LOCK-UP AGREEMENT
April 16, 2014
CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) LLC
Eleven Madison Avenue,
New York, N.Y. 10010-3629
U.S.A.
As Representative of the Several Underwriters named in
Schedule A to the Underwriting Agreement
Dear Sirs:
As an inducement to the Underwriters to execute the Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) pursuant to which an offering will be made that is intended to result in the establishment of a public market for American depository shares (“ADSs”) representing ordinary shares (“Ordinary Shares”) of Leju Holdings Limited and any successor (by merger or otherwise) thereto (the “Company”), the undersigned hereby agrees that during the period specified in the following paragraph (the “Lock-Up Period”), the undersigned will not, without the prior written consent of the Representative on behalf of the Underwriters, offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, any ADSs or Ordinary Shares or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for any ADSs or Ordinary Shares, enter into a transaction which would have the same effect, or enter into any swap, hedge or other arrangement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of any ADSs or Ordinary Shares, whether any such aforementioned transaction is to be settled by delivery of any ADSs or Ordinary Shares or such other securities, in cash or otherwise, or publicly disclose the intention to make any such offer, sale, pledge or disposition, or to enter into any such transaction, swap, hedge or other arrangement, without, in each case, the prior written consent of the Representative. In addition, the undersigned agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Representative, it will not, during the Lock-Up Period, make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to, the registration of any ADSs or Ordinary Shares or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for any ADSs or Ordinary Shares.
The Lock-Up Period will commence on the date of this Lock-Up Agreement and continue and include the date 180 days after the public offering date set forth on the final prospectus used to sell the ADSs (the “Public Offering Date”) pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement.
Any Ordinary Shares or ADSs (i) acquired by the undersigned or any of its affiliates from the concurrent private placement with the Company’s initial public offering or (ii) received upon exercise of options granted to the undersigned will also be subject to this Lock-Up Agreement. This Lock-Up Agreement shall not apply to: (i) any Ordinary Shares or ADSs acquired by the undersigned in the open market after the Public Offering Date, (ii) the exercise of any of the undersigned’s rights to acquire any ADSs or Ordinary Shares of the Company issued pursuant to any share option or similar equity incentive or compensation plan of the Company (collectively, the “Equity Incentive Grants”), provided that in each case, such plan is in effect as of the date of and disclosed in the prospectus for the public offering (it being understood that any subsequent sale, transfer or disposition of any securities of the Company issued upon exercise of such Equity Incentive Grants shall be subject to the restrictions set forth in this Agreement), (iii) or transfers of Ordinary Shares or ADSs to immediate family members, trusts or an entity beneficially owned and controlled by the undersigned, and for the undersigned, a transfer of Ordinary Shares or ADSs to a partner, member or an “affiliate” of the undersigned, as such term is defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act, as amended, by gift, will or intestacy, or as part of a distribution without consideration by the undersigned to its equity holders, provided that the transferee agrees to be bound in writing by the terms of this Lock-Up Agreement prior to such transfer, any such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value and no filing by any party (donor, donee, transferor or transferee) under the Exchange Act shall be required or shall be voluntarily made in connection with such transfer, or (iv) Ordinary Shares and ADSs sold or tendered to the Company by the Undersigned or withheld by the Company for tax withholding purposes in connection with the vesting of equity awards that are subject to a taxable event upon vesting.
In furtherance of the foregoing, the Company and its transfer agent and registrar for the Ordinary Shares and ADSs are hereby authorized to decline to make any transfer of Ordinary Shares or ADSs if such transfer would constitute a violation or breach of this Lock-Up Agreement.
If the undersigned is an officer or director of the Company, for purposes of clarity, the undersigned further agrees that the foregoing restrictions in this Lock-Up Agreement shall be equally applicable to any issuer-directed Ordinary Shares or ADSs the undersigned may purchase in the above-referenced offering.
If the undersigned is an officer or director of the Company, (i) the Representative agrees that, at least three business days before the effective date of any release or waiver of the foregoing restrictions in connection with a transfer of Ordinary Shares or ADSs, the Representative will notify the Company of the impending release or waiver, and (ii) the Company has agreed in the Underwriting Agreement to announce the impending release or waiver by press release through a major news service at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver. Any release or waiver granted by Representative hereunder to any such officer or director shall only be effective two business days after the publication date of such press release. The provisions of this paragraph will not apply if (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 Lock-Up Agreement to the extent and for the duration that such terms remain in effect at the time of the transfer.
Lock-Up Agreement shall be binding on the undersigned and the successors, heirs, personal representatives and assigns of the undersigned. This Lock-Up Agreement shall lapse and become null and void if the Public Offering Date shall not have occurred on or before May 31, 2014. This Lock-Up Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.
Very truly yours, | |
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For and on behalf of THL O LIMITED | |
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By: | /s/ Ma Huateng | |
Name: Ma Huateng | |
Title: Director | |
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[Signature Page to Lock-up Agreement]