Exhibit 1.1
30,000,000 Units
Iconic Sports Acquisition Corp.
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
October 21, 2021
Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC
Eleven Madison Avenue
New York, New York 10010
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC
1585 Broadway
New York, New York 10036
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Iconic Sports Acquisition Corp., a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”), proposes to sell to you and, as applicable, to the several underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (collectively, the “Underwriters”), for whom you (the “Representatives”) are acting as representatives, 30,000,000 units (the “Units”) of the Company (said units to be issued and sold by the Company being hereinafter called the “Underwritten Securities”). The Company also proposes to grant to the Underwriters an option to purchase up to 4,500,000 additional units to cover over-allotments, if any (the “Option Securities”; the Option Securities, together with the Underwritten Securities, being hereinafter called the “Securities”). To the extent there are no additional Underwriters listed on Schedule I other than you, the term Representatives as used herein shall mean you, as Underwriters, and the term Underwriter shall mean either the singular or plural as the context requires. Certain capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined are defined in Section 21 of this agreement (this “Agreement”).
Each Unit consists of one of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Ordinary Shares”), and one-half of one warrant, where each whole warrant is exercisable to purchase one Ordinary Share (the “Warrants”). The Ordinary Shares and the Warrants included in the Units will not trade separately until the 52nd day following the date of the Prospectus (as defined below) (unless the Representatives inform the Company of their decision to allow earlier separate trading), subject to (a) the Company’s preparation of an audited balance sheet reflecting the receipt by the Company of the proceeds of the Offering (as defined below), (b) the filing of such audited balance sheet with the Commission on a Current Report on Form 8-K or similar form by the Company that includes such audited balance sheet, and (c) the Company having issued a press release announcing when such separate trading will begin. Each whole Warrant entitles its holder, upon exercise, to purchase one Ordinary Share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment. The warrants will become exercisable thirty (30) days after the completion of an initial Business Combination (as defined below) and will expire on the five-year anniversary of the date of the completion of such initial Business Combination or earlier upon redemption or Liquidation; provided, however, that pursuant to the Warrant Agreement (as defined below), a Warrant may not be exercised for a fractional share, so that only whole Warrants may be exercised at any given time by a holder thereof. As used herein, the term “Business Combination” (as described more fully in the Registration Statement) shall mean a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses involving the Company.
The Company will enter into an Investment Management Trust Agreement, effective as of the Closing Date (as defined below), with Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (“CST”), as trustee, in substantially the form filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Registration Statement (the “Trust Agreement”), pursuant to which certain proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement Warrants (as defined below) and the Offering will be deposited and held in a trust account (the “Trust Account”) for the benefit of the Company, the Underwriters and the holders of the Underwritten Securities and the Option Securities, if and when issued.
The Company will enter into a Warrant Agreement, effective as of the Closing Date, with respect to the Warrants and the Private Placement Warrants (as defined below) with CST, as warrant agent, in substantially the form filed as Exhibit 4.4 to the Registration Statement (the “Warrant Agreement”), pursuant to which CST will act as warrant agent in connection with the issuance, registration, transfer, exchange, redemption, and exercise of the Warrants and the Private Placement Warrants.
The Company has entered into a Securities Subscription Agreement, dated April 20, 2021 (the “Founder’s Purchase Agreement”), with Iconic Sports Management LLC, a Cayman Islands limited liability company (the “Sponsor”), pursuant to which the Sponsor purchased an aggregate of 11,500,000 Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, of the Company (including the Ordinary Shares issuable upon conversion thereof, the “Founder Shares”), for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000. On September 29, 2021 the Sponsor surrendered 4,312,500 Founder Shares to the Company for no consideration resulting in an aggregate of 7,187,500 Founder Shares being issued and outstanding. On October 21, 2021, the Sponsor transferred 30,000 Founder Shares to each of its independent director nominees. On October 21, 2021 the Company effected share capitalization resulting in an aggregate of 8,625,000 Founder Shares outstanding as of the date hereof (up to 1,125,000 of which are subject to forfeiture). The Founder Shares are substantially similar to the Ordinary Shares included in the Units except as described in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus.
The Company will enter into a Private Placement Warrants Purchase Agreement, effective as of the date hereof, with the Sponsor, in substantially the form filed as Exhibit 10.3 to the Registration Statement (the “Warrant Subscription Agreement”), pursuant to which the Sponsor will agree to purchase an aggregate of 15,000,000 warrants (or 17,025,000 warrants if the over-allotment option is exercised in full) , at a price of $1.00 per Private Placement Warrant, each entitling the holder, upon exercise, to purchase one Ordinary Share (the “Private Placement Warrants”), for $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment. The Private Placement Warrants will be substantially similar to the Warrants included in the Units, except as described in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus.
The Company will enter into a Registration and Shareholder Rights Agreement, effective as of the Closing Date, among the Company, the Sponsor, and the holders party thereto, in substantially the form filed as Exhibit 10.2 to the Registration Statement (the “Registration and Shareholder Rights Agreement”), pursuant to which the Company will grant certain registration rights in respect of the Private Placement Warrants and the Ordinary Shares underlying the Founder Shares, the Private Placement Warrants and any warrants that may be issued upon conversion of working capital loans.
The Company will cause to be duly executed and delivered certain letter agreements, each effective as of the Closing Date, by the Sponsor and each of the Company’s officers, directors, and director nominees, in the form filed as Exhibit 10.8 to the Registration Statement (the “Insider Letter”).
On October 21, 2021, the Company entered into an Administrative Services Agreement with the Sponsor, in substantially the form filed as Exhibit 10.5 to the Registration Statement (the “Administrative Services Agreement”), pursuant to which the Company will pay to the Sponsor an aggregate monthly fee of $50,000 for certain office space and secretarial and administrative support.
| 1. | REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES. |
The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each Underwriter as set forth below in this Section 1.
(a)The Company has prepared and filed with the Commission the Registration Statement (file number 333-260096) on Form S-1, including the related Preliminary Prospectus, for registration under the Act of the offering and sale of the Securities. Such Registration Statement, including any amendments thereto filed prior to the Execution Time, has become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Act. The Company has filed one or more amendments thereto, including the related Preliminary Prospectus, each of which has previously been furnished to you. The Company will file with the Commission the Prospectus in accordance with Rule 424(b). As filed, such Prospectus shall contain all information required by the Act and, except to the extent the Representatives shall agree in writing to a modification, shall be in all substantive respects in the form furnished to you prior to the Execution Time or, to the extent not completed at the Execution Time, shall contain only such specific additional information and other changes (beyond that contained in the latest Preliminary Prospectus) as the Company has advised you, prior to the Execution Time, will be included or made therein. The Company has complied to the Commission’s satisfaction with all requests of the Commission for additional or supplemental information.
(b)On the Effective Date, the Registration Statement did, and when the Prospectus is first filed in accordance with Rule 424(b) and on the Closing Date and on any date on which Option Securities are purchased, if such date is not the Closing Date (a “settlement date”), the Prospectus (and any supplement thereto) will, comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Act; on the Effective Date and at the Execution Time, the Registration Statement did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; as of the Applicable Time did not, and on the Closing Date and any settlement date, any individual Written Testing-the-Waters Communication (as defined herein) will not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Statutory Prospectus, complied or will comply, as applicable, in all material respects with the Act; as of the Applicable Time and on the Closing Date and any settlement date, each “road show” as defined in Rule 433(h) of the Act and each individual Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, in each case, when considered together with the Statutory Prospectus, and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and on the date of any filing pursuant to Rule 424(b) and on the Closing Date and any settlement date, the Prospectus (together with any supplement thereto) will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to the information contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (or any supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for inclusion in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (or any supplement thereto), it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 8(b) hereof.
(c)The Statutory Prospectus, as of the Applicable Time and on the Closing Date and any settlement date, did not and will not contain 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 under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to the information contained in or omitted from the Statutory Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by or on behalf of any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 8(b) hereof.
(d)The Company has filed with the Commission a Form 8-A (file number 001-40953) providing for the registration under the Exchange Act of the Securities and the Ordinary Shares and the Warrants included as part of the Securities, which registration is currently effective on the date hereof. The Securities and the Ordinary Shares and the Warrants included as part of the Securities have been authorized for listing, subject to official notice of issuance and evidence of satisfactory distribution, on the New York Stock Exchange, and the Company knows of no reason or set of facts that is likely to adversely affect such authorization.
(e)The Commission has not issued any order or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened to issue any order preventing or suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any part thereof, and has not instituted or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened to institute any proceedings with respect to such an order.
(f)(i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement and (ii) as of the Execution Time (with such date being used as the determination date for purposes of this clause (ii)), the Company was and is an Ineligible Issuer (as defined in Rule 405).
(g)The Company has not prepared or used a Free Writing Prospectus.
(h)The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as an exempted company in good standing under the laws of the Cayman Islands with full corporate power and authority to own or lease, as the case may be, and to operate its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus and to enter into this Agreement, the Trust Agreement, the Warrant Agreement, the Founder’s Purchase Agreement, the Warrant Subscription Agreement, the Registration and Shareholder Rights Agreement, the Insider Letter and the Administrative Services Agreement, and to carry out the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, and is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing under the laws of each jurisdiction that requires such qualification.
(i)There is no franchise, contract or other document of a character required to be described in the Registration Statement or Prospectus, or to be filed as an exhibit thereto, which is not described or filed as required (and the Statutory Prospectus contains in all material respects the same description of the foregoing matters contained in the Prospectus); and the statements in the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus under the headings “Principal Shareholders,” “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions,” and “Description of Securities” insofar as such statements summarize legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings discussed therein, are accurate and fair summaries of such legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings. There are no business relationships or related party transactions involving the Company or any other person required by the Act to be described in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus or the Prospectus that have not been described as required.
(j)The Company’s authorized equity capitalization is as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus, the Prospectus and the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of the Company.
(k)All issued and outstanding securities of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and nonassessable; and none of such securities were issued in violation of the preemptive rights of any holders of any security of the Company or similar contractual rights granted by the Company. The offers and sales of the outstanding Ordinary Shares and the Warrants were at all relevant times either registered under the Act, the applicable state securities and blue sky laws or, based in part on the representations and warranties of the purchasers of such Ordinary Shares and the Warrants, exempt from such registration requirements. The holders of outstanding shares in the capital of the Company are not entitled to preemptive or other rights to subscribe for the Securities and, except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, no options, warrants or other rights to purchase, agreements or other obligations to issue, or rights to convert any obligations into or exchange any securities for, shares in the capital of or other ownership interests in the Company are outstanding.
(l)The Securities have been duly authorized and when executed by the Company and countersigned and issued and delivered against payment by the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement, will be validly issued.
(m)The Ordinary Shares included in the Units have been duly authorized and, when executed by the Company and countersigned, and issued and delivered against payment for the Securities by the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement and registered in the Company’s register of members, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(n)The Warrants included in the Units, when executed, authenticated, issued and delivered in the manner set forth in the Warrant Agreement against payment for the Securities by the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement, will be duly executed, authenticated, issued and delivered, and will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally from time to time in effect and by equitable principles of general applicability.
(o)The Ordinary Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants included in the Units and the Private Placement Warrants have been duly authorized and reserved for issuance upon exercise thereof and, when executed by the Company and countersigned, and issued and delivered against payment therefor pursuant to the Warrants and the Private Placement Warrants, as applicable, the Warrant Agreement and the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of the Company and registered in the Company’s register of members, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. The holders of such Ordinary Shares are not and will not be subject to personal liability by reason of being such holders; such Ordinary Shares are not and will not be subject to any preemptive or other similar contractual rights granted by the Company; and all corporate action required to be taken for the authorization, issuance and sale of such Ordinary Shares (other than such execution (if applicable), countersignature (if applicable) and delivery at the time of issuance) has been duly and validly taken.
(p)Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus, the Prospectus, no holders of any securities of the Company or any rights exercisable for or convertible or exchangeable into securities of the Company have the right to require the Company to register any such securities of the Company under the Act or to include any such securities in a registration statement to be filed by the Company.
(q)No securities of the Company have been sold by the Company or by or on behalf of, or for the benefit of, any person or persons controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the Company from its inception through and including the date hereof, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus.
(r)Neither the Company nor any of its affiliates has, prior to the date hereof, made any offer or sale of any securities that are required to be “integrated” pursuant to the Act with the offer and sale of the Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement.
(s)The issued and outstanding Founder Shares are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(t)The Private Placement Warrants, when delivered upon the consummation of the Offering, will be duly executed, authenticated and issued, and will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally from time to time in effect and by equitable principles of general applicability.
(u)This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and is a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally from time to time in effect and by equitable principles of general applicability.
(v)The Trust Agreement has been duly authorized, and will be duly executed and delivered by the Company, and, upon execution and delivery and assuming due execution and delivery by CST, will be a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company, in accordance with its terms except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally from time to time in effect and by equitable principles of general applicability.
(w)The Warrant Agreement has been duly authorized, and will be duly executed and delivered by the Company and, upon execution and delivery and assuming due execution and delivery by CST, will be a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally from time to time in effect and by equitable principles of general applicability.
(x)The Founder’s Purchase Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and the Sponsor, and is a valid and binding agreement of the Company and the Sponsor, enforceable against the Company and the Sponsor in accordance with its terms except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally from time to time in effect and by equitable principles of general applicability.
(y)The Warrant Subscription Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and the Sponsor, and is a valid and binding agreement of the Company and the Sponsor, enforceable against the Company and the Sponsor in accordance with its terms except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally from time to time in effect and by equitable principles of general applicability.
(z)The Registration and Shareholder Rights Agreement has been duly authorized, and will be duly executed and delivered by the Company and, upon execution and delivery, will be a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally from time to time in effect and by equitable principles of general applicability.
(aa)The Insider Letter to be executed by the Company, the Sponsor and each executive officer, director and director nominee of the Company, has been duly authorized, and will be duly executed and delivered by the Company, the Sponsor and, to the Company’s knowledge, each such executive officer, director and director nominee, respectively, and, upon execution and delivery, will constitute valid and binding agreements of the Company, the Sponsor and, to the Company’s knowledge, each such executive officer, director and director nominee, respectively, enforceable against the Company, the Sponsor and, to the Company’s knowledge, each such executive officer, director and director nominee, respectively, in accordance with their terms except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally from time to time in effect and by equitable principles of general applicability.
(bb)The Administrative Services Agreement has been duly authorized, and will be duly executed and delivered by the Company and, upon the execution and delivery, will be a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally from time to time in effect and by equitable principles of general applicability.
(cc)The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, will not be an “investment company” as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(dd)No consent, approval, authorization, filing with or order of any court or governmental agency or body is required in connection with the transactions contemplated herein or in the Trust Agreement, the Warrant Agreement, the Founder’s Purchase Agreement, the Warrant Subscription Agreement, the Registration and Shareholder Rights Agreement, the Insider Letter or the Administrative Services Agreement, except for the registration under the Act and the Exchange Act of the Securities and such as may be required under state securities or blue sky laws of any jurisdiction in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters in the manner contemplated herein and in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus.
(ee)The Company is not in violation or default of (i) any provision of its amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, (ii) the terms of any indenture, contract, lease, mortgage, deed of trust, note agreement, loan agreement or other agreement, obligation, condition, covenant or instrument to which it is a party or bound or to which its property is subject, or (iii) any (x) statute, law, rule, regulation, or (y) judgment, order or decree of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body, arbitrator or other authority having jurisdiction over the Company; except in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above for any such conflict, breach or violation that would not, individually or in the aggregate, be reasonably expected to have a material adverse effect on the financial condition, prospects, earnings, business or properties of the Company, taken as a whole, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business (a “Material Adverse Effect”).
(ff)Neither the issue and sale of the Securities nor the consummation of any other of the transactions herein contemplated nor the fulfillment of the terms hereof or of the Trust Agreement, the Warrant Agreement, the Founder’s Purchase Agreement, the Warrant Subscription Agreement, the Registration and Shareholder Rights Agreement, the Insider Letter or the Administrative Services Agreement will conflict with, result in a breach or violation of, or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company pursuant to, (i) the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of the Company, (ii) the terms of any indenture, contract, lease, mortgage, deed of trust, note agreement, loan agreement or other agreement, obligation, condition, covenant or instrument to which the Company is a party or bound or to which the Company’s property is subject, or (iii) any statute, law, rule, or regulation, judgment, order or decree applicable to the Company of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body, arbitrator or other authority having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its respective properties.
(gg)No holders of securities of the Company have rights to the registration of such securities under the Registration Statement.
(hh)The historical financial statements, including the notes thereto and the supporting schedules, if any, of the Company included in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus present fairly the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Company as of the dates and for the periods indicated, comply as to form with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved (except as otherwise noted therein). The summary financial data set forth under the caption “Summary Financial Data” in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus fairly present, on the basis stated in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, the information included therein. The Company is not party to any off-balance sheet transactions, arrangements, obligations (including contingent obligations), or other relationships with unconsolidated entities or other persons that may have a material current or future effect on the Company’s financial condition, changes in financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures, capital resources, or significant components of revenues or expenses. The statistical, industry-related and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company reasonably and in good faith believes are reliable and accurate, and such data agree with the sources from which they are derived.
(ii)No action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or the Sponsor, or the property of either of them is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened that (i) would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the performance of this Agreement or the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated hereby by the Company or (ii) would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto).
(jj)The Company owns or leases all such properties as are necessary to the conduct of its operations as presently conducted.
(kk)Marcum LLP (“Marcum”), who has certified certain financial statements of the Company and delivered its report with respect to the audited financial statements and schedules included in the Registration Statement, Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, is a registered public accounting firm that is independent with respect to the Company within the meaning of the Act and the Exchange Act and the applicable published rules and regulations thereunder.
(ll)The Company maintains effective “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined under Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act to the extent required by such rule).
(mm)Solely to the extent that the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission thereunder (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) have been applicable to the Company, there is and has been no failure on the part of the Company to comply in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
(nn)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 officers or directors, in their capacities as such, to comply with (as and when applicable), and immediately following the Effective Date the Company will be in compliance with, Section 303A of the New York Stock Exchange Listed Company Manual. Further, 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 officers or directors, in their capacities as such, to comply with (as and when applicable), and immediately following the Effective Date the Company will be in compliance with, the phase-in requirements and all other applicable provisions of the New York Stock Exchange LLC corporate governance requirements set forth in the New York Stock Exchange Listed Company Manual.
(oo)There are no transfer, stamp, issue, registration, documentary or other similar taxes, duties, fees or charges under U.S. federal law or the laws of any state, or any political subdivision thereof, or under the laws of any non-U.S. jurisdiction, required to be paid in connection with (i) the execution and delivery of this Agreement, (ii) the sale by the Company of the Securities, (iii) the initial purchase by the Underwriters of the Securities in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, and (iv) the initial resale and delivery by the Underwriters of the Securities in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, in each case, provided that (x) none of the matters referred to in (i) to (iv) above is voluntarily registered by the Underwriters or the persons to whom the Underwriters resell or deliver the Securities (otherwise than for the purpose of perfecting title, recording ownership or enforcing their rights under this Agreement for the Securities) in any jurisdiction; and (y) no document effecting the registration, initial resale or delivery by the Underwriters of the Securities is either signed or executed in the United Kingdom or brought into the United Kingdom, in each case by the Underwriters or the persons to whom the Underwriters resell or deliver the Securities.
(pp)The Company has filed all tax returns (including U.S. federal, state and non-U.S.) that are required to be filed by it or has requested extensions thereof (except in any case in which the failure so to file would not have a Material Adverse Effect) through the date hereof and has paid all taxes required to be paid by it and any other assessment, fine or penalty levied against it, to the extent that any of the foregoing is due and payable, except for any such assessment, fine or penalty that is currently being contested in good faith and for which adequate reserves required by generally accepted accounting principles have been created with respect thereto or as would not be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Registration Statement, Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto).
(qq)The Company possesses all licenses, certificates, permits and other authorizations issued by the appropriate federal, state or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct its business, and the Company has not received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such license, certificate, authorization or permit that, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Registration Statement, Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto).
(rr)None of the Company, the Sponsor, any director, director nominee or officer or, to the knowledge of the Company, agent, employee, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or of the Sponsor: (i) has used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) has made any direct or indirect unlawful contribution or payment to any official of, or candidate for, or any employee of, any federal, state or foreign office from corporate funds; (iii) has taken or will take any action in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization or approval of the payment, giving or receipt of money, property, gifts or anything else of value, directly or indirectly, to any government official (including any officer or employee of a government or 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) in order to influence official action, or to any person in violation of any applicable anti-corruption laws; or (iv) is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions (“OECD Convention”), the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “FCPA”) or any similar law or regulation to which the Company, any director, director nominee, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company is subject. The Company, the Sponsor, any director, director nominee or officer, and, to the knowledge of the Company, the Company’s agents, employees and affiliates have each conducted the business of the Company and their own businesses on behalf of the Company or of the Sponsor in compliance with the FCPA and any applicable similar law or regulation and have instituted and maintained and will continue to maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance with such laws and with the representations and warranties contained herein. The Company will not 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 the FCPA or any other applicable anti-corruption laws.
(ss)The operations of the Company and the Sponsor are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with all applicable financial record-keeping and reporting requirements, including those of the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by Title III of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act), the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the applicable money laundering statutes of jurisdictions where the Company and the Sponsor conduct business, the applicable rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “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 the Sponsor with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(tt)None of the Company, the Sponsor, any director, director nominee or officer or employee of the Company or the Sponsor, or, to the knowledge of the Company, any agent or affiliate of the Company or the Sponsor, is an individual or entity (“Person”) that is, or is owned or controlled by one or more Persons that are: (i) currently subject to any sanctions administered or enforced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department, the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury, or any similar sanctions imposed by any other body, governmental or other, to which any of such Persons is subject (collectively, “Sanctions”) or (ii) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of Sanctions (including, without limitation, Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the Offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other Person or entity, for the purpose of funding or facilitating the activities or business of or with any Person or in any country or territory that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is subject to any Sanctions; or in any other manner that will result in a violation of Sanctions by any Person (including any Person participating in the Offering, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise). Since April 15, 2021 (the date of the Company’s inception), the Company has not knowingly engaged in, is not now knowingly engaged in, and will not engage in, any dealings or transactions with any Person, or in any country or territory, that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject of any Sanctions.
(uu)Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company (i) does not have any material lending or other relationship with any bank or lending affiliate of any of the Underwriters and (ii) does not intend to use any of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities hereunder to repay any outstanding debt owed to any affiliate of any of the Underwriters.
(vv)All information contained in the questionnaires (the “Questionnaires”) completed by the Sponsor and, to the knowledge of the Company, the Company’s officers, directors and director nominees and provided to the Underwriters is true and correct in all material respects and the Company has not become aware of any information that would cause the information disclosed in the Questionnaires completed by the Sponsor or the Company’s officers, directors and director nominees to become inaccurate and incorrect in any material respect.
(ww)Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, prior to the date hereof, the Company has not identified any acquisition target and has not, nor, to its knowledge, has anyone on its behalf, initiated contact with any prospective acquisition target or had any substantive discussions, formal or otherwise, with respect to a possible initial Business Combination, or undertaken, or engaged or retained any agent or other representative to undertake, any research, diligence, evaluations or similar activities to identify, locate or contact any suitable acquisition candidate.
(xx)Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, there are no claims, payments, arrangements, contracts, agreements or understandings relating to the payment of a brokerage commission or finder’s, consulting, origination or similar fee by the Company or the Sponsor with respect to the sale of the Securities hereunder or any other arrangements, agreements or understandings of the Company, the Sponsor or any officer, director or director nominee of the Company, or their respective affiliates, that may affect the Underwriters’ compensation, as determined by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”).
(yy)Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company has not made any direct or indirect payments (in cash, securities or any other “item of value” as defined in Rule 5110(c)(3) of FINRA’s Conduct Rules): (i) to any person, as a finder’s fee, consulting fee or otherwise, in consideration of such person raising capital for the Company or introducing to the Company persons who raised or provided capital to the Company; (ii) to any person that, to the Company’s knowledge, has been accepted by FINRA as a member of FINRA (a “Member”); or (iii) to any person or entity that, to the Company’s knowledge, has any direct or indirect affiliation or association with any Member, within the twelve months prior to the Effective Date, other than payments to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement.
(zz)Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, during the period beginning 180 days prior to the initial confidential submission of the Registration Statement and ending on the Effective Date, no Member and/or any person associated or affiliated with a Member has provided any investment banking, financial advisory and/or consulting services to the Company. No Participating Member (as defined in FINRA Rule 5110(j)(15)) in the Offering has received any underwriting compensation in connection with a public offering that has not been completed according to the terms of an agreement entered into by the Company and a Participating Member in the Offering.
(aaa) Except as disclosed in the FINRA Questionnaires provided to the Representatives, no officer, director, director nominee or beneficial owner of any class of the Company’s securities (whether debt or equity, registered or unregistered, regardless of the time acquired or the source from which derived) (any such individual or entity, a “Company Affiliate”) is a Member or a person associated or affiliated with a Member.
(bbb)Except as disclosed in the FINRA Questionnaires provided to the Representatives, no Company Affiliate is an owner of shares or other stock of any Member (other than securities purchased on the open market).
(ccc)No Company Affiliate has made a subordinated loan to any Member.
(ddd)Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, no proceeds from the sale of the Securities (excluding underwriting compensation as disclosed in the Registration Statement, Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus) will be paid by the Company to any Member, or any persons associated or affiliated with a Member.
(eee)The Company has not issued any warrants or other securities, or granted any options, directly or indirectly to anyone who is a potential underwriter in the Offering or a related person (as defined by FINRA rules) of such an underwriter within the 180-day period prior to the initial confidential submission date of the Registration Statement.
(fff)Except for the issuance of securities to the Sponsor, no person to whom securities of the Company have been privately issued within the 180-day period prior to the initial confidential submission date of the Registration Statement has to the Company’s knowledge any relationship or affiliation or association with any Member.
(ggg)To the Company’s knowledge, no Member intending to participate in the Offering has a conflict of interest with the Company. For this purpose, a “conflict of interest” means, if at the time of the Member’s participation in the Offering, any of the following applies: (A) the securities are to be issued by the Member; (B) the Company controls, is controlled by or is under common control with the Member or the Member’s associated persons; (C) at least 5% of the net offering proceeds, not including underwriting compensation, are intended to be: (i) used to reduce or retire the balance of a loan or credit facility extended by the Member, its affiliates and its associated persons, in the aggregate; or (ii) otherwise directed to the Member, its affiliates and associated persons, in the aggregate; or (D) as a result of the Offering and any transactions contemplated at the time of the Offering: (i) the Member will be an affiliate of the Company; (ii) the Member will become publicly owned; or (iii) the Company will become a Member or form a broker-dealer subsidiary.
(hhh)The Company has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under the Exchange Act or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.
(iii)The Company does not own an interest in any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust or other entity.
(jjj)No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among any of the Company or any affiliate of the Company, on the one hand, and any director, director nominee, officer, shareholder, special advisor, customer or supplier of the Company or any affiliate of the Company, on the other hand, which is required by the Act or the Exchange Act to be described in the Registration Statement, Statutory Prospectus or the Prospectus that is not described as required. There are no outstanding loans, advances (except normal advances for business expenses in the ordinary course of business) or guarantees of indebtedness by the Company to or for the benefit of any of the officers, directors or director nominees of the Company or any of their respective family members, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus. The Company has not extended or maintained credit, arranged for the extension of credit, or renewed an extension of credit, in the form of a personal loan to or for any director, director nominee or officer of the Company.
(kkk)The Company has not offered, or caused the Underwriters to offer, the Securities to any person or entity with the intention of unlawfully influencing: (a) a customer or supplier of the Company or any affiliate of the Company to alter the customer’s or supplier’s level or type of business with the Company or such affiliate or (b) a journalist or publication to write or publish favorable information about the Company or any such affiliate.
(lll)Upon delivery and payment for the Securities on the Closing Date and each settlement date, the Company will not be subject to Rule 419 under the Act and none of the Company’s outstanding securities will be deemed to be a “penny stock” as defined in Rule 3a51-1 under the Exchange Act.
(mmm)From the time of the initial confidential submission of the Registration Statement to the Commission (or, if earlier, the first date on which the Company engaged, directly or through any Person authorized to act on its behalf, in any Testing-the-Waters Communication) through the Execution Time, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Act (an “Emerging Growth Company”). “Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any oral or written communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Act or Rule 163B.
(nnn)The Company (i) has not alone engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communication other than Testing-the-Waters Communications with the consent of the Representatives with entities that are qualified institutional buyers within the meaning of Rule 144A under the Act or institutions that are accredited investors within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Act and (ii) has not authorized anyone other than the Representatives to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company reconfirms that the Representatives have been authorized to act on its behalf in undertaking Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company has not distributed any Written Testing-the-Waters Communications other than those listed on Schedule III hereto. “Written Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any Testing-the-Waters Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Act.
(ppp)Except as disclosed in Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, under current laws and regulations of the Cayman Islands and any political subdivision thereof, all dividends and other distributions declared and payable on the Securities may be paid by the Company to the holder thereof in United States dollars or Cayman Islands dollars that may be converted into foreign currency and freely transferred out of the Cayman Islands and all such payments made to holders thereof or therein who are non-residents of the Cayman Islands will not be subject to income, withholding or other taxes under laws and regulations of the Cayman Islands or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein and will otherwise be free and clear of any other tax, duty, withholding or deduction in the Cayman Islands or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein and without the necessity of obtaining any governmental authorization in the Cayman Islands or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein.
(qqq)Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, to the Company’s knowledge, none of the Sponsor, officers, directors or director nominees of the Company is subject to a non-competition agreement or non-solicitation agreement with any employer or prior employer that could materially affect its, his or her ability to be and act in the capacity of shareholder, officer or director of the Company, as applicable.
(rrr)There has been (i) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (ii) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company and delivered to the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the Offering shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company, as to matters covered thereby, to each Underwriter.
2. | PURCHASE AND SALE. |
3. | DELIVERY AND PAYMENT. |
Delivery of and payment for the Underwritten Securities and the Option Securities (if the option provided for in Section 2 hereof shall have been exercised on or before the third Business Day prior to the Closing Date) shall be made at 9:00 a.m., New York City time, on October 26, 2021, or at such time on such later date not more than three Business Days after the foregoing date as the Representatives shall designate, which date and time may be postponed by agreement between the Representatives and the Company or as provided in Section 9 hereof (such date and time of delivery and payment for the Securities being herein called the “Closing Date”). Delivery of the Securities shall be made to the Representatives for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters against payment by the several Underwriters through the Representatives of the purchase price thereof by wire transfer payable in same-day funds to an account specified by the Company and to the Trust Account as described below in this Section 3. Delivery of the Underwritten Securities and the Option Securities shall be made through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) unless the Representatives shall otherwise instruct.
If the option provided for in Section 2 hereof is exercised after the second Business Day prior to the Closing Date, the Company will deliver the Option Securities (at the expense of the Company) to Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, at Eleven Madison Avenue New York, New York 10010, on the date specified by the Representatives (which shall be at least two Business Days after exercise of said option) for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters, against payment by the several Underwriters through the Representatives of the purchase price thereof to the Trust Account as described above in Section 3(b). If settlement for the Option Securities occurs after the Closing Date, the Company will deliver to the Representatives on the settlement date for the Option Securities, and the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase the Option Securities shall be conditioned upon receipt of, supplemental opinions, certificates and letters confirming as of such date the opinions, certificates and letters delivered on the Closing Date pursuant to Section 6 hereof.
4. | OFFERING BY UNDERWRITERS. |
It is understood that the several Underwriters propose to offer the Securities for sale to the public as set forth in the Prospectus (the “Offering”).
5. | AGREEMENTS. |
The Company agrees with the several Underwriters that:
(ff)The Company, subject to any applicable provision of the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, may consummate the initial Business Combination and conduct redemptions of Ordinary Shares for cash upon consummation of such Business Combination without a shareholder vote pursuant to Rule 13e-4 and Regulation 14E of the Exchange Act, including the filing of tender offer documents with the Commission. Such tender offer documents will contain substantially the same financial and other information about the initial Business Combination and the redemption rights as is required under the Commission’s proxy rules and will provide each shareholder of the Company with the opportunity prior to the consummation of the initial Business Combination to redeem the Ordinary Shares held by such shareholder for a per share amount of cash equal to (A) the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial Business Combination, representing (x) the net proceeds held in the Trust Account from the Offering and the sale of the Private Placement Warrants and (y) any interest income earned on the funds held in the Trust Account not previously released to the Company to pay income taxes, divided by (B) the total number of Ordinary Shares sold as part of the Units in the Offering (the “Public Shares”) then outstanding. If, however, the Company elects not to file such tender offer documents, a shareholder vote is required by law or stock exchange listing requirement in connection with the initial Business Combination or the Company decides to hold a shareholder vote for business or other legal reasons, the Company will submit such Business Combination to the Company’s shareholders for their approval (“Business Combination Vote”). With respect to the initial Business Combination Vote, if any, the Sponsor and the Company’s officers, directors and director nominees have agreed to vote all of their Founder Shares and any other Ordinary Shares purchased during or after the Offering in favor of the Company’s initial Business Combination. If the Company seeks shareholder approval of the initial Business Combination, the Company will offer to each Public Shareholder holding Ordinary Shares the right to have its shares redeemed in conjunction with a proxy solicitation pursuant to the proxy rules of the Commission at a per share redemption price (the “Redemption Price”) equal to (I) the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account as of two business days prior to the consummation of the initial Business Combination, representing (1) the proceeds held in the Trust Account from the Offering and certain of the proceeds from the sale of the Private Placement Warrants and (2) any interest income earned on the funds held in the Trust Account not previously released to the Company to pay income taxes, divided by (II) the total amount of Public Shares then outstanding. If the Company seeks shareholder approval of the initial Business Combination, the Company may proceed with such Business Combination only if it obtains the approval of an ordinary resolution (as described in the Prospectus) or such higher approval threshold as may be required by Cayman Islands law and pursuant to the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association. If, after seeking and obtaining such ordinary resolution, the Company elects to so proceed, it will redeem shares, at the Redemption Price, from those Public Shareholders who affirmatively requested such redemption. Only Public Shareholders holding Ordinary Shares who properly exercise their redemption rights, in accordance with the applicable tender offer or proxy materials related to such Business Combination and the amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of the Company, shall be entitled to receive distributions from the Trust Account in connection with an initial Business Combination, and the Company shall pay no distributions with respect to any other holders of shares in the capital of the Company in connection therewith. In the event that the Company does not effect a Business Combination by eighteen (18) months (or twenty-one (21) months, as applicable) from the closing of the Offering (or such later date as has been approved by valid amendment to the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association), the Company will (i) cease all operations except for the purpose of winding up, (ii) as promptly as reasonably possible but not more than ten (10) business days thereafter, redeem 100% of the Public Shares, at a per-share price, payable in cash, equal to the aggregate amount then on deposit in the Trust Account (including interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account and not previously released to the Company to pay income taxes, if any (less up to $100,000 of interest to pay winding up and dissolution expenses), divided by the amount of then outstanding Public Shares, which redemption will completely extinguish Public Shareholders’ rights as shareholders (including the right to receive further liquidating distributions, if any), subject to applicable law, and (iii) as promptly as reasonably possible following such redemption, subject to the approval of the Company’s remaining shareholders and the Company’s board of directors, wind up and dissolve, subject in each case to the Company’s obligations under Cayman Islands law to provide for claims of creditors and the requirements of other applicable law. Only Public Shareholders holding Ordinary Shares included in the Securities shall be entitled to receive such redemption amounts and the Company shall pay no such redemption amounts or any distributions in liquidation with respect to any other shares in the capital of the Company. The Sponsor and the Company’s officers and directors have agreed that they will not propose any amendment to the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (A) that would affect the substance or timing of the Company’s obligation to provide holders of Public Shares the right to have their shares redeemed in connection with the Company’s initial Business Combination or to redeem 100% of the outstanding Public Shares if the Company has not consummated a Business Combination within eighteen (18) months (or twenty-one (21) months, as applicable) from the closing of the Offering or (B) with respect to any other provision relating to the rights of holders of the Ordinary Shares, unless the Company offers to redeem the Public Shares in connection with such amendment, as described in the Statutory Prospectus and Prospectus.
(gg)In the event that the Company desires or is required by an applicable law or regulation to cause an announcement (“Business Combination Announcement”) to be placed in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times or any other news or media publication or outlet or to be made via a public filing with the Commission announcing the consummation of the Business Combination that indicates that the Underwriters were the underwriters in the Offering, the Company shall supply the Representatives with a draft of the Business Combination Announcement and provide the Representatives with a reasonable advance opportunity to comment thereon, subject to the agreement of the Underwriters to keep confidential such draft announcement in accordance with the Representatives’ standard policies regarding confidential information.
(hh)Subject to the provisions of this paragraph, upon the consummation of the initial Business Combination, the Company and the Underwriters will jointly direct the Trustee to pay the Underwriters the Deferred Discount out of the proceeds of the Offering held in the Trust Account. The Underwriters shall have no claim to payment of any interest earned on the portion of the proceeds held in the Trust Account representing the Deferred Discount. If the Company fails to consummate its initial Business Combination within the time period required by its amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (as such period may be extended), the Deferred Discount will not be paid to the Underwriters and will, instead, be included in the Liquidation distribution of the proceeds held in the Trust Account made to the Public Shareholders. In connection with any such Liquidation, the Underwriters forfeit any rights or claims to the Deferred Discount. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the Company may, at its sole and absolute discretion, reallocate up to $0.15 per Unit of the amount designated as the Deferred Discount among the Underwriters and their affiliates that assist the Company in consummating its initial Business Combination.
(ii)The Company will endeavor in good faith, in cooperation with the Representatives, to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives may reasonably designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Securities; provided that no such qualification shall be required in any jurisdiction where, as a result thereof, the Company would be subject to service of general process or to taxation as a foreign corporation doing business in such jurisdiction. Until the earliest of (i) the date on which all Underwriters shall have ceased to engage in market-making activities in respect of the Securities, (ii) the date on which the Securities are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (or any successor thereto), (iii) a going private transaction after the completion of a Business Combination, and (iv) the date of the commencement of the winding up of the Company, in each jurisdiction where such qualification shall be effected, the Company will, unless the Representatives agree that such action is not at the time necessary or advisable, use all reasonable efforts to file and make such statements or reports at such times as are or may be required to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the securities laws of such jurisdiction.
(jj)If at any time following the distribution of any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication included or would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein in light of the circumstances under which they were made at such time, not misleading, the Company will promptly (i) notify the Representatives so that use of the Written Testing-the-Waters Communication may cease until it is amended or supplemented; (ii) amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication to eliminate or correct such untrue statement or omission; and (iii) supply any amendment or supplement to the Representatives in such quantities as may be reasonably requested.
(kk)The Company will promptly notify the Representatives if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the later of (i) completion of the distribution of the Securities within the meaning of the Act and (ii) completion of the 180-day restricted period referred to in Section 5(h) hereof.
(ll)Upon the earlier to occur of the expiration or termination of the Underwriters’ over-allotment option, the Company shall procure that the Sponsor shall surrender Founder Shares for no consideration and shall agree to such surrender by the Sponsor, in an aggregate amount equal to the number of Founder Shares determined by multiplying (a) 1,125,000 by (b) a fraction, (i) the numerator of which is 4,500,000 minus the number of Ordinary Shares purchased by the Underwriters upon the exercise of their over-allotment option, and (ii) the denominator of which is 4,500,000. For the avoidance of doubt, if the Underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full, the Company shall not cancel or otherwise effect the surrender of the Founder Shares pursuant to this subsection.
(mm)If the Representatives, in their sole discretion, agree to release or waive the transfer restrictions set forth in the Insider Letter for an officer or director of the Company and provide the Company with notice of the impending release or waiver at least three (3) 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 A hereto through a major news service at least two (2) Business Days before the effective date of the release or waiver.
6. | CONDITIONS TO THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE UNDERWRITERS. |
The obligations of the Underwriters to purchase the Underwritten Securities and the Option Securities, as the case may be, shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company contained herein as of the Execution Time, the Closing Date and any settlement date pursuant to Section 3 hereof, to the accuracy of the statements of the Company made in any certificates pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:
References to the Prospectus in this paragraph (f) include any supplement thereto at the date of the letter.
If any of the conditions specified in this Section 6 shall not have been fulfilled when and as provided in this Agreement, or if any of the opinions and certificates mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall not be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters, this Agreement and all obligations of the Underwriters hereunder may be canceled at, or at any time prior to, the Closing Date by the Representatives. Notice of such cancellation shall be given to the Company in writing or by telephone or facsimile confirmed in writing.
The documents required to be delivered by this Section 6 shall be delivered at the office of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, at 425 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10017, Attention: Brian E. Rosenzweig and Mark Brod, unless otherwise indicated herein, on the Closing Date.
7. | REIMBURSEMENT OF UNDERWRITERS’ EXPENSES. |
If the sale of the Securities provided for herein is not consummated because any condition to the obligations of the Underwriters set forth in Section 6 hereof is not satisfied, because of any termination pursuant to Section 10 hereof (other than clauses (ii), (iv) or (vii) thereof) or because of any refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company to perform any agreement herein or comply with any provision hereof other than by reason of a default by any of the Underwriters, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters severally through the Representatives on demand for all reasonable out-of- pocket expenses (including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel) that shall have been incurred by them in connection with the proposed purchase and sale of the Securities.
8. | INDEMNIFICATION AND CONTRIBUTION. |
9. | DEFAULT BY AN UNDERWRITER. |
If any one or more Underwriters shall fail to purchase and pay for any of the Securities agreed to be purchased by such Underwriter or Underwriters hereunder and such failure to purchase shall constitute a default in the performance of its or their obligations under this Agreement, the remaining Underwriters shall be obligated severally to take up and pay for (in the respective proportions that the amount of Securities set forth opposite their names in Schedule I hereto bears to the aggregate amount of Securities set forth opposite the names of all the remaining Underwriters) the Securities that the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase; provided, however, that in the event that the aggregate amount of Securities that the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase shall exceed 10% of the Underwritten Securities, the remaining Underwriters shall have the right to purchase all, but shall not be under any obligation to purchase any, of the Securities. If within one Business Day after such default relating to more than 10% of the Underwritten Securities the remaining Underwriters do not arrange for the purchase of such Underwritten Securities, then the Company shall be entitled to a further period of one Business Day within which to procure another party or parties reasonably satisfactory to you to purchase said Underwritten Securities. In the event that neither the remaining Underwriters nor the Company purchase or arrange for the purchase of all of the Underwritten Securities to which a default relates as provided in this Section 9, this Agreement will terminate without liability to any nondefaulting Underwriter or the Company except as provided in Section 11 (provided that if such default occurs with respect to Option Securities after the Closing Date, this Agreement will not terminate as to the Underwritten Securities or any Option Securities purchased prior to such termination). In the event of a default by any Underwriter as set forth in this Section 9, the Closing Date shall be postponed for such period, not exceeding five Business Days, as the Representatives shall determine in order that the required changes in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter of its liability, if any, to the Company and any nondefaulting Underwriter for damages occasioned by its default hereunder.
10. | TERMINATION. |
This Agreement shall be subject to termination in the absolute discretion of the Representatives, by notice given to the Company prior to delivery of and payment for the Securities, if at any time prior to such delivery and payment (i) trading in the Company’s Units, Ordinary Shares or Warrants shall have been suspended by the Commission, or trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq Capital Market shall have been suspended or limited or minimum prices shall have been established on such exchange or trading market, (ii) a banking moratorium shall have been declared either by Federal or New York State authorities, (iii) there shall have occurred a material disruption in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services, (iv) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities, declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war, or other national or international calamity or crisis (including, without limitation, an act of terrorism) or change in economic or political conditions the effect of which on financial markets is such as to make it, in the sole judgment of the Representatives, impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or delivery of the Securities as contemplated by the Statutory Prospectus or the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto), (v) since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus and the Prospectus, any material adverse change or any development involving a prospective material adverse change in or affecting the earnings, business, management, properties, assets, rights, operations, condition (financial or otherwise) or prospects of the Company, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, (vi) the enactment, publication, decree or other promulgation of any statute, regulation, rule or order of any court or other governmental authority which in your opinion materially and adversely affects or may materially and adversely affect the business or operations of the Company, or (vii) the taking of any action by any governmental body or agency in respect of its monetary or fiscal affairs which in your opinion has a material adverse effect on the securities markets in the United States.
11. | REPRESENTATIONS AND INDEMNITIES TO SURVIVE. |
The respective agreements, representations, warranties, indemnities and other statements of the Company or its officers and of the Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or the Company or any of the officers, directors, employees, agents or controlling persons referred to in Section 8 hereof, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Securities. The provisions of Sections 7 and 8 hereof shall survive the termination or cancellation of this Agreement.
12. | NOTICES. |
All communications hereunder will be in writing and effective only on receipt, and, if sent to the Representatives, will be mailed, delivered or telefaxed to: (a) Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Eleven Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10010-3629, Facsimile: (212) 325-4296, Attention: IBCM-Legal and (b) Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, 1585 Broadway, New York, New York 10036, Attention: Equity Syndicate Desk, with a copy to the Legal Department; or, if sent to the Company, will be mailed, delivered to Iconic Sports Acquisition Corp., 16 Hanover Square, London, W1S 1HT, United Kingdom, Attention: Fausto Zanneton, with a copy to the Company’s counsel at Kirkland & Ellis LLP, 601 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York, 10022, Attention: Christian O. Nagler.
13. | SUCCESSORS. |
This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers, directors, employees, agents and controlling persons referred to in Section 8 hereof, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder.
14. | NO FIDUCIARY DUTY. |
The Company hereby acknowledges that (a) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters and any affiliate through which it may be acting, on the other, (b) the Underwriters are acting as principal and not as an agent or fiduciary of the Company and (c) the Company’s engagement of the Underwriters in connection with the Offering and the process leading up to the Offering is as independent contractors and not in any other capacity. Furthermore, the Company agrees that it is solely responsible for making its own judgments in connection with the Offering (irrespective of whether any of the Underwriters has advised or is currently advising the Company on related or other matters). The Company agrees that it will not claim that the Underwriters have rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owe an agency, fiduciary or similar duty to the Company, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto. None of the activities of the Underwriters in connection with the transactions contemplated herein constitutes a recommendation, investment advice, or solicitation of any action by the Underwriters with respect to any entity or natural person.
15. | RECOGNITION OF THE U.S. SPECIAL RESOLUTION REGIMES. |
For purposes of this Section 15: (A) a “BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k); (B) “Covered Entity” means any of the following: (i) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b); (ii) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or (iii) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b); (C) “Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable; and (D) “U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
16. | INTEGRATION. |
This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company and the Underwriters, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof.
17. | APPLICABLE LAW. |
This Agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to contracts made and to be performed within the State of New York. Any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby shall be instituted in the Specified Courts, and each party irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction (except for proceedings instituted in regard to the enforcement of a judgment of any such court, as to which such jurisdiction is non-exclusive) of such courts in any such suit, action or proceeding. Service of any process, summons, notice or document by mail to such party’s address set forth above shall be effective service of process for any suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court. The parties irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or other proceeding in the Specified Courts and irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim in any such court that any such suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.
18. | WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. |
The Company hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
19. | COUNTERPARTS; ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES. |
This Agreement may be signed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same agreement. Delivery of this Agreement by one party to the other may be made by facsimile, electronic mail (including any electronic signature complying with the New York Electronic Signatures and Records Act (N.Y. State Tech. §§ 301-309), as amended from time to time, or other applicable law) or other transmission method, and the parties hereto agree that any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.
20. | HEADINGS. |
The section headings used herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof
21. | DEFINITIONS. |
The terms that follow, when used in this Agreement, shall have the meanings indicated.
“Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.
“Applicable Time” shall mean 9:15 p.m. (New York time) on the date of this Agreement.
“Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a legal holiday or a day on which banking institutions or trust companies are authorized or obligated by law to close in New York City.
“Commission” shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Effective Date” shall mean each date and time that the Registration Statement, any post-effective amendment or amendments thereto and any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement became or becomes effective.
“Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.
“Execution Time” shall mean the date and time that this Agreement is executed and delivered by the parties hereto.
“Free Writing Prospectus” shall mean a free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 405.
“Liquidation” shall mean the distributions of the Trust Account to the Public Shareholders in connection with the redemption of Ordinary Shares held by the Public Shareholders pursuant to the terms of the Company’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, as amended, if the Company fails to consummate a Business Combination.
“Preliminary Prospectus” shall mean any preliminary prospectus referred to in paragraph 1(a) above and any preliminary prospectus included in the Registration Statement at the Effective Date.
“Prospectus” shall mean the prospectus relating to the Securities that is first filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) after the Execution Time.
“Registration Statement” shall mean the registration statements referred to in paragraph 1(a) above, including exhibits and financial statements and any prospectus and prospectus supplement relating to the Securities that is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) and deemed part of such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430A, as amended at the Execution Time and, in the event any post-effective amendment thereto or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement becomes effective prior to the Closing Date, shall also mean such registration statement as so amended or such Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, as the case may be.
“Rule 158”, “Rule 163B”, “Rule 172”, “Rule 405”, “Rule 419”, “Rule 424(b)”, “Rule 430A”, “Rule 433”, “Rule 433(h)”, and “Rule 462(b)” refer to such rules under the Act.
“Rule 462(b) Registration Statement” shall mean a registration statement and any amendments thereto filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) relating to the offering covered by the registration statement referred to in Section 1(a) hereof.
“Statutory Prospectus” shall mean (i) the Preliminary Prospectus dated October 21, 2021, relating to the Securities and (ii) the Time of Delivery Information, if any, set forth on Schedule II hereto.
[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to us the enclosed duplicate hereof, whereupon it will become a binding agreement among the Company and the several Underwriters in accordance with its terms.
| Very truly yours, | ||
| | ||
| Iconic Sports Acquisition Corp. | ||
| | ||
| By: | /s/ Fausto Zanetton | |
| | Name: | Fausto Zanetton |
| | Title: | Chief Financial Officer and Co-Chief Executive Officer |
[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]
The foregoing Underwriting Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted as of the date first above written.
| | | |
| CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) LLC, | ||
| | | |
| By: | /s/ Ryan Kelley | |
| Name: | Ryan Kelley | |
| Title: | Director | |
| | | |
| | | |
| MORGAN STANLEY & CO. LLC, | ||
| | | |
| By: | /s/ Benjamin Samuels | |
| Name: | Benjamin Samuels | |
| Title: | Executive Director | |
| |||
| On behalf of each of the Underwriters | ||
[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]
SCHEDULE I
| | | | | |
| | Number of | | | |
| | Underwritten | | | |
Underwriter |
| Securities |
| Pro Rata Percentage | |
| | Column A-1 | | ||
Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC | | 12,500,000 | | 41.67 | % |
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC | | 12,500,000 | | 41.67 | % |
Public Subtotal | | 25,000,000 | | 83.33 | % |
| | | | | |
| | Column A-2 | | ||
| | Units to be purchased by the Sponsor | | ||
Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC | | 2,500,000 | | 8.33 | % |
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC | | 2,500,000 | | 8.33 | % |
Sponsor Subtotal | | 5,000,000 | | 16.67 | % |
Total | | 30,000,000 | | 100.0 | % |
SCHEDULE II
TIME OF DELIVERY INFORMATION
Iconic Sports Acquisition Corp. priced 30,000,000 units at $10.00 per unit plus an additional 4,500,000 units if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full.
The units will be issued pursuant to an effective registration statement that has been previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of any offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities law of any such state or jurisdiction.
Copies of the prospectus related to this offering may be obtained from: Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Attn: Prospectus Department, Eleven Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010, tel: (800) 221-1037, email: ecm.prospectus@credit-suisse.com; and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Attn: Prospectus Department, 180 Varick Street, 2nd Floor, New York, New York 10014, tel: (866) 718-1649, email: prospectus@morganstanley.com.
SCHEDULE III
SCHEDULE OF WRITTEN TESTING-THE-WATERS COMMUNICATIONS
Reference is made to the materials used in the testing the waters presentation made to potential investors by the Company, to the extent such materials are deemed to be a “written communication” within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Act.
EXHIBIT A
Form of Press Release
Iconic Sports Acquisition Corp.
[Date]
Iconic Sports Acquisition Corp., (the “Company”) announced today that Credit Suisse and Morgan Stanley, the lead book-running managers in the Company’s recent public sale of Units, are [waiving] [releasing] a lock-up restriction with respect to the Company’s [Class A Ordinary Shares] [Warrants] [Units] held by [certain officers or directors] [an officer or director] of the Company. The [waiver] [release] will take effect on [date], and the securities 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.