purport to describe the provisions of the laws and
documents referred to therein, are accurate, complete and fair;
(xvii) Other than as set forth in the Prospectus, there are no legal
or governmental proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its
subsidiaries is a party or of which any property of the Company or any of
its subsidiaries is the subject which, if determined adversely to the
Company or any of its subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate
have a Material Adverse Effect; and, to the best of the Company's
knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated by
governmental authorities or threatened by others;
(xviii) The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering
and sale of the Shares, will not be an "investment company", as such term
is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the
"INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT");
(xix) Neither the Company nor the Selling Stockholder nor any of
their affiliates does business with the government of Cuba or with any
person or affiliate located in Cuba within the meaning of Section 517.075,
Florida Statutes;
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(xx) The financial statements included in each Registration
Statement and the Prospectus present fairly the financial position of the
Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as of the dates shown and their
results of operations and cash flows for the periods shown, and, except as
otherwise disclosed in the Prospectus, such financial statements have been
prepared in conformity with the generally accepted accounting principles
in the United States applied on a consistent basis and the schedules
included in each Registration Statement present fairly the information
required to be stated therein. The summary historical financial
information set forth in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary
Prospectus and the Prospectus (and any amendment or supplement thereto)
under the captions "Summary Financial and Other Data" and "Selected
Financial Data" is accurately presented in all material respects and
prepared on a basis consistent with the audited and unaudited historical
consolidated financial statements from which it has been derived. The pro
forma capitalization table included in the Registration Statement, the
Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus has been prepared on a basis
consistent with such historical consolidated financial statements of the
Company, except for the pro forma adjustments specified therein, and give
effect to assumptions made on a reasonable basis and in good faith and
fairly present the significant financial effects directly attributable to
the proposed transactions under this Agreement. Other financial and
statistical information and data included in, or incorporated by reference
in, the Registration Statement or Prospectus, historical and pro forma, is
accurately presented and, in the case of financial information and data,
prepared on a basis consistent with such financial statements and/or the
books and records of the Company and its subsidiaries;
(xxi) PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, who have certified certain
financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries are, and Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx LLP, who have certified certain financial statements of the
Company and its subsidiaries were, independent public accountants as
required by the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission
thereunder.
(xxii) Except as disclosed in the Prospectus, there are no
contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person
that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any
Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder's fee or other like payment
in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares;
(xxiii) No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any
subsidiary exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent that
might have a Material Adverse Effect;
(xxiv) The Company and its subsidiaries own, possess or can acquire
on reasonable terms, adequate trademarks, trade names and other rights to
inventions, know-how, patents, copyrights, confidential information and
other intellectual property (collectively, "INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS")
necessary to conduct the business now operated by them, or presently
employed by them, and have not received any notice of infringement of or
conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any intellectual
property rights that, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its
subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate have a Material
Adverse Effect;
(xxv) There are no contracts, agreements or understandings between
the Company and any person granting such person the right to require the
Company to file a registration statement under the Act with respect to any
securities of the Company owned or to be owned by such person or to
require the Company to include such securities in the securities
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registered pursuant to the Registration Statement or in any securities
being registered pursuant to any other registration statement filed by the
Company under the Act, except those rights that have been waived in
writing, and except as described in the Registration Statement or
Prospectus;
(xxvi) The Company and its subsidiaries are insured by insurers of
recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in
such amounts and with such deductibles as are customary in the businesses
in which they are engaged, except where the failure to have such insurance
would not have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of
its subsidiaries has received notice of cancellation or non-renewal of
such insurance or notice that substantial capital improvements or other
expenditures will have to be made in order to continue such insurance. All
such insurance is outstanding and duly in force on the date hereof and
will be outstanding on each Time of Delivery. Neither the Company nor any
of its subsidiaries has any reason to believe that it will not be able to
renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or
to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to
continue its business at a cost that would not have a Material Adverse
Effect;
(xxvii) The Company and each of its subsidiaries (i) makes and keeps
accurate books, records and accounts, that, in reasonable detail,
accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of assets
of the Company and its subsidiaries and (ii) maintains internal accounting
controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances 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 generally accepted
accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability, (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;
(xxviii) There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company
and any of the Company's directors or officers, in their capacities as
such, to comply in all material respects with any provision of the
Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in
connection therewith, including Section 402 related to loans and Sections
302 and 906 related to certifications;
(xxix) The Company is, and will remain, in full compliance with all
requirements of the sanctions program implemented and administered by the
U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control
("OFAC"), including, without limitation, 31 CFR Parts 500-600 ("OFAC
SANCTIONS PROGRAMS"); the Company will not use, or permit the use by any
other person of, any proceeds from this transaction in any way that would
be prohibited by any OFAC Sanctions Program;
(xxx) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, nor any
director, officer, agent, employee or other person associated with or
acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, has used any
corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or
other unlawful expense relating to political activity; made any direct or
indirect unlawful payment to any foreign or domestic government official
or employee from corporate funds; violated or is in violation of any
provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977; or made any bribe,
rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment;
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(xxxi) No "prohibited transaction" (as defined in Section 406 of the
Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, including the
regulations and published interpretations thereunder ("ERISA"), or Section
4975 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time
(the "CODE")) or "accumulated funding deficiency" (as defined in Section
302 of ERISA) or any of the events set forth in Section 4043(c) of ERISA
(other than events with respect to which the 30-day notice requirement
under Section 4043 of ERISA has been waived) has occurred, exists or is
reasonably expected to occur with respect to any employee benefit plan (as
defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA) which the Company or any of its
subsidiaries maintains, contributes to or has any obligation to contribute
to, or with respect to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries has
any liability, direct or indirect, contingent or otherwise (a "PLAN")
which would have a Material Adverse Effect; each Plan is in compliance in
all material respects with applicable law, including ERISA and the Code;
the Company and each of its subsidiaries have no liability and do not
expect to incur liability under Title IV of ERISA with respect to the
termination of, or withdrawal from, any Plan; and each Plan that is
intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified
in all material respects and nothing has occurred, whether by action or
failure to act, which would reasonably be expected to cause the loss of
such qualification;
(xxxii) Except as described in the Registration Statement or
Prospectus, each of the Company and its subsidiaries (A) is in compliance
with any and all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations
relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or
hazardous or toxic substances or waste, pollutants or contaminants
("ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS"), (B) has received all permits, licenses or other
approvals required of it under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct
its business and (C) is in compliance with all terms and conditions of any
such permit, license or approval, except for such noncompliance with
Environmental Laws, failure to receive required permits, licenses or other
approvals or failure to comply with the terms and conditions of such
permits, licenses or approvals that would not, individually or in the
aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as described in the
Registration Statement or Prospectus, there has been no storage, disposal,
generation, transportation, handling or treatment of hazardous substances
or solid wastes by the Company or any of its subsidiaries (or to the
knowledge of the Company or its subsidiaries, any of their respective
predecessors in interest for whose acts or omissions the Company would
reasonably be expected to be liable) at, upon or from any of the property
now or previously owned or leased by the Company or any of its
subsidiaries in violation of any applicable law, ordinance, rule,
regulation, order, judgment, decree or permit or which would require
remedial action by the Company or its subsidiaries under any applicable
law, ordinance, rule, regulation, order, judgment, decree or permit,
except for any violation or remedial action which would not result in, or
which would not be reasonably likely to result in, individually or in the
aggregate with all such violations and remedial actions, a Material
Adverse Effect; and there has been no spill, discharge, leak, emission,
injection, escape, dumping or release of any kind onto such property or
into the environment surrounding such property of any solid wastes or
hazardous substances due to or caused by the Company or any of its
subsidiaries, except for any such spill, discharge, leak, emission,
injection, escape, dumping or release which would not result in or would
not be reasonably likely to result in, individually or in the aggregate
with all such spills, discharges, leaks, emissions, injections, escapes,
dumpings and releases, a Material Adverse Effect. The terms "HAZARDOUS
SUBSTANCES" and "SOLID WASTES" as used herein shall have the meanings
specified in any applicable Environmental Law.
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(xxxiii) Neither the Company nor the Selling Stockholder nor any of
their affiliates has taken, directly or indirectly, any action which is
designed to or which has constituted or which might reasonably be expected
to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of any
security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.
(b) The Selling Stockholder represents and warrants to, and agrees with,
each of the Underwriters and the Company that:
(i) All consents, approvals, authorizations and orders necessary
for the execution and delivery by the Selling Stockholder of this
Agreement and for the sale and delivery of the Shares to be sold by the
Selling Stockholder hereunder, have been obtained; this Agreement has been
duly executed and delivered by the Selling Stockholder and the Selling
Stockholder has full right, power and authority to enter into this
Agreement and to sell, assign, transfer and deliver the Shares to be sold
by the Selling Stockholder hereunder;
(ii) The sale of the Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholder
hereunder and the compliance by the Selling Stockholder with all of the
provisions of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions
herein contemplated will not conflict with or result in a breach or
violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default
under, any statute, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or
other agreement or instrument to which the Selling Stockholder is a party
or by which the Selling Stockholder is bound or to which any of the
property or assets of the Selling Stockholder is subject, nor will such
action result in any violation of the provisions of the Certificate of
Incorporation or By-laws of the Selling Stockholder or any statute or any
order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body
having jurisdiction over the Selling Stockholder or the property of the
Selling Stockholder;
(iii) The Selling Stockholder has, and immediately prior to the
First Time of Delivery (as defined in Section 4 hereof) the Selling
Stockholder will have, good and valid title to the Shares to be sold by
the Selling Stockholder hereunder, free and clear of all liens,
encumbrances, equities or claims; and, upon delivery of such Shares and
payment therefor pursuant hereto, good and valid title to such Shares,
free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims, will pass
to the several Underwriters;
(iv) During the period beginning from the date hereof and
continuing to and including the date 180 days after the date of the
Prospectus, the Selling Stockholder will not offer, sell contract to sell
or otherwise dispose of, except as provided hereunder, any securities of
the Company that are substantially similar to the Shares, including but
not limited to any securities that are convertible into or exchangeable
for, or that represent the right to receive, Stock or any such
substantially similar securities, without the prior written consent of
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co., on behalf of the Underwriters;
(v) The Selling Stockholder and any of its affiliates have not
taken and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action which is
designed to or which has constituted or which might reasonably be expected
to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of any
security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares;
(vi) To the extent that any statements or omissions made in the
Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any
amendment or supplement thereto are made in reliance upon and in
conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the
Selling Stockholder expressly for use therein, such Preliminary Prospectus
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and the Registration Statement did, and the Prospectus and any further
amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus, when they become effective or are filed with the Commission,
as the case may be, will conform in all material respects to the
requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission
thereunder and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or
omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary
to make the statements therein not misleading;
(vii) In order to document the Underwriters' compliance with the
reporting and withholding provisions of the Tax Equity and Fiscal
Responsibility Act of 1982 with respect to the transactions herein
contemplated, the Selling Stockholder will deliver to you prior to or at
the First Time of Delivery (as hereinafter defined) a properly completed
and executed United States Treasury Department Form W-9 (or other
applicable form or statement specified by Treasury Department regulations
in lieu thereof); and
(ix) The Shares represented by the certificates held by the Selling
Stockholder are subject to the interests of the Underwriters hereunder;
the obligations of the Selling Stockholder hereunder shall not be
terminated by operation of law or by the occurrence of any other event; if
the Selling Stockholder should be dissolved, or if any other such event
should occur, before the delivery of the Shares hereunder, certificates
representing the Shares shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Selling
Stockholder in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement.
(x) Except as disclosed in the Prospectus, there are no contracts,
agreements or understandings between the Selling Stockholder and any
person that would give rise to a valid claim against the Selling
Stockholder or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder's fee or
other like payment in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares.
(xi) None of the Company, the Selling Stockholder or any of their
affiliates does business with the government of Cuba or with any person or
affiliate located in Cuba within the meaning of Section 517.075, Florida
Statutes.
2. Subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, (a) the
Company and the Selling Stockholder agree, severally and not jointly, to sell to
each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not
jointly, to purchase from the Company and the Selling Stockholder, at a purchase
price per share of $45.8325, the number of Firm Shares (to be adjusted by you so
as to eliminate fractional shares) determined by multiplying the aggregate
number of Shares to be sold by the Company and the Selling Stockholder by a
fraction, the numerator of which is the aggregate number of Firm Shares to be
purchased by such Underwriter as set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter
in Schedule I hereto and the denominator of which is the aggregate number of
Firm Shares to be purchased by all of the Underwriters from the Company and the
Selling Stockholder hereunder and (b) in the event and to the extent that the
Underwriters shall exercise the election to purchase Optional Shares as provided
below, the Company agrees to sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the
Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at
the purchase price per share set forth in clause (a) of this Section 2, that
portion of the number of Optional Shares as to which such election shall have
been exercised (to be adjusted by you so as to eliminate fractional shares)
determined by multiplying such number of Optional Shares by a fraction the
numerator of which is the maximum number of Optional Shares which such
Underwriter is entitled to purchase as set forth opposite the name of such
Underwriter in Schedule I hereto and the denominator of which is the maximum
number of Optional Shares that all of the Underwriters are entitled to purchase
hereunder.
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The Company hereby grants to the Underwriters the right to purchase at
their election up to an aggregate 325,000 Optional Shares, at the purchase price
per share set forth in the paragraph above, for the sole purpose of covering
sales of shares in excess of the number of Firm Shares, provided that the
purchase price per Optional Share shall be reduced by an amount per share equal
to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the
Firm Shares but not payable on the Optional Shares. Any such election to
purchase Optional Shares may be exercised only by written notice from you to the
Company, given within a period of 30 calendar days after the date of this
Agreement and setting forth the aggregate number of Optional Shares to be
purchased and the date on which such Optional Shares are to be delivered, as
determined by you but in no event earlier than the First Time of Delivery (as
defined in Section 4 hereof) or, unless you and the Company otherwise agree in
writing, earlier than two or later than ten business days after the date of such
notice.
3. Upon the authorization by you of the release of the Firm Shares, the
several Underwriters propose to offer the Firm Shares for sale upon the terms
and conditions set forth in the Prospectus.
4. (a) The Shares to be purchased by each Underwriter hereunder, in
definitive form, and in such authorized denominations and registered in such
names as Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co. may request upon at least forty-eight hours' prior
notice to the Company and the Selling Stockholder shall be delivered by or on
behalf of the Company and the Selling Stockholder to Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co.,
through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company ("DTC"), for the account
of such Underwriter, against payment by or on behalf of such Underwriter of the
purchase price therefor by wire transfer of Federal (same-day) funds to the
account specified by the Company and the Selling Stockholder to Xxxxxxx, Sachs &
Co. at least forty-eight hours in advance. The Company will cause the
certificates representing the Shares to be made available for checking and
packaging at least twenty-four hours prior to the Time of Delivery (as defined
below) with respect thereto at the office of DTC or its designated custodian
(the "DESIGNATED OFFICE"). The time and date of such delivery and payment shall
be, with respect to the Firm Shares, 9:30 a.m., Houston time, on October 19,
2004 or such other time and date as Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co., the Company and the
Selling Stockholder may agree upon in writing, and, with respect to the Optional
Shares, 9:30 a.m., Houston time, on the date specified by Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co.
in the written notice given by Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co. of the Underwriters'
election to purchase such Optional Shares, or such other time and date as
Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co. and the Company may agree upon in writing. Such time and
date for delivery of the Firm Shares is herein called the "FIRST TIME OF
DELIVERY", such time and date for delivery of the Optional Shares, if not the
First Time of Delivery, is herein called the "SECOND TIME OF DELIVERY", and each
such time and date for delivery is herein called a "TIME OF DELIVERY".
(b) The documents to be delivered at each Time of Delivery by or on
behalf of the parties hereto pursuant to Section 7 hereof, including the cross
receipt for the Shares and any additional documents requested by the
Underwriters pursuant to Section 7(l) hereof, will be delivered at the offices
of Xxxxxxxxxxx & Price, L.L.P., 0000 XxXxxxxx Xx., Xxx 0000, Xxxxxxx, XX 00000
(the "CLOSING LOCATION"), and the Shares will be delivered at the Designated
Office, all at such Time of Delivery. A meeting will be held at the Closing
Location at 4 p.m., Houston City time, on the Business Day next preceding such
Time of Delivery, at which meeting the final drafts of the documents to be
delivered pursuant to the preceding sentence will be available for review by the
parties hereto. For the purposes of this Section 4, "BUSINESS DAY" shall mean
each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is not a day on which
banking institutions in New York and Houston are generally authorized or
obligated by law or executive order to close.
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5. The Company agrees with each of the Underwriters:
(a) To prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by you and to
file such Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act not later than
the Commission's close of business on the second business day following
the execution and delivery of this Agreement, or, if applicable, such
earlier time as may be required by Rule 430A(a)(3) under the Act; to make
no further amendment or any supplement to the Registration Statement or
Prospectus prior to the last Time of Delivery which shall be disapproved
by you promptly after reasonable notice thereof; to advise you, promptly
after it receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment to the
Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any
supplement to the Prospectus or any amended Prospectus has been filed and
to furnish you with copies thereof; to file promptly all reports and any
definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the
Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d)
of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and for so
long as the delivery of a prospectus is required in connection with the
offering or sale of the Shares; to advise you, promptly after it receives
notice thereof, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of
any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus
or prospectus, of the suspension of the qualification of the Shares for
offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening of
any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any request by the Commission
for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement or
Prospectus or for additional information; and, in the event of the
issuance of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the
use of any Preliminary Prospectus or prospectus or suspending any such
qualification, promptly to use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal
of such order;
(b) Promptly from time to time to take such action as you may
reasonably request to qualify the Shares for offering and sale under the
securities laws of such jurisdictions as you may request and to comply
with such laws so as to permit the continuance of sales and dealings
therein in such jurisdictions for as long as may be necessary to complete
the distribution of the Shares, provided that in connection therewith the
Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to
file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction;
(c) Prior to 9:00 A.M., Houston time, on the Business Day next
succeeding the date of this Agreement and from time to time, to furnish
the Underwriters with written and electronic copies of the Prospectus in
New York City in such quantities as you may reasonably request, and, if
the delivery of a prospectus is required at any time prior to the
expiration of nine months after the time of issue of the Prospectus in
connection with the offering or sale of the Shares and if at such time any
events shall have occurred as a result of which the Prospectus as then
amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material
fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they
were made when such Prospectus is delivered, not misleading, or, if for
any other reason it shall be necessary during such period to amend or
supplement the Prospectus or to file under the Exchange Act any document
incorporated by reference in the Prospectus in order to comply with the
Act or the Exchange Act, to notify you and upon your request to file such
document and to prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter and
to any dealer in securities as many written and electronic copies as you
may from time to time reasonably request of an amended Prospectus or a
supplement to the Prospectus which will correct such statement or omission
or effect such compliance, and in
12
case any Underwriter is required to deliver a prospectus in connection
with sales of any of the Shares at any time nine months or more after the
time of issue of the Prospectus, upon your request but at the expense of
such Underwriter, to prepare and deliver to such Underwriter as many
written and electronic copies as you may request of an amended or
supplemented Prospectus complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Act;
(d) To the extent not available via the Commission's Electronic
Data, Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval ("XXXXX") System, to make
generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable, but in
any event not later than eighteen months after the effective date of the
Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c) under the Act), an
earnings statement of the Company and its subsidiaries (which need not be
audited) complying with Section 11(a) of the Act and the rules and
regulations of the Commission thereunder (including, at the option of the
Company, Rule 158);
(e) During the period beginning from the date hereof and
continuing to and including the date 180 days after the date of the
Prospectus, not to offer, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of,
except as provided hereunder, any securities of the Company that are
substantially similar to the Shares, including but not limited to any
securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for, or that
represent the right to receive, Stock or any such substantially similar
securities (other than pursuant to employee stock option plans existing on
the date of this Agreement), without the prior written consent of Xxxxxxx,
Sachs & Co.;
(f) To the extent not available via XXXXX, (i) to furnish to its
stockholders as soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year an
annual report (including a balance sheet and statements of income,
stockholders' equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated
subsidiaries certified by independent public accountants) and, (ii) as
soon as practicable after the end of each of the first three quarters of
each fiscal year (beginning with the fiscal quarter ending after the
effective date of the Registration Statement), to make available to its
stockholders consolidated summary financial information of the Company and
its subsidiaries for such quarter in reasonable detail;
(g) During a period of five years from the effective date of the
Registration Statement, to the extent not available via XXXXX, to furnish
to you copies of all reports or other communications (financial or other)
furnished to stockholders, and to deliver to you (i) as soon as they are
available, copies of any reports and financial statements furnished to or
filed with the Commission or any national securities exchange on which any
class of securities of the Company is listed; and (ii) such additional
information concerning the business and financial condition of the Company
as you may from time to time reasonably request (such financial statements
to be on a consolidated basis to the extent the accounts of the Company
and its subsidiaries are consolidated in reports furnished to its
stockholders generally or to the Commission);
(h) To use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the
Shares pursuant to this Agreement in the manner specified in the
Prospectus under the caption "Use of Proceeds";
(i) To use its best efforts to list, subject to notice of
issuance, the Shares on the New York Stock Exchange (the "EXCHANGE");
(j) If the Company elects to rely upon Rule 462(b), the Company
shall file a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement with the Commission in
compliance with Rule 462(b) by 10:00 P.M., Washington, D.C. time, on the
date of this Agreement, and the Company shall at the
13
time of filing either pay to the Commission the filing fee for the Rule
462(b) Registration Statement or give irrevocable instructions for the
payment of such fee pursuant to Rule 111(b) under the Act; and
(k) Upon request of any Underwriter, to furnish, or cause to be
furnished, to such Underwriter an electronic version of the Company's
trademarks, servicemarks and corporate logo for use on the website, if
any, operated by such Underwriter for the purpose of facilitating the
on-line offering of the Shares (the "LICENSE"); provided, however, that
the License shall be used solely for the purpose described above, is
granted without any fee and may not be assigned or transferred.
6. The Company and the Selling Stockholder covenant and agree with one
another and with the several Underwriters that the Company and the Selling
Stockholder will pay or cause to be paid, to be allocated between the Company
and the Selling Stockholder in accordance with that certain Shareholder's
Agreement and Registration Rights Agreement dated July 19, 2004 (the
"REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT") all expenses relating to the offering
including, but not limited to, the following: (a) the fees, disbursements and
expenses of the Company's counsel and accountants in connection with the
registration of the Shares under the Act and all other expenses in connection
with the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement, any
Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus and amendments and supplements thereto
and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and
dealers; (b) the cost of printing or producing any Agreement among Underwriters,
this Agreement, the Blue Sky Memorandum, closing documents (including any
compilations thereof) and any other documents in connection with the offering,
purchase, sale and delivery of the Shares; (c) all expenses in connection with
the qualification of the Shares for offering and sale under state securities
laws as provided in Section 5(b) hereof, including the fees and disbursements of
counsel for the Underwriters in connection with such qualification and in
connection with the Blue Sky survey; (d) all fees and expenses in connection
with listing the Shares on the New York Stock Exchange; (e) the cost of
preparing stock certificates; (f) the cost and charges of any transfer agent or
registrar; and (g) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of
their obligations hereunder which are not otherwise specifically provided for in
this Section. Except as provided in this Section, and Sections 8 and 11 hereof,
the Underwriters will pay all of their own costs and expenses, including the
fees of their counsel, stock transfer taxes on resale of any of the Shares by
them, and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may make.
7. The obligations of the Underwriters hereunder, as to the Shares to
be delivered at each Time of Delivery, shall be subject, in their discretion, to
the condition that all representations and warranties and other statements of
the Company and of the Selling Stockholder herein are, at and as of such Time of
Delivery, true and correct, to the condition that the Company and the Selling
Stockholder shall have performed all of its and their obligations hereunder
theretofore to be performed, and to the following additional conditions:
(a) The Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission
pursuant to Rule 424(b) within the applicable time period prescribed for
such filing by the rules and regulations under the Act and in accordance
with Section 5(a) hereof; if the Company has elected to rely upon Rule
462(b), the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement shall have become effective
by 10:00 P.M., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this Agreement; no
stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or
any part thereof shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose
shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; and all
requests for additional information on the part of the Commission shall
have been complied with to your reasonable satisfaction;
14
(b) Xxxxxx & Xxxxxx L.L.P., counsel for the Underwriters, shall
have furnished to you such written opinion or opinions, dated such Time of
Delivery, with respect to the matters covered in paragraphs (i), (ii) (but
only with respect to the Shares offered hereby), (vii), (xi) and (xiv) of
subsection (c) below as well as such other related matters as you may
reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received such papers and
information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon
such matters;
(c) Xxxxxxxxxxx & Price LLP, counsel for the Company, shall have
furnished to you their written opinion, dated such Time of Delivery, in
form and substance satisfactory to you, to the effect that:
(i) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly
existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the
State of Texas, with power and authority (corporate and other) to
own its properties and conduct its business as described in the
Prospectus;
(ii) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set
forth in the Prospectus, and all of the issued shares of capital
stock of the Company (including the Shares being delivered at such
Time of Delivery) have been duly and validly authorized and issued
and are fully paid and non-assessable; and the Shares conform to the
description of the Stock contained in the Prospectus;
(iii) The Company has been duly qualified as a foreign
corporation for the transaction of business and is in good standing
under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which it owns or leases
properties or conducts any business so as to require such
qualification, or is subject to no material liability or disability
by reason of failure to be so qualified in any such jurisdiction
(such counsel being entitled to rely in respect of the opinion in
this clause upon opinions of local counsel and in respect of matters
of fact upon certificates of officers of the Company, provided that
such counsel shall provide you with copies of such opinions and
certificates and shall state that they believe that both you and
they are justified in relying upon such opinions and certificates);
(iv) Each Material Subsidiary of the Company has been duly
organized and is validly existing as a corporation or other legal
entity in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of
incorporation with power and authority (corporate and other) to own
its properties and conduct its business as described in the
Prospectus, and has been duly qualified as a foreign corporation for
the transaction of business and is in good standing under the laws
of each other jurisdiction in which it owns or leases properties or
conducts any business so as to require such qualification, or is
subject to no material liability or disability by reason of the
failure to be so qualified in any such jurisdiction; and all of the
issued shares of capital stock or partnership interest of each
Material Subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly
authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable, and
(except for directors' qualifying shares) are owned directly or
indirectly by the Company, free and clear of all liens,
encumbrances, equities or claims, except for those liens created
pursuant to the Credit Agreement (such counsel being entitled to
rely in respect of the opinion in this clause upon opinions of local
counsel and in respect of matters of fact upon certificates of
officers of the Company or the Material Subsidiaries, provided that
such counsel shall provide you with copies of such opinions and
certificates and shall state that they believe that both you and
they are justified in relying upon such opinions and certificates);
15
(v) The Company and the Material Subsidiaries have good and
marketable title in fee simple to all real property owned by them,
in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects
except such as are described in the Prospectus or such as do not
materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere
with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the
Company the Material Subsidiaries; and any real property and
buildings held under lease by the Company and the Material
Subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and
enforceable leases with such exceptions as are not material and do
not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such
property and buildings by the Company and the Material Subsidiaries
(in giving the opinion in this clause, such counsel may state that
no examination of record titles for the purpose of such opinion has
been made, and that they are relying upon a general review of the
titles of the Company and the Material Subsidiaries, upon opinions
of local counsel and abstracts, reports and policies of title
companies rendered or issued at or subsequent to the time of
acquisition of such property by the Company or the Material
Subsidiaries, upon opinions of counsel to the lessors of such
property and, in respect of matters of fact, upon certificates of
officers of the Company or the Material Subsidiaries, provided that
such counsel shall state that they believe that both you and they
are justified in relying upon such opinions, abstracts, reports,
policies and certificates);
(vi) To the best of such counsel's knowledge and other than
as set forth in the Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental
proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries
is a party or of which any property of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries is the subject which, if determined adversely to the
Company or any of its subsidiaries, would individually or in the
aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect; and, to the best of such
counsel's knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or
contemplated by governmental authorities or threatened by others
(such counsel being entitled to rely in respect of this opinion in
this clause upon opinions of local counsel, provided that such
counsel shall state that they believe that both you and they are
justified in relying upon such opinions);
(vii) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
delivered by the Company;
(viii) The issue and sale of the Shares being delivered at
such Time of Delivery to be sold by the Company and the compliance
by the Company with all of the provisions of this Agreement and the
consummation of the transactions herein contemplated will not
conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms
or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any indenture,
mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or
instrument known to such counsel to which the Company or any of its
subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its
subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of
the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, nor will such
action result in any violation of the provisions of the Certificate
of Incorporation or By-laws of the Company or any statute or any
order, rule or regulation known to such counsel of any court or
governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or
any of the its subsidiaries or any of their properties (such counsel
being entitled to rely in respect of this opinion in this clause
upon opinions of local counsel for the Non-US Material Subsidiaries,
provided such counsel shall provide you
16
with copies of such opinions and shall state that they believe that
both you and they are justified in relying upon such opinions);
(ix) No consent, approval, authorization, order, registration
or qualification of or with any court or governmental agency or body
is required for the issue and sale of the Shares or the consummation
by the Company of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement,
except the registration under the Act of the Shares, and such
consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications
as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws in
connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares by the
Underwriters;
(x) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in
violation of its Articles or Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws
or other governing documents or in default in the performance or
observance of any material obligation, agreement, covenant or
condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan
agreement, or lease or agreement or other instrument to which it is
a party or by which it or any of its properties may be bound or any
material statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court or
governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or
any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties (such counsel
being entitled to rely in respect of this opinion in this clause
upon opinions of local counsel for the Non-US Material Subsidiaries,
provided such counsel shall provide you with copies of such opinions
and shall state that they believe that both you and they are
justified in relying upon such opinions);
(xi) The statements set forth in the Prospectus under the
caption "Description of Capital Stock", insofar as they purport to
constitute a summary of the terms of the Stock, under the caption
"Certain U.S. Tax Consequences to Non-U.S. Holders", and under the
caption "Underwriting", insofar as they purport to describe the
provisions of the laws and documents referred to therein, are
accurate, complete and fair;
(xii) The Company is not an "investment company", as such term
is defined in the Investment Company Act;
(xiii) The documents incorporated by reference in the
Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement thereto made by
the Company prior to such Time of Delivery (other than the financial
statements and related schedules therein, as to which such counsel
need express no opinion), when they became effective or were filed
with the Commission, as the case may be, complied as to form in all
material respects with the requirements of the Act or the Exchange
Act, as applicable and the rules and regulations of the Commission
thereunder; and they have no reason to believe that any of such
documents, when such documents became effective or were so filed, as
the case may be, contained, in the case of a registration statement
which became effective under the Act, an untrue statement of a
material fact, or omitted to state a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading, or, in the case of other documents which were filed
under the Exchange Act with the Commission, an untrue statement of a
material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order
to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances
under which they were made when such documents were so filed, not
misleading; and
(xiv) The Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any
further amendments and supplements thereto made by the Company prior
to such Time of Delivery (other than the financial statements and
related schedules therein, as to which such counsel
17
need express no opinion) comply as to form in all material respects
with the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations
thereunder; although they do not assume any responsibility for the
accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements contained in
the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, except for those
referred to in the opinion in subsections (ii) and (xi) of this
Section 7(c), they have no reason to believe that, as of its
effective date, the Registration Statement or any further amendment
thereto made by the Company prior to such Time of Delivery (other
than the financial statements and related schedules therein, as to
which such counsel need express no opinion) contained an untrue
statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading or that, as of its date, the Prospectus or
any further amendment or supplement thereto made by the Company
prior to such Time of Delivery (other than the financial statements
and related schedules therein, as to which such counsel need express
no opinion) contained an untrue statement of a material fact or
omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the statements
therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading or that, as of such Time of Delivery, either
the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any further
amendment or supplement thereto made by the Company prior to such
Time of Delivery (other than the financial statements and related
schedules therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion)
contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a
material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light
of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and
they do not know of any amendment to the Registration Statement
required to be filed or of any contracts or other documents of a
character required to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration
Statement or required to be incorporated by reference into the
Prospectus or required to be described in the Registration Statement
or the Prospectus which are not filed or incorporated by reference
or described as required;
In giving such opinion, such counsel may state that their
opinion is limited to the federal laws of the United States, the
general corporation laws of the State of Delaware, the contract laws
of the State of New York and the laws of the State of Texas.
(d) The General Counsel for the Selling Stockholder shall have
furnished to you his written opinion with respect to the Selling
Stockholder, dated the First Time of Delivery, in form and substance
satisfactory to you, to the effect that:
(i) This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by
or on behalf of the Selling Stockholder;
(ii) The sale of the Shares to be sold by the Selling
Stockholder hereunder and the compliance by the Selling Stockholder
with all of the provisions of this Agreement, and the consummation
of the transactions herein contemplated will not (a) conflict with
or result in a breach or violation of any terms or provisions of, or
constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust,
loan agreement or other agreement or instrument known to such
counsel to which the Selling Stockholder is a party or by which the
Selling Stockholder is bound or to which any of the property or
assets of the Selling Stockholder is subject, (b) result in any
violation of the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation or
By-laws of the Selling Stockholder or (c) violate or conflict with
any United States federal statute, rule or regulation known to such
counsel, the Delaware General Corporation Law, or any judgment,
order or decree naming the Selling Stockholder, any of its
affiliates or the property of the Selling Stockholder, of which such
counsel is aware;
18
(iii) No consent, approval, authorization or order of any
court or governmental agency or body is required for the
consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement in
connection with the Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholder
hereunder, except which have been duly obtained and are in full
force and effect, such as have been obtained under the Act and such
as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws in
connection with the purchase and distribution of such Shares by the
Underwriters;
(iv) To the knowledge of such counsel, immediately prior to
the First Time of Delivery, the Selling Stockholder owned the Shares
to be sold at the First Time of Delivery by the Selling Stockholder
under this Agreement, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances,
equities or claims, and full right, power and authority to sell,
assign, transfer and deliver the Shares to be sold by the Selling
Stockholder hereunder; and
(v) An action based on an "adverse claim" (as defined in
Section 8.102 of the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect on the
date hereof in the State of New York (the "UCC")) to the financial
asset consisting of the Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholder
hereunder deposited in or held by DTC, whether such action is framed
in conversion, replevin, constructive trust, equitable lien, or
other theory, may not be asserted successfully against the
Underwriters assuming that each such Underwriter acquires "security
entitlements" (as defined in Section 8-102(a)(17) of the UCC) with
respect to such Shares from DTC and the Underwriter has no "notice
of any adverse claims" (as defined in Section 8-105 of the UCC) with
respect to such financial asset.
Any reference herein to such counsel's knowledge shall mean the
actual knowledge of such counsel and the employees of the Selling
Stockholder who report to such counsel.
(e) On the date of the Prospectus at a time prior to the execution
of this Agreement, at 9:30 a.m., Houston City time, on the effective date
of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement filed
subsequent to the date of this Agreement and also at each Time of
Delivery, PricewaterhouseCoopers shall have furnished to you a letter or
letters, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof, in form and
substance satisfactory to you, to the effect set forth in Annex A hereto
(the executed copy of the letter delivered prior to the execution of this
Agreement is attached as Annex A(i) hereto and a draft of the form of
letter to be delivered on the effective date of any post-effective
amendment to the Registration Statement and as of each Time of Delivery is
attached as Annex A(ii) hereto);
(f)(i) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries shall have
sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements
included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus any loss or
interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other
calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute
or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set
forth or contemplated in the Prospectus, and (ii) since the respective
dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus there shall not
have been any change in the capital stock or long-term debt, or any
decreases in consolidated net current assets, of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries or any change, or any development involving a prospective
change, in or affecting the general affairs, management, financial
position, stockholders' equity or results of operations of the Company and
its subsidiaries, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the
Prospectus, the effect of which, in any such case described in clause (i)
or (ii), is in the judgment of the Representatives so material and adverse
as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed
19
with the public offering or the delivery of the Shares being delivered at
such Time of Delivery on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the
Prospectus;
(g) On or after the date hereof there shall not have occurred any
of the following: (i) a suspension or material limitation in trading in
securities generally on the Exchange; (ii) a suspension or material
limitation in trading in the Company's securities on the Exchange; (iii) a
general moratorium on commercial banking activities declared by either
Federal or New York or Texas state authorities or a material disruption in
commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the
United States; (iv) the outbreak or escalation of hostilities involving
the United States or the declaration by the United States of a national
emergency or war or (v) the occurrence of any other calamity or crisis or
any change in financial, political or economic conditions in the United
States or elsewhere, if the effect of any such event specified in clause
(iv) or (v) in the judgment of the Representatives makes it impracticable
or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the
Shares being delivered at such Time of Delivery on the terms and in the
manner contemplated in the Prospectus;
(h) The Shares at such Time of Delivery shall have been duly
listed, subject to notice of issuance, on the Exchange;
(j) The Company has obtained and delivered to the Underwriters
executed copies of an agreement from each executive officer and director
substantially to the effect set forth in Subsection 1(b)(iv) hereof in
form and substance satisfactory to you;
(k) The Company shall have complied with the provisions of Section
5(c) hereof with respect to the furnishing of prospectuses on the Business
Day next succeeding the date of this Agreement; and
(l) The Company and the Selling Stockholder shall have furnished
or caused to be furnished to you at such Time of Delivery certificates of
officers of the Company and of the Selling Stockholders, respectively,
satisfactory to you as to the accuracy of the representations and
warranties of the Company and the Selling Stockholder, respectively,
herein at and as of such Time of Delivery, as to the performance by the
Company and the Selling Stockholder of all of their respective obligations
hereunder to be performed at or prior to such Time of Delivery, and as to
such other matters as you may reasonably request, and the Company shall
have furnished or caused to be furnished certificates as to the matters
set forth in subsections (a) and (f) of this Section.
8. (a) The Company and the Selling Stockholder, jointly and severally,
will indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter against any losses, claims,
damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Underwriter may become
subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or
liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an
untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any
Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus or the
Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based
upon 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,
and will reimburse each Underwriter for any legal or other expenses reasonably
incurred by such Underwriter in connection with investigating or defending any
such action or claim as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that (i)
the indemnification obligation of the Selling Stockholder pursuant to this
Section 8(a) shall in no event exceed an amount equal to the product of the
Shares sold by it and the public offering price per Share as set forth in the
Prospectus, net of underwriting
20
discounts and commissions; and (ii) the Company and the Selling Stockholder
shall 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 any Preliminary
Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus or
any such amendment or supplement in reliance upon and in conformity with written
information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx &
Co. expressly for use therein.
(b) Each Underwriter severally and not jointly will indemnify and hold
harmless the Company and the Selling Stockholder against any losses, claims,
damages or liabilities to which the Company or the Selling Stockholder may
become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims,
damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based
upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact
contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Base
Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or arise
out of or are based upon 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 each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that
such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged
omission was made in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the
Base Prospectus or the Prospectus or any such amendment or supplement in
reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the
Company by such Underwriter through Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co. expressly for use
therein; and will reimburse the Company and the Selling Stockholder for any
legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company or the Selling
Stockholder in connection with investigating or defending any such action or
claim as such expenses are incurred.
(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under subsection (a)
or (b) above of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party
shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying
party under such subsection, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the
commencement thereof; but the omission so to notify the indemnifying party shall
not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party
otherwise than under such subsection. In case any such action 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 (who shall not, except with the
consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party), and,
after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its
election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall not be
liable to such indemnified party under such subsection for any legal expenses of
other counsel or any other expenses, in each case subsequently incurred by such
indemnified party, in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable
costs of investigation. No indemnifying party shall, without the written consent
of the indemnified party, effect the settlement or compromise of, or consent to
the entry of any judgment with respect to, any pending or threatened action or
claim in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought
hereunder (whether or not the indemnified party is an actual or potential party
to such action or claim) unless such settlement, compromise or judgment (i)
includes an unconditional release of the indemnified party from all liability
arising out of such action or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to
or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of
any indemnified party.
(d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 8 is unavailable
to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a) or
(b) above in respect of any losses, claims,
21
damages or liabilities (or actions 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 in respect thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the
relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Stockholder 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 or if the indemnified party failed to give the
notice required under subsection (c) above, 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 Stockholder 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 in
respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The
relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Stockholder on the one
hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same
proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting
expenses) received by the Company and the Selling Stockholder 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 Stockholder 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
Stockholder and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable
if contributions pursuant to this subsection (d) 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 subsection (d). The amount
paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims,
damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to above in this
subsection (d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably
incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending
any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (d),
(i) no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the
amount by which the total price at which the Shares underwritten by it and
distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any
damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of
such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission and (ii)
the Selling Stockholder shall not be required to contribute any amount in excess
of the amount equal to the product of the Shares sold by it and the public
offering price per Share as set forth in the Prospectus, net of underwriting
discounts and commissions. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation
(within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to
contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent
misrepresentation. The Underwriters' obligations in this subsection (d) to
contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting
obligations and not joint.
(e) The obligations of the Company and the Selling Stockholder under
this Section 8 shall be in addition to any liability which the Company and the
Selling Stockholder may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and
conditions, to each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the
meaning of the Act; and the obligations of the Underwriters under this Section 8
shall be in addition to any liability which the respective Underwriters may
otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each
officer and director of the Company (including any person who, with his or her
consent, is named in the Registration Statement as about to become
22
a director of the Company) and to each person, if any, who controls the Company
or any Selling Stockholder within the meaning of the Act.
9. (a) If any Underwriter shall default in its obligation to purchase
the Shares which it has agreed to purchase hereunder at a Time of Delivery, you
may in your discretion arrange for you or another party or other parties to
purchase such Shares on the terms contained herein. If within thirty-six hours
after such default by any Underwriter you do not arrange for the purchase of
such Shares, then the Company and the Selling Stockholder shall be entitled to a
further period of thirty-six hours within which to procure another party or
other parties satisfactory to you to purchase such Shares on such terms. In the
event that, within the respective prescribed periods, you notify the Company and
the Selling Stockholder that you have so arranged for the purchase of such
Shares, or the Company and the Selling Stockholder notify you that they have so
arranged for the purchase of such Shares, you or the Company and the Selling
Stockholder shall have the right to postpone such Time of Delivery for a period
of not more than seven days, in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be
made necessary in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any other
documents or arrangements, and the Company agrees to file promptly any
amendments to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which in your opinion
may thereby be made necessary. The term "Underwriter" as used in this Agreement
shall include any person substituted under this Section with like effect as if
such person had originally been a party to this Agreement with respect to such
Shares.
(b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the
Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and the Company and
the Selling Stockholder as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate
number of such Shares which remains unpurchased does not exceed one-eleventh of
the aggregate number of all the Shares to be purchased at such Time of Delivery,
then the Company and the Selling Stockholder shall have the right to require
each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the number of Shares which such
Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder at such Time of Delivery and, in
addition, to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase its pro rata
share (based on the number of Shares which such Underwriter agreed to purchase
hereunder) of the Shares of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for
which such arrangements have not been made; but nothing herein shall relieve a
defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.
(c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the
Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and the Company and
the Selling Stockholder as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate
number of such Shares which remains unpurchased exceeds one-eleventh of the
aggregate number of all of the Shares to be purchased at such Time of Delivery,
or if the Company and the Selling Stockholder shall not exercise the right
described in subsection (b) above to require non-defaulting Underwriters to
purchase Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then this Agreement
(or, with respect to the Second Time of Delivery, the obligations of the
Underwriters to purchase and of the Company to sell the Optional Shares) shall
thereupon terminate, without liability on the part of any non-defaulting
Underwriter or the Company or the Selling Stockholder, except for the expenses
to be borne by the Company and the Selling Stockholder and the Underwriters as
provided in Section 6 hereof and the indemnity and contribution agreements in
Section 8 hereof; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from
liability for its default.
10. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties
and other statements of the Company, the Selling Stockholder and the several
Underwriters, as set forth in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them,
respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect,
regardless of any investigation (or any statement as to the results thereof)
made
23
by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any controlling person of any Underwriter,
or the Company, or the Selling Stockholder, or any officer or director or
controlling person of the Company, or any controlling person of the Selling
Stockholder, and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Shares.
11. If this Agreement shall be terminated pursuant to Section 9 hereof,
neither the Company nor the Selling Stockholder shall then be under any
liability to any Underwriter except as provided in Sections 6 and 8 hereof; but,
if for any other reason any Shares are not delivered by or on behalf of the
Company and the Selling Stockholder as provided herein, the Company and the
Selling Stockholder pro rata (based on the number of Shares to be sold by the
Company and the Selling Stockholder hereunder) will reimburse the Underwriters
through you for all out-of-pocket expenses approved in writing by you, including
fees and disbursements of counsel, reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in
making preparations for the purchase, sale and delivery of the Shares not so
delivered, but the Company and the Selling Stockholder shall then be under no
further liability to any Underwriter in respect of the Shares not so delivered
except as provided in Sections 6 and 8 hereof.
12. In all dealings hereunder, you shall act on behalf of each of the
Underwriters, and the parties hereto shall be entitled to act and rely upon any
statement, request, notice or agreement on behalf of any Underwriter made or
given by you jointly or by Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co. on behalf of you as the
representatives; and in all dealings with the Selling Stockholder hereunder, you
and the Company shall be entitled to act and rely upon any statement, request,
notice or agreement on behalf of the Selling Stockholder made or given by any or
all of the Attorneys-in-Fact for the Selling Stockholder.
All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in
writing, and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or
facsimile transmission to you as the representatives in care of Xxxxxxx, Sachs &
Co., 00 Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attention: Registration
Department; if to any Selling Stockholder shall be delivered or sent by mail,
telex or facsimile transmission to counsel for the Selling Stockholder at 0000
Xxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000, Xxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000, Attention: General
Counsel; and if to the Company shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or
facsimile transmission to the address of the Company set forth in the
Registration Statement, Attention: Secretary; provided, however, that any notice
to an Underwriter pursuant to Section 8(c) hereof shall be delivered or sent by
mail, telex or facsimile transmission to such Underwriter at its address set
forth in its Underwriters' Questionnaire or telex constituting such
Questionnaire, which address will be supplied to the Company or the Selling
Stockholder by you on request. Any such statements, requests, notices or
agreements shall take effect upon receipt thereof.
13. This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure solely to the
benefit of, the Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Stockholder and, to
the extent provided in Sections 8 and 10 hereof, the officers and directors of
the Company and each person who controls the Company, the Selling Stockholder or
any Underwriter, and their respective heirs, executors, administrators,
successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or have any right
under or by virtue of this Agreement. No purchaser of any of the Shares from any
Underwriter shall be deemed a successor or assign by reason merely of such
purchase.
14. Time shall be of the essence of this Agreement. As used herein, the
term "business day" shall mean any day when the Commission's office in
Washington, D.C. is open for business.
15. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH
THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
24
16. This Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties
hereto in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an
original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same
instrument.
17. The Company and the Selling Stockholder are authorized, subject to
applicable law, to disclose any and all aspects of this potential transaction
that are necessary to support any U.S. federal income tax benefits expected to
be claimed with respect to such transaction, and all materials of any kind
(including tax opinions and other tax analyses) related to those benefits,
without the Underwriters imposing any limitation of any kind.
25
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign and
return to us one for the Company and each of the Representatives plus one for
each counsel and the Custodian, if any counterparts hereof, and upon the
acceptance hereof by you, on behalf of each of the Underwriters, this letter and
such acceptance hereof shall constitute a binding agreement among each of the
Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Stockholder. It is understood that
your acceptance of this letter on behalf of each of the Underwriters is pursuant
to the authority set forth in a form of Agreement among Underwriters, the form
of which shall be submitted to the Company and the Selling Stockholder for
examination, upon request, but without warranty on your part as to the authority
of the signers thereof.
Very truly yours,
XXXXXX OCEANICS, INC.
By: /s/ Xxxx X. Xxxxx
-------------------------------------------
Name: Xxxx X. Xxxxx
Title: President & CEO
HELMERICH & XXXXX INTERNATIONAL DRILLING CO.
By: /s/ Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx
-------------------------------------------
Name: Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx
Title: Executive Vice President and
Chief Executive Officer
Accepted as of the date hereof in Houston, Texas
Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co.
Credit Suisse First Boston LLC
By: /s/ Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co.
-------------------------------------------
(Xxxxxxx, Sachs & Co.)
On behalf of each of the Underwriters
Signature Page to the Underwriting Agreement
SCHEDULE I
NUMBER OF OPTIONAL
SHARES TO BE
TOTAL NUMBER OF PURCHASED IF
FIRM SHARES MAXIMUM OPTION
UNDERWRITER TO BE PURCHASED EXERCISED
----------- ---------------- -----------------
Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx & Co. ............................................... 1,054,875 157,625
Credit Suisse First Boston LLC...................................... 421,950 63,050
Xxxxxxxxx & Company, Inc. .......................................... 210,975 31,525
Xxxxxxx Xxxxx & Associates, Inc. ................................... 210,975 31,525
Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx & Company, Incorporated............................ 210,975 31,525
Xxxxxx Xxxx Incorporated............................................ 21,750 3,250
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co., Inc. ......................................... 21,750 3,250
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Inc. ......................................... 21,750 3,250
--------- -------
Total...................................................... 2,175,000 325,000
========= =======
Schedule I
ANNEX A(i)
DESCRIPTION OF COMFORT LETTER
Pursuant to Section 7(e) of the Underwriting Agreement, the accountants
shall furnish letters to the Underwriters to the effect that:
(i) They are 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 thereunder adopted by the SEC;
(ii) In their opinion, the financial statements and any
supplementary financial information and schedules (and, if applicable,
financial forecasts and/or pro forma financial information) examined by
them and included or incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus comply as to form in all material respects
with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act or the Exchange
Act, as applicable, and the related published rules and regulations
thereunder adopted by the SEC; and, if applicable, they have made a review
in accordance with standards established by the Public Company Accounting
Oversight Board of the consolidated interim financial statements, selected
financial data of the Company for the periods specified in such letter, as
indicated in their reports thereon, copies of which have been separately
furnished to the representatives of the Underwriters (the
"Representatives")and are attached hereto;
(iii) They have made a review in accordance with standards
established by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board of the
unaudited condensed consolidated statements of income, consolidated
balance sheets and consolidated statements of cash flows included in the
Prospectus and/or included in the Company's quarterly reports on Form 10-Q
incorporated by reference into the Prospectus as indicated in their
reports thereon copies of which have been separately furnished to the
Representatives are attached hereto; and on the basis of specified
procedures including inquiries of officials of the Company who have
responsibility for financial and accounting matters regarding whether the
unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements referred to in
paragraph (vi)(A)(i) below comply as to form in all material respects with
the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the Exchange Act and
the related rules and regulations adopted by the SEC, nothing came to
their attention that caused them to believe that the unaudited condensed
consolidated financial statements do not comply as to form in all material
respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the
Exchange Act and the related rules and regulations adopted by the SEC;
(iv) The unaudited selected financial information with respect to
the consolidated results of operations and financial position of the
Company for the five most recent fiscal years included in the Prospectus
and included or incorporated by reference in Item 6 of the Company's
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year agrees with the
corresponding amounts (after restatement where applicable) in the audited
consolidated financial statements for such five fiscal years which were
included or incorporated by reference in the Company's Annual Reports on
Form 10-K for such fiscal years;
(v) On the basis of limited procedures, not constituting an
examination in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards,
consisting of a reading of the unaudited financial
A-1
statements and other information referred to below, a reading of the
latest available interim financial statements of the Company and its
subsidiaries, inspection of the minute books of the Company and its
subsidiaries since the date of the latest audited financial statements
included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, inquiries of
officials of the Company and its subsidiaries responsible for financial
and accounting matters and such other inquiries and procedures as may be
specified in such letter, nothing came to their attention that caused them
to believe that:
(A) (i) the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of
income, consolidated balance sheets and consolidated statements of
cash flows included in the Prospectus and/or included or
incorporated by reference in the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form
10-Q incorporated by reference in the Prospectus do not comply as to
form in all material respects with the applicable accounting
requirements of the Exchange Act as it applies to Form 10-Q and the
related rules and regulations adopted by the SEC, or (ii) any
material modifications should be made to the unaudited condensed
consolidated statements of income, consolidated balance sheets and
consolidated statements of cash flows included in the Prospectus or
included in the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q
incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, for them to be
conformity with generally accepted accounting principles;
(B) any other unaudited income statement data and balance
sheet items included in the Prospectus do not agree with the
corresponding items in the unaudited consolidated financial
statements from which such data and items were derived, and any such
unaudited data and items were not determined on a basis
substantially consistent with the basis for the corresponding
amounts in the audited consolidated financial statements included or
incorporated by reference in the Company's Annual Report on Form
10-K for the most recent fiscal year;
(C) the unaudited financial statements which were not
included in the Prospectus but from which were derived the unaudited
condensed financial statements referred to in clause (A) and any
unaudited income statement data and balance sheet items included in
the Prospectus and referred to in clause (B) were not determined on
a basis substantially consistent with the basis for the audited
financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the
Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal
year;
(D) as of a specified date not more than five days prior to
the date of such letter, there have been any changes in the
consolidated capital stock (other than issuances of capital stock
upon exercise of options and stock appreciation rights, upon
earn-outs of performance shares and upon conversions of convertible
securities, in each case which were outstanding on the date of the
latest balance sheet included or incorporated by reference in the
Prospectus) or any increase in the consolidated long-term debt of
the Company and its subsidiaries, or any decreases in other items
specified by the Representatives, or any increases in any items
specified by the Representatives, in each case as compared with
amounts shown in the latest balance sheet included or incorporated
by reference in the Prospectus, except in each case for changes,
increases or decreases which the Prospectus discloses have occurred
or may occur or which are described in such letter; and
A-2
(E) for the period from the date of the latest financial
statements included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus
to the specified date referred to in clause (D) there were any
decreases in revenues or other items specified by the
Representatives, or any increases in any items specified by the
Representatives, in each case as compared with the comparable period
of the preceding year and with any other period of corresponding
length specified by the Representatives, except in each case for
increases or decreases which the Prospectus discloses have occurred
or may occur or which are described in such letter; and
(vi) In addition to the examination referred to in their report(s)
included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus and the limited
procedures, inspection of minute books, inquiries and other procedures
referred to in paragraphs (iii) and (vi) above, they have carried out
certain specified procedures, not constituting an examination in
accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, with respect to
certain amounts, percentages and financial information specified by the
Representatives which are derived from the general accounting records of
the Company and its subsidiaries, which appear in the Prospectus
(excluding documents incorporated by reference) or in Part II of, or in
exhibits and schedules to, the Registration Statement specified by the
Representatives or in documents incorporated by reference in the
Prospectus specified by the Representatives, and have compared certain of
such amounts, percentages and financial information with the accounting
records of the Company and its subsidiaries and have found them to be in
agreement.
A-3
ANNEX A(ii)
DESCRIPTION OF BRINGDOWN COMFORT LETTER
Pursuant to Section 7(e) of the Underwriting Agreement, the
accountants shall furnish letters to the Underwriters at each Time of
Delivery in accordance with Example C of the Appendix of Statement on
Auditing Standards No. 72.
A-3A
