Exhibit 1.1

 

Underwriting Agreement

 

June [·], 2017

 

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

 

As Representatives of the
several Underwriters listed

in Schedule 1 hereto

 

c/o J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
383 Madison Avenue
New York, New York 10179

 

c/o Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

1585 Broadway

New York, New York 10036

 

c/o Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

388 Greenwich Street

New York, NY 10013

 

c/o Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

200 West Street

New York, NY 10282

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Altice USA, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the several underwriters listed in Schedule 1 hereto (the “Underwriters”), for whom you are acting as representatives (the “Representatives”), an aggregate of [·] shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company, and certain stockholders of the Company named in Schedule 2 hereto (each a “Selling Stockholder” and together, the “Selling Stockholders”) propose to sell to the several Underwriters an aggregate of [·] shares of Class A common stock of the Company (collectively, the “Underwritten Shares”).  In addition, the Selling Stockholders, as and to the extent indicated in Schedule 2 hereto, propose to sell at the option of the Underwriters, up to an additional [·] shares of Class A common stock of the Company (collectively, the “Option Shares”).  The Underwritten Shares and the Option Shares are herein referred to as the “Shares”.  The shares of Class A common stock of the Company to be outstanding after giving effect to the sale of the Shares are referred to herein as the “Stock”.

 



 

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC (“Morgan Stanley”) has agreed to reserve a portion of the Shares to be purchased by it under this Agreement for sale to the Company’s directors, officers, employees and business associates and other parties related to the Company (collectively, “Participants”), as set forth in the Prospectus (as hereinafter defined) under the heading “Underwriting” (the “Directed Share Program”). The Shares to be sold by Morgan Stanley and its affiliates pursuant to the Directed Share Program, at the direction of the Company, are referred to herein- after as the “Directed Shares”. Any Directed Shares not orally confirmed for purchase by any Participant by the end of the business day on which this Agreement is executed will be offered to the public by the Underwriters as set forth in the Prospectus.

 

The Company and the Selling Stockholders hereby confirm their agreement with the several Underwriters concerning the purchase and sale of the Shares, as follows:

 

1.                                      Registration Statement.  The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”), a registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-217240), including a prospectus, relating to the Shares.  Such registration statement, as amended at the time it became effective, including the information, if any, deemed pursuant to Rule 430A under the Securities Act to be part of the registration statement at the time of its effectiveness (“Rule 430 Information”), is referred to herein as the “Registration Statement”; and as used herein, the term “Preliminary Prospectus” means each prospectus included in such registration statement (and any amendments thereto) before effectiveness, any prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(a) under the Securities Act and the prospectus included in the Registration Statement at the time of its effectiveness that omits Rule 430 Information, and the term “Prospectus” means the prospectus in the form first used (or made available upon request of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act) in connection with confirmation of sales of the Shares.  If the Company has filed an abbreviated registration statement pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act (the “Rule 462 Registration Statement”), then any reference herein to the term “Registration Statement” shall be deemed to include such Rule 462 Registration Statement.  Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to such terms in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.

 

At or prior to the Applicable Time (as defined below), the Company had prepared the following information (collectively with the pricing information set forth on Annex A, the “Pricing Disclosure Package”): a Preliminary Prospectus dated June [·], 2017 and each “free-writing prospectus” (as defined pursuant to Rule 405 under the Securities Act) listed on Annex A hereto.

 

“Applicable Time” means [·] [A/P].M., New York City time, on June [·], 2017.

 

2.                                      Purchase of the Shares by the Underwriters.  (a)  The Company agrees to issue and sell, and each of the Selling Stockholders agrees, severally and not jointly, to sell, the Underwritten Shares to the several Underwriters as provided in this underwriting agreement (this “Agreement”), and each Underwriter, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements set forth herein and subject to the conditions set forth herein, agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase at a price per share (the “Purchase Price”) of $             from the Company the

 

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respective number of Underwritten Shares set forth opposite such Underwriter’s name in Schedule 1 hereto and from each of the Selling Stockholders the number of Underwritten Shares (to be adjusted by the Representatives so as to eliminate fractional shares) determined by multiplying the aggregate number of Underwritten Shares to be sold by each of the Selling Stockholders as set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule 2 hereto by a fraction, the numerator of which is the aggregate number of Underwritten Shares to be purchased by such Underwriter as set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule 1 hereto and the denominator of which is the aggregate number of Underwritten Shares to be purchased by all the Underwriters from all of the Selling Stockholders hereunder.

 

In addition, each of the Selling Stockholders agrees, severally and not jointly, as and to the extent indicated in Schedule 2 hereto, to sell, the Option Shares to the several Underwriters as provided in this Agreement, and the Underwriters, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements set forth herein and subject to the conditions set forth herein, shall have the option to purchase, severally and not jointly, from each Selling Stockholder at the Purchase Price less an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Underwritten Shares but not payable on the Option Shares.  If any Option Shares are to be purchased, the number of Option Shares to be purchased by each Underwriter shall be the number of Option Shares which bears the same ratio to the aggregate number of Option Shares being purchased as the number of Underwritten Shares set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule 1 hereto (or such number increased as set forth in Section 12 hereof) bears to the aggregate number of Underwritten Shares being purchased from the Selling Stockholders by the several Underwriters, subject, however, to such adjustments to eliminate any fractional Shares as the Representatives in their sole discretion shall make.  Any such election to purchase Option Shares shall be made in proportion to the maximum number of Option Shares to be sold by each Selling Stockholder as set forth in Schedule 2 hereto.

 

The Underwriters may exercise the option to purchase Option Shares at any time in whole, or from time to time in part, on or before the thirtieth day following the date of the Prospectus, upon written notice from the Representatives to the Selling Stockholders.  Such notice shall set forth the aggregate number of Option Shares as to which the option is being exercised and the date and time when the Option Shares are to be delivered and paid for, which may be the same date and time as the Closing Date (as hereinafter defined) but shall not be earlier than the Closing Date nor later than the tenth full business day (as hereinafter defined) after the date of such notice (unless such time and date are postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 12 hereof).  Any such notice shall be given at least two business days prior to the date and time of delivery specified therein.

 

(b)                                 The Company and the Selling Stockholders understand that the Underwriters intend to make a public offering of the Shares as soon after the effectiveness of this Agreement as in the judgment of the Representatives is advisable, and initially to offer the Shares on the terms set forth in the Prospectus.  The Company and the Selling Stockholders acknowledge and agree that the Underwriters may offer and sell Shares to or through any affiliate of an Underwriter.

 

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(c)                                  Payment for the Shares shall be made by wire transfer in immediately available funds to the respective accounts specified by the Company and the Selling Stockholders or any of them (with regard to payment to the Selling Stockholders) to the Representatives, in the case of the Underwritten Shares, at the offices of Ropes & Gray LLP at 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on June [·], 2017, or at such other time or place on the same or such other date, not later than the fifth business day thereafter, as the Representatives, the Company and the Selling Stockholders may agree upon in writing or, in the case of the Option Shares, on the date and at the time and place specified by the Representatives in the written notice of the Underwriters’ election to purchase such Option Shares.  The time and date of such payment for the Underwritten Shares is referred to herein as the “Closing Date” and the time and date for such payment for the Option Shares, if other than the Closing Date, is herein referred to as the “Additional Closing Date”.

 

Payment for the Shares to be purchased on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall be made against delivery to the Representatives for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters of the Shares to be purchased on such date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the sale of such Shares duly paid by the Company and the Selling Stockholders, as applicable.  Delivery of the Shares shall be made through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) unless the Representatives shall otherwise instruct. The certificates, if Shares are in certificated form, for the Shares will be made available for inspection and packaging by the Representatives at the office of DTC or its designated custodian not later than 1:00 P.M., New York City time, on the business day prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.

 

(d)                                 The Company and each Selling Stockholder acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters are acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length contractual counterparty to the Company and the Selling Stockholders with respect to the offering of Shares contemplated hereby (including in connection with determining the terms of the offering) and not as a financial advisor or a fiduciary to, or an agent of, the Company, the Selling Stockholders or any other person.  Additionally, neither the Representatives nor any other Underwriter is advising the Company, the Selling Stockholders or any other person as to any legal, tax, investment, accounting or regulatory matters in any jurisdiction.  The Company and the Selling Stockholders shall consult with their own advisors concerning such matters and each shall be responsible for making its own independent investigation and appraisal of the transactions contemplated hereby, and the Underwriters shall have no responsibility or liability to the Company or the Selling Stockholders with respect thereto.  Any review by the Underwriters of the Company, the transactions contemplated hereby or other matters relating to such transactions will be performed solely for the benefit of the Underwriters and shall not be on behalf of the Company or the Selling Stockholders.

 

3.                                      Representations and Warranties of the Company.  The Company represents and warrants to each Underwriter and the Selling Stockholders that:

 

(a)                                 Preliminary Prospectus.  No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and the Preliminary Prospectus included in the Pricing Disclosure Package, at the time of filing thereof, complied

 

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in all material respects with the Securities Act, and no Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with the (i) Underwriter Information (as defined below) or (ii) Selling Stockholder Information (as defined below).

 

(b)                                 Pricing Disclosure Package. The Pricing Disclosure Package as of the Applicable Time did not, and as of the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, will not, contain 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 under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with the (i) Underwriter Information or (ii) Selling Stockholder Information. No statement of material fact included in the Prospectus has been omitted from the Pricing Disclosure Package and no statement of material fact included in the Pricing Disclosure Package that is required to be included in the Prospectus has been omitted therefrom.

 

(c)                                  Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.  Other than the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company (including its agents and representatives, other than the Underwriters in their capacity as such) has not prepared, used, authorized, approved or referred to and will not prepare, use, authorize, approve or refer to any “written communication” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) that constitutes an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy the Shares (each such communication by the Company or its agents and representatives (other than a communication referred to in clause (i) below) an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”) other than (i) any document not constituting a prospectus pursuant to Section 2(a)(10)(a) of the Securities Act or Rule 134 under the Securities Act or (ii) the documents listed on Annex A hereto, each electronic road show and any other written communications approved in writing in advance by the Representatives.  Each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus complied in all material respects with the Securities Act, has been or will be (within the time period specified in Rule 433) filed in accordance with the Securities Act (to the extent required thereby) and does not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Pricing Disclosure Package, and, when taken together with the Preliminary Prospectus accompanying, or delivered prior to delivery of, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, did not, and as of the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, will not, contain 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 under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or Preliminary Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with the (i) Underwriter Information or (ii) Selling Stockholder Information.

 

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(d)                                 Registration Statement and Prospectus.  The Registration Statement has been declared effective by the Commission. No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued by the Commission, and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act against the Company or related to the offering of the Shares has been initiated or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened by the Commission; as of the applicable effective date of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, the Registration Statement and any such post-effective amendment complied and will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act, as applicable, and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading; and as of the date of the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto and as of the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, the Prospectus will not contain 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 under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with the (i) Underwriter Information or (ii) Selling Stockholder Information.

 

(e)                                  Financial Statements.  The financial statements (including the related notes thereto) of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and present fairly in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the results of their operations and the changes in their cash flows for the periods specified; such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered thereby; the other financial information included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus has been derived from the accounting records of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries and presents fairly in all material respects the information shown thereby; and the pro forma financial information and the related notes thereto included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus have been prepared in all material respects in accordance with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the assumptions underlying such pro forma financial information are reasonable and are set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(f)                                   No Material Adverse Change.  Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (i) since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, as applicable, there has been no material adverse change, or any development that would reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or operations, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, of

 

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the Company and the Company’s subsidiaries, considered as one entity, or on the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement (a “Material Adverse Effect”), and (ii) since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there has not been any material change in the capital stock (other than the issuance of shares of Class A common stock and shares of Class B common stock in connection with the organizational transactions described in the Pricing Disclosure Package under “Summary—Ownership and Organization—Organizational Transactions”), short-term debt or long-term debt (other than any borrowings under the CVC Revolving Credit Facility (as defined in the Prospectus)) of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, set aside for payment, paid or made by the Company on any class of capital stock.

 

(g)                                  Organization and Good Standing.  The Company and each of its subsidiaries have been duly organized and are validly existing and in good standing under the laws of their respective jurisdictions of organization, are duly qualified to do business and are in good standing in each jurisdiction in which their respective ownership or lease of property or the conduct of their respective businesses requires such qualification, and have all power and authority necessary to own or hold their respective properties and to conduct the businesses in which they are engaged, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing or have such power or authority would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.  The Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity other than the subsidiaries listed in Exhibit 21.1 to the Registration Statement. Each of the Company’s Significant Subsidiaries, as such term is defined by Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X promulgated by the Commission, is set forth in Schedule 3 hereto.

 

(h)                                 Capitalization.  The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the heading “Capitalization”; all the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company (including the Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholders) have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable and are not subject to any pre-emptive or similar rights; except as described in or expressly contemplated by the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no outstanding rights (including, without limitation, pre-emptive rights), warrants or options to acquire, or instruments convertible into or exchangeable for, any shares of capital stock or other equity interest in the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any contract, commitment, agreement, understanding or arrangement of any kind relating to the issuance of any capital stock of the Company or any such subsidiary, any such convertible or exchangeable securities or any such rights, warrants or options; the capital stock of the Company conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and all the outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity interests of each subsidiary owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package

 

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and the Prospectus and are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of any lien, charge, encumbrance, security interest, restriction on voting or transfer or any other claim of any third party, except (1) as described in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and Prospectus, including, without limitation, liens, charges, encumbrances, security interests, claims or restrictions imposed in connection with, or permitted under, the debt instruments described in “Description of Certain Indebtedness” therein or (2) as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(i)                                     Stock Options. The Company has not granted any, and there are no outstanding, stock options.

 

(j)                                    Due Authorization.  The Company has full right, power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and to perform its obligations hereunder; and all action required to be taken for the due and proper authorization, execution and delivery by it of this Agreement and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby has been duly and validly taken.

 

(k)                                 Underwriting Agreement.  This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

 

(l)                                     The Shares.  The Shares to be issued and sold by the Company hereunder have been duly authorized by the Company and, when issued and delivered and paid for as provided herein, will be duly and validly issued, will be fully paid and nonassessable and will conform to the descriptions thereof in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and the issuance of the Shares is not subject to any preemptive or similar rights.

 

(m)                             No Violation or Default.  None of the Company or any of the Company’s subsidiaries is (i) in violation of its certificate of formation, certificate of incorporation, operating agreement or by-laws, as applicable; (ii) in default in the performance or observance of any material obligation, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties may be bound; or (iii) in violation of any law or statue of any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, other than, in the case of clause (ii) and (iii) above as would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(n)                                 No Conflicts.  The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, the issuance and sale of the Shares by the Company and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which any of the Company or the Company’s subsidiaries is a party or by which any of the Company or the Company’s subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or

 

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assets of the Company or the Company’s subsidiaries is subject, except for such conflicts, breaches or violations as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the certificate of formation, certificate of incorporation, operating agreement or by-laws, each as applicable, of any of the Company or the Company’s subsidiaries; (iii) result in the violation of any statute or order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties, except any such violation as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(o)                                 No Consents Required.  No consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority is required for the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, the issuance and sale of the Shares and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except for (i) the registration of the Shares under the Securities Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders and registrations or qualifications as may be required by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) and under applicable state securities laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares by the Underwriters, and (ii) for any such consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification, the failure of which to obtain would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(p)                                 Legal Proceedings.  Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no legal, governmental or regulatory investigations, actions, suits or proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or to which any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is the subject that, individually or in the aggregate, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, would have a Material Adverse Effect; to the best knowledge of the Company, no such investigations, actions, suits or proceedings are threatened or, contemplated by any governmental or regulatory authority or threatened by others.

 

(q)                                 Independent Accountants.  KPMG LLP and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, each of whom has certified certain financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries within the applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Commission and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) and as required by the Securities Act.

 

(r)                                    Title to Real and Personal Property.  The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property and good and marketable title to all personal property currently owned by them, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, and defects except (i) such as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, including such liens, encumbrances and defects imposed by, or permitted under, the debt instruments described in “Description of Certain Indebtedness” therein, or (ii) such as do not have a Material

 

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Adverse Effect; and any real property and buildings held under lease by the Company and its subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with such exceptions as do not have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(s)                                   Title to Intellectual Property.  Except as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect, (i) the Company and its subsidiaries own or possess adequate rights to use all material patents, patent rights and applications, copyrights, trademarks, service marks, trade names, internet domain names, technology, confidential information, trademark registrations, service mark registrations, licenses, software, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures) and other intellectual property and proprietary rights necessary to, or used in connection with, the conduct of their businesses as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (collectively, the “Company Intellectual Property”); (ii) to the knowledge of the Company, none of the Company Intellectual Property owned by the Company or its subsidiaries is invalid or unenforceable and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any written challenge (including without limitation, notices of expiration) to the validity or enforceability thereof from any third party or governmental authority and the Company and its subsidiaries have made all filings and paid all fees necessary to maintain any Company Intellectual Property owned by any of them for the conduct of their business as currently conducted and in the manner set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and (iii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any written notice of any claim of infringement or misappropriation of intellectual property rights of others by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.  As of the date hereof, the Company’s collection and use of personally identifiable information is in compliance with applicable laws, market standards, the Company’s privacy policies and contracts to which the Company is a party pertaining thereto, except for such non-compliance as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(t)                                    No Undisclosed Relationships.  No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders, customers or suppliers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the other, that is required by the Securities Act to be described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and that is not so described in such documents and in the Pricing Disclosure Package.

 

(u)                                 Investment Company Act.  The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Shares and the application of the proceeds thereof received by the Company as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, will not be required to register as an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

 

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(v)                                 Taxes.  Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company and its subsidiaries have (i) paid all federal, state,  local and foreign taxes due and payable by them through the date hereof (except for any taxes being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings for which reserves have been established in accordance with GAAP), (ii) filed all tax returns required to be paid or filed through the date hereof (taking into account valid extensions) and (iii) there is no tax audit, assessment, deficiency or other claim that has been asserted against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective properties or assets, except for any such matter, as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(w)                               Licenses and Permits.  Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company and its subsidiaries each owns, possesses or has obtained all agreements, governmental licenses, permits, certificates, consents, orders, approvals and other authorizations (including, without limitation, all governmental authorizations and agreements with public utilities and microwave transmission companies and pole access and rental agreements) necessary to own or lease, as the case may be, and to operate its properties and to carry on its business as presently conducted, and, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to revocation or modification of any such licenses, permits, certificates, consents, orders, approvals or authorizations except, in each case, such as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(x)                                 No Labor Disputes.  To the Company’s best knowledge and except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no labor dispute, strike, slowdown or work stoppage with the employees of the Company or any of the Company’s subsidiaries exists that would, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(y)                                 Compliance with and Liability under Environmental Laws. The Company and its subsidiaries (a) are in compliance with any and all applicable federal, state and local laws, rules, regulations, requirements, decisions, judgments, decrees, orders and the common law relating to pollution or the protection of the Environment or human health or safety (as such is affected by exposure to Hazardous Materials, including those relating to the generation, storage, treatment, use, handling, transportation, Release or threat of Release of Hazardous Materials) (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (b) have received and are in compliance with all permits, licenses, certificates or other authorizations or approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses, and (c) have not received notice of any actual or alleged liability under, or actual or alleged violation of, any Environmental Law, including for the investigation or remediation of any disposal or release of Hazardous Materials, and have no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in any such notice, except in each case where such non-compliance with Environmental Laws, failure to

 

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receive or comply with required permits, licenses or other approvals, liability or violation, would not reasonably be expected to, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.  For purposes of this Agreement, “Environment” means ambient air, surface water, groundwater, soil, surface and subsurface strata, and natural resources such as wetlands, flora and fauna. “Hazardous Materials” means any substance, material, pollutant, contaminant, chemical, waste, compound, or constituent, in any form, including without limitation, petroleum and petroleum products, subject to regulation or which can give rise to liability under any Environmental Law. “Release” means any release, spill, emission, discharge, deposit, disposal, leaking, pumping, pouring, dumping, emptying, injection or leaching into the Environment, or into, from or through any building, structure or facility.

 

(z)                                  Compliance with ERISA.  (i) Each employee benefit plan, within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), for which the Company or any member of its “Controlled Group” (defined as any organization which is a member of a controlled group of corporations within the meaning of Section 414 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”)) would have any liability (each, a “Plan”) has been maintained in compliance with its terms and the requirements of any applicable statutes, orders, rules and regulations, including but not limited to, ERISA and the Code, except for noncompliance that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect;  (ii) no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred with respect to any Plan excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; (iii) for each Plan that is subject to the funding rules of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, the minimum funding standard of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, as applicable, has been satisfied (without taking into account any waiver thereof or extension of any amortization period) and is reasonably expected to be satisfied in the future (without taking into account any waiver thereof or extension of any amortization period), except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; (iv) no “reportable event” (within the meaning of Section 4043(c) of ERISA) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur that either has had, or would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have, a Material Adverse Effect; (v) neither the Company nor any member of the Controlled Group has incurred, nor reasonably expects to incur, any liability under Title IV of ERISA (other than contributions to the Plan or premiums to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation  (“PBGC”), in the ordinary course and without default) in respect of a Plan (including a “multiemployer plan”, within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA) that would have a Material Adverse Effect; (vi) to the Company’s knowledge, there is no pending audit or investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Department of Labor, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation or any other governmental agency or any foreign regulatory agency with respect to any Plan that would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and (vii) none of the following events has occurred or is reasonably likely to occur, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse

 

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Effect,: (x) a material increase in the aggregate amount of contributions required to be made to all Plans by the Company or its subsidiaries in the current fiscal year of the Company and its subsidiaries compared to the amount of such contributions made in the Company and its subsidiaries’ most recently completed fiscal year; or (y) a material increase in the Company and its subsidiaries’ “accumulated post-retirement benefit obligations” (within the meaning of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards 106) compared to the amount of such obligations in the Company and its subsidiaries’ most recently completed fiscal year.

 

(aa)                          Disclosure Controls.  The Company and its subsidiaries maintain an effective system of “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act) that complies with the applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and that has been designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, including controls and procedures designed to ensure that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.  The Company and its subsidiaries have carried out evaluations of the effectiveness of their disclosure controls and procedures as required by Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act.

 

(bb)                          Accounting Controls.  The Company and its subsidiaries maintain systems of “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act and have been designed by, or under the supervision of, their respective principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP, including, but not limited to, internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.  Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no material weaknesses in the Company’s internal controls.  The Company’s auditors and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company have been advised of: (i) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting which have adversely affected or are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves

 

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management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting.

 

(cc)                            Insurance.  The Company and its subsidiaries have insurance covering their respective properties, operations, personnel and businesses, including business interruption insurance, which insurance is in amounts and insures against such losses and risks as are customary for businesses such as the Company’s and its subsidiaries’; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has (i) received notice from any insurer or agent of such insurer that capital improvements or other expenditures are required or necessary to be made in order to continue such insurance or (ii) any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage at reasonable cost from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business in all material respects.

 

(dd)                          No Unlawful Payments.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, nor to the best knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, employee, agent, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has: (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made or taken an act in furtherance of an offer, promise or authorization of any direct or indirect unlawful payment or benefit to any foreign or domestic government official or employee, including of any government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office from corporate funds; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or any applicable law or regulation implementing the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, or committed an offence under the Bribery Act 2010 of the United Kingdom, or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption law; or (iv) made, offered, agreed, requested or taken an act in furtherance of any unlawful bribe or other unlawful benefit, including, without limitation, any rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful or improper payment or benefit. The Company and its subsidiaries have instituted, maintain and enforce policies and procedures reasonably designed to promote and ensure compliance with all applicable anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws. Neither the Company nor its subsidiaries will use, directly or indirectly, the proceeds of the offering in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization of the payment or giving of money, or anything else of value, to any person in violation of any applicable anti-corruption laws.

 

(ee)                            Compliance with Anti-Money Laundering Laws.  The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements relating to anti-money laundering regulations, including those of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the applicable money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions where the Company or any of its subsidiaries conducts business, and the rules and regulations thereunder

 

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(collectively, the “Anti-Money Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened.

 

(ff)                              No Conflicts with Sanctions Laws.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, nor, to the best knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, employee, agent, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is, or, to the best knowledge of the Company, is controlled by an individual or entity that is, (i) currently the subject or the target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. government (including, without limitation, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury or the U.S. Department of State and including, without limitation, the designation as a “specially designated national” or “blocked person”), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor (ii) is the Company or any of its subsidiaries located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject or target of Sanctions, including, without limitation, Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria (each, a “Sanctioned Country”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Shares hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity (i) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business with any person that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject or target of  Sanctions, (ii) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business in any Sanctioned Country or (iii) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions.  For the past five years, the Company and its subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in and are not now knowingly engaged in any dealings or transactions with any person that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject or the target of Sanctions or with any Sanctioned Country.

 

(gg)                            No Restrictions on Subsidiaries.  Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, under any agreement or other instrument to which it is a party or is subject, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s properties or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company.

 

(hh)                          No Broker’s Fees.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any person (other than this Agreement) that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares.

 

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(ii)                                  No Registration Rights.  Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no person has the right to require the Company or any of its subsidiaries to register any securities for sale under the Securities Act by reason of the filing of the Registration Statement with the Commission, the issuance and sale of the Shares by the Company or, to the knowledge of the Company, the sale of the Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholders hereunder.

 

(jj)                                No Stabilization.  The Company has not taken, directly or indirectly, without giving effect to the activities by the Underwriters, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares.

 

(kk)                          Margin Rules.  The application of the proceeds received by the Company from the issuance, sale and delivery of the Shares as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will not violate Section 7 of the Exchange Act, or any regulation promulgated thereunder, including, Regulation T, U or X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or any other regulation of such Board of Governors.

 

(ll)                                  Forward-Looking Statements.  No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.

 

(mm)                  Statistical and Market Data.  To the Company’s knowledge, industry, statistical, market-related and similar data included in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus is based on or derived from sources that the Company or any of the Company’s subsidiaries believe, in good faith, to be reliable and accurate in all material respects.

 

(nn)                          Sarbanes-Oxley Act.  There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or, to the knowledge of the Company, any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith applicable as of or prior to the date hereof, including Section 402 related to loans.

 

(oo)                          Status under the Securities Act.  At the time of filing the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or any offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) under the Securities Act) of the Shares and at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act.

 

(pp)                          Directed Share Program. The Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus and any Issuer Free Writing

 

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Prospectuses comply, and any further amendments or supplements thereto will comply, with any applicable laws or regulations of foreign jurisdictions in which the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, are distributed in connection with the Directed Share Program.

 

(qq)                          Directed Share Program Consent. No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or qualification with, any governmental body or agency, other than those obtained, is required in connection with the offering of the Directed Shares in any jurisdiction where the Directed Shares are being offered.

 

(rr)                                Offers under Directed Share Program. The Company has not offered, or caused Morgan Stanley or any Morgan Stanley Entity as defined in Section 9 to offer, Shares to any person pursuant to the Directed Share Program with the specific intent to unlawfully influence (i) a customer or supplier of the Company to alter the customer’s or supplier’s level or type of business with the Company, or (ii) a trade journalist or publication to write or publish favorable information about the Company or its products.

 

4.                                      Representations and Warranties of the Selling Stockholders.  Each of the Selling Stockholders severally represents and warrants to each Underwriter and the Company that:

 

(a)                                 Required Consents; Authority. All consents, approvals, authorizations and orders necessary for the execution and delivery by such Selling Stockholder of this Agreement and for the sale and delivery of the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder, have been obtained; and such Selling Stockholder has full right, power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to sell, assign, transfer and deliver the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder, except in each case for such consents, approvals, authorizations or orders that would not affect the validity of the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder or impair the ability of such Selling Stockholder to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby; this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by such Selling Stockholder.

 

(b)                                 No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by such Selling Stockholder of this Agreement, the sale of the Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder and the consummation by such Selling Stockholder of the transactions contemplated herein or therein will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of such Selling Stockholder pursuant to any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which such Selling Stockholder is a party or by which such Selling Stockholder is bound or to which any of the property or assets of such Selling Stockholder is subject, (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents of such Selling Stockholder or (iii) result in the violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory agency; other than in the cases of clauses (i) and

 

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(iii), for such breaches, violations, liens, charges or encumbrances that would not, individually or in the aggregate, affect the validity of the shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder or the ability of such Selling Stockholder to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

(c)                                  Title to Shares. Upon consummation of the organizational transactions described in the Pricing Disclosure Package under “Summary—Ownership and Organization—Organizational Transactions”, such Selling Stockholder will have good and valid title or a valid “security entitlement” (within the meaning Section 8-102(a)(17) of the New York Uniform Commercial Code (the “UCC”)) to the Shares to be sold at the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, by such Selling Stockholder hereunder, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or adverse claims; upon consummation of the organizational transactions described in the Pricing Disclosure Package under “Summary—Ownership and Organization—Organizational Transactions”), such Selling Stockholder will have, immediately prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, good and valid title or a valid “security entitlement” (within the meaning Section 8-102(a)(17) of the New York Uniform Commercial Code (the “UCC”)) to the Shares to be sold at the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, by such Selling Stockholder, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or adverse claims; and, upon consummation of the organizational transactions described in the Pricing Disclosure Package under “Summary—Ownership and Organization—Organizational Transactions”), assuming that each Underwriter and DTC or other securities intermediary acquires its interest in the Shares it has purchased from such Selling Stockholder without notice of any adverse claim (within the meaning of Section 8-105 of the UCC), each Underwriter that has purchased such Shares delivered on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, to DTC or other securities intermediary by making payment therefor as provided herein, and that has had such Securities credited to the securities account or accounts (within the meaning of Section 8-501 of the UCC) of such Underwriters maintained with DTC or such other securities intermediary will have acquired a security entitlement (within the meaning of Section 8-102(a)(17) of the UCC) to such Shares purchased by such Underwriter, and no action based on an adverse claim (within the meaning of Section 8-102(a)(1) of the UCC) may be asserted against such Underwriter with respect to such Shares.

 

(d)                                 No Stabilization. Such Selling Stockholder has not taken and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares.

 

(e)                                  Pricing Disclosure Package. The Pricing Disclosure Package, at the Applicable Time did not, and as of the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, will not, contain 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 under which they were made, not misleading; provided that such representations and warranties set forth in this paragraph (e) apply only to statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to such Selling Stockholder

 

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furnished to the Company in writing by or on behalf of such Selling Stockholder expressly for use in such Pricing Disclosure Package, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Selling Stockholder consists of (i) the legal name, address and the number of shares owned by such Selling Stockholder and (ii) the other information (excluding percentages) with respect to such Selling Stockholder which appears in the table (and corresponding footnotes) under the caption “Principal and Selling Stockholders” in the Pricing Disclosure Package (the “Selling Stockholder Information”).

 

(f)                                   Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. Other than the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, such Selling Stockholder (including its agents and representatives, other than the Underwriters in their capacity as such) has not prepared, used, authorized, approved or referred to and will not prepare, use, authorize, approve or refer to any  Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, other than (i) any document not constituting a prospectus pursuant to Section 2(a)(10)(a) of the Securities Act or Rule 134 under the Securities Act or (ii) the documents listed on Annex A or Annex B hereto, each electronic road show and any other written communications approved in writing in advance by the Company and the Representatives.

 

(g)                                  Registration Statement and Prospectus. As of the applicable effective date of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, the Registration Statement and any such post-effective amendment complied and will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act, and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading; and as of the date of the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto and as of the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, the Prospectus will not contain 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 under which they were made, not misleading; provided that such representations and warranties set forth in this paragraph (g) apply only to statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with Selling Stockholder Information.

 

(h)                                 Organization and Good Standing. Such Selling Stockholder has been duly organized and is validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its respective jurisdictions of organization, is duly qualified to do business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which its respective ownership or lease of property or the conduct of their respective businesses requires such qualification, and have all power and authority necessary to own or hold its respective properties and to conduct the businesses in which it is engaged, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing or have such power or authority would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(i)            ERISA. Such Selling Stockholder is not an employee benefit plan subject to Title I of ERISA or an entity that holds, or has held, “plan assets” as such term is defined in 29 CFR 2510.3-101, as modified by Section 3(42) of ERISA.

 

Each of the Selling Stockholders specifically agrees that the obligations of such Selling Stockholder hereunder shall not be terminated by operation of law, whether by

 

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the death or incapacity of any individual Selling Stockholder, or, in the case of an estate or trust, by the death or incapacity of any executor or trustee or the termination of such estate or trust, or in the case of a partnership, corporation or similar organization, by the dissolution of such partnership, corporation or organization, or by the occurrence of any other event.  If any individual Selling Stockholder or any such executor or trustee should die or become incapacitated, or if any such estate or trust should be terminated, or if any such partnership, corporation or similar organization should be dissolved, or if any other such event should occur, before the delivery of the Shares hereunder, certificates representing such Shares shall be delivered by or on behalf of such Selling Stockholder in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

 

5.                                      Further Agreements of the Company.  The Company covenants and agrees with each Underwriter that:

 

(a)                                 Required Filings.  The Company will file the final Prospectus with the Commission within the time periods specified by Rule 424(b) and Rule 430A under the Securities Act, will file any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Securities Act and will furnish copies of the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (to the extent not previously delivered) to the Underwriters in New York City prior to 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement in such quantities as the Representatives may reasonably request.

 

(b)                                 Delivery of Copies.  The Company will deliver, without charge, (i) to the Representatives, three copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto, in each case including all exhibits and consents filed therewith; and (ii) to each Underwriter (A) a conformed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (without exhibits) and (B) during the Prospectus Delivery Period (as defined below), as many copies of the Prospectus (including all amendments and supplements thereto and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus) as the Representatives may reasonably request.  As used herein, the term “Prospectus Delivery Period” means such period of time after the first date of the public offering of the Shares as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters a prospectus relating to the Shares is required by law to be delivered (or required to be delivered but for Rule 172 under the Securities Act) in connection with sales of the Shares by any Underwriter or dealer.

 

(c)                                  Amendments or Supplements, Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses.  Before using, authorizing, approving, referring to or filing any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and before filing any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, the Company will furnish to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters a copy of the proposed Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, amendment or supplement for review and will not prepare, use, authorize, approve, refer to or file any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which the Representatives reasonably object.

 

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(d)                                 Notice to the Representatives.  The Company will advise the Representatives promptly, and confirm such advice in writing (which may be by electronic mail), (i) when the Registration Statement has become effective; (ii) when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective; (iii) when any supplement to the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any amendment to the Prospectus has been filed or distributed; (iv) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or the receipt of any comments from the Commission relating to the Registration Statement or any other request by the Commission for any additional information; (v) of the issuance by the Commission of any order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any of the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act; (vi) of the occurrence of any event or development within the Prospectus Delivery Period as a result of which the Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would 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 when the Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package or any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading; and (vii) of the receipt by the Company of any notice with respect to any suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offer and sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; and the Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to prevent the issuance of any such order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any of the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or suspending any such qualification of the Shares and, if any such order is issued, will use its reasonable best efforts to obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.

 

(e)                                  Ongoing Compliance.  (1) If during the Prospectus Delivery Period (i) any event or development shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with law, the Company will promptly notify the Underwriters thereof and forthwith prepare and, subject to paragraph (c) above, file with the Commission and furnish to the Underwriters and to such dealers as the Representatives may designate such amendments or supplements to the Prospectus as may be necessary so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus will comply with the Securities Act and (2) if at any time prior to the Closing Date (i) any event or development shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which the Pricing Disclosure Package as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Pricing Disclosure

 

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Package is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend or supplement the Pricing Disclosure Package to comply with law, the Company will promptly notify the Underwriters thereof and forthwith prepare and, subject to paragraph (c) above, file with the Commission (to the extent required) and furnish to the Underwriters and to such dealers as the Representatives may designate, such amendments or supplements to the Pricing Disclosure Package as may be necessary so that the statements in the Pricing Disclosure Package as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Pricing Disclosure Package is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Pricing Disclosure Package will comply with the Securities Act.

 

(f)                                   Blue Sky Compliance.  The Company will qualify the Shares for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives shall reasonably request and will continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for distribution of the Shares; provided that the Company shall not be required to (i) qualify as a foreign corporation or other entity or as a dealer in securities in any such jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to so qualify, (ii) file any general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction or (iii) subject itself to taxation in any such jurisdiction if it is not otherwise so subject.

 

(g)                                  Earning Statement.  The Company will make generally available to its security holders and the Representatives as soon as practicable an earnings statement that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 of the Commission promulgated thereunder covering a period of at least twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company occurring after the “effective date” (as defined in Rule 158) of the Registration Statement; provided, that, the Company will be deemed to comply with such requirement by filing such earnings statements on the Commission’s Electronic, Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System (or any successor system).

 

(h)                                 Clear Market.  For a period of 180 days after the date of the Prospectus (the “Restricted Period”), the Company will not (i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, or file with the Commission a registration statement under the Securities Act relating to, any shares of Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Stock, or publicly disclose the intention to make any offer, sale, pledge, disposition or filing, or (ii) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Stock or any such other securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise, without the prior written consent of  J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, other than (1) the Shares to be sold hereunder, (2) any shares of Stock of the Company issued in connection with the organizational transactions described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under “Summary—Ownership and Organization—Organizational

 

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Transactions,” (3) the filing by the Company of registration statements on Form S-8 with respect to benefit plans described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (4) the issuance by the Company of any class of common stock of the Company or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for any class of common stock of the Company issued under a registration statement or pursuant to an exemption from registration in connection with one or more acquisitions of a company or a business, securities, property or assets of another person or entity, joint venture, commercial relationship or strategic alliance (or the entering into of an agreement or agreements with respect thereto); provided that such issuance does not exceed in an aggregate amount 10% of the Company’s Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock outstanding immediately following the sale of the Shares contemplated by this Agreement, provided in the case of clause (4), the recipients of the Shares have signed a lock-up agreement in the agreed upon form for the balance of the Restricted Period or (5) the filing of a registration statement on Form S-4 or other appropriate form with respect to the issuance by the Company of shares of any class of the common stock of the Company or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of any class of the Company’s common stock in connection with future business combinations or acquisitions (or the entering into of an acquisition or similar agreement with respect thereto).

 

If J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, in their sole discretion, agree to release or waive the restrictions set forth in Section 6(a) or a lock-up letter described in Section 8(r) hereof for an officer or director of the Company and provides the Company with notice of the impending release or waiver substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto at least three business days before the effective date of the release or waiver, the Company agrees to announce the impending release or waiver by a press release substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto through a major news service at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver.

 

(i)                                     Use of Proceeds.  The Company will apply the net proceeds it receives from the sale of the Shares as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the heading “Use of Proceeds”.

 

(j)                                    No Stabilization.  The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Stock.

 

(k)                                 Exchange Listing.  The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to list, subject to notice of issuance, the Shares on the New York Stock Exchange.

 

(l)                                     Reports.  For a period of five years following the date hereof, so long as the Shares are outstanding, the Company will furnish to the Representatives, promptly after they are available, copies of all reports or other communications (financial or other) furnished to holders of the Shares, and copies of any reports and financial statements furnished to or filed with the Commission or any national securities exchange or automatic

 

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quotation system; provided the Company will be deemed to have furnished such reports and financial statements to the Representatives to the extent they are filed on the Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval system.

 

(m)                             Record Retention.  The Company will, pursuant to reasonable procedures developed in good faith, retain copies of each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not filed with the Commission in accordance with Rule 433 under the Securities Act.

 

(n)                                 Filings.  The Company will file with the Commission such reports as may be required by Rule 463 under the Securities Act.

 

(o)                                 Directed Share Program. The Company will comply with all applicable securities and other laws, rules and regulations in each jurisdiction in which the Directed Shares are offered in connection with the Directed Share Program.

 

6.                                      Further Agreements of the Selling Stockholders.  Each of the Selling Stockholders covenants and agrees with each Underwriter that:

 

(a)                                 Lock-up Agreements.  Such Selling Stockholder has duly executed and delivered to the Representatives a lock-up agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto.

 

(b)                                 No Stabilization.  Such Selling Stockholder will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Stock.

 

(c)                                  Tax Form.  It will deliver to the Representatives prior to or at the Closing Date a properly completed and executed United States Treasury Department Form W-9 or applicable Form W-8 (or other applicable form or statement specified by the Treasury Department regulations in lieu thereof) in order to facilitate the Underwriters’ documentation of their compliance with the reporting and withholding provisions of the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 with respect to the transactions herein contemplated.

 

(d)                                 Use of Proceeds. It will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Shares hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to a subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity (i) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business with any person that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject of target of Sanctions, (ii) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business in any Sanctioned Country or (iii) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions. Neither such Selling Stockholder nor their respective subsidiaries will, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the offering of the Shares hereunder in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization of the payment or giving of money, or anything else of value, to any person in violation of any applicable anti-corruption laws.

 

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7.                                      Certain Agreements of the Underwriters.  Each Underwriter hereby represents and agrees that:

 

(a)                                 It has not used, authorized use of, referred to or participated in the planning for use of, and will not use, authorize use of, refer to or participate in the planning for use of, any “free writing prospectus”, as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act (which term includes use of any written information furnished to the Commission by the Company and not incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and any press release issued by the Company) other than (i) a free writing prospectus that contains no “issuer information” (as defined in Rule 433(h)(2) under the Securities Act) that was not included (including through incorporation by reference) in the Preliminary Prospectus or a previously filed Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, (ii) any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus listed on Annex A or prepared pursuant to Section 3(c) or Section 4(c) above (including any electronic road show approved in advance by the Company) or (iii) any free writing prospectus prepared by such underwriter and approved by the Company in advance in writing (each such free writing prospectus referred to in clauses (i) or (iii), an “Underwriter Free Writing Prospectus”).

 

(b)                                 It has not and will not, without the prior written consent of the Company, use any free writing prospectus that contains the final terms of the offering of the Shares unless such terms have previously been included in a free writing prospectus filed with the Commission.

 

(c)                                  It is not subject to any pending proceeding under Section 8A of the Securities Act with respect to the offering (and will promptly notify the Company and the Selling Stockholders if any such proceeding against it is initiated during the Prospectus Delivery Period).

 

8.                                      Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations.  The obligation of each Underwriter to purchase the Underwritten Shares on the Closing Date or the Option Shares on the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, as provided herein is subject to the performance by the Company and each of the Selling Stockholders of their respective covenants and other obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:

 

(a)                                 Registration Compliance; No Stop Order.  No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be in effect, and no proceeding for such purpose or pursuant to Section 8A under the Securities Act shall be pending before or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission; the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been timely filed with the Commission under the Securities Act (in the case of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Securities Act) and in accordance with Section 5(a) hereof; and all requests by the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Representatives.

 

(b)                                 Representations and Warranties.  The respective representations and warranties of the Company and the Selling Stockholders contained herein shall be true and

 

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correct on the date hereof and on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be; and the statements of the Company and its officers and of each of the Selling Stockholders made in any certificates delivered pursuant to this Agreement shall be true and correct on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.

 

(c)                                  No Downgrade.  Subsequent to the earlier of (A) the Applicable Time and (B) the execution and delivery of this Agreement, (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded any debt securities or preferred stock issued or guaranteed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization,” as such term is defined under Section 3(a)(62) under the Exchange Act and (ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, or has changed its outlook with respect to, its rating of any such debt securities or preferred stock issued or guaranteed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries (other than an announcement with positive implications of a possible upgrading).

 

(d)                                 No Material Adverse Change.  Neither (i) any material adverse change, or any development that would reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or operations, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, of the Company and the Company’s subsidiaries, considered as one entity, or on the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement nor (ii) any event or condition of a type described in Section 3(f)(ii) hereof shall have occurred or shall exist, which event or condition is not described in the Pricing Disclosure Package (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) and the Prospectus (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) and the effect of which in the judgment of the Representatives is so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Shares on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(e)                                  Officers’ Certificate.  The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, (x) a certificate, on behalf of the Company, of the chief financial officer or chief accounting officer of the Company and one additional senior executive officer of the Company who is satisfactory to the Representatives (i) confirming that such officers have carefully reviewed the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and, to the knowledge of such officers, the representations of the Company set forth in Sections 3(b) and 3(d) hereof are true and correct, (ii) confirming that the other representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct 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 hereunder at or prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and (iii) to the effect set forth in paragraphs (a), (c) and (d) above and (y) a certificate of each of the Selling Stockholders, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, (A) confirming that the representations

 

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of such Selling Stockholder set forth in Sections 4(e), 4(f) and 4(g) hereof is true and correct and (B) confirming that the other representations and warranties of such Selling Stockholder in this Agreement are true and correct and that such Selling Stockholder has complied in all material respects with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such Closing Date.

 

(f)                                   Comfort Letters.  (i) On the date of this Agreement and on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, KPMG LLP and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP shall have furnished to the Representatives, at the request of the Company, letters, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, containing statements and information of the type customarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; provided, that the letter delivered on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall use a “cut-off” date no more than three business days prior to such Closing Date or such Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.

 

(ii) On the date of this Agreement and on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives a certificate, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof and addressed to the Underwriters, of its chief financial officer with respect to certain financial data contained in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, providing “management comfort” with respect to such information, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.

 

(g)                                  Opinion and 10b-5 Statement of Counsel for the Company.  Shearman & Sterling LLP, counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to the Representatives, at the request of the Company, their written opinion and 10b-5 statement, dated the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect set forth in Annex C-1 hereto.

 

(h)                                 Opinion of Counsel for the Selling Stockholders. Latham & Watkins LLP, counsel for the Selling Stockholders, shall have furnished to the Representatives, at the request of the Selling Stockholders, their written opinion, dated the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect set forth in Annex C-2 hereto.

 

(i)                                     Opinion of Canadian Counsel for the Selling Stockholders. Torys LLP, Canadian counsel for the Selling Stockholders, shall have furnished to the Representatives, at the request of the Selling Stockholders, their written opinion, dated the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and addressed to the Underwriters,

 

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in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect set forth in Annex C-3 hereto.

 

(j)                                    Opinion of Maltese Counsel for the Selling Stockholders. Ganado Advocates, Maltese counsel for the Selling Stockholders, shall have furnished to the Representatives, at the request of the Selling Stockholders, their written opinion, dated the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect set forth in Annex C-4 hereto.

 

(k)                                 Opinion of Regulatory Counsel for the Company.  Jenner & Block LLP, special regulatory counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to the Representatives, at the request of the Company, their written opinion, dated the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect set forth in Annex C-5 hereto.

 

(l)                                     Opinion of Tax Counsel for the Company.  Mayer Brown LLP, special tax counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to the Representatives, at the request of the Company, their written opinion, dated the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect set forth in Annex C-6 hereto.

 

(m)                             Opinion of General Counsel of Company.  General Counsel for the Company, David Connolly, shall have furnished to the Representatives a written opinion, dated the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect set forth in Annex C-7 hereto.

 

(n)                                 Opinion and 10b-5 Statement of Counsel for the Underwriters.  The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, an opinion and 10b-5 statement of Ropes & Gray LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, with respect to such matters as the Representatives may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received such documents and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.

 

(o)                                 No Legal Impediment to Issuance and/or Sale.  No action shall have been taken and no statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any federal, state or foreign governmental or regulatory authority that would, as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, prevent the issuance or sale of the Shares by the Company or the sale of the Shares by the Selling Stockholders; and no injunction or order of any federal, state or foreign court shall have been issued that would, as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, prevent the issuance or sale of the Shares by the Company or the sale of the Shares by the Selling Stockholders.

 

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(p)                                 Good Standing.  The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, satisfactory evidence of the good standing of the Company and its subsidiaries in their respective jurisdictions of organization and their good standing as foreign entities in such other jurisdictions as the Representatives may reasonably request, in each case in writing or any standard form of telecommunication from the appropriate governmental authorities of such jurisdictions.

 

(q)                                 Exchange Listing.  The Shares to be delivered on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall have been approved for listing on the Exchange, subject to official notice of issuance.

 

(r)                                    Lock-up Agreements.  The “lock-up” agreements, each substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto, between you and certain shareholders, officers and directors of the Company relating to sales and certain other dispositions of shares of Stock or certain other securities, delivered to you on or before the date hereof, shall be in full force and effect on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.

 

(s)                                   Additional Documents.  On or prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall have furnished to the Representatives such further certificates and documents as the Representatives may reasonably request.

 

All opinions, letters, certificates and evidence mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall be deemed to be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters.

 

9.                                      Indemnification and Contribution.

 

(a)                                 Indemnification of the Underwriters and the Selling Stockholders by the Company and Selling Stockholders.  The Company agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and each Selling Stockholder, its affiliates, directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls such Selling Stockholder within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, legal fees and other expenses incurred in connection with any suit, action or proceeding or any claim asserted, as such fees and expenses are reasonably incurred), joint or several, that arise out of, or are based upon, (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, not misleading, or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, any roadshow as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act (a “road show”), or any Pricing Disclosure Package, or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary in order to make

 

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the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, in each case except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the Underwriter Information.

 

(b)                                 Indemnification of the Underwriters and the Company by the Selling Stockholders.  Each of the Selling Stockholders, severally and not jointly, in proportion to the number of Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder, agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Company and each Underwriter, and each of their affiliates, directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls the Company or such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act to the same extent as the indemnity set forth in paragraph (a) above, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any Selling Stockholder Information.  The liability of each Selling Stockholder under the indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this Section 9 shall be limited to an amount equal to (i) the number of Shares sold by such Selling Stockholder under this Agreement multiplied by (ii) the Public Offering Price (minus related underwriting discounts and commissions).

 

(c)                                  Indemnification of the Company and the Selling Stockholders.  Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement 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 and each of the Selling Stockholders to the same extent as the indemnity set forth in paragraph (a) above, but only with respect to any losses, claims, damages or liabilities that arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any road show or any Pricing Disclosure Package, it being understood and agreed upon that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the following information in the Prospectus furnished on behalf of each Underwriter: (i) the concession and reallowance figures appearing in the [first and second] paragraph under the caption “Underwriting” and (ii) the information contained in the [eighth, thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth] paragraphs under the caption “Underwriting” relating to distributions, price stabilization, short positions and penalty bids (the “Underwriter Information”).

 

(d)                                 Notice and Procedures.  If any suit, action, proceeding (including any governmental or regulatory investigation), claim or demand shall be brought or asserted against any person in respect of which indemnification may be sought pursuant to the preceding paragraphs of this Section 9, such person (the “Indemnified Person”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnification may be sought (the “Indemnifying Person”) in writing; provided

 

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that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have under the preceding paragraphs of this Section 9 except to the extent that it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) by such failure; and provided further that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have to an Indemnified Person otherwise than under the preceding paragraphs of this Section 9.  If any such proceeding shall be brought or asserted against an Indemnified Person and it shall have notified the Indemnifying Person thereof, the Indemnifying Person shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person (who shall not, without the consent of the Indemnified Person, be counsel to the Indemnifying Person) to represent the Indemnified Person in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and expenses of such counsel related to such proceeding, as reasonably incurred.  In any such proceeding, any Indemnified Person 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 Person unless (i) the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person shall have mutually agreed to the contrary; (ii) the Indemnifying Person has failed within a reasonable time to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person; (iii) the Indemnified Person shall have reasonably concluded based on the advice of counsel that there may be legal defenses available to it that are different from or in addition to those available to the Indemnifying Person; or (iv) the named parties in any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person and it can be reasonably concluded that representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them.  It is understood and agreed that the Indemnifying Person 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 firm (in addition to any one local counsel in each applicable jurisdiction) for all Indemnified Persons, and that all such fees and expenses shall be paid or reimbursed promptly as they are reasonably incurred.  Any such separate firm for any Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and any control persons of such Underwriter shall be designated in writing by the Representatives, any such separate firm for the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and any control persons of the Company shall be designated in writing by the Company and any such separate firm for the Selling Stockholders shall be designated in writing by any one of them.  The Indemnifying Person shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent (which shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned), but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the Indemnifying Person agrees to indemnify each Indemnified Person from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment.  No Indemnifying Person shall, without the written consent of the Indemnified Person, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any Indemnified Person is or could have been a party and indemnification could have been sought hereunder by such Indemnified Person, unless such settlement (x) includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Person, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Person, from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding and (y) does not include any statement as to or any admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any Indemnified Person.

 

(e)                                  Contribution.  If the indemnification provided for in paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) above is unavailable to an Indemnified Person or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims,

 

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damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each Indemnifying Person under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such Indemnified Person thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Person as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriters on the other, from the offering of the Shares or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) but also the relative fault of the Company and the Selling Stockholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriters on the other, in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.  The relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriters on the other, shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders from the sale of the Shares and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters in connection therewith, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate offering price of the Shares.  The relative fault of the Company and the Selling Stockholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriters on the other, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company and the Selling Stockholders or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

 

(f)                                   Limitation on Liability.  The Company, the Selling Stockholders and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to paragraph (e) above were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Selling Stockholders or the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in paragraph (e) above.  The amount paid or payable by an Indemnified Person as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in paragraph (e) above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Indemnified Person in connection with any such action or claim.  Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs (e) and (f), in no event shall (i) an Underwriter be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriter with respect to the offering of the Shares exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission or (ii) the aggregate liability of a Selling Stockholder under Section 9(b) and Section 9(e) exceed the limit set forth in Section 9(b).  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.  The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant to paragraphs (e) and (f) are several in proportion to their respective purchase obligations hereunder and not joint.

 

(g)                                  Directed Share Program Indemnification. The Company agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Morgan Stanley, each person, if any, who controls Morgan Stanley with-

 

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in the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act and each affiliate of Morgan Stanley within the meaning of Rule 405 of the Securities Act (collectively, the “Morgan Stanley Entities”) from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending or investigating any such action or claim) (i) caused by any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any material prepared by or with the consent of the Company for distribution to Participants in connection with the Directed Share Program or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; (ii) caused by the failure of any Participant to pay for and accept delivery of Directed Shares that the Participant agreed to purchase; or (iii) related to, arising out of, or in connection with the Directed Share Program, other than losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or expenses relating thereto) that are finally judicially determined to have resulted from the bad faith or gross negligence of the Morgan Stanley Entities.

 

(h)                                 In case any proceeding (including any governmental investigation) shall be instituted involving any Morgan Stanley Entity in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to paragraph (g) above, the Morgan Stanley Entity seeking indemnity shall promptly notify the Company in writing and the Company, shall be entitled to participate therein, and to the extent it wishes, jointly with any other indemnifying party similar notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Morgan Stanley Entity to represent the Morgan Stanley Entity and any others the Company may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel related to such proceeding promptly and, after notice from the Company to such Morgan Stanley Entity of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the Company shall not be liable to such Morgan Stanley Entity under this Section 9(h) for any legal expenses of other counsel or any other expenses, in each case subsequently incurred by such Morgan Stanley Entity, in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation. In any such proceeding, any Morgan Stanley Entity shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the reasonably incurred fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Morgan Stanley Entity unless (i) the Company and such Morgan Stanley Entity shall have mutually agreed to the contrary, (ii) the Company has failed within a reasonable time to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to such Morgan Stanley Entity, (iii) the Morgan Stanley Entity shall have reasonably concluded  based on the advice of counsel that there may be legal defenses available to it that are different from or in addition to those available to the Company or (iv) the named parties to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the Company and the Morgan Stanley Entity and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. The Company shall not, in respect of the legal expenses of the Morgan Stanley Entities in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all Morgan Stanley Entities. Any such separate firm for the Morgan Stanley Entities shall be designated in writing by Morgan Stanley. The Company shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent (which shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned), but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the Company agrees to indemnify the Morgan Stanley Entities from and against any loss or liability by reason

 

33



 

of such settlement or judgment. The Company shall not, without the prior written consent of Morgan Stanley, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any Morgan Stanley Entity is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such Morgan Stanley Entity, unless such settlement (x) includes an unconditional release of the Morgan Stanley Entity, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such Morgan Stanley Entity, from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding and (y) does not include any statement as to or any admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of the Morgan Stanley Entity.

 

(i)        To the extent the indemnification provided for in paragraph (g) above is unavailable to a Morgan Stanley Entity or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then the Company in lieu of indemnifying the Morgan Stanley Entity thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by the Morgan Stanley Entity as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders on the one hand and the Morgan Stanley Entities on the other hand from the offering of the Directed Shares or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company and the Selling Stockholders on the one hand and of the Morgan Stanley Entities on the other hand in connection with any statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders on the one hand and the Morgan Stanley Entities on the other hand in connection with the offering of the Directed Shares shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds from the offering of the Directed Shares (before deducting expenses) and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Morgan Stanley Entities for the Directed Shares, bear to the aggregate public offering price of the Directed Shares. The relative fault of the Company and the Selling Stockholders on the one hand and the Morgan Stanley Entities on the other hand shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement or the omission or alleged omission relates to information supplied by the Company and the Selling Stockholders or by the Morgan Stanley Entities and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

 

(j)                                    The Company and the Morgan Stanley Entities agree that it would not be just or equitable if contribution pursuant to paragraph (i) above were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Morgan Stanley Entities were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in paragraph (i) above. The amount paid or payable by the Morgan Stanley Entities as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Morgan Stanley Entities in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (i) above, no Morgan Stanley Entity shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Directed Shares distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages that such Morgan Stanley Entity has otherwise been required

 

34



 

to pay. The remedies provided for in paragraphs (h) through (k) are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any indemnified party at law or in equity.

 

(k)                                 The indemnity and contribution provisions contained in paragraphs (g) through (k) shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any termination of this Agreement, (ii) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Morgan Stanley Entity or the Company, its officers or directors or any person controlling the Company and (iii) acceptance of and payment for any of the Directed Shares.

 

(m)                             External Agreements.  The provisions contained in this Section 9 shall not affect any agreement among the Company and the Selling Stockholders with respect to indemnification or contribution.

 

(n)                                 Non-Exclusive Remedies.  The remedies provided for in this Section 9 paragraphs (a) through (f) are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any Indemnified Person at law or in equity.

 

10.                               Effectiveness of Agreement.  This Agreement shall become effective upon the execution and delivery hereof by the parties hereto.

 

11.                               Termination.  This Agreement may be terminated in the absolute discretion of the Representatives, by notice to the Company and the Selling Stockholders, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and on or prior to the Closing Date or, in the case of the Option Shares, on or prior to the Additional Closing Date (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on or by any of the New York Stock Exchange or The Nasdaq Stock Market; (ii) trading of any securities issued or guaranteed by the Company shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by federal or New York State authorities; or (iv) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis, either within or outside the United States, that, in the judgment of the Representatives, is material and adverse and makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Shares on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

12.                               Defaulting Underwriter.

 

(a)                                 If, on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, any Underwriter defaults on its obligation to purchase the Shares that it has agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, the non-defaulting Underwriters may in their discretion arrange for the purchase of such Shares by other persons satisfactory to the Company and the Selling Stockholders on the terms contained in this Agreement.  If, within 36 hours after any such default by any Underwriter, the non-defaulting Underwriters do not arrange for the purchase of such Shares, then the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall be entitled to a further period of 36 hours within which to procure other persons satisfactory to the non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase such

 

35



 

Shares on such terms.  If other persons become obligated or agree to purchase the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter, either the non-defaulting Underwriters or the Company and the Selling Stockholders may postpone the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, for up to five full business days in order to effect any changes that in the opinion of counsel for the Company, counsel for the Selling Stockholders or counsel for the Underwriters may be necessary in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or in any other document or arrangement, and the Company agrees to promptly prepare any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus that effects any such changes.  As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” includes, for all purposes of this Agreement unless the context otherwise requires, any person not listed in Schedule 1 hereto that, pursuant to this Section 12, purchases Shares that a defaulting Underwriter agreed but failed to purchase.

 

(b)                                 If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Stockholders as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate number of Shares that remain unpurchased on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, does not exceed one-eleventh of the aggregate number of Shares to be purchased on such date, then the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the number of Shares that such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder on such date plus such Underwriter’s pro rata share (based on the number of Shares that such Underwriter agreed to purchase on such date) of the Shares of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made.

 

(c)                                  If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Stockholders as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate number of Shares that remain unpurchased on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, exceeds one-eleventh of the aggregate amount of Shares to be purchased on such date, or if the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall not exercise the right described in paragraph (b) above, then this Agreement or, with respect to any Additional Closing Date, the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase Shares on the Additional Closing Date, shall terminate without liability on the part of the non-defaulting Underwriters.  Any termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section 12 shall be without liability on the part of the Company, except that the Company and the Selling Stockholders will continue to be liable for the payment of expenses as set forth in Section 13 hereof and except that the provisions of Section 9 hereof shall not terminate and shall remain in effect.

 

(d)                                 Nothing contained herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter of any liability it may have to the Company, the Selling Stockholders or any non-defaulting Underwriter for damages caused by its default.

 

13.                               Payment of Expenses.

 

(a)                                 Whether or not the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, the Company will pay or cause to be paid all costs and expenses

 

36



 

incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder, including without limitation, (i) the costs incident to the authorization, issuance, sale, preparation and delivery of the Shares and any taxes payable in that connection; (ii) the costs incident to the preparation, printing and filing under the Securities Act of the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (including all exhibits, amendments and supplements thereto) and the distribution thereof; (iii) the fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel and independent accountants; (iv) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the registration or qualification and determination of eligibility for investment of the Shares under the state or foreign securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives may designate and the preparation, printing and distribution of a Blue Sky Memorandum (including the related fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters); (v) the cost of preparing stock certificates; (vi) the costs and charges of any transfer agent and any registrar; (vii) all expenses and application fees incurred in connection with any filing with, and clearance of the offering by, FINRA; (viii) all expenses of the Company incurred in connection with any “road show” presentation to potential investors, except that it is understood that 50% of the cost of any chartered aircraft and other transportation chartered in connection with the “road show” shall be the responsibility of the Underwriters; (ix) all expenses and application fees related to the listing of the Shares on the Exchange; and (x) all of the fees and disbursements of counsel incurred by the Underwriters in connection with the Directed Shares Program and stamp duties, similar taxes or duties or other taxes, if any, incurred by the Underwriters in connection with the Directed Share Program; provided, that, except as provided above, the Underwriters shall pay their own costs and expenses, including any fees and disbursements of their counsel and any travel and lodging expenses of the Representatives. If any Selling Stockholder for any reason defaults on its obligation to tender the Shares required to be tendered by it or on its behalf pursuant to this Agreement for delivery to the Underwriters, such Selling Stockholder agrees to reimburse the  Underwriters for all out-of-pocket costs and expenses (including the fees and expenses of their  counsel) by the Underwriters in making preparations for the purchase, sale and delivery of the Shares not so delivered by such Selling Stockholder.

 

(b)                                 If (i) this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 11, (ii) the Company or the Selling Stockholders for any reason fail to tender the Shares for delivery to the Underwriters or (iii) the Underwriters decline to purchase the Shares for any reason permitted under this Agreement, the Company and the Selling Stockholders agree to reimburse the Underwriters for all documented out-of-pocket costs and expenses (including the reasonable fees and expenses of their counsel) reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in connection with this Agreement and the offering contemplated hereby.  The Company shall not be required to pay or reimburse any costs, fees or expenses incurred by any Underwriter that defaults on its obligations to purchase the Shares.

 

14.                               Persons Entitled to Benefit of Agreement.  This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers and directors and any controlling persons referred to in Section 9 hereof.  Nothing in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any other person any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision contained herein.  No purchaser of

 

37



 

Shares from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor merely by reason of such purchase.

 

15.                               Survival.  The respective indemnities, rights of contribution, representations, warranties and agreements of the Company, the Selling Stockholders and the Underwriters contained in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of the Company, the Selling Stockholders or the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement or any certificate delivered pursuant hereto shall survive the delivery of and payment for the Shares and shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any termination of this Agreement or any investigation made by or on behalf of the Company, the Selling Stockholders or the Underwriters.

 

16.                               Certain Defined Terms.  For purposes of this Agreement, (a) except where otherwise expressly provided, the term “affiliate” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act; (b) the term “business day” means any day other than a day on which banks are permitted or required to be closed in New York City; and (c) the term “subsidiary” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act.

 

17.                               Miscellaneous.

 

(a)                                 Notices.  All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted and confirmed by any standard form of telecommunication.  Notices to the Underwriters shall be given to the Representatives c/o J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, 383 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10179 (fax: (212) 622-8358); Attention: Equity Syndicate Desk; c/o Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, 1585 Broadway, New York, New York 10036, Attention: Equity Syndicate Desk, with a copy to the Legal Department; c/o Citigroup Global Markets Inc., 388 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10013 Attention: General Counsel, facsimile number 1-646-291-1469; c/o Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282, Attention: Registration Department.  Notices to the Company shall be given to it at 1111 Stewart Avenue, Bethpage, New York 11714, (fax: [•]); Attention: General Counsel, with a copy to (which copy shall not constitute notice): Shearman & Sterling LLP, 599 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York, 10022, Attention: Richard B. Alsop.  Notices to the Selling Stockholders shall be given to the      at               ,               ,               , (Fax:         ); Attention:              .

 

(b)                                 Governing Law.  This Agreement and any claim, controversy or dispute arising under or related to this Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made and to be performed in such state without regard to conflict of laws principles thereof.

 

(c)                                  Waiver of Jury Trial.  Each of the parties hereto hereby waives any and all right to trial by jury in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement.

 

(d)                                 Counterparts.  This Agreement may be signed in counterparts (which may include counterparts delivered by any standard form of telecommunication), each of which shall be an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.  Delivery of an

 

38



 

executed counterpart of a signature page to this Agreement by telecopy, facsimile or other electronic transmission (i.e., a “pdf”) shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart thereof.

 

(e)                                  Amendments or Waivers.  No amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement, nor any consent or approval to any departure therefrom, shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the parties hereto.

 

(f)                                   Headings.  The headings herein are included for convenience of reference only and are not intended to be part of, or to affect the meaning or interpretation of, this Agreement.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

39



 

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please indicate your acceptance of this Agreement by signing in the space provided below.

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

ALTICE USA, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

[SELLING STOCKHOLDERS]

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]

 



 

Accepted: As of the date first written above

 

J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC

 

 

 

For itself and on behalf of the

 

several Underwriters listed

 

in Schedule 1 hereto.

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Authorized Signatory

 

 

 

MORGAN STANLEY & CO. LLC

 

 

 

For itself and on behalf of the

 

several Underwriters listed

 

in Schedule 1 hereto.

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Authorized Signatory

 

 

 

 

 

CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC.

 

 

 

For itself and on behalf of the

 

several Underwriters listed

 

in Schedule 1 hereto.

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Authorized Signatory

 

 

 

 

 

 

GOLDMAN SACHS & CO. LLC

 

 

 

For itself and on behalf of the

 

several Underwriters listed

 

in Schedule 1 hereto.

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Authorized Signatory

 

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]

 


 

Schedule 1

 

Underwriter

 

Number of Shares

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

 

 

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

 

 

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

 

 

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

 

 

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
Incorporated

 

 

Barclays Capital Inc.

 

 

BNP Paribas Securities Corp.

 

 

Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.

 

 

RBC Capital Markets, LLC

 

 

Credit Agricole Securities (USA) Inc.

 

 

Scotia Capital (USA) Inc.

 

 

SG Americas Securities, LLC

 

 

TD Securities (USA) LLC

 

 

Total

 

 

 

Sch. 1-1



 

Schedule 2

 

Selling Stockholders:

 

Number of
Underwritten Shares:

 

Number of
Option Shares:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sch. 2-1



 

Schedule 3

 

Significant Subsidiaries

 

Selling Stockholders:

 

Number of
Underwritten Shares:

 

Number of
Option Shares:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sch. 3-1



 

Annex A

 

Pricing Disclosure Package

 

Annex A-1



 

Annex B

 

Issuer Free Writing Prospectus

 

Annex B-1



 

Annex C

 

Annex C-1



 

Exhibit A

 

Form of Waiver of Lock-up

 

J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC

MORGAN STANLEY & CO. LLC

 

Altice USA, Inc.
Public Offering of Class A Common Stock

 

, 20   

 

[Name and Address of
Officer or Director
Requesting Waiver]

 

Dear Mr./Ms. [Name]:

 

This letter is being delivered to you in connection with the offering by Altice USA, Inc. (the “Company”) of        shares of Class A common stock, $0.01 par value (the “Class A Shares”), of the Company and the lock-up letter dated                   , 2017 (the “Lock-up Letter”), executed by you in connection with such offering, and your request for a [waiver] [release] dated                     , 20  , with respect to        shares of the Class A Shares (the “Shares”).

 

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC hereby agrees to [waive] [release] the transfer restrictions set forth in the Lock-up Letter, but only with respect to the Shares, effective                   , [2017]; provided, however, that such [waiver] [release] is conditioned on the Company announcing the impending [waiver] [release] by press release through a major news service at least two business days before effectiveness of such [waiver] [release].  This letter will serve as notice to the Company of the impending [waiver] [release].

 

Except as expressly [waived] [released] hereby, the Lock-up Letter shall remain in full force and effect.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 



 

 

Yours very truly,

 

 

 

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

cc:  Company

 



 

Exhibit B

 

Form of Press Release

 

Altice USA, Inc.
[Date]

 

Altice USA, Inc. (“Company”) announced today that J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, the joint book-running managers in the Company’s recent public sale of [·] shares of Class A common stock, is [waiving] [releasing] a lock-up restriction with respect to [·] shares of the Company’s Class A common stock held by [certain officers or directors] [an officer or director] of the Company. The [waiver] [release] will take effect on                     , 20  , and the shares may be sold on or after such date.

 

This press release is not an offer for sale of the securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction where such offer is prohibited, and such securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 



 

Exhibit C

 

FORM OF LOCK-UP AGREEMENT

 

, 2017

 

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

 

As Representatives of
the several Underwriters listed in
Schedule 1 to the Underwriting

Agreement referred to below

 

c/o J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
383 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10179

 

c/o Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

1585 Broadway

New York, NY 10036

 

c/o Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

388 Greenwich Street

New York, NY 10013

 

c/o Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

200 West Street

New York, NY 10282

 

Re:          Altice USA, Inc. — Public Offering

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

The undersigned understands that you, as Representatives of the several Underwriters, propose to enter into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Altice USA, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”) and the Selling Stockholders listed on Schedule 2 to the Underwriting Agreement, providing for the public offering (the “Public Offering”) by the several Underwriters named in Schedule 1 to the Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriters”), of shares (the “Securities”) of Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (the “Class A Common Stock”). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings set forth in the Underwriting Agreement.

 


 

In consideration of the Underwriters’ agreement to purchase and make the Public Offering of the Securities, and for other good and valuable consideration receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the undersigned hereby agrees that, without the prior written consent of J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC (together, the “Lock-up Release Agents”) on behalf of the Underwriters, the undersigned will not, during the period from the date hereof and ending 180 days after the date of the final prospectus relating to the Public Offering (the “Prospectus” and such period, the “Lock-up Period”), (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B common stock, par value $0.01 per share of the Company (“Class B Common Stock”) or Class C common stock, par value $0.01 per shares of the Company (“Class C Common Stock”, and, together with the Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock, the “Common Stock”) or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock (including without limitation, Common Stock or such other securities which may be deemed to be beneficially owned by the undersigned in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and securities which may be issued upon exercise of a stock option or warrant), or publicly disclose the intention to make any offer, sale, pledge or disposition, (2) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common Stock or such other securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise or (3) make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to the registration of any shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, in each case other than with respect to:

 

(A) the Securities to be sold by the undersigned pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement;

 

(B) transfers, conversions, exchanges, distributions or other transactions involving shares of Common Stock as contemplated in connection with the organizational transactions described in the Pricing Disclosure Package under “Summary—Ownership and Organization—Organizational Transactions”;

 

(C) transfers of shares of Common Stock (i) as a bona fide gift or gifts, (ii) by will or intestacy, (iii) to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned (for purposes of this Letter Agreement, “immediate family” shall mean any relationship by blood, current or former marriage or adoption, not more remote than first cousin), (iv) to any immediate family member not for value, (v) to a partnership, limited liability company or other entity of which the undersigned and the immediate family of the undersigned are the legal and beneficial owner of all of the outstanding equity securities or similar interests not for value, or (vi) to a nominee or custodian of a person or entity to whom a disposition or transfer would be permissible under clauses (i) through (v) above;

 

(D) if the undersigned is a corporation, partnership or other business entity, transfers or distributions of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock to members, partners, stockholders or affiliates of the undersigned (other than the Company and its controlled affiliates), including investment funds or other entities under common control or management with the undersigned;

 



 

(E) (i) the purchase of shares of Common Stock by Altice N.V from the undersigned pursuant to a right of first refusal agreement entered into by the undersigned and Altice N.V. providing for such right, (ii) transfers of shares of Common Stock acquired in open market transactions after the completion of the Public Offering, or (iii) tenders, sales or other transfers of shares of Common Stock pursuant to a bona fide third-party takeover bid made to all holders of Common Stock or any other acquisition, merger, consolidation or similar transaction whereby a majority of total voting power of the voting stock of the Company is acquired by a third party (provided that if such transaction is not consummated, the subject Common Stock shall remain subject to the restrictions set forth herein) in one transaction or a series of related transactions that occur after the completion of the Public Offering, in each case, approved by the board of directors of the Company; [or]

 

(F) pursuant to a domestic order, divorce settlement, divorce decree, or separation agreement; [or]

 

[For Neptune Holding US LP and Neptune Management LP lock-up only: (G) transfers of shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Neptune Management Limited Partnership Carry Unit Plan;]

 

provided that in the case of any transfer, donation or distribution pursuant to clause (C), (D) [ or ][,](E)(i)[ or (G)], each donee, trustee, distributee or transferee, as the case may be, shall execute and deliver to the Lock-up Release Agents a lock-up letter in the form of this agreement; provided further, that in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clause (C)(i), C(iii)-(vi) or (D), if the undersigned is required to file a report under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), the undersigned shall include a statement in such report to the effect that the filing relates to the transfer, distribution, bona fide gift or other disposition of shares of Common Stock, as applicable, or any security convertible into Common Stock, to one or more affiliates, trusts, partners, beneficiaries, members, or stockholders of the undersigned or to any investment fund or other entity controlled by or under common control with the undersigned or to an immediate family member or entity for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or any immediate family member, as applicable, or to a nominee or custodian; provided, further, that in the case of any transfer pursuant to (E)(i), if the undersigned is required to file a report under the Exchange Act, the undersigned shall include a statement in such report to the effect that the filing relates to the exercise of the right of first refusal by Altice N.V.; provided further, that in the case of (E)(ii), no filing by any party (donor, donee, transferor or transferee) under the Exchange Act or other public announcement shall be required or shall be made voluntarily in connection with such transfer or distribution (other than a filing on a Form 5 made after the expiration of the Lock-up Period); [provided, further, that in case of any transfer pursuant to (G), if the undersigned is required to file a report under the Exchange Act, the undersigned shall include a statement in such report to the effect that the filing relates to the transfer of shares of Common Stock pursuant to the terms of the Neptune Management LP Carry Unit Plan]; and provided further, in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clause (C)(ii) or (F), if the undersigned is required to file a report under the Exchange Act related thereto during the Lock-Up Period, such report shall disclose that such transfer was pursuant to will or intestate succession or domestic order.

 



 

If the undersigned is required to transfer shares of Common Stock by operation of law or pursuant to an order of a court or regulatory agent, the consent of the Lock-up Release Agents pursuant to this agreement shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned.

 

If the undersigned is an officer or director of the Company, the undersigned further agrees that the foregoing provisions shall be equally applicable to any Company-directed Securities the undersigned may purchase in the Public Offering.

 

Furthermore, the undersigned may, if permitted by the Company, establish a written trading plan meeting the requirements of Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act; provided that no sales or other transfers occur under such plan and no public disclosure of such plan shall be required or shall be made by any person during the Lock-up Period.

 

If the undersigned is an officer or director of the Company, (i) the Lock-up Release Agents on behalf of the Underwriters agree that, at least three business days before the effective date of any release or waiver of the foregoing restrictions in connection with a transfer of shares of Common Stock, the Lock-up Release Agents on behalf of the Underwriters will notify the Company of the impending release or waiver, and (ii) the Company will agree in the Underwriting Agreement to announce the impending release or waiver by press release through a major news service at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver.  Any release or waiver granted by the Lock-up Release Agents on behalf of the Underwriters hereunder to any such officer or director shall only be effective two business days after the publication date of such press release.  The provisions of this paragraph will not apply if (a) the release or waiver is effected solely to permit a transfer not for consideration and (b) the transferee has agreed in writing to be bound by the same terms described in this letter to the extent and for the duration that such terms remain in effect at the time of the transfer.

 

In furtherance of the foregoing, the Company, and any duly appointed transfer agent for the registration or transfer of the securities described herein, are hereby authorized to decline to make any transfer of securities if such transfer would constitute a violation or breach of this Letter Agreement.

 

The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power and authority to enter into this Letter Agreement. All authority herein conferred or agreed to be conferred and any obligations of the undersigned shall be binding upon the successors, assigns, heirs or personal representatives of the undersigned.

 

The undersigned understands that, (i) if prior to signing the Underwriting Agreement, the Company notifies the Underwriters in writing that it does not intend to proceed with the Public Offering, (ii) if the Underwriting Agreement (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination) shall terminate or be terminated prior to payment for and delivery of the Common Stock to be sold thereunder, (iii) if the Registration Statement is withdrawn by the Company prior to its effectiveness and the completion of the Public Offering or (iv) if the Public Offering is not completed by July 31, 2017, the undersigned shall be released from all obligations under this Letter Agreement.  The undersigned understands that the Underwriters are entering into the Underwriting Agreement and proceeding with the Public Offering in reliance upon this Letter Agreement.

 



 

This Letter Agreement and any claim, controversy or dispute arising under or related to this Letter Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without regard to the conflict of laws principles thereof.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 



 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

[NAME OF STOCKHOLDER]

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

[Signature Page to Lock-up]