Contract
Exhibit 1.1
000.XXX LIMITED
(a Cayman Islands exempted company)
5,786,000 American Depositary Shares
Representing
57,860,000 Class A Ordinary Shares
(Par Value US$0.00005 Per Share)
, 2013
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.
00 Xxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
as Representative of the several Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto
Ladies and Gentlemen:
000.xxx Limited, an exempted company incorporated in the Cayman Islands (the “Company”), confirms its agreement with Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. (“Deutsche Bank”) and each of the other underwriters named in Schedule A hereto (collectively, the “Underwriters,” which term shall also include any underwriter substituted as hereinafter provided in Section 10 hereof), for whom Deutsche Bank is acting as representative (in such capacity, the “Representative”), with respect to (i) the sale by the Company, and the purchase by the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the respective numbers of American depositary shares (“ADSs”), each ADS representing 10 Class A ordinary shares, par value US$0.00005 per share, of the Company (“Ordinary Shares”) set forth in Schedules A and B hereto and (ii) the grant by the Company to the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the option described in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any part of 867,900 additional ADSs to cover overallotments, if any. The aforesaid 5,786,000 ADSs (the “Initial Securities”) to be purchased by the Underwriters and all or any part of the 867,900 ADSs subject to the option described in Section 2(b) hereof (the “Option Securities”) are hereinafter called, collectively, the “Securities.”
The ADSs purchased by the Underwriters pursuant to this agreement will be evidenced by American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) to be issued pursuant to a deposit agreement (the “Deposit Agreement”), to be entered into among the Company, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, as depositary (the “Depositary”), and owners and holders from time to time of the ADSs.
The Company understands that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of the Securities as soon as the Representative deems advisable after this Agreement has been executed and delivered.
1
The Company and the Underwriters agree that up to 578,600 shares of the Initial Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters (the “Reserved Securities”) shall be reserved for sale by Xxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. (“Xxxxx Xxxxxxx”) to certain persons designated by the Company (the “Invitees”), as part of the distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters, subject to the terms of this Agreement, the applicable rules, regulations and interpretations of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) and all other applicable laws, rules and regulations. The Company solely determined, without any direct or indirect participation by the Underwriters, the Invitees who will purchase Reserved Securities (including the amount to be purchased by such persons) sold by Xxxxx Xxxxxxx. To the extent that such Reserved Securities are not orally confirmed for purchase by Invitees by 9:00 A.M. (New York City Time) on the first business day after the date of this Agreement, such Reserved Securities may be offered to the public as part of the public offering contemplated hereby.
The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form F-1 (No. 333-191844), including the related preliminary prospectus or prospectuses, covering the registration of the sale of the Securities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”). Promptly after execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will prepare and file a prospectus in accordance with the provisions of Rule 430A (“Rule 430A”) of the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1933 Act (the “1933 Act Regulations”) and Rule 424(b) (“Rule 424(b)”) of the 1933 Act Regulations. The information included in such prospectus that was omitted from such registration statement at the time it became effective but that is deemed to be part of such registration statement at the time it became effective pursuant to Rule 430A(b) is referred to as “Rule 430A Information.” Such registration statement, including the amendments thereto, the exhibits thereto and any schedules thereto, at the time it became effective, and including the Rule 430A Information, is herein called the “Registration Statement.” Any registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations is herein called the “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement” and, after such filing, the term “Registration Statement” shall include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. Each prospectus used prior to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, and each prospectus that omitted the Rule 430A Information that was used after such effectiveness and prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, is herein called a “preliminary prospectus.” The final prospectus, in the form first furnished to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offering of the Securities, is herein called the “Prospectus.” A registration statement on Form F-6 (No. 333-192259) relating to the ADSs has been filed with the Commission and has become effective (such registration statement on Form F-6, including all exhibits thereto, as amended through the time such registration statement becomes effective, being hereinafter called the “ADS Registration Statement”). The Company has also filed, in accordance with Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), a registration statement (such registration statement as amended through the time such registration statement becomes effective, being hereinafter called the “1934 Act Registration Statement”), on Form 8-A (No. 001-36206) under the 1934 Act to register, under Section 12(b) of the 1934 Act, the Ordinary Shares and the ADSs. For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus, the ADS Registration Statement, the 1934 Act Registration Statement 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 or any successor system (“XXXXX”).
All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is “contained,” “included” or “stated” in the Registration Statement, any 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 or otherwise deemed by 1933 Act Regulations to be a part of or included in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to mean and include the filing of any document under the 1934 Act which is incorporated by reference in or otherwise deemed by 1933 Act Regulations to be a part of or included in the Registration Statement, such preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be.
2
SECTION 1. Representations and Warranties by the Company. The Company represents and warrants to each Underwriter as of the date hereof, the Applicable Time (as defined below), the Closing Time (as defined below), and any Date of Delivery (as defined below), and agrees with each Underwriter, as follows:
(a) Compliance with Registration Requirements. Each of the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto has become effective under the 1933 Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued under the 1933 Act and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, are contemplated. The Company has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information by the Commission.
At the respective times the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement and any post-effective amendments thereto became effective, at the Closing Time and at any Date of Delivery, the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement and any amendments and supplements thereto complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 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, and the Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus and any supplement thereto or prospectus wrapper prepared in connection therewith, at their respective times of issuance and at the Closing Time, complied and will comply in all material respects with any applicable laws or regulations of foreign jurisdictions in which the Prospectus and such preliminary prospectus, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, are distributed in connection with the offer and sale of Reserved Securities. Neither the Prospectus nor any amendments or supplements thereto (including any prospectus wrapper), at the time the Prospectus or any such amendment or supplement was issued, at the Closing Time and at any Date of Delivery, 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.
The 1934 Act Registration Statement has become effective under the 1934 Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the 1934 Act Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued under the 1934 Act and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, are contemplated by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information has been complied with.
At the time the 1934 Act Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto became effective, at the Closing Time and at any Date of Delivery, the 1934 Act Registration Statement and any amendments and supplements thereto complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1934 Act 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.
As of the Applicable Time, the Closing Time and at any Date of Delivery, as the case may be, neither (x) the Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus(es) (as defined below) issued at or prior to the Applicable Time, the Statutory Prospectus (as defined below) as of the Applicable Time and the information included on Schedule C(b) hereto, all considered together (collectively, the “General Disclosure Package”), nor (y) any individual Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus and each written Section 5(d) Communication, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
3
As used in this subsection and elsewhere in this Agreement:
“Applicable Time” means P.M., New York City time, on , 2013 or such other time as agreed by the Company and the Representative.
“Statutory Prospectus” as of any time means the prospectus relating to the Securities that is included in the Registration Statement immediately prior to that time, including any document incorporated by reference therein.
“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 433”), relating to the Securities that is (i) required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) a “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i) whether or not required to be filed with the Commission or (iii) exempt from filing pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Securities or of the offering that does not reflect the final terms, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).
“Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors (other than a Bona Fide Electronic Road Show (as defined below)), as evidenced by its being specified in Schedule C(a) hereto.
“Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not an Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus.
“Section 5(d) Communications” means any oral or written communications undertaken solely pursuant to Section 5(d) of the 1933 Act. All written Section 5(d) Communications are specified in Schedule C(c) hereto.
The Company
has made available a “bona fide electronic road show,” as defined in Rule 433, in compliance with
Rule 433(d)(8)(ii) (the “Bona Fide Electronic Road Show”) such that no filing of any “road show” (as defined in Rule
433(h)) is required in connection with the offering of the Securities.
Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Securities or until any earlier date that the issuer notified or notifies the Representative as described in the next sentence, did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, and any preliminary or other prospectus deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified.
The representations and warranties in this subsection (a) shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use therein. For purposes of this Agreement, the only information so furnished shall be the information in the first paragraph under the heading “Underwriting–Commissions and Discounts,” the information in the second, third and fourth paragraphs under the heading “Underwriting–Price Stabilization, Short Positions and Penalty Bids,” and the information under the heading “Underwriting–Electronic Offer, Sale and Distribution of ADSs” in each case contained in the Prospectus (collectively, the “Underwriter Information”).
Each preliminary prospectus (including the prospectus filed as part of the Registration Statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto) complied when so filed in all material respects with the 1933 Act Regulations and each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with this offering was identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to XXXXX, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
4
At the time of filing the Registration Statement, any 462(b) Registration Statement and any post-effective amendments thereto, at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations) of the Securities and at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405 (“Rule 405”) of the 1933 Act Regulations, without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an ineligible issuer.
At the time of filing the Registration Statement and any 462(b) Registration Statement and at the time of any Section 5(d) Communications, the Company was, and on the date hereof the Company is, an “emerging growth company” as defined in Section 2(a) (19) of the 0000 Xxx.
(b) Independent Accountants. The accountants who certified the financial statements and supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are independent public accountants as required by the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.
(c) Financial Statements. The financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, present fairly the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries at the dates indicated and the results of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries for the periods specified; said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“US GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved. The supporting schedules, if any, present fairly in accordance with US GAAP the information required to be stated therein. The selected financial data and the summary financial information included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements included therein. The pro forma financial statements and the related notes thereto included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein, have been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines with respect to pro forma financial statements and have been properly compiled on the bases described therein, and the assumptions used in the preparation thereof are reasonable and the adjustments used therein are appropriate to give effect to the transactions and circumstances referred to therein. Except as included therein, no historical or pro forma financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus under the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations. All disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply with Regulation G of the 1934 Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K of the 1933 Act, to the extent applicable.
(d) No Material Adverse Change in Business. Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, except as otherwise stated therein, (A) there has been no material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the results of operations, stockholders’ equity, properties, business or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business (a “Material Adverse Effect”), (B) there have been no transactions entered into by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, other than those in the ordinary course of business, which are material with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, and (C) there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its capital stock.
5
As used in this sub-section and elsewhere in this Agreement, “subsidiary” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 and shall include, with respect to the Company, any of its VIEs (as defined below).
(e) Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the Cayman Islands and has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement; and the Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each other 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 so to qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Memorandum and Articles of Association or other constitutive or organizational documents of the Company comply with the requirements of applicable Cayman Islands law and are in full force and effect. Complete and correct copies of all constitutive documents of the Company and all amendments thereto have been delivered to the Representative; except as set forth in the exhibits to the Registration Statement, no change will be made to any such constitutive documents on or after the date of this Agreement through and including the Closing Time.
(f) Subsidiaries. (i) The Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation or entity other than the subsidiaries listed in Exhibit 21.1 to the Registration Statement. Other than the subsidiaries listed in Exhibit 21.1 to the Registration Statement, the Company does not own, directly or indirectly, any shares of stock or any other equity interests or long-term debt securities of, or otherwise control, any corporation, firm, partnership, joint venture, association or other entity; (ii) each subsidiary of the Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has corporate or similar power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and is duly qualified to transact business as a foreign corporation in good standing in all other jurisdictions in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except where such failure to be qualified would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. The constitutive documents of each subsidiary of the Company comply with the requirements of applicable laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation and are in full force and effect; (iii) all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of each of Fine Brand Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company incorporated under the laws of the British Virgin Islands, 500wan HK Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company incorporated under the laws of Hong Kong, E-Sun Sky Computer (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (the “WFOE”), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company incorporated under the laws of the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC”), has been duly authorized and validly issued and is fully paid and non-assessable, and such capital stock is owned directly or indirectly by the Company free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity; and (iv) all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of each of Shenzhen E-Sun Network Co., Ltd. (“E-Sun Network”), a variable interest entity of the Company incorporated under the laws of the PRC, Shenzhen E-Sun Sky Network Technology Co., Ltd. (“E-Sun Sky Network”), a wholly owned subsidiary of E-Sun Network incorporated under the laws of the PRC, Shenzhen Youlanguang Technology Co., Ltd. (“Youlanguang Technology”), a variable interest entity of the Company incorporated under the laws of the PRC, and Shenzhen Guangtiandi Technology Co., Ltd. (“Guangtiandi Technology”, together with E-Sun Network (including its wholly owned subsidiary E-Sun Sky Network) and Youlanguang Technology, the “VIEs”), a variable interest entity of the Company incorporated under the laws of the PRC has been duly authorized and validly issued and is fully paid and non-assessable, and such capital stock is owned directly by its shareholders as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity except such as disclosed therein. Each of the individual shareholders of the VIEs are citizens of the PRC, and no application is pending in any other jurisdiction by them or on their behalf for naturalization or citizenship.
6
(g) Capitalization. The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company are as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus in the column entitled “Actual” under the caption “Capitalization” (except for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to this Agreement, pursuant to reservations, agreements or employee benefit plans referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or pursuant to the exercise of convertible securities or options referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus). The issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable. None of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company were issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no outstanding rights (including, without limitation, preemptive rights), warrants or options to acquire, or instruments convertible into or exchangeable for, any Ordinary Shares or other equity interest in the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any contract, commitment, agreement, understanding or arrangement of any kind relating to the issuance of any capital stock of the Company or any such subsidiary, any such convertible or exchangeable securities or any such rights, warrants or options; the Ordinary Shares underlying the ADSs to be sold by the Company, when issued and delivered against payment thereof, may be freely deposited by the Company with the Depositary against issuance of ADRs evidencing the ADSs; the ADSs to be sold by the Company, when issued and delivered against payment thereof, will be freely transferable by the Company to or for the account of the Underwriters; and there are no restrictions on subsequent transfers of such ADSs under the laws of the Cayman Islands, the PRC or the United States, except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(h) Intercompany Agreements. (a) The description of each of the Exclusive Option Agreements, Equity Interests Pledge Agreements, Irrevocable Power of Attorney and Exclusive Business Cooperation Agreements (each as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus) (collectively, the “Intercompany Agreements”) in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption “Our History and Corporate Structure” is true and correct in all material respects. Each Intercompany Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the relevant parties of such agreement, is in full force and effect, and constitutes a valid and binding obligation of such parties, enforceable against such parties in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws of general applicability affecting creditors’ rights or by equitable principles relating to enforceability. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company or its subsidiaries of each of the Intercompany Agreements will not conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any subsidiary is bound or to which the Company or any subsidiary is subject, nor will such actions result in any violation of any applicable law or any order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary or any of their properties or assets; nor will such actions result in any violation of any provision of any constitutive documents of the Company or its subsidiaries; and no consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing or registration with, any court or governmental agency or body is required for the execution and delivery by the Company or its subsidiaries of, and compliance by the Company or its subsidiaries with, the provisions of each of the Intercompany Agreements, except such as shall have been obtained or waived.
(i) The execution and delivery by the WFOE, the VIEs and the shareholders of the VIEs (the “PRC Shareholders”) of, and the performance by such parties of their respective obligations under, each of the Intercompany Agreements and the consummation by such parties of the transactions contemplated therein did not, does not and will not: (A) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, lease, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company, its subsidiaries or the PRC Shareholders, as the case may be, are a party or by which the Company, its subsidiaries or the PRC Shareholders are bound or to which any of the properties or assets of the Company, its subsidiaries or the PRC Shareholders are subject; (B) result in any violation of the provisions of constitutive documents or business license of the Company, its subsidiaries, as the case may be; or (C) result in any violation of any PRC statute or any order, rule or regulation of any PRC governmental agency having jurisdiction over the Company, its subsidiaries, the RPC Shareholders or any of their properties.
7
(j) Each of the Intercompany Agreements is in proper legal form under the laws of the PRC for the enforcement thereof against either the WFOE, the VIEs or the PRC Shareholders, as the case may be, in the PRC without further action by the WFOE, the VIEs or the PRC Shareholders, as the case may be; and to ensure the legality, validity, enforceability or admissibility in evidence of each of the Intercompany Agreements in the PRC, it is not necessary that any such document be filed or recorded with any court or other authority in the PRC or that any stamp or similar tax be paid on or in respect of any of the Intercompany Agreements.
(k) The Company possesses, directly or indirectly, the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of each of the WFOE and the VIEs, through, among other things, its rights to direct the RPC Shareholders as to the exercise of their voting rights.
(l) Authorization of Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(m) Authorization of Deposit Agreement. The Deposit Agreement has been duly authorized, and when executed and delivered by the Company, will constitute a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws of general applicability affecting creditors’ rights or by equitable principles relating to enforceability. Upon due execution and delivery by the Depositary of ADRs evidencing Securities and the deposit of Ordinary Shares in respect thereof in accordance with the provisions of the Deposit Agreement, such ADRs will be duly and validly issued and the persons in whose names the ADRs are registered will be entitled to the rights specified therein and in the Deposit Agreement; and the Deposit Agreement and the ADRs conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(n) Directors and Officers. To the best knowledge of the Company after due inquiry, none of the Company’s directors, director nominees or executive officers is a party to any legal, governmental or regulatory proceeding that causes such director or officer to be unsuitable for his or her position on the board or in the Company.
(o) No Finder’s Fee. Except those contemplated in this Agreement, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or other like payment in connection with this offering. There are no arrangements, agreements, understandings, payments or issuance with respect to the Company, its subsidiaries, or to the Company’s best knowledge after due inquiry, any of their officers, directors, shareholders, partners, employees or affiliates that may affect the Underwriters’ compensation as determined by FINRA.
(p) Listing. The Securities have been approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange, subject only to notice of issuance.
8
(q) Authorization and Description of Securities. The Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Company have been duly authorized for issuance and sale to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Company pursuant to this Agreement against payment of the consideration set forth herein, will be validly issued and fully paid and non-assessable. The Securities conform to all statements relating thereto contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and such description conforms to the rights set forth in the instruments defining the same; no holder of the Securities will be subject to personal liability by reason of being such a holder; and the issuance of the Securities is not subject to the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company.
(r) Registration Rights. There are no persons with registration rights or other similar rights to have any securities registered for sale pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise registered for sale or sold by the Company under the 1933 Act pursuant to this Agreement.
(s) Absence of Defaults and Conflicts. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries (A) is in violation of its charter, by-laws or similar organizational documents, (B) is 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 the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound, or to which any of the properties or assets of the Company or any subsidiary is subject (collectively, “Agreements and Instruments”), except for such defaults that would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, or (C) was or is in violation of any law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any arbitrator, court, governmental body, regulatory body, administrative agency or other authority, body or agency having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective properties, assets or operations (each, a “Governmental Entity”), except for such violations that would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the Deposit Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and therein and in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (including the issuance and sale of the Securities and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described in therein under the caption “Use of Proceeds”) and compliance by the Company with its obligations under this Agreement and the Deposit Agreement have been duly 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, or default or Repayment Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, the Agreements and Instruments (except for such conflicts, breaches, defaults or Repayment Events or liens, charges or encumbrances that would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect), nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the charter, by-laws or similar organizational documents of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any Governmental Entity. 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 Company or any of its subsidiaries.
(t) Absence of Labor Dispute. No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its or any of its subsidiaries’ principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or contractors, which, in either case, would, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(u) Absence of Proceedings. There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any Governmental Entity, now pending, or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries, which is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (other than as disclosed therein), or which might, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, or which might materially and adversely affect the properties or assets thereof or the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement or the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder; the aggregate of all pending legal or governmental proceedings to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any of their respective properties or assets is the subject which are not described in the Registration Statement, including ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business, could not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.
9
(v) Accuracy of Exhibits. There are no contracts or documents which are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits thereto which have not been so described and filed as required.
(w) Possession of Intellectual Property. The Company and its subsidiaries own or possess, or can acquire on reasonable terms, adequate patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions, copyrights, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks, trade names or other intellectual property (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) necessary to carry on the business now operated by them; neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice or is otherwise aware of any infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any Intellectual Property or of any facts or circumstances which would render any Intellectual Property invalid or inadequate to protect the interest of the Company or any of its subsidiaries therein, and which infringement or conflict (if the subject of any unfavorable decision, ruling or finding) or invalidity or inadequacy, individually or in the aggregate, would result in a Material Adverse Effect; none of the Company and its subsidiaries is in violation of any Intellectual Property of any third parties, except where such violations would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, and there is no pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company after due inquiry, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the Company’s or any of its subsidiaries’ rights in or to, or the violation of any of the terms of, any of such third parties’ Intellectual Property, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; and none of the Intellectual Property used by the Company or its subsidiaries in their businesses has been obtained or is being used by the Company or its subsidiaries in violation of any contractual obligation binding on the Company, or any of its subsidiaries, or, to the knowledge of the Company after due inquiry, is in violation of the rights of any third parties.
(x) Absence of Further Requirements. No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any Governmental Entity is necessary or required for the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, in connection with the offering, issuance or sale of the Securities hereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Deposit Agreement, except (A) such as have been already obtained or as may be required under the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations or state securities laws and (B) such as have been obtained under the laws and regulations of jurisdictions outside the United States in which the Reserved Securities were offered.
(y) Absence of Manipulation. Neither the Company nor any affiliate of the Company has taken, nor will the Company or any affiliate take, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed to or which has constituted or which would be expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.
10
(z) Possession of Licenses and Permits. The Company and its subsidiaries have been and are in possession of such permits, licenses, approvals, consents and other authorizations (collectively, “Governmental Licenses”) issued by the appropriate Governmental Entity necessary to conduct the business now operated by them, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or where the failure so to possess would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect; the Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms and conditions of all such Governmental Licenses, except where the failure so to comply would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect; all of the Governmental Licenses are valid and in full 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, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such Governmental Licenses which, individually or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(aa) Title to Property. The Company and its subsidiaries do not own any real properties but have good title to all other properties owned by them, in each case, free and clear of all mortgages, pledges, liens, security interests, claims, restrictions or encumbrances of any kind except such as (A) are described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or (B) do not, individually or in the aggregate, materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company or any of its subsidiaries; and all of the leases and subleases material to the business of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, and under which the Company or any of its subsidiaries holds properties described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are in full force and effect, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has any notice of any material claim of any sort that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the Company or any of its subsidiaries under any of the leases or subleases mentioned above, or affecting or questioning the rights of the Company or such subsidiary to the continued possession of the leased or subleased premises under any such lease or sublease.
(bb) Investment Company Act. The Company is not required, and upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated and the application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in the Prospectus will not be required, to register as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(cc) Environmental Laws. Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, (A) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any domestic or foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, policy or rule of common law or any judicial or administrative interpretation thereof, including any judicial or administrative order, consent, decree or judgment, relating to pollution or protection of human health, the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including, without limitation, laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened release of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products, asbestos-containing materials or mold (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (B) the Company and its subsidiaries have all permits, authorizations and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and are each in compliance with their requirements, (C) there are no pending or threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, claims, liens, notices of noncompliance or violation, investigation or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the Company or any of its subsidiaries and (D) there are no events or circumstances that would reasonably be expected to form the basis of an order for clean-up or remediation, or an action, suit or proceeding by any private party or Governmental Entity, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental Laws.
11
(dd) Accounting Controls and Disclosure Controls. The Company and each of its subsidiaries have established and maintained a system of internal accounting controls efficient to provide reasonable assurances that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with US GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (i) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (ii) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company’s independent accountants have not notified the Company of any “reportable conditions” (as defined under standards established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants) in the Company’s internal accounting controls, or other weaknesses or deficiencies in the design or operation of the Company’s internal accounting controls, that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting, or could adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial data consistent with the assertions of the Company’s management in the financial statements. The internal controls are, or upon consummation of the offering of the Securities will be, overseen by the Audit Committee (the “Audit Committee”) of the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) in accordance with Section 303A of the New York Stock Exchange Listed Company Manual (the “Exchange Rules”).
(ee) Compliance with the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act. The Company has taken all necessary actions to ensure that, upon the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, it will be in compliance with all provisions of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act of 2002 and all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or implementing the provisions thereof (the “Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act”) that are then in effect and which the Company is required to comply with as of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, and is actively taking steps to ensure that it will be in compliance with other provisions of the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act not currently in effect, upon the effectiveness of such provisions, or which will become applicable to the Company at all times after the effectiveness of the Registration Statement.
(ff) Payment of Taxes. The Company and its subsidiaries have filed all tax returns that are required to have been filed by them pursuant to applicable foreign, state, local or other law and have paid all taxes due pursuant to such returns or pursuant to any assessment received by the Company and its subsidiaries, except for such taxes, if any, as are being contested in good faith and as to which adequate reserves have been provided in accordance with US GAAP, or where failure to file such tax returns or pay such taxes would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has been and is eligible, under all applicable laws, rules, regulations, orders, decrees, notices, guidelines, judicial interpretations or other legislation of the PRC, for all local and national PRC governmental tax holidays, exemptions, waivers, financial subsidies, and other local and national PRC tax relief, concessions and preferential treatment enjoyed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries (including any predecessor) as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the Company in respect of any income and corporation tax liability for any years not finally determined are adequate to meet any assessments or re-assessments for additional income tax for any years not finally determined, except to the extent of any inadequacy that would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(gg) Insurance. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain insurance covering their respective properties, operations, personnel and businesses against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and which the Company reasonably believes is adequate to protect the Company and its subsidiaries and their respective businesses; all such insurance is in full force and effect; neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance as and when such insurance expires; and there is no material insurance claim made by or against the Company or any of its subsidiaries, pending, outstanding, or to the best of the Company’s knowledge, threatened, and no facts or circumstances exist which would reasonably be expected to give rise to any such claim and all due premiums in respect thereof have been paid.
12
(hh) Statistical and Market-Related Data. Any statistical and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate, and, to the extent required, the Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources.
(ii) Business Practice. None the Company, any of its subsidiaries, or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “FCPA”), including, without limitation, making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any “foreign official” (as such term is defined in the FCPA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the FCPA and the Company and, to the knowledge of the Company, its affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith. None of the Company, or (as far as the Company is aware) any of their respective directors, officers and its subsidiaries is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of any statute or other law or rule, regulation, order or decree having the force of law in the PRC equivalent to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended (and the rules and regulations thereunder).
(jj) Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any Governmental Entity (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any Governmental Entity involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(kk) OFAC. None of the Company, its subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or person acting on behalf of the Company or any subsidiaries is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”) (including but not limited to the designation as a “specially designated national or blocked person” thereunder), Her Majesty’s Treasury or the European Union; and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC (including but not limited to the designation as a “specially designated national or blocked person” thereunder), Her Majesty’s Treasury or the European Union.
(ll) No Access to Company Websites or Mobile Applications from the United States. The Company and its subsidiaries have used their reasonable best efforts to implement adequate controls, measures and procedures, including but not limited to utilizing adequate technologies, to prevent access to the Company Websites and mobile applications by any person located in any State.
13
For the purpose of this Section 1(ll) and Section 3(w), (i) a “State” means any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, or any commonwealth, territory, or other possession of the United States; (ii) “Company Websites” means all Internet websites, webpages, online platforms, URLs and hyperlinks on or through which any person may obtain access to and utilize the online lottery purchase services provided by the Company.
(mm) No Provision of Online Lottery Purchase Services to Non-PRC Persons. To the best knowledge of the Company and its subsidiaries, there is no Non-PRC Person who has made any purchase directly or indirectly on or through any of the Company Websites or mobile applications. The Company has used its reasonable best efforts to implement necessary policies and procedures to uncover any usages or attempted usages by any Non-PRC Person of the online lottery purchase services (including through mobile applications) provided by the Company and its subsidiaries in a timely manner and on a regular basis, and that immediate and effective measures will be taken by the Company and its subsidiaries to retroactively cancel any existing transactions and deny any future dealings with, and usages by, such and any other Non-PRC Persons.
For the purpose of this Section 1(mm) and Section 3(x), a “Non-PRC Person” means any natural or legal person that is not a resident of the People’s Republic of China.
(nn) Sales of Reserved Securities. In connection with any offer and sale of Reserved Securities outside the United States, each preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus, any prospectus wrapper and any amendment or supplement thereto, at the times it was filed and distributed to Invitees, complied and will comply in all material respects with any applicable laws or regulations of foreign jurisdictions in which the same is distributed. The Company has not offered, or caused the Representative to offer, Reserved Securities to any person with the specific intent to unlawfully influence (i) a customer or supplier of the Company or any of its affiliates to alter the customer’s or supplier’s level or type of business with any such entity or (ii) a trade journalist or publication to write or publish favorable information about the Company or any of its affiliates or their respective business or products.
(oo) PFIC Status. Based on the Company’s financial statements and the projected composition of its income and valuation of its assets, including goodwill, the Company does not expect to be classified as a “passive foreign investment company” (“PFIC”) as defined in Section 1297 of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, for its current taxable year or in the foreseeable future.
(pp) Payments in Foreign Currency. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, under current laws and regulations of the Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx, xxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxx Xxxx and the PRC and any political subdivision thereof, all dividends and other distributions declared and payable on the Securities may be paid by the Company to the holder thereof in United States dollars or any other currency that may be converted into United State dollars and freely transferred out of the Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx, xxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxx Xxxx and the PRC and all such payments made to holders thereof or therein who are nonresidents of the Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx, xxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxx Xxxx or the PRC will not be subject to income, withholding or other taxes under laws and regulations of the Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx, xxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxx Xxxx and the PRC or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein and will otherwise be free and clear of any other tax, duty, withholding or deduction in the Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxx Xxxx and the PRC or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein and without the necessity of obtaining any governmental authorization in the Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxx Xxxx and the PRC or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein.
(qq) No Undisclosed Relationships. No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, shareholders, customers or suppliers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the other, that is required by the 1933 Act to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and that is not so described in such documents.
14
(rr) No Immunity. None of the Company, its subsidiaries, and any of their properties, assets or revenues is entitled to any right of immunity on the grounds of sovereignty from any legal action, suit or proceeding, from set-off or counterclaim, from the jurisdiction of any court, from services of process, from attachment prior to or in aid of execution of judgment, or from any other legal process or proceeding for the giving of any relief or for the enforcement of any judgment.
(ss) No Restrictions on Dividends from Subsidiary. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, under any applicable laws or regulations, any agreement or other instrument to which it is a party or is subject, from paying dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such subsidiaries’ capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s properties or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company.
(tt) No Transfer Taxes. No stamp or other issuance or transfer taxes or duties and no capital gains, income, withholding or other taxes are payable by or on behalf of the Underwriters to the government of the Cayman Islands or the PRC, or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein in connection with (i) the deposit with the Depositary of Ordinary Shares by the Company against the issuance of ADRs evidencing the Securities; (ii) the sale and delivery by the Company of the Securities to or for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters; (iii) the execution or delivery of this Agreement or any related documents; or (iv) the sale and delivery outside the Cayman Islands by the several Underwriters of the Securities to the initial purchasers thereof in the manner contemplated by this Agreement.
(uu) No Sale, Issuance or Distribution of Shares. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company has not sold, issued or distributed any shares of its capital stock during the six-month period preceding the date hereof, including any sales pursuant to Rule 144A, Regulation D or Regulation S of the 1933 Act, other than shares issued pursuant to employee benefit plans, qualified stock option plans or other employee compensation plans or pursuant to outstanding options, rights or warrants.
(vv) Foreign Private Issuer. The Company is a “foreign private issuer” within the meaning of Rule 405.
(ww) No Undisclosed Indebtedness or Arrangements. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no indebtedness (actual or contingent) and no contract or arrangement is outstanding between the Company or any of its subsidiaries and any director or executive officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any person connected with such director or executive officer (including his/her spouse, minor children, any company or undertaking in which he/she holds a controlling interest) or any other third party; there are no relationships or transactions between the Company or any of its subsidiaries on the one hand and its affiliates, officers and directors or their shareholders, customers or suppliers or any other third party on the other hand, which, although required to be disclosed, are not disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(xx) No Undisclosed Benefits. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company has no obligation to provide retirement, death or disability benefits to any of the present or past directors, officers and employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or to any other person. The Company and each of its subsidiaries are in material compliance with all applicable laws relating to employee benefits.
15
(yy) Critical Accounting Policies. The section entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Critical Accounting Policies” in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus truly, accurately and completely in all respects describes: (i) accounting policies which the Company believes are important in the portrayal of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations and which require management’s most difficult, subjective or complex judgments (“Critical Accounting Policies”); (ii) judgments and uncertainties affecting the application of Critical Accounting Policies; and (iii) the likelihood that different amounts would be reported under different conditions or using different assumptions; and the Board and management of the Company have reviewed and agreed with the selection, application and disclosure of Critical Accounting Policies and have consulted with the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm and external counsel with regard to such disclosure.
(zz) Liquidity and Capital Resources. The section entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources” in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus accurately and fully describes all trends, demands, commitments, events, uncertainties and risks, and the potential effects thereof, that the Company believes would materially affect liquidity and are reasonably likely to occur. The section entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Off-Balance Sheet Commitments and Arrangements” in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus accurately and fully describes in all material respects all off-balance sheet transactions, arrangements and obligations of the Company or its subsidiaries.
(aaa) Action against the Company. Under the laws of the Cayman Islands, no holder of ADSs issued pursuant to the Deposit Agreement shall be entitled, except under the terms of the Deposit Agreement, to seek enforcement of its rights through the Depositary or its nominee registered as representative of the holders of the ADSs in a direct suit, action or proceeding against the Company.
(bbb) Choice of Law. The choice of the laws of the State of New York as the governing law of this Agreement and the Deposit Agreement is a valid choice of law under the laws of the Cayman Islands and the PRC and will be honored by courts in the Cayman Islands and the PRC, subject to the conditions and restrictions described under the caption “Enforceability of Civil Liabilities” in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The Company has the power to submit, and pursuant to Section 17 of this Agreement and Section 7.6 of the Deposit Agreement, has legally, validly, effectively and irrevocably submitted, to the personal jurisdiction of each New York State and United States Federal court sitting in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York (each, a “New York Court”) and has validly and irrevocably waived any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or proceeding brought in any such court; and the Company has the power to designate, appoint and authorize, and pursuant to Section 17 of this Agreement and Section 7.6 of the Deposit Agreement, has legally, validly, effectively and irrevocably designated, appointed and authorized, an agent for service of process in any action arising out of or relating to this Agreement, the Deposit Agreement, the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, the ADS Registration Statement or the offering of the Securities in any New York Court, and service of process in any manner permitted by applicable laws effected on such authorized agent will be effective to confer valid personal jurisdiction over the Company as provided hereof or in the Deposit Agreement.
16
Any final judgment for a fixed or readily calculable sum of money rendered by a New York Court having jurisdiction under its own domestic laws in respect of any suit, action or proceeding against the Company based upon this Agreement or the Deposit Agreement and any instruments or agreements entered into for the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein or therein (i) would be declared enforceable against the Company without reexamination or review of the merits of the cause of action in respect of which the original judgment was given or re-litigation of the matters adjudicated upon or payment of any stamp, registration or similar tax or duty by the courts of the Cayman Islands, provided that (A) adequate service of process has been effected and the defendant has had a reasonable opportunity to be heard, (B) such judgments or the enforcement thereof are not contrary to the law, public policy, security or sovereignty of the Cayman Islands, (C) such judgments were not obtained by fraudulent means and do not conflict with any other valid judgment in the same matter between the same parties, and (D) an action between the same parties in the same matter is not pending in any Cayman Islands court at the time the lawsuit is instituted in the foreign court, and (ii) may be recognized and enforced by the courts of the PRC subject to the conditions and restrictions described under the caption “Enforceability of Civil Liabilities” in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The Company is not aware of any reason why the enforcement in the Cayman Islands or the PRC of such a New York Court judgment would be, as of the date hereof, contrary to public policy of the Cayman Islands or the PRC.
(ccc) Related Party Transactions. All the related party transactions required to be disclosed under the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act, the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, the rules and regulations of the Commission, the auditing principles, rules, standards and practices applicable to auditors of “issuers” (as defined in the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act) promulgated or approved by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and, as applicable, the Exchange Rules are disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the heading “Related Party Transactions,” and such disclosure is true and accurate in all material respects.
(ddd) Merger or Consolidations. Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except as otherwise stated therein, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has entered into any memorandum of understanding, letter of intent, definitive agreement or any similar agreements with respect to a merger or consolidation or an acquisition or disposition of assets, technologies, business units or businesses.
(eee) Termination of Contracts. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sent or received any communication regarding termination of, or intent not to renew, any of the contracts or agreements referred to or described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, or referred to or described in, or filed as an exhibit to, the Registration Statement, and no such termination or non-renewal has been threatened by the Company or any of its subsidiaries or, to the best knowledge of the Company after due inquiry, by any other party to any such contract or agreement, in each case except where such termination or non-renewal would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(fff) Compliance with PRC Regulations. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries that were incorporated outside of the PRC has complied with, and has taken, or is in the process of taking, steps to ensure compliance by each of its shareholders, option holders, directors, officers and employees that is, or is directly or indirectly owned or controlled by, a PRC resident or citizen with any applicable rules and regulations of the relevant PRC government agencies (including but not limited to the Ministry of Commerce, the National Development and Reform Commission and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange) relating to overseas investment by PRC residents and citizens (the “PRC Overseas Investment and Listing Regulations”), including, without limitation, requesting each shareholder, option holder, director, officer, employee and participant that is, or is directly or indirectly owned or controlled by, a PRC resident or citizen to complete any registration and other procedures required under applicable PRC Overseas Investment and Listing Regulations.
17
(ggg) PRC Mergers and Acquisitions Rules. The Company is aware of and has been advised as to the content of the Rules on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors (the “PRC Mergers and Acquisition Rules”) jointly promulgated by the Ministry of Commerce, the State Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, the State Tax Administration, the State Administration of Industry and Commerce, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (the “CSRC”) and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange of the PRC on August 8, 2006, including the relevant provisions thereof which purport to require offshore special purpose entities formed for listing purposes and controlled directly or indirectly by PRC companies or individuals, to obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to the listing and trading of their securities on an overseas stock exchange. The Company has received legal advice specifically with respect to the PRC Mergers and Acquisitions Rules from its PRC counsel and the Company understands such legal advice. The issuance and sale of the Securities, the listing and trading of the Securities on the New York Stock Exchange or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Deposit Agreement is not and will not be, as of the date hereof or at each Closing Time, as the case may be, adversely affected by the PRC Mergers and Acquisitions Rules or any official clarifications, guidance, interpretations or implementation rules in connection with or related to the PRC Mergers and Acquisitions Rules.
(hhh) Affiliation. There are no affiliations or associations between (i) any member of the FINRA and (ii) the Company or any of the Company’s officers, directors or 5% or greater security holders or any beneficial owner of the Company’s unregistered equity securities that were acquired at any time on or after the 180th day immediately preceding the date the Registration Statement was first submitted to the Commission.
(iii) Representation of Officers and/or Directors. Any certificate signed by any officer or director of the Company and delivered to the Representative as required or contemplated by this Agreement shall constitute a representation and warranty hereunder by the Company, as to matters covered thereby, to each Underwriter.
SECTION 2. Sale and Delivery to Underwriters; Closing.
(a) Initial Securities. On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company, at the price per ADS set forth in Schedule C, that proportion of the number of Initial Securities set forth in Schedule B opposite the name of the Company, which the number of Initial Securities set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter, plus any additional number of Initial Securities which such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 10 hereof, bears to the total number of Initial Securities, subject, in each case, to such adjustments among the Underwriters as the Representative in its sole discretion shall make to eliminate any sales or purchases of fractional securities.
(b) Option Securities. In addition, on the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company hereby grants an option to the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, to purchase up to an additional 867,900 ADSs, as set forth in Schedule B, at the price per ADS set forth in Schedule C, less an amount per ADS equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Initial Securities but not payable on the Option Securities. The option hereby granted will expire 30 days after the date hereof and may be exercised in whole or in part from time to time only for the purpose of covering overallotments which may be made in connection with the offering and distribution of the Initial Securities upon notice by the Representative to the Company setting forth the number of Option Securities as to which the several Underwriters are then exercising the option and the time and date of payment and delivery for such Option Securities. Any such time and date of delivery (a “Date of Delivery”) shall be determined by the Representative, but shall not be later than seven full business days after the exercise of said option, nor in any event prior to the Closing Time, as hereinafter defined. If the option is exercised as to all or any portion of the Option Securities, each of the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, will purchase that proportion of the total number of Option Securities then being purchased which the number of Initial Securities set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Initial Securities, subject in each case to such adjustments as the Representative in its discretion shall make to eliminate any sales or purchases of fractional shares.
18
(c) Payment. Payment of the purchase price for the Initial Securities and delivery of the Initial Securities through the facilities of the DTC shall be made at the offices of Shearman & Sterling, 12th Floor Gloucester Tower, The Landmark, 15 Queen’s Road Central, Central, Hong Kong, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company, at 9:00 A.M. (New York City time) on the third (fourth, if the pricing occurs after 4:30 P.M. (New York City time) on any given day) business day after the date hereof (unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10), or such other time not later than ten business days after such date as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company (such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called “Closing Time”).
In addition, in the event that any or all of the Option Securities are purchased by the Underwriters, payment of the purchase price for the Option Securities, and delivery of such Option Securities through the facilities of the DTC shall be made at the above-mentioned offices, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company, on each Date of Delivery as specified in the notice from the Representative to the Company.
Payment shall be made to the Company by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the bank account designated by the Company against delivery to the Representative for the respective accounts of the Underwriters of the Securities to be purchased by them. It is understood that each Underwriter has authorized the Representative, for its account, to accept delivery of, receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Initial Securities and the Option Securities, if any, which it has agreed to purchase. The Representative, individually and not as representative of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment of the purchase price for the Initial Securities or the Option Securities, if any, to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds have not been received by the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, but such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from its obligations hereunder.
(d) Denominations; Registration. The Initial Securities and the Option Securities, if any, shall be in such denominations and registered in such names as the Representative may request in writing at least one full business day before the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be. The certificates representing the Ordinary Shares underlying the Initial Securities and the Option Securities will be made available for examination and packaging by the Representative at the office of DTC or its designated custodian not later than 10:00 A.M. (New York City time) on the business day prior to the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be.
SECTION 3. Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants with each Underwriter as follows:
(a) Compliance with Securities Regulations and Commission Requests. The Company, subject to Section 3(b), will comply with the requirements of Rule 430A, and will notify the Representative immediately, and confirm the notice in writing, (i) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement shall become effective, or any supplement to the Prospectus or any amended Prospectus shall have been filed, (ii) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission, (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or for additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(e) of the 1933 Act concerning the Registration Statement and (v) if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the 1933 Act in connection with the offering of the Securities. The Company will effect all filings required under Rule 424(b), 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 form of prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 424(b) was received for filing by the Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly file such prospectus. The Company will make reasonable efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order, prevention or suspension and, if any such order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment.
19
(b) Filing of Amendments and 1934 Act Documents. The Company will give the Representative notice of its intention to file or prepare any amendment to the Registration Statement (including any filing under Rule 462(b)) or any amendment, supplement or revision to either the prospectus included in the Registration Statement at the time it became effective or to the Prospectus, and will furnish the Representative with copies of any such documents a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing or use, as the case may be, and will not file or use any such document to which the Representative or counsel for the Underwriters shall object. The Company has given the Representative notice of any filings made pursuant to the 1934 Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1934 Act within 48 hours prior to the Applicable Time; the Company will give the Representative notice of its intention to make any such filing from the Applicable Time to the Closing Time and will furnish the Representative with copies of any such documents a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing, as the case may be, and will not file or use any such document to which the Representative or counsel for the Underwriters shall object.
(c) Delivery of Registration Statements. The Company 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) 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 copies of the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the 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 Company has delivered to each Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of each preliminary prospectus as such Underwriter reasonably requested, and the Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the 1933 Act. The Company will furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) required to be delivered under the 1933 Act, such number of copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as such Underwriter may reasonably request. The Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the 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 Company will comply with the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Securities as contemplated in this Agreement and in the Prospectus. If at any time when a prospectus is required by the 1933 Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the 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 Company, to amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the Prospectus in order that the Prospectus will not include any untrue statements 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 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations, the Company 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 the Company will furnish to the Underwriters such number of copies of such amendment or supplement as the Underwriters may reasonably request. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement relating to the Securities or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances, prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representative and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.
20
(f) Blue Sky Qualifications. The Company will use its best efforts, in cooperation with the Underwriters, to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions (domestic or foreign) as the Representative may designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect for a period of not less than one year from the later of the effective date of the Registration Statement and any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement; provided, however, that the Company 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.
(g) Rule 158. The Company will timely file such reports pursuant to the 1934 Act as are necessary in order to make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable an earnings statement for the purposes of, and to provide to the Underwriters the benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act.
(h) Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Securities in the manner specified in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under “Use of Proceeds.”
(i) Listing of Securities. The Company will use its best efforts to effect and maintain the listing of the Securities on the New York Stock Exchange.
(j) Restriction on Sale of Securities. During a period of 180 days from the date of the Prospectus, the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Representative, (i) directly or indirectly, offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase or otherwise transfer or dispose of any Ordinary Shares or ADSs or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Ordinary Shares or ADSs or file any registration statement under the 1933 Act with respect to any of the foregoing or (ii) enter into any swap or any other agreement or any transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence of ownership of the Ordinary Shares or ADSs, whether any such swap or transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Ordinary Shares or ADSs or such other securities, in cash or otherwise. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (A) the Securities to be sold hereunder, (B) any Ordinary Shares issued by the Company upon the exercise of an option or warrant or the conversion of a security outstanding on the date hereof and referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (C) any Ordinary Shares issued or options to purchase Ordinary Shares granted pursuant to existing employee benefit plans of the Company referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(k) Release or Waiver of Lock-Up Restrictions. If the Representative, in its sole discretion, agrees to release or waive the restrictions set forth in a lock-up agreement described in Section 5(m) hereof for an officer or director of the Company and provide the Company with notice of the impending release or waiver at least three business days before the effective date of the release or waiver, the Company agrees to announce the impending release or waiver by a press release substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto through a major news service at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver.
21
(l) Reporting Requirements. The Company, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) required to be delivered under the 1933 Act, will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the 1934 Act within the time periods required by the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. During the period of five years hereafter, the Company will furnish to the Representative and, upon request, to each of the other Underwriters, as soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year, a copy of its annual report to shareholders for such year; and the Company will furnish to the Representative (i) as soon as available, a copy of each report the Company filed with the Commission under the 1934 Act or mailed to shareholders, and (ii) from time to time, such other information concerning the Company as the Representative may reasonably request. However, so long as the Company is subject to the reporting requirements of either Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the 1934 Act and is timely filing reports with the Commission on XXXXX, it is not required to furnish such reports or statements to the Underwriters.
(m) No Stabilization. Neither the Company, any of its subsidiaries, nor any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or person acting on their behalf will take, directly or indirectly, any action designed, or which will constitute or might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under the 1934 Act or otherwise, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.
(n) Taxes. The Company will indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriters against any documentary, stamp or similar issue tax, including any interest and penalties, on the creation, issue and sale of the Securities and on the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the Deposit Agreement. All payments to be made by the Company to the Underwriters hereunder shall be made without withholding or deduction for or on account of any present or future taxes, duties or governmental charges whatsoever, unless the Company is compelled by law to deduct or withhold such taxes, duties or charges. In that event, the Company shall pay such additional amounts as may be necessary in order that the net amounts received after such withholding or deduction shall equal the amounts that would have been received if no withholding or deduction had been made; provided, however, that no such additional amounts shall be paid by the Company in respect of taxes, duties or charges imposed on (i) the net income of an Underwriter, (ii) an Underwriter (or amounts payable to such Underwriter), by reason of a present or former connection between such Underwriter and the applicable taxing jurisdiction imposing such taxes, duties or charges (other than as a result of entering into this Agreement or receiving any payments hereunder) or (iii) an Underwriter (or amounts payable to such Underwriter), by reason of any failure by such Underwriter to provide any form or certificate pursuant to a timely request in writing by the Company addressed to the relevant Underwriter and that such Underwriter is legally able to provide that, if such form or certificate had been provided, would have reduced or eliminated such taxes, duties or charges.
(o) Deposit of Ordinary Shares. The Company will, prior to the Closing Time, deposit the Ordinary Shares with the Depositary in accordance with the provisions of the Deposit Agreement and otherwise comply with the Deposit Agreement so that ADSs will be issued by the Depositary against receipt of such Ordinary Shares and delivered to the Underwriters at the Closing Time.
(p) License of Trademarks. Upon request of any Underwriter, the Company will furnish, or cause to be furnished, to such Underwriter an electronic version of the Company’s trademarks, service marks and corporate logo for use on the website, if any, operated by such Underwriter for the purpose of facilitating the offering of the Securities.
(q) Judgment and Approval. The Company agrees that (i) it will not attempt to avoid any judgment applied or denied to it in a court of competent jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands; (ii) following the consummation of the offering of the Securities, it will use its best efforts to obtain and maintain all approvals required in the Cayman Islands to pay and remit outside the Cayman Islands all dividends declared by the Company and payable on the Ordinary Shares, if any; and (iii) it will use its best efforts to obtain and maintain all approvals required in the Cayman Islands for the Company to acquire sufficient foreign exchange for the payment of dividends, if any, and all other relevant purposes.
22
(r) Compliance with SAFE Rules and Regulations. The Company will comply in all material respects with any applicable rules and regulations of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (the “SAFE Rules and Regulations”), and will use its best efforts to cause its directors, officers, option holders and shareholders named in the Company’s share register that are, or that are directly or indirectly owned or controlled by, PRC residents or PRC citizens, to comply in all material respects with the SAFE Rules and Regulations applicable to them in connection with the Company, including, without limitation, requesting each shareholder named in the Company’s share register, option holder, director and officer that is, or is directly or indirectly owned or controlled by, a PRC resident or PRC citizen to complete any registration and other procedures required under applicable SAFE Rules and Regulations.
(s) Interim Financial Statements. The Company will furnish to the Representative as early as practicable prior to the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, but not later than two business days prior thereto, a copy of the latest available unaudited interim and monthly consolidated financial statements, if any, of the Company and its subsidiaries which have been read by the Company’s independent registered public accountants, as stated in their letter to be furnished pursuant to Section 5(k) hereof.
(t) Accounting Controls. The Company and its subsidiaries will undertake measures to implement, by the time such systems are required by the 1934 Act, systems of “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the 0000 Xxx) that comply with the requirements of the 1934 Act and have been designed by, or under the supervision of, their respective principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with US GAAP, including, but not limited to, internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with US GAAP and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.
(u) Compliance with Laws. The Company will comply with and will require the Company’s directors and executive officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with all applicable securities laws, rules and regulations, including, without limitation, the Xxxxxxxx-Xxxxx Act.
(v) Transfer Restrictions. The Company will at all times maintain transfer restrictions (including the inclusion of legends in share certificates, as may be required) with respect to the Company’s Ordinary Shares which are subject to transfer restrictions pursuant to this Agreement and the Lock-Up Agreements entered into pursuant to Section 5(m) hereof and shall ensure compliance with such restrictions on transfer of restricted Ordinary Shares.
(w) No Access to Company Websites or Mobile Applications from the United States. For so long as the Securities are listed on the New York Stock Exchange or any other nationally recognized stock exchanges in the United States, the Company and its subsidiaries will use their reasonable best efforts to implement and maintain adequate controls, measures and procedures, including but not limited to utilizing adequate technologies, to prevent access to the Company Websites or mobile applications by any person located in any State.
23
(x) No Provision of Online Lottery Services to Non-PRC Persons. For so long as the Securities are listed on the New York Stock Exchange or any other nationally recognized stock exchanges in the United States, the Company and its subsidiaries will use their reasonable best efforts to implement necessary policies and procedures to uncover any usages or attempted usages by any Non-PRC Person of the online lottery purchase services (including through mobile applications) provided by the Company and its subsidiaries in a timely manner and on a regular basis, and that immediate and effective measures will be taken by the Company and its subsidiaries to retroactively cancel any existing transactions and deny any future dealings with, and usages by, such and any other Non-PRC Persons.
(y) PFIC Status. The Company will use its best efforts not to take any action that would result in the Company becoming a “passive foreign investment company”.
(z) EGC Status. Until 2014, the Company shall notify the Underwriters on or prior to the date on which the Company is no longer an “emerging growth company” as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1933 Act.
(aa) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Representative, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405, or a portion thereof, required to be filed with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Representative is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company represents that it has treated or agrees that it will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representative and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.
(bb) Written Section 5(d) Communications. The Company represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Representative, it has not made and will not make any Section 5(d) Communications relating to the Securities. All written Section 5(d) Communications that have been consented to by the Representative are listed in Schedule C(c). The Company represents and agrees that any Section 5(d) Communications undertaken by it were and will be with qualified institutional buyers as defined in Rule 144A under the 1933 Act.
(cc) OFAC. The Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the Securities hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.
24
SECTION 4. Payment of Expenses.
(a) Expenses. The Company will pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of their obligations under this Agreement, including (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and of each amendment thereto, (ii) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of this Agreement, any Agreement among Underwriters and such other documents as may be required in connection with the offering, purchase, sale, issuance or delivery of the Securities, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificates for the Securities to the Underwriters, including any stock or other transfer taxes and any stamp or other duties payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Securities to the Underwriters, (iv) the fees and disbursements of the Company’s counsel, accountants and other advisors, (v) the qualification of the Securities under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(A)(f) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters in connection therewith and in connection with the preparation of the Blue Sky Memorandum and any supplement thereto, (vi) the printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of each preliminary prospectus, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus and of the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto and any costs associated with electronic delivery of any of the foregoing by the Underwriters to investors, (vii) the printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of the Blue Sky Memorandum and any supplement thereto, (viii) the fees and expenses of any transfer agent, registrar or the Depositary for the Securities, (ix) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Securities, including without limitation, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company and any such consultants, and the cost of aircraft and other transportation chartered in connection with the road show and (x) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters in connection with, the review by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Securities, (xi) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Securities on the New York Stock Exchange, (xii) the costs and expenses (including, without limitation, any damages or other amounts payable in connection with legal or contractual liability) associated with the reforming of any contracts for sale of the Securities made by the Underwriters caused by a breach of the representation contained in the fifth paragraph of Section 1(a), (xiii) all costs and expenses of Xxxxx Xxxxxxx , including the fees and disbursements of its counsel, incurred by Xxxxx Xxxxxxx in connection with matters related to the Reserved Securities which are designated by the Company for sale to Invitees.
(b) Termination of Agreement. If this Agreement is terminated by the Representative in accordance with the provisions of Section 5, Section 9(a)(i) or (iii), Section 10 or Section 11 hereof, the Company shall reimburse the Underwriters for all of their out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters.
SECTION 5. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligations of the several Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company contained in Section 1 hereof or in certificates of any officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to the following further conditions:
(a) Effectiveness of Registration Statement. The Registration Statement, including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement and the 1934 Act Registration Statement have become effective and at Closing Time, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement or the 1934 Act Registration Statement shall have been issued under the 1933 Act or proceedings therefor initiated 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 to the Underwriters. A prospectus containing the Rule 430A Information shall have been filed with the Commission in the manner and within the time frame required by Rule 424(b) without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8) or a post-effective amendment providing such information shall have been filed and declared effective in accordance with the requirements of Rule 430A.
25
(b) Opinion of United States Counsel for the Company. At Closing Time, the Representative shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of Closing Time, of Simpson, Thacher & Xxxxxxxx LLP, United States counsel for the Company, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters.
(c) Opinion of PRC Counsel for the Company. At Closing Time, the Representative shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of Closing Time, of Han Kun Law Offices, PRC counsel for the Company, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters.
(d) Opinion of Cayman Islands Counsel for the Company. At Closing Time, the Representative shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of Closing Time, of Xxxxxx and Xxxxxx, Cayman Islands counsel for the Company, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters.
(e) Opinion of British Virgin Islands Counsel for the Company. At Closing Time, the Representative shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of Closing Time, of Xxxxxx and Calder, British Virgin Islands counsel for the Company, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters.
(f) Opinion of Hong Kong Counsel for the Company. At Closing Time, the Representative shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of Closing Time, of Pun & Associates, Hong Kong counsel for the Company, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters.
(g) Opinion of United States Counsel for the Underwriters. At Closing Time, the Representative shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of Closing Time, of Shearman & Sterling LLP, United States counsel for the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters with respect to such matters as the Representative may require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they request for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters. In giving 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 satisfactory to the Representative. Such counsel may also state that, insofar as such opinion involves factual matters, they have relied, to the extent they deem proper, upon certificates of officers of the Company and its subsidiaries and certificates of public officials.
(h) Opinion of PRC Counsel for the Underwriters. At Closing Time, the Representative shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of Closing Time, of Commerce & Finance Law Offices, PRC counsel for the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters with respect to such matters as the Representative may require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they request for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters.
(i) Officers’ Certificate. At Closing Time, there shall not have been, since the date hereof or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the results of operations, stockholders’ equity, properties, business or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, and the Representative shall have received a certificate of the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and of the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, dated as of Closing Time, to the effect that (i) there has been no such material adverse change, (ii) the representations and warranties in Section 1 hereof are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of Closing Time, (iii) the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to Closing Time, and (iv) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement under the 1933 Act has been issued, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to their knowledge, contemplated.
26
(j) CFO Certificate. At the time of the execution of this Agreement and at Closing Time, the Representative shall have received a certificate, dated the date hereof and such Closing date as applicable, of the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, with respect to certain financial and operating data contained in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus in the form and substance satisfactory to the Representative.
(k) Accountant’s Comfort Letter. At the time of the execution of this Agreement, the Representative shall have received from Ernst & Young Hua Ming a letter dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(l) Bring-down Comfort Letter. At Closing Time, the Representative shall have received from Ernst & Young Hua Ming a letter, dated as of Closing Time, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to subsection (k) of this Section, except that the specified date referred to shall be a date not more than three business days prior to Closing Time.
(m) Lock-up Agreements. At the date of this Agreement, the Representative shall have received an agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto signed by the persons listed on Schedule D hereto.
(n) Adverse Developments in PRC Mergers and Acquisitions Rules. There shall not be any adverse legislative or regulatory developments in the PRC, including but not limited to the PRC Mergers and Acquisitions Rules and Related Clarifications, which, in the sole judgment of the Representative after consultation with the Company, would make it inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Securities at the Closing Time on the terms and in the manner contemplated in this Agreement.
(o) Execution of Deposit Agreement. The Company and the Depositary shall have executed and delivered the Deposit Agreement and the Deposit Agreement shall be in full force and effect and the Company and the Depositary shall have taken all actions necessary to permit the deposit of the Ordinary Shares and the issuance of the Securities in accordance with the Deposit Agreement.
(p) Certificate of the Depositary. The Depositary shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to you at the Closing Time, certificates satisfactory to you evidencing the deposit with it of the Ordinary Shares being so deposited against issuance of ADRs evidencing the Securities to be delivered by the Company at the Closing Time, and the execution, countersignature (if applicable), issuance and delivery of ADRs evidencing such Securities pursuant to the Deposit Agreement and such other matters related thereto as the Representative may reasonably request.
(q) Opinion of the Depositary’s Counsel. The Representative shall have received an opinion from White & Case LLP, counsel for the Depositary, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative.
27
(r) No Legal Impediment to Issuance. No action shall have been taken and no statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, Hong Kong, U.S. or PRC governmental or regulatory authority that would, as of the Closing Time, prevent the issuance or sale of the Securities; and no injunction or order of U.S. federal, state or Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxx Xxxx, or PRC court shall have been issued that would, as of the Closing Time, prevent the issuance or sale of the Securities.
(s) Additional Documents. At or prior to the Closing Time, the Representative shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as they may require for the purpose of enabling the Underwriters to pass upon the issuance and sale of the 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 Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated shall be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Representative.
(t) Exchange Listing. The Securities shall have been approved to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
(u) DTC Settlement. At or prior to the Closing Time, the Securities shall be eligible for clearance and settlement through the facilities of DTC.
(v) Payment of Commission Fees. The Company shall have paid the required Commission filing fees relating to the Securities in such amount and within the time frame provided in the 1933 Act and the Rule 456(b)(1) thereunder.
(w) No FINRA Objection. FINRA has confirmed that it has not raised any objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements relating to the offering of the Securities.
(x) Conditions to Purchase of Option Securities. In the event that the Underwriters exercise their option provided in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any portion of the Option Securities, the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein and the statements in any certificates furnished by the Company and any of its subsidiaries hereunder shall be true and correct as of each Date of Delivery and, at the relevant Date of Delivery, the Representative shall have received:
(i) Officers’ Certificate. A certificate, dated such Date of Delivery, of the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and of the chief financial or chief accounting officer of the Company confirming that the certificates delivered at the Closing Time pursuant to Section 5(i) and Section 5(j) hereof remain true and correct as of such Date of Delivery.
(ii) Certificate of the Depositary. A certificate, dated such Date of Delivery, of a Vice President of the Depositary confirming that the certificate delivered at Closing Time pursuant to Section 5(p) remains true and correct as of such Date of Delivery.
(iii) Opinions. Such opinions from the legal advisors referred to in Section 5(b) through Section 5(h) and Section 5(q) hereof, each dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery.
(iv) Bring-down Comfort Letter. A letter from Ernst & Young Hua Ming, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative and dated such Date of Delivery, substantially in the same form and substance as the letter furnished to the Representative pursuant to Section 5(l) hereof, except that the “specified date” in the letter furnished pursuant to this paragraph shall be a date not more than three business days prior to such Date of Delivery.
28
(y) Additional Documents. At Closing Time and at each Date of Delivery counsel for the Underwriters shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as they may require for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the 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 Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters.
(z) Termination of Agreement. If any condition specified in this Section shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement, or, in the case of any condition to the purchase of Option Securities on a Date of Delivery which is after the Closing Time, the obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase the relevant Option Securities, may be terminated by the Representative by notice to the Company at any time at or prior to Closing Time or such Date of Delivery, as the case may be, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 and except that Sections 1, 6, 7, 8, 15, 16 and 17 shall survive any such termination and remain in full force and effect.
SECTION 6. Indemnification.
(a) Indemnification of Underwriters. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, as such term is defined in Rule 501(b) under the 1933 Act (each, an “Affiliate”), its selling agents and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 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 (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430A Information, 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 any preliminary prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the 1933 Act or any written Section 5(d) Communication, or the omission or alleged omission 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, 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 6(d) below) any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company;
(iii) against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by the Representative), reasonably incurred 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 statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) above;
29
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 the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430A Information, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.
(b) Indemnification of Company, Directors and Officers. Each Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act, against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in subsection (a) of this Section, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430A Information, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.
(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 subsection (a) and above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Representative, and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to subsection (b) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Company. In the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(e) below, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by Xxxxx Xxxxxxx. 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 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 6 or Section 7 hereof (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 6(a)(ii) or settlement of any claim in connection with any violation referred to in Section 6(e) 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.
30
(e) Indemnification for Reserved Securities. In connection with the offer and sale of the Reserved Securities, the Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriters, their Affiliates and selling agents and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act, from and against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending, investigating or settling any such action or claim), as incurred, (i) arising out of the violation of any applicable laws or regulations of foreign jurisdictions where Reserved Securities have been offered; (ii) arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any prospectus wrapper or other material prepared by or with the consent of the Company for distribution to Invitees in connection with the offering of the Reserved Securities or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; (iii) caused by the failure of any Invitee to pay for and accept delivery of Reserved Securities; or (iv) related to, or arising out of or in connection with, the offering of the Reserved Securities.
SECTION 7. Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in Section 6 hereof 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 Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand from the offering of the 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 Company 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 Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the offering of the 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 Securities pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company, and the total underwriting discount received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of the Securities as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus.
The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 7. The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 7 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 7, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount of the underwriting discounts and commission applicable to the Securities purchased by such Underwriter.
31
No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 0000 Xxx) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
For purposes of this Section 7, each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act and each of the Underwriter’s Affiliates and selling agents shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company. The Underwriters’ respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are several in proportion to the number of Initial Securities set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule A hereto and not joint.
SECTION 8. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive. All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or its Affiliates or selling agents, any person controlling any Underwriter, its officers or directors, any person controlling the Company and (ii) delivery of and payment for the Securities.
SECTION 9. Termination of Agreement.
(a) Termination; General. The Representative may terminate this Agreement, by notice to the Company, at any time at or prior to 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 or General Disclosure Package, any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the results of operations, stockholders’ equity, properties, business or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, the effect of which development, in the sole judgment of the Representative, makes it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or the delivery of the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, or (ii) if there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States, the Cayman Islands, the PRC or the international financial markets, any outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof or other calamity or crisis or any change or development involving a prospective change in any of U.S., Cayman Islands, PRC 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 Representative, impracticable or inadvisable to market the Securities or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities, or (iii) if trading in any securities of the Company has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or the New York Stock Exchange, or if trading generally on the New York Stock Exchange or in the Nasdaq Global 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, FINRA or any other governmental authority, or (iv) a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States or with respect to Clearstream or Euroclear systems in Europe, or (v) if a banking moratorium has been declared by either United States federal, New York or PRC authorities, or (vi) if there have been any major disruption of settlements of securities, payment or clearance services in the United States, the Cayman Islands, the PRC or any other country where such securities are listed; or (vii) any attack on, outbreak or escalation of hostilities or act of terrorism involving the United States, the Cayman Islands or the PRC, any declaration of war by Congress or any other national or international calamity or emergency if, in the judgment of the Representative, the effect of any such attack, outbreak, escalation, act, declaration, calamity or emergency is such as to make it inadvisable to market the Securities or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities.
32
(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 hereof, and provided further that Sections 1, 6, 7, 8, 15, 16 and 17 shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.
SECTION 10. Default by One or More of the Underwriters. If one or more of the Underwriters shall fail at Closing Time or a Date of Delivery to purchase the Securities which it or they are obligated to purchase under this Agreement (the “Defaulted Securities”), 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:
(i) if the number of Defaulted Securities does not exceed 10% of the number of Securities to be purchased on such date, each of 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 hereunder bear to the underwriting obligations of all non-defaulting Underwriters, or
(ii) if the number of Defaulted Securities exceeds 10% of the number of Securities to be purchased on such date, this Agreement or, with respect to any Date of Delivery which occurs after the Closing Time, the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase and of the Company to sell the Option Securities to be purchased and sold on such Date of Delivery 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 or, in the case of a Date of Delivery which is after the Closing Time, which does not result in a termination of the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase and the Company to sell the relevant Option Securities, as the case may be, either the (i) Representative or (ii) the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements. As used herein, the term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section 10.
SECTION 11. Default by the Company. If the Company shall fail at Closing Time or at the Date of Delivery to sell the number of Securities that it is obligated to sell hereunder, then this Agreement shall terminate without any liability on the part of any nondefaulting party; provided, however, that the provisions of Sections 1, 6, 7, 8, 15, 16 and 17 shall remain in full force and effect. No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve the Company from liability, if any, in respect of such default.
SECTION 12. 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 Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., 00 Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000, attention of Syndicate Manager, Equity Capital Markets; notices to the Company shall be directed to it at 0xx Xxxxx, Xxxxx 0, Xxxxx 0, Xxxxxxxx Software Park, Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx, 000000, People’s Republic of China, attention of the Chief Financial Officer.
33
SECTION 13. NO ADVISORY OR FIDUCIARY RELATIONSHIP. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (a) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price of the Securities and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other hand, (b) in connection with the offering contemplated hereby and the process leading to such transaction each Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, or its respective stockholders, creditors, employees or any other party, (c) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) and no Underwriter has any obligation to the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (d) the Underwriters and their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company, and (e) the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering contemplated hereby and the Company has consulted its own respective legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.
SECTION 14. Parties. This Agreement shall each inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters, the Company and their 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 Company and their respective successors and the controlling persons and officers and directors referred to in Sections 6 and 7 and their heirs and legal representatives, 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 Company and their respective successors, and said controlling persons and officers and directors and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.
SECTION 15. Trial by Jury. The Company (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its shareholders and affiliates) and each of the Underwriters hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
SECTION 16. GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
SECTION 17. Submission to Jurisdiction. The Company hereby submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal and state courts in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby. The Company irrevocably and unconditionally waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any objection to the laying of venue of any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby in Federal and state courts in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York and to the fullest extent permitted by law, irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim in any such court that any such suit or proceeding in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum. The Company irrevocably appoints Law Debenture Corporate Services Inc. at 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, 0xx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000 as their respective authorized agent in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York upon which process may be served in any such suit or proceeding, and agree that service of process upon such agent, and written notice of said service to the Company by the person serving the same to the address provided in Section 12, shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon the Company in any such suit or proceeding. The Company further agrees to take any and all action as may be necessary to maintain such designation and appointment of such agent in full force and effect for a period of seven years from the date of this Agreement.
34
SECTION 18. Judgment Currency. The obligation of the Company pursuant to this Agreement in respect of any sum due to any Underwriter shall, notwithstanding any judgment in a currency other than United States dollars, not be discharged until the first business day, following receipt by such Underwriter of any sum adjudged to be so due in such other currency, on which (and only to the extent that) such Underwriter may in accordance with normal banking procedures purchase United States dollars with such other currency; if the United States dollars so purchased are less than the sum originally due to such Underwriter hereunder, the Company agrees, as a separate obligation and notwithstanding any such judgment, to indemnify such Underwriter against such loss. If the United States dollars so purchased are greater than the sum originally due to such Underwriter hereunder, such Underwriter agrees to pay to the Company an amount equal to the excess of the dollars so purchased over the sum originally due to such Underwriter hereunder.
SECTION 19. TIME. TIME SHALL BE OF THE ESSENCE OF THIS AGREEMENT. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SET FORTH HEREIN, SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME.
SECTION 20. Partial Unenforceability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other Section, paragraph or provision hereof. If any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.
SECTION 21. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same Agreement.
SECTION 22. Effect of Headings. The Section headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.
35
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the Company a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement among the Underwriters and the Company in accordance with its terms.
Very truly yours, | ||
000.XXX LIMITED | ||
By | ||
Name: Man San Law | ||
Title: Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer |
[SIGNATURE PAGE TO THE UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT]
CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED, | ||
as of the date first above written: | ||
DEUTSCHE BANK SECURITIES INC. | ||
By | ||
Authorized Signatory | ||
By | ||
Authorized Signatory |
For itself and as Representative of the other Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto.
[SIGNATURE PAGE TO THE UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT]
SCHEDULE A
Name of Underwriter | Number of Initial Securities | |
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. |
||
Xxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. |
||
Xxxxxxxxxxx & Co. Inc. |
||
| ||
Total |
||
|
Schedule A-1
SCHEDULE B
Number of Initial Securities to be Sold |
Maximum Number of Option Securities to be Sold | |||
000.XXX Limited |
||||
TOTAL |
||||
|
|
Schedule B-1
SCHEDULE C
(a) | Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus: |
(b) | Pricing information: |
1. | The initial public offering price per ADS for the Securities, determined as provided in said Section 2, shall be US$ . |
2. | The purchase price per ADS to be paid by the several Underwriters shall be US$ , being an amount equal to the initial public offering price set forth above less US$ per ADS; provided that the purchase price per ADS for any Option Securities purchased upon the exercise of the overallotment option described in Section 2(b) shall be reduced by an amount per ADS equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Initial Securities but not payable on the Option Securities. |
(c) | Written Section 5(d) Communication: |
Schedule C-1
SCHEDULE D
LIST OF PERSONS AND ENTITIES SUBJECT TO LOCK-UP
Directors and executive officers:
Man San Law
Zhengming Pan
Xx Xx
Jiepin Fu
Xxx Xxxxx
Xxxx Xxx
Punleung Xxx
Xxx Niu
Xxxxxxx Xxxx
Zhaofu Tian
Jinping Ma
Xxx Xxx
Xxx Xxx
Xxxxxxxxx Xxx Xxxxx
Xxxx Xxx
Xx Xxx
Shareholders:
Clear Treasure Group Limited
Delite Limited
Wander Profits Holding Limited
Brothers Union Investment Holdings Limited
Smart Mega Holding Limited
HWL Partners Limited
Vivoland Limited
Alpha Title Limited
Brothers Union International Limited
Reach Splendid Investments Limited
China Equity (Union) Investment Co., Ltd.
Dragon Global International Ltd.
WinWin Solution Enterprise Ltd.
Jericho Group Global Limited
Power Profit Group Limited
Thousand Gain Investments Limited
Wan Bo Investments Limited
Faith Crown Investments Limited
Bondi Capital
Prosper Sino Investments Limited
Elite Expert Investments Limited
Gather Blossom International Limited
Ace Chance Global Limited
More Wise International Limited
LIST OF OPTIONS HOLDERS SUBJECT TO LOCKUP
Schedule D-1
Exhibit A
FORM OF LOCK-UP AGREEMENT
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.
00 Xxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
as Representative of the several Underwriters to be named in the
within-mentioned Underwriting Agreement
Re: | Proposed Public Offering by 000.XXX LIMITED |
Dear Sirs:
The undersigned understands that Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. (the “Representative”) proposes to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with 000.XXX LIMITED, a Cayman Islands corporation (the “Company”) providing for the public offering (the “Offering”) of the American depositary shares (the “ADSs”) representing the Company’s Class A ordinary shares (the “Ordinary Shares”). In recognition of the benefit that such an offering will confer upon the undersigned, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the undersigned agrees with each Underwriter to be named in the Underwriting Agreement that, during a period of 180 days from the public offering date set forth on the final prospectus used to sell the ADSs pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, the undersigned will not, without the prior written consent of the Representative, directly or indirectly, (i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant for the sale of, or otherwise dispose of or transfer any ADSs or Ordinary Shares or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for ADSs or Ordinary Shares, whether now owned or hereafter acquired by the undersigned, owned directly by the undersigned (including holding as a custodian) or with respect to which the undersigned has beneficial ownership within the rules and regulations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (collectively, the “Lock-Up Securities”), or exercise any right with respect to the registration of any of the Lock-Up Securities, or file or cause to be filed any registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, with respect to any of the foregoing or (ii) enter into any swap or any other agreement or any transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence of ownership of the Lock-Up Securities, whether any such swap or transaction is to be settled by delivery of ADSs, Ordinary Shares or other securities, in cash or otherwise. If the undersigned is an officer or director of the Company, the undersigned further agrees that the foregoing provisions shall be equally applicable to any issuer-directed ADSs the undersigned may purchase in the offering.
If the undersigned is an officer or director of the Company, (1) the Representative agrees that, at least three business days before the effective date of any release or waiver of the foregoing restrictions in connection with a transfer of the Lock-Up Securities, the Representative will notify the Company of the impending release or waiver, and (2) the Company has agreed in the Underwriting Agreement to announce the impending release or waiver by press release through a major news service at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver. Any release or waiver granted by the Representative hereunder to any such officer or director shall only be effective two business days after the publication date of such press release. The provisions of this paragraph will not apply if (i) the release or waiver is effected solely to permit a transfer not for consideration and (ii) the transferee has agreed in writing to be bound by the same terms described in this letter to the extent and for the duration that such terms remain in effect at the time of the transfer.
Exhibit A-1
Notwithstanding the foregoing, without the prior written consent of the Representative,
(a) the undersigned may transfer the Lock-Up Securities acquired in open market transactions after the completion of the Offering, provided that no filing under Rule 144 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, shall be required in connection with such subsequent sales of Lock-Up Securities acquired in such open market transactions;
(b) Sequoia Capital 2010 CGF Holdco, Ltd. (“Sequoia”) may exercise its conversion right pursuant to a convertible note purchase agreement between the Company and Sequoia dated as of October 20, 2013 for a convertible note in an aggregate principal amount of US$20.0 million, and Sequoia may exercise its exchange rights pursuant to an exchangeable note agreement among Sequoia, Power Profit Group Limited and other individuals dated as of October 21, 2013 for exchangeable notes in an aggregate principal amount of US$5.0 million;
(c) Blue Ivy Investment Limited (“Blue Ivy”) may exercise its exchange right pursuant to an exchangeable note agreement among it, Brothers Union Investment Holdings Limited, Vivoland Limited and other individuals dated as of October 3, 2013 for exchangeable notes in an aggregate principal amount of US$20.0 million, and Blue Ivy may transfer the Ordinary Shares of the Company procured through its exercise of the exchange right to two independent third parties prior to the consummation of the Offering as disclosed in the Registration Statement, provided that the Representative receives a signed lock-up agreement from each of such third parties; or
(d) subject to the conditions below, the undersigned may transfer any Lock-Up Securities, provided that (1) the Representative receives a signed lock-up agreement for the balance of the lock-up period from each donee, trustee, distributee or transferee, as the case may be, (2) any such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value, (3) such transfers are not required to be reported in any public report or filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or otherwise and (4) the undersigned does not otherwise voluntarily effect any public filing or report regarding such transfers:
(i) as a bona fide gift or gifts; or
(ii) to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned (for purposes of this lock-up agreement, “immediate family” shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage or adoption, not more remote than first cousin); or
(iii) as a distribution to limited partners or stockholders of the undersigned; or
(iv) to the undersigned’s affiliates or to any investment fund or other entity controlled or managed by the undersigned.
The undersigned agrees that, prior to engaging in any transaction or taking any other action that is subject to the terms of this lock-up agreement during the period from the date of this lock-up agreement to and including the expiration date of the 180-day lock-up period, it will give notice thereof to the Company and will not consummate such transaction or take any such action unless it has received written confirmation from the Company that the 180-day lock-up period has expired.
The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of the Lock-Up Securities except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.
Exhibit A-2
Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if (i) the closing of the public offering has not occurred on or prior to the earlier of (x) the 60th day following the execution of the Underwriting Agreement by all parties thereto, or (y) December 31, 2014, or (ii) the Underwriting Agreement has been terminated for any reason, then, this lock-up agreement shall terminate and be of no further force or effect.
This lock-up agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
[Signature page to follow]
Exhibit A-3
Very truly yours,
Signature: | ||
Print Name: | ||
Date: |
Exhibit A-4
Exhibit B
FORM OF PRESS RELEASE
TO BE ISSUED PURSUANT TO SECTION 3(k)
000.XXX LIMITED
[—], 201[—]
000.XXX LIMITED (the “Company”) announced today that Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., the sole book-running manager in the Company’s recent public sale of [—] American depositary shares (the “ADSs”) representing the Company’s Class A ordinary shares (the “Ordinary Shares”), are [waiving] [releasing] a lock-up restriction with respect to [—] [ADSs] [Ordinary Shares] of the Company held by [certain officers or directors] [an officer or director] of the Company. The [waiver] [release] will take effect on [—], 201[—], and the [ADSs] [Ordinary Shares] may be sold on or after such date.
This press release is not an offer for sale of the securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction where such offer is prohibited, and such securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
Exhibit B-1