3. Additional Mutual Representations, Warranties and Covenants of Each Party. In addition to the representations, warranties and covenants in the Agreement, each party represents, warrants and covenants to the other party that:
(a) Eligible Contract Participant. It is an “eligible contract participant”, as defined in the U.S. Commodity Exchange Act (as amended), and is entering into each Transaction hereunder as principal (and not as agent or in any other capacity, fiduciary or otherwise) and not for the benefit of any third party.
(b) Accredited Investor. Each party acknowledges that the offer and sale of each Transaction to it is intended to be exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), by virtue of Section 4(a)(2) thereof. Accordingly, each party represents and warrants to the other that (i) it has the financial ability to bear the economic risk of its investment in each Transaction and is able to bear a total loss of its investment, (ii) it is an “accredited investor” as that term is defined under Regulation D under the Securities Act and (iii) the disposition of each Transaction is restricted under this Master Confirmation, the Securities Act and state securities laws.
(c) Material Nonpublic Information. Dealer hereby represents and covenants to Counterparty that it has implemented policies and procedures, taking into consideration the nature of its business, reasonably designed to prevent individuals making investment decisions related to any Transaction from having access to material nonpublic information regarding Issuer that may be in possession of other individuals at Dealer.
(d) Rule 10b-18. With respect to purchases of Shares by Dealer in connection with any Transaction during the Calculation Period for such Transaction (other than any purchases made by Dealer in connection with dynamic hedge adjustments of Dealer’s exposure to any Transaction as a result of any equity optionality contained in such Transaction, including, for the avoidance of doubt, timing optionality), Dealer will use good faith, commercially reasonable efforts to effect such purchases (i) only on the Calculation Dates and (ii) in a manner so that, if such purchases were made by Counterparty, they would meet the requirements of Rule 10b-18(b)(2), (3) and (4), and effect calculations in respect thereof, taking into account any applicable Securities and Exchange Commission no-action letters as appropriate and subject to any delays between the execution and reporting of a trade of the Shares on the Exchange and other circumstances beyond Dealer’s control. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Dealer shall not be responsible for any failure to comply with Rule 10b-18(b)(3) to the extent any transaction that was executed (or deemed to be executed) by or on behalf of Counterparty or an “affiliated purchaser” (as defined under Rule 10b-18) pursuant to a separate agreement is not deemed to be an “independent bid” or an “independent transaction” for purposes of Rule 10b-18(b)(3).
4. Additional Representations, Warranties and Covenants of Counterparty. In addition to the representations, warranties and covenants in the Agreement, Counterparty represents, warrants and covenants to Dealer that:
(a) The purchase or writing of each Transaction and the transactions contemplated hereby will not violate Rule 13e-1 or Rule 13e-4 under the Exchange Act.
(b) As of the date hereof and on the Trade Date of each Transaction, it is not entering into such Transaction (i) on the basis of, and is not aware of, any material non-public information with respect to the Shares, (ii) in anticipation of, in connection with, or to facilitate, a distribution of its securities, a self tender offer or a third-party tender offer or (iii) to create actual or apparent trading activity in the Shares (or any security convertible into or exchangeable for the Shares) or to raise or depress or otherwise manipulate the price of the Shares (or any security convertible into or exchangeable for the Shares).
(c) Each Transaction is being entered into pursuant to a publicly disclosed Share buy-back program and its Board of Directors has approved the use of derivatives to effect the Share buy-back program.
(d) Without limiting the generality of Section 13.1 of the Equity Definitions, Counterparty acknowledges that neither Dealer nor any of its affiliates is making any representations or warranties or taking any position or expressing any view with respect to the treatment of any Transaction under any accounting standards including ASC Topic 260, Earnings Per Share, ASC Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging, or ASC Topic 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity and ASC 815-40, Derivatives and Hedging – Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity.
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