Asset-Backed Notes Depositor UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
EXHIBIT 1.1
EXECUTION COPY
Asset-Backed
Notes
ML ASSET
BACKED CORPORATION
Depositor
July 22,
2008
Xxxxxxx
Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx
|
Incorporated
|
Four
World Financial Center
Xxxxx
Xxxxx
Xxx Xxxx,
Xxx Xxxx 00000
Dear
Sirs:
ML Asset
Backed Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Depositor”), proposes, from
time to time, to form one or more special purpose entities (each, a “Trust”)
which will issue up to $3,000,000,000 aggregate principal amount of securities
entitled “Asset Backed Notes” (the “Notes”, which may be referred to herein as
the “Offered Securities”) in one or more series (each, a “Series”) under the
terms and conditions contained herein and in the applicable Terms Agreement (as
hereinafter defined). The property of each Trust may consist
primarily of, among other things, (i) a pool of motor vehicle installment
sale contracts and loans (the “Loans”) for the purchase of new and used
automobiles, minivans, sport utility vehicles, light-duty trucks, motorcycles or
commercial vehicles financed thereby (the “Financed Vehicles”),
(ii) certain monies due under the Loans, (iii) security interests in
the Financed Vehicles, (iv) amounts on deposit in certain accounts,
(v) certain rights under a sale and servicing agreement (the “Sale and
Servicing Agreement”), among the Trust, the Depositor, U.S. Bank National
Association, as master servicer (in such capacity, the “Servicer”) and Citibank,
N.A., as indenture trustee (the “Indenture Trustee”), pursuant to which the
Loans and other property of the Depositor will be sold to the Trust and the
Loans will be serviced by the Servicer and (vi) all proceeds of the
foregoing.
Each
offering of Offered Securities will be made through Xxxxxxx Lynch, Pierce,
Xxxxxx & Xxxxx Incorporated (“Xxxxxxx Xxxxx”) and other underwriters
(collectively, the “Underwriters”) for whom Xxxxxxx Xxxxx is acting as
representative (the “Representative”). Whenever the Depositor
determines to form a Trust and to make an offering of Offered Securities, it
will enter into an agreement (each, a “Terms Agreement”) providing for the sale
of such Offered Securities to, and the purchase and offering thereof by, the
Underwriters who execute the Terms Agreement, or have authorized the
Representative to enter into such Terms Agreement on their behalf, and agree
thereby to become obligated to purchase such Offered Securities from the
Depositor. Such Terms Agreement shall specify, among other things,
principal balance, notional amount or stated principal balance of each related
class or subclass to be issued and their terms not otherwise specified in the
Sale and Servicing Agreement, the price at which such Offered Securities are to
be purchased by the Underwriters from the Depositor, the aggregate amount of
Offered Securities to be purchased by each Underwriter that is a party to such
Terms Agreement, and the initial public offering price or the method by which
the price at
which
such Offered Securities are to be sold will be determined. The Terms
Agreement, which shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto, may
take the form of an exchange of any standard form of written telecommunication
between the Representative and the Depositor.
Each
offering of Offered Securities will be governed by this Agreement, as
supplemented by the applicable Terms Agreement, and this Agreement and such
Terms Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the related
Underwriters. Except as otherwise required by the context, all
references herein to a Terms Agreement, Closing Time, Time of Sale, Receivables
Purchase Agreement, Indenture, Trust Agreement, Sale and Servicing Agreement,
Administration Agreement, Trust, Underwriter or Underwriters and Loans shall
refer to the Terms Agreement, Closing Time, Receivables Purchase Agreement,
Indenture, Trust Agreement, Sale and Servicing Agreement, Administration
Agreement, Trust, Underwriter or Underwriters and Loans, as the case may be,
relating to the related offering of Offered Securities.
Each
Series of Notes will be issued pursuant to an indenture (each, an “Indenture”),
among the Trust, U.S. Bank National Association, as securities administrator
(the “Securities Administrator”) and the Indenture Trustee. Each Note
will represent an obligation of the Trust. Pursuant to an administration
agreement (each, an “Administration Agreement”), among the Depositor, Xxxxxxx
Xxxxx Bank USA (“MLBUSA”), as administrator (in such capacity, the
“Administrator”), the Trust and the Indenture Trustee, the Administrator will
perform certain administrative obligations of the Trust under the
Indenture. Pursuant to the Indenture, the Trust property will be held
by the Indenture Trustee on behalf of the holders of the Notes. Capitalized
terms used herein that are not otherwise defined shall have the meanings
ascribed thereto in the Indenture or the Sale and Servicing Agreement, as the
case may be.
Each
Trust will be created pursuant to a trust agreement (each, a “Trust Agreement”),
among the Depositor and U.S. Bank Trust National Association as trustee (the
“Owner Trustee”). Each Trust may issue Certificates under the Trust
Agreement and each Certificate will evidence a fractional undivided interest in
the Trust and will be subordinated to the Notes to the extent described in the
Indenture and Trust Agreement.
The Terms
Agreement, Indenture, Trust Agreement, Administration Agreement, Sale and
Servicing Agreement, the receivables purchase agreement (the “Receivables
Purchase Agreement”), between the MLBUSA, as seller, and the Depositor, as
purchaser, and the spread account agreement, if any, (the “Spread Account
Agreement”), among the Trust and the Indenture Trustee are referred to herein
collectively as the “Basic Documents.”
The Depositor has filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement
on Form S-3 (No. 333-139130) covering the registration of the Offered Securities
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), which
Registration Statement, as amended at the date hereof, has become effective and
the offering thereof from time to time in accordance with Rule 415 under rules
and regulations of the Commission under the Securities Act (the “Securities Act
Regulations”). Such registration statement, as amended at the time of
effectiveness, including all material incorporated by reference therein and
including all information (if any) deemed to be part of the registration
statement at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430B of the Securities
Act Regulations, is referred to in this Agreement as the “Registration
Statement.” The Depositor proposes to file
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with the
Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act (“Rule 424(b)”) a
supplement (such supplement, together with any amendment thereof or supplement
thereto, is hereinafter referred to as the “Prospectus Supplement”) to the
prospectus included in the Registration Statement (such prospectus, together
with any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, in the form it appears in the
Registration Statement or in the form most recently revised and filed with the
Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) is hereinafter referred to as the “Basic
Prospectus”) relating to the Offered Securities and the method of distribution
thereof. The Basic Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement are hereinafter
referred to as the “Prospectus.”
Prior to
the date and time of the first Contract of Sale (within the meaning of Rule 159
under the Securities Act for the Offered Securities designated in the Terms
Agreement (the “Time of Sale”), the Depositor prepared a preliminary prospectus
(subject to completion). As used herein, “Preliminary Prospectus” means, with
respect to any date or time referred to herein, the most recent preliminary
Prospectus (as such preliminary Prospectus may be amended or supplemented),
which has been prepared and delivered by the Depositor to the Underwriters in
accordance with the provisions hereof.
For
purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, the
Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of
the foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission
pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system
(“XXXXX”). In addition, for purposes of this Agreement, all
references to the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the
Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be
deemed to include any information regarding “static pools” that is set forth
therein or incorporated therein by reference but is deemed not to be a part of
any prospectus or registration statement pursuant to Item 1105(d) of Regulation
AB.
All
references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other
information which is “contained”, “included” or “stated” in the Registration
Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus (or other references of
like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements
and schedules and other information which is incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the
case may be; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements
to the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus
shall be deemed to mean and include the filing of any document under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), which is
incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, such Preliminary
Prospectus or the Prospectus as the case may be.
Section
1. Representations and
Warranties.
(a) Representations and
Warranties by the Depositor. The Depositor represents and
warrants to the Underwriters as of the date hereof, as of the date of the Terms
Agreement and as of the Closing Time referred to in the Terms Agreement, and
agrees with the Underwriters, as follows:
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(i) Compliance with Registration
Requirements. The Depositor meets the requirements for use of
Form S-3 under the Securities Act. The Registration Statement,
including a prospectus and such amendments thereto as may have been required to
the date hereof, relating to the Offered Securities and the offering of each
Series thereof from time to time in accordance with Rule 415 under the
Securities Act, has been filed with the Commission. The Registration
Statement has become effective under the Securities Act and no stop order
suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued under
the Securities Act and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or
are pending or, to the knowledge of the Depositor, are contemplated by the
Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional
information has been complied with. The Indenture has been duly
qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “1939
Act”).
At the
most recent time the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment
thereto became effective and at Closing Time, the Registration Statement and any
amendments thereto complied and will comply in all material respects with the
requirements of the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations and the
1939 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1939 Act (the
“1939 Act Regulations”) and did 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 to make the statements therein not misleading. At the
date of the Preliminary Prospectus, at the Time of Sale and at the Closing Time,
neither the Preliminary Prospectus nor any amendments and supplements thereto
included or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or
will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements
therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading (it being understood that no representation or warranty is made with
respect to the omission of pricing and price-dependent information, which
information shall appear in the final Prospectus but not in the Preliminary
Prospectus). At the date of the Prospectus and at the Closing Time,
neither the Prospectus nor any amendments and supplements thereto included or
will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or will omit to
state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the
light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the representations
and warranties in this subsection shall not apply to statements in or omissions
from the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus
made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the
Depositor in writing by any Underwriter through the Representative expressly for
use in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or that part of the
Registration Statement which constitutes the Statements of Eligibility of
Qualification (Form T-1) of the Indenture Trustee or other indenture trustees
under the 1939 Act.
The
Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus filed as part of the Registration
Statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto, or filed
pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act, complied when so filed in all
material respects with the Securities Act Regulations and the Preliminary
Prospectus and the Prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use in
connection with the offering of Offered Securities will, at the time of such
delivery, be identical to any electronically transmitted
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copies
thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to XXXXX, except to the extent
permitted by Regulation S-T.
Other
than the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Depositor (including its
agents and representatives other than the Underwriters in their capacity as
such) has not made, used, prepared, authorized, approved or referred to and will
not prepare, make, use, authorize, approve or refer to any “written
communication”, including any “free writing prospectus”, (each as defined in
Rule 405 under the Securities Act) that constitutes an offer to sell or
solicitation of any offer to buy the Offered Securities.
(ii) Incorporated
Documents. The documents incorporated or deemed to be
incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, at
the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied and will
comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act and
the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (the “Exchange Act
Regulations”).
(iii) No Material Adverse
Change. Since the respective dates as of which information is
given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, except as otherwise set
forth therein, (A) there has been no material adverse change in the condition,
financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business
prospects of the Depositor, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of
business (a “Material Adverse Change”), (B) there have been no transactions
entered into by the Depositor, other than those in the ordinary course of
business, which are material with respect to such entity and (C) there has been
no material adverse change in the Financial Statements.
(iv) Due Organization of the
Depositor. The Depositor has been duly formed and is validly
existing as a corporation under the laws of the State of Delaware; the Depositor
has all requisite power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties
and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus and to enter into and to perform its obligations under this
Agreement, each Basic Document to which it is a party and the Securities; and
the Depositor is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in
each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of
the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where
the failure to so qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a
Material Adverse Change or have a material adverse effect on its ability to
perform its obligations under the Basic Documents to which it is a
party.
(v) Authorization of
Agreement. This Agreement has been, and each Terms Agreement
as of the date thereof will have been, duly authorized, executed and delivered
by the Depositor.
(vi) Authorization of Basic
Documents. As of the Closing Time, each of the Basic Documents
to which the Depositor is a party has been, or will have been, duly authorized,
executed and delivered by such entity, and, assuming the due authorization,
execution and delivery thereof by the other parties thereto, will constitute a
valid and
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binding
agreement of the Depositor, enforceable against such entity in accordance with
its terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy,
insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting enforcement of
creditors’ rights generally and except as enforcement thereof is subject to
general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in
a proceeding in equity or at law).
(vii) Issuance of the
Notes. The Notes have been duly authorized and, at the Closing
Time, will have been duly executed, issued and delivered and, when authenticated
in the manner provided for in the Indenture and delivered against payment of the
purchase price therefor as provided herein and in the Terms Agreement, will
constitute valid and binding obligations of the Trust, enforceable against the
Trust in accordance with their terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be
limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws
affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and except as enforcement
thereof is subject to general principles of equity (regardless of whether
enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), and will be in
the form contemplated by, and entitled to the benefits of, the
Indenture.
(viii) Issuance of the
Certificates. The Certificates have been duly and validly authorized and,
when executed, authenticated and delivered in accordance with the Trust
Agreement, will be validly issued and outstanding and entitled to the benefits
of the Trust Agreement.
(ix) Description of the Offered
Securities and Basic Documents. The Offered Securities and
each of the Basic Documents conform in all material respects to the descriptions
thereof and the statements relating thereto contained in the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus.
(x) Absence of Defaults and
Conflicts. The Depositor is not in violation of its
organizational or charter documents or bylaws or in default in the performance
or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in
any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement,
note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which
it may be bound, or to which any of its properties or assets is subject
(collectively, “Agreements and Instruments”), except for defaults that would not
result in a Material Adverse Change and would not have a material adverse effect
on its ability to perform its obligations under the Basic Documents to which it
is a party; and the execution, delivery and performance by the Depositor of this
Agreement, each Basic Document to which it is a party, the consummation of the
transactions contemplated herein and therein, in the Registration Statement or
in the Prospectus and compliance with its obligations hereunder and thereunder
have been duly and validly authorized by all necessary corporate action and do
not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of
time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, a default or Repayment
Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any
lien, mortgage, pledge, charge, encumbrance, adverse claim or other security
interest (collectively, “Liens”) upon any of its property or assets pursuant to
the Agreements and Instruments except for Liens permitted by the Basic Documents
and conflicts, breaches or defaults that, individually or
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in the
aggregate, will not result in a Material Adverse Change and would not have a
material adverse effect on its ability to perform its obligations under the
Basic Documents to which it is a party, nor will such action result in any
violation of the provisions of its charter or organizational documents or bylaws
or any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or
decree of any government, government instrumentality or court, domestic or
foreign, having jurisdiction over the Depositor or any of its assets, properties
or operations. As used herein, a “Repayment Event” means any event or
condition which gives the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of
indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require
the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness
by the Depositor.
(xi) Absence of
Proceedings. There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or
investigation before or brought by any court or governmental agency or body,
domestic or foreign, now pending or, to the knowledge of the Depositor,
threatened, against or affecting the Depositor which is required to be disclosed
in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (other than as stated therein),
or which might reasonably to expected to result in a Material Adverse Change, or
which might reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect its
properties or assets or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by
this Agreement or any Basic Document to which it is a party or the performance
of its obligations hereunder and thereunder; the aggregate of all pending legal
or governmental proceedings to which the Depositor is a party or of which any of
their respective properties or assets is the subject which are not described in
the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, including ordinary routine
litigation incidental to the business, could not reasonably be expected to
result in a Material Adverse Change.
(xii) Accuracy of
Exhibits. There are no contracts or documents which are
required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the
documents incorporated by reference therein or to be filed as exhibits thereto
which have not been so described and filed as required.
(xiii) Absence of Further
Requirements. No filing with, or authorization, approval,
consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any court,
governmental authority or agency or any other person is necessary in connection
with (A) the issuance or the offering and sale of the Offered Securities, (B)
the execution, delivery and performance by the Depositor of this Agreement or
any Basic Document to which it is a party or (C) the consummation by the
Depositor of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, except such as
have been obtained and are in full force and effect as of the Closing
Time.
(xiv) Possession of Licenses and
Permits. The Depositor possesses such permits, licenses,
approvals, consents and other authorizations (collectively, “Governmental
Licenses”) issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory
agencies or bodies necessary to conduct the business now operated by them; the
Depositor is in compliance with the terms and conditions of all such
Governmental Licenses, except where the failure so to comply would not, singly
or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Change; all of the Governmental
Licenses are valid and in full
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force and
effect, except when the invalidity of such Governmental Licenses or the failure
of such Governmental Licenses to be in full force and effect would not have a
Material Adverse Change or would render a material portion of the Loans
unenforceable; and the Depositor has not received any notice of proceedings
relating to the revocation or modification of any such Governmental Licenses
which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision,
ruling or finding, would result in a Material Adverse Change, would have a
material adverse effect on its ability to perform its obligations under each
Basic Document to which it is a party or would render a material portion of the
Loans unenforceable.
(xv) Title to Loans; Payment of
Fees. As of the Closing Time, the Trust will have good and
marketable title to, and will be the sole owner of each Loan free and clear of
Liens other than the Lien in favor of the Indenture Trustee under the Indenture;
all taxes, fees and other governmental charges arising in connection with the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Basic Documents and with the
execution and delivery of the Loans, including any amendments thereto and
assignments and/or endorsements thereof, have been paid by the Depositor or the
Seller.
(xvi) Investment Company
Act. The Depositor is not required to be registered as an
“investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the
“1940 Act”).
(xvii) Incorporation of
Representations and Warranties. The representations and
warranties of the Depositor in each Basic Document to which it is a party are
true and correct in all material respects and are hereby restated for the
benefit of the Underwriters and incorporated by reference herein with the same
effect as if set forth in full herein.
(b) Officer’s
Certificates. Any certificate signed by any officer of the
Depositor or any of its respective Affiliates (as defined below) and delivered
at the Closing Time to the Underwriters or to counsel for the Underwriters shall
be deemed a representation and warranty by the Depositor or such Affiliate, as
the case may be, to the Underwriters as to the matters covered
thereby. When used in this Agreement, the term “Affiliate” or
“Affiliates” shall have the meaning assigned by Rule 501(b) under the Securities
Act Regulations.
Section
2. Sale and
Delivery to the Underwriters; Closing.
(a) Purchase of the Offered
Securities. The several commitments of the Underwriters to
purchase the Offered Securities pursuant to the applicable Terms Agreement shall
be deemed to have been made on the basis of the representations and warranties
herein contained and shall be subject to the terms and conditions herein set
forth.
(b) Payment. Payment
of the purchase price for, and delivery of certificates for the Offered
Securities shall be made at the offices of Sidley Austin LLP in New York, New
York or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and
the Depositor, at 10:00 A.M. (New York time) on the date set forth in the
applicable Terms Agreement, or such other time not later than five business days
after such date as shall be agreed upon by the
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Representative
and the Depositor (such date and time of payment and delivery being called the
“Closing Time”).
The
Offered Securities will initially be represented by one or more certificates
registered in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee of The Depository Trust
Company (“DTC”). The interests of beneficial owners of the Offered
Securities will be represented by book entries on the records of DTC and
participating members thereof. Certificates for the Offered
Securities shall be made available for examination by the Representative in The
City of New York not later than 10:00 A.M. (New York time) on the business day
prior to the Closing Time.
Delivery
of the Offered Securities shall be made against payment of the purchase price by
wire transfer of immediately available funds to a bank account designated by the
Depositor.
Section
3. Covenants of the
Depositor. The Depositor covenants with each Underwriter as
follows:
(a) Compliance with Securities
Regulations. During the period when a prospectus is required
by the Securities Act or the Exchange Act to be delivered in connection with
sales of the Notes (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”), the Depositor will notify
you immediately, and confirm the notice in writing, of (i) the
effectiveness of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or
the filing of any supplement or amendment to the Prospectus, (ii) the
receipt of any comments from the Commission, (iii) any request by the
Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or
supplement to the Prospectus or any document incorporated by reference therein
or otherwise deemed to be a part thereof or for additional information,
(iv) the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any order preventing or
suspending the use of any Prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification
of the Offered Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the
initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes and
(v) the happening of any event which, in the judgment of the Depositor,
makes the Registration Statement or the Prospectus 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 not
misleading. The Depositor will make every reasonable effort to
prevent the issuance of any stop order and, if any stop order is issued, to
obtain as soon as possible the lifting thereof.
(b) Filing of
Amendments. Prior to the termination of the offering of the
Offered Securities, the Depositor will not file any amendment to the
Registration Statement or any amendment, supplement or revision to either the
Preliminary Prospectus or to the Prospectus, unless the Depositor has furnished
you a copy for your review prior to such proposed filing or use, as the case may
be, and will not file or use any such document to which you shall reasonably
object. Subject to the foregoing sentence, the Depositor will effect
the filings required under Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act in the
manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance
on Rule 424(b)(8)), and will take such steps as it deems necessary to
ascertain promptly whether the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus
transmitted for filing under Rule 424(b) were each received for filing by
the Commission and, in the event that either
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was not,
it will promptly file the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, as
applicable, and in each case will provide evidence satisfactory to you of such
timely filing.
(c) Delivery of Registration
Statements. The Depositor has furnished or will deliver to the
Representative and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, signed copies
of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto
(including exhibits filed therewith or incorporated by reference therein and
documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein) and
signed copies of all consents and certificates of experts, and will also deliver
to the Representative, without charge, a conformed copy of the Registration
Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto (without exhibits)
for each of the Underwriters. The Registration Statement and each
amendment thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to any
electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to
XXXXX, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
(d) Delivery of
Prospectuses. The Depositor will deliver to each Underwriter,
without charge, as many copies of the Preliminary Prospectus as such Underwriter
may reasonably request, and the Depositor hereby consents to the use of such
copies for purposes permitted by the Securities Act. The Depositor
will furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, during the period when the
Prospectus is required to be delivered under the Securities Act or the Exchange
Act, such number of copies of the Prospectus as such Underwriter may reasonably
request. The Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto
furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to any electronically
transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to XXXXX, except
to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
(e) Continued Compliance with
Securities Laws. The Depositor will comply with the Securities
Act and the Securities Act Regulations, the Exchange Act and the Exchange Act
Regulations and the 1939 Act and the 1939 Act Regulations so as to permit the
completion of the distribution of the Offered Securities as contemplated in this
Agreement and the Basic Documents and in the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus. If at any time when the Prospectus is required by the
Securities Act or the Exchange Act to be delivered in connection with sales of
the Offered Securities, any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a
result of which it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters
or for the Depositor, to amend the Registration Statement in order that the
Registration Statement will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact
or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to
make the statements therein not misleading or to amend or supplement the
Prospectus in order that the Prospectus will not include an untrue statement of
a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the
statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing at
the time it is delivered to a purchaser, or if it shall be necessary, in the
opinion of such counsel, at any such time to amend the Registration Statement or
amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to comply with the requirements of
the Securities Act or the Securities Act Regulations, the Depositor will
promptly prepare and file with the Commission, subject to Section 3(b), such
amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such statement or
omission or to make the Registration Statement or the Prospectus comply with
such requirements, and
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the
Depositor will furnish to the Underwriters, without charge, such number of
copies of such amendment or supplement as the Underwriters may reasonably
request.
(f) Blue Sky
Qualifications. The Depositor will use its best efforts, in
cooperation with the Underwriters, to qualify the Offered Securities for
offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and other
jurisdictions as the Underwriters may designate and to maintain such
qualifications in effect for a period of not less than one year from the date of
the Terms Agreement; provided, however, that the Depositor shall not be
obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a
foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it
is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing
business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so
subject. In each jurisdiction in which the Offered Securities have
been so qualified, the Depositor will file such statements and reports as may be
required by the laws of such jurisdiction to continue such qualification in
effect for a period of not less than one year from the date of the Terms
Agreement. The Depositor will also supply the Underwriters with such
information as is necessary for the determination of the legality of the
offering and sale of the Offered Securities for investment under the laws of
such jurisdictions as the Underwriters may reasonably request.
(g) Earnings
Statement. The Depositor will timely file such reports
pursuant to the Exchange Act as are necessary in order to make generally
available to its security-holders as soon as practicable an earnings statement
for the purposes of, and to provide the benefits contemplated by, the last
paragraph of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act.
(h) Use of
Proceeds. The Depositor shall cause the Trust to use the net
proceeds received by it from the sale of the Offered Securities in the manner
specified in the Prospectus under “Use of Proceeds.”
(i) Reports, Statements and
Certificates. So long as any Offered Securities are
outstanding, the Depositor shall deliver or cause to be delivered to the
Underwriters associated therewith, as soon as copies become available, copies of
(i) each payment date certificate delivered to the Indenture Trustee pursuant to
the Indenture, (ii) the annual statements of compliance, annual independent
certified public accountants’ reports and annual opinions of counsel furnished
to the Indenture Trustee or the Owner Trustee pursuant to the Basic Documents,
as soon as such statements, reports and opinions are furnished to the Indenture
Trustee or the Owner Trustee and (iii) such other information concerning the
Depositor, the Trust or the Offered Securities as the Underwriters may
reasonably request from time to time.
(j) Reporting
Requirements. The Depositor, during the period when the
Prospectus is required to be delivered under the Securities Act or the Exchange
Act, will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant
to the Exchange Act within the time periods required by the Exchange Act and the
Exchange Act Regulations.
Section
4. Payment
of Expenses.
11
(a) Expenses. The
Depositor shall pay all of its own expenses incident to the performance of its
obligations under this Agreement and the Terms Agreement, including without
limitation (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration
Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and each amendment or
supplement thereto, (ii) the preparation, reproduction and delivery to the
Underwriters of this Agreement, the Terms Agreement, any agreement among the
Underwriters, each Basic Document and such other documents as may be required in
connection with the issuance, offering, purchase, sale or delivery of the
Offered Securities, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the
certificates for the Offered Securities to the Underwriters, (iv) the fees and
expenses of the counsel, accountants and other advisors of the Depositor and any
of its Affiliates in connection with the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement, (v) the qualification of the Offered Securities under state
securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(f), including
filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the
Underwriters in connection therewith, (vi) the printing and delivery to the
Underwriters of copies of the Preliminary Prospectus, any Term Sheet, the
Prospectus and any amendments on supplements thereto, (vii) the fees and
expenses of the Owner Trustee and the Indenture Trustee, including the
reasonable fees and disbursements of their respective counsel in connection with
the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and (viii) any fees payable to
Xxxxx’x Investors Service, Inc. (“Xxxxx’x”), Fitch Ratings (“Fitch”) and
Standard & Poor’s, a division of The XxXxxx-Xxxx Companies, Inc. (“Standard
& Poor’s, and together with Moody’s and Fitch, the “Rating Agencies”) in
connection with the rating of the Offered Securities.
(b) Termination of
Agreement. If this Agreement is terminated by the Underwriters
in accordance with the provisions of Section 5 or Section 11(a), the Depositor
shall reimburse the Underwriters for all of their reasonable out-of-pocket
expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the
Underwriters.
Section
5. Conditions of the
Obligations of the Underwriters. The obligations of the
Underwriters are subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties
of the Depositor contained in Section 1 or in certificates of any officer of the
Depositor or any of its Affiliates delivered pursuant to a Terms Agreement or
the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Depositor of its covenants and
other obligations hereunder and to the following additional
conditions:
(a) Effectiveness of
Registration Statement. The Registration Statement has become
effective under the Securities Act and no stop order suspending the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued under the
Securities Act and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or
be pending or threatened by the Commission, and any request on the part of the
Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the
reasonable satisfaction of counsel for the Underwriters. A prospectus
containing information relating to the description of the Offered Securities,
the specific method of distribution and similar matters shall have been filed
with the Commission in accordance with Rule 424(b)(1), (2), (3), (4) or (5), as
applicable (or any required post-effective amendment providing such information
shall have been filed and declared effective in accordance with the requirements
of Rule 430A).
12
(b) Accountants’ Comfort
Letter. At the Closing Time, the Underwriters, the Depositor
shall have received from Deloitte & Touche LLP a letter or letters dated as
of the Closing Time, in form and substance as previously agreed to by the
Underwriters and otherwise satisfactory in form and substance to the
Underwriters and counsel for the Underwriters, containing statements and
information of the type ordinarily included in accountants' “comfort letters”
with respect to certain financial, statistical and other information contained
in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus.
(c) Officers’
Certificate. At the Closing Time, there shall not have been,
since the date hereof or since the respective dates as of which information is
given in the Prospectus, any Material Adverse Change with respect to the
Depositor, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, and the
Underwriters shall have received certificates of authorized officers of the
Depositor, dated as of the Closing Time, to the effect that (i) there has been
no such Material Adverse Change, (ii) the representations and warranties in
Section 1 are true and correct with the same force and effect as though
expressly made at and as of such Closing Time and (iii) the Depositor has
complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be
performed or satisfied at or prior to the Closing Time.
(d) Opinion of Counsel for the
Depositor. At the Closing Time, the Underwriters shall have
received the favorable opinion, dated as of the Closing Time, of Sidley Austin
LLP, counsel for the Depositor, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel
for the Underwriters, substantially to the effect that:
(i) The
Depositor has been duly formed and is validly existing as a corporation in good
standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, with power and authority to
own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described
in the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this
Agreement and each of the Basic Documents to which it is a party.
(ii) The
Notes, the Sale and Servicing Agreement and the Indenture conform in all
material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the
Prospectus;
(iii) Assuming
that the Sale and Servicing Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
delivered by the parties thereto, it constitutes a valid and binding agreement
of the Depositor and the Master Servicer, enforceable against the Depositor and
the Master Servicer in accordance with its terms, subject, as to enforceability,
to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws
affecting creditors’ rights generally and to general principles of equity
regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding in equity or at
law;
(iv) Assuming
that the Administration Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
delivered by the parties thereto, it constitutes a valid and binding agreement
of the Administrator, enforceable against the Administrator in accordance with
its terms, subject, as to enforceability, to bankruptcy, insolvency,
13
reorganization,
moratorium or other similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and to
general principles of equity regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a
proceeding in equity or at law;
(v) Assuming
that the Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the
parties thereto, it constitutes a valid and binding agreement of the Issuer,
enforceable against the Issuer in accordance with its terms, subject, as to
enforceability, to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other
similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and to general principles of
equity regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding in equity or
at law;
(vi) Assuming
that the Receivables Purchase Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
delivered by the parties thereto, each constitutes a valid and binding agreement
of each of the Seller and the Depositor, enforceable against each of the Seller
and the Depositor in accordance with its terms, subject, as to enforceability,
to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws
affecting creditors’ rights generally and to general principles of equity
regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding in equity or at law
and with respect to rights of indemnity under the Receivables Purchase
Agreement, limitations of public policy under applicable laws;
(vii) This
Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the
Depositor;
(viii) Assuming
that the Notes have been duly and validly authorized, executed and authenticated
in the manner contemplated in the Indenture, when delivered and paid for, the
Notes will be valid and binding obligations of the Issuer, enforceable against
the Issuer in accordance with their terms, and will be entitled to the benefits
of the Indenture, subject, as to enforceability, to bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws affecting creditors’ rights
generally and to general principles of equity regardless of whether enforcement
is sought in a proceeding in equity or at law;
(ix) The
Trust Agreement is not required to be qualified under the Trust Indenture Act
and the Issuer is not required to be registered under the 1940 Act;
and
(x) The
Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act.
Such
counsel shall have endeavored to see that the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus comply with the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the
Commission thereunder relating to registration statements on Form S-3 and
related prospectuses, but such counsel cannot, of course, make any
representation to you as to the accuracy or completeness of statements of fact
contained therein. Nothing, however, shall have come to such
counsel’s attention that has caused such counsel to believe that (i) the
Registration Statement, at the time it
14
became
effective, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state
a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading, (ii) that the Preliminary Prospectus, as of
the date of the related preliminary prospectus supplement, at the Time of Sale
or at the Closing Date, contained or contains an untrue statement of a material
fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading or (iii) that the Prospectus, as of the date of the related
prospectus supplement or at the Closing Date, contained or contains an untrue
statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact
necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading other than (x) the
information incorporated therein by reference (including, without limitation,
any Issuer Information), (y) the financial, statistical and numerical
information contained therein and (z) that part of the Registration Statement
that contains the Statement of Eligibility and Qualification (Form T-1) of the
Indenture Trustee under the 1934 Act, as to which in each case such counsel need
make no statement.
(e) Opinion of Counsel for the
Seller. At the Closing Time, the Underwriters shall have
received the favorable opinion, dated as of the Closing Time, of Jones, Waldo,
Xxxxxxxx & XxXxxxxxx, counsel for the Seller, in form and substance
satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters.
(f) Opinion of Special Delaware
Counsel for the Depositor. At the Closing Time, the
Underwriters shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of the Closing
Time, of Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx & Finger, special Delaware counsel for the Trust,
in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters,
substantially to the effect that:
(i) The
Trust has been duly formed and is validly existing as a business trust pursuant
to the laws of the State of Delaware, 12 Del. C. §§ 3801, et seq.
(ii) The
Trust Agreement authorizes the Trust to execute and deliver the Indenture, the
Sale and Servicing Agreement, and the Administration Agreement, to issue the
Certificates and the Notes and to grant the trust estate to the Indenture
Trustee as security for the Notes.
(iii) Assuming
that the Certificates have been duly authorized, executed and issued by the
Trust, the Certificates have been validly issued and are entitled to the
benefits of the Trust Agreement.
(iv) Except
for the timely filing in the future of continuation statements with respect to
the financing statements, no other filing is required in the State of Delaware
in order to make effective the lien of the Indenture. Insofar as the
Delaware Uniform Commercial Code, 6 Del. C. § 9-101 et seq. (the “Delaware
UCC”), applies (without regard to conflict of laws principles) and, assuming
that the security interests in that portion of the trust estate that consists of
tangible chattel paper, as defined under the Delaware UCC, have been duly
created and have attached, the Indenture Trustee has a perfected security
interest in such
15
tangible
chattel paper and, assuming that the Delaware UCC search accurately lists all
the financing statements filed naming the Trust as debtor and describing any
portion of the trust estate consisting of such tangible chattel paper, the
security interest of the Indenture Trustee will be prior to the security
interest of all other creditors, subject to customary and usual
exceptions.
(v) No
creditor of the Depositor or any Certificateholder shall have any right to
obtain possession or, or otherwise legal or equitable remedies with respect to,
the property of the Trust.
(vi) Assuming
that the Sale and Servicing Agreement conveys good title to the Trust Property
referred to therein to the Trust as a true sale and not as a security
arrangement, the Trust rather than the Depositor is the owner of the Trust
Property.
(vii) The
Trust Agreement is a legal, valid and binding agreement of the parties thereto,
enforceable against such parties, in accordance with its terms.
(viii) The
Offered Securities have been duly and validly authorized and, when executed,
authenticated and delivered in accordance with the Trust Agreement and the
Indenture, in the case of (i) the Notes, will be legal, valid and binding
obligations of the Trust, enforceable against the Trust, in accordance with
their terms, and (ii) the Certificates, will be duly and validly issued and
outstanding and entitled to the benefits of the Trust Agreement.
(g) Opinion of Special
Bankruptcy Counsel to the Depositor. At the Closing Time, the
Underwriters shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of the Closing
Time, of Sidley Austin LLP, special bankruptcy counsel to the Depositor, in form
and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, with respect to
certain bankruptcy matters.
(h) Opinion of Special Tax
Counsel to the Depositor. At the Closing Time, the
Underwriters shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of the Closing
Time, of Sidley Austin LLP, special tax counsel to the Depositor, in form and
substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, substantially to the
effect that (i) for federal income tax purposes, the Notes will be considered
debt and the Trust will not be an association taxable as a corporation and (ii)
the statements in the Prospectus under the caption “Material Federal Income Tax
Consequences”, to the extent that they constitute matters of law or legal
conclusions with respect thereto, have been prepared or reviewed by such counsel
and are correct in all material respects.
(i)
Opinion of Counsel for
Indenture Trustee. At the Closing Time, the Underwriters shall
have received the favorable opinion, dated as of the Closing Time, of Xxxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx & Xxxx LLP, counsel to the Indenture Trustee, in form and substance
satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, substantially to the effect
that:
(i) The
Indenture Trustee has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a
banking association under the laws of the United States.
16
(ii) The
Indenture Trustee, at the time of its execution and delivery of the Indenture,
had full power and authority to execute and deliver the Indenture and has full
power and authority to perform its obligations thereunder.
(iii) The
Indenture has been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered by the
Indenture Trustee and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery
thereof by the Trustee, constitutes the valid and binding obligation of the
Indenture Trustee enforceable against the Indenture Trustee in accordance with
its terms, except as enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy,
insolvency or other laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights or by
general principles of equity.
(iv) To
the best of such counsel’s knowledge, there are no actions, proceedings or
investigations pending or threatened against or affecting the Indenture Trustee
before or by any court, arbitrator, administrative agency or other governmental
authority which, if adversely decided, would materially and adversely affect the
ability of the Indenture Trustee to carry out the transactions contemplated in
the Indenture.
(j) Opinion of Counsel for Owner
Trustee. At the Closing Time, the Underwriters shall have
received the favorable opinion, dated as of the Closing Time, of Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
& Finger, counsel to the Owner Trustee, in form and substance satisfactory
to counsel for the Underwriters, substantially to the effect that:
(i) The
Owner Trustee has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a national
banking association in good standing under the laws of the State of
Delaware.
(ii) The
Owner Trustee has full corporate trustee power and authority to enter into and
perform its obligations under the Trust Agreement and, on behalf of the Trust,
under the Indenture, the Sale and Servicing Agreement and the Administration
Agreement.
(iii) The
execution and delivery of the Trust Agreement and, on behalf of the Trust, of
the Indenture, the Sale and Servicing Agreement, the Administration Agreement,
the Certificates and the Notes and the performance by the Owner Trustee of its
obligations under the Trust Agreement, the Indenture, the Sale and Servicing
Agreement and the Administration Agreement have been duly authorized by all
necessary corporate action of the Owner Trustee and each has been duly executed
and delivered by the Owner Trustee.
(iv) The
Trust Agreement, the Sale and Servicing Agreement, the Indenture and the
Administration Agreement constitute valid and binding agreements of the Owner
Trustee, enforceable against the Owner Trustee in accordance with their terms,
subject, as to enforcement of remedies, (A) to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency
and reorganization, generally, and (B) to
17
general
principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in
a proceeding in equity or at law).
(v) The
execution and delivery by the Owner Trustee of the Trust Agreement and, on
behalf of the Trust, the Sale and Servicing Agreement, the Indenture and the
Administration Agreement, and the performance by the Owner Trustee of its
obligations thereunder do not conflict with, result in a breach or violation of
or constitute a default under, the Articles or By-laws of the Owner
Trustee.
(k) Opinion of Counsel for the
Underwriters. At the Closing Time, the Underwriters shall have
received the favorable opinion, dated as of the Closing Time, of Sidley Austin
LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, in form and substance satisfactory to the
Underwriters. In rendering such opinion, such counsel may rely, as to
all matters governed by the laws of jurisdictions other than the law of the
State of New York and the federal law of the United States, upon the opinions of
counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters.
(l) Reliance
Letters. Counsel to the Depositor shall provide reliance
letters to the Underwriters relating to each legal opinion relating to the
transaction contemplated hereby or in the Terms Agreement rendered to either
Trustee or either Rating Agency.
(m) Maintenance of
Rating. At the Closing Time, the Notes shall be rated as set
forth in the related Prospectus Supplement relating to the Offered Securities
and the Depositor shall have delivered to the Underwriters a letter dated the
Closing Time from each Rating Agency, or other evidence satisfactory to the
Underwriters, confirming that the Notes have such ratings; and since the date of
this Agreement, there shall not have occurred a downgrading in the rating
assigned to the Notes or any other securities of the Depositor by any
“nationally recognized statistical rating agency”, as that term is defined by
the Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Securities Act, and no
such rating agency shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance
or review, with possible negative implications, its rating of the Notes or any
other securities of the Depositor.
(n) Additional Rating Agency
Requirements. The Depositor will, to the extent, if any, that
the ratings provided with respect to the Offered Securities by a Rating Agency
are conditioned upon the furnishing or the taking of any other actions by the
Depositor, furnish such documents and take all such other actions.
(o) Additional
Documents. At the Closing Time, counsel for the Underwriters
shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as it may reasonably
require for the purpose of enabling it to pass upon the issuance and sale of the
Offered Securities as herein contemplated, or in order to evidence the accuracy
of any of the representations or warranties or the fulfillment of any of the
conditions herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Depositor in
connection with the foregoing shall be satisfactory in form and substance to
counsel for the Underwriters.
18
Section
6. Representations and
Warranties of the Underwriters.
(a) Each
Underwriter, severally and not jointly, represents and warrants to, and agrees
with, the Depositor, in relation to each member state of the European Economic
Area which has implemented the Prospectus Directive (each, a "Relevant Member
State"), that with effect from and including the date on which the Prospectus
Directive is implemented in that Relevant Member State (the "Relevant
Implementation Date") it has not made and will not make an offer of Offered
Securities to the public in that Relevant Member State prior to the publication
of a prospectus in relation to the Offered Securities which has been approved by
the competent authority in that Relevant Member State or, where appropriate,
approved in another Relevant Member State and notified to the competent
authority in that Relevant Member State, all in accordance with the Prospectus
Directive, except that it may, with effect from and including the Relevant
Implementation Date, make an offer of Offered Securities to the public in that
Relevant Member State at any time:
(i) to
legal entities which are authorized or regulated to operate in the financial
markets or, if not so authorized or regulated, whose corporate purpose is solely
to invest in securities;
(ii) to
any legal entity which has two or more of (A) an average of at least 250
employees during the last financial year; (B) a total balance sheet of more than
€43,000,000 and (C) an annual net turnover of more than €50,000,000, as shown in
its last annual or consolidated accounts; or
(iii) in
any other circumstances which do not require the publication by the issuer of a
prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive.
For the
purposes of this Section 5(a), the expression an “offer of Offered Securities to
the public” in relation to any Offered Securities in any Relevant Member State
means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information
on the terms of the offer and the Offered Securities to be offered so as to
enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for the Offered
Securities, as the same may be varied in that Member State by any measure
implementing the Prospectus Directive in that Member State, and the expression
"Prospectus Directive" means Directive 2003/71/EC and includes any relevant
implementing measure in each Relevant Member State. "European Economic Area" means
Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France,
Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxx,
Xxxxxxxxxxx, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United
Kingdom, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
(b) Each
Underwriter, severally and not jointly, represents and warrants to, and agrees
with, the Depositor that:
(i) It
has complied and will comply with all applicable provisions of the Financial
Services and Markets Xxx 0000 (“FSMA”) of Great Britain with
19
respect
to anything done by it in relation to the Offered Securities in, from or
otherwise involving the United Kingdom.
(ii) It has only communicated or caused to be communicated
and it will only communicate or cause to be communicated any invitation or
inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of Section 21 of
the FSMA) received by it in connection with the issue or sale of any of the
Offered Securities in circumstances in which Section 21(1) of the FSMA does not
apply to the Trust.
Section
7. Free
Writing Prospectuses; Delivery of Preliminary Prospectus.
(a) The
following terms have the specified meanings for purposes of this
Agreement:
(i) “Free Writing
Prospectus” means and includes any information relating to the Offered
Securities disseminated by the Depositor or any Underwriter that constitutes a
“free writing prospectus” within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities
Act.
(ii) “Issuer Information”
means (1) the information contained in any Underwriter Free Writing Prospectus
which information is also included in the Preliminary Prospectus (other than
Underwriter Information) and (2) information in the Preliminary Prospectus that
is used to calculate or create any Derived Information.
(iii) “Derived Information”
means such written information regarding the Offered Securities as is
disseminated by any Underwriter to a potential investor, which information is
neither (A) Issuer Information nor (B) contained in the Registration Statement,
the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus or any
amendment or supplement to any of them, taking into account information
incorporated therein by reference (other than information incorporated by
reference from any information regarding the Offered Securities that is
disseminated by any Underwriter to a potential investor).
(b) Neither
the Depositor nor any Underwriter shall disseminate or file with the Commission
any information relating to the Offered Securities in reliance on Rule 167 or
426 under the Securities Act, nor shall the Depositor or any Underwriter
disseminate any Underwriter Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below) “in a
manner reasonably designed to lead to its broad unrestricted dissemination”
within the meaning of Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act.
(c) The
Depositor will not disseminate to any potential investor any information
relating to the Offered Securities that constitutes a “written communication”
within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act, other than the
Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, unless the Depositor has obtained the
prior consent of the Representatives (which consent will not be unreasonably
withheld).
20
(d) Each
Underwriter represents, warrants, covenants and agrees with the Depositor that,
other than the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, it has not made, used,
prepared, authorized, approved or referred to and will not prepare, make, use,
authorize, approve or refer to any “written communication” (as defined in Rule
405 under the Securities Act) that constitutes an offer to sell or solicitation
of an offer to buy the Offered Securities, including but not limited to any “ABS
informational and computational materials” as defined in Item 1101(a) of
Regulation AB under the Securities Act; provided, however, that
(i) each Underwriter may prepare and convey one or more “written
communications” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) containing no
more than the following: (1) information included in the Preliminary Prospectus,
(2) information relating to the class, size, rating, price, CUSIPS, coupon,
yield, spread, benchmark, status and/or legal maturity date of the Offered
Securities, the weighted average life, expected final payment date, trade date,
settlement date and payment window of one or more classes of Offered Securities
and the underwriters for one or more classes of Offered Securities, (3) the
eligibility of the Offered Securities to be purchased by ERISA plans, (4) a
column or other entry showing the status of the subscriptions for the Offered
Securities (both for the issuance as a whole and for each Underwriter’s
retention) and/or expected pricing parameters of the Offered Securities and (5)
an Intex CDI file that contains only information of the type described in clause
(5) of footnote 271 of Commission Release No. 33-8591 (Securities Offering
Reform) and that has been prepared by an Underwriter as described in the
parenthetical to such footnote (each such written communication, an “Underwriter
Free Writing Prospectus”); (ii) unless otherwise consented to by the
Depositor, no such Underwriter Free Writing Prospectus shall be conveyed if, as
a result of such conveyance, the Depositor or the Trust shall be required to
make any registration or other filing solely as a result of such Underwriter
Free Writing Prospectus pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act other
than the filing of the final terms of the Offered Securities pursuant to Rule
433(d)(5) under the Securities Act; (iii) each Underwriter shall provide the
Depositor a true and accurate copy of each Free Writing Prospectus conveyed by
it of the type referred to in Rule 433(d)(5)(ii) under the Securities Act no
later than noon (Central Time) on the date of first use; and (iv) each
Underwriter will be permitted to provide confirmations of sale. It is
hereby acknowledged that no Underwriter Free Writing Prospectus has been
prepared by or on behalf of the Trust or the Depositor for purposes of Rule
433(h)(1) or 433(h)(3) under the Securities Act.
(e) The
Depositor agrees to file with the Commission when required under the Securities
Act the following:
(i) subject
to the Underwriters’ compliance with Section 9(d), any Underwriter Free Writing
Prospectus at the time required to be filed; and
(ii) any
Free Writing Prospectus for which the Depositor or any person acting on its
behalf provided, authorized or approved information that is prepared and
published or disseminated by a person unaffiliated with the Depositor or any
other offering participant that is in the business of publishing, radio or
television broadcasting or otherwise disseminating communications.
21
(f) Notwithstanding
the provisions of Section 9(e), the Depositor will not be required to file any
Free Writing Prospectus that does not contain substantive changes from or
additions to a Free Writing Prospectus previously filed with the
Commission.
(g) The
Depositor and the Underwriters each agree that any Free Writing Prospectuses
prepared by it will contain the following legend:
The
Depositor has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with the
SEC for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you
invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement and other
documents the Depositor has filed with the SEC for more complete information
about the Depositor, the Issuing Entity, and this offering. You may
get these documents for free by visiting XXXXX on the SEC website at
xxx.xxx.xxx. Alternatively, the Depositor, any underwriter or any
dealer participating in the offering will arrange to send you the prospectus if
you request it by calling toll-free 1-8[xx-xxx-xxxx].
(h) The
Depositor and the Underwriters each agree to retain all Free Writing
Prospectuses that they have used and that are not filed with the Commission in
accordance with Rule 433 under the Securities Act.
(i) In
the event the Depositor becomes aware that, as of the Time of Sale, the
Preliminary Prospectus contains or contained any untrue statement of material
fact or omits or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the
statements contained therein in light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading (a “Defective Prospectus”), the Depositor shall promptly
notify the Representatives of such untrue statement or omission no later than
one business day after discovery and the Depositor shall, if requested by the
Representatives, prepare and deliver to the Underwriters a Corrected
Prospectus.
(j) If
any Underwriter becomes aware that, as of the Time of Sale, any Underwriter Free
Writing Prospectus delivered to a purchaser of an Offered Security contained any
untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact
necessary in order to make the statements contained therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (such Free Writing
Prospectus, a “Defective Free Writing Prospectus”), the Underwriter will notify
the Depositor thereof within one Business Day after discovery.
(k) Provided
that the Defective Free Writing Prospectus was the Preliminary Prospectus Free
Writing Prospectus or contained Issuer Information, the Underwriter will, if
requested by the Depositor:
(i) Prepare
a Free Writing Prospectus which corrects the material misstatement
in or omission from the Defective Free Writing Prospectus (such
corrected Free Writing Prospectus, a “Corrected Free Writing
Prospectus”);
(ii) Deliver
the Corrected Free Writing Prospectus to each purchaser of an Offered Security
which received the Defective Free Writing Prospectus prior to entering into an
agreement to purchase any Offered Securities;
22
(iii) Provide
such purchaser with adequate disclosure of the existing contractual arrangement
to purchase the Offered Securities;
(iv) Provide
such purchaser adequate disclosure of such person’s rights under the existing
contractual arrangement to purchase the Offered Securities at the time
termination is sought; and
(v) Provide
such purchaser with a meaningful opportunity to elect to terminate or not
terminate the existing contract of purchase and to elect to enter into or not
enter into a new agreement to purchase the Offered Securities based on the
information set forth in the Corrected Free Writing Prospectus.
(l) Each
Underwriter, severally, represents and agrees that it did not enter into any
contract of sale for any Offered Securities prior to the Time of
Sale.
Section
8. Indemnification.
(a) Indemnification of
Underwriters. The Depositor agrees to indemnify and hold
harmless the Underwriters and each person, if any, who controls the Underwriters
within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the
Exchange Act as follows:
(i) against
any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred,
arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material
fact contained in the Registration Statement (including Rule 430B Information)
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 arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement of a material fact included in the Preliminary Prospectus (or any
amendment or supplement thereto), the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement
thereto) or the Issuer Information 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;
(ii) against
any and all loss, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out
of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained
in the Issuer Information distributed by any Underwriter;
(iii) against
any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred,
to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or
any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or
threatened, or of any claim whatsoever, based upon any such untrue statement or
omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that
(subject to Section 8(d)) any such settlement is effected with the written
consent of the Depositor; and
(iv) against
any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the fees and
disbursements of counsel chosen by the Underwriters), reasonably incurred in
investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any
investigation or
23
proceeding
by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim
whatsoever, based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such
alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not
paid under clause (i) or (ii) above;
provided,
however, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability,
claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any untrue statement or
omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in
conformity with written information furnished to the Depositor by the
Underwriters expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment
thereto), or the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or
supplement thereto).
(b) Indemnification of the
Depositor. The Underwriters severally agree to indemnify and
hold harmless the Depositor and each person, if any, who controls the Depositor
within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1993 Act or Section 20 of the Exchange
Act against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in
the indemnity contained in Section 8(a), as incurred, but only with respect to
untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made
(i) in the Prospectus (or any amendment thereto), the Preliminary Prospectus (or
any amendment thereto) or the Registration Statement, including Rule 430B
Information, (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in
conformity with written information furnished to the Depositor by such
Underwriter expressly for use in the Registration Statement, including Rule 430B
Information, (or any amendment thereto), such Preliminary Prospectus (or any
amendment thereto) or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or
(ii) in the Derived Information that does not arise out of an error, material
misstatement or material omission in the information contained in the
Preliminary Prospectus or in any computer tape in respect of the Offered
Securities or the related receivables furnished by the Depositor to any
Underwriter. The Underwriters respective obligations to indemnify
pursuant to this Section are several in proportion to the principal amount of
Offered Securities set forth opposite their respective names in the Terms
Agreement and not joint.
As used
herein, “Rule 430B Information” means any information included in the Prospectus
that was omitted from the Registration Statement at the time it became effective
but that is deemed to be part of and included in the Registration statement
pursuant to Rule 430B under the Securities Act.
(c) Actions against Parties;
Notification. Each indemnified party shall give notice as
promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action
commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but
failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying
party from any liability hereunder to the extent it is not materially prejudiced
as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve it from any liability
which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity
agreement. In the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section
8(a), counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Underwriters,
and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 8(b), counsel to the
indemnified parties shall be selected by the Depositor, as
applicable. An indemnifying party may participate at its own expense
in the defense of any such action; provided, however, that counsel to the
indemnifying party shall not (except with the consent of the indemnified party)
also be counsel to the indemnified party. In no event shall the
24
indemnifying
parties be liable for fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to
any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for all indemnified parties
in connection with any one action or separate but similar or related actions in
the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or
circumstances. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written
consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry
of any judgment with respect to any litigation, or any investigation or
proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any
claim whatsoever in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be
sought under this Section or Section 9 (whether or not the indemnified parties
are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or
consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all
liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and
(ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or
a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.
(d) Settlement without Consent
if Failure to Reimburse. If at any time an indemnified party
shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party
for fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall
be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 8(a)(iii)
effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more
than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request,
(ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such
settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered into and
(iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party
in accordance with such request prior to the date of such
settlement.
Section
9. Contribution. If
the indemnification provided for in Section 8 is for any reason unavailable to
or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses,
liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to therein, then each
indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount of such losses,
liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by such indemnified party, as
incurred, (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative
benefits received by the Depositor on the one hand and the Underwriters on the
other hand from the offering of the Offered Securities pursuant to this
Agreement 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) above but also the relative fault of
the Depositor on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other hand in
connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses,
liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant
equitable considerations.
The
relative benefits received by the Depositor on the one hand and the Underwriters
on the other hand in connection with the offering of the Offered Securities
pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective
proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Offered
Securities pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by
the Depositor and the total underwriting discount and commission received by the
Underwriters, bear to the aggregate initial offering price of the Offered
Securities. The relative fault of the Depositor 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 alleged omission to state a material fact relates to
information supplied by the Depositor or by the Underwriters and the parties’
relative
25
intent,
knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such
statement or omission.
The
Depositor and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if
contribution pursuant to this Section were determined by pro rata allocation or
by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable
considerations referred to above in this Section. The aggregate
amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an
indemnified party and referred to above in this Section shall be deemed to
include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified
party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any
investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or
threatened, or any claim whatsoever, based upon any such untrue or alleged
untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.
Notwithstanding
the provisions of this Section, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute
any amount in excess of the amount by which the underwriting discount or
commission allocable to the Offered Securities underwritten by it and
distributed to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such
Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of any 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.
For
purposes of this Section, each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter
within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the
Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriters,
and each person, if any, who controls the Depositor within the meaning of
Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act shall have
the same rights to contribution as the Depositor. The Underwriters’
respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section are several in
proportion to the principal amount of Offered Securities set forth opposite
their respective names in the Terms Agreement and not joint. The
obligations of the Depositor are in addition to any other liability it may
otherwise have.
Section
10. Representations, Warranties
and Agreements to Survive Delivery. All representations,
warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates of
officers of the Depositor and its Affiliates submitted pursuant hereto shall
remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation
made by or on behalf of the Underwriters or any controlling person, or by or on
behalf of the Depositor and its Affiliates, and shall survive delivery of the
Offered Securities to the Underwriters.
Section
11. Termination of
Agreement.
(a) Termination;
General. The Underwriters may terminate this Agreement, by
notice to the Depositor, at any time at or prior to the Closing Time (i) if
there has been, since the time of execution of this Agreement or since the
respective dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus, any
material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the
earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Depositor, its
subsidiaries
26
considered
as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business,
(ii) if there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial
markets in the United States, any outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof
or other calamity or crisis or any change or development involving a prospective
change in national or international political, financial or economic conditions,
in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the
Underwriters, impracticable to market the Offered Securities or to enforce
contracts for the sale of the Offered Securities, (iii) if trading in any
securities of the Depositor or any of its Affiliates has been suspended or
materially limited by the Commission or if trading generally on the American
Stock Exchange or the New York Stock Exchange or in the Nasdaq National Market
has been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for
trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by any
of said exchanges or by such system or by order of the Commission, the National
Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. or any other governmental authority or
(iv) if a banking moratorium has been declared by either Federal or New
York authorities.
(b) Liabilities. If
this Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section, such termination shall be
without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section
4, and provided further that Sections 1, 8, 9 and 10 shall survive such
termination and remain in full force and effect.
Section
12. Default
by One or More of the Underwriters. If one or more of the
Underwriters shall fail at the Closing Time to purchase the Offered Securities
which it or they are obligated to purchase (the “Defaulted Securities”), then
the Representative shall have the right, within 24 hours thereafter, to make
arrangements for one or more of the non-defaulting Underwriters, or any other
underwriters, to purchase all, but not less than all, of the Defaulted
Securities in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms herein set
forth; if, however, the Representative shall not have completed such
arrangements within such 24-hour period, then:
(a) if
the number or aggregate principal amount, as the case may be, of Defaulted
Securities does not exceed 10% of the number or aggregate principal amount, as
the case may be, of Offered Securities to be purchased on such date, the
non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated, severally and not jointly, to
purchase the full amount thereof in the proportions that their respective
underwriting obligations in the Terms Agreement bear to the underwriting
obligations of all non-defaulting Underwriters, or
(b) if
the number or aggregate principal amount, as the case may be, of Defaulted
Securities exceeds 10% of the number or aggregate principal amount, as the case
may be, of Offered Securities to be purchased on such date, this Agreement shall
terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting
Underwriter.
No action
taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from
liability in respect of its default.
In the
event of any such default which does not result in a termination of this
Agreement either the Representative or the Depositor shall have the right to
postpone the Closing Time for a
27
period
not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus or in any other documents or
arrangements.
Section
13. Notices. All
notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be
deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of
telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be directed to
the Representative at Four World Financial Center, New York, New York 10080,
attention Syndicate Department; notices to the Depositor shall be directed to
Four World Financial Center, New York, New York 10080 attention
President.
Section
14. Parties. This
Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon each of the
Underwriters, the Depositor and its respective successors. Nothing
expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to
give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Underwriters, the Depositor
and its respective successors and the controlling persons, directors and
officers referred to in Sections 8 and 9 and their heirs and legal Underwriters
any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this
Agreement or any provision herein contained. This Agreement and all
conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive
benefit of the Underwriters, the Depositor and its respective successors, and
the controlling persons, directors and officers referred to in Sections 8 and 9
and their heirs and legal Underwriters and for the benefit of no other person,
firm or corporation. No purchaser of Offered Securities from any
Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such
purchase.
Section
15. GOVERNING LAW. THIS
AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE
STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO ITS CONFLICTS OF LAW PROVISIONS, AND THE
OBLIGATIONS, RIGHTS AND REMEDIES OF THE PARTIES UNDER THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE
DETERMINED IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUCH LAWS.
Section
16. Effect
of Headings. The Article and Section headings herein are for
convenience only and shall not effect the construction hereof.
28
If the
foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign
and return to the Depositor a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument,
along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement among the
Underwriters, the Depositor in accordance with its terms.
ML ASSET
BACKED CORPORATION,
as
Depositor
By: /s/ Xxxxxxx
X. XxXxxxxx
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. XxXxxxxx
Title:
Secretary
CONFIRMED
AND ACCEPTED,
as of the
date first above written:
Xxxxxxx
Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx
Incorporated,
as
Representative of the several Underwriters
By: /s/ Xxx
Xxxxx
Name: Xxx Xxxxx
Title: Authorized Signatory
EXHIBIT
A
ML ASSET
BACKED CORPORATION
(Depositor)
Series
_______
TERMS
AGREEMENT
_______
__, ____
To:
|
ML
Asset Backed Corporation, as Depositor under the Sale and Servicing
Agreement dated as of _______ __, ____ (the “Sale and Servicing
Agreement”). Capitalized terms used herein but not otherwise
defined shall have the meanings ascribed thereto in the Sale and Servicing
Agreement.
|
Re:
|
Underwriting
Agreement dated_______ __, ____.
|
Title:
|
_______________ Asset-Backed
Notes, Series _______.
|
Principal
Amount: $
Terms of the
Notes:
Class
|
Original
Principal
Amount
|
Interest
Rate
or
Formula
|
||
A
|
$
(approximate;
subject to a variance of plus or minus 5%)
|
A-1
Ratings:
Class
|
Xxxxx’x
|
Fitch
|
Standard
& Poor’s
|
|||
A
|
||||||
B
|
Terms of
Sale: The purchase price payable by the Underwriters for the
Offered Securities is _____% of the principal amount of the Offered Securities
plus accrued interest at the related Interest Rate from the date of initial
issuance.
Payment
of the purchase price shall be in immediately available Federal funds wired to
such bank as may be designated by the Depositor.
The Class
___ Notes issued pursuant to the Indenture and the Class ___ Certificates issued
pursuant to the Trust Agreement are not subject to this Agreement.
Underwriting
Breakdown:
Class
A
|
Class
B
|
|||||||
Xxxxxxx
Lynch, Pierce, Xxxxxx & Xxxxx Incorporated
|
$ | $ | ||||||
_____________________________
|
$ | $ | ||||||
Total
|
$ | $ |
Underwriting
Commissions:
Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary in the Underwriting Agreement, no additional
underwriting commission shall be payable by the Depositor to the Underwriters in
connection with the purchase of the Notes.
Public
offering price and/or method of determining price at which the Underwriters will
sell the Notes:
Class
A:
|
__________%
|
Class
B:
|
__________%
|
Information Furnished by the
Underwriters
For
purposes of Section 1(a)(i) and Section 8(b) of the Underwriting Agreement the
information in the Prospectus (or any amendment thereto), or the Preliminary
Prospectus or the Registration Statement (or any amendment or supplement
thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished
to the Depositor by the Underwriters shall be limited to the following:
[ ]
A-2
Loans: The
motor vehicle installment sales contracts and loans (the “Loans”) sold by the
Seller to the Depositor pursuant to the Receivables Purchase Agreement, dated as
of _______ __, ____, between the Depositor, as purchaser, and MLBUSA, as seller,
and conveyed by the Depositor to the Trust pursuant to the Sale and Servicing
Agreement, are more fully described in Exhibit A to the Sale and Servicing
Agreement.
Closing
Time: 10:00 a.m., New York time, on or about ______ __, ____,
or at such other time not later than seven full business days thereafter as may
be agreed upon, at the offices of ____________ at
_____________________________________________.
Time of
Sale: 4:00 p.m. New York time on July [__], 2008.
A-3
If the
foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign
and return to us a counterpart hereof, whereupon, it will become a binding
agreement among the Depositor and the several Underwriters in accordance with
its terms.
XXXXXXX
LYNCH, PIERCE, XXXXXX & XXXXX INCORPORATED
as
Representative of the several Underwriters
By:
Name:
Title:
CONFIRMED
AND ACCEPTED
as of the
date first written:
ML ASSET
BACKED CORPORATION,
as
Depositor
By:
Name:
Title:
A-4