Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated MASTER AGREEMENT AMONG UNDERWRITERS REGISTERED SEC OFFERINGS (INCLUDING MULTIPLE SYNDICATE OFFERINGS) AND EXEMPT OFFERINGS (OTHER THAN OFFERINGS OF MUNICIPAL SECURITIES) April 1, 2009
Exhibit 99(h)(ii)
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated
REGISTERED SEC OFFERINGS
(INCLUDING MULTIPLE SYNDICATE OFFERINGS)
AND
EXEMPT OFFERINGS
(OTHER THAN OFFERINGS OF MUNICIPAL SECURITIES)
April 1, 2009
This Master Agreement Among Underwriters (this “Master
AAU”), dated as of April 1, 2009, is by and
between Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated
(“Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx,” or
“we”) and the party named on the signature page
hereof (an “Underwriter,” as defined in
Section 1.1 hereof, or “you”). From time
to time we or one or more of our affiliates may invite you (and
others) to participate on the terms set forth herein as an
underwriter or an initial purchaser, or in a similar capacity,
in connection with certain offerings of securities that are
managed solely by us or with one or more other co-managers. If
we invite you to participate in a specific offering and sale of
securities (an “Offering”) to which this Master
AAU will apply, we will send the information set forth in
Section 1.1 hereof to you by one or more wires, telexes,
telecopy or electronic data transmissions, or other written
communications (each, a “Wire,” and
collectively, an “AAU”), unless you are
otherwise deemed to have accepted an AAU with respect to such
Offering pursuant to Section 1.2 hereof. Each Wire will
indicate that it is a Wire pursuant to this Master AAU. The Wire
inviting you to participate in an Offering is referred to herein
as an “Invitation Wire.” You and we hereby
agree that by the terms hereof the provisions of this Master AAU
automatically will be incorporated by reference in each AAU,
except that any such AAU may also exclude or revise such
provisions of this Master AAU in respect of the Offering to
which such AAU relates, and may contain such additional
provisions as may be specified in any Wire relating to such AAU.
You and we further agree as follows:
I.
GENERAL
1.1. Terms of AAU; Certain Definitions;
Construction. Each AAU will relate to an
Offering, and will identify: (i) the securities to be
offered in the Offering (the “Securities”),
their principal terms, the issuer or issuers (each, an
“Issuer”) and any guarantor (each, a
“Guarantor”) thereof, and, if different from
the Issuer, the seller or sellers (each, a
“Seller”) of the Securities, (ii) the
underwriting agreement, purchase agreement, standby underwriting
agreement, distribution agreement, or similar agreement (as
identified in such AAU and as amended or supplemented, including
a terms agreement or pricing agreement pursuant to any of the
foregoing, collectively, the “Underwriting
Agreement”) providing for the purchase, on a several
and not joint basis, of the Securities by the several
underwriters, initial purchasers, or others acting in a similar
capacity (the “Underwriters”) on whose behalf
the Manager (as defined below) executes the Underwriting
Agreement, and whether such agreement provides for: (x) an
option to purchase Additional Securities (as defined below) to
cover over-allotments, or (y) an offering in multiple
jurisdictions or markets involving two or more syndicates (an
“International Offering”), each of which will
offer and sell Securities subject to such restrictions as may be
specified in any Intersyndicate Agreement (as defined below)
referred to in such AAU, (iii) the price at which the
Securities are to be purchased by the several Underwriters from
any Issuer or Seller thereof (the “Purchase
Price”), (iv) the offering terms, including, if
applicable, the price or prices at which the Securities
initially will be offered by the Underwriters (the
“Offering Price”), any selling concession to
dealers (the “Selling Concession”), reallowance
(the “Reallowance”), management fee, global
coordinators’ fee, praecipium, or other similar fees,
discounts, or commissions (collectively, the “Fees and
Commissions”) with respect to the Securities, and
(v) other principal terms of the Offering, which may
include, without limitation: (A) the proposed or actual
pricing date (“Pricing Date”) and settlement
date (the “Settlement Date”), (B) any
contractual restrictions on the offer and sale of the Securities
pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, Intersyndicate
Agreement, or otherwise, (C) any co-managers for such
Offering (the “Co-Managers”), (D) your
proposed participation in the Offering, and (E) any
trustee, fiscal agent, or similar agent (the
“Trustee”) for the indenture, trust agreement,
fiscal agency agreement, or similar agreement (the
“Indenture”) under which such Securities will
be issued.
“Manager” means Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx, except as set
forth in Section 9.9 hereof.
“Representative” means the Manager and any
Co-Manager that signs the applicable Underwriting Agreement on
behalf of the Underwriters or is identified as a Representative
in the applicable Underwriting Agreement.
“Underwriters” includes the Representative(s),
the Manager, and the Co-Managers. “Firm
Securities” means the number or amount of Securities
that the several Underwriters are initially committed to
purchase under the Underwriting Agreement (which may be
expressed as a percentage of an aggregate number or amount of
Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters, as in the case
of a standby Underwriting Agreement). “Additional
Securities” means the Securities, if any, that the
several Underwriters have an option to purchase under the
Underwriting Agreement
2
to cover over-allotments. The number, amount, or percentage of
Firm Securities set forth opposite each Underwriter’s name
in the Underwriting Agreement plus any additional Firm
Securities which such Underwriter has made a commitment to
purchase, irrespective of whether such Underwriter actually
purchases or sells such number, amount, or percentage of
Securities under the Underwriting Agreement or Article XI
hereof, is hereinafter referred to as the “Original
Underwriting Obligation” of such Underwriter, and the
ratio which such Original Underwriting Obligation bears to the
total of all Firm Securities set forth in the Underwriting
Agreement (or, in the case of a standby Underwriting Agreement,
to 100%) is hereinafter referred to as the “Underwriting
Percentage” of such Underwriter. For the avoidance of
doubt, each Underwriter acknowledges and agrees that, for all
purposes under this Agreement and otherwise (including, to the
extent applicable, for purposes of Section 11(e) under the
U.S. Securities Act of 1933 (the
“1933 Act”)), each Underwriter’s
Underwriting Percentage of the total number, amount, or
percentage of Securities offered and sold in the Offering
(including any Additional Securities), and only such number,
amount, or percentage, constitutes the securities underwritten
by such Underwriter and distributed to
investors.2
References herein to laws, statutory and regulatory sections,
rules, regulations, forms, and interpretive materials will be
deemed to include any successor provisions.
1.2. Acceptance of AAU. You will
have accepted an AAU for an Offering if: (a) we receive
your acceptance, prior to the time specified in the Invitation
Wire for such Offering, by wire, telex, telecopy or electronic
data transmission, or other written communication (any such
communication being deemed “In Writing”) or
orally (if promptly confirmed In Writing), in the manner
specified in the Invitation Wire, of our invitation to
participate in the Offering, or (b) notwithstanding that we
did not send you an Invitation Wire or you have not otherwise
responded In Writing to any such Wire, you: (i) agree
(orally or by a Wire) to be named as an Underwriter in the
relevant Underwriting Agreement executed by us as Manager, or
(ii) receive and retain an economic benefit for
participating in the Offering as an Underwriter. Your acceptance
of the invitation to participate will cause such AAU to
constitute a valid and binding contract between us. Your
acceptance of the AAU as provided above or an Invitation Wire
will also constitute acceptance by you of the terms of
subsequent Wires to you relating to the Offering unless we
receive In Writing, within the time and in the manner specified
in such subsequent Wire, a notice from you to the effect that
you do not accept the terms of such subsequent Wire, in which
case you will be deemed to have elected not to participate in
the Offering.
1.3. Underwriters’
Questionnaire. Your acceptance of the Invitation
Wire for an Offering or your participation in an Offering as an
Underwriter will confirm that you have no exceptions to the
Underwriters’ Questionnaire attached as Exhibit A
hereto (or to any other questions addressed to you in any Wires
relating to the Offering previously sent to you), other than
exceptions noted by you In Writing in connection with the
Offering and received from you by us before the time specified
in the Invitation Wire or any subsequent Wire.
II.
OFFERING MATERIALS; OFFERING AGREEMENTS
2.1. Registered Offerings. In the
case of an Offering that will be registered in whole or in part
(a “Registered Offering”) under the
1933 Act, you acknowledge that the Issuer has filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
“Commission”) a registration statement,
including a prospectus relating to the Securities.
“Registration Statement” means such
registration statement as amended to the effective date of the
Underwriting Agreement and, in the event that the Issuer files
an abbreviated registration statement to register additional
Securities pursuant to Rule 462(b) or 462(e) under the
1933 Act, such abbreviated registration statement.
“Prospectus” means the prospectus, together
with the final prospectus supplement, if any, containing the
final terms of the Securities and, in the case of a Registered
Offering that is an International Offering,
“Prospectus” means, collectively, each
prospectus or offering circular, together with each final
prospectus supplement or final offering circular supplement, if
any, relating to the Offering, in the respective forms
containing the final terms of the Securities.
“Preliminary Prospectus” means any preliminary
prospectus relating to the Offering or any preliminary
prospectus supplement together with a prospectus relating to the
Offering and, in the case of a Registered Offering that is an
International Offering,
2 Meant
to clarify mechanics of underwriting for purposes of
Section 11(e), and rebut footnote 8 of the WorldCom
decision (See In re: Worldcom, Inc. Securities
Litigation, U.S. Dist. Ct. (SDNY), slip-op 02 Civ 3288,
March 14, 2005 (unpublished).
3
“Preliminary Prospectus” means, collectively,
each preliminary prospectus or preliminary offering circular
relating to the Offering or each preliminary prospectus
supplement or preliminary offering circular supplement, together
with a prospectus or offering circular, respectively, relating
to the Offering. “Free Writing Prospectus”
means, in the case of a Registered Offering, a “free
writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 under the
1933 Act. As used herein the terms “Registration
Statement,” “Prospectus,”
“Preliminary Prospectus,” and “Free
Writing Prospectus” will include in each case the
material, if any, incorporated by reference therein, and as used
herein, the term “Registration Statement”
includes information deemed to be part thereof pursuant to, and
as of the date and time specified in, Rules 430A, 430B, or
430C under the 1933 Act, while the terms
“Prospectus” and “Preliminary
Prospectus” include information deemed to be a part
thereof pursuant to the rules and regulations under the
1933 Act, but only as of the actual time that information
is first used or filed with the Commission pursuant to
Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act. The Manager will
furnish, make available to you, or make arrangements for you to
obtain copies (which may, to the extent permitted by law, be in
electronic form) of each Prospectus and Preliminary Prospectus
(as amended or supplemented, if applicable, but excluding, for
this purpose, unless otherwise required pursuant to rules or
regulations under the 1933 Act, documents incorporated
therein by reference) as soon as practicable after sufficient
quantities thereof have been made available by the Issuer.
As used herein, in the case of an Offering that is an offering
of asset-backed securities, the term “ABS Underwriter
Derived Information” means any analytical or
computational materials as described in clause (5) of
footnote 271 of Commission Release
No. 33-8591,
issued July 19, 2005 (Securities Offering Reform) (the
“Securities Offering Reform Release”).
2.2. Non-Registered Offerings. In
the case of an Offering other than a Registered Offering, you
acknowledge that no registration statement has been filed with
the Commission. “Offering Circular” means the
final offering circular or memorandum, if any, or any other
final written materials authorized by the Issuer to be used in
connection with an Offering that is not a Registered Offering.
“Preliminary Offering Circular” means any
preliminary offering circular or memorandum, if any, or any
other written preliminary materials authorized by the Issuer to
be used in connection with such an Offering. As used herein, the
terms “Offering Circular” and
“Preliminary Offering Circular” include the
material, if any, incorporated by reference therein. We will
either, as soon as practicable after the later of the date of
the Invitation Wire or the date made available to us by the
Issuer, furnish to you (or make available for your review) a
copy of any Preliminary Offering Circular or any proof or draft
of the Offering Circular. In any event, in any Offering
involving an Offering Circular, the Manager will furnish, make
available to you, or make arrangements for you to obtain, as
soon as practicable after sufficient quantities thereof are made
available by the Issuer, copies (which may, to the extent
permitted by law, be in electronic form) of the Preliminary
Offering Circular and Offering Circular, as amended or
supplemented, if applicable (but excluding, for this purpose,
documents incorporated therein by reference).
2.3. Authority to Execute Underwriting and
Intersyndicate Agreements. You authorize the
Manager, on your behalf: (a) to determine the form of the
Underwriting Agreement and to execute and deliver to the Issuer,
Guarantor, or Seller the Underwriting Agreement to purchase:
(i) up to the number, amount, or percentage of Firm
Securities set forth in the applicable AAU, and (ii) if the
Manager elects on behalf of the several Underwriters to exercise
any option to purchase Additional Securities, up to the number,
amount, or percentage of Additional Securities set forth in the
applicable AAU, subject, in each case, to reduction pursuant to
Article IV; and (b) to determine the form of any
agreement or agreements, including, but not limited to,
underwriting agreements, between or among the syndicates
participating in the Offering or International Offering,
respectively (each, an “Intersyndicate
Agreement”), and to execute and deliver any such
Intersyndicate Agreement.
III.
MANAGER’S AUTHORITY
3.1. Terms of Offering. You
authorize the Manager to act as manager of the Offering of the
Securities by the Underwriters (the “Underwriters’
Securities”) or by the Issuer or Seller pursuant to
delayed delivery contracts (the “Contract
Securities”), if any, contemplated by the Underwriting
Agreement. You authorize the
4
Manager: (i) to purchase any or all of the Additional
Securities for the accounts of the several Underwriters pursuant
to the Underwriting Agreement, (ii) to agree, on your
behalf and on behalf of the Co-Managers, to any addition to,
change in, or waiver of any provision of, or the termination of,
the Underwriting Agreement or any Intersyndicate Agreement
(other than an increase in the Purchase Price or in your
Original Underwriting Obligation to purchase Securities, in
either case from that contemplated by the applicable AAU),
(iii) to add prospective or remove existing Underwriters
from the syndicate, (iv) to exercise, in the Manager’s
discretion, all of the authority vested in the Manager in the
Underwriting Agreement, (v) except as described below in
this Section 3.1, to take any other action as may seem
advisable to the Manager in respect of the Offering (including,
in the case of an Offering of asset-backed securities, the
preparation and delivery of ABS Underwriter Derived
Information), including actions and communications with the
Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority
(“FINRA,” formerly known as the National
Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., and NASD, Inc., or
“NASD”), state blue sky or securities
commissions, stock exchanges, and other regulatory bodies
or organizations. Furthermore, the Manager will have exclusive
authority, on your behalf and on behalf of the Co-Managers, to
exercise powers and pursue enforcement of the terms and
conditions of the Underwriting Agreement and any Intersyndicate
Agreement, whether or not actually exercised, except as
otherwise specified herein or therein. If, in accordance with
the terms of the applicable AAU, the Offering of the Securities
is at varying prices based on prevailing market prices, or
prices related to prevailing market prices, or at negotiated
prices, you authorize the Manager to determine, on your behalf
in the Manager’s discretion, any Offering Price and the
Fees and Commissions applicable to the Offering from time to
time. You authorize the Manager on your behalf to arrange for
any currency transactions (including forward and hedging
currency transactions) as the Manager may deem necessary to
facilitate settlement of the purchase of the Securities, but you
do not authorize the Manager on your behalf to engage in any
other forward or hedging transactions (including interest rate
hedging transactions) in connection with the Offering unless
such transactions are specified in an applicable AAU or are
otherwise consented to by you. You further authorize the
Manager, subject to the provisions of Section 1.2 hereof:
(i) to vary the offering terms of the Securities in effect
at any time, including, if applicable, the Offering Price, Fees,
and Commissions set forth in the applicable AAU, (ii) to
determine, on your behalf, the Purchase Price, and (iii) to
increase or decrease the number, amount, or percentage of
Securities being offered. Notwithstanding the foregoing
provisions of this Section 3.1, the Manager will notify the
Underwriters, prior to the signing of the Underwriting
Agreement, of any provision in the Underwriting Agreement that
could result in an increase in the number, amount, or percentage
of Firm Securities set forth opposite each Underwriter’s
name in the Underwriting Agreement by more than 25% (or such
other percentage as will have been specified in the applicable
Invitation Wire or otherwise consented to by you) as a result of
the failure or refusal of another Underwriter or Underwriters to
perform its or their obligations thereunder. The Manager may, at
its discretion, delegate to any Underwriter any and all
authority vested in the applicable AAU, including, but not
limited to, the powers set forth in Sections 5.1 and 5.2
hereof.
3.2. Offering Date. The Offering is
to be made on or about the time the Underwriting Agreement is
entered into by the Issuer, Guarantor, or Seller and the Manager
as in the Manager’s judgment is advisable, on the terms and
conditions set forth in the Prospectus or the Offering Circular,
as the case may be, and the applicable AAU. You will not sell
any Securities prior to the time the Manager releases such
Securities for sale to purchasers. The date on which such
Securities are released for sale is referred to herein as the
“Offering Date.”
3.3. Communications. Any public
announcement or advertisement of the Offering will be made by
the Manager on behalf of the Underwriters on such date as the
Manager may determine. You will not announce or advertise the
Offering prior to the date of the Manager’s announcement or
advertisement thereof without the Manager’s consent. If the
Offering is made in whole or in part in reliance on any
applicable exemption from registration under the 1933 Act,
you will not engage in any general solicitation, announcement,
or advertising in connection with the Offering, and will abide
by any other restrictions in the AAU or the Underwriting
Agreement in connection therewith relating to any announcement,
advertising, or publicity. Any announcement or advertisement you
may make of the Offering after such date will be your own
responsibility, and at your own expense and risk. In addition to
your compliance with restrictions on the Offering pursuant to
Sections 10.9, 10.10, 10.11, and 10.12 hereof, you will
not, in connection with the offer and sale of the
5
Securities in the Offering, without the consent of the Manager,
give, send, or otherwise convey to any prospective purchaser or
any purchaser of the Securities or other person not in your
employ any written communication (as defined in Rule 405
under the 0000 Xxx) other than:
(i) any Preliminary Prospectus, Prospectus, Preliminary
Offering Circular, or Offering Circular,
(ii) (A) written confirmations and notices of
allocation delivered to your customers in accordance with
Rules 172 or 173 under the 1933 Act, and written
communications based on the exemption provided by Rule 134
under the 1933 Act, and (B) in the case of Offerings
not registered under the 1933 Act, such written
communications (1) as would be permitted by
Section 3.3(v)(D)(1) below were such Offering registered
under the 1933 Act, or (2) that the Manager or
Underwriting Agreement may permit; provided, however,
that such written communication under this clause (B) would
not have otherwise constituted “Issuer
Information” as defined below, or would have qualified
for the exemption provided by Rule 134 under the
1933 Act, in each case, if such communication had been
furnished in the context of a Registered Offering
(“Supplemental Materials”),
(iii) any “issuer free writing prospectus” (as
defined in Rule 433(h) under the 1933 Act, an
“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”), so long as
such issuance or use has been permitted or consented to by the
Issuer and the Manager,
(iv) information contained in any computational materials,
or in the case of an Offering of asset backed securities, the
ABS Underwriter Derived Information, or any other offering
materials not constituting a Free Writing Prospectus concerning
the Offering, the Issuer, the Guarantor, or the Seller, in each
case, prepared by or with the permission of the Manager for use
by the Underwriters in connection with the Offering, and, in the
case of a Registered Offering, filed (if required) with the
Commission or FINRA, as applicable, and
(v) a Free Writing Prospectus prepared by or on behalf of,
or used or referred to by, an Underwriter in connection with the
Offering, so long as: (A) such Free Writing Prospectus is
not required to be filed with the Commission, (B) the
proposed use of such Free Writing Prospectus is permitted by the
Underwriting Agreement, (C) such Free Writing Prospectus
complies with the legending condition of Rule 433 under the
1933 Act, and you comply with the record-keeping condition
of Rule 433, and (D) (1) such Free Writing Prospectus
contains only information describing the preliminary terms of
the Securities and other pricing
data3
that is not “Issuer Information” (as defined in
Rule 433(h) under the 1933 Act, including footnote 271
of the Securities Offering Reform Release), or (2) the
Issuer has agreed in the Underwriting Agreement to file a final
term sheet under Rule 433 within the time period necessary
to avoid a requirement for any Underwriter to file the Free
Writing Prospectus to be used by such Underwriter, and the Free
Writing Prospectus used by such Underwriter contains only
information describing the terms of the Securities or their
offering that is included in such final term sheet of the Issuer
and other pricing data that is not Issuer Information (a Free
Writing Prospectus meeting the requirements of (A) through
(D) above used, or referred to by you, is referred to
herein as an “Underwriter Free Writing
Prospectus” of yours). Without limiting the foregoing,
any Underwriter Free Writing Prospectus that you use or refer to
will not be distributed by you or on your behalf in a manner
reasonably designed to lead to its broad unrestricted
dissemination. You will comply in all material respects with the
applicable requirements of the 1933 Act and the rules and
regulations thereunder in connection with your use of any
Underwriter Free Writing Prospectus.
Any advertisement or written information published, given, sent,
or otherwise conveyed by you in violation of this
Section 3.3 is referred to as “Unauthorized
Material.”
3.4. Institutional and Retail
Sales. You authorize the Manager to sell to
institutions and retail purchasers such Securities purchased by
you pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement as the Manager will
determine. The Selling Concession on any such sales will be
credited to the accounts of the Underwriters as the Manager will
determine.
3 Meant
to permit disclosure of non-Issuer related information, such as
benchmark Treasury rate, in preliminary term sheets or price
talk.
6
3.5. Sales to Dealers. You
authorize the Manager to sell to Dealers (as defined below) such
Securities purchased by you pursuant to the Underwriting
Agreement as the Manager will determine. A
“Dealer” will be a person who is: (a) a
broker or dealer (as defined by FINRA) actually engaged in the
investment banking or securities business, and (i) a member
in good standing of FINRA, or (ii) a
non-U.S. bank,
broker, dealer, or other institution not eligible for membership
in FINRA that, in the case of either clause (a)(i) or (a)(ii),
makes the representations and agreements applicable to such
institutions contained in Section 10.5 hereof, or
(b) in the case of Offerings of Securities that are exempt
securities under Section 3(a)(12) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (the “1934 Act”), and
such other Securities as from time to time may be sold by a
“bank” (as defined in Section 3(a)(6) of the
1934 Act (a “Bank”)), a Bank that is not a
member of FINRA and that makes the representations and
agreements applicable to such institutions contained in
Section 10.5 hereof. If the price for any such sales by the
Manager to Dealers exceeds an amount equal to the Offering Price
less the Selling Concession set forth in the applicable AAU, the
amount of such excess, if any, will be credited to the accounts
of the Underwriters as the Manager will determine.
3.6. Direct Sales. The Manager will
advise you promptly, on the Offering Date, as to the Securities
purchased by you pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement that you
will retain for direct sale. At any time prior to the
termination of the applicable AAU, any such Securities that are
held by the Manager for sale but not sold may, on your request
and at the Manager’s discretion, be released to you for
direct sale, and Securities so released to you will no longer be
deemed held for sale by the Manager. You may allow, and Dealers
may reallow, a discount on sales to Dealers in an amount not in
excess of the Reallowance set forth in the applicable AAU. You
may not purchase Securities from, or sell Securities to, any
other Underwriter or Dealer at any discount or concession other
than the Reallowance, except with the prior consent of the
Manager.
3.7. Release of Unsold
Securities. From time to time prior to the
termination of the applicable AAU, at the request of the
Manager, you will advise the Manager of the number or amount of
Securities remaining unsold which were retained by or released
to you for direct sale, and of the number or amount of
Securities and Other Securities (as defined below) purchased for
your account remaining unsold which were delivered to you
pursuant to Article V hereof or pursuant to any
Intersyndicate Agreement, and, on the request of the Manager,
you will release to the Manager any such Securities and Other
Securities remaining unsold: (a) for sale by the Manager to
institutions, Dealers, or retail purchasers, (b) for sale
by the Issuer or Seller pursuant to delayed delivery contracts,
or (c) if, in the Manager’s opinion, such Securities
or Other Securities are needed to make delivery against sales
made pursuant to Article V hereof or any Intersyndicate
Agreement.
3.8. International Offerings. In
the case of an International Offering, you authorize the
Manager: (i) to make representations on your behalf as set
forth in any Intersyndicate Agreement, and (ii) to purchase
or sell for your account pursuant to the Intersyndicate
Agreement: (a) Securities, (b) any other securities of
the same class and series, or any securities into which the
Securities may be converted or for which the Securities may be
exchanged or exercised, and (c) any other securities
designated in the applicable AAU or applicable Intersyndicate
Agreement (the securities referred to in clauses (b) and
(c) above being referred to collectively as the
“Other Securities”).
IV.
DELAYED DELIVERY CONTRACTS
4.1. Arrangements for
Sales. Arrangements for sales of Contract
Securities will be made only through the Manager acting either
directly or through Dealers (including Underwriters acting as
Dealers), and you authorize the Manager to act on your behalf in
making such arrangements. The aggregate number or amount of
Securities to be purchased by the several Underwriters will be
reduced by the respective number or amounts of Contract
Securities attributed to such Underwriters as hereinafter
provided. Subject to the provisions of Section 4.2 hereof,
the aggregate number or amount of Contract Securities will be
attributed to the Underwriters as nearly as practicable in
proportion to their respective Underwriting Percentages, except
that, as determined by the Manager in its discretion:
(a) Contract Securities directed and allocated by a
purchaser to specific Underwriters will be attributed to such
Underwriters, and (b) Contract Securities for which
arrangements have been made for sale through Dealers will be
attributed to each Underwriter approximately in the proportion
that Securities of such Underwriter held by the Manager for
sales to Dealers bear to all
7
Securities so held. The fee with respect to Contract Securities
payable to the Manager for the accounts of the Underwriters
pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement will be credited to the
accounts of the respective Underwriters in proportion to the
Contract Securities attributed to such Underwriters pursuant to
the provisions of this Section 4.1, less, in the case of
each Underwriter, the concession to Dealers on Contract
Securities sold through Dealers and attributed to such
Underwriter.
4.2. Excess Sales. If the number or
amount of Contract Securities attributable to an Underwriter
pursuant to Section 4.1 hereof would exceed such
Underwriter’s Original Underwriting Obligation reduced by
the number or amount of Underwriters’ Securities sold by or
on behalf of such Underwriter, such excess will not be
attributed to such Underwriter, and such Underwriter will be
regarded as having acted only as a Dealer with respect to, and
will receive only the concession to Dealers on, such excess.
V.
PURCHASE AND SALE OF SECURITIES
5.1. Facilitation of
Distribution. In order to facilitate the
distribution and sale of the Securities, you authorize the
Manager to buy and sell Securities and any Other Securities, in
addition to Securities sold pursuant to Article III hereof,
in the open market or otherwise (including, without limitation,
pursuant to any Intersyndicate Agreement), for long or short
account, on such terms as it may deem advisable, and to
over-allot in arranging sales. Such purchases and sales and
over-allotments will be made for the accounts of the several
Underwriters as nearly as practicable to their respective
Underwriting Percentages or, in the case of an International
Offering, such purchases and sales will be for such accounts as
set forth in the applicable Intersyndicate Agreement. Any
Securities or Other Securities which may have been purchased by
the Manager for stabilizing purposes in connection with the
Offering prior to the acceptance of the applicable AAU will be
treated as having been purchased pursuant to this
Section 5.1 for the accounts of the several Underwriters
or, in the case of an International Offering, for such accounts
as are set forth in the applicable Intersyndicate Agreement.
Your net commitment pursuant to the foregoing authorization will
not exceed at the close of business on any day an amount equal
to 20% of your Underwriting Percentage of the aggregate initial
Offering Price of the Firm Securities, it being understood that,
in calculating such net commitment, the initial Offering Price
will be used with respect to the Securities so purchased or sold
and, in the case of all Other Securities, will be the purchase
price thereof. For purposes of determining your net commitment
for short account (i.e., “naked short”), any
short position that can be covered with: (a) Securities
that may be purchased upon exercise of any over-allotment option
then exercisable, (b) in the case of an International
Offering, any Securities or Other Securities that the Manager
has agreed to purchase for your account pursuant to any
applicable Intersyndicate Agreement, and (c) Securities
that may be purchased pursuant to a forward sale contract or
similar arrangement with the Issuer or any selling security
holder in the Offering, will be disregarded. On demand you will
take up and pay for any Securities or Other Securities so
purchased for your account and any Securities released to you
pursuant to Section 3.7 hereof, and will deliver to the
Manager against payment any Securities or Other Securities so
sold or over-allotted for your account or released to you. The
Manager will notify you if it engages in any stabilization
transaction in accordance with
Rule 17a-2
under the 1934 Act, and will notify you of the date of
termination of stabilization. You will not stabilize or engage
in any syndicate covering transaction (as defined in
Rule 100 of Regulation M under the 1934 Act
(“Regulation M”)) in connection with the
Offering without the prior consent of the Manager. You will
provide to the Manager any reports required of you pursuant to
Rule 17a-2
of the 1934 Act not later than the date specified therein.
5.2. Penalty With Respect to Securities
Repurchased by the Manager. If pursuant to the
provisions of Section 5.1 hereof and prior to the
termination of the Manager’s authority to cover any short
position incurred under the applicable AAU or such other date as
the Manager may specify in a Wire, either: (a) the Manager
purchases or contracts to purchase for the account of any
Underwriter in the open market or otherwise any Securities which
were retained by, or released to, you for direct sale or any
Securities sold pursuant to Section 3.4 hereof for which
you received a portion of the Selling Concession set forth in
the applicable AAU, or any Securities which may have been issued
on transfer or in exchange for such Securities, and which
Securities were therefore not effectively placed for investment,
or (b) if the Manager has advised you by Wire that trading
in the Securities will be reported to the Manager pursuant to
the “Initial Public Offering Tracking System” of The
Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) and the
Manager determines, based on notices from
8
DTC, that your customers sold a number or amount of Securities
during any day that exceeds the number or amount previously
notified to you by Wire, then you authorize the Manager either
to charge your account with an amount equal to such portion of
the Selling Concession set forth in the applicable AAU received
by you with respect to such Securities or, in the case of clause
(b), such Securities as exceed the number or amount specified in
such Wire, or to require you to repurchase such Securities or,
in the case of clause (b), such Securities as exceed the number
or amount specified in such Wire, at a price equal to the total
cost of such purchase, including transfer taxes, accrued
interest, dividends, and commissions, if any.
5.3. Compliance with
Regulation M. You represent that, at all
times since you were invited to participate in the Offering, you
have complied with the provisions of Regulation M
applicable to the Offering, in each case as interpreted by the
Commission and after giving effect to any applicable exemptions.
If you have been notified in a Wire that the Underwriters may
conduct passive market making in compliance with Rule 103
of Regulation M in connection with the Offering, you
represent that, at all times since your receipt of such Wire,
you have complied with the provisions of such Rule applicable to
such Offering, as interpreted by the Commission and after giving
effect to any applicable exemptions. You will comply with any
additional provisions of Regulation M if and to the extent
set forth in the Invitation Wire or other Wire.
5.4. Standby Underwritings. You
authorize the Manager in its discretion, at any time on, or from
time to time prior to, the expiration of the conversion right of
convertible securities identified in the applicable AAU in the
case of securities called for redemption, or the expiration of
rights to acquire securities in the case of rights offerings,
for which, in either case, standby underwriting arrangements
have been made: (i) to purchase convertible securities or
rights to acquire Securities for your account, in the open
market or otherwise, on such terms as the Manager determines,
and to convert convertible securities or exercise rights so
purchased; and (ii) to offer and sell the underlying common
stock or depositary shares for your account, in the open market
or otherwise, for long or short account (for purposes of such
commitment, such common stock or depositary shares being
considered the equivalent of convertible securities or rights),
on such terms consistent with the terms of the Offering set
forth in the Prospectus or Offering Circular as the Manager
determines. On demand, you will take up and pay for any
securities so purchased for your account or you will deliver to
the Manager against payment any securities so sold, as the case
may be. During such period, you may offer and sell the
underlying common stock or depositary shares, but only at prices
set by the Manager from time to time, and any such sales will be
subject to the Manager’s right to sell to you the
underlying common stock or depositary shares as above provided
and to the Manager’s right to reserve your securities
purchased, received, or to be received upon conversion. You
agree not to otherwise bid for, purchase, or attempt to induce
others to purchase or sell, directly or indirectly, any
convertible securities or rights or underlying common stock or
depositary shares, provided, however, that no
Underwriter will be prohibited from: (a) selling underlying
common stock owned beneficially by such Underwriter on the day
the convertible securities were first called for redemption,
(b) converting convertible securities owned beneficially by
such Underwriter on such date or selling underlying common stock
issued upon conversion of convertible securities so owned,
(c) exercising rights owned beneficially by such
Underwriter on the record date for a rights offering, or selling
the underlying common stock or depositary shares issued upon
exercise of rights so owned, or (d) purchasing or selling
convertible securities or rights or underlying common stock or
depositary shares as a broker pursuant to unsolicited orders.
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VI.
PAYMENT AND SETTLEMENT
You will deliver to the Manager on the date and at the place and
time specified in the applicable AAU (or on such later date and
at such place and time as may be specified by the Manager in a
subsequent Wire) the funds specified in the applicable AAU,
payable to the order of Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co.
Incorporated, for: (a) an amount equal to the Offering
Price plus (if not included in the Offering Price) accrued
interest, amortization of original issue discount or dividends,
if any, specified in the Prospectus or Offering Circular, less
the applicable Selling Concession in respect of the Firm
Securities to be purchased by you, (b) an amount equal to
the Offering Price plus (if not included in the Offering Price)
accrued interest, amortization of original issue discount or
dividends, if any, specified in the Prospectus or Offering
Circular, less the applicable Selling Concession in respect of
such of the Firm Securities to be purchased by you as will have
been retained by or released to you for direct sale as
contemplated by Section 3.6 hereof, or (c) the amount
set forth or indicated in the applicable AAU, as the Manager
will advise. You will make similar payment as the Manager may
direct for Additional Securities, if any, to be purchased by you
on the date specified by the Manager for such payment. The
Manager will make payment to the Issuer or Seller against
delivery to the Manager for your account of the Securities to be
purchased by you, and the Manager will deliver to you the
Securities paid for by you which will have been retained by or
released to you for direct sale. If the Manager determines that
transactions in the Securities are to be settled through DTC or
another clearinghouse facility and payment in the settlement
currency is supported by such facility, payment for and delivery
of Securities purchased by you will be made through such
facilities, if you are a participant, or, if you are not a
participant, settlement will be made through your ordinary
correspondent who is a participant.
VII.
EXPENSES
7.1. Management Fee. You authorize
the Manager to charge your account as compensation for the
Manager’s and Co-Managers’ services in connection with
the Offering, including the purchase from the Issuer or Seller
of the Securities, as the case may be, and the management of the
Offering, the amount, if any, set forth as the management fee,
global coordinators’ fee, praecipium, or other similar fee
in the applicable AAU. Such amount will be divided among the
Manager and any Co-Managers named in the applicable AAU as they
may determine. Each Underwriter acknowledges that such fees are
being paid by the Underwriters, and are not a benefit received
directly or indirectly from the Issuer of the type referred to
in Section 11(e) of the 1933 Act.
7.2. Offering Expenses. You
authorize the Manager to charge your account with your
Underwriting Percentage of all expenses agreed to be paid by the
Underwriters in the Underwriting Agreement and all expenses of a
general nature incurred by the Manager and Co-Managers under the
applicable AAU in connection with the Offering, including the
negotiation and preparation thereof, or in connection with the
purchase, carrying, marketing, sale and distribution of any
securities under the applicable AAU and any Intersyndicate
Agreement, including, without limitation, legal fees and
expenses, transfer taxes, costs associated with approval of the
Offering by FINRA, and the costs of currency transactions
(including forward and hedging currency transactions) or, if
permitted pursuant to Section 3.1 hereof, any other forward
or hedging transactions (including interest rate swaps) entered
into to facilitate settlement of the purchase of Securities
permitted hereunder.
VIII.
MANAGEMENT OF SECURITIES AND FUNDS
8.1. Advances; Loans; Pledges. You
authorize the Manager to advance the Manager’s own funds
for your account, charging current interest rates, and to
arrange loans for your account for the purpose of carrying out
the provisions of the applicable AAU and any Intersyndicate
Agreement, and in connection therewith, to hold or pledge as
security therefor all or any securities which the Manager may be
holding for your account under the applicable AAU and any
Intersyndicate Agreement, to execute and deliver any notes or
other instruments evidencing such advances or loans, and to give
all instructions to the lenders with respect to any such loans
and the proceeds thereof. The obligations of the Underwriters
under loans arranged on their behalf will be several in
proportion to their respective Original Underwriting
Obligations, and not joint. Any lender is
10
authorized to accept the Manager’s instructions as to the
disposition of the proceeds of any such loans. In the event of
any such advance or loan, repayment thereof will, in the
discretion of the Manager, be effected prior to making any
remittance or delivery pursuant to Section 8.2, 8.3, or 9.2
hereof.
8.2. Return of Amount Paid for
Securities. Out of payment received by the
Manager for Securities sold for your account which have been
paid for by you, the Manager will remit to you promptly an
amount equal to the price paid by you for such Securities.
8.3. Delivery and Redelivery of Securities for
Carrying Purposes. The Manager may deliver to you
from time to time prior to the termination of the applicable AAU
pursuant to Section 9.1 hereof against payment, for
carrying purposes only, any Securities or Other Securities
purchased by you under the applicable AAU or any Intersyndicate
Agreement which the Manager is holding for sale for your account
but which are not sold and paid for. You will redeliver to the
Manager against payment any Securities or Other Securities
delivered to you for carrying purposes at such times as the
Manager may demand.
IX.
TERMINATION; INDEMNIFICATION; CONTRIBUTION; SETTLEMENT
9.1. Termination. Each AAU will
terminate at the close of business on the later of: (a) the
date on which the Underwriters pay the Issuer or Seller for the
Securities, and (b) 45 calendar days after the applicable
Offering Date, unless sooner terminated by the Manager. The
Manager may at its discretion by notice to you prior to the
termination of such AAU alter any of the terms or conditions of
the Offering to the extent permitted by Articles III
and IV hereof, or terminate or suspend the effectiveness of
Article V hereof, or any part thereof. No termination or
suspension pursuant to this paragraph will affect the
Manager’s authority under Section 3.1 hereof to take
actions in respect of the Offering or under Article V
hereof to cover any short position incurred under such AAU or in
connection with covering any such short position to require you
to repurchase Securities as specified in Section 5.2
hereof. For the avoidance of doubt, unless otherwise agreed in a
Wire or an Intersyndicate Agreement, the Manager’s
authority to purchase Securities or Other Securities, for long
account, pursuant to Section 5.1 hereof, will terminate or
be suspended upon the termination or suspension, as the case may
be, of the applicable AAU (or any provision and or term thereof
in respect of trading, price or offering restrictions as set
forth in a Wire that is sent by the Manager following the time
the Securities are released for sale to purchasers) or
Article V or Section 5.1 hereof pursuant to this
paragraph.
9.2. Delivery or Sale of Securities; Settlement of
Accounts. Upon termination of each AAU, or prior
thereto at the Manager’s discretion, the Manager will
deliver to you any Securities paid for by you pursuant to
Article VI hereof and held by the Manager for sale pursuant
to Section 3.4 or 3.5 hereof but not sold and paid for and
any Securities or Other Securities that are held by the Manager
for your account pursuant to the provisions of Article V
hereof or any Intersyndicate Agreement. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, at the termination of such AAU, if the aggregate
initial Offering Price of any such Securities and the aggregate
purchase price of any Other Securities so held and not sold and
paid for does not exceed an amount equal to 20% of the aggregate
initial Offering Price of the Securities, the Manager may, in
its discretion, sell such Securities and Other Securities for
the accounts of the several Underwriters, at such prices, on
such terms, at such times, and in such manner as it may
determine. Within the period specified by applicable FINRA Rules
or, if no period is so specified, as soon as practicable after
termination of such AAU, your account will be settled and paid.
The Manager may reserve from distribution such amount as the
Manager deems advisable to cover possible additional expenses.
The determination by the Manager of the amount so to be paid to
or by you will be final and conclusive. Any of your funds under
the Manager’s control may be held with the Manager’s
general funds without accountability for interest.
Notwithstanding any provision of this Master AAU other than
Section 10.11 hereof, upon termination of each AAU, or
prior thereto at the Manager’s discretion, the Manager may:
(i) allocate to the accounts of the Underwriters the
expenses described in Section 7.2 hereof and any losses
incurred upon the sale of Securities or Other Securities
pursuant to the applicable AAU or any Intersyndicate Agreement
(including any losses incurred upon the sale of securities
referred to in Section 5.4(ii) hereof), (ii) deliver
to the Underwriters any unsold Securities or Other Securities
purchased pursuant to Section 5.1 hereof or any
Intersyndicate Agreement, and (iii) deliver to the
Underwriters any unsold Securities purchased pursuant to the
applicable
11
Underwriting Agreement, in each case in the Manager’s
discretion. The only limitations on such discretion will be as
follows: (a) no Underwriter that is not the Manager or a
Co-Manager will bear more than its share of such expenses,
losses, or Securities (such share will not exceed such
Underwriter’s Underwriting Percentage and will be
determined pro rata among all such Underwriters based on
their Underwriting Percentages), (b) no such Underwriter
will receive Securities that, together with any Securities
purchased by such Underwriter pursuant to Article VI (but
excluding any Securities that such Underwriter is required to
repurchase pursuant to Section 5.2 hereof) exceed such
Underwriter’s Original Underwriting Obligation, and
(c) no Co-Manager will bear more than its share of such
expenses, losses, or Securities (such share to be determined
pro rata among the Manager and all Co-Managers based on
their Underwriting Percentages). If any Securities or Other
Securities returned to you pursuant to clause (ii) or
(iii) above were not paid for by you pursuant to
Article VI hereof, you will pay to the Manager an amount
per security equal to the amount set forth in clause (i) of
Article VI, in the case of Securities returned to you
pursuant to clause (iii) above, or the purchase price of
such securities, in the case of Securities or Other Securities
returned to you pursuant to clause (ii) above.
9.3. Certain Other Expenses. You
will pay your Underwriting Percentage of: (i) all expenses
incurred by the Manager in investigating, preparing to defend,
and defending against any action, claim, or proceeding which is
asserted, threatened, or instituted by any party, including any
governmental or regulatory body (each, an
“Action”), relating to: (A) the
Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus
(and any amendment or supplement thereto), any Preliminary
Offering Circular or Offering Circular (and any amendment or
supplement thereto), any Supplemental Materials, any Issuer Free
Writing Prospectus, and any ABS Underwriter Derived Information
used by any Underwriter other than the Manager, (B) the
violation of any applicable restrictions on the offer, sale,
resale, or purchase of Securities or Other Securities imposed by
U.S. Federal or state laws or
non-U.S. laws
and the rules and regulations of any regulatory body promulgated
thereunder or pursuant to the terms of the applicable AAU, the
Underwriting Agreement, or any Intersyndicate Agreement, and
(C) any claim that the Underwriters constitute a
partnership, an association, or an unincorporated business or
other separate entity, and (ii) any Losses (as defined in
Section 9.4 hereof) incurred by the Manager in respect of
any such Action, whether such Loss will be the result of a
judgment or arbitrator’s determination or as a result of
any settlement agreed to by the Manager. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, you will not be required to pay your Underwriting
Percentage of any such expense or liability: (1) to the
extent that such expense or liability was caused by the
Manager’s gross negligence or willful misconduct as
determined in a final judgment of a court of competent
jurisdiction; (2) as to which, and to the extent, the
Manager actually receives (a) indemnity pursuant to
Section 9.4 hereof, (b) contribution pursuant to
Section 9.5 hereof, (c) indemnity or contribution
pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, or (d) damages from
an Underwriter for breach of its representations, warranties,
agreements, or covenants contained in the applicable AAU; or
(3) of the Manager (other than fees of Syndicate Counsel)
that relates to a settlement entered into by the Manager on a
basis that results in a settlement of such Action against it and
fewer than all the Underwriters. None of the foregoing
provisions of this Section 9.3 will relieve any defaulting
or breaching Underwriter from liability for its defaults or
breach. Failure of any party to give notice under
Section 9.10 hereof will not relieve any Underwriter of an
obligation to pay expenses pursuant to the provisions of this
Section 9.3.
9.4. Indemnification. Notwithstanding
any settlement on the termination of the applicable AAU, you
agree to indemnify and hold harmless each other Underwriter and
each person, if any, who controls any such Underwriter within
the meaning of either Section 15 of the 1933 Act or
Section 20 of the 1934 Act (each, an
“Indemnified Party”), to the extent and upon
the terms which you agree to indemnify and hold harmless any of
the Issuer, the Guarantor, the Seller, any person controlling
the Issuer, the Guarantor, the Seller, its directors, and, in
the case of a Registered Offering, its officers who signed the
Registration Statement and, in the case of an Offering other
than a Registered Offering, its officers, in each case as set
forth in the Underwriting Agreement. You further agree to
indemnify and hold harmless each Indemnified Party from and
against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities, and
expenses not reimbursed pursuant to Section 9.3 hereof
(collectively, “Losses”) related to, arising
out of, or in connection with the breach or violation by you of
the terms of Section 3.3 hereof, including any and all
Losses under Section 5 of the 1933 Act, and any
litigation, investigation, and proceeding (collectively,
“Litigation”) relating to any of the foregoing.
You will also reimburse each such Indemnified Party upon demand
for all expenses, including fees and expenses of
12
counsel, as they are incurred, in connection with investigating,
preparing for, or defending any of the foregoing. You will
indemnify and hold harmless each Indemnified Party from and
against any and all Losses related to, arising out of, or in
connection with, any untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement of a material fact contained in any Underwriter Free
Writing Prospectus or Supplemental Material of yours or
Unauthorized Material used by you, or 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, and any Litigation relating to any of the foregoing,
and to reimburse each such Indemnified Party upon demand for all
expenses, including fees and expenses of counsel, as they are
incurred, in connection with investigating, preparing for, or
defending any of the foregoing. In addition, you will indemnify
and hold harmless each Indemnified Party from and against any
and all Losses related to, arising out of, or in connection with
any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material
fact contained in any ABS Underwriter Derived Information used
by you, or 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, and any Litigation
relating to any of the foregoing, and to reimburse each such
Indemnified Party upon demand for all expenses, including fees
and expenses of counsel, as they are incurred, in connection
with investigating, preparing for, or defending any of the
foregoing; provided, however, that any Losses,
joint or several, paid or incurred by any Underwriter, arising
out of or based upon any ABS Underwriter Derived Information
which was used only by such Underwriter, or in connection with
the preparation of which an Underwriter is found to have acted
with gross negligence or willful misconduct in a final judgment
of a court of competent jurisdiction, will be paid solely by
such Underwriter.
Each Underwriter will further indemnify and hold harmless any
investment banking firm identified in a Wire as the qualified
independent underwriter as defined in NASD Conduct
Rule 2720 or any FINRA successor rule thereto (in such
capacity, a “QIU”) for an Offering and each
person, if any, who controls such QIU within the meaning of
either Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20
of the 1934 Act, from and against any and all Losses
related to, arising out of, or in connection with such
investment banking firm’s activities as QIU for the
Offering. Each Underwriter will reimburse such QIU for all
expenses, including fees and expenses of counsel, as they are
incurred, in connection with investigating, preparing for, and
defending any Action related to, arising out of, or in
connection with such QIU’s activities as a QIU for the
Offering. Each Underwriter will be responsible for its
Underwriting Percentage of any amount due to such QIU on account
of the foregoing indemnity and reimbursement. Such QIU will have
no additional liability to any Underwriter or otherwise as a
result of its serving as QIU in connection with the Offering. To
the extent the indemnification provided to a QIU under this
Section 9.4 is unavailable to such QIU or is insufficient
in respect of any Losses related thereto, whether as a matter of
law or public policy or as a result of the default of any
Underwriter in performing its obligations under this
Section 9.4, each other Underwriter will contribute to the
amount paid or payable by such QIU as a result of such Losses
related thereto in proportion to its Underwriting Percentage.
9.5. Contribution. Notwithstanding
any settlement on the termination of the applicable AAU, you
will pay upon request of the Manager, as contribution, your
Underwriting Percentage of any Losses, joint or several, paid or
incurred by any Underwriter to any person other than an
Underwriter, arising out of or in connection with the breach or
violation of the terms of Section 3.3 hereof, including any
and all Losses under Section 5 of the 1933 Act, and
any Litigation relating to the foregoing. Further, you will pay
upon request of the Manager, your Underwriting Percentage of any
Losses, joint or several, paid or incurred by any Underwriter to
any person other than an Underwriter, arising out of or in
connection with any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement
of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any
Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus (and any amendment or
supplement thereto), any Preliminary Offering Circular or
Offering Circular (and any amendment or supplement thereto), any
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Supplemental Materials, any
other materials prepared or used by an Underwriter in accordance
with Section 3.3 hereof, or any Underwriter Free Writing
Prospectus of yours or Unauthorized Material used by you, or the
omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading (other than an untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged
omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with
information furnished to the Company In Writing by the
Underwriter on whose behalf the request for contribution is
being made expressly for use therein), or any act or omission to
act or any alleged act or omission to act by the Manager or, if
applicable, a Representative, as the Manager or a
Representative, in connection with any transaction contemplated
by this
13
Agreement or undertaken in preparing for the purchase, sale, and
delivery of the Securities (provided, that you will not be
required to pay in any such case to the extent that any such
Loss resulted from the Manager’s or such
Representative’s gross negligence or willful misconduct as
determined in a final judgment of a court of competent
jurisdiction), and your Underwriting Percentage of any legal or
other expenses, including fees and expenses of counsel, as they
are incurred, reasonably incurred by the Underwriter (with the
approval of the Manager) on whose behalf the request for
contribution is being made in connection with investigating or
defending any such Loss or any action in respect thereof;
provided, however, that no request will be made on
behalf of any Underwriter guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation
(within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 0000 Xxx)
from any Underwriter who was not guilty of such fraudulent
misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of
the 1933 Act); provided, further, that any
Losses, joint or several, paid or incurred by any Underwriter,
arising out of or based upon such Underwriter’s Underwriter
Free Writing Prospectus that does not breach Section 3.3
hereof, will be paid by only the Underwriters that used such
Underwriter Free Writing Prospectus (the “Contributing
Underwriters”), and the amount to be paid by each
Contributing Underwriter will be determined pro rata
among the Contributing Underwriters based on their
Underwriting Percentages. None of the foregoing provisions of
this Section 9.5 will relieve any defaulting or breaching
Underwriter from liability for its defaults or breach.
In addition, you will pay your Underwriting Percentage of any
Losses, joint or several, paid or incurred by any Underwriter to
any person other than an Underwriter, arising out of or in
connection with any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement
of a material fact contained in any ABS Underwriter Derived
Information, or the omission or alleged omission to state
therein a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading (other
than an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission
or alleged omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with
information furnished to the Company In Writing by the
Underwriter on whose behalf the request for contribution is
being made expressly for use therein) and your Underwriting
Percentage of any expenses, including fees and expenses of
counsel, as they are incurred, reasonably incurred by the
Underwriter (with the approval of the Manager) on whose behalf
the request for contribution is being made in connection with
investigating, preparing for, or defending any such Loss or any
action in respect thereof; provided, however, that
any Losses, joint or several, paid or incurred by any
Underwriter, arising out of or based upon any ABS Underwriter
Derived Information which was used only by such Underwriter, or
in connection with the preparation of which the Underwriter is
found to have acted with gross negligence or willful misconduct
in a final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction, will
be paid solely by the Underwriter.
9.6. Separate Counsel. If any
Action is asserted or commenced pursuant to which the indemnity
provided in Section 9.4 hereof or the right of contribution
provided in Section 9.5 hereof may apply, the Manager may
take such action in connection therewith as it deems necessary
or desirable, including retention of counsel for the
Underwriters (“Syndicate Counsel”), and in its
discretion separate counsel for any particular Underwriter or
group of Underwriters, and the fees and disbursements of any
counsel so retained will be allocated among the several
Underwriters as determined by the Manager. Any such Syndicate
Counsel retained by the Manager will be counsel to the
Underwriters as a group and, in the event that: (a) the
Manager settles any Action on a basis that results in the
settlement of such Action against it and fewer than all the
Underwriters, or (b)(i) a conflict develops between the Manager
and the other Underwriters, or (ii) differing defenses are
available to the other Underwriters and not available to the
Manager, and as a result of either (b)(i) or (b)(ii) such
Syndicate Counsel concludes that it is unable to continue to
represent the Manager and the other Underwriters, then in each
such case, after notification to the Manager and the other
Underwriters, Syndicate Counsel will remain counsel to the other
Underwriters and will withdraw as counsel to the Manager. The
Manager hereby consents to such arrangement and undertakes to
take steps to: (i) ensure that any engagement letters with
Syndicate Counsel are consistent with such arrangement;
(ii) issue a notice to all other Underwriters promptly
following receipt of any advice (whether oral or written) from
Syndicate Counsel regarding its inability to represent the
Manager and the other Underwriters jointly; and
(iii) facilitate Syndicate Counsel’s continued
representation of the other Underwriters. Any Underwriter may
elect to retain at its own expense its own counsel and, on
advice of such counsel, may settle or consent to the settlement
of any such Action, but only in compliance with Section 9.7
hereof, and in each case, only after notification to every other
Underwriter. The
14
Manager may settle or consent to the settlement of any such
Action, but only in compliance with Section 9.7 hereof.
9.7. Settlement of Actions. Neither
the Manager nor any other Underwriter party to this Master AAU
may settle or agree to settle any Action related to or arising
out of the Offering, nor may any other Underwriter settle or
agree to settle any such Action without the consent of the
Manager, nor may any other Underwriter seek the Manager’s
consent to any such settlement agreement, nor may the Manager
consent to any such settlement agreement, unless: (A) the
Manager, together with such other Underwriters as constitute a
majority in aggregate interest based on the Underwriting
Percentage of the Underwriters as a whole (including the
Manager’s interest), approve the settlement of such Action,
in which case the Manager is authorized to settle for all
Underwriters, provided, however, that the
settlement agreement results in the settlement of the Action
against all Underwriters raised by the plaintiffs party thereto;
or (B) (i) such settlement agreement expressly provides
that the non-settling Underwriters will be given a judgment
credit (or credit in settlement) with respect to all such
Actions for which the non-settling Underwriters may be found
liable (or will pay in subsequent settlement), in an amount that
is the greatest of: (x) the dollar amount paid in such
initial settlement to settle such Actions, (y) the
proportionate share of the settling Underwriter’s fault in
respect of common damages arising in connection with such
Actions as proven at trial, if applicable, or (z) the
amount by which the settling Underwriter would have been
required to make contribution had it not settled, under
Sections 9.5 and 11.2 hereof in respect of the final
non-appealable judgment (or settlement) subsequently entered
into by the non-settling Underwriters (such greatest amount of
either (x), (y), or (z), the “Judgment
Credit”);4
(ii) such settlement agreement expressly provides that in
the event that the applicable court does not approve the
Judgment Credit as part of the settlement, the settlement
agreement will automatically terminate; and (iii) the final
judgment entered with respect to the settlement agreement
contains the Judgment Credit.
9.8. Survival. Except as set forth
in the last sentence of Section 9.1, your agreements
contained in Article V and Sections 3.1, 9.3, 9.4,
9.5, 9.6, 9.7, 9.8, 9.9, 9.10, and 11.2 hereof will remain
operative and in full force and effect regardless of any
termination of an AAU and: (a) any termination of the
Underwriting Agreement, (b) any investigation made by or on
behalf of any Underwriter or any person controlling any
Underwriter or by or on behalf of the Issuer, the Guarantor, the
Seller, its directors or officers, or any person controlling the
Issuer, the Guarantor or the Seller, and (c) acceptance of
any payment for any Securities.
9.9. Replacement of Manager. If at
any time after any Action is brought the Manager settles the
Action on a basis that results in the settlement of such Action
against it and fewer than all the Underwriters (whether or not
such settlement complies with Section 9.7 hereof), the
Manager will, at such time, for purposes of Sections 9.3,
9.4, 9.5, 9.6, and 9.7 hereof, cease to be the Manager. The
non-settling Underwriters will, by vote of holders of a majority
of the Underwriting Percentage of such non-settling
Underwriters, select a new Manager, which will become the new
“Manager” for all purposes of
Sections 9.3, 9.4., 9.5, 9.6, and 9.7 hereof as well as
this section; provided that the non-settling
Underwriter(s) with the largest Underwriting Percentage will act
as Manager until such vote occurs and a new Manager is
selected.5
Notwithstanding such a settlement, the Manager and the other
settling Underwriters will remain obligated to the non-settling
Underwriters to assist and cooperate fully, in good faith, and
at their own expense, in the defense of any Actions, including,
without limitation, by providing, upon reasonable request of any
non-settling Underwriter, and without the necessity of court
process, access to or copies of all relevant records, and
4 Seeks
to ensure that there is no harm to non-settling Underwriter due
to settlement. For example, assume that plaintiffs have suffered
$1,000 in damage in a case in which the Underwriters are 50% at
fault and other defendants, all of whom are insolvent, are 50%
at fault. Further assume that there were 2 Underwriters, each
which underwrote 50% of the offering, and they were equally at
fault. If neither Underwriter settles, then each would be
required to pay $500 to satisfy the $1,000 verdict for which
they are jointly and severally liable (or, if one paid $1,000,
Section 9.5 would obligate the other to contribute $500
towards such payment). If the first Underwriter settles for
$100, then the second Underwriter will obtain a judgment credit
of $500, being equal to the greater of: (a) settlement
amount ($100), (b) the first Underwriter’s fault
($250), and (c) the amount which the settling Underwriters
would have been required to contribute under the contribution
provisions ($500). This formula ensures that the second
Underwriter is not harmed by the settlement. By contrast, the
judgment credit applied in WorldCom ignored clause (c),
resulting in a credit of only $250 and leading the non-settling
Underwriter to pay $750, or $250 more than had the first
Underwriter not settled.
5 Permits
new Manager to replace settling Manager and manage the
litigation — related provisions of this agreement.
15
reasonable access to all witnesses under control of the Manager
or the other settling Underwriters, for the purpose of
interviews, depositions, and testimony at trial, subject in each
case to the applicable legal and procedural obligations of such
Manager and such other settling Underwriter.
In addition, if at any time, the Manager is unwilling or unable
for any reason to assume or discharge its duties as Manager
under the applicable AAU, whether resulting from its insolvency
(voluntary or involuntary), resignation or otherwise, to the
extent permitted by applicable law, the remaining Underwriters
will, by vote of holders of a majority of the Underwriting
Percentage of such Underwriters, be entitled to select a new
Manager, which will become the new Manager for all purposes
under this
Agreement.6
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Manager replaced pursuant to
this Section 9.9 shall continue to benefit from and be
subject to all other terms and conditions of this Agreement
applicable to an Underwriter.
9.10. Notice. When the Manager
receives notice of the assertion of any Action to which the
provisions of Sections 9.4, 9.5, 9.6, or 9.7 hereof would
apply, it will give prompt notice thereof to each Underwriter,
and whenever an Underwriter receives notice of the assertion of
any claim or commencement of any Action to which the provisions
of Sections 9.4, 9.5, 9.6, or 9.7 hereof would apply, such
Underwriter will give prompt notice thereof to the Manager. The
Manager also will furnish each Underwriter with periodic
reports, at such times as it deems appropriate, as to the status
of such Action, and the actions taken by it in connection
therewith. If the Manager or any other Underwriter engages in
any settlement discussion that involves or contemplates
settlement on any basis other than settlement of all Actions
against all Underwriters on a pro rata basis according to
their Underwriting Percentages, the Manager (or other
Underwriter engaging in such discussions) will notify all other
Underwriters promptly and provide reasonable details about such
discussions.
X.
REPRESENTATIONS AND COVENANTS OF UNDERWRITERS
10.1. Knowledge of Offering. You
acknowledge that it is your responsibility to examine the
Registration Statement, the Prospectus, or the Offering
Circular, as the case may be, any amendment or supplement
thereto relating to the Offering, any Preliminary Prospectus or
Preliminary Offering Circular, and the material, if any,
incorporated by reference therein, any Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus, any Supplemental Materials, and any ABS Underwriter
Derived Information, and you will familiarize yourself with the
terms of the Securities, any applicable Indenture, and the other
terms of the Offering thereof which are to be reflected in the
Prospectus or the Offering Circular, as the case may be, and the
applicable AAU and Underwriting Agreement. The Manager is
authorized, with the advice of counsel for the Underwriters, to
approve on your behalf any amendments or supplements to the
documents described in the preceding sentence.
10.2. Accuracy of Underwriters’
Information. You confirm that the information
that you have given and are deemed to have given in response to
the Underwriters’ Questionnaire attached as Exhibit A
hereto (and to any other questions addressed to you in the
Invitation Wire or other Wires), which information has been
furnished to the Issuer for use in the Registration Statement,
Prospectus, or Offering Circular, as the case may be, or has
otherwise been relied upon in connection with the Offering, is
complete and accurate. You will notify the Manager immediately
of any development before the termination of the applicable AAU
which makes untrue or incomplete any information that you have
given or are deemed to have given in response to the
Underwriters’ Questionnaire (or such other questions).
10.3. Name; Address. Unless you
have promptly notified the Manager In Writing otherwise, your
name as it should appear in the Registration Statement,
Prospectus or Offering Circular and any advertisement, if
different, and your address, are as set forth on the signature
pages hereof.
10.4. Compliance with Capital
Requirements. You represent that your commitment
to purchase the Securities will not result in a violation of the
financial responsibility requirements of
Rule 15c3-1
under the 1934 Act or of any similar provision of any
applicable rules of any securities exchange to which you are
subject or, if you are a financial institution subject to
regulation by the Board of Governors of the U.S. Federal
Reserve System, the U.S. Comptroller of the Currency, or
the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation,
6 Permits
new Manager to replace insolvent Manager and manage all aspects
of this MAAU.
16
will not place you in violation of any applicable capital
requirements or restrictions of such regulator or any other
regulator to which you are subject.
10.5. FINRA Requirements. You
represent that you are a member in good standing of FINRA, or a
non-U.S. bank,
broker, dealer, or institution not eligible for membership in
FINRA or a Bank. If you are a member of FINRA, you will comply
with all applicable rules of FINRA, including, without
limitation: (a) the requirements of FINRA Rule 5130,
and (b) the requirements of NASD Conduct Rule 2740 or
any FINRA successor rule thereto, and you will not grant any
concessions, discounts, or other allowances which are not
permitted by that Rule. If you are a
non-U.S. bank,
broker, dealer, or institution not eligible for membership in
FINRA, you will not make any sales of the Securities in, or to
nationals or residents of, the United States, its territories,
or its possessions, except to the extent permitted by
Rule 15a-6
or any successor rule thereto, and that in making any sales of
the Securities you will comply, as though you are a member of
FINRA, with the requirements of the following rules (including
any FINRA successor rules thereto): (a) FINRA
Rule 5130, (b) NASD Conduct Rules 2730, 2740, and
2750, and (c) NASD Conduct Rule 2420, as that Rule
applies to a non-member broker/dealer in a
non-U.S. country.
If you are a Bank, you will not accept any portion of the
management fee paid by the Underwriters with respect to any
Offering or, in connection with any Offering of Securities that
do not constitute “exempted securities” within the
meaning of Section 3(a)(12) of the 1934 Act, purchase
any Securities at a discount from the offering price from any
Underwriter or Dealer or otherwise accept any Fees and
Commissions from any Underwriter or Dealer, which in any such
case is not permitted under NASD’s Rules of Fair Practice
(or any FINRA successor rules thereto), and you will comply with
NASD Conduct Rule 2420 (or any FINRA successor rule
thereto) as though you were a member.
10.6. Further State Notice. The
Manager will file a Further State Notice with the Department of
State of New York, if required.
10.7. Compliance with
Rule 15c2-8. In
the case of a Registered Offering and any other Offering to
which the provisions of
Rule 15c2-8
under the 1934 Act are made applicable pursuant to the AAU
or otherwise, you will comply with such Rule in connection with
the Offering. In the case of an Offering other than a Registered
Offering, you will comply with applicable Federal and state laws
and the applicable rules and regulations of any regulatory body
promulgated thereunder governing the use and distribution of
offering circulars by underwriters.
10.8. Discretionary Accounts. In
the case of a Registered Offering of Securities issued by an
Issuer that was not, immediately prior to the filing of the
Registration Statement, subject to the requirements of
Section 13(d) or 15(d) of the 1934 Act, you will not
make sales to any account over which you exercise discretionary
authority in connection with such sale, except as otherwise
permitted by the applicable AAU for such Offering.
10.9. Offering Restrictions. You
will not make any offers or sales of Securities or any Other
Securities in jurisdictions outside the United States except
under circumstances that will result in compliance with
(i) applicable laws, including private placement
requirements, in each such jurisdiction and (ii) the
restrictions on offers or sales set forth in any AAU or the
Prospectus, Preliminary Prospectus, Offering Circular, or
Preliminary Offering Circular, as the case may be.
It is understood that, except as specified in the Prospectus or
Offering Circular or applicable AAU, no action has been taken by
the Manager, the Issuer, the Guarantor, or the Seller to permit
you to offer Securities in any jurisdiction other than the
United States, in the case of a Registered Offering, where
action would be required for such purpose.
10.10. Representations, Warranties, and
Agreements. You will make to each other
Underwriter participating in an Offering the same
representations, warranties, and agreements, if any, made by the
Underwriters to the Issuer, the Guarantor, or the Seller in the
applicable Underwriting Agreement or any Intersyndicate
Agreement, and you authorize the Manager to make such
representations, warranties, and agreements to the Issuer, the
Guarantor, or the Seller on your behalf.
10.11. Limitation on the Authority of the Manager
to Purchase and Sell Securities for the Account of Certain
Underwriters. Notwithstanding any provision of
this AAU authorizing the Manager to purchase or sell any
17
Securities or Other Securities (including arranging for the sale
of Contract Securities) or over-allot in arranging sales of
Securities for the accounts of the several Underwriters, the
Manager may not, in connection with the Offering of any
Securities, make any such purchases, sales,
and/or
over-allotments for the account of any Underwriter that, not
later than its acceptance of the Invitation Wire relating to
such Offering, has advised the Manager that, due to its status
as, or relationship to, a bank or bank holding company such
purchases, sales,
and/or
over-allotments are prohibited by applicable law. If any
Underwriter so advises the Manager, the Manager may allocate any
such purchases, sales, and over-allotments (and the related
expenses) which otherwise would have been allocated to your
account based on your respective Underwriting Percentage to your
account based on the ratio of your Original Underwriting
Obligation to the Original Underwriting Obligations of all
Underwriters other than the advising Underwriter or
Underwriters, or in such other manner as the Manager will
determine.
10.12. Electronic Distribution. By
participating in the Offering or accepting the Invitation Wire,
you will be deemed to be representing that either: (a) you
are not making an on-line distribution; or (b) if you are
making an on-line distribution, you are following procedures for
on-line distributions previously reviewed by members of the
Staff of the Division of Corporation Finance of the Commission,
such members raised no objections to the procedures reviewed,
and there have been no material changes to your procedures since
that review.
10.13. Agreement Regarding Oral Due
Diligence. By participating in an Offering, each
Underwriter agrees that it, each of its affiliates participating
in an Offering as Underwriter or financial intermediary and each
controlling person of it and each such participating affiliate
are bound by the Agreement Regarding Oral Due Diligence
currently in effect between Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx and the accounting
firm or firms that participate in oral due diligence in such
offering.
XI.
DEFAULTING UNDERWRITERS
11.1. Effect of Termination. If the
Underwriting Agreement is terminated as permitted by the terms
thereof, your obligations hereunder with respect to the Offering
of the Securities will immediately terminate except: (a) as
set forth in Section 9.8 hereof, (b) that you will
remain liable for your Underwriting Percentage (or such other
percentage as may be specified pursuant to Section 9.2
hereof) of all expenses, and for any purchases or sales which
may have been made for your account pursuant to the provisions
of Article V hereof or any Intersyndicate Agreement, and
(c) that such termination will not affect any obligations
of any defaulting or breaching Underwriter.
11.2. Sharing of Liability. If any
Underwriter defaults in its obligations: (a) pursuant to
Section 5.1, 5.2 or 5.4 hereof, (b) to pay amounts
charged to its account pursuant to Section 7.1, 7.2, or 8.1
hereof, or (c) pursuant to Section 9.2, 9.3, 9.4, 9.5,
9.6, or 11.1 hereof, you will assume your proportionate share
(determined on the basis of the respective Underwriting
Percentages of the non-defaulting Underwriters) of such
obligations, but no such assumption will relieve any defaulting
Underwriter from liability to the non-defaulting Underwriters,
the Issuer, the Guarantor, or the Seller for its default.
11.3. Arrangements for
Purchases. The Manager is authorized to arrange
for the purchase by others (including the Manager or any other
Underwriter) of any Securities not purchased by any defaulting
Underwriter in accordance with the terms of the applicable
Underwriting Agreement or, if the applicable Underwriting
Agreement does not provide arrangements for defaulting
Underwriters, in the discretion of the Manager. If such
arrangements are made, the respective amounts of Securities to
be purchased by the remaining Underwriters and such other person
or persons, if any, will be taken as the basis for all rights
and obligations hereunder, but this will not relieve any
defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.
XII.
MISCELLANEOUS
12.1. Obligations Several. Nothing
contained in this Master AAU or any AAU constitutes you partners
with the Manager or with the other Underwriters, and the
obligations of you and each of the other Underwriters are
several and not joint. Each Underwriter elects to be excluded
from the application of Subchapter K, Chapter 1,
18
Subtitle A, of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986. Each
Underwriter authorizes the Manager, on behalf of such
Underwriter, to execute such evidence of such election as may be
required by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.
12.2. Liability of Manager. The
Manager will not be liable to you for any act or omission,
except for obligations expressly assumed by the Manager in the
applicable AAU.
12.3. Termination of Master
AAU. This Master AAU may be terminated by either
party hereto upon five business days’ written notice to the
other party; provided, however, that with respect
to any Offering for which an AAU was sent prior to such notice,
this Master AAU as it applies to such Offering will remain in
full force and effect and will terminate with respect to such
Offering in accordance with Section 9.1 hereof.
12.4. Governing Law. This Master
AAU and each AAU will be governed by and construed in accordance
with the laws of the State of New York applicable to contracts
made and to be performed in the State, without giving effect to
principles of conflicts of law. You hereby irrevocably:
(a) submit to the jurisdiction of any court of the State of
New York located in the City of New York or the
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of the State
of New York for the purpose of any suit, action, or other
proceeding arising out of this Master AAU, or any of the
agreements or transactions contemplated hereby (each, a
“Proceeding”), (b) agree that all claims
in respect of any Proceeding may be heard and determined in any
such court, (c) waive, to the fullest extent permitted by
law, any immunity from jurisdiction of any such court or from
any legal process therein, (d) agree not to commence any
Proceeding other than in such courts, and (e) waive, to the
fullest extent permitted by law, any claim that such Proceeding
is brought in an inconvenient forum.
12.5. Amendments. This Master AAU
may be amended from time to time by consent of the parties
hereto. Your consent will be deemed to have been given to an
amendment to this Master AAU, and such amendment will be
effective, five business days following written notice to you of
such amendment if you do not notify us In Writing prior to the
close of business on such fifth business day that you do not
consent to such amendment. Upon effectiveness, the provisions of
this Master AAU as so amended will apply to each AAU thereafter
entered into, except as otherwise specifically provided in any
such AAU.
12.6. Notices. Any notice to any
Underwriter will be deemed to have been duly given if mailed,
sent by wire, telecopy or electronic transmission or other
written communication, or delivered in person to such
Underwriter at the address set forth in its Underwriters’
Questionnaire, or if no address is provided in an
Underwriters’ Questionnaire, then at the address set forth
in reports filed by such Underwriter with FINRA. Any such notice
will take effect upon receipt thereof.
12.7. Severability. In case any
provision in this Master AAU is deemed invalid, illegal, or
unenforceable, the validity, legality, and enforceability of the
remaining provisions will not in any way be affected or impaired
thereby.
12.8. Counterparts. This Master AAU
may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which
will be deemed to be an original, and all of which taken
together constitute one and the same instrument. Transmission by
telecopy of an executed counterpart of this Master AAU will
constitute due and sufficient delivery of such counterpart.
19
Please confirm your acceptance of this Master AAU by signing and
returning to us the enclosed duplicate copy hereof.
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated
By: |
|
Name:
Title:
(Authorized Officer)
Confirmed and accepted
as
of ,
20
(Legal Name of Underwriter)
(Address)
By:
Name:
Title:
(Authorized Officer)
(If person signing is not an officer
or a partner, please attach instrument
of authorization)
20
GUIDE TO
DEFINED TERMS
Section |
||
Term
|
Reference | |
1933 Act
|
1.1 | |
1934 Act
|
3.5 | |
AAU
|
Foreword | |
ABS Underwriter Derived Information
|
2.1 | |
Additional Securities
|
1.1 | |
Bank
|
3.5 | |
Co-Managers
|
1.1 | |
Commission
|
2.1 | |
Contract Securities
|
3.1 | |
Contributing Underwriters
|
9.5 | |
Dealer
|
3.5 | |
DTC
|
5.2 | |
Fees and Commissions
|
1.1 | |
FINRA
|
3.1 | |
Firm Securities
|
1.1 | |
Free Writing Prospectus
|
2.1 | |
Guarantor
|
1.1 | |
In Writing
|
1.2 | |
Indemnified Party
|
9.4 | |
Indenture
|
1.1 | |
International Offering
|
1.1 | |
Intersyndicate Agreement
|
2.3 | |
Invitation Wire
|
Foreword | |
Issuer
|
1.1 | |
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus
|
3.3 | |
Issuer Information
|
3.3, 3.3 | |
Judgment Credit
|
9.7 | |
Litigation
|
9.4 | |
Losses
|
9.4 | |
Manager
|
9.9, 1.1 | |
Master AAU
|
Foreward | |
NASD
|
3.1 | |
Offering
|
Foreword | |
Offering Circular
|
2.2, 2.2 | |
Offering Date
|
3.2 | |
Offering Price
|
1.1 | |
Original Underwriting Obligation
|
1.1 | |
Preliminary Offering Circular
|
2.2 | |
Preliminary Prospectus
|
2.1 | |
Pricing Date
|
1.1 | |
Proceeding
|
12.4 | |
Prospectus
|
2.1 |
21
Section |
||
Term
|
Reference | |
Purchase Price
|
1.1 | |
QIU
|
9.4 | |
Reallowance
|
1.1 | |
Registered Offering
|
2.1 | |
Registration Statement
|
2.1 | |
Regulation M
|
5.1 | |
Representative
|
1.1 | |
Securities
|
1.1 | |
Securities Offering Reform Release
|
2.1 | |
Seller
|
1.1 | |
Selling Concession
|
1.1 | |
Settlement Date
|
1.1 | |
Supplemental Materials
|
3.3 | |
Syndicate Counsel
|
9.6 | |
Trustee
|
1.1 | |
Unauthorized Material
|
3.3 | |
Underwriter Free Writing Prospectus
|
3.3 | |
Underwriters
|
1.1, 1.1 | |
Underwriters’ Securities
|
3.1 | |
Underwriting Agreement
|
1.1 | |
Underwriting Percentage
|
1.1 | |
Wire
|
Foreword |
22
EXHIBIT A
UNDERWRITERS’
QUESTIONNAIRE
In connection with each Offering governed by the Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated Master Agreement Among
Underwriters dated April 1, 2009, except as indicated in a
timely acceptance of the Invitation Wire pursuant to
Section 1.2 of the Master Agreement Among Underwriters
(“Master AAU”), each Underwriter participating
in such Offering severally advises the Issuer that, other than
as disclosed in the Preliminary Prospectus or Preliminary
Offering Circular, as the case may be (Capitalized terms used
herein and not otherwise defined herein will have the meanings
given to them in the Master AAU):
(a) neither such Underwriter nor any of its directors,
officers, or partners have a material relationship, as
“material” is defined in Regulation C under the
1933 Act, with the Issuer, the Guarantor, or the Seller;
(b) if the Registration Statement is on
Form S-1,
neither such Underwriter nor any “group” (as that term
is used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934) of which such Underwriter is aware is the
beneficial (as that term is used in Section 13(d)(3) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934) owner of more than 5% of
any class of voting securities of the Issuer or Guarantor, nor
does such Underwriter have any knowledge that more than 5% of
any class of voting securities of the Issuer or the Guarantor is
held or to be held subject to any voting trust or other similar
agreement, nor does such Underwriter have any knowledge that
more than 5% of any class of voting securities of the Issuer or
the Guarantor is held or to be held subject to any voting trust
or other similar agreement;
(c) other than as may be stated in the Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx & Co. Incorporated Master Agreement Among
Underwriters dated April 1, 2009, the applicable AAU, the
Intersyndicate Agreement or dealer agreement, if any, the
Prospectus, the Registration Statement, or the Offering
Circular, such Underwriter does not know and has no reason to
believe that there is an intention to over-allot or that the
price of any security may be stabilized to facilitate the
offering of the Securities;
(d) other than as may be stated in the Prospectus or the
Offering Circular, as the case may be, or the Invitation Wire,
such Underwriter does not know of any other discounts or
commissions to be allowed or paid to the Underwriters or of any
other items that would be deemed by the Financial Industry
Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) to constitute
underwriting compensation for purposes of FINRA Rule 5110,
and such Underwriter does not know of any discounts or
commissions to be allowed or paid to dealers, including all
cash, securities, contracts, or other consideration to be
received by any dealer in connection with the sale of the
Securities;
(e) such Underwriter has not prepared any report or
memorandum for external use in connection with the Offering;
(f) if the offer and sale of the Securities are to be
registered under the 1933 Act pursuant to a Registration
Statement on
Form S-1
or
Form F-1,
such Underwriter has not within the past 12 months prepared
or had prepared for such Underwriter any engineering,
management, or similar report or memorandum relating to broad
aspects of the business, operations, or products of the Issuer
or the Guarantor. The immediately preceding sentence does not
apply to reports solely comprised of recommendations to buy,
sell, or hold the Issuer’s or the Guarantor’s
securities, unless such recommendations have changed within the
past six months, or to information already contained in
documents filed with the Commission;
(g) such Underwriter is not an “affiliate” of the
Issuer or the Guarantor for purposes of the NASD Conduct
Rule 2720 (or any FINRA successor rule thereto). Such
Underwriter understands that under Rule 2720 (except as
provided in Rule 2720(b)(1)(C) thereof) two entities are
“affiliates” of each other if one entity controls, is
controlled by, or is under common control with, the second
entity and that “control” is presumed to exist if one
entity (or, in the case of a FINRA member, the entity and all
“persons associated with” it (as defined by FINRA))
beneficially owns 10% or more of the second
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entity’s outstanding voting securities or, if the second
entity is a partnership, if the first entity has a partnership
interest in 10% or more of the second entity’s
distributable profits or losses;
(h) in the case of Registered Offerings and Offerings of
Securities exempt under Section 3 of the 1933 Act, and
if the Securities are not investment grade debt
securities or preferred stock, or equity securities for which
there exists a “bona fide independent market” (as
defined in NASD Conduct Rule 2720(b)(3) or any FINRA
successor rule thereto) or otherwise exempted under NASD Conduct
Rule 2720(b)(7)(D) (or any FINRA successor rule thereto),
such Underwriter does not have a “conflict of
interest” with the Issuer or the Guarantor under NASD
Conduct Rule 2720 (or any FINRA successor rule thereto). In
that regard, such Underwriter specifically confirms that such
Underwriter, the “parent” of (as defined in
Rule 2720), affiliates, and “persons associated
with” such Underwriter (as defined by FINRA), in the
aggregate do not: (a) beneficially own 10% or more of the
Issuer’s or the Guarantor’s “common equity,”
“preferred equity,” or “subordinated debt”
(as each such term is defined in Rule 2720), or (b) in
the case of an Issuer or Guarantor which is a partnership,
beneficially own a general, limited, or special partnership
interest in 10% or more of the Issuer’s or Guarantor’s
distributable profits or losses;
(i) other than as may be stated in the Prospectus or the
Offering Circular, as the case may be, in the case of Registered
Offerings and Offerings of Securities exempt under Section 3 of
the 1933 Act, neither such Underwriter nor any of its
directors, officers, partners, or “persons associated
with” such Underwriter (as defined by FINRA) nor, to such
Underwriter’s knowledge, any “related person”
(defined by FINRA to include counsel, financial consultants and
advisors, finders, members of the selling or distribution group,
any FINRA member participating in the offering, and any other
persons associated with or related to and members of the
immediate family of any of the foregoing) or any other
broker-dealer: (A) within the last six months have
purchased in private transactions, or intend before, at, or
within six months after the commencement of the public offering
of the Securities to purchase in private transactions, any
securities of the Issuer, the Guarantor, or any Issuer Related
Party (as hereinafter defined), (B) within the last
6 months have had any dealings with the Issuer, the
Guarantor, any Seller, or any subsidiary or controlling person
thereof (other than relating to the proposed Underwriting
Agreement) as to which documents or information are required to
be filed with FINRA, or (C) during the 6 months
immediately preceding the filing of the Registration Statement
(or, if there is none, the Offering Circular), have entered into
any arrangement which provided or provides for the receipt of
any item of value (including, but not limited to, cash payments
and expense reimbursements)
and/or the
transfer of any warrants, options, or other securities from the
Issuer, the Guarantor, or any Issuer Related Party to you or any
related person;
(j) in the case of Registered Offerings and Offerings of
Securities exempt under Section 3 of the 1933 Act,
there is no association or affiliation between such Underwriter
and; (A) any officer or director of the Issuer, the
Guarantor or, any Issuer Related Party, or (B) any
securityholder of 5% or more (or, in the case of an initial
public offering of equity securities, any securityholder) of any
class of securities of the Issuer, the Guarantor, or an Issuer
Related Party; it being understood that for purposes of
paragraph (i) above and this paragraph (j), the term
“Issuer Related Party” includes any Seller, any
affiliate of the Issuer, the Guarantor, or a Seller, and the
officers or general partners, directors, employees, and
securityholders thereof;
(k) in the case of Registered Offerings and Offerings of
Securities exempt under Section 3 of the 1933 Act, and
if the Securities are not issued by a real estate
investment trust, no portion of the net offering proceeds from
the sale of the Securities will be paid to such Underwriter or
any of its affiliates or “persons associated with”
such Underwriter (as defined by FINRA) or members of the
immediate family of any such person; and
(l) in the case of Securities which are debt securities
whose offer and sale is to be registered under the
1933 Act, such Underwriter is not an affiliate (as defined
in
Rule 0-2
under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939) of the Trustee
for the Securities or of its parent, if any. Neither the Trustee
nor its parent, if any, nor any of their directors or executive
officers is a “director, officer, partner, employee,
appointee, or representative” of such Underwriter (as those
terms are defined in the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 or in
the relevant instructions to
Form T-1).
Such Underwriter and its directors, partners, and executive
officers, taken
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as a group, did not on the date specified in the Invitation, and
do not, own beneficially 1% or more of the shares of any class
of voting securities of the Trustee or of its parent, if any. If
such Underwriter is a corporation, it does not have outstanding
and has not assumed or guaranteed any securities issued
otherwise than in its present corporate name.
If an Underwriter notes an exception with respect to material of
the type referred to in clauses (e) and (f), such
underwriter will send three copies of each item of such
material, together with a statement as to distribution,
identifying classes of recipients and the number of copies
distributed to each such class, and, if relevant, the number of
equity securities or the face value of debt securities owned by
such person, the date such securities were acquired, and the
price paid for such securities to Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx & Co.
Incorporated, Attention: Syndicate Department, 0000 Xxxxxxxx,
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000.
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