THE TOLEDO EDISON COMPANY (an Ohio corporation) $300,000,000 6.15% Senior Notes due May 15, 2037 UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
Exhibit
1
THE
TOLEDO
EDISON COMPANY
(an
Ohio
corporation)
$300,000,000
6.15%
Senior Notes due May 15, 2037
November
13, 2006
BNY
Capital Markets,
Inc.
KeyBanc
Capital
Markets,
a
division of
McDonald Investments Inc.
As
Representatives
of the Underwriters
named
in Schedule I
to the Underwriting
Agreement
(as
defined below)
c/o | BNY Capital Markets, Inc. |
Xxx Xxxx Xxxxxx | |
New York, New York 10286 | |
KeyBanc Capital Markets | |
000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx, 0xx Floor | |
Cleveland, Ohio 44114 |
Ladies
and
Gentlemen:
The
Toledo Edison
Company, a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Ohio (the
“Company”), proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to
issue and sell to the several underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the
“Underwriters”, which term, when the context permits, shall also include any
underwriters substituted as hereinafter provided in Section 11), for whom BNY
Capital Markets, Inc. and KeyBanc Capital Markets are acting as representatives
(in such capacity, the “Representatives”), $300,000,000 aggregate principal
amount of the Company’s 6.15% Senior Notes due May 15, 2037 (the “Senior
Notes”), to be issued under an indenture dated as of November 1, 2006, between
the Company and The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A., as trustee (the
“Trustee”) (the “Base Indenture”) as so supplemented by an officer’s certificate
dated as of November 16, 2006 (the “Senior Notes Officer’s Certificate” together
with the Base Indenture, being hereinafter referred to as the “Indenture”) in
accordance with the terms set forth in this underwriting agreement (the
“Underwriting Agreement”). The Senior Notes shall have the series designation,
denominations, issue price, maturities, interest rates, redemption provisions,
if any, and other terms as set forth in the General Disclosure Package
(hereinafter defined).
SECTION
1. Representations
and Warranties.
(a) Representations
and Warranties by the Company.
The Company
represents and warrants to and agrees with each Underwriter
that:
(i) The
Company has
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a
registration statement on Form S-3, including a prospectus (Registration
Statement File No. 333-138065) (the “Registration Statement”), for the
registration under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”), of up to
$300,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its unsecured debt securities. The
Registration Statement was declared effective on October 31, 2006. The Company
will file with the Commission a prospectus supplement specifically relating
to
the terms of the Senior Notes pursuant to Rule 424(b) (“Rule 424(b)”) under the
Securities Act. The Company qualifies for use of Form S-3 for the registration
of the Senior Notes and the Senior Notes are registered under the Securities
Act. “Registration Statement” as of any time means such registration statement
in the form then filed with the Commission, including any amendment thereto,
any
document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein and
any
information in a prospectus or prospectus supplement deemed or retroactively
deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B (“Rule 430B”) or 430C (“Rule
430C”) under the Securities Act that has not been superseded or modified.
“Registration Statement” without reference to a time means the Registration
Statement as of the time of the first contract of sale for the Senior Notes,
which time shall be considered the “Effective Date” of the Registration
Statement relating to the Senior Notes. For purposes of this definition,
information contained in a form of prospectus or prospectus supplement that
is
deemed retroactively to be a part of the Registration Statement pursuant to
Rule
430B shall be considered to be included in the Registration Statement as of
the
time specified in Rule 430B.
(ii) At
the time the
Registration Statement initially became effective, at the time that each
amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the
Securities Act (whether by post-effective amendment, incorporated report or
form
of prospectus) became effective and on the Effective Date relating to the Senior
Notes, the Registration Statement conformed and will conform in all material
respects to the requirements of the Securities Act or the Trust Indenture Act
of
1939 (“Trust Indenture Act”), as the case may be, and the rules and regulations
of the Commission (“Rules and Regulations”) and did not and will not include any
untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required
to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.
On the date hereof, on the date of any filing pursuant to Rule 424(b) and on
the
Closing Date, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (as defined in
this
paragraph (ii)) will conform in all material respects to the requirements of
the
Securities Act, the Trust Indenture Act and the Rules and Regulations, and
neither of such documents will include any untrue statement of a material fact
or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary
to
make the statements therein not misleading, except that the foregoing does
not
apply to statements in or omissions from any of such documents made in reliance
upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company
by
any Underwriter through the Representatives, if any, specifically for use
therein or to any statements in or omissions from the Statement of Eligibility
of the Trustee under the Indenture, it being understood and agreed that the
only
such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information
described as such in Section 7(b) hereof, but nothing contained herein is
intended as a waiver of compliance with the Securities Act or the Rules and
Regulations. For purposes of this Underwriting Agreement, “Statutory Prospectus”
as of any time means the prospectus relating to the Senior Notes that is
included in the Registration Statement immediately prior to that time, including
any document incorporated by reference therein and any basic prospectus or
prospectus supplement deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B or
430C
that has not been superseded or modified. For purposes of this definition,
information contained in a form of prospectus (including a prospectus
supplement) that is deemed retroactively to be a part of the Registration
Statement pursuant to Rule 430B shall be considered to be included in the
Statutory Prospectus only as of the actual time that form of prospectus
(including a prospectus supplement) is filed with the Commission pursuant to
Rule 424(b) and not retroactively. “Prospectus” means the Statutory Prospectus
that discloses the public offering price and other final terms of the Senior
Notes and otherwise satisfies Section 10(a) of the Securities
Act.
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(iii) The
documents
incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure
Package (as hereinafter defined) and the Prospectus, at the time they were
or
hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied and will comply in all
material respects with the requirements, as applicable, of the Exchange Act
and
the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and, when read together
with other information in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus,
as
applicable, do not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit
to
state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they are made,
not
misleading.
(iv) (A)
At the earliest
time after the filing of the Registration Statement that the Company or another
offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule
164(h)(2) under the Securities Act) of the Senior Notes and (B) on the date
hereof, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in
Rule 405 (“Rule 405”) under the Securities Act, including (x) the Company or any
other subsidiary in the preceding three years not having been convicted of
a
felony or misdemeanor or having been made the subject of a judicial or
administrative decree or order as described in Rule 405 and (y) the Company
in
the preceding three years not having been the subject of a bankruptcy petition
or insolvency or similar proceeding, not having had a registration statement
be
the subject of a proceeding under Section 8 of the Securities Act and not being
the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the Securities Act in connection
with the offering of the Securities, all as described in Rule 405.
(v) As
of the Applicable
Time (as defined in this paragraph (v)), neither (A) the General Use Issuer
Free
Writing Prospectus(es) (as defined in this paragraph (v)), the Statutory
Prospectus, and any documents listed or disclosures contained in Part B of
Schedule II hereto, all considered together (collectively, the “General
Disclosure Package”), nor (B) any individual Limited Use Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus (as defined in this paragraph (v)), when considered together with
the
General Disclosure Package, included any untrue statement of a material fact
or
omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements
therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions
from any prospectus included in the Registration Statement or any Issuer Free
Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished
in writing to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives
specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only
such
information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described
as such in Section 7(b) hereof. “Applicable Time” means 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Time)
on the date hereof. “General Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to
prospective investors, as evidenced by its being specified in Part A of Schedule
II hereto. “Limited Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free
Writing Prospectus that is not a General Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.
“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as
defined in Rule 433 (“Rule 433”) under the Securities Act, relating to the
Senior Notes in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission
or,
if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records
pursuant to Rule 433(g).
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(vi) Each
Issuer Free
Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through
the
completion of the public offer and sale of the Senior Notes or until any earlier
date that the Company notified or notifies the Representatives as described
in
the next sentence, did not, does not and will not include any information that
conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information then contained
in
the Registration Statement. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer
Free
Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result
of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with
the information then contained in the Registration Statement or included or
would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit
to
state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in
the
light of the circumstances prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading,
(A) the Company has promptly notified or will promptly notify the
Representatives and (B) the Company has promptly amended or will promptly amend
or supplement such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such
conflict, untrue statement or omission. The foregoing two sentences do not
apply
to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in
reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the
Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use
therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished
by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such Section 7(b)
hereof.
(vii) The
historical
consolidated financial statements of the Company and its consolidated
subsidiaries included or incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement, the Prospectus and the General Disclosure Package present fairly
in
all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash
flows of the Company as of the dates and, for the periods indicated and have
been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles
applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved, except as
otherwise disclosed in the General Disclosure Package.
(viii) Except
as disclosed
in the General Disclosure Package, since the most recent time as of which
information is given in the General Disclosure Package, there has not occurred
any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material
adverse change, in the business prospects, earnings, business, properties,
condition (financial or otherwise) or operations of the Company and its
subsidiaries, taken as a whole, other than changes and developments contemplated
by the General Disclosure Package.
(ix) The
Company has been
duly incorporated and is validly subsisting as a corporation in good standing
under the laws of the State of Ohio, has the corporate power and authority
to
own, lease or operate its property and to conduct its business as described
in
the Prospectus and the General Disclosure Package and is duly qualified as
a
foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each other
jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing
of
property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure
to
be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect
on the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole.
(x) Each
subsidiary of
the Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation
in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has
the corporate power and authority to own, lease or operate its property and
to
conduct its business as described in the Prospectus and the General Disclosure
Package and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and
is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which the conduct of its
business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification,
except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing
would not have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries
taken as a whole.
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(xi) This
Underwriting
Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company,
and
constitutes a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against
the Company in accordance with its terms, except as enforcement thereof may
be
limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization,
moratorium or similar laws relating to or affecting enforcement of creditors’
rights generally, or by general principles of equity (whether enforcement is
considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) and by an implied covenant
of
good faith and fair dealing, and except that the enforcement of rights to
indemnification and contribution hereunder may be limited by applicable law
or
public policy.
(xii) The
Base Indenture
has been, and on the Closing Date the Indenture will be, (1) duly qualified
under the Trust Indenture Act and (2) duly authorized, executed and delivered
by
the Company and constitutes a valid and binding agreement enforceable against
the Company in accordance with its terms except as may be limited by bankruptcy,
insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and other similar
laws relating to or affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, by
general equitable principles (whether enforceability is considered in a
proceeding in equity or in law) and by an implied covenant of good faith and
fair dealing.
(xiii) The
Senior Notes
have been duly authorized by the Company, and, when they have been duly executed
by the Company, authenticated by the Trustee, and issued and delivered against
payment therefor as provided herein, will constitute valid and binding
obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with
their terms, subject to the effect of bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent
conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or
affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, by general equitable
principles (whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity
or at law) and by an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing and will
be
entitled to the benefits provided by the Indenture.
(xiv) The
Senior Notes and
the Base Indenture conform, and on the Closing Date the Indenture will conform,
in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the Prospectus
and the General Disclosure Package.
(xv) Neither
the issuance
and sale of the Senior Notes nor the execution and delivery by the Company
of,
and the performance by the Company of its obligations under, this Underwriting
Agreement, the Indenture and the Senior Notes will (A) contravene, or (B) result
in the imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets
of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, (a) any provision of
applicable law, (b) the amended articles of incorporation or amended and
restated code of regulations, or other organizational documents, each as
amended, of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company, (c) any agreement
or
other instrument binding upon the Company or any subsidiary of the Company
or
(d) any judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court
having jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary of the Company or any
of
their properties. Furthermore, neither the Company nor any subsidiary of the
Company is (x) in violation, or (y) in default, of its respective amended
articles of incorporation or amended and restated code of regulations, each
as
amended, or other organizational documents, or in the performance of any bond,
debenture, note or any other evidence of indebtedness or any indenture,
mortgage, deed of trust or other contract, lease or other instrument to which
it
is a party or by which any of them is bound, or to which any of its property
or
assets is subject, except such defaults as have been waived or which would
not
have, singly or in the aggregate, a material adverse effect on the Company
and
its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.
5
(xvi) Other
than as
disclosed or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package, there
are no legal or governmental proceedings pending or, to the knowledge of the
Company, threatened, to which the Company or any subsidiary of the Company
is a
party or to which any of the properties of the Company or any subsidiary of
the
Company are subject wherein an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding could
reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the condition
(financial or otherwise), business prospects, earnings, business or properties
of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or on the power or
ability of the Company to, perform its obligations under this Underwriting
Agreement, or to consummate the transactions contemplated by the General
Disclosure Package; and there is no franchise, contract or other document of
a
character required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus
or the General Disclosure Package, or to be filed or incorporated by reference
as an exhibit thereto, which is not described, filed or incorporated as
required.
(xvii) No
consent,
approval, authorization, filing with or order of any court or governmental
agency or body is required in connection with the transactions contemplated
herein, except such as have been obtained under the Securities Act and the
Trust
Indenture Act, such as has been obtained from the Public Utilities Commission
of
Ohio, and such as may be required under the blue sky laws of any jurisdiction
in
connection with the purchase and distribution of the Senior Notes by the
Underwriters in the manner contemplated herein and in the General Disclosure
Package. The Company possesses such certificates, authorizations or permits
issued by the appropriate state, federal or foreign regulatory agencies or
bodies necessary to conduct its business as currently operated, except where
the
failure to possess such certificate, authorization or permit would not have
a
material adverse effect on the condition, financial or otherwise, or the
earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company.
(xviii) The
Company and each
of its subsidiaries (i) is in compliance with any and all applicable foreign,
federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of
human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or
wastes, pollutants or contaminants (“Environmental Laws”), (ii) has received all
permits, licenses or other approvals required of it under applicable
Environmental Laws to conduct its business and (iii) is in compliance with
all
terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval, except in cases
in
which that noncompliance with Environmental Laws, failure to receive required
permits, licenses or other approvals, or failure to comply with the terms and
conditions of such permits, licenses or approvals would not, singly or in the
aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries,
taken as a whole.
(xix) The
Company
maintains (x) systems of internal controls and processes sufficient to provide
reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with
management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded
as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with
generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability;
(iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general
or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets
is
compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action
is taken with respect to any differences; and (y) disclosure controls and
procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act
of
1934 (the “Exchange Act”)).
(xx) The
Company is not,
and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Senior Notes and the
application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Prospectus and the
General Disclosure Package will not be, an “investment company” within the
meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
6
(b) Officer’s
Certificates.
Any certificate
signed by any duly authorized officer of the Company and delivered to the
Underwriters or to counsel for the Underwriters in connection with this offering
shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to the Underwriters
as to the matters covered thereby.
SECTION
2. Sale
and Delivery
to Underwriters; Closing.
(a) Terms
of Public
Offering.
The Company is
advised by the Representatives that the Underwriters propose to make a public
offering of their respective Senior Notes as soon after this Underwriting
Agreement is entered into as in the Representatives’ judgment is advisable. The
terms of the public offering of the Senior Notes are set forth in the
Prospectus.
(b) Purchase
and
Sale.
Subject to the
terms and conditions and in reliance upon the representations and warranties
herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter, and each
Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company,
at
the purchase price set forth in the Final Term Sheet attached as Annex A to
Schedule II hereto, the principal amount of the Senior Notes set forth opposite
such Underwriter’s name in Schedule I hereto plus any additional principal
amount of Senior Notes which such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase
pursuant to the provisions of Section 11, subject to such adjustments among
the
Underwriters as the Representatives, on behalf of the Underwriters, shall make
to eliminate any sales or purchases of fractional Senior Notes.
(c) Payment
and
Delivery.
Payment of the
purchase price for, and delivery of certificates for, the Senior Notes shall
be
made at the office of Xxxxxx, Halter & Xxxxxxxx LLP, 0000 XxXxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, 000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxx 00000, or at such other
place as shall be agreed upon by the Company and the Representatives on behalf
of the Underwriters, at 10:00 a.m., (Eastern Time), on the third business day
after the date hereof, or such other time not later than ten business days
after
such date as shall be agreed upon by the Company and either of the
Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters (such time and date of payment
and
delivery being herein called the “Closing Date”).
Payment
shall be
made to the Company by wire transfer of immediately available funds to a bank
account designated by the Company, against delivery to the Underwriters for
the
account of the Underwriters of the Senior Notes to be purchased by them.
The
delivery of the
Senior Notes shall be made in fully registered form, registered in the name
of
CEDE & CO., to the offices of The Depository Trust Company in New York, New
York, or its designee, and the Underwriters shall accept such
delivery.
The
certificate(s)
representing the Senior Notes shall be made available for examination by the
Representatives not later than 2:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) on the last business
day
prior to the Closing Date at such place as may be agreed upon between the
Representatives and the Company.
SECTION
3. Covenants
of the
Company.
The Company
covenants with the Underwriters as follows:
(a) To
promptly file
each Statutory Prospectus (including the Prospectus) with the Commission
pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act. The Company has complied
and
will comply with Rule 433.
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(b) The
Company will
advise the Representatives promptly of the institution by the Commission of
any
stop order proceedings in respect of the Registration Statement or of any part
thereof and will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop
order and to obtain as soon as possible its lifting, if issued.
(c) To
furnish without
charge to the Representatives a signed copy of the Registration Statement,
including all exhibits filed with the Registration Statement and the documents
incorporated by reference therein (other than exhibits which are incorporated
by
reference therein) and to each other Underwriter a copy of the Registration
Statement without exhibits and, during the period mentioned in paragraph (e)
below, as many copies of the Prospectus and any documents incorporated by
reference therein at or after the date thereof and any amendments and
supplements thereto as the Representatives may reasonably request. The terms
“supplement” and “amendments” or “amend” as used in this Underwriting Agreement
shall include all documents filed by the Company with the Commission subsequent
to the date of the Prospectus pursuant to the Exchange Act which are deemed
to
be incorporated by reference in the Prospectus.
(d) Before
amending or
supplementing the Registration Statement or any Statutory Prospectus or filing
with the Commission any document pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the
Exchange Act, during the period referred to in paragraph (e) below, to furnish
to the Representatives a copy of each such proposed amendment, supplement or
document for the Representatives’ review prior to filing and not to file any
such proposed amendment, supplement or document to which the Representatives
reasonably object.
(e) The
Company will
promptly notify the Underwriters, and confirm such notice in writing (which
notice and confirmation may be satisfied by providing the Underwriters with
any
related periodic report filed under the Exchange Act), of (x) any filing made
by
the Company of information relating to the offering of the Senior Notes with
any
securities exchange or any other regulatory body in the United States or any
other jurisdiction, and (y) any material changes in or affecting the condition
(financial or otherwise) business prospects, earnings, business or properties
of
the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, which (i) make any statement
in the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented materially false or misleading
or (ii) are not disclosed in the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented.
If,
at any time when a prospectus covering the Senior Notes is (or but for the
exemption in Rule 172 under the Securities Act would be) required by law to
be
delivered in connection with sales of the Senior Notes by an Underwriter or
dealer, any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which
it
is necessary, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters or counsel for
the
Company, to amend the Registration Statement or to amend or supplement the
Prospectus or modify the information incorporated by reference therein in order
that the Prospectus will not include any untrue statement of a material fact
or
omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein,
in the light of the circumstances existing at the time the Prospectus is (or
but
for the exemption in Rule 172 under the Securities Act would be) delivered
to a
purchaser, not misleading, or if it is necessary to amend or supplement the
Prospectus or modify such information to comply with the Securities Act and
the
Rules and Regulations, forthwith to prepare and file with the Commission and
to
furnish (subject to the conditions in paragraph (c) above), at its own expense,
to the Underwriters and to the dealers (whose names and addresses the
Representatives will furnish to the Company) to which Senior Notes may have
been
sold by the Underwriters, and to any other dealers upon request, such amendments
or supplements to the Prospectus or modifications to the documents incorporated
by reference therein, so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended,
supplemented or modified will not, in the light of the circumstances existing at
the time such Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that
the Prospectus will comply with the Securities Act and the Rules and
Regulations.
8
(f) The
Company will use
its best efforts, in cooperation with the Underwriters, to qualify the Senior
Notes for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such
jurisdictions as the Underwriters may designate and will maintain such
qualifications in effect as long as required for the sale of the Senior Notes;
provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to file any general
consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as
a
dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or
to
subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction
in
which it is not otherwise so subject. The Company will file such statements
and
reports as may be required by the laws of each jurisdiction in which the Senior
Notes have been qualified as above provided. The Company will promptly advise
the Representatives of the receipt by the Company of any notification with
respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Senior Notes for sale
in
any such state or jurisdiction or the initiating or threatening of any
proceedings for such purpose. The Company will also supply the Underwriters
with
such information as is necessary for the determination of the legality of the
Senior Notes for investment under the laws of such jurisdictions as the
Underwriters may reasonably request.
(g) The
Company shall
take all reasonable action necessary to enable Standard & Poor’s Ratings
Services, a division of The XxXxxx-Xxxx Companies, Inc. (“S&P”), and Xxxxx’x
Investors Service, Inc. (“Xxxxx’x”) to provide their respective credit ratings
of the Senior Notes.
(h) The
Company will use
the proceeds received by it from the sale of the Senior Notes in the manner
specified in the Prospectus under “Use of Proceeds.”
(i) During
a period
beginning on the date of this Underwriting Agreement and continuing to and
including the Closing Date, the Company will not, without the prior written
consent of the Underwriters, directly or indirectly, issue, sell, offer or
agree
to sell, grant any option for the sale of, or otherwise dispose of, any other
debt securities issued or guaranteed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries
substantially similar to the Senior Notes or securities of the Company or any
of
its subsidiaries that are convertible into, or exchangeable for, the Senior
Notes.
SECTION
4. Free
Writing
Prospectuses.
(a) Free
Writing
Prospectuses.
The Company
represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the
Representatives, and each Underwriter represents and agrees that, unless it
obtains the prior consent of the Company and the Representatives, it has not
made and will not make any offer relating to the Senior Notes that would
constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or that would otherwise constitute
a “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405, required to be filed with
the Commission. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Company
and
the Representatives is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing
Prospectus.” The Company represents that it has treated and agrees that it will
treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an “issuer free writing
prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and has complied and will comply with the
requirements of Rules 164 and 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing
Prospectus, including timely Commission filing where required, legending and
record keeping. The parties hereto agree that the only Permitted Free Writing
Prospectuses issued on or prior to the Applicable Time are specified on Part
A
of Schedule II hereto.
9
(b) Final
Term
Sheet.
The Company will
prepare a final term sheet relating to the Senior Notes, containing only
information that describes the final terms of the Senior Notes and otherwise
in
a form consented to by the Representatives, and will file such final term sheet
within the period required by Rule 433(d)(5)(ii). Any such final term sheet
is
an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus for
purposes of this Underwriting Agreement and is specified in Part A of Schedule
II hereto. The Company also consents to the use by any Underwriter of a free
writing prospectus that contains only (i)(x) information describing the
preliminary terms of the Senior Notes or their offering or (y) information
that
describes the final terms of the Senior Notes or their offering and that is
included in the final term sheet of the Company contemplated in the first
sentence of this subsection or (ii) other information that is not “issuer
information,” as defined in Rule 433, it being understood that any such free
writing prospectus referred to in clauses (i) or (ii) above shall not be an
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus for purposes of this Underwriting
Agreement.
SECTION
5. Payment
of
Expenses.
(a) Expenses.
The Company will
pay all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this
Underwriting Agreement, including (i) the preparation, printing and any filing
of each Statutory Prospectus (including the Prospectus) and each Issuer Free
Writing Prospectus and of each amendment or supplement thereto, (ii) the
preparation, reproduction and delivery to the Underwriters of this Underwriting
Agreement and such other documents as may be required in connection with the
offering, purchase, sale and delivery of the Senior Notes, (iii) the
preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificates for the Senior Notes
to
the Underwriters, including any charges of DTC in connection therewith, (iv)
the
fees and disbursements of the Company’s counsel, accountants and other advisors
(but not the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters), (v) the
qualification of the Senior Notes under securities laws in accordance with
the
provisions of Section 3(f) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable
fees
and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection therewith and
in
connection with the preparation of the Blue Sky Survey, any supplement thereto
and any legal investment survey (such fees and disbursements not to exceed
$7,500), (vi) the fees and expenses of the Trustee, including the fees and
disbursements of counsel for the Trustee in connection with the Indenture and
the Senior Notes and (vii) any fees payable in connection with the rating of
the
Senior Notes in accordance with Section 3(g) hereof.
(b) Termination
of
Underwriting Agreement.
If this
Underwriting Agreement is terminated by the Underwriters in accordance with
the
provisions of Section 6, the Company shall reimburse the Underwriters for all
of
their out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements
of
counsel for the Underwriters.
SECTION
6. Conditions
of
Underwriters’ Obligations.
The obligations of
the Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the representations
and warranties of the Company contained in Section 1(a) as of the Applicable
Time and the Closing Date, to the accuracy of the statements made in
certificates of the Company executed by any officer of the Company or any
officer of any of the Company’s subsidiaries delivered pursuant to the
provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its covenants and other
obligations hereunder, and to the following further conditions:
(a) No
Stop
Orders.
Subsequent to the
execution and delivery of this Underwriting Agreement and prior to the Closing
Date:
10
(i) no
stop order
suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof
shall be in effect, no order of the Commission directed to the adequacy or
accuracy of any document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference
in the Prospectus shall be in effect, and no proceedings for either purpose
or
pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act against the Company or relating
to
the offering of the Senior Notes shall be pending before or threatened by the
Commission; and
(ii) there
shall not have
been, since the date hereof or since the respective dates as of which
information is given in the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendments or
supplements thereto subsequent to the Applicable Time), any material adverse
effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), business prospects, earnings,
business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole,
whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business.
(b) Officer’s
Certificate.
The Underwriters
shall have received on the Closing Date a certificate, dated the Closing Date
and signed by an executive officer of the Company, to the effect set forth
in
Section 6(a)(i) and (ii) above and to the effect that the representations and
warranties of the Company in Section 1(a) were true and correct in all material
respects when made and are true and correct in all material respects with the
same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of the Closing Date,
and that the Company has complied in all material respects with all agreements
and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or
prior to the Closing Date. The officer signing and delivering such certificate
may rely upon the best of his or her knowledge as to proceedings
threatened.
(c) Opinions
of
Counsel for the Company.
At the Closing
Date, the Underwriters shall have received the favorable opinions, each dated
as
of the Closing Date, of Xxxx X. Xxxx, Associate General Counsel for the
Company’s parent, FirstEnergy Corp., and Xxxx Xxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxx & Xxxx LLP,
special counsel to the Company, each in form and substance reasonably
satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced
copies of such letters for the other Underwriters, to the effect set forth
in
Exhibits A-1 and A-2 hereto and to such further effects as counsel to the
Underwriters may reasonably request. In giving his opinion, Xxxx X. Xxxx may
rely, as to all matters governed by the laws of the State of New York, upon
the
opinion of Xxxx Xxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxx & Xxxx LLP. Each counsel may state that,
insofar as their opinions involve factual matters, such counsel has relied,
to
the extent it deems proper, upon certificates of officers of the Company and
its
subsidiaries and certificates of public officials.
(d) Opinion
of
Counsel for Underwriters.
At the Closing
Date, the Underwriters shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as
of
the Closing Date, of Xxxxxx, Xxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP, counsel for
the Underwriters, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters. In
giving such opinion such counsel may state that, insofar as such opinion
involves factual matters, they have relied, to the extent they deem proper,
upon
certificates of officers of the Company and its subsidiaries and certificates
of
public officials.
(e) Comfort
Letter.
i) On or prior to
the date of this Underwriting Agreement, the Underwriters shall have received
from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP a comfort letter, dated the date hereof, in
form
and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters, containing statements
and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort
letters” to underwriters (of the type ordinarily issued in transactions covered
by registration statements filed under the Securities Act) with respect to
the
financial statements and certain financial information contained in the
Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and any Statutory
Prospectus (including the Prospectus) or incorporated therein by reference,
with
a specified date not more than three business days prior to the date
hereof.
11
ii) At
the Closing Date,
the Underwriters shall have received from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP a letter
dated as of the Closing Date, confirming, as of a date not more than three
business days prior to the Closing Date, the statements contained in the letter
delivered pursuant to Section 6(e)(i) hereof.
(f) Maintenance
of
Rating.
At the Closing
Date, the Senior Notes shall be rated at least Baa3 by Moody’s and BBB- by
S&P, and the Company shall have delivered to the Underwriters a letter,
dated as of the Closing Date, from each such rating agency, or other evidence
reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters, confirming that the Senior Notes
have been assigned such ratings; and since the date of this Underwriting
Agreement, there shall not have occurred any downgrading, nor shall any notice
have been given of any intended or potential downgrading or of any review for
a
possible change that does not indicate the direction of the possible change,
in
the rating accorded any of the Company’s securities by any “nationally
recognized statistical rating organization,” as such term is defined for
purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Securities Act.
(g) Clearance
and
Settlement.
At the Closing
Date, the Senior Notes shall be eligible for clearance and settlement through
the facilities of DTC.
(h) Additional
Documents.
At the Closing
Date, counsel for the Underwriters shall have been furnished with such documents
and opinions as they may reasonably require for the purpose of enabling them to
pass upon the issuance and sale of the Senior Notes as herein contemplated,
or
in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties,
or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein contained; and all
proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of
the
Senior Notes as herein contemplated shall be reasonably satisfactory in form
and
substance to the Underwriters and counsel for the Underwriters.
(i) Termination
of
Underwriting Agreement.
If any condition
contemplated by this Section shall not have been fulfilled when and as required
to be fulfilled, or if any of the opinions and certificates mentioned above
or
elsewhere in this Underwriting Agreement shall not be reasonably satisfactory
in
form and substance to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters,
this
Underwriting Agreement may be terminated by the Underwriters by notice to the
Company at any time at or prior to the Closing Date, and such termination shall
be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in
Section 5 and except that Sections 7, 8 and 9 shall survive any such termination
and remain in full force and effect.
SECTION
7. Indemnification.
(a) Indemnification
of Underwriters.
The Company agrees
to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter and each person, if any, who
controls any Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the
Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act from and against any and all
losses, claims, damages and liabilities that arise out of or are based upon
any
untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in
the
Registration Statement at any time, any Statutory Prospectus at any time, the
Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or arise out of or are based
upon 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 agrees to reimburse each Underwriter and each such controlling person,
as
incurred, for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by them in
connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage or
liability, except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities that
arise out of or are based upon any such untrue statement or omission or alleged
untrue statement or omission are based upon information furnished in writing
to
the Company by any Underwriter expressly for use therein, it being understood
and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists
of the information described as such in Section 7(b) hereof. This indemnity
agreement will be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise
have.
12
(b) Indemnification
of Company, Directors and Officers.
Each Underwriter
agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company,
its directors, its officers who sign the Registration Statement and any person
controlling the Company within the meaning of either Section 15 of the
Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act to the same extent as the
foregoing indemnity from the Company to each Underwriter, but only with
reference to information relating to such Underwriter furnished in writing
by
such Underwriter expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any Statutory
Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. The Company
acknowledges that the statements set forth in the last paragraph of the cover
page of the Prospectus regarding the delivery of the Senior Notes and, under
the
caption “Underwriting”, (i) the concession and reallowance figures appearing in
the third paragraph, (ii) the second sentence of the fourth paragraph related
to
market-making activities, and (iii) the sixth paragraph relating to
stabilization, syndicate and covering transactions and penalty bids in the
Prospectus constitute the only information furnished in writing by or on behalf
of the several Underwriters for use in the Registration Statement, any Statutory
Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. This indemnity
agreement will be in addition to any liability which the Underwriters may
otherwise have.
(c) Actions
Against
Parties; Notification.
In case any
proceeding (including any governmental investigation) shall be instituted
involving any person in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to
either of the two preceding paragraphs, such person (the “indemnified party”)
shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnity may be sought
(the
“indemnifying party”) in writing and the indemnifying party, upon request of the
indemnified party, shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the
indemnified party to represent the indemnified party and any others the
indemnifying party may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the fees
and
disbursements of such counsel related to such proceeding. The omission so to
notify the indemnifying party (i) will not relieve it from any liability under
paragraph (a) or (b) above unless and to the extent such failure results in
the
loss by the indemnifying party of substantial rights and defenses and (ii)
will
not, in any event relieve the indemnifying party from any obligations to any
indemnified party other than the indemnification obligation provided in
paragraph (a) or (b) above. In any such proceeding, any indemnified party shall
have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such
counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the
indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to
the
retention of such counsel or (ii) the named parties to any such action
(including any impleaded parties) include both the indemnified party and the
indemnifying party, and the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded
upon advice of counsel that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or
other indemnified parties which are different from or additional to those
available to the indemnifying party. It is understood that the indemnifying
party shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in
the
same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate
counsel for all such indemnified parties. Such counsel shall be designated
in
writing by the Representatives in the case of parties indemnified pursuant
to
the second preceding paragraph, and by the Company in the case of parties
indemnified pursuant to the first preceding paragraph.
(d) Settlement.
The indemnifying
party shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without
its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there has been
a
final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify
the
indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such
settlement or judgment. An indemnifying party will not, without the prior
written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent
to
the entry of any judgment with respect to any pending or threatened claim,
action, suit or proceeding in respect of which indemnification or contribution
may be sought hereunder (whether the indemnified parties are actual or potential
parties to such claim or action) unless such settlement, compromise or consent
(i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all
liability arising out of such claim, action, suit or proceeding and (ii) does
not include any statement as to, or any admission of, fault, culpability or
failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.
13
SECTION
8. Contribution.
In the event that
the indemnity provided for in Section 7 is held by a court to be unavailable,
in
whole or in part, to hold harmless an indemnified party for any reason, the
Company and the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, agree to contribute
to
the aggregate losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including legal or other
expenses reasonably incurred in connection with investigating or defending
same)
(collectively “Losses”) to which the Company and any of the Underwriters may be
subject in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits
received by the Company on the one hand and by the Underwriters on the other
hand from the offering of the Senior Notes. If the allocation provided by the
immediately preceding sentence is held by a court to be unavailable for any
reason, the Company and the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, agree
to
contribute in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such
relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand
and
of the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the statements or
omissions that resulted in such Losses, as well as any other relevant equitable
considerations. Benefits received by the Company shall be deemed to be equal
to
the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received
by
the Company, and benefits received by the Underwriters shall be deemed to be
equal to the discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters. Relative
fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any
untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged
omission to state a material fact relates to information provided by the Company
on the one hand or the Underwriters on the other hand, the intent of the parties
and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct
or prevent such untrue statement or omission. Notwithstanding the provisions
of
this Section 8, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in
excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Senior Notes
underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public
exceeds the amounts of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been
required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission
or alleged omission. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not
be
just and equitable if contribution were determined by pro rata allocation or
any
other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable
considerations referred to above. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section
8, no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of
Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from
any
person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
For
purposes of this
Section 8, each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning
of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act shall
have
the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the
Company and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning
of
Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act shall have
the same rights to contribution as the Company. The Underwriters’ respective
obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 8 are several in proportion
to the principal amount of Senior Notes set forth opposite their respective
names in Schedule I hereto and not joint.
SECTION
9. Representations,
Warranties and Agreements to Survive Delivery.
All
representations, warranties and indemnity and contribution agreements contained
in this Underwriting Agreement or in certificates of the Company submitted
pursuant hereto shall remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless
of any termination of this Underwriting Agreement, any investigation made by
or
on behalf of the Underwriters or controlling person, or by or on behalf of
the
Company, and shall survive delivery of the Senior Notes to the Underwriters.
14
SECTION
10. Termination
of
Underwriting Agreement.
The Underwriters
may terminate this Underwriting Agreement by notice given by the Representatives
to the Company, if after the execution and delivery of this Underwriting
Agreement and prior to the Closing Date (i) trading generally shall have been
suspended or materially limited on, or by, as the case may be, any of the New
York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq Global Market,
the
Chicago Board of Options Exchange, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange or the
Chicago Board of Trade, (ii) trading of any securities of the Company shall
have
been suspended on any exchange or in any over the counter market, (iii) any
moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by Federal
or New York State authorities or any material disruption in commercial banking,
securities settlement, payment or clearance services in the United States shall
have occurred, or (iv) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation
of
hostilities, or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis that,
in the judgment of the Representatives, is material and adverse and which,
singly or together with any other event specified in this clause (iv), makes
it,
in the judgment of the Representatives, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed
with the offer, sale or delivery of the Senior Notes on the terms and in the
manner contemplated in the General Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus.
SECTION
11. Default
by One or
More of the Underwriters.
If one or more of
the Underwriters shall fail at the Closing Date to purchase the Senior Notes
which it or they are obligated to purchase under this Underwriting Agreement
(the “Defaulted Notes”), the Underwriters shall have the right, but not the
obligation, within 36 hours thereafter, to make arrangements for one or more
of
the non-defaulting Underwriters, or any other Underwriters, to purchase all,
but
not less than all, of the Defaulted Notes in such amounts as may be agreed
upon
and upon the terms herein set forth; if, however, the Underwriters shall not
have completed such arrangements within such 36-hour period, then:
(a) if
the number of
Defaulted Notes does not exceed 10% of the aggregate principal amount of the
Senior Notes, each of the non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated,
severally and not jointly, to purchase the full amount thereof in the
proportions that their respective obligations to purchase hereunder bear to
the
obligations of all non-defaulting Underwriters, or
(b) if
the number of
Defaulted Notes exceeds 10% of the aggregate principal amount of the Senior
Notes, this Underwriting Agreement shall terminate without liability on the
part
of any non-defaulting Underwriter.
No
action taken
pursuant to this Section 11 shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from
liability in respect of its default under this Underwriting
Agreement.
In
the event of any
such default which does not result in a termination of this Underwriting
Agreement, either the Underwriters or the Company shall have the right to
postpone the Closing Date for a period not exceeding seven days in order to
effect any required changes in the Prospectus or in any other documents or
arrangements.
SECTION
12. Notices.
All notices and
other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have
been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of
telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be directed to BNY Capital
Markets, Inc., Xxx Xxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attention: Xxx X.
Xxxxxxx, Facsimile: (000) 000-0000; and to KeyBanc Capital Markets, 000 Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx, 0xx Xxxxx, Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxx 00000, Attention: Xxxxxx X. Xxxx, Facsimile:
(000) 000-0000; notices to the Company shall be directed to it at 00 Xxxxx
Xxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxxxx, Xxxx 00000, Attention: Treasurer, Facsimile: (000)
000-0000.
15
SECTION
13. Parties.
This Underwriting
Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters,
the Company and their respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned
in
this Underwriting Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any
person, firm or corporation, other than the Underwriters, the Company and their
respective successors and the controlling persons and officers and directors
referred to in Sections 7 and 8 and their heirs and legal representatives,
any
legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this
Underwriting Agreement or any provision herein contained. This Underwriting
Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the
sole and exclusive benefit of the Underwriters, the Company and their respective
successors, and said controlling persons and officers and directors and their
heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm
or
corporation. No purchaser of Senior Notes from the Underwriters shall be deemed
to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.
SECTION
14. Absence
of
Fiduciary Relationship.
The Company
acknowledges and agrees that:
(a) the
Representatives
have been retained solely to act as underwriters in connection with the sale
of
Senior Notes and that no fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship between
the
Company and the Representatives have been created in respect of any of the
transactions contemplated by this Underwriting Agreement, irrespective of
whether the Representatives have advised or is advising the Company on other
matters;
(b) the
price of the
Senior Notes set forth in the Final Term Sheet attached as Annex A to Schedule
II hereto was established by the Company following discussions and arms-length
negotiations with the Representatives and the Company is capable of evaluating
and understanding and understands and accepts the terms, risks and conditions
of
the transactions contemplated by this Underwriting Agreement;
(c) the
Company has been
advised that the Representatives and their affiliates are engaged in a broad
range of transactions which may involve interests that differ from those of
the
Company and that the Representatives have no obligation to disclose such
interests and transactions to the Company by virtue of any fiduciary, advisory
or agency relationship; and
(d) the
Company waives,
to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims it may have against the
Representatives for breach of fiduciary duty or alleged breach of fiduciary
duty
and agrees that the Representatives shall have no liability (whether direct
or
indirect) to the Company in respect of such a fiduciary duty claim or to any
person asserting a fiduciary duty claim on behalf of or in right of the Company,
including stockholders, employees or creditors of the Company.
SECTION
15. Miscellaneous.
(a) GOVERNING
LAW AND
TIME.
THIS AGREEMENT
SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE
OF
NEW YORK. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SET FORTH HEREIN, SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER
TO
NEW YORK CITY TIME.
(b) Waiver
of Jury
Trial.
The Company hereby
irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any
and
all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating
to
this Underwriting Agreement or the transactions contemplated
hereby.
16
(c) Counterparts.
This Underwriting
Agreement may be executed in any number of separate counterparts, each of which,
when so executed and delivered, shall be deemed to be an original and all of
which taken together, shall constitute but one and the same
agreement.
(d) Successors.
This Underwriting
Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon, each of the
Company, the several Underwriters, and their respective successors and the
officers and directors and controlling persons referred to in Sections 7, 8
and
9 hereof. The term “successor” as used in this section shall not include any
purchaser, as such, of any Senior Notes from the Underwriters.
(e) Integration.
This Underwriting
Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written
or
oral) between the Company and the Underwriters, or any of them, with respect
to
the subject matter hereof.
(f) Effect
of
Headings.
The Section
headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction
hereof.
17
If
the foregoing is
in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign counterparts
hereof.
Very truly yours, | |
THE TOLEDO EDISON COMPANY | |
as Issuer | |
By: |
Xxxxx
X.
Xxxxxxx
|
Name:
Xxxxx X.
Xxxxxxx
|
|
Title: Vice President and Treasurer |
CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED, | |
as of the date first above written: | |
BNY CAPITAL MARKETS, INC. | |
By: | /s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx |
Name: | Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx |
Title: | Managing Director |
KEYBANC CAPITAL MARKETS, | |
a division of McDonald Investments Inc. | |
By: | /s/ Xxxx Xxxx |
Name: | Xxxx Xxxx |
Title: | Director |
Acting
as
representatives of the several Underwriters named in Schedule
I.
18
Schedule
I*
Underwriters
|
Principal
Amount
of
Senior Notes
|
|||
BNY
Capital
Markets, Inc.
|
$
|
120,000,000
|
||
KeyBanc
Capital Markets,
a
division of
McDonald Investments Inc.
|
$
|
120,000,000
|
||
LaSalle
Financial Services, Inc.
|
$
|
15,000,000
|
||
NatCity
Investments, Inc.
|
$
|
15,000,000
|
||
Xxxxx
Xxxxxxx
& Co..
|
$
|
15,000,000
|
||
Wedbush
Xxxxxx
Securities Inc.
|
$
|
15,000,000
|
||
Total
|
$
|
300,000,000
|
*For
pricing terms,
see Schedule II.
Sch
I
Schedule
II
Part
A - Schedule of
General Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses
· |
Final
Term
Sheet attached to this Schedule II as Annex A (Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus)
|
Part
B - Disclosure
Referred to in Section 1(a)(v) of the Underwriting Agreement
· |
None
|
Sch
II
ANNEX
A
TO
SCHEDULE
II
Final
Term
Sheet
Attached
hereto.
Sch
II, Annex A-1
Issuer
Free Writing
Prospectus
Filed
Pursuant to
Rule 433
Registration
No.
333-138065
November
13,
2006
The
Toledo
Edison Company
Pricing
Term
Sheet
$300
mm
6.15% 15 May 2037 Senior Notes
Issuer: | The Toledo Edison Company | ||
Market Type: | Senior Notes | ||
Ratings: | Baa3/BBB- (positive outlook/stable) | ||
Principal Amount: | $300 million | ||
Trade Date: | 13 November 2006 | ||
Settlement Date: | 16 November 2006 (T+3) | ||
Final Maturity: | 15 May 2037 | ||
Interest Payment Dates: | 15 May and 15 November | ||
1st Coupon Payment Date: | 15 May 2007 (short 1st coupon) | ||
Coupon: | 6.150% | ||
Business day convention: | 30/360 | ||
US Treasury Benchmark: | UST 4.500% due 15-Feb-2036 | ||
US Treasury Price / Yield: | 96-21 / 4.711% | ||
Re-Offer Yield: | 6.161% | ||
Re-offer Price: | 99.850% | ||
Fees: | 0.875% (equals $2,625,000) | ||
Proceeds to Issuer: | 98.975% (equals $296,925,000) | ||
Denomination: | $1,000 | ||
Optional Redemption: | Greater of 100.00% of the principal amount of Senior Notes being redeemed or make whole + 25bp | ||
Joint Bookrunners (80%): | BNY Capital Markets, Inc. |
$120,000,000
|
|
KeyBanc Capital Markets, |
$120,000,000
|
||
a division of McDonald Investments Inc | |||
Co-Managers (20%): | LaSalle Capital Markets | $ 15,000,000 | |
NatCity Investments, Inc. | $ 15,000,000 | ||
Xxxxx Xxxxxxx | $ 15,000,000 | ||
Wedbush Xxxxxx Securities Inc. | $ 15,000,000 | ||
CUSIP/ISIN: | 889175 BD 6 / US889175BD66 | ||
Sch
II, Annex
A-2
Pro Forma Ratio of Earnings | ||
to Fixed Charges for the Nine | ||
Month Period Ended | ||
September 30, 2006: | 2.54 | |
Pro Forma Ratio of Earnings | ||
to Fixed Charges for the Year | ||
Ended December 31, 2005: | 2.10 |
The
security ratings
above are not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold the securities hereby.
The
ratings may be subject to revision or withdrawal at any time by Xxxxx’x
Investors Service and Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services. Each of the
security ratings above should be evaluated independently of any other security
rating.
The
issuer
has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with the SEC for
the
offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should
read
the prospectus in that registration statement and other documents the issuer
has
filed with the SEC for more complete information about the issuer and this
offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting XXXXX on the SEC
Web
site at xxx.xxx.xxx. Alternatively, the issuer, any underwriter or any dealer
participating in the offering will arrange to send you the prospectus if you
request it by calling toll-free 0-000-000-0000.
Sch
II, Annex
A-3
Exhibit
A-1
FORM
OF IN-HOUSE
OPINION
1.
|
The
statements
made in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the
headings “Description of Debt Securities” and “Description of the Senior
Notes,” insofar as such statements constitute summaries of the Senior
Notes and the Indenture, are accurate in all material respects and
the
Senior Notes are consistent with the information in the General Disclosure
Package and the Prospectus.
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2.
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The
Company
was duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in
good
standing under the laws of the State of Ohio, with full corporate
power
and authority to own or lease, as the case may be, and to operate
its
properties and conduct its business as described in the General Disclosure
Package, and is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation
and
is in good standing under the laws of each jurisdiction which requires
such qualification, or is subject to no material liability or disability
by reason of the failure to be so qualified in any such jurisdiction.
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3.
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The
Indenture
has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and
constitutes the valid and binding agreement of the Company enforceable
against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as may be
limited
by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, fraudulent conveyance,
moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting the enforcement
of creditors’ rights generally, by general equitable principles (whether
considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) and by an implied
covenant
of good faith, fair dealing and reasonableness.
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4.
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The
Senior
Notes have been duly authorized and executed by the Company and,
when
authenticated by the Trustee in accordance with the Indenture and
delivered by the Company against payment therefor by the Underwriters
pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, they will constitute valid
and
binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company
in
accordance with their terms and entitled to the benefits provided
by the
Indenture, except as may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium and other similar
laws
relating to or affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally,
by general equitable principles (whether considered in a proceeding
in
equity or at law) and by an implied covenant of good faith, fair
dealing
and reasonableness.
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5.
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The
Underwriting Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered
by
the Company.
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6.
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No
consent,
approval, authorization, filing with or order of any court or governmental
agency is required in connection with the transaction contemplated
by the
Underwriting Agreement, except such as has been obtained from the
Public
Utilities Commission of Ohio and such as may be required under the
securities or blue sky laws of any jurisdiction (other than the federal
law of the United States of America), as to which such counsel may
express
no opinion.
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Exh.
A-1-1
7.
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Neither
the
consummation of the transaction contemplated in the Underwriting
Agreement, including the issuance and sale of the Senior Notes, nor
the
fulfillment of the terms thereof, will conflict with, result in breach
or
violation of, or result in the imposition of any lien, charge or
encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company pursuant to,
(A)
the Restated Articles of Incorporation or the Amended and Restated
Code of
Regulations of the Company, (B) the terms of any indenture, contract,
lease, mortgage, deed of trust, note agreement, loan agreement or
other
material agreement, obligation, condition, covenant or instrument,
to
which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or bound
or to
which its or their property is subject, (C) any Ohio law, rule or
regulation or (D) any judgment, order or decree known to us applicable
to
the Company of any Ohio court, regulatory body, administrative agency,
governmental body, arbitrator or other authority having jurisdiction
over
the Company or any of its properties.
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8.
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Each
of the
Registration Statement, as of the Effective Date relating to the
Senior
Notes, and the Prospectus, as of its date, and any amendment or supplement
thereto, as of its date (except in each case for the financial statements,
including the notes thereto and any related schedules, and other
financial
and statistical data derived therefrom included or incorporated by
reference therein, as to which such counsel may express no opinion),
complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements
of the
Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations; and the documents or
portions thereof filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant
to the
Exchange Act, and incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference
in the Prospectus pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3, on the date filed
with
the Commission, complied as to form when so filed in all material
respects
with the requirements of the Exchange Act pursuant to which it was
filed
and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
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9.
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To
the best of
such counsel’s knowledge, no order directed to the adequacy of the
Registration Statement or any part thereof has been issued by the
Commission, and no challenge by the Commission has been made to the
adequacy of such document.
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In
connection with
the preparation by the Company of the Registration Statement, the General
Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, such counsel has had discussions with
certain of the Company’s officers and representatives, with other counsel for
the Company and certain of its representatives and with PricewaterhouseCoopers
LLP, the Company’s independent public accountants who audited certain of the
financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. Such counsel’s
review of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus and the above-mentioned discussions did not disclose to such counsel
any information that gives such counsel reason to believe that (i) the
Registration Statement, as of each Effective Date relating to the Senior Notes,
contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material
fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein
not misleading, (ii) the General Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time,
contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any
material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of
the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading or (iii) the
Prospectus, as of its date and as of the Closing Date, contained or contains
any
untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state any material
fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. Such counsel may
not
express any belief as to the financial statements, including the notes thereto
and any related schedules, and other financial and statistical data derived
therefrom included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement,
the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus.
Exh.
A-1-2
Exhibit
A-2
FORM
OF OPINION OF
AKIN GUMP XXXXXXX XXXXX & XXXX LLP
1.
|
The
statements
made in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the
headings “Description of Debt Securities” and “Description of the Senior
Notes,” insofar as such statements constitute summaries of the Senior
Notes and the Indenture, are accurate in all material respects and
the
Senior Notes are consistent with the information in the General Disclosure
Package and the Prospectus.
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2.
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The
Indenture
has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 and
constitutes the valid and binding agreement of the Company enforceable
against the Company in accordance with its terms.
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3.
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When
the
Senior Notes have been duly executed by the Company, authenticated
by the
Trustee in accordance with the Indenture and delivered by the Company
against payment therefor by the Underwriters pursuant to the Underwriting
Agreement, they will constitute valid and binding obligations of
the
Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their
terms and
entitled to the benefits provided by the Indenture.
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4.
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The
Underwriting Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered
by
the Company.
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5.
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No
authorization or approval or other action by, and no notice to or
filing
with, any governmental authority or regulatory body is required under
any
of the Included Laws for the due execution and delivery of the
Underwriting Agreement by the Company and its transactions contemplated
by
the Underwriting Agreement, except (i) such as have already been
obtained
and are in full force and effect and (ii) such as may be required
under
the securities or blue sky laws of any jurisdiction, as to which
such
counsel may express no opinion.
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6.
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Neither
the
consummation of the transaction contemplated in the Underwriting
Agreement, including the issuance and sale of the Senior Notes, nor
the
fulfillment of the terms thereof, will result in breach or violation
of,
result in the imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon
any
property or assets of the Company pursuant to, (i) any agreement
or
instrument of the Company listed on Schedule A thereto, (ii) any
rule or
regulation or, to such counsel’s knowledge, any order of any governmental
authority or regulatory body having jurisdiction over the Company
or any
of its properties under any Included Law.
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7.
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Each
of the
Registration Statement, as of the Effective Date relating to the
Senior
Notes, and the Prospectus, as of its date, and any amendment or supplement
thereto, as of its date (except in each case for the financial statements,
including the notes thereto and any related schedules, and other
financial
and statistical data derived therefrom included or incorporated by
reference therein, as to which such counsel expresses no opinion),
appeared on its face to be appropriately responsive in all material
respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and the Rules
and
Regulations thereunder; and the documents or portions thereof filed
by the
Company with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act, and incorporated
or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Prospectus pursuant
to
Item 12 of Form S-3, on the date filed with the Commission, appeared
on
its face to be appropriately responsive in all material respects
to the
requirements of the Exchange Act pursuant to which it was filed and
the
applicable rules and regulations thereunder.
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Exh.
A-2-1
8.
|
To
the best of
such counsel’s knowledge, no order directed to the adequacy of the
Registration Statement or any part thereof has been issued by the
Commission, and no challenge by the Commission has been made to the
adequacy of such document.
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9.
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The
Company is
not, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Senior
Notes,
and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Prospectus
and the General Disclosure Package will not be, an “investment company”
within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended.
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The
opinions and
other matters in the letter may be qualified in their entirety and subject
to
the following:
A.
|
Such
counsel
may express no opinion as to the laws of any jurisdiction other than
the
Included Laws. Such counsel may have made no special investigation
or
review of any published constitutions, treaties, laws, rules or
regulations or judicial or administrative decisions (“Laws”), other than a
review of (i) the Laws of the State of New York, and (ii) the Federal
Laws
of the United States of America. For purposes of this letter, the
term
“Included Laws” means the items described in clauses (i) and (ii) of the
preceding sentence that are, in such counsel’s experience, normally
applicable to transactions of the type contemplated in the Underwriting
Agreement. The term Included Laws specifically excludes (a) Laws
of any
counties, cities, towns, municipalities and special political subdivisions
and any agencies thereof and (b) Laws relating to land use, zoning
and
building code issues, taxes, environmental issues, intellectual property
Laws, antitrust issues and Federal Reserve Board margin regulation
issues.
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B.
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When
used in
the letter, the phrases “known to such counsel”, “to such counsel’s actual
knowledge” and similar phrases (i) mean the conscious awareness of facts
or other information by (a) the lawyer in such counsel’s firm who signed
the letter, (b) any lawyer in such counsel’s firm actively involved in
negotiating and preparing the Transaction Documents (as such term
is
defined in the letter), (c) solely as to information relevant to
a
particular opinion, issue or confirmation regarding a particular
factual
matter, any lawyer in such counsel’s firm who is primarily responsible for
providing the response concerning that particular opinion, issue
or
confirmation and (d) any lawyer in such counsel’s firm who otherwise
devotes substantive attention to matters of the Company on behalf
of such
firm and could reasonably be expected to have information material
to the
opinions expressed herein, and (ii) do not require or imply (a) any
examination of such firm’s, such lawyer’s or any other person’s or
entity’s files, (b) that any inquiry be made of the client, any lawyer
(other than the lawyers described above), or any other person or
entity,
or (c) any review or examination of any agreements, documents,
certificates, instruments or other papers other than the Transaction
Documents, the corporate records referred to in the third paragraph
of the
letter and any agreement or instrument of the Company listed on Schedule
A
thereto.
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C.
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The
letter and
the matters addressed in the letter will as of the date thereof or
such
earlier date as is specified therein, and such counsel may undertake
no,
and may disclaim any, obligation to advise the addressees thereof
of any
change in any matter set forth in the letter, whether based on a
change in
the law, a change in any fact relating to the Company or any other
Person,
or any other circumstance. The letter may be limited to the matters
expressly stated therein and no opinions are to be inferred or may
be
implied beyond the opinions expressly set forth therein.
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Exh.
A-2-2
D.
|
The
matters
expressed in the letter may be subject to and qualified and limited
by (i)
applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer and conveyance,
reorganization, moratorium and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights
and remedies generally; (ii) general principles of equity, including
principles of commercial reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing
(regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding at law
or in
equity); and (iii) the power of the courts to award damages in lieu
of
equitable remedies.
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X.
|
Xxxx
counsel
may assume that no fraud, dishonesty, forgery, coercion, duress or
breach
of fiduciary duty exists or will exist with respect to any of the
matters
relevant to the opinions expressed in the letter.
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F.
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Such
counsel
may express no opinion as to (i) the compliance of the transactions
contemplated by the Underwriting Agreement with any regulations or
governmental requirements applicable to any party other than the
Company;
(ii) the financial condition or solvency of the Company; (iii) the
ability
(financial or otherwise) of the Company or any other party to meet
their
respective obligations under the Underwriting Agreement; (iv) except
to
the extent covered by the last paragraph of the letter, the compliance
of
the Underwriting Agreement or the transactions contemplated thereby
with,
or the effect of any of the foregoing with respect to, the antifraud
provisions of the Federal and state securities laws, rules and
regulations; and (v) the conformity of the Underwriting Agreement
to any
term sheet or commitment letter.
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G.
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The
letter may
be solely for the benefit of the addressees thereof, and no other
Persons
shall be entitled to rely upon the letter. Without such counsel’s prior
written consent, the letter may not be quoted in whole or in part
or
otherwise referred to in any document and may not be furnished or
otherwise disclosed to or used by any other Person, except for (i)
delivery of copies thereof to counsel for the addressees thereof,
(ii)
inclusion of copies thereof in a closing file, and (iii) use thereof
in
any legal proceeding arising out of the transactions contemplated
by the
Underwriting Agreement filed by an addressee thereof against such
law firm
or in which any addressee thereof is a defendant.
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Based
on such
counsel’s participation in such conferences and conversations as such counsel
shall describe in the letter and such counsel’s review of the documents to be
described in the letter, including those included in the General Disclosure
Package, and the Prospectus and the Registration Statement, such counsel shall
state that in the letter no information has come to such counsel’s attention
that causes such counsel to believe that (i) the Registration Statement, as
of
each Effective Date relating to the Senior Notes, contained an untrue statement
of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) the
General Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, contained any untrue
statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary
in
order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under
which they are made, not misleading or (iii) the Prospectus, as of its date
and
as of the Closing Date, contained or contains any untrue statement of a material
fact or omitted or omits to state any material fact necessary in order to make
the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they
were
made, not misleading, except that in the case of each of the clauses (i)-(iii)
above, such firm may state that it does not express any view as to the financial
statements, financial schedules and other financial, accounting and statistical
data derived therefrom contained or incorporated by reference
therein.
Exh.
A-2-3