Exhibit 99.2
CREDIT SUISSE (USA), INC.
Debt Securities
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
1. Introductory. Credit Suisse (USA), Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Company”), proposes to issue and sell from time to time certain of its unsecured debt securities registered under the registration statement referred to in Section 2(a) (“Registered Securities”). The Registered Securities will be issued under an indenture, dated as of June 1, 2001 (“Indenture”), between the Company and The Bank of New York (as successor to The Chase Manhattan Bank), as Trustee, in one or more series, which series may vary as to interest rates, maturities, redemption provisions, selling prices and other terms, with all such terms for any particular series of the Registered Securities being determined at the time of sale. Particular series of the Registered Securities will be sold pursuant to a Terms Agreement referred to in Section 3, for resale in accordance with terms of offering determined at the time of sale.
The Registered Securities involved in any such offering are hereinafter referred to as the “Offered Securities”. The firm or firms which agree to purchase the Offered Securities are hereinafter referred to as the “Underwriters” of such securities, and the representatives of the Underwriters, if any, specified in a Terms Agreement referred to in Section 3 are hereinafter referred to as the “Representatives”; provided, however, that if the Terms Agreement does not specify any representative of the Underwriters, the term “Representatives”, as used in this Agreement (other than in Sections 2(b), 6(c) and 7 and the second sentence of Section 3), shall mean the Underwriters.
2. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company, as of the date of each Terms Agreement referred to in Section 3, represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each Underwriter that:
(a) Filing and Effectiveness of Registration Statement; Certain Defined Terms. The Company has filed with the Commission a registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-131970), including a related prospectus or prospectuses, covering the registration of the Registered Securities under the Act, which has become effective. “Registration Statement” at any particular time means such registration statement in the form then filed with the Commission, including any amendment thereto, any document incorporated by reference therein and all 430B Information and all 430C Information with respect to such registration statement, that in any case has not been superseded or modified. “Registration Statement” without reference to a time means the Registration Statement as of the Effective Date. For purposes of this definition, 430B Information shall be
considered to be included in the Registration Statement as of the time specified in Rule 430B.
For purposes of this Agreement:
“430B Information” means information included in a prospectus then deemed to be a part of the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430B(e) or retroactively deemed to be a part of the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430B(f).
“430C Information” means information included in a prospectus then deemed to be a part of the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430C.
“Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
“Applicable Time” means the time and date so stated in the Terms Agreement.
“Closing Date” has the meaning defined in Section 3 hereof.
“Commission” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Effective Date” of the Registration Statement relating to the Offered Securities means the time of the first contract of sale for the Offered Securities.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
“Final Prospectus” means the Statutory Prospectus that discloses the public offering price, other 430B Information and other final terms of the Offered Securities and otherwise satisfies Section 10(a) of the Act.
“General Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors, as evidenced by its being so specified in a schedule to the Terms Agreement.
“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, relating to the Offered Securities in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).
“Limited Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not a General Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.
“Rules and Regulations” means the rules and regulations of the Commission.
“Securities Laws” means, collectively, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“Sarbanes-Oxley”), the Act, the Exchange Act, the Trust Indenture Act, the Rules and Regulations, the auditing principles, rules, standards and practices applicable to auditors of “issuers”
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(as defined in Sarbanes-Oxley) promulgated or approved by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and, as applicable, the rules of the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ Stock Market (“Exchange Rules”).
“Statutory Prospectus” with reference to any particular time means the prospectus relating to the Offered Securities that is included in the Registration Statement immediately prior to that time, including all 430B Information and all 430C Information with respect to the Registration Statement. For purposes of the foregoing definition, 430B Information shall be considered to be included in the Statutory Prospectus only as of the actual time that form of prospectus (including a prospectus supplement) is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) and not retroactively.
“Terms Agreement” means the Terms Agreement referred to in Section 3 relating to the Offered Securities.
“Trust Indenture Act” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939.
Unless otherwise specified, a reference to a “rule” is to the indicated rule under the Act.
(b) Compliance with Securities Act Requirements. (i) (A) At the time the Registration Statement initially became effective, (B) at the time of each amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Act (whether by post-effective amendment, incorporated report or form of prospectus), (C) on the Effective Date relating to the Offered Securities and (D) on the Closing Date, the Registration Statement conformed and will conform in all respects to the requirements of the Act, the Trust Indenture Act and the Rules and Regulations and did not and will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading and (ii) (A) on its date, (B) at the time of filing the Final Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) and (C) on the Closing Date, the Final Prospectus will conform in all respects to the requirements of the Act, the Trust Indenture Act and the Rules and Regulations, and will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any such document based upon written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives, if any, specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information is that described as such in the Terms Agreement.
(c) Automatic Shelf Registration Statement. (i) Well-Known Seasoned Issuer Status. (A) At the time of initial filing of the Registration Statement, (B) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or form of prospectus), and (C) at the time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause
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only, of Rule 163(c)) made any offer relating to the Offered Securities in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163, the Company was a “well known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405, including not having been an “ineligible issuer” as defined in Rule 405.
(ii) Effectiveness of Automatic Shelf Registration Statement. The Registration Statement is an “automatic shelf registration statement,” as defined in Rule 405, that initially became effective within three years of the date of the Terms Agreement. If immediately prior to the Renewal Deadline (as hereinafter defined), any of the Offered Securities remain unsold by the Underwriters, the Company will prior to the Renewal Deadline file, if it has not already done so and is eligible to do so, a new automatic shelf registration statement relating to the Offered Securities, in a form satisfactory to the Lead Underwriter (as defined in Section 3). If the Company is no longer eligible to file an automatic shelf registration statement, the Company will prior to the Renewal Deadline, if it has not already done so, file a new shelf registration statement relating to the Offered Securities, in a form satisfactory to the Lead Underwriter, and will use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to be declared effective within 180 days after the Renewal Deadline. The Company will take all other action necessary or appropriate to permit the public offering and sale of the Offered Securities to continue as contemplated in the expired registration statement relating to the Offered Securities. References herein to the Registration Statement shall include such new automatic shelf registration statement or such new shelf registration statement, as the case may be. “Renewal Deadline” means the third anniversary of the initial effective date of the Registration Statement.
(iii) Eligibility to Use Automatic Shelf Registration Form. The Company has not received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) objecting to use of the automatic shelf registration statement form. If at any time when Offered Securities remain unsold by the Underwriters the Company receives from the Commission a notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) or otherwise ceases to be eligible to use the automatic shelf registration statement form, the Company will (i) promptly notify the Lead Underwriter, (ii) promptly file a new registration statement or post-effective amendment on the proper form relating to the Offered Securities, in a form satisfactory to the Lead Underwriter, (iii) use its best efforts to cause such registration statement or post-effective amendment to be declared effective as soon as practicable, and (iv) promptly notify the Lead Underwriter of such effectiveness. The Company will take all other action necessary or appropriate to permit the public offering and sale of the Offered Securities to continue as contemplated in the registration statement that was the subject of the Rule 401(g)(2) notice or for which the Company has otherwise become ineligible. References herein to the Registration Statement shall include such new registration statement or post-effective amendment, as the case may be.
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(iv) Filing Fees. The Company has paid or shall pay the required Commission filing fees relating to the Offered Securities within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1) without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r).
(d) Ineligible Issuer Status. (i) At the earliest time after the filing of the Registration Statement that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2)) of the Offered Securities and (ii) at the date of the Terms Agreement, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405, including (x) the Company or any of its subsidiaries in the preceding three years not having been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor or having been made the subject of a judicial or administrative decree or order as described in Rule 405 and (y) the Company in the preceding three years not having been the subject of a bankruptcy petition or insolvency or similar proceeding, not having had a registration statement be the subject of a proceeding under Section 8 of the Act and not being the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the Act in connection with the offering of the Securities, all as described in Rule 405.
(e) General Disclosure Package. As of the Applicable Time, neither (i) the General Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus(es) issued at or prior to the Applicable Time, the Statutory Prospectus identified in a schedule to the Terms Agreement, and any other documents listed or disclosures stated in a schedule to the Terms Agreement to be included in the General Disclosure Package, all considered together (collectively, the “General Disclosure Package”), nor (ii) any individual Limited Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Statutory Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in the Terms Agreement.
(f) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Offered Securities or until any earlier date that the Company notified or notifies the Lead Underwriter as described in the next sentence, did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information then contained in the Registration Statement. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information then contained in the Registration Statement or as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing
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Prospectus, if republished immediately following such event or development, would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, (i) the Company has promptly notified or will promptly notify the Lead Underwriter and (ii) the Company has promptly amended or will promptly amend or supplement such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.
(g) Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been duly incorporated and is existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, with power and authority (corporate and other) to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the General Disclosure Package; and the Company is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation in good standing in all other jurisdictions in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification.
(h) Subsidiaries. Each subsidiary of the Company has been duly incorporated and is existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, with power and authority (corporate and other) to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the General Disclosure Package; and each subsidiary of the Company is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation in good standing in all other jurisdictions in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification; all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of each subsidiary of the Company has been duly authorized and validly issued and is fully paid and nonassessable; and the capital stock of each subsidiary owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, is owned free from liens, encumbrances and defects.
(i) Indenture; Offered Securities—Debt. The Indenture has been duly authorized and has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act; the Offered Securities have been duly authorized; and when the Offered Securities are delivered and paid for pursuant to the Terms Agreement on the Closing Date or pursuant to Delayed Delivery Contracts (as hereinafter defined), the Indenture will have been duly executed and delivered, such Offered Securities will have been duly executed, authenticated, issued and delivered, will conform to the information in the General Disclosure Package and to the description of such Offered Securities contained in the Final Prospectus and the Indenture and such Offered Securities will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles.
(j) Listing. If specified in the Terms Agreement, the Offered Securities have been approved for listing on the stock exchange indicated in the Terms Agreement, subject to notice of issuance.
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(k) Absence of Further Requirements. No consent, approval, authorization, or order of, or filing or registration with, any person (including any governmental agency or body or any court) is required for the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Terms Agreement (including the provisions of this Agreement) or the Indenture in connection with the offering, issuance and sale of the Offered Securities by the Company, except such as have been obtained or made and such as may be required under state securities laws.
(l) Title to Property. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, the Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all real properties and all other properties and assets owned by them, in each case free from liens, charges, encumbrances and defects that would materially affect the value thereof or materially interfere with the use made or to be made thereof by them; and except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, the Company and its subsidiaries hold any leased real or personal property under valid and enforceable leases with no terms or provisions that would materially interfere with the use made or to be made thereof by them.
(m) Absence of Defaults and Conflicts Resulting from Transaction. The execution, delivery and performance of the Indenture, the Terms Agreement (including the provisions of this Agreement) and any Delayed Delivery Contracts and the issuance and sale of the Offered Securities and compliance with the terms and provisions thereof will not result in a breach or violation of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default or a Debt Repayment Triggering Event (as defined below) under, or result in the imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, the charter or by-laws of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, any statute, rule, regulation or order of any governmental agency or body or any court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties, or any agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the properties of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, or the charter or by-laws of the Company or any such subsidiary, and the Company has full power and authority to authorize, issue and sell the Offered Securities as contemplated by the Terms Agreement (including the provisions of this Agreement); a “Debt Repayment Triggering Event” means any event or condition that gives, or with the giving of notice or lapse of time would give, the holder of any note, debenture, or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
(n) Absence of Existing Defaults and Conflicts. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of its respective charter or by-laws or in default (or with the giving of notice or lapse of time would be in default) under any existing obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, loan agreement, mortgage, lease or other agreement or instrument to which any of them is a party or by
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which any of them is bound or to which any of the properties of any of them is subject, except such defaults that would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, business, properties or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole (“Material Adverse Effect”).
(o) Authorization of Terms Agreement. The Terms Agreement (including the provisions of this Agreement) and any Delayed Delivery Contracts have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(p) Possession of Licenses and Permits. The Company and its subsidiaries possess, and are in compliance with the terms of, all adequate certificates, authorizations, franchises, licenses and permits (“Licenses”) necessary or material to the conduct of the business now conducted or proposed in the General Disclosure Package to be conducted by them and have not received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any License that, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect.
(q) Absence of Labor Dispute. No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent, that, in any such case, could have a Material Adverse Effect.
(r) Possession of Intellectual Property. The Company and its subsidiaries own, possess or can acquire on reasonable terms, adequate trademarks, trade names and other rights to inventions, know-how, patents, copyrights, confidential information and other intellectual property (collectively, “intellectual property rights”) necessary to conduct the business now operated by them, or presently employed by them, and have not received any notice of infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any intellectual property rights that, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect.
(s) Accurate Disclosure. The statements in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus so indicated in the Terms Agreement, 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 and present the information required to be shown.
(t) Statistical and Market Related Data. Any third party statistical and market related data included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, a Statutory Prospectus or the General Disclosure Package are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate.
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(u) Internal Controls and Compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Except as set forth in the General Disclosure Package, the Company, its subsidiaries and the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) are in compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley and all applicable Exchange Rules. The Company maintains a system of internal controls, including, but not limited to, disclosure controls and procedures, internal controls over accounting matters and financial reporting, an internal audit function and legal and regulatory compliance controls (collectively, “Internal Controls”) that comply with the Securities Laws and are sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with the generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”) and to maintain accountability for assets, (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences and (v) the Company applies the corporate governance guidelines adopted by Credit Suisse Group. The Internal Controls are, or upon consummation of the offering of the Offered Securities will be, overseen by the Board in accordance with Exchange Rules. The Company has not publicly disclosed or reported to the Board, and within the next 90 days the Company does not reasonably expect to publicly disclose or report to the Board, a material weakness, change in Internal Controls or fraud involving management or other employees who have a significant role in Internal Controls (each, an “Internal Control Event”), any violation of, or failure to comply with, the Securities Laws, or any matter which, if determined adversely, would have a Material Adverse Effect.
(v) Litigation. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, there are no pending actions, suits or proceedings (including any inquiries or investigations by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign) against or affecting the Company, any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective properties that, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect, or would materially and adversely affect the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under the Indenture, the Terms Agreement (including the provisions of this Agreement) or any Delayed Delivery Contracts, or which are otherwise material in the context of the sale of the Offered Securities; and no such actions, suits or proceedings (including any inquiries or investigations by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign) are threatened or, to the Company’s knowledge, contemplated.
(w) Financial Statements. The financial statements included in the Registration Statement and the General Disclosure Package present fairly the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as of the dates shown and their results of operations and cash flows for the periods shown, and, except as otherwise disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, such financial statements have been prepared in conformity
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with U.S. GAAP applied on a consistent basis; any schedules included in the Registration Statement present fairly the information required to be stated therein; and, if the Registration Statement and the General Disclosure Package include or incorporate pro forma financial information, the assumptions used in preparing the pro forma financial information included in the Registration Statement and the General Disclosure Package provide a reasonable basis for presenting the significant effects directly attributable to the transactions or events described therein, the related pro forma adjustments give appropriate effect to those assumptions, and the pro forma columns therein reflect the proper application of those adjustments to the corresponding historical financial statement amounts.
(x) No Material Adverse Change in Business. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, since the end of the period covered by the latest audited financial statements included in the General Disclosure Package (i) there has been no change, nor any development or event involving a prospective change, in the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, business, properties or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, that is material and adverse, (ii) except as disclosed in or contemplated by the General Disclosure Package, there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its capital stock and (iii) except as disclosed in or contemplated by the General Disclosure Package, there has been no material adverse change in the capital stock, short-term indebtedness, long-term indebtedness, net current assets or net assets of the Company and its subsidiaries.
(y) Investment Company Act. The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Offered Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the General Disclosure Package, will not be an “investment company” as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “Investment Company Act”).
(z) Ratings. No “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” as such term is defined for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) (i) has imposed (or has informed the Company that it is considering imposing) any condition (financial or otherwise) on the Company’s retaining any rating assigned to the Company or any securities of the Company or (ii) has indicated to the Company that it is considering any of the actions described in Section 6(c)(ii) hereof.
3. Purchase, Sale and Delivery of Offered Securities. The obligation of the Underwriters to purchase the Offered Securities will be evidenced by an agreement or exchange of other written communications (“Terms Agreement”) at the time the Company determines to sell the Offered Securities. The Terms Agreement will incorporate by reference the provisions of this Agreement, except as otherwise provided therein, and will specify the firm or firms which will be Underwriters, the names of any Representatives, the principal amount to be purchased by each Underwriter, the purchase price to be paid by the Underwriters and the terms of the Offered
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Securities not already specified in the Indenture, including, but not limited to, interest rate, maturity, any redemption provisions and any sinking fund requirements and whether any of the Offered Securities may be sold to institutional investors pursuant to Delayed Delivery Contracts (as defined below). The Terms Agreement will also specify the time and date of delivery and payment (such time and date, or such other time not later than seven full business days thereafter as the Underwriter first named in the Terms Agreement (the “Lead Underwriter”) and the Company agree as the time for payment and delivery, being herein and in the Terms Agreement referred to as the “Closing Date”), the place of delivery and payment and any details of the terms of offering that should be reflected in the prospectus supplement relating to the offering of the Offered Securities. For purposes of Rule 15c6-1 under the Exchange Act, the Closing Date (if later than the otherwise applicable settlement date) shall be the date for payment of funds and delivery of securities for all the Offered Securities sold pursuant to the offering, other than Contract Securities for which payment of funds and delivery of securities shall be as hereinafter provided. The obligations of the Underwriters to purchase the Offered Securities will be several and not joint. It is understood that the Underwriters propose to offer the Offered Securities for sale as set forth in the Final Prospectus.
If the Terms Agreement provides for sales of Offered Securities pursuant to delayed delivery contracts, the Company authorizes the Underwriters to solicit offers to purchase Offered Securities pursuant to delayed delivery contracts substantially in the form of Annex I attached hereto (“Delayed Delivery Contracts”) with such changes therein as the Company may authorize or approve. Delayed Delivery Contracts are to be with institutional investors, including commercial and savings banks, insurance companies, pension funds, investment companies and educational and charitable institutions. On the Closing Date the Company will pay, as compensation, to the Representatives for the accounts of the Underwriters, the fee set forth in such Terms Agreement in respect of the principal amount of Offered Securities to be sold pursuant to Delayed Delivery Contracts (“Contract Securities”). The Underwriters will not have any responsibility in respect of the validity or the performance of Delayed Delivery Contracts. If the Company executes and delivers Delayed Delivery Contracts, the Contract Securities will be deducted from the Offered Securities to be purchased by the several Underwriters and the aggregate principal amount of Offered Securities to be purchased by each Underwriter will be reduced pro rata in proportion to the principal amount of Offered Securities set forth opposite each Underwriter’s name in such Terms Agreement, except to the extent that the Lead Underwriter determines that such reduction shall be otherwise than pro rata and so advise the Company. The Company will advise the Lead Underwriter not later than the business day prior to the Closing Date of the principal amount of Contract Securities.
The Offered Securities delivered to the Underwriters on the Closing Date will be in a form reasonably acceptable to the Lead Underwriter.
4. Certain Agreements of the Company. The Company agrees with the several Underwriters that it will furnish to counsel for the Underwriters, one signed copy of the registration statement
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relating to the Registered Securities, including all exhibits, in the form it became effective and of all amendments thereto and that, in connection with each offering of Offered Securities:
(a) Filing of Prospectuses. The Company has filed or will file each Statutory Prospectus (including the Final Prospectus) pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 424(b)(2) (or, if applicable and consented to by the Lead Underwriter, subparagraph (5)) not later than the second business day following the earlier of the date it is first used or the date of the Terms Agreement. The Company has complied and will comply with Rule 433.
(b) Filing of Amendments; Response to Commission Requests. The Company will promptly advise the Lead Underwriter of any proposal to amend or supplement the Registration Statement or any Statutory Prospectus at any time and will afford the Lead Underwriter a reasonable opportunity to comment on any such proposed amendment or supplement; and the Company will also advise the Lead Underwriter promptly of (i) the filing of any such amendment or supplement, (ii) any request by the Commission or its staff for any amendment to any Registration Statement, for any supplement to any Statutory Prospectus or for any additional information, (iii) the institution by the Commission of any stop order proceedings in respect of a Registration Statement or the threatening of any proceeding for that purpose, and (iv) the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Offered Securities in any jurisdiction or the institution or threatening of any proceedings for such purpose. The Company will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order or the suspension of any such qualification and, if issued, to obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.
(c) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. If, at any time when a prospectus relating to the Offered Securities is (or but for the exemption in Rule 172 under the Act would be) required to be delivered under the Act in connection with sales by any Underwriter or dealer, any event occurs as a result of which the Final Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or if it is necessary at any time to amend the Registration Statement or supplement the Final Prospectus to comply with the Act, the Company will promptly notify the Lead Underwriter of such event and will promptly prepare and file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and the dealers and any other dealers upon request of the Lead Underwriter, an amendment or supplement which will correct such statement or omission or an amendment which will effect such compliance. Neither the Lead Underwriter’s consent to, nor the Underwriters’ delivery of, any such amendment or supplement shall constitute a waiver of any of the conditions set forth in Section 6 hereof.
(d) Rule 158. As soon as practicable, but not later than 16 months, after the date of each Terms Agreement, the Company will make generally available to its securityholders an
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earnings statement covering a period of at least 12 months beginning after the date of such Terms Agreement and satisfying the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158.
(e) Furnishing of Prospectuses. The Company will furnish to the Representatives copies of the Registration Statement, including all exhibits, any Statutory Prospectus relating to the Offered Securities, the Final Prospectus and all amendments and supplements to such documents, in each case as soon as available and in such quantities as the Lead Underwriter reasonably requests. The Company will pay the expenses of printing and distributing to the Underwriters all such documents.
(f) Blue Sky Qualifications. The Company will arrange for the qualification of the Offered Securities for sale and the determination of their eligibility for investment under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Lead Underwriter designates and will continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution.
(g) Reporting Requirements. During the period of five years after the date of the Terms Agreement, the Company will furnish to the Representatives and, upon request, to each of the other Underwriters, if any, as soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year, a copy of its annual report to stockholders for such year, if any; and the Company will furnish to the Representatives (i) as soon as available, a copy of each report and any definitive proxy statement of the Company filed with the Commission under the Exchange Act or mailed to stockholders, if any, and (ii) from time to time, such other information concerning the Company as the Lead Underwriter may reasonably request. However, so long as the Company is subject to the reporting requirements of either Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act and is timely filing reports with the Commission on its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (“EDGAR”), it is not required to furnish such reports or statements to the Underwriters.
(h) Payment of Expenses. The Company will pay all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under the Terms Agreement (including the provisions of this Agreement), including but not limited to any filing fees and other expenses (including fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters) incurred in connection with qualification of the Registered Securities for sale and any determination of their eligibility for investment under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Lead Underwriter may designate and the preparation and printing of memoranda relating thereto, for any fees charged by investment rating agencies for the rating of the Offered Securities, for any costs and expenses related to the review by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. of the Registered Securities (including filing fees and the fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters relating to such review), costs and expenses relating to investor presentations or any “road show” in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Securities including, without limitation, any travel expenses of the
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Company’s officers and employees and any other expenses of the Company including fees and expenses incident to listing the Offered Securities on the New York Stock Exchange, American Stock Exchange, NASDAQ Stock Market and other national and foreign exchanges, fees and expenses in connection with the registration of the Offered Securities under the Exchange Act, and expenses incurred in distributing any Statutory Prospectuses and the Final Prospectus (including any amendments and supplements thereto) to the Underwriters and for expenses incurred for preparing, printing and distributing any Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses to investors or prospective investors.
(i) Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the net proceeds received in connection with any offering of Offered Securities in the manner described in the “Use of Proceeds” section of the General Disclosure Package.
(j) Absence of Manipulation. The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Securities.
(k) Restriction on Sale of Securities. The Company will not offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, or file with the Commission a registration statement under the Act relating to United States dollar-denominated debt securities issued or guaranteed by the Company and having a maturity of more than one year from the date of issue, or publicly disclose the intention to make any such offer, sale, pledge, disposition or filing, without the prior written consent of the Lead Underwriter for a period beginning at the time of execution of the Terms Agreement and ending the number of days after the Closing Date specified under “Blackout” in the Terms Agreement.
5. Free Writing Prospectuses. (a) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Lead Underwriter, and each Underwriter represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Company and the Lead Underwriter, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Offered Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405, required to be filed with the Commission. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Company and the Lead Underwriter is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company represents that it has treated and agrees that it will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including timely Commission filing where required, legending and record keeping.
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(b) Term Sheets. If so indicated in the Terms Agreement, the Company will prepare a final term sheet relating to the Offered Securities, containing only information that describes the final terms of the Offered Securities and otherwise in a form consented to by the Lead Underwriter, and will file such final term sheet within the period required by Rule 433(d)(5)(ii) following the date such final terms have been established for all classes of the offering of the Offered Securities. Any such final term sheet is an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus for purposes of the Terms Agreement. The Company also consents to the use by any Underwriter of a free writing prospectus that contains only (i)(x) information describing the preliminary terms of the Offered Securities or their offering or (y) information that describes the final terms of the Offered Securities or their offering and that is included in the final term sheet of the Company contemplated in the first sentence of this subsection or (ii) other information that is not “issuer information,” as defined in Rule 433, it being understood that any such free writing prospectus referred to in clauses (i) or (ii) above shall not be an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus for purposes of this Agreement.
6. Conditions of the Obligations of the Underwriters. The obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Offered Securities will be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company herein (as though made on such Closing Date), to the accuracy of the statements of Company officers made pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions precedent:
(a) Accountants’ Comfort Letter. On or prior to the date of the Terms Agreement, the Representatives shall have received letters, dated, respectively, the date of delivery thereof and the Closing Date, of KPMG LLP confirming that they are a registered public accounting firm and independent public accountants within the meaning of the Securities Laws and substantially in the form of Schedule A hereto (except that, in any letter dated the Closing Date, the specified date referred to in Schedule A hereto shall be a date no more than three days prior to the Closing Date).
(b) Filing of Prospectus. The Final Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission in accordance with the Rules and Regulations and Section 4(a) hereof. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any part thereof shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or, to the knowledge of the Company or any Underwriter, shall be contemplated by the Commission.
(c) No Material Adverse Change. Subsequent to the execution and delivery of the Terms Agreement, there shall not have occurred (i) any change, or any development or event involving a prospective change, in the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, business, properties or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole which, in the judgment of the Representatives, is material and adverse and makes
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it impractical or inadvisable to market the Offered Securities; (ii) any downgrading in the rating of any debt securities of the Company by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as defined for purposes of Rule 436(g) under the Act), or any public announcement that any such organization has under surveillance or review its rating of any debt securities of the Company (other than an announcement with positive implications of a possible upgrading, and no implication of a possible downgrading, of such rating); (iii) any change in U.S. or international financial, political or economic conditions or currency exchange rates or exchange controls, the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representatives, impractical to market or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Offered Securities, whether in the primary market or in respect of dealings in the secondary market; (iv) any suspension or material limitation of trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange, or any setting of minimum or maximum prices for trading on such exchange; (v) or any suspension of trading of any securities of the Company on any exchange or in the over-the-counter market; (vi) any banking moratorium declared by any U.S. federal or New York authorities; (vii) any major disruption of settlements of securities, payment, or clearance services in the United States or (viii) any attack on, outbreak or escalation of hostilities or act of terrorism involving the United States, any declaration of war by Congress or any other national or international calamity or emergency if, in the judgment of the Representatives, the effect of any such attack, outbreak, escalation, act, declaration, calamity or emergency is such as to make it impractical or inadvisable to market the Offered Securities or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Offered Securities.
(d) Opinion of General Counsel of the Company. The Representatives shall have received an opinion, dated the Closing Date, of the General Counsel of the Company, to the effect that:
(i) Good Standing of the Company. The Company is an existing corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, with corporate power and authority to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the General Disclosure Package; and the Company is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation in good standing in all other jurisdictions in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification;
(ii) Indenture; Offered Securities — Debt. The Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act; the Offered Securities have been duly authorized; the Offered Securities other than any Contract Securities have been duly executed, authenticated, issued and delivered; the Indenture and the Offered Securities other than any Contract Securities constitute, and any Contract Securities, when executed, authenticated, issued and delivered in the manner provided in the Indenture and sold pursuant to Delayed Delivery Contracts, will constitute, valid
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and legally binding obligations of the Company enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles; and the Offered Securities other than any Contract Securities conform to the information in the General Disclosure Package and to the description of such Offered Securities contained in the Prospectus, and any Contract Securities, when so issued and delivered and sold, will conform to the information in the General Disclosure Package and to the description of such Contract Securities contained in the Prospectus;
(iii) Absence of Further Requirements. No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing with, any person (including any governmental agency or body or any court) is required for the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Terms Agreement (including the provisions of this Agreement) in connection with the offering, issuance and sale by the Company of the Offered Securities, except such as have been obtained or made and such as may be required under state securities laws;
(vii) Absence of Defaults and Conflicts Resulting from Transaction. The execution, delivery and performance of the Indenture, the Terms Agreement (including the provisions of this Agreement) and any Delayed Delivery Contracts and the offering, issuance and sale of the Offered Securities and compliance with the terms and provisions thereof will not result in a breach or violation of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default under, any statute, rule, regulation or order of any governmental agency or body or any court having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties, or any material agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the properties of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, or the charter or by-laws of the Company or any such subsidiary, and the Company has full power and authority to authorize, issue and sell the Offered Securities as contemplated by the Terms Agreement (including the provisions of this Agreement);
(viii) Compliance with Registration Requirements; Effectiveness. The Registration Statement has become effective under the Act, the Final Prospectus was filed with the Commission pursuant to the subparagraph of Rule 424(b) specified in such opinion on the date specified therein, and, to the best of the knowledge of such counsel, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or contemplated under the Act and the statements in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus of statutes, legal matters, agreements, documents or
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proceedings are accurate and fair summaries thereof and present the information required to be shown; and such counsel do not know of any legal or governmental proceedings required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Final Prospectus which are not described as required or of any contracts or documents of a character required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Final Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement which are not described and filed as required.
(ix) Authorization of Terms Agreement. The Terms Agreement (including the provisions of this Agreement) and any Delayed Delivery Contracts have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company; and
(x) Disclosure. The Registration Statement, as of the Effective Date relating to the Offered Securities, and the Final Prospectus, as of the date of the Terms Agreement, and any amendment or supplement thereto, as of its date, complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Act, the Trust Indenture Act and the Rules and Regulations; such counsel have no reason to believe that any part of the Registration Statement, as of the Effective Date relating to the Offered Securities or as of the Closing Date, or any amendment thereto, as of its effective date or as of the Closing Date, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or that the Final Prospectus, as of the date of the Terms Agreement or as of the Closing Date, or any amendment or supplement thereto, as of its issue date or as of the Closing Date, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; such counsel have no reason to believe that the General Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time or as of the Closing Date, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; it being understood that such counsel need express no opinion as to the financial statements or other financial data contained in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package or Final Prospectus.
(e) Opinion of Counsel for the Underwriters. The Representatives shall have received from Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, such opinion or opinions, dated the Closing Date, with respect to the validity of the Offered Securities, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and other related matters as the Representatives may require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they request for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters.
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(f) Officer’s Certificate. The Representatives shall have received a certificate, dated the Closing Date, signed by any two of the chairman of the board of directors, the chief executive officer, the president, the chief financial officer, the chief administrative officer, the chief accounting officer and any Managing Director of the Company, in which such officers, to the best of their knowledge and after reasonable investigation, shall state that: the representations and warranties of the Company in the Terms Agreement (including the provisions of this Agreement) are true and correct; the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to the Closing Date; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any part thereof has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are contemplated by the Commission; and subsequent to the date of the most recent financial statements in the General Disclosure Package, there has been no material adverse change, nor any development or event involving a prospective material adverse change, in the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, business, properties or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole except as set forth in the General Disclosure Package or as described in such certificate.
The Company will furnish the Representatives with such conformed copies of such opinions, certificates, letters and documents as the Representatives reasonably request. The Lead Underwriter may in its sole discretion waive on behalf of the Underwriters compliance with any conditions (or part thereof) under the Terms Agreement (including the provisions of this Agreement).
7. Indemnification and Contribution. (a) Indemnification of Underwriters. The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its partners, members, directors, officers, employees, agents, affiliates and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (each, an “Indemnified Party”), against any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Indemnified Party may become subject, under the Act, the Exchange Act, other Federal or state statutory law or regulation or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in any part of the Registration Statement at any time, any Statutory Prospectus as of any time, the Final Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and will reimburse each Indemnified Party for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Indemnified Party in connection with investigating or defending against any such loss, claim, damage, liability, action, litigation, investigation or proceeding whatsoever (whether or not such Indemnified Party is a party thereto), whether threatened or commenced, and in connection with the enforcement of this provision with respect to any of the above as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the Company will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement in or omission or
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alleged omission from any of such documents in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives, if any, specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in the Terms Agreement.
(b) Indemnification of Company. Each Underwriter will severally and not jointly indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors and each of its officers who signs the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (each, an “Underwriter Indemnified Party”), against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which such Underwriter Indemnified Party may become subject, under the Act, the Exchange Act, other Federal or state statutory law or regulation or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in any part of the Registration Statement at any time, any Statutory Prospectus as of any time, the Final Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or the alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Underwriter through the Representatives, if any, specifically for use therein, and will reimburse any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Underwriter Indemnified Party in connection with investigating or defending against any such loss, claim, damage, liability, action, litigation, investigation or proceeding whatsoever (whether or not such Underwriter Indemnified Party is a party thereto), whether threatened or commenced, based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission as such expenses are incurred, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in the Terms Agreement.
(c) Actions against Parties; Notification. Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under subsection (a) or (b) above, notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof; but the failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have under subsection (a) or (b) above except to the extent that it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) by such failure; and provided further that the failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have to an indemnified party otherwise than under subsection (a) or (b) above. In case any such action is brought against any indemnified party and it notifies the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it may wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall not, except with the consent of the
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indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party), and after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party under this Section for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened action in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party unless such settlement (i) includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on any claims that are the subject matter of such action and (ii) does not include a statement as to, or an admission of, fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of an indemnified party.
(d) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in this Section is unavailable or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to in subsection (a) or (b) above (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Offered Securities or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement or omission. The amount paid by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to in the first sentence of this subsection (d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any action or claim which is the subject of this subsection (d). Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (d), no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Offered Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations in this subsection (d) to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint. The
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Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7(d) were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this Section 7(d).
(e) Control Persons. The obligations of the Company under this Section shall be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Act; and the obligations of the Underwriters under this Section shall be in addition to any liability which the respective Underwriters may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each director of the Company, to each officer of the Company who has signed the Registration Statement and to each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Act.
8. Default of Underwriters. If any Underwriter or Underwriters default in their obligations to purchase Offered Securities under the Terms Agreement and the aggregate principal amount of Offered Securities that such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase does not exceed 10% of the total principal amount of Offered Securities, the Lead Underwriter may make arrangements satisfactory to the Company for the purchase of such Offered Securities by other persons, including any of the Underwriters, but if no such arrangements are made by the Closing Date, the non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated severally, in proportion to their respective commitments under the Terms Agreement (including the provisions of this Agreement), to purchase the Offered Securities that such defaulting Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase. If any Underwriter or Underwriters so default and the aggregate principal amount of Offered Securities with respect to which such default or defaults occur exceeds 10% of the total principal amount of Offered Securities and arrangements satisfactory to the Lead Underwriter and the Company for the purchase of such Offered Securities by other persons are not made within 36 hours after such default, the Terms Agreement will terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company, except as provided in Section 9. As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section. Nothing herein will relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default. The respective commitments of the several Underwriters for the purposes of this Section shall be determined without regard to reduction in the respective Underwriters’ obligations to purchase the principal amounts of the Offered Securities set forth opposite their names in the Terms Agreement as a result of Delayed Delivery Contracts entered into by the Company.
9. Survival of Certain Representations and Obligations. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company or its officers and of the several Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to the Terms Agreement (including the provisions of this Agreement) will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation, or statement as to the results thereof, made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, the Company or any of their respective representatives, officers or directors or any controlling person, and will survive delivery
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of and payment for the Offered Securities. If the purchase of the Offered Securities by the Underwriters is not consummated for any reason other than solely because of the termination of the Terms Agreement pursuant to Section 8 hereof, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters for all out-of-pocket expenses (including fees and disbursements of counsel) reasonably incurred by them in connection with the offering of the Offered Securities, and the respective obligations of the Company and the Underwriters pursuant to Section 7 hereof shall remain in effect. In addition, if any Offered Securities have been purchased under the Terms Agreement, the representations and warranties in Section 2 hereof and all obligations under Section 4 hereof shall also remain in effect.
10. Notices. All communications hereunder will be in writing and, if sent to the Underwriters, will be mailed, delivered or telegraphed and confirmed to them at their address furnished to the Company in writing for the purpose of communications hereunder or, if sent to the Company, will be mailed, delivered or telegraphed and confirmed to it at Eleven Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10010-3629, Attention: Corporate Treasury Department (Facsimile No.: (212) 325-8227).
11. Successors. The Terms Agreement (including the provisions of this Agreement) will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Company and such Underwriters as are identified in the Terms Agreement and their respective successors and the officers and directors and controlling persons referred to in Section 7, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder.
12. Representation of Underwriters. Any Representatives will act for the several Underwriters in connection with the financing described in the Terms Agreement, and any action under such Terms Agreement (including the provisions of this Agreement) taken by the Representatives jointly or by the Lead Underwriter will be binding upon all the Underwriters.
13. Counterparts. The Terms Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same Agreement.
14. Absence of Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that:
(a) No Other Relationship. The Representatives have been retained solely to act as underwriters in connection with the sale of Offered Securities and that no fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship between the Company and the Representatives have been created in respect of any of the transactions contemplated by the Terms Agreement (including the provisions of this Agreement incorporated by reference therein) or the Final Prospectus, irrespective of whether the Representatives have advised or is advising the Company on other matters;
(b) Arm’s-Length Negotiations. The price of the Offered Securities set forth in the Terms Agreement was established by the Company following discussions and arms-length
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negotiations with the Representatives and the Company is capable of evaluating and understanding and understands and accepts the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by the Terms Agreement;
(c) Absence of Obligation to Disclose. The Company has been advised that the Representatives and their affiliates are engaged in a broad range of transactions which may involve interests that differ from those of the Company and that the Representative have no obligation to disclose such interests and transactions to the Company by virtue of any fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship; and
(d) Waiver. The Company waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims it may have against the Representatives for breach of fiduciary duty or alleged breach of fiduciary duty and agrees that the Representatives shall have no liability (whether direct or indirect) to the Company in respect of such a fiduciary duty claim or to any person asserting a fiduciary duty claim on behalf of or in right of the Company, including stockholders, employees or creditors of the Company.
15. Applicable Law. This Agreement and the Terms Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.
The Company hereby submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal and state courts in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to the Terms Agreement (including the provisions of this Agreement) or the transactions contemplated thereby. The Company irrevocably and unconditionally waives any objection to the laying of venue of any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to the Terms Agreement (including the provisions of this Agreement) or the transactions contemplated thereby in Federal and state courts in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York and irrevocably and unconditionally waives and agrees not to plead or claim in any such court that any such suit or proceeding in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.
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SCHEDULE A
The Representatives shall have received letters, dated, respectively, the date of delivery thereof and the Closing Date, of KPMG LLP confirming that they are a registered public accounting firm and independent public accountants within the meaning of the Securities Laws and to the effect that:
(i) in their opinion the audited consolidated financial statements and any schedules and any summary of earnings examined by them and included in each Statutory Prospectus and the General Disclosure Package comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Securities Laws;
(ii) with respect to period(s) covered by any unaudited quarterly consolidated financial statements included in the Registration Statement and the General Disclosure Package, they have performed the procedures specified by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants for a review of interim financial information as described in AU 722, Interim Financial Information, on those unaudited quarterly consolidated financial statements (including the notes thereto) of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries included in the Registration Statement and the General Disclosure Package, and have made inquiries of certain officials of the Company who have responsibility for financial and accounting matters of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as to whether those unaudited quarterly consolidated financial statements comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Exchange Act and the related published rules and regulations; they have read the minutes of the meetings of the Board of Directors of the Company; and they have made inquiries of certain officials of the Company who have responsibility for financial and accounting matters of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as to whether the unaudited monthly financial statements are stated on a basis substantially consistent with that of the audited consolidated financial statements included in the Registration Statement and the General Disclosure Package; and on the basis thereof, nothing came to their attention which caused them to believe that:
(A) the unaudited financial statements, if any, and any summary of earnings included in the Registration Statement or the General Disclosure Package do not comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of
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the Securities Laws, or that any material modifications should be made to such unaudited quarterly consolidated financial statements and summary of earnings for them to be in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles;
(B) with respect to the period subsequent to the date of the most recent unaudited quarterly consolidated financial statements included in the General Disclosure Package, at a specified date at the end of the most recent month, there was any change in common stock, increase in short-term borrowings or long-term borrowings or decrease in stockholder’s equity of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries, as compared with amounts shown on the latest balance sheet included in the General Disclosure Package, or for the period from the day after the date of the most recent unaudited quarterly consolidated financial statements for such entities included in the General Disclosure Package to such specified date, there were any decreases, as compared with the corresponding period of the preceding year, in net income, consolidated net revenues and income before provision for income taxes and extraordinary items, except for such changes, increases or decreases set forth in such letters which the General Disclosure Package discloses have occurred or may occur;
(iii) With respect to any period as to which officials of the Company have advised that no consolidated financial statements as of any date or for any period subsequent to the specified date referred to in (ii)(B) above are available, they have made inquiries of certain officials of the Company who have responsibility for the financial and accounting matters of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as to whether, at a specified date not more than three business days prior to the date of such letter, there were any increases in short-term borrowings or long-term borrowings of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries, or any change in stockholders’ equity of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries, as compared with the amounts shown on the most recent balance sheet for such entities included in the General Disclosure Package; or for the period from the day after the date of the most recent unaudited quarterly financial statements for such entities included in the General Disclosure Package to such specified date, there were any decreases, as compared with the corresponding period in the preceding year, in consolidated total net revenues, income before provision for
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income taxes, minority interests and cumulative effect of a change in accounting principle, or net income of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries and, on the basis of such inquiries and the review of the minutes described in paragraph (ii) above, nothing came to their attention which caused them to believe that there was any such change, increase, or decrease, except for such changes, increases or decreases set forth in such letter which the General Disclosure Package discloses have occurred or may occur; and
(iv) they have compared specified dollar amounts (or percentages derived from such dollar amounts) and other financial and statistical information contained in the Registration Statement, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (other than any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is an “electronic road show,” as defined in Rule 433(h)) and the General Disclosure Package (in each case to the extent that such dollar amounts, percentages and other financial and statistical information are derived from the general accounting records of the Company and its subsidiaries subject to the internal controls of the Company’s accounting system or are derived directly from such records by analysis or computation) with the results obtained from inquiries, a reading of such general accounting records and other procedures specified in such letter and have found such dollar amounts, percentages and other financial information to be in agreement with such results, except as otherwise specified in such letter.
All financial statements and schedules included in material incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement or the General Disclosure Package shall be deemed included in the Registration Statement or the General Disclosure Package for purposes of this subsection.
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