BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT Depositary Shares, Each Representing a Interest in a Share of Preferred Stock, Series ___
Exhibit 1.4
BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
Depositary Shares, Each Representing a Interest in a Share of
Preferred Stock, Series ___
Depositary Shares, Each Representing a Interest in a Share of
Preferred Stock, Series ___
To the Representative
named in Schedule I
hereto of the Underwriters
named in Schedule II hereto
named in Schedule I
hereto of the Underwriters
named in Schedule II hereto
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:
Bank of America Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and
sell to the underwriters named in Schedule II hereto (the “Underwriters”), for whom you are acting
as representative (the “Representative”), depositary shares (the “Initial Shares”), each
representing a [specify fraction] interest in a share of the Company’s [specify designation of
preferred stock] (the “Preferred Stock”). The Preferred Stock, when issued, will be deposited
against delivery of Depositary Receipts (the “Depositary Receipts”), which will evidence the
depositary shares, that are to be issued by , as depository (the “Depository”) under
the Deposit Agreement dated , 20___by and among the Company and the Depository and the
holders from time to time of the Depositary Receipts described therein (the “Deposit Agreement”).
The Company also grants to the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, the option described
in Section 2 to purchase up to additional depositary shares, each representing a
[specify fraction] interest in a share of the Preferred Stock (the “Option Shares”), to cover
over-allotments. The Initial Shares and the Option Shares also are referred to herein as the
“Depositary Shares” and the “Shares” and, where appropriate herein, reference to the Shares
includes the underlying shares of Preferred Stock. Such Depositary Shares are to be sold to each
Underwriter, acting severally and not jointly, in such amounts as are listed in Schedule II
opposite the name of each Underwriter. The Shares are described more fully in the Prospectus,
referred to below. If the firm or firms listed in Schedule II hereto include only the firm or
firms listed in Schedule I hereto, then the terms “Underwriters” and “Representative,” as used
herein, each shall be deemed to refer to such firm or firms.
1. Representations and Warranties.
(a) The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each Underwriter that:
(i) The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
“Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-___), which contains a base
prospectus (the “Base Prospectus”), to be used in connection
with the public offering and sale of the Shares. Such registration statement, as amended,
including the financial statements, exhibits and schedules thereto, including any required
information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”),
and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated
thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”), at each time of effectiveness, is called the
“Registration Statement.” Any preliminary prospectus supplement to the Base Prospectus that
describes the Shares and the offering thereof and is used prior to filing of the Prospectus is
called, together with the Base Prospectus, a “preliminary prospectus.” The term “Prospectus” shall
mean the final prospectus supplement relating to the Shares, together with the Base Prospectus,
that is first filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) after the date and time that this Agreement is executed
and delivered by the parties hereto (the “Execution Time”). Any reference herein to the
Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, shall be
deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12
of Form S-3 under the Securities Act; any reference to any amendment or supplement to any
preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, shall be deemed to refer to and
include any documents filed after the date of such preliminary prospectus or Prospectus, as the
case may be, under the Exchange Act, 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 Registration Statement that is
incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement. All references in this Agreement to the
Registration Statement, a preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements
to any of the foregoing shall include any copy thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to its
Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System (“XXXXX”).
(ii) The term “Disclosure Package” shall mean (A) the [preliminary prospectus, as it may be
amended or supplemented, (B) the] Base Prospectus, [(B)][(C)] the applicable issuer free writing
prospectuses as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act (each, an “Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus”), if any, identified in Schedule III hereto; and [C][(D)] any other free writing
prospectus that the parties hereto shall hereafter expressly agree in writing to treat as part of
the Disclosure Package. As of ___ p.m. (Eastern time) on the date of this Agreement (the
“Initial Sale Time”), the Disclosure Package did not contain 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, not misleading. The preceding sentence does not
apply to statements in or omissions from the Disclosure Package based upon and in conformity with
written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter specifically for
use therein, it being understood and agreed that such information furnished by or on behalf of any
Underwriter consists only of the information described as such in Section 8(b) hereof (the
“Underwriter Information”).
(iii) As of the date hereof, when the Prospectus is first filed with the Commission pursuant
to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, when any supplement or amendment to the Prospectus is
filed with the Commission, at the Closing Date (as hereinafter defined) and, with respect to the
Registration Statement in (A) and (B) below, as of the Initial Sale Time, (A) the Registration
Statement is effective, the Registration Statement, as amended as of any such time, and the
Prospectus, as amended or supplemented as of any such time complied, complies or will comply in all
material respects with the applicable provisions under the
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Securities Act and the Exchange Act, (B) the Registration Statement, as amended as of any such
time, did not, does not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to
state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements
therein not misleading, and (C) the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented as of any such time, did
not, does not 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 in order to make the statements therein,
in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that
the Company makes no representations or warranties as to the Underwriter Information. The
documents which are incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure
Package[, the preliminary prospectus] or the Prospectus or from which information is so
incorporated by reference, when they were filed with the Commission, complied in all material
respects with the requirements under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and did
not, when such documents were so filed, contain 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 light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Commission
has not issued any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any
order preventing or suspending the use of [the preliminary prospectus or] the Prospectus, and the
Company is without knowledge that any proceedings have been instituted for either purpose.
(iv) (A) At the earliest time after the Company or another offering participant made a bona
fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) under the Securities Act) and (B) as of the date
of the execution and delivery of this Agreement (with such date being used as a determination date
for purposes of this clause (B)), the Company neither was nor is an Ineligible Issuer (as defined
in Rule 405 under the Securities Act).
(v) No Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (including any Final Term Sheet (as defined herein)), as
of its date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the offering contemplated hereby
or until any earlier date that the Company notified or notifies the Representative as described in
the next sentence, included, includes or will include any information that conflicted, conflicts or
will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, including any document
incorporated by reference therein[, the preliminary prospectus] or the Prospectus, that had not or
has not been superseded or modified. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus and prior to the end of the Prospectus Delivery Period (as defined below), there
occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus
conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement[, the
preliminary prospectus] or the Prospectus, the Company has promptly notified or will promptly
notify the Representative and has promptly amended or supplemented or will promptly amend or
supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such
conflict. The foregoing two sentences do not apply to statements in or omissions from an Issuer
Free Writing Prospectus based upon and in conformity with Underwriter Information.
(vi) The Company has not distributed and will not distribute, prior to the later of the
Closing Date and the completion of the Underwriters’ distribution of the Shares, any offering
material in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares other than the Registration
Statement, [the preliminary prospectus,] the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus
reviewed and consented to by the Underwriters and included in Schedule III hereto.
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(vii) (A) At the time of filing the Registration Statement, (B) at the time of the most recent
amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) under the Securities Act
(whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to
Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or form of prospectus), (C) at the time the Company or any
person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c) under the
Securities Act) made any offer relating to the Shares in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163
under the Securities Act, and (D) at the Execution Time (with such date being used as the
determination date for purposes of this clause (D)), the Company was and is a “well-known seasoned
issuer” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act. The Registration Statement is an
“automatic shelf registration statement,” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, the
Company has not received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the
Securities Act objecting to use of the automatic shelf registration statement form and the Company
has not otherwise ceased to be eligible to use the automatic shelf registration statement form.
(viii) The Deposit Agreement has been duly authorized and, when validly executed and delivered
by the Company, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the other parties thereto,
will constitute a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable in accordance with its
terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency, moratorium, fraudulent
conveyance or other similar laws affecting the rights of creditors now or hereafter in effect, and
to equitable principles that may limit the right to specific enforcement of remedies, and further
subject to 12 U.S.C. §1818(b)(6)(D) (or any successor statute) and similar bank regulatory powers
and to the application of principles of public policy; the Depositary Shares are entitled to the
benefits of the Deposit Agreement; and such Deposit Agreement will conform to the description
thereof in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(ix) The Preferred Stock, including any shares of Preferred Stock subject to the
over-allotment option described in Section 2 hereof, and the Depositary Shares have been duly and
validly authorized for issuance and sale, and, when the Initial Shares and any Option Shares are
issued and delivered against payment therefor pursuant to this Agreement, the Preferred Stock and
the Depositary Shares will be duly and validly issued and fully paid and non-assessable; all
corporate action required to be taken for the authorization, issue and sale of the Depositary
Shares has been validly and sufficiently taken and upon deposit of the Preferred Stock with the
Depository pursuant to the Deposit Agreement and the due execution by the Depository of the Deposit
Agreement and the Depositary Receipts, in accordance with the Deposit Agreement, such Depositary
Shares will represent legal and valid interests in the Preferred Stock; and the Preferred Stock and
the Depositary Shares conform to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement
and Prospectus, as amended or supplemented.
(x) The issue and sale of the Preferred Stock and the Depositary Shares and the compliance by
the Company with all of the provisions thereof and of this Agreement and the Deposit Agreement, and
the consummation of the transactions herein and therein contemplated, and the performance of its
obligations hereunder and thereunder, will not contravene any provision of applicable law, the
certificate of incorporation or bylaws of the Company or articles of association or bylaws of the
Principal Subsidiary Bank (as defined below) or any agreement or other instrument binding upon the
Company or the Principal Subsidiary Bank that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries,
taken as a whole, or any judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having
jurisdiction over
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the Company or any subsidiary; and no consent, approval, authorization or order of, or
qualification with, any governmental or regulatory body is required for the performance by the
Company of its obligations under this Agreement or the Deposit Agreement, except such as may be
required by the securities or blue sky laws of the various states in connection with the offer and
sale of the Shares.
(b) Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, represents and agrees that:
(i) it has not and will not offer, sell or deliver any of the Depositary Shares, directly or
indirectly, or distribute [the preliminary prospectus,] the Prospectus or any other offering
materials (including any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or other free writing prospectuses)
relating to the Shares in any jurisdiction except under circumstances that will result in
compliance with applicable laws and regulations and that will not impose any obligations on the
Company except as set forth herein; and
(ii) it will comply in all material respects with the selling restrictions set forth in [the
preliminary prospectus and ]the Prospectus under the caption “Underwriting-Selling Restrictions.”
2. Purchase and Sale. Subject to the terms and conditions and in reliance upon
the representations and warranties herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to each
Underwriter, and each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company
at the purchase price set forth in Schedule I hereto the respective number of Initial Shares set
forth opposite such Underwriter’s name in Schedule II hereto.
In addition, on the basis of the representations and warranties contained herein, and subject
to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Company grants an option to the Underwriters,
severally and not jointly, to purchase the Option Shares from the Company at the purchase price set
forth in Schedule 1 hereto. The option hereby granted will expire 30 days after the date hereof,
and may be exercised, in whole or in part (but not more than once), only for the purpose of
covering over-allotments upon notice by the Representative to the Company setting forth the number
of Option Shares as to which the several Underwriters are exercising the option, and the time and
date of payment and delivery thereof. Such time and date of delivery (the “Date of Delivery”)
shall be determined by the Representative but shall not be later than seven full business days
after the exercise of such option and not in any event prior to the Closing Date (as defined
below). If the option is exercised as to all or any portion of the Option Shares, the Option
Shares as to which the option is exercised shall be purchased by the Underwriters severally and not
jointly, in proportion to, as nearly as practicable, their respective Initial Shares underwriting
obligations as set forth on Schedule II.
3. Delivery and Payment. Delivery of and payment for the Initial Shares shall be made
on the date and at the time specified in Schedule I hereto, which date and time may be postponed by
agreement between the Representative and the Company or as provided in Section 9 hereto (such date
and time of delivery and payment for the Initial Shares being herein called the “Closing Date”).
Delivery of the Initial Shares shall be made to the Representative for the respective accounts of
the several Underwriters against payment by the several Underwriters through the Representative of
the purchase price thereof in the amount and manner set forth in Schedule I hereto. Unless
otherwise agreed, Depositary Receipts for the Initial Shares shall be in
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book-entry form, and such Depositary Receipts may be deposited with The Depository Trust
Company (“DTC”) or a custodian for DTC and registered in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee for
DTC.
In addition, in the event that any or all of the Option Shares are purchased by the
Underwriters, delivery and payment for the Option Shares shall be made at the office specified for
delivery of the Initial Shares in Schedule I hereto, or at such other place as the Company and the
Representative shall determine, on the Date of Delivery as specified in the notice from the
Representative to the Company. Delivery of the Option Shares shall be made to the Representative
against payment by the Underwriters through the Representative of the purchase price thereof to or
upon the order of the Company in the amount and manner set forth in Schedule I hereto. Unless
otherwise agreed, Depositary Receipts shall be registered in such names and in such denominations
as the Representative may request not less than three full business days in advance of the Date of
Delivery.
4. Agreements. The Company agrees with the several Underwriters that:
(a) During the period beginning at the Initial Sale Time and ending on the later of the
Closing Date or such date, as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, the Prospectus is no
longer required by law to be delivered in connection with sales by an Underwriter or dealer (except
for delivery requirements imposed because such Underwriter or dealer is an affiliate of the
Company), including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172
(the “Prospectus Delivery Period”), the Company will not file any amendment to the Registration
Statement or supplement to the Base Prospectus or the Disclosure Package (including the Prospectus)
unless the Company has furnished you a copy for your review prior to filing and will not file any
such proposed amendment or supplement to which you reasonably object. Subject to the foregoing
sentence, the Company will cause the Prospectus to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule
424 via XXXXX. The Company will advise the Representative promptly (i) when [the preliminary
prospectus and] the Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424, (ii)
when any amendment to the Registration Statement or the Disclosure Package relating to the Shares
shall have become effective, (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment of the
Registration Statement or amendment of or supplement to the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package or
for any additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending
the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the institution or threatening of any proceeding
for that purpose and (v) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the
suspension of the qualification of the Shares for sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or
threatening of any proceeding for such purpose. The Company will use its best efforts to prevent
the issuance of any such stop order and, if issued, to obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal
thereof.
(b) If, at any time during the Prospectus Delivery Period, except with respect to any such
delivery requirement imposed upon an affiliate of the Company in connection with any secondary
market sales, any event occurs as a result of which the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus as
then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state
any material fact necessary to make the statements therein in light of the circumstances under
which they were made or then prevailing, as the case may be, not misleading, or if it shall be
necessary to amend or supplement the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus to comply with the
Securities Act or the Exchange Act, the Company promptly will
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prepare and file with the Commission, subject to the first sentence of paragraph (a) of this
Section 4, an amendment or supplement which will correct such statement or omission or an amendment
or supplement which will effect such compliance (including, if consented to by the Underwriters, by
means of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus), and will give immediate notice, and confirm in
writing, to the Underwriters to cease the solicitation of offers to purchase the Depositary Shares,
and furnish to the Underwriters a reasonable number of copies of such amendment or supplement.
(c) The Company will make generally available to its security holders and to the
Representative as soon as practicable, but not later than 60 days after the close of the period
covered thereby, an earnings statement (in form complying with the provisions of Rule 158 under the
Securities Act) covering a twelve-month period beginning not later than the first day of the
Company’s fiscal quarter next following the “effective date” (as defined in said Rule 158) of the
Registration Statement.
(d) The Company will furnish to the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters, without
charge, copies of the Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto) and each amendment
thereto which shall become effective on or prior to the Closing Date and, so long as delivery of a
prospectus by an Underwriter or dealer may be required by the Securities Act, as many copies of
[the preliminary prospectus or] the Prospectus and any amendments thereof and supplements thereto
as the Representative may reasonably request. The Company will pay the expenses of printing all
documents relating to the offering.
(e) The Company will arrange for the qualification of the Depositary Shares for sale under the
laws of such jurisdictions as the Representative may reasonably designate, will maintain such
qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Depositary Shares and will
arrange for the determination of the legality of the Depositary Shares for purchase by investors;
provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to qualify to do business in any
jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified or to take any action which would subject it to
general or unlimited service of process in any jurisdiction where it is not now so subject.
(f) Until the business day following the Closing Date, the Company will not, without the
consent of the Representative, offer or sell, or announce the offering of, any securities covered
by the Registration Statement or by any other registration statement filed under the Securities
Act; provided, however, the Company may, at any time, offer or sell or announce the offering of
securities (i) covered by a registration statement on Form S-8 or (ii) covered by a registration
statement on Form S-3 and (A) pursuant to which the Company issues securities under one of the
Company’s medium-term note programs (including, without limitation, the Company’s Series L
Medium-Term Note Program and the Company’s InterNotes Program), (B) pursuant to which the Company
issues securities for its dividend reinvestment plan, (C) pursuant to which the Company issues
notes in an underwritten offering in which the lead manager is Banc of America Securities LLC
(under the Registration Statement No. 333-___) or (D) pursuant to which affiliates of the
Company offer securities of the Company in secondary market transactions.
(g) The Company will prepare a final term sheet containing only a description of the Shares,
in a form approved by the Representative and contained in Schedule IV of this Agreement, and will
file the such term sheet pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act as
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promptly as possible, but in any case not later than the time required by such rule (such term
sheet, the “Final Term Sheet”).
(h) The Company represents that it has not made and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior
written consent of the Representative, it will not make any offer relating to the Shares that would
constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing
prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) required to be filed by the Company
with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433 under the Securities Act; provided
that the prior written consent of the Representative shall be deemed to have been given in respect
of the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses included in Schedule III hereto. Any such free writing
prospectus consented to by the Representative is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free
Writing Prospectus.” The Company agrees that (i) it has treated and will treat as the case may be,
each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and (ii) it has
complied and will comply, as the case may be, with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 under the
Securities Act applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including in respect of timely
filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping. The Company consents to the use by any
Underwriter of a free writing prospectus that (a) is not an “issuer free writing prospectus” as
defined in Rule 433, and (b) contains only (i) information describing the preliminary terms of the
Shares or their offering, (ii) information permitted by Rule 134 under the Securities Act or (iii)
information that describes the final terms of the Shares or their offering and that is included in
the Final Term Sheet of the Company contemplated in paragraph (g) above.
(i) If immediately prior to the third anniversary (the “Renewal Deadline”) of the initial
effective date of the Registration Statement, any of the Shares remain unsold by the Underwriters,
the Company will file prior to the Renewal Deadline, if it has not already done so and is eligible
to do so, a new automatic shelf registration statement relating to the Shares, in a form
satisfactory to the Representative. If the Company is no longer eligible to file an automatic
shelf registration statement, the Company will file prior to the Renewal Deadline, if it has not
already done so, a new shelf registration statement relating to the Shares, in a form satisfactory
to the Representative, and will use its reasonable efforts to cause such registration statement to
be declared effective within 60 days after the Renewal Deadline. The Company will take all other
action necessary or appropriate to permit the public offering and sale of the Shares to continue as
contemplated in the expired registration statement relating to the Shares. References herein to
the Registration Statement shall include such new automatic shelf registration statement or such
new shelf registration statement, as the case may be.
(j) If at any time when Shares remain unsold by the Underwriters the Company receives from the
Commission a notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) or otherwise ceases to be eligible to use the
automatic shelf registration statement form, the Company will (i) promptly notify the
Representative, (ii) promptly file a new registration statement or post-effective amendment on the
proper form relating to the Shares, in a form satisfactory to the Representative, (iii) use its
best efforts to cause such registration statement or post-effective amendment to be declared
effective and (iv) promptly notify the Representative of such effectiveness. The Company will take
all other action necessary or appropriate to permit the public offering and sale of the Shares to
continue as contemplated in the registration statement that was the subject of the Rule 401(g)(2)
notice or for which the Company has otherwise become ineligible. References herein to the
Registration Statement shall include such new registration statement or post-effective amendment,
as the case may be.
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(k) The Company agrees to pay the required Commission filing fees relating to the Shares
within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1) under the Securities Act without regard to the proviso
therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the Securities Act.
5. Conditions to the Obligations of the Underwriters. The obligations of the
Underwriters to purchase the Shares shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and
warranties on the part of the Company contained herein as of the date hereof, as of the date of the
effectiveness of any amendment to the Registration Statement filed prior to the Closing Date
(including the filing of any document incorporated by reference therein) and as of the Closing
Date, to the accuracy of the statements of the Company made in any certificates furnished pursuant
to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the
following additional conditions:
(a) For the period from and after effectiveness of this Agreement and prior to the Closing
Date:
(i) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, or any
post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, shall be in effect and no proceedings for
such purpose shall have been instituted or threatened by the Commission, and the Company shall not
have received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Securities Act
objecting to use of the automatic shelf registration statement form (unless the Shares are duly
registered in the manner contemplated by Rule 401(g)(2) to the satisfaction of the Representative
prior to the Closing Date);
(ii) the Company shall have filed [the preliminary prospectus and] the Prospectus with the
Commission (including the information required by Rule 430B under the Securities Act) in the manner
and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act; or the Company shall
have filed a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement containing the information
required by such Rule 430B, and such post-effective amendment shall have become effective (if not
automatically effective under the rules of the Commission);
(iii) the Final Term Sheet, and any other material required to be filed by the Company
pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, shall have been filed with the Commission within
the applicable time periods prescribed for such filings under such Rule or, to the extent
applicable, under Rule 164(b); and
(iv) the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) shall have raised no
objection to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements.
(b) The Company shall have furnished to the Representative the opinion of McGuireWoods LLP,
counsel for the Company, dated the Closing Date, to the effect of paragraphs (i) and (v) through
(xiv) below, and the opinion of the General Counsel of the Company (or such other attorney,
reasonably acceptable to counsel to the Underwriters, who exercises general supervision or review
in connection with a particular securities law matter for the Company), dated the Closing Date, to
the effect of paragraphs (ii) through (iv) below:
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(i) the Company is a duly organized and validly existing corporation in good standing under
the laws of the State of Delaware, has the corporate power and authority to own its properties and
conduct its business as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and is duly
registered as a bank holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended; Bank
of America, N.A. (the “Principal Subsidiary Bank”) is a national banking association formed under
the laws of the United States and authorized thereunder to transact business;
(ii) each of the Company and the Principal Subsidiary Bank is qualified or licensed to do
business as a foreign corporation in any jurisdiction in which such counsel has knowledge that the
Company or the Principal Subsidiary Bank, as the case may be, is required to be so qualified or
licensed;
(iii) all the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Principal Subsidiary Bank have been
duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and (except as provided in 12 U.S.C. §
55, as amended) nonassessable, and, except as otherwise set forth in the Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus, all outstanding shares of capital stock of the Principal Subsidiary Bank (except
directors’ qualifying shares) are owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company free and clear of
any perfected security interest and such counsel is without knowledge of any other security
interests, claims, liens or encumbrances;
(iv) such counsel is without knowledge that there is (1) any pending or threatened action,
suit or proceeding before or by any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any
arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries, of a character required to be
disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus which is omitted
or not adequately disclosed therein, or (2) any franchise, contract or other document of a
character required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the
Prospectus, or to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, is not so described or
filed as required;
(v) the Deposit Agreement, the Depositary Shares and the Preferred Stock conform in all
material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus;
(vi) if the Depositary Shares are to be listed on [insert applicable securities exchange], the
Company has filed a preliminary listing application and all required supporting documents with
respect to the Depositary Shares with t[insert applicable securities exchange], and such counsel
has received no information stating that the Depositary Shares will not be authorized for listing,
subject to official notice of issuance and evidence of satisfactory distribution;
(vii) the Registration Statement became effective under the Securities Act automatically upon
its filing; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, or any
post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, has been issued, and such counsel is
without knowledge that any proceeding for that purpose has been instituted or threatened, or that
the Company has received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the
Securities Act objecting to the use of the automatic shelf registration statement form; and the
Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and each amendment thereof or
supplement thereto (other than the financial statements and other
10
financial and statistical information contained therein or incorporated by reference therein,
as to which such counsel need express no opinion) comply as to form in all material respects with
the applicable requirements under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act;
(viii) this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and,
assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by you, constitutes a legal, valid and binding
agreement of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, subject to
applicable bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency, moratorium, fraudulent conveyance or other
similar laws affecting the rights of creditors now or hereafter in effect, and to equitable
principles that may limit the right to specific enforcement of remedies, and except insofar as the
enforceability of the indemnity and contribution provisions contained in this Agreement may be
limited by federal and state securities laws, and further subject to 12 U.S.C. §1818(b)(6)(D) (or
any successor statute) and similar bank regulatory powers and to the application of principles of
public policy;
(ix) no consent, approval, authorization or order of any court or governmental agency or body
in the United States is necessary or required on behalf of the Company for the consummation of the
transactions contemplated herein, except such as have been obtained under the Securities Act and
such as may be required under the blue sky, state securities or insurance or similar laws of the
United States in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Depositary Shares by the
Underwriters and such other approvals (specified in such opinion) as have been obtained;
(x) the shares of Preferred Stock, and any shares of Preferred Stock as to which the
over-allotment option granted in Section 2 of this Agreement has been exercised, have been duly
authorized and, when paid for as contemplated herein, will be duly issued, fully paid and
nonassessable;
(xi) the Depositary Shares, including any Depositary Shares subject to the over-allotment
option granted in Section 2 of this Agreement, have been duly and validly authorized for issuance
and sale, and, when the Initial Shares and any Option Shares are issued and delivered against
payment therefor pursuant to this Agreement, the Depositary Shares will be duly and validly issued
and fully paid and non-assessable; and all corporate action required to be taken for the
authorization, issue and sale of the Depositary Shares has been validly and sufficiently taken and
the Depositary Shares represent legal and valid interests in the Preferred Stock;
(xii) neither the issuance and sale of the Preferred Stock or the Depositary Shares, nor the
consummation of any other of the transactions herein contemplated or contemplated by the Deposit
Agreement nor the fulfillment of the terms hereof or thereof will conflict with, result in a breach
of, or constitute a default under (1) the certificate of incorporation or by-laws of the Company,
each as amended to date, (2) the terms of any indenture or other material agreement or instrument
known to such counsel and to which the Company or the Principal Subsidiary Bank is a party or
bound, or (3) any order, law or regulation known to such counsel to be applicable to the Company or
the Principal Subsidiary Bank of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental
body or arbitrator having jurisdiction over the Company or the Principal Subsidiary Bank;
11
(xiii) the Deposit Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company
and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the other parties thereto, constitutes a
valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to
applicable bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency, moratorium, fraudulent conveyance or other
similar laws affecting the rights of creditors now or hereafter in effect, and to equitable
principles that may limit the right to specific enforcement of remedies, and further subject to 12
U.S.C. §1818(b)(6)(D) (or any successor statute) and similar bank regulatory powers and to the
application of principles of public policy; and
(xiv) such counsel is without knowledge of any rights to the registration of securities of the
Company under the Registration Statement which have not been waived by the holders of such rights
or which have not expired by reason of lapse of time following notification of the Company’s
intention to file the Registration Statement.
In rendering such opinion, but without opining in connection therewith, such counsel also
shall state that, although it expresses no view as to portions of the Registration Statement, the
Disclosure Package, or the Prospectus consisting of financial statements and other financial,
accounting and statistical information and it has not independently verified, is not passing upon
and assumes no responsibility for, the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements
contained in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, or the Prospectus or any amendment
or supplement thereto (other than as stated in (v) above), it has no reason to believe that such
remaining portions of the Registration Statement or any amendment thereto as of the time it became
effective, as of the Initial Sale Time or as of the date of such opinion, contained an untrue
statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or that, subject to the foregoing with
respect to financial statements and other financial, accounting and statistical information, the
Disclosure Package, taken as a whole, as of the Initial Sale Time, contained an untrue statement of
a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the statement therein, in
light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or that the Prospectus, as
amended or supplemented, as of its date or as of the date of such opinion contained or contains an
untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under
which they were made, not misleading. Such counsel also need not pass upon nor assume any
responsibility for ascertaining whether or when any of the information contained in each Disclosure
Package was conveyed to any purchaser of the Depositary Shares.
In rendering such opinion, such counsel may rely (A) as to matters involving the application
of laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of North Carolina, the United States, or the
General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware to the extent deemed proper and specified in such
opinion, upon the opinion of counsel to the Underwriters, or upon the opinion of other counsel of
good standing believed to be reliable and who are satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters; and
(B) as to matters of fact, to the extent deemed proper, on certificates of responsible officers of
the Company and its subsidiaries and public officials.
(c) The Representative shall have received from Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP, counsel for the
Underwriters, such opinion or opinions, dated the Closing Date, with respect to the issuance and
sale of the Initial Shares, the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus
and any other related matters as the Representative may reasonably require,
12
and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they request for the
purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters.
(d) The Company shall have furnished to the Representative a certificate of the Company,
signed by any Senior Vice President or Treasurer or any other authorized officer of the Company,
dated the Closing Date, to the effect that the signers of such certificate have carefully examined
the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and this Agreement and they
are without knowledge that:
(i) the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are not true and
correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of the Closing Date and
the Company has not performed or complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions
on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to the Closing Date;
(ii) any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued
or any proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or threatened by the Commission; and
(iii) since the date of the most recent financial statements included in the Disclosure
Package and the Prospectus, there has been any material adverse change or any development involving
a prospective material adverse change in the condition (financial or other), earnings, business or
properties of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, whether or not arising from
transactions in the ordinary course of business, except as set forth in or contemplated in the
Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(e) At the time this Agreement is executed, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP shall have furnished to
the Representative a letter or letters (which may refer to letters previously delivered to one or
more of the Representative), dated as of the date of this Agreement, in form and substance
satisfactory to the Representative, confirming that the response, if any, to Item 10 of the
Registration Statement is correct insofar as it relates to them and stating in effect that:
(i) They are an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company
within the meaning under the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations thereunder
adopted by the Commission and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States).
(ii) In their opinion, the consolidated financial statements of the Company and its
subsidiaries audited by them and included or incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement[, the preliminary prospectus] and the Prospectus comply as to form in all material
respects with the applicable accounting requirements under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act
and the related rules and regulations adopted by the Commission.
(iii) On the basis of procedures (but not an audit in accordance with generally accepted
auditing standards) consisting of:
(a) Reading the minutes of the meetings of the stockholders, the board of directors,
executive committee and audit committee of the Company and the boards of directors of the
Principal Subsidiary Bank as set forth in the minute books
13
through a specified date not more than five business days prior to the date of
delivery of such letter;
(b) Performing the procedures specified by the American Institute of Certified Public
Accountants for a review of interim financial information as described in Statement of
Accounting Standards No. 100, Interim Financial Information, on the unaudited condensed
consolidated interim financial statements of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries
included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement[, the preliminary
prospectus] and the Prospectus and reading the unaudited interim financial data, if any,
for the period from the date of the latest balance sheet included or incorporated by
reference in the Registration Statement, the preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus to
the date of the latest available interim financial data; and
(c) Making inquiries of certain officials of the Company who have responsibility for
financial and accounting matters regarding the specific items for which representations are
requested below;
nothing has come to their attention as a result of the foregoing procedures that caused
them to believe that:
(1) the unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements, included
or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement[, the preliminary
prospectus] and the Prospectus, do not comply as to form in all material respects
with the applicable accounting requirements of the Exchange Act and the published
rules and regulations thereunder;
(2) any material modifications should be made to the unaudited condensed
consolidated interim financial statements, included or incorporated by reference in
the Registration Statement[, the preliminary prospectus,] and the Prospectus, for
them to be in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles;
(3) [(i) at the date of the latest available interim financial data and at the
specified date not more than five business days prior to the date of the delivery of
such letter, there was any change in the common stock and additional paid-in capital
or the consolidated long-term debt (other than scheduled repayments of such debt) of
the Company and the subsidiaries on a consolidated basis as compared with the
amounts shown in the latest balance sheet included or incorporated by reference in
the Registration Statement[, the preliminary prospectus] and the Prospectus or (ii)
for the period from the date of the latest available financial data to a specified
date not more than five business days prior to the delivery of such letter, there
was any change in the common stock and additional paid-in capital or the
consolidated long-term debt (other than scheduled repayments of such debt) of the
Company and the subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, except in all instances for
changes or decreases which the Registration Statement[, the preliminary prospectus,]
and the Prospectus discloses have occurred or may occur, or PricewaterhouseCoopers
LLP shall state any specific changes or decreases.]
14
(iv) The letter shall also state that PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP has carried out certain other
specified procedures, not constituting an audit, with respect to certain amounts, percentages and
financial information which are included or incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement[, the preliminary prospectus] and the Prospectus and which are specified by the
Representative and agreed to by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, and has found such amounts, percentages
and financial information to be in agreement with the relevant accounting, financial and other
records of the Company and its subsidiaries identified in such letter.
In addition, on the Closing Date, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP shall have furnished to the
Representative a letter or letters, dated the Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to
the Representative, to the effect set forth in this paragraph (e).
(f) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration
Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there shall not have been (i) any change or
decrease specified in the letter or letters referred to in paragraph (e) of this Section 5 or (ii)
any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the condition
(financial or other), earnings, business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries the
effect of which, in any case referred to in clause (i) or (ii) above, is, in the judgment of the
Representative, so material and adverse as to make it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with
the offering or the delivery of the Shares as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the
Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(g) Prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall have furnished to the Representative such
further information, certificates and documents as the Representative may reasonably request.
(h) On or after the date hereof and prior to the Closing Date, (i) no downgrading shall have
occurred in the rating accorded the Company’s debt securities by any “nationally recognized
statistical rating organization,” as that 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, with possible negative implications, its rating of any of
the Company’s debt securities.
(i) The Representative shall have received on the Closing Date a certificate of the
Depository.
(j) The Deposit Agreement shall have been duly authorized, executed and delivered, in a form
reasonably satisfactory to the Representative.
(k) If the Depositary Shares are to be listed on [insert applicable securities exchange], the
Depositary Shares to be sold by the Company at such time of delivery shall have been authorized for
listing, subject to notice of issuance, on [insert applicable securities exchange].
(l) There shall not have come to the Representative’s attention any facts that would cause the
Representative to believe that the Disclosure Package, as of the Initial Sale Time, or the
Prospectus, at the time it was required to be delivered to a purchaser of the Depositary Shares,
included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material
15
fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances existing
at the time of such delivery, not misleading.
If any of the conditions specified in this Section 5 shall not have been fulfilled in all
material respects when and as provided in this Agreement, or if any of the opinions and
certificates mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall not be in all material respects
reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Representative and their counsel, this
Agreement and all obligations of the Underwriters hereunder may be canceled at, or at any time
prior to, the Closing Date by the Representative. Notice of such cancellation shall be given to
the Company in writing or by telephone or facsimile confirmed in writing.
6. Payment of Expenses. The Company will pay all expenses incident to the performance
of its obligations under this Agreement, including (i) the preparation, printing, delivery to the
Underwriters and filing of the Registration Statement, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, [the
preliminary prospectus] and the Prospectus as originally filed and of each amendment or supplement
thereto, (ii) the copying of this Agreement, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the
certificates for the Depositary Shares to the Underwriters, including capital duties, stamp duties
and transfer taxes, if any, payable upon issuance of any of the Shares, the sale of the Depositary
Shares to the Underwriters and the fees and expenses of any transfer agent or trustee for the
Shares, (iv) the fees and expenses of counsel to any such transfer agent or trustee, (v) the fees
and disbursements of the Company’s counsel and accountants, (vi) the qualification of the Shares
under state securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 4(e), including filing
fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection
therewith and in connection with the preparation of any Blue Sky Survey, (vii) the printing and
delivery to the Underwriters of copies of any Blue Sky Survey, and (viii) the fees of FINRA, (ix)
any fees charged by rating agencies for the rating of the Depositary Shares and (x) the fees and
expenses of any depository and any nominee thereof in connection with the Depositary Shares.
If the sale of the Depositary Shares provided for herein is not consummated because any
condition to the obligations of the Underwriters set forth in Section 5 hereof is not satisfied or
because of any refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company to perform any agreement
herein or comply with any provision hereof other than by reason of a default by any of the
Underwriters, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters severally upon demand for all
out-of-pocket expenses (including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel) that shall have
been incurred by them in connection with the proposed purchase and sale of the Depositary Shares.
7. Conditions to Purchase of Option Shares. In the event the Underwriters exercise
the over-allotment option granted in Section 2 hereof to purchase all or any portion of the Option
Shares and the Date of Delivery determined by the Representative pursuant to Section 2 is later
than the Closing Date, the obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase and pay for the
Option Shares that they shall have respectively agreed to purchase hereunder are subject to the
accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein, to the performance
by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:
(a) (i) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, or any
post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, shall be in effect and no proceedings for
such purpose shall have been instituted or threatened by the Commission, and
16
the Company has not received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under
the Securities Act objecting to use of the automatic shelf registration statement form (unless the
Shares are duly registered in the manner contemplated by Rule 401(g)(2) to the satisfaction of the
Representative prior to the Closing Date); and
(ii) FINRA shall have raised no objection to the fairness and reasonableness of the
underwriting terms and arrangements.
(b) At the Date of Delivery, the Representative shall have received, each dated the Date of
Delivery and relating to the Option Shares:
(i) the favorable opinion of McGuireWoods LLP, counsel for the Company, in form and substance
satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, to the same effect as the opinion required by Section
5(b);
(ii) the favorable opinion of the General Counsel of the Company (or such other attorney,
reasonably acceptable to counsel to the underwriters, who exercises general supervision or review
in connection with a particular securities law matter for the Company), in form and substance
satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, to the same effect as the opinion required by Section
5(b);
(iii) the favorable opinion of Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, to the
same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(c);
(iv) a certificate of any Senior Vice President or Treasurer or any other authorized officer
of the Company with respect to the matters set forth in Section 5(d);
(v) a letter from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, in form and substance satisfactory to the
Underwriters, substantially the same in scope and substance as the letter furnished to the
Underwriters pursuant to Section 5(e) except that the “specified date” in the letter furnished
pursuant to this Section 7(b)(v) shall be a date not more than five days prior to the Date of
Delivery;
(vi) a certificate of the Depository pursuant to Section 5(i); and
(vii) such further information, certificates and documents as the Representative may
reasonably request.
(c) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration
Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there shall not have been (i) any change or
decrease specified in the letter or letters referred to in paragraph (b)(v) of this Section 7 or
(ii) any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the earnings,
business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries the effect of which, in any case
referred to in clause (i) or (ii) above, is, in the judgment of the Representative, so material and
adverse as to make it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or the delivery of
the Shares as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus.
(d) On or after the date of the exercise of the over-allotment option and prior to the Closing
Date for the Option Shares, (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating
17
accorded the Company’s debt securities by any “nationally recognized statistical rating
organization,” as that 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, with possible negative implications, its rating of any of the Company’s
debt securities.
(e) There shall not have come to the Representative’s attention any facts that would cause the
Representative to believe that the Disclosure Package, as of the Initial Sale Time, or the
Prospectus, at the time it was required to be delivered to a purchaser of the Shares, included an
untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make
the statements therein, in light of the circumstances existing at the time of such delivery, not
misleading.
If any of the conditions specified in this Section 7 shall not have been fulfilled in all
material respects when and as provided in this Agreement, or if any of the opinions and
certificates mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall not be in all material respects
reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Representative and their counsel, this
Agreement and all obligations of the Underwriters hereunder with respect to the Option Shares may
be canceled at, or at any time prior to, the Date of Delivery of the Option Shares by the
Representative. Notice of such cancellation shall be given to the Company in writing or by
telephone or facsimile confirmed in writing.
8. Indemnification and Contribution.
(a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter and each person, if
any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act
against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which such Underwriter or
such controlling person may become subject, insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or
expense (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based upon (i) an
untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration
Statement, or any amendment thereto, including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant
to Rule 430B under the Securities Act, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material
fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; or
(ii) an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Disclosure
Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or the omission or alleged
omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the
light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and to reimburse each
Underwriter and each such controlling person for any and all expenses (including the fees and
disbursements of counsel chosen by Banc of America Securities LLC) as such expenses are reasonably
incurred by such Underwriter or such controlling person in connection with investigating,
defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or
action; provided, however, that the foregoing indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss,
claim, damage, liability or expense to the extent, but only to the extent, arising out of or based
upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in
reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information. The indemnity agreement set
forth in this Section 8(a) shall be in addition to any liabilities that the Company may otherwise
have.
18
(b) Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the
Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement and each
person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning under the Securities Act or the
Exchange Act, against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which the
Company, or any such director, officer or controlling person may become subject, insofar as such
loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below)
arises out of or is based upon (i) an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material
fact contained in the Registration Statement, or any amendment thereto, or the omission or alleged
omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading; or (ii) an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a
material fact contained in the Base Prospectus[, the preliminary prospectus,] or the Prospectus (or
any amendment or supplement thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material
fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under
which they were made, not misleading, in each case to the extent, and only to the extent, that such
untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in the
Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus[, the preliminary prospectus] or the Prospectus (or any
amendment or supplement thereto), in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter
Information; and to reimburse the Company, or any such director, officer or controlling person for
any legal and other expense reasonably incurred by the Company, or any such director, officer or
controlling person in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying
any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action. The Company hereby acknowledges that
the only information that the Underwriters have furnished to the Company expressly for use in the
Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement
thereto) are the names of the Underwriters, the sentences relating to concessions and reallowances
and the statements set forth in the [ ] and [ ] paragraphs, all under the caption
“Underwriting” in [the preliminary prospectus and] the Prospectus. The indemnity agreement set
forth in this Section 8(b) shall be in addition to any liabilities that each Underwriter may
otherwise have.
(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 8 of notice of the
commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be
made against an indemnifying party under this Section 8, notify the indemnifying party in writing
of the commencement thereof; but the failure to so notify the indemnifying party (i) will not
relieve it from liability under paragraph (a) or (b) above unless and to the extent it did not
otherwise learn of such action and such failure results in the forfeiture by the indemnifying party
of substantial rights and defenses and (ii) will not, in any event, relieve the indemnifying party
from any liability other than the indemnification obligation provided in paragraph (a) or (b)
above. In case any such action is brought against any indemnified party and such indemnified party
seeks or intends to seek indemnity from an indemnifying party, the indemnifying party will be
entitled to participate in, and, to the extent that it shall elect, jointly with all other
indemnifying parties similarly notified, by written notice delivered to the indemnified party
promptly after receiving the aforesaid notice from such indemnified party, to assume the defense
thereof with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party; provided, however, that if the
defendants in any such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the
indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that a conflict may arise between the positions
of the indemnifying party and the indemnified party in conducting the defense of any such action or
that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties that are
different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, the indemnified
19
party or parties shall have the right to select separate counsel to assume such legal defenses
and to otherwise participate in the defense of such action on behalf of such indemnified party or
parties. Upon receipt of notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of such
indemnifying party’s election so to assume the defense of such action and approval by the
indemnified party of counsel, the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party
under this Section 8 for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified
party in connection with the defense thereof unless (i) the indemnified party shall have employed
separate counsel in accordance with the proviso to the preceding sentence (it being understood,
however, that the indemnifying party shall not be liable for the expenses of more than one separate
counsel (other than local counsel approved by the Representative)), representing the indemnified
parties who are parties to such action) or (ii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed
counsel satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party within a
reasonable time after notice of commencement of the action, in each of which cases the fees and
expenses of counsel shall be at the expense of the indemnifying party.
(d) The indemnifying party under this Section 8 shall not be liable for any settlement of any
proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a
final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party
against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense by reason of such settlement or judgment. No
indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any
settlement, compromise or consent to the entry of judgment in any pending or threatened action,
suit or proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and
indemnity was or could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such
settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party
from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such action, suit or proceeding 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.
(e) If the indemnification provided for in Sections 8(a) through (d) is for any reason
unavailable to or otherwise insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any
losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party
shall contribute to the aggregate amount paid or payable by such indemnified party, as incurred, as
a result of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein (i) in such
proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one
hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, from the offering of the Shares pursuant to this
Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable
law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in
clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters,
on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses,
claims, damages, liabilities or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.
The relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other
hand, in connection with the offering of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to
be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Shares
pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company, and the total
underwriting discount received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth on the front cover
page of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of the Shares as set
forth on such cover. The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on
the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or
alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or
20
alleged omission to state a material fact or any such inaccurate or alleged inaccurate
representation or warranty relates to information supplied by the Company, on the one hand, or the
Underwriters, on the other hand, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information
and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses, claims, damages, liabilities
and expenses referred to above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth in
Section 8(c), any legal or other fees or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection
with investigating or defending any action or claim. The provisions set forth in Section 8(c) with
respect to notice of commencement of any action shall apply if a claim for contribution is to be
made under this Section 8; provided, however, that no additional notice shall be required with
respect to any action for which notice has been given in accordance with Section 8(c) for purposes
of indemnification. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable
if contribution pursuant to this Section 8(e) were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the
Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation
which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this Section 8(e).
Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 8(e), no Underwriter shall be required to
contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting discounts received by such Underwriter in
connection with the Shares underwritten by it. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation
(within the meaning of Section 11(f) under the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution
from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’
obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 8(e) are several, and not joint, in proportion
to their respective underwriting commitments as set forth opposite their names in Schedule II. For
purposes of this Section 8(e), each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning
under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such
Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the
Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning under
the Securities Act and the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company.
Any party entitled to contribution will, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any
action, suit or proceeding against such party in respect of which a claim for contribution may be
made against another party or parties under this paragraph (e), notify such party or parties from
whom contribution may be sought, as contemplated by the preceding paragraph. However, the omission
to so notify such party or parties shall not relieve the party or parties from whom contribution
may be sought from any other obligation it or they may have hereunder or otherwise than under this
paragraph (e).
9. Default by an Underwriter. If any one or more Underwriters shall fail to purchase
and pay for any of the Shares agreed to be purchased by such Underwriter or Underwriters hereunder
and such failure to purchase shall constitute a default in the performance of its or their
obligations under this Agreement, the remaining Underwriters shall be obligated severally to take
up and pay for (in the respective proportions which the amount of Shares set forth opposite their
names in Schedule II hereto bear to the aggregate amount of Shares set forth opposite the names of
all the remaining Underwriters) the Shares which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed
but failed to purchase; provided, however, that in the event that the aggregate amount of Shares
which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase shall exceed 10% of
the aggregate amount of Shares set forth in Schedule II hereto, the remaining Underwriters shall
have the right to purchase all, but shall not be under any
21
obligation to purchase any, of the Shares, and if such non-defaulting Underwriters do not
purchase all the Shares, this Agreement will terminate without liability to any non-defaulting
Underwriter or the Company. In the event of a default by any Underwriter as set forth in this
Section 9, the Closing Date shall be postponed for such period, not exceeding seven days, as the
Representative shall determine in order that the required changes in the Registration Statement,
the Disclosure Package, [the preliminary prospectus] and the Prospectus or in any other documents
or arrangements may be effected. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall relieve any defaulting
Underwriter of its liability, if any, to the Company and any non-defaulting Underwriter for damages
occasioned by its default hereunder.
10. Termination. This Agreement shall be subject to termination in the absolute
discretion of the Representative, by notice given to the Company prior to delivery of and payment
for the Shares, if prior to such time (i) trading in securities generally on the New York Stock
Exchange shall have been suspended or limited or minimum prices shall have been established on such
exchange, or (ii) a banking moratorium shall have been declared by Federal or New York State
authorities or a material disruption in the commercial banking or securities settlement or
clearance services in the United States shall have occurred, or (iii) there shall have occurred any
outbreak or material escalation of hostilities or other calamity or crisis (in the United States or
elsewhere) the effect of which on the financial markets of the United States is such as to make it,
in the judgment of the Representative, impracticable to market the Shares.
11. Representations and Indemnities to Survive. The respective agreements,
representations, warranties, indemnities and other statements of the Company or its officers and of
the Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and
effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or the Company or
any of the officers, directors or controlling persons referred to in Section 8 hereof, and will
survive delivery of and payment for the Shares. The provisions of Section 6 and 8 hereof and this
Section 11 shall survive the termination or cancellation of this Agreement.
12. Notices. All communications hereunder will be in writing and effective only on
receipt, and, if sent to the Representative, will be mailed, delivered or sent by facsimile and
confirmed to them, at the address specified in Schedule I hereto, with a copy to: Xxxxxxxx &
Xxxxxxxx LLP, 1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10104-0050, Attn: Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxx,
Facsimile: 000-000-0000; or, if sent to the Company, will be mailed, delivered or sent by facsimile
and confirmed to it at Bank of America Corporation, Corporate
Treasury — Securities Administration,
Bank of America Corporate Center, NC1-007-07-13, 000 Xxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx
00000, Facsimile: 000-000-0000, with a copy to each of: Bank of America Corporation, Legal
Department, NC1-002-29-01, 000 Xxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx 00000, Attn: General
Counsel, Facsimile: 000-000-0000; and McGuireWoods LLP, 000 Xxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxx
Xxxxxxxx 00000, Attn: Xxxx X. Xxxxxxxx, Xx., Facsimile: 000-000-0000.
13. Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the
parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers and directors and controlling
persons referred to in Section 8 hereof, and no other person will have any right or obligation
hereunder.
14. No Fiduciary Duties; Agreement Complete.
22
(a) The Company acknowledges and agrees that: (i) the purchase and sale of the Shares pursuant
to this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price of the Shares and any
related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company,
on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other hand, and the Company is capable of
evaluating and understanding and understands and accepts the terms, risks and conditions of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement; (ii) in connection with each transaction contemplated
hereby and the process leading to such transaction each Underwriter is and has been acting solely
as a principal and is not the financial advisor, agent or fiduciary of the Company, or its
affiliates, stockholders, creditors or employees or any other party; (iii) no Underwriter has
assumed or will assume an advisory, agency or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with
respect to any of the transactions contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective
of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) and
no Underwriter has any obligation to the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby
except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement; (iv) the several Underwriters and
their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests
that differ from those of the Company and that the several Underwriters have no obligation to
disclose any of such interests by virtue of any advisory, agency or fiduciary relationship; and (v)
the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to
the offering contemplated hereby and the Company has consulted its own legal, accounting,
regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.
(b) This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or
oral) between the Company and the several Underwriters, or any of them, with respect to the subject
matter hereof. The Company hereby waives and releases, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any
claims that the Company may have against the several Underwriters with respect to any breach or
alleged breach of agency or fiduciary duty.
15. Applicable Law. This Agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance
with the internal laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to principles of conflict of
laws.
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and
return to us the enclosed duplicate hereof, whereupon this letter and your acceptance shall
represent a binding agreement among the Company and the several Underwriters.
Very truly yours, BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION |
||||
By: | ||||
Name: | ||||
Title: | ||||
23
The foregoing Agreement is
hereby confirmed and accepted
as of the date specified in
Schedule I hereto.
hereby confirmed and accepted
as of the date specified in
Schedule I hereto.
By:
|
BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC | |||
By: |
||||
Title: |
For themselves and the other
several Underwriters, if any,
named in Schedule II to the
foregoing Agreement.
several Underwriters, if any,
named in Schedule II to the
foregoing Agreement.
24
SCHEDULE I
Underwriting Agreement dated , 20___.
Registration Statement No. 333-
Representative:
Address of Representative:
Title, Purchase Price and Description of Depositary Shares:
Title:
Net purchase price for the Initial Shares (include type of funds, if applicable):
Purchase price per share for the Option Shares:
Other provisions:
Closing Date, Time and Location:
Additional items to be covered by the letter from
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP delivered pursuant
to Section 5(e) at the time this Agreement is executed:
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP delivered pursuant
to Section 5(e) at the time this Agreement is executed:
I-1
SCHEDULE II
Underwriters
Number of Initial Shares to be Purchased
Number of Initial Shares to be Purchased
II-1
SCHEDULE III
Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses
III-1
SCHEDULE IV
Final Term Sheet
IV-1