We estimate that the expenses payable by us in connection with this offering, other than the underwriting discounts and commissions referred to above, will be approximately $400,000. Estimated expenses include SEC filing fees, New York Stock Exchange listing fees, printing, legal, accounting, transfer agent and registrar fees, and other miscellaneous fees and expenses.
Lock-Up Arrangement
We and our executive officers and directors have agreed, subject to certain limited exceptions, not to sell, transfer, pledge, offer or contract to sell, or file with the SEC a registration statement under the Securities Act, relating to any shares of our common stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for any shares of our common stock without the prior written consent of J.P. Morgan Securities LLC for a period of 60 days after the date of the underwriting agreement. These restrictions will not apply to the issuance of shares pursuant to employee benefit plans or other employee, executive or director compensation plans, or the NW Holdings Dividend Reinvestment and Direct Stock Purchase Plan.
Indemnity
We have agreed to indemnify the underwriters against certain liabilities arising out of this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and certain other materials in connection with this offering.
Our Relationship with the Underwriters
The underwriters and their respective affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include, among other activities, securities trading and underwriting, commercial and investment banking, financial advisory, corporate trust, investment management, investment research, principal investment, hedging, financing and brokerage activities. In the ordinary course of their respective businesses, certain of the underwriters and/or their respective affiliates have in the past and may in the future provide us and our affiliates with commercial banking, investment banking, financial advisory and other services for which they have and in the future will receive customary fees.
In particular, affiliates of J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, RBC Capital Markets, LLC, Wells Fargo Securities, LLC and BMO Capital Markets Corp. serve as lenders to the Company and NW Natural under their respective Credit Agreements dated as of October 2, 2018. None of the net proceeds of this offering will be used to repay any amounts due to such affiliates under the credit agreement.
Certain of the underwriters and their affiliates have engaged and in the future may engage in investment banking transactions with, and provide services to, NW Holdings or its subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business. An affiliate of Wells Fargo Securities, LLC is the exclusive agent under NW Holdings’ commercial paper program, and an affiliate of Wells Fargo Securities, LLC is an agent under NW Natural’s commercial paper program.
In the ordinary course of their various business activities, the underwriters and certain of their affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers, and such investment and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments issued by us and our affiliates. If the underwriters or their respective affiliates have a lending relationship with us, they routinely hedge their credit exposure to us consistent with their customary risk management policies. The underwriters and their respective affiliates may hedge such exposure by entering into transactions which consist of either the purchase of credit default swaps or the creation of short positions in our securities or the securities of
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