Exhibit 1.1
X.X. XXXXXX SECURITIES INC.
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
PUGET ENERGY INC.
5,000,000 Shares of Common Stock
Underwriting Agreement
October 31, 2002
X.X. Xxxxxx Securities Inc.
c/o X.X. Xxxxxx Securities Inc.
000 Xxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Puget Energy, Inc., a Washington corporation (the "Company"), proposes to
issue and sell to you (the "Underwriter"), an aggregate of 5,000,000 shares of
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (the "Underwritten
Shares") and, at the option of the Underwriter, up to an additional 750,000
shares of Common Stock of the Company (the "Option Shares"). The Underwritten
Shares and the Option Shares are herein referred to as the "Shares". The shares
of Common Stock of the Company to be outstanding after giving effect to the sale
of the Shares are herein referred to as the "Stock".
The Company hereby confirms its agreement with the Underwriter concerning
the purchase and sale of the Shares, as follows:
1. Registration Statement. The Company has prepared and filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") under the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder
(collectively, the "Securities Act"), a registration statement (File No.
333-82940-02) including a prospectus, relating to the Shares and such
registration statement has become effective. Such registration statement, as
amended at the time it became effective, including the information, if any,
deemed pursuant to Rule 430A under the Securities Act to be part of the
registration statement at the time of its effectiveness ("Rule 430
Information"), is referred to herein as the "Registration Statement"; and as
used herein, the term "Preliminary Prospectus" means each prospectus included in
such registration statement (and any amendments thereto) before it became
effective, any prospectus filed with the Commission
pursuant to Rule 424(a) under the Securities Act and the prospectus included in
the Registration Statement at the time of its effectiveness that omits Rule 430A
Information, and the term "Prospectus" means the prospectus in the form first
used to confirm sales of the Shares. Any reference in this Agreement to the
Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be
deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein
pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act, as of the effective
date of the Registration Statement or the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or
the Prospectus, as the case may be, and any reference to "amend", "amendment" or
"supplement" with respect to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary
Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any
documents filed after such date under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder
(collectively, the "Exchange Act") that are deemed to be incorporated by
reference therein. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the
meanings given to such terms in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
2. Purchase of the Shares by the Underwriter. (a) The Company agrees to
issue and sell the Shares to the Underwriter as provided in this Agreement, and
the Underwriter, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements
set forth herein and subject to the conditions set forth herein, agrees to
purchase from the Company the Underwritten Shares at a price per share the
"Purchase Price" of $20.00.
In addition, the Company agrees to issue and sell the Option Shares to the
Underwriter as provided in this Agreement, and the Underwriter, on the basis of
the representations, warranties and agreements set forth herein and subject to
the conditions set forth herein, shall have the option to purchase from the
Company the Option Shares at the Purchase Price.
The Underwriter may exercise the option to purchase the Option Shares at
any time (but not more than once) on or before the thirtieth day following the
date of this Agreement, by written notice to the Company. Such notice shall set
forth the aggregate number of Option Shares as to which the option is being
exercised and the date and time when the Option Shares are to be delivered and
paid for which may be the same date and time as the Closing Date (as hereinafter
defined) but shall not be earlier than the Closing Date nor later than the tenth
full business day (as hereinafter defined) after the date of such notice (unless
such time and date are postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 9
hereof). Any such notice shall be given at least two Business Days prior to the
date and time of delivery specified therein.
(b) The Company understands that the Underwriter intend to make a public
offering of the Shares as soon after the effectiveness of this Agreement as in
the judgment of the Underwriter is advisable, and initially to offer the Shares
on the terms set forth in the Prospectus. The Company acknowledges and agrees
that the Underwriter may offer and sell Shares to or through any affiliate of
the Underwriter and that any such affiliate may offer and sell Shares purchased
by it to or through the Underwriter.
(c) Payment for the Shares shall be made by wire transfer in immediately
available funds to the account specified by the Company to the Underwriter in
the case of the Underwritten
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Shares, at the offices of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Xxxxxxx & Xxxx LLP at 10:00 A.M.
New York City time on November 5, 2002, or at such other time or place on the
same or such other date, not later than the fifth business day thereafter, as
the Underwriter and the Company may agree upon in writing or, in the case of the
Option Shares, on the date and at the time and place specified by the
Underwriter in the written notice of the Underwriter's election to purchase such
Option Shares. The time and date of such payment for the Underwritten Shares is
referred to herein as the "Closing Date" and the time and date for such payment
for the Option Shares, if other than the Closing Date, are herein referred to as
the "Additional Closing Date".
Payment for the Shares to be purchased on the Closing Date or the
Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall be made against delivery to
the Underwriter of the Shares to be purchased on such date in definitive form
registered in such names and in such denominations as the Underwriter shall
request in writing not later than two full business days prior to the Closing
Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, with any transfer taxes
payable in connection with the sale of the Shares duly paid by the Company. The
certificates for the Shares will be made available for inspection and packaging
by the Underwriter at the office of X.X. Xxxxxx Securities Inc. set forth above
not later than 1:00 P.M., New York City time, on the business day prior to the
Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.
3. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents
and warrants to the Underwriter that:
(a) Preliminary Prospectus. No order preventing or suspending the use of
any Preliminary Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and each
Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, complied in all material
respects with the Securities Act and did not contain any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the
Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or
omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to
the Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by the Underwriter through
the Representative expressly for use in any Preliminary Prospectus.
(b) Registration Statement and Prospectus. No order suspending the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued by the Commission
and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or threatened by the
Commission; as of the applicable effective date of the Registration Statement
and any amendment thereto, the Registration Statement complied and will comply
in all material respects with the Securities Act, and did not and will not
contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements
therein not misleading; and as of the applicable filing date of the Prospectus
and any amendment or supplement thereto and as of the Closing Date and as of the
Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, the Prospectus will not contain any
untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to
be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the
light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided
that the Company makes no representation and
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warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and
in conformity with information relating to the Underwriter furnished to the
Company in writing by the Underwriter expressly for use in the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto.
(c) Incorporated Documents. The documents incorporated by reference in the
Prospectus, when they become effective or were filed with the Commission , as
the case may be, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the
Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and none of such documents
contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material
fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein,
in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
and any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the
Prospectus, 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 will not contain
any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in
the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(d) Financial Statements. The financial statements and the related notes
thereto included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and
the Prospectus comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements
of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, and present fairly
the financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries as of the dates
indicated and the results of their operations and the changes in their cash
flows for the periods specified; such financial statements have been prepared in
conformity with generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent
basis throughout the periods covered thereby, and the supporting schedules
included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement present
fairly the information required to be stated therein; and the other financial
information included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement
and the Prospectus has been derived from the accounting records of the Company
and its subsidiaries and presents fairly the information shown thereby.
(e) No Material Adverse Change. Since the date of the most recent financial
statements of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement and the Prospectus, (i) there has not been any material
change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries, or any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, set aside
for payment, paid or made by the Company on any class of capital stock (other
than announced dividends on the Company's Common Stock), or any material adverse
change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in
or affecting the business, properties, management, financial position,
stockholders' equity, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its
subsidiaries taken as a whole; (ii) neither the Company nor any of its
subsidiaries has entered into any transaction or agreement that is material to
the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or incurred any liability or
obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the Company and its
subsidiaries taken as a whole; and (iii) neither the Company nor any of its
subsidiaries has sustained any material loss or interference with its business
from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by
insurance, or
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from any labor disturbance or dispute or any action, order or decree of any
court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except in each case
as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
(f) Organization and Good Standing. The Company and each of its
subsidiaries have been duly organized and are validly existing and in good
standing under the laws of their respective jurisdictions of organization, are
duly qualified to do business and are in good standing in each jurisdiction in
which their respective ownership or lease of property or the conduct of their
respective businesses requires such qualification, and have all power and
authority necessary to own or hold their respective properties and to conduct
the businesses in which they are engaged, except where the failure to be so
qualified or have such power or authority would not, individually or in the
aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the business, properties,
management, financial position, stockholders' equity, results of operations or
prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole (a "Material
Adverse Effect"). As of the date of this Agreement, Puget Sound Energy, Inc. is
the only "significant subsidiary" of the Company.
(g) Capitalization. The Company has an authorized capitalization as set
forth in its most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q; all the outstanding
shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and
issued and are fully paid and non-assessable and are not subject to any
pre-emptive or similar rights; except as described in or expressly contemplated
by the Prospectus, there are no outstanding rights (including, without
limitation, pre-emptive rights), warrants or options to acquire, or instruments
convertible into or exchangeable for, any shares of capital stock or other
equity interest in the Company or any of its subsidiaries (other than minority
interests in InfrastruX Group, Inc.), or any contract, commitment, agreement,
understanding or arrangement of any kind relating to the issuance of any capital
stock of the Company or any such subsidiary (other than minority interests in
InfrastruX Group, Inc.), any such convertible or exchangeable securities or any
such rights, warrants or options; the capital stock of the Company conforms in
all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus; and all the outstanding shares of capital stock or
other equity interests of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly and
validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned
directly or indirectly by the Company (except for minority interests in
InfrastruX Group, Inc.), free and clear of any lien, charge, encumbrance,
security interest, restriction on voting or transfer or any other claim of any
third party.
(h) Due Authorization. The Company has full right, power and authority to
execute and deliver this Agreement and to perform its obligations hereunder and
thereunder; and all action required to be taken for the due and proper
authorization, execution and delivery of this Agreement and the consummation of
the transactions contemplated thereby has been duly and validly taken.
(i) Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized,
executed and delivered by the Company.
(j) The Shares. The Shares to be issued and sold by the Company hereunder
have been duly authorized by the Company and, when issued and delivered and paid
for as provided herein, will be duly and validly issued and will be fully paid
and nonassessable and will conform to the
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descriptions thereof in the Prospectus; and the issuance of the Shares is not
subject to any preemptive or similar rights.
(k) No Violation or Default. Neither the Company nor any of its
subsidiaries is (i) in violation of its charter or by-laws or similar
organizational documents; (ii) in default, and no event has occurred that, with
notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a default, in the due
performance or observance of any term, covenant or condition contained in any
indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or
instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by
which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the
property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject; or
(iii) in violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or
regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority,
except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, for any such default or
violation that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material
Adverse Effect.
(l) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the
Company of this Agreement, the issuance and sale of the Shares and the
consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement will not (i)
conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or
provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation or
imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the
Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of
trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or
any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its
subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company
or any of its subsidiaries is subject, (ii) result in any violation of the
provisions of the charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents of the
Company or any of its subsidiaries or (iii) result in the violation of any law
or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator
or governmental or regulatory authority.
(m) No Consents Required. No consent, approval, authorization, order,
registration or qualification of or with any court or arbitrator or governmental
or regulatory authority is required for the execution, delivery and performance
by the Company of this Agreement, the issuance and sale of the Shares and the
consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except for the
registration of the Shares under the Securities Act and such consents,
approvals, authorizations, orders and registrations or qualifications as may be
required under applicable state securities laws in connection with the purchase
and distribution of the Shares by the Underwriter.
(n) Legal Proceedings. Except as described in the Prospectus, there
are no legal, governmental or regulatory investigations, actions, suits or
proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or may be
a party or to which any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or
may be the subject that, individually or in the aggregate, if determined
adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, could reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or materially and adversely affect
the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement; no
such investigations, actions, suits or proceedings are threatened or, to the
best knowledge of the Company, contemplated by any
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governmental or regulatory authority or threatened by others; and (i) there are
no current or pending legal, governmental or regulatory actions, suits or
proceedings that are required under the Securities Act to be described in the
Prospectus that are not so described and (ii) there are no statutes, regulations
or contracts or other documents that are required under the Securities Act to be
filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus that are not so filed or described.
(o) Independent Accountants. PricewaterhouseCoopers, who have
certified certain financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries are
independent public accountants with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries
as required by the Securities Act.
(p) Title to Real and Personal Property. The Company and its
subsidiaries have title to, or have valid rights to lease or otherwise use, all
items of real and personal property that are material to the respective
businesses of the Company and its subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of
all liens, encumbrances, claims and defects and imperfections of title except
those that (i) do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be
made of such property by the Company and its subsidiaries, (ii) could not
reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material
Adverse Effect or (iii) are described in the Prospectus.
(q) Title to Intellectual Property. The Company and its subsidiaries
own or possess adequate rights to use all material patents, patent applications,
trademarks, service marks, trade names, trademark registrations, service xxxx
registrations, copyrights, licenses and know-how (including trade secrets and
other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information,
systems or procedures) necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses;
and, to the knowledge of the Company, the conduct of their respective businesses
will not conflict in any material respect with any such rights of others, and
the Company and its subsidiaries have not received any notice of any claim of
infringement or conflict with any such rights of others.
(r) No Undisclosed Relationships. No relationship, direct or indirect,
exists between or among the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the one hand,
and the directors, officers, stockholders, customers or suppliers of the Company
or any of its subsidiaries, on the other, that is required by the Securities Act
to be described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and that is not
so described.
(s) Investment Company Act. The Company is not and, after giving
effect to the offering and sale of the Shares and the application of the
proceeds thereof as described in the Prospectus, will not be an "investment
company" or an entity "controlled" by an "investment company" within the meaning
of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations
of the Commission thereunder (collectively, "Investment Company Act").
(t) Public Utility Holding Company Act. Subject to limited exceptions,
the Company is exempt from regulation as a "holding company" pursuant to Section
3(a)(1) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, as amended.
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(u) Taxes. The Company and its subsidiaries have paid all material
federal, state, local and foreign taxes and filed all tax returns required to be
paid or filed through the date hereof, except such taxes and related tax returns
that are being contested in good faith; and except as otherwise disclosed in the
Prospectus, there is no tax deficiency that has been, or could reasonably be
expected to be, asserted against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any
of their respective properties or assets.
(v) Licenses and Permits. The Company and its subsidiaries possess all
licenses, certificates, permits and other authorizations issued by, and have
made all declarations and filings with, the appropriate federal, state, local or
foreign governmental or regulatory authorities that are necessary for the
ownership or lease of their respective properties or the conduct of their
respective businesses as described in the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus, except where the failure to possess or make the same would not,
individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and except as
described in the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has
received notice of any revocation or modification of any such license,
certificate, permit or authorization or has any reason to believe that any such
license, certificate, permit or authorization will not be renewed in the
ordinary course.
(w) No Labor Disputes. No material labor disturbance by or dispute
with employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the best
knowledge of the Company, is contemplated or threatened.
(x) Compliance With Environmental Laws. The Company and its
subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with any and all applicable federal, state,
local and foreign laws, rules, regulations, decisions and orders relating to the
protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic
substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (collectively, "Environmental
Laws"); (ii) have received and are in compliance with all permits, licenses or
other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct
their respective businesses; and (iii) have not received notice of any actual or
potential liability for the investigation or remediation of any disposal or
release of hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants,
except in any such case for any such failure to comply, or failure to receive
required permits, licenses or approvals, or liability as would not, individually
or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(y) Compliance With ERISA. Each employee benefit plan, within the
meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974,
as amended ("ERISA"), that is maintained, administered or contributed to by the
Company or any of its affiliates for employees or former employees of the
Company and its affiliates has been maintained in compliance with its terms and
the requirements of any applicable statutes, orders, rules and regulations,
including but not limited to ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended (the "Code"); no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section
406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred with respect to any such
plan excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative
exemption; and for each such plan that is subject to the funding rules of
Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, no "accumulated funding
deficiency" as defined in Section 412 of the Code has been incurred,
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whether or not waived, and the fair market value of the assets of each such plan
(excluding for these purposes accrued but unpaid contributions) exceeds the
present value of all benefits accrued under such plan determined using
reasonable actuarial assumptions.
(z) Accounting Controls. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain
systems of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable
assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management's
general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary
to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability; (iii)
access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management's general or
specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is
compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action
is taken with respect to any differences.
(aa) Insurance. The Company and its subsidiaries have insurance
covering their respective properties, operations, personnel and businesses,
including business interruption insurance, which insurance is in amounts and
insures against such losses and risks as are adequate to protect the Company and
its subsidiaries and their respective businesses; and neither the Company nor
any of its subsidiaries has (i) received notice from any insurer or agent of
such insurer that capital improvements or other expenditures are required or
necessary to be made in order to continue such insurance or (ii) 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 at reasonable cost from
similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business.
(bb) No Unlawful Payments. Neither the Company nor any of its
subsidiaries nor, to the best knowledge of the Company, any director, officer,
agent, employee or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the
Company or any of its subsidiaries has (i) used any corporate funds for any
unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to
political activity; (ii) made any direct or indirect unlawful payment to any
foreign or domestic government official or employee from corporate funds; (iii)
violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices
Act of 1977; or (iv) made any bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback
or other unlawful payment.
(cc) No Restrictions on Subsidiaries. Except as described in the
Prospectus, no subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or
indirectly, under any agreement or other instrument to which it is a party or is
subject, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other
distribution on such subsidiary's capital stock, from repaying to the Company
any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring
any of such subsidiary's properties or assets to the Company or any other
subsidiary of the Company.
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(dd) No Broker's Fees. Neither the Company nor any of its
subsidiaries is a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any
person (other than this Agreement) that would give rise to a valid claim against
the Company or any of its subsidiaries or the Underwriter for a brokerage
commission, finder's fee or like payment in connection with the offering and
sale of the Shares.
(ee) No Registration Rights. No person has the right to require the
Company or any of its subsidiaries to register any securities for sale under the
Securities Act by reason of the filing of the Registration Statement with the
Commission or the issuance and sale of the Shares.
(ff) No Stabilization. The Company has not taken, directly or
indirectly, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause
or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares.
(gg) Business With Cuba. The Company has complied with all provisions
of Section 517.075, Florida Statutes (Chapter 92-198, Laws of Florida) relating
to doing business with the Government of Cuba or with any person or affiliate
located in Cuba.
(hh) Margin Rules. Neither the issuance, sale and delivery of the
Shares nor the application of the proceeds thereof by the Company as described
in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus will violate Regulation T, U or
X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or any other
regulation of such Board of Governors.
(ii) Forward-Looking Statements. No forward looking statement within
the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange
Act contained in the Registration Statement or Prospectus has been made or
reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good
faith.
(jj) Statistical and Market Data. Nothing has come to the attention of
the Company that has caused the Company to believe that the statistical and
market-related data included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus is
not based on or derived from sources that are reliable and accurate in all
material respects.
4. Further Agreements of the Company. The Company covenants and
agrees with each Underwriter that:
(a) Effectiveness of the Registration Statement. The Company will file
the final Prospectus with the Commission within the time periods specified by
Rule 424(b) and Rule 430A under the Securities Act and will file promptly all
reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed
by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d)
of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and for so long as
the delivery of a prospectus is required in connection with the offering or sale
of the Shares; and the Company will furnish copies of the Prospectus to the
Underwriter in New York City prior to 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the
business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement in such quantities as
the Representative may reasonably request.
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(b) Delivery of Copies. The Company will deliver, without charge to the
Underwriter, (i) two signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally
filed and each amendment thereto, in each case including all exhibits and
consents filed therewith and documents incorporated by reference therein; (ii) a
conformed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each
amendment thereto (without exhibits); and (iii) during the Prospectus Delivery
Period, as many copies of the Prospectus (including all amendments and
supplements thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein) as the
Underwriter may reasonably request. As used herein, the term "Prospectus
Delivery Period" means such period of time after the first date of the public
offering of the Shares as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriter a
prospectus relating to the Shares is required by law to be delivered in
connection with sales of the Shares by the Underwriter or dealer.
(c) Amendments or Supplements. Before filing any amendment or supplement
to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, whether before or after the
time that the Registration Statement becomes effective, the Company will furnish
to the Underwriter and counsel for the Underwriter a copy of the proposed
amendment or supplement for review and will not file any such proposed amendment
or supplement to which the Underwriter reasonably objects.
(d) Notice to the Underwriter. The Company will advise the Underwriter
promptly, and confirm such advice in writing, (i) when any amendment to the
Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective; (ii) when any
supplement to the Prospectus or any amendment to the Prospectus has been filed;
(iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration
Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or the receipt of any
comments from the Commission relating to the Registration Statement or any other
request by the Commission for any additional information; (iv) of the issuance
by the Commission of any order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration
Statement or preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or
the Prospectus or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for that
purpose; (v) of the occurrence of any event within the Prospectus Delivery
Period as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would
include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not
misleading; and (vi) of the receipt by the Company of any notice with respect to
any suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offer and sale in any
jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such
purpose; and the Company will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of
any such order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement,
preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus
or suspending any such qualification of the Shares and, if any such order is
issued, will obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.
(e) Ongoing Compliance of the Prospectus. If during the Prospectus
Delivery Period (i) any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result
of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the
light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a
purchaser, not
-11-
misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to
comply with law, the Company will immediately notify the Underwriter thereof and
forthwith prepare and, subject to paragraph (c) above, file with the Commission
and furnish to the Underwriter and to such dealers as the Underwriter may
designate, such amendments or supplements to the Prospectus as may be necessary
so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not,
in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a
purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus will comply with law.
(f) Blue Sky Compliance. The Company will qualify the Shares for offer
and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as the
Underwriter shall reasonably request and will continue such qualifications in
effect so long as required for distribution of the Shares; provided that the
Company shall not be required to (i) qualify as a foreign corporation or other
entity or as a dealer in securities in any such jurisdiction where it would not
otherwise be required to so qualify, (ii) file any general consent to service of
process in any such jurisdiction or (iii) subject itself to taxation in any such
jurisdiction if it is not otherwise so subject.
(g) Earning Statement. The Company will make generally available to its
security holders and the Underwriter as soon as practicable an earning statement
that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule
158 of the Commission promulgated thereunder covering a period of at least
twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company occurring
after the "effective date" (as defined in Rule 158) of the Registration
Statement.
(h) Clear Market. For a period of 90 days after the date of the initial
public offering of the Shares, the Company will not (i) offer, pledge, announce
the intention to sell, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to
purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or
warrant to purchase or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly,
any shares of Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or
exchangeable for Stock or (ii) enter into any swap or other agreement that
transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of
the Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is
to be settled by delivery of Stock or such other securities, in cash or
otherwise, without the prior written consent of the Underwriter, which consent
shall not be unreasonably withheld, other than the Shares to be sold hereunder,
any shares of Stock of the Company issued upon the exercise of options granted
under existing employee stock option plans and any shares of Stock of the
Company issued pursuant the Company's Stock Purchase and Dividend Reinvestment
Plan in effect on the date hereof.
(i) Use of Proceeds. The Company will apply the net proceeds from the sale
of the Shares as described in the Prospectus under the heading "Use of
Proceeds".
(j) No Stabilization. The Company will not take, directly or indirectly,
any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result
in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares.
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(k) Exchange Listing. The Company will use its best efforts to list,
subject to notice of issuance, the Shares on the New York Stock Exchange (the
"Exchange").
(l) Reports. So long as the Shares are outstanding, the Company will
furnish to the Underwriter, as soon as they are available, copies of all reports
or other communications (financial or other) furnished to holders of the Shares,
and copies of any reports and financial statements furnished to or filed with
the Commission or any national securities exchange or automatic quotation system
5. Conditions of Underwriter's Obligations. The obligation of the
Underwriter to purchase the Underwritten Shares on the Closing Date or the
Option Shares on the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, as provided
herein is subject to the performance by the Company of its covenants and other
obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:
(a) Registration Compliance; No Stop Order. No order suspending the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be in effect, and no
proceeding for such purpose shall be pending before or threatened by the
Commission; the Prospectus shall have been timely filed with the Commission
under the Securities Act and in accordance with Section 4(a) hereof; and all
requests by the Commission for additional information shall have been complied
with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Underwriter.
(b) Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of
the Company contained herein shall be true and correct on the date hereof and on
and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be;
and the statements of the Company and its officers made in any certificates
delivered pursuant to this Agreement shall be true and correct on and as of the
Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.
(c) No Downgrade. Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this
Agreement, (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded any
securities or preferred stock of or guaranteed by the Company or any of its
subsidiaries by any "nationally recognized statistical rating organization", as
such term is defined by the Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the
Securities Act and (ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced that
it has under surveillance or review, or has changed its outlook with respect to,
its rating of any securities or preferred stock of or guaranteed by the Company
or any of its subsidiaries (other than an announcement with positive
implications of a possible upgrading).
(d) No Material Adverse Change. Subsequent to the execution and delivery
of this Agreement, no event or condition of a type described in Section 3(e)
hereof shall have occurred or shall exist, which event or condition is not
described in the Prospectus (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) and
the effect of which in the judgment of the Underwriter makes it impracticable or
inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Shares on the
Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, on the terms
and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement and the Prospectus.
-13-
(e) Officer's Certificate. The Underwriter shall have received on and as
of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, a
certificate of the chief financial officer or chief accounting officer of the
Company and one additional senior executive officer of the Company who is
satisfactory to the Underwriter (i) confirming that such officers have carefully
reviewed the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and, to the best
knowledge of such officers, the representation set forth in Section 3(b) hereof
is true and correct, (ii) confirming that the other representations and
warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct and that the
Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its
part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such Closing Date and
(iii) to the effect set forth in paragraphs (a), (c) and (d) above.
(f) Comfort Letters. On the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date,
as the case may be, PricewaterhouseCoopers shall have furnished to the
Underwriter, at the request of the Company, letters, dated the respective dates
of delivery thereof and addressed to the Underwriter, in form and substance
reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriter, containing statements and
information of the type customarily included in accountants' "comfort letters"
to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial
information contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement
and the Prospectus; provided, that the letter delivered on the Closing Date or
the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be shall use a "cut-off" date no
more than three business days prior to such Closing Date or such Additional
Closing Date, as the case may be.
(g) Opinion of Counsel for the Company. Xxxxxxx Coie LLP, counsel for the
Company, shall have furnished to the Underwriter, at the request of the Company,
their written opinion, dated the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as
the case may be, and addressed to the Underwriter, in form and substance
reasonably satisfactory to the Representative, to the effect set forth in Annex
A hereto.
(h) Opinion of Counsel for the Underwriter. The Underwriter shall have
received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the
case may be, an opinion of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Xxxxxxx & Xxxx LLP, counsel for
the Underwriters, with respect to such matters as the Underwriter may reasonably
request, and such counsel shall have received such documents and information as
they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.
(i) No Legal Impediment to Issuance. No action shall have been taken and
no statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued
by any federal, state or foreign governmental or regulatory authority that
would, as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may
be, prevent the issuance or sale of the Shares; and no injunction or order of
any federal, state or foreign court shall have been issued that would, as of the
Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, prevent the
issuance or sale of the Shares.
(j) Good Standing. The Underwriter shall have received on and as of the
Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, satisfactory
evidence of the good
-14-
standing of the Company and its subsidiaries in their respective jurisdictions
of organization and their good standing as foreign entities in such other
jurisdictions as the Underwriter may reasonably request, in each case in writing
or any standard form of telecommunication from the appropriate Governmental
Authorities of such jurisdictions.
(k) Exchange Listing. The Shares to be delivered on the Closing Date or
Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall have been approved for
listing on the Exchange, subject to official notice of issuance.
(l) Additional Documents. On or prior to the Closing Date or the
Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, the Company shall have furnished to
the Underwriter such further certificates and documents as the Underwriter may
reasonably request.
All opinions, letters, certificates and evidence mentioned above or
elsewhere in this Agreement shall be deemed to be in compliance with the
provisions hereof only if they are in form and substance reasonably satisfactory
to counsel for the Underwriter.
6. Indemnification and Contribution.
(a) Indemnification of the Underwriters. The Company agrees to indemnify
and hold harmless the Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and
each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section
15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any
and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation,
legal fees and other expenses incurred in connection with any suit, action or
proceeding or any claim asserted, as such fees and expenses are incurred), joint
or several, that arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or
alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or any
Preliminary Prospectus, or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state
therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to
make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they
were made, not misleading, except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or
liabilities arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or
alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity
with any information relating to the Underwriter furnished to the Company in
writing by the Underwriter expressly for use therein, it being understood and
agreed that the only such information furnished by the Underwriter consists of
the information described as such in subsection (b) below.
(b) Indemnification of the Company. The Underwriter agrees to indemnify
and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the
Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within
the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange
Act to the same extent as the indemnity set forth in paragraph (a) above, but
only with respect to any losses, claims, damages or liabilities that arise out
of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue
statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any
information relating to the Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by
the Underwriter expressly for use in the Registration Statement and the
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Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or any Preliminary
Prospectus, it being understood and agreed upon that the only such information
furnished by the Underwriter consists of the following information in the
Prospectus furnished on behalf of the Underwriter: the concession and
reallowance figures appearing in the second paragraph under the caption
"Underwriting"; and the information contained in the fifth and sixth paragraphs
under the caption "Underwriting.
(c) Notice and Procedures. If any suit, action, proceeding (including
any governmental or regulatory investigation), claim or demand shall be brought
or asserted against any person in respect of which indemnification may be sought
pursuant to either paragraph (a) or (b) above, such person (the "Indemnified
Person") shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnification may
be sought (the "Indemnifying Person") in writing; provided that the failure to
notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it
may have under this Section 6 except to the extent that it has been materially
prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) by such
failure; and provided, further, that the failure to notify the Indemnifying
Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have to an
Indemnified Person otherwise than under this Section 6. If any such proceeding
shall be brought or asserted against an Indemnified Person and it shall have
notified the Indemnifying Person thereof, the Indemnifying Person shall retain
counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person to represent the
Indemnified Person and any others entitled to indemnification pursuant to this
Section 6 that the Indemnifying Person may designate in such proceeding and
shall pay the fees and expenses of such counsel related to such proceeding, as
incurred. In any such proceeding, any Indemnified Person shall have the right to
retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at
the expense of such Indemnified Person unless (i) the Indemnifying Person and
the Indemnified Person shall have mutually agreed to the contrary; (ii) the
Indemnifying Person has failed within a reasonable time to retain counsel
reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person; (iii) the Indemnified Person
shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it
that are different from or in addition to those available to the Indemnifying
Person; or (iv) the named parties in any such proceeding (including any
impleaded parties) include both the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified
Person and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be
inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. It is
understood and agreed that the Indemnifying Person shall not, in connection with
any proceeding or related proceeding in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the
fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local
counsel) for all Indemnified Persons, and that all such fees and expenses shall
be paid or reimbursed as they are incurred. Any such separate firm for the
Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and any control persons of
the Underwriter shall be designated in writing by the Underwriter and any such
separate firm for the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the
Registration Statement and any control persons of the Company shall be
designated in writing by the Company. The Indemnifying Person shall not be
liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written
consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for
the plaintiff, the Indemnifying Person agrees to indemnify each Indemnified
Person from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or
judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an Indemnified
Person shall have requested that an Indemnifying Person reimburse the
Indemnified Person for fees and expenses
-16-
of counsel as contemplated by this paragraph, the Indemnifying Person shall be
liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent
if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by the
Indemnifying Person of such request and (ii) the Indemnifying Person shall not
have reimbursed the Indemnified Person in accordance with such request prior to
the date of such settlement. No Indemnifying Person shall, without the written
consent of the Indemnified Person, effect any settlement of any pending or
threatened proceeding in respect of which any Indemnified Person is or could
have been a party and indemnification could have been sought hereunder by such
Indemnified Person, unless such settlement (x) includes an unconditional release
of such Indemnified Person, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to
such Indemnified Person, from all liability on claims that are the subject
matter of such proceeding and (y) does not include any statement as to or any
admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any
Indemnified Person.
(d) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in paragraphs
(a) and (b) above is unavailable to an Indemnified Person or insufficient in
respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then
each Indemnifying Person under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such
Indemnified Person thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by
such Indemnified Person as a result of such losses, claims, damages or
liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative
benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriter on the
other from the offering of the Shares or (ii) if the allocation provided by
clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is
appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i)
but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriter
on the other in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in
such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant
equitable considerations. The benefits received by the Company on the one hand
and the Underwriter on the other shall be deemed to be in the same respective
proportions as the net proceeds (before deducting expenses) received by the
Company from the sale of the Shares and the total underwriting discounts and
commissions received by the Underwriter in connection therewith, in each case as
set forth in the table on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate
offering price of the Shares. The relative fault of the Company on the one hand
and the Underwriter on the other shall be determined by reference to, among
other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact
or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to
information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriter and the parties'
relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or
prevent such statement or omission.
(e) Limitation on Liability. The Company and the Underwriter agree
that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section
6 were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation
that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in
paragraph (d) above. The amount paid or payable by an Indemnified Person as a
result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in paragraph
(d) above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth
above, any legal or other expenses incurred by such Indemnified Person in
connection with any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this
Section 6, in no event shall the Underwriter be required to contribute any
amount in excess of the amount by which the total underwriting discounts and
-17-
commissions received by the Underwriter with respect to the offering of the
Shares exceeds the amount of any damages that the Underwriter has otherwise been
required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission
or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within
the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to
contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent
misrepresentation.
(f) Non-Exclusive Remedies. The remedies provided for in this Section
6 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may
otherwise be available to any Indemnified Person at law or in equity.
7. Effectiveness of Agreement. This Agreement shall become effective
upon the later of (i) the execution and delivery hereof by the parties hereto
and (ii) receipt by the Company and the Underwriter of notice of the
effectiveness of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, if
applicable.
8. Termination. This Agreement may be terminated in the absolute
discretion of the Underwriter, by notice to the Company, if after the execution
and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date or, in the case of
the Option Shares, prior to the Additional Closing Date (i) trading generally
shall have been suspended or materially limited on or by any of the New York
Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange, the National Association of
Securities Dealers, Inc., the Chicago Board Options Exchange, the Chicago
Mercantile Exchange or the Chicago Board of Trade; (ii) trading of any
securities issued or guaranteed by the Company shall have been suspended on any
exchange or in any over-the-counter market; (iii) a general moratorium on
commercial banking activities shall have been declared by federal or New York
State authorities; or (iv) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation
of hostilities or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis,
either within or outside the United States, that, in the judgment of the
Representative, is material and adverse and makes it impracticable or
inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Shares on the
Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, on the terms
and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement and the Prospectus.
9. Payment of Expenses. (a) Whether or not the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated,
the Company will pay or cause to be paid all costs and expenses incident to the
performance of its obligations hereunder, including without limitation, (i) the
costs incident to the authorization, issuance, sale, preparation and delivery of
the Shares and any taxes payable in that connection; (ii) the costs incident to
the preparation, printing and filing under the Securities Act of the
Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus (including
all exhibits, amendments and supplements thereto) and the distribution thereof;
(iii) the costs of reproducing and distributing this Agreement; (iv) the fees
and expenses of the Company's counsel and independent accountants; (v) the fees
and expenses incurred in connection with the registration or qualification and
determination of eligibility for investment of the Shares under the laws of such
jurisdictions as the Underwriter may designate and the preparation, printing and
distribution of a Blue Sky Memorandum (including the related fees and expenses
of counsel for the Underwriter); (vi) the cost of preparing stock certificates;
(vii) the costs and charges of any transfer agent and any registrar; (viii) all
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expenses and application fees incurred in connection with any filing with, and
clearance of the offering by, the National Association of Securities Dealers,
Inc.; (ix) all expenses incurred by the Company in connection with any "road
show" presentation to potential investors; and (x) all expenses and application
fees related to the listing of the Shares on the Exchange.
(b) If (i) this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 8, (ii)
the Company for any reason fails to tender the Shares for delivery to the
Underwriter or (iii) the Underwriter declines to purchase the Shares for any
reason permitted under this Agreement, the Company agrees to reimburse the
Underwriter for all out-of-pocket costs and expenses (including the fees and
expenses of their counsel) reasonably incurred by the Underwriter in connection
with this Agreement and the offering contemplated hereby.
10. Persons Entitled to Benefit of Agreement. This Agreement shall
inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their
respective successors and the officers and directors and any controlling persons
referred to in Section 6 hereof. Nothing in this Agreement is intended or shall
be construed to give any other person any legal or equitable right, remedy or
claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision contained herein.
No purchaser of Shares from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor
merely by reason of such purchase.
11. Survival. The respective indemnities, rights of contribution,
representations, warranties and agreements of the Company and the Underwriter
contained in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of the Company or the
Underwriter pursuant to this Agreement or any certificate delivered pursuant
hereto shall survive the delivery of and payment for the Shares and shall remain
in full force and effect, regardless of any termination of this Agreement or any
investigation made by or on behalf of the Company or the Underwriter.
12. Certain Defined Terms. For purposes of this Agreement, (a) except
where otherwise expressly provided, the term "affiliate" has the meaning set
forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act; (b) the term "business day" means
any day other than a day on which banks are permitted or required to be closed
in New York City; (c) the term "subsidiary" has the meaning set forth in Rule
405 under the Securities Act; and (d) the term "significant subsidiary" has the
meaning set forth in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X under the Exchange Act.
13. Miscellaneous. (a) Notices. All notices and other communications
hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if
mailed or transmitted and confirmed by any standard form of telecommunication.
Notices to the Underwriter shall be given to X.X. Xxxxxx Securities Inc., 000
Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000 (fax: (000) 000-0000); Attention: Equity
Capital Markets. Notices to the Company shall be given to it at Puget Energy,
Inc., 000 - 000/xx/ Xxxxxx XX, Xxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000-0000 (fax: (425)
000-0000); Attention: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx, Vice President Finance & Treasurer, and
Xxxxx X. Xxxxx, Assistant Treasurer, with a copy to Xxxxxxx Coie LLP, 0000 Xxxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxxxx 0000, Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000-0000, Attention Xxxxxx Xxx.
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(b) Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed
in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
(c) Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in counterparts (which
may include counterparts delivered by any standard form of telecommunication),
each of which shall be an original and all of which together shall constitute
one and the same instrument.
(d) Amendments or Waivers. No amendment or waiver of any provision of
this Agreement, nor any consent or approval to any departure therefrom, shall in
any event be effective unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the
parties hereto.
(e) Headings. The headings herein are included for convenience of
reference only and are not intended to be part of, or to affect the meaning or
interpretation of, this Agreement.
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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please
indicate your acceptance of this Agreement by signing in the space provided
below.
Very truly yours,
PUGET ENERGY, INC.
By: /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
-----------------------------
Title: Vice President Finance
& Treasurer
Accepted: October 31, 2002
X.X. XXXXXX SECURITIES INC.
By: /s/ Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
---------------------------
Authorized Signatory
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
Managing Director
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