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EXHIBIT 99.1
ATMOS ENERGY CORPORATION
(a Texas and Virginia corporation)
6 3/4% Debentures due 2028
PURCHASE AGREEMENT
Dated: July 22, 1998
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ATMOS ENERGY CORPORATION
(a Texas and Virginia corporation)
6 3/4% Debentures due 2028
PURCHASE AGREEMENT
July 22, 1998
MERRILL LYNCH & CO.
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
Incorporated
NATIONSBANC MONTGOMERY SECURITIES LLC
EDWARD D. JONES & CO., L.P.
as Representatives of the Underwriters named in Schedule I
c/o MERRILL LYNCH & CO.
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
Incorporated
North Tower
World Financial Center
New York, NY 10281
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Atmos Energy Corporation, a Texas and Virginia corporation
(the "Company"), proposes to issue and sell to the underwriter or underwriters
named in Schedule I certain of the Company's debt securities (the "Debt
Securities"), such issuance and sale to be on the terms and conditions stated
herein and in Schedule II.
The Debt Securities to be sold pursuant to this Agreement, as
specified in Schedule II, are referred to herein separately as the "Offered
Securities". The Offered Securities will be issued pursuant to an indenture
dated as of July 15, 1998 (the "Indenture") among the Company and U.S. Bank
Trust National Association (the "Trustee").
As used herein, unless the context otherwise requires, the
term "Underwriters" shall mean the firm or firms named as Underwriter or
Underwriters in Schedule I and the term "you" shall mean the Underwriter or
Underwriters, if no underwriting syndicate is purchasing the Offered
Securities, or the representative or representatives of the Underwriters, if an
underwriting syndicate is purchasing the Offered Securities, as indicated in
Schedule I.
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The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "Commission") a registration statement on Form S-3
(Registration No. 333-50477), including the related prospectus, for the
registration of certain of its debt securities (including the Offered
Securities) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), and
the offering thereof from time to time in accordance with Rule 415 of the rules
and regulations of the Commission under the 1933 Act (the "1933 Act
Regulations"). Such registration statement, including any Rule 462(b)
Registration Statement (as defined below), has been declared effective by the
Commission and the Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture
Act of 1939, as amended (the "1939 Act"). As provided in Section 3(a), a
prospectus supplement reflecting the terms of the Offered Securities, the terms
of the offering thereof and the other matters set forth therein has been
prepared and will be filed pursuant to Rule 424 of the 1933 Act Regulations.
Such prospectus supplement, in the form first filed after the date hereof
pursuant to Rule 424, is herein referred to as the "Prospectus Supplement."
Such registration statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-50477), as
amended at the date hereof, including the exhibits thereto, is herein called
the "Registration Statement," and the basic prospectus included therein
relating to all offerings of securities under the Registration Statement, as
supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement, is herein called the "Prospectus;"
provided that, if such basic prospectus is amended or supplemented on or after
the date hereof but prior to the date on which the Prospectus Supplement is
first filed pursuant to Rule 424, the term "Prospectus" shall refer to the
basic prospectus as so amended or supplemented and as supplemented by the
Prospectus Supplement; and provided further that all references to the
"Registration Statement" and the "Prospectus" shall be deemed to include all
documents incorporated therein by reference pursuant to the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act"); and provided further that if the
Company files a registration statement with the Commission pursuant to Rule
462(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations (the "Rule 462(b) Registration Statement"),
then, after such filing, all references to the "Registration Statement" shall
also be deemed to include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. For purposes
of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, Prospectus,
Prospectus Supplement or preliminary prospectus or to any amendment or
supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include any copy filed
with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and
Retrieval system ("EDGAR").
All references in this Agreement to financial statements and
schedules and other information which is "contained," "included" or "stated"
(or other references of like import) in the Registration Statement, Prospectus
or preliminary prospectus shall be deemed to mean and include all such
financial statements and schedules and other information which is incorporated
by reference in the Registration Statement, Prospectus or preliminary
prospectus, as the case may be; and all references in this Agreement to
amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, Prospectus or
preliminary prospectus shall be deemed to mean and include the filing of any
document under the 1934 Act which is incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement, Prospectus or preliminary prospectus, as the case may
be.
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SECTION 1. Representations and Warranties.
(a) Representations and Warranties by the Company. The
Company represents and warrants to each Underwriter as of the date hereof, as
of the Closing Time referred to in Section 2(b) hereof, and agrees with each
Underwriter, as follows:
(i) Compliance with Registration Requirements. The
Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act.
Each of the Registration Statement and any Rule 462(b) Registration
Statement has become effective under the 1933 Act and no stop order
suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any Rule
462(b) Registration Statement has been issued under the 1933 Act and
no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending
or, to the knowledge of the Company, are contemplated by the
Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for
additional information has been complied with.
At the respective times the Registration Statement, any Rule
462(b) Registration Statement and any post-effective amendments
thereto became effective, at the time of the filing by the Company of
any annual report on Form 10-K after the original filing of the
Registration Statement and at the Closing Time, the Registration
Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any amendments
and supplements thereto complied and will comply in all material
respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act
Regulations and the 1939 Act and the rules and regulations of the
Commission under the 1939 Act (the "1939 Act Regulations"), and did
not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or
omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. Neither the
Prospectus nor any amendments or supplements thereto, at the time the
Prospectus or any such amendment or supplement was issued and at the
Closing Time, included or will include an untrue statement of a
material fact or omitted or will 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. The
representations and warranties in this subsection shall not apply to
statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement or
Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with information
furnished to the Company in writing by any Underwriter expressly for
use in the Registration Statement or Prospectus. On the date hereof
and at the Closing Time, the Registration Statement and any amendments
thereof, and the Prospectus and any amendments thereof and supplements
thereto, comply and will comply in all material respects with the
requirements of the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1939 Act
and the 1939 Act Regulations, and none of such documents includes or
will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omits or will
omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they are made, not misleading. The
representations and warranties in this subsection shall not apply to
any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity
with information in writing to the Company by or on behalf of any
Underwriter, directly or through you, expressly for use in the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus. At the Closing Time, the
Designated
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Indenture (as defined below) will comply in all material respects with
the requirements of the 1939 Act and the 1939 Act Regulations.
Each preliminary prospectus and the prospectus filed as part
of the Registration Statement as originally filed or as part of any
amendment thereto, or filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the 1933 Act,
complied when so filed in all material respects with the 1933 Act
Regulations and each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus
delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with this offering
was identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed
with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted
by Regulation S-T.
(ii) Incorporated Documents. The documents incorporated
or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus, at the time they were filed with the
Commission or as amended, complied in all material respects with the
requirements of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the
Commission thereunder (the "1934 Act Regulations") and, when read
together with the other information in the Prospectus, at the time the
Registration Statement became effective, at the time the Prospectus
was issued and at the Closing Time, did not and will not include an
untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading.
(iii) Independent Accountants. Ernst & Young LLP and
Arthur Andersen LLP, who have reported on certain of the financial
statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement, are independent accountants within the meaning of the 1933
Act and the 1933 Act Regulations.
(iv) Financial Statements. The financial statements
included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, together
with the related schedules and notes, present fairly the financial
position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries at the dates
indicated and the statement of operations, stockholders' equity and
cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries for the
periods specified; said financial statements have been prepared in
conformity with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP")
applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved. The
supporting schedules, if any, included in the Registration Statement
present fairly in accordance with GAAP the information required to be
stated therein. The selected financial data and the summary financial
information included in the Prospectus present fairly the information
shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that
of the audited financial statements included in the Registration
Statement.
(v) No Material Adverse Change in Business. Since the
respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus, except as otherwise stated therein, (A)
there has been no material adverse change in the condition, financial
or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business
prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one
enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business
(a "Material Adverse Effect"), (B) there have been no
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transactions entered into by the Company or any of its subsidiaries,
other than those in the ordinary course of business, which are
material with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries considered
as one enterprise, and (C) except for regular quarterly dividends on
the common stock, no par value, of the Company (the "Common Stock") in
amounts per share that are consistent with past practice, there has
been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by
the Company on any class of its capital stock.
(vi) Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been
duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good
standing under the laws of the State of Texas and the Commonwealth of
Virginia and has corporate power and authority to own, lease and
operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the
Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this
Agreement; and the Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation
to transact business and is in good standing in each other
jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by
reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of
business, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good
standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(vii) Good Standing of Subsidiaries. Each "significant
subsidiary" of the Company (as such term is defined in Rule 1-02 of
Regulation S-X) (each a "Subsidiary" and, collectively, the
"Subsidiaries") (a) has been duly organized and is validly existing as
a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of
its incorporation, other than EnerMart Trust, a Pennsylvania business
trust ("EnerMart"), which has been duly organized and is validly
existing as a business trust in good standing under the laws of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, (b) has corporate power and authority or
business trust power and authority, as the case may be, to own, lease
and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in
the Prospectus and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation or
business trust, as the case may be, to transact business and is in
good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is
required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or
the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify or to
be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect;
except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, all of
the issued and outstanding capital stock of each such Subsidiary which
is a corporation has been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully
paid and non-assessable and such capital stock or equity interest in
business trust, as the case may be, is owned by the Company, directly
or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest,
mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity; none of the
outstanding shares of capital stock of any Subsidiary which is a
corporation was issued in violation of the preemptive or similar
rights of any securityholder of such Subsidiary. The only
subsidiaries of the Company are (a) the subsidiaries listed on
Schedule III hereto and (b) certain other subsidiaries which,
considered in the aggregate as a single Subsidiary, do not constitute
a "significant subsidiary" as defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X.
(viii) Capitalization. The authorized, issued and
outstanding capital stock of the Company is as set forth in the
Prospectus in the column entitled "Actual" under the caption
"Capitalization" (except for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to
this Agreement,
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pursuant to reservations, agreements, employee benefit plans or the
Company's Direct Stock Purchase Plan dated October 16, 1997 referred
to in the Prospectus or pursuant to the exercise of convertible
securities or options referred to in the Prospectus). The shares of
issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company have been duly
authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable;
none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company was
issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any
securityholder of the Company.
(ix) Authorization of Agreement. This Agreement has been
duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(x) Authorization of the Indenture. The Indenture as
executed will be substantially in the form filed as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement. The Indenture, as supplemented by each
supplement thereto, if any, to the date hereof and the supplement
thereto or Board Resolution (as defined in the Indenture) setting
forth the terms of the Offered Securities (the Indenture, as so
supplemented by any such supplement or supplements and Board
Resolutions, being herein referred to as the "Designated Indenture"),
has been duly authorized by the Company. The Designated Indenture,
when duly executed and delivered (to the extent required by the
Indenture) by the Company and the Trustee, will constitute the valid
and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company
in accordance with its terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be
limited by bankruptcy, insolvency (including, without limitation, all
laws relating to fraudulent transfers), reorganization, moratorium or
similar laws affecting enforcement of creditors' rights generally and
except as enforcement thereof is subject to general principles of
equity (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a
proceeding in equity or at law).
(xi) Authorization of the Offered Securities. The Offered
Securities have been duly authorized and, at the Closing Time, will
have been duly executed by the Company and, when authenticated, issued
and delivered in the manner provided for in the Designated Indenture
and delivered against payment of the purchase price therefor as
provided in this Agreement will constitute valid and binding
obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in
accordance with their terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be
limited by bankruptcy, insolvency (including, without limitation, all
laws relating to fraudulent transfers), reorganization, moratorium or
similar laws affecting enforcement of creditors' rights generally and
except as enforcement thereof is subject to general principles of
equity (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a
proceeding in equity or at law), and will be in the form contemplated
by, and entitled to the benefits of, the Designated Indenture.
(xii) Description of the Offered Securities and the
Designated Indenture. The Offered Securities and the Designated
Indenture will conform in all material respects to the respective
statements relating thereto contained in the Prospectus and will be in
substantially the respective forms filed as exhibits to the
Registration Statement.
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(xiii) Absence of Defaults and Conflicts. Neither the Company nor
any of its Subsidiaries is in violation of its charter or by-laws or
in default in the performance or observance of any obligation,
agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture,
mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or
other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound, or
to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any
Subsidiary is subject (collectively, "Agreements and Instruments")
except for such defaults that would not result in a Material Adverse
Effect; and the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement,
the Designated Indenture and the Offered Securities and the
consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and in the
Registration Statement (including the issuance and sale of the Offered
Securities and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Offered
Securities as described in the Prospectus under the caption "Use of
Proceeds") and compliance by the Company with its obligations
hereunder and under the Designated Indenture and the Offered
Securities have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action
and do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice
or passage of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of,
or default or Repayment Event (as defined below) under, or result in
the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any
property or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary pursuant to, the
Agreements and Instruments (except for such conflicts, breaches or
defaults or liens, charges or encumbrances that would not result in a
Material Adverse Effect), nor will such action result in any violation
of the provisions of the charter or by-laws of the Company or any
Subsidiary or any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment,
order, writ or decree of any government, government instrumentality or
court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or
any Subsidiary or any of their assets, properties or operations. As
used herein, a "Repayment Event" means any event or condition which
gives 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 Subsidiary.
(xiv) Absence of Labor Dispute. No labor dispute with the
employees of the Company or any Subsidiary exists or, to the knowledge
of the Company, is imminent, and the Company is not aware of any
existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its
or any Subsidiary's principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or
contractors, which, in either case, may reasonably be expected to
result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xv) Absence of Proceedings. There is no action, suit,
proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any court or
governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, now pending, or, to
the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against or affecting the
Company or any Subsidiary, which is required to be disclosed in the
Registration Statement (other than as disclosed therein), or which
might reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect,
or which might reasonably be expected to materially and adversely
affect the properties or assets thereof or the consummation of the
transactions contemplated in this Agreement, the Designated Indenture
and the Offered
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Securities, or the performance by the Company of its obligations
hereunder or thereunder; the aggregate of all pending legal or
governmental proceedings to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a
party or of which any of their respective property or assets is the
subject which are not described in the Registration Statement,
including ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business,
could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect.
(xvi) Accuracy of Exhibits. There are no contracts or
documents which are required to be described in the Registration
Statement, the Prospectus or the documents incorporated by reference
therein or to be filed as exhibits thereto which have not been so
described and filed as required.
(xvii) Possession of Intellectual Property. The Company and
its Subsidiaries own or possess, or can acquire on reasonable terms,
adequate patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions, copyrights,
know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or
unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or
procedures), trademarks, service marks, trade names or other
intellectual property (collectively, "Intellectual Property")
necessary to carry on the business now operated by them, and neither
the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any notice or is
otherwise aware of any infringement of or conflict with asserted
rights of others with respect to any Intellectual Property or of any
facts or circumstances which would render any Intellectual Property
invalid or inadequate to protect the interest of the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries therein, and which infringement or conflict (if the
subject of any unfavorable decision, ruling or finding) or invalidity
or inadequacy, singly or in the aggregate, would result in a Material
Adverse Effect.
(xviii) Absence of Further Requirements. There have been
issued and, at the Closing Time, there shall be in full force and
effect orders or authorizations of the regulatory authorities of
Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee and
Virginia, respectively, authorizing the issuance and sale of the
Offered Securities on the terms herein set forth or contemplated, and
no other filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license,
order, registration, qualification or decree of, any court or
governmental authority or agency is necessary or required for the
performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, in connection
with the offering, issuance or sale of the Offered Securities
hereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement or for the due execution, delivery or performance of the
Designated Indenture by the Company, except such as have been already
obtained or as may be required under the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act
Regulations or state securities laws and except for the qualification
of the Designated Indenture under the 1939 Act.
(xix) Possession of Licenses and Permits. The Company and
its Subsidiaries possess such permits, licenses, approvals, consents
and other authorizations (collectively, "Governmental Licenses")
issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory
agencies or bodies necessary to conduct the business now operated by
them; the Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with the
terms and conditions of all such
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Governmental Licenses, except where the failure so to comply would
not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; all
of the Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect,
except when the invalidity of such Governmental Licenses or the
failure of such Governmental Licenses to be in full force and effect
would not have a Material Adverse Effect; and neither the Company nor
any of its Subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings
relating to the revocation or modification of any such Governmental
Licenses which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an
unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would result in a Material
Adverse Effect.
(xx) Title to Property. The Company and its Subsidiaries
have good and marketable title to all real property owned by the
Company and its Subsidiaries and good title to all other properties
owned by them, in each case, free and clear of all mortgages, pledges,
liens, security interests, claims, restrictions or encumbrances of any
kind except such as (a) are described in the Prospectus or (b) do not,
singly or in the aggregate, materially affect the value of such
property and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be
made of such property by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; and
all of the leases and subleases material to the business of the
Company and its Subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, and under
which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries holds properties
described in the Prospectus, are in full force and effect, and neither
the Company nor any Subsidiary has any notice of any material claim of
any sort that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the
Company or any Subsidiary under any of the leases or subleases
mentioned above, or affecting or questioning the rights of the Company
or such Subsidiary to the continued possession of the leased or
subleased premises under any such lease or sublease.
(xxi) Environmental Laws. Except as described in the
Registration Statement and except as would not, singly or in the
aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, (A) neither the
Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is in violation of any federal,
state, local or foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance,
code, policy or rule of common law or any judicial or administrative
interpretation thereof, including any judicial or administrative
order, consent, decree or judgment, relating to pollution or
protection of human health, the environment (including, without
limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or
subsurface strata) or wildlife, including, without limitation, laws
and regulations relating to the release or threatened release of
chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances,
hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products (collectively,
"Hazardous Materials") or to the manufacture, processing,
distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling
of Hazardous Materials (collectively, "Environmental Laws"), (B) the
Company and its Subsidiaries have all permits, authorizations and
approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and are
each in compliance with their requirements, (C) there are no pending
or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened administrative,
regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters,
claims, liens, notices of noncompliance or violation, investigation or
proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the Company or
any of its Subsidiaries and (D) to the knowledge of the Company, there
are no events or circumstances that might reasonably be expected to
form the basis of an order for clean-up
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or remediation, or an action, suit or proceeding by any private party
or governmental body or agency, against or affecting the Company or
any of its Subsidiaries relating to Hazardous Materials or any
Environmental Laws.
(b) Officer's Certificates. Any certificate signed by
any officer of the Company and delivered to you or to counsel for the
Underwriters in connection with the offering of the Offered Securities shall be
deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriter as to
the matters covered thereby.
SECTION 2. Sale and Delivery to Underwriters; Closing.
(a) Securities. On the basis of the representations and
warranties herein contained (except as may be otherwise specified in Schedule
II) and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company
agrees to sell to each Underwriter, and each Underwriter agrees, severally and
not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at the purchase price to the
Underwriters set forth in Schedule II, the aggregate principal amount of
Offered Securities as set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in
Schedule I, plus any additional principal amount of Securities which such
Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of
Section 10 hereof.
(b) Payment. Payment of the purchase price for, and
delivery of certificates for, the Offered Securities shall be made at the date,
time and location specified in Schedule II, or at such other date, time or
location as shall be agreed upon by the Company and you, or as shall otherwise
be provided in Section 10 (such date and time of payment and delivery being
herein called the "Closing Time").
Unless otherwise specified in Schedule II, payment shall be
made to the Company by wire transfer of immediately available funds to a bank
account designated by the Company, against delivery to you for the respective
accounts of the Underwriters of certificates for the Offered Securities to be
purchased by them. It is understood that each Underwriter has authorized you,
for its account, to accept delivery of, receipt for, and make payment of the
purchase price for, the Offered Securities which it has agreed to purchase.
(c) Denominations; Registration. Certificates for the
Offered Securities shall be in such denominations ($1,000 or integral multiples
thereof) and registered in such names as you may request in writing at least
one full business day before the Closing Time. The Offered Securities will be
made available for examination and packaging by you in The City of New York not
later than 10:00 A.M. (Eastern time) on the business day prior to the Closing
Time.
SECTION 3. Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants
with each Underwriter as follows:
(a) Prospectus Supplement. If reasonably requested by
you in connection with the offering of the Offered Securities, the
Company will prepare a preliminary prospectus supplement containing
such information as you and the Company deem appropriate, and,
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prior to or immediately following the execution of this Agreement, the
Company will have prepared or will prepare a Prospectus Supplement
that complies with the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and that
sets forth the principal amount of the Offered Securities and the
terms of the Offered Securities not otherwise specified in the basic
prospectus, the name of each Underwriter participating in the offering
and the principal amount of the Offered Securities that each severally
has agreed to purchase, the name of each Underwriter, if any, acting
as representative of the Underwriters in connection with the offering,
the price at which the Offered Securities are to be purchased by the
Underwriters from the Company, any initial public offering price, any
selling concession and reallowance and any delayed delivery
arrangements, and such other information as you and the Company deem
appropriate in connection with the offering of the Offered Securities.
The Company will promptly transmit copies of the Prospectus Supplement
to the Commission for filing pursuant to Rule 424 under the 1933 Act
and will furnish to the Underwriters as many copies of any preliminary
prospectus supplement and the Prospectus Supplement as you shall
reasonably request.
(b) Filing of Amendments. During the period when the
Prospectus is required by the 1933 Act to be delivered in connection
with sales of the Offered Securities, the Company will give you notice
of its intention to file or prepare any amendment to the Registration
Statement (including any filing under Rule 462(b)) or any amendment,
supplement or revision to either the prospectus included in the
Registration Statement at the time it became effective or to the
Prospectus, whether pursuant to the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act or
otherwise, will furnish you with copies of any such documents a
reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing or use, as the
case may be, and will not file or use any such document to which you
or counsel for the Underwriters shall object.
(c) Filing of Required Documents. During the period
when the Prospectus is required by the 1933 Act to be delivered in
connection with sales of the Offered Securities, the Company will file
promptly all documents required to be filed with the Commission
pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act.
(d) Compliance with Securities Regulations and
Commission Requests. During the period when the Prospectus is
required by the 1933 Act to be delivered in connection with sales of
the Offered Securities, the Company will notify you immediately, and
confirm in writing, (i) the effectiveness of any amendment to the
Registration Statement, (ii) the mailing or the delivery to the
Commission for filing of any supplement to the Prospectus or any
document that would as a result thereof be incorporated by reference
in the Prospectus, (iii) the receipt of any comments from the
Commission with respect to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus
or the Prospectus Supplement, (iv) any request by the Commission for
any amendment to the Registration Statement or any supplement to the
Prospectus or for additional information relating thereto or to any
document incorporated by reference in the Prospectus and (v) the
issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the suspension of the
qualification of the Offered Securities for offering or sale in any
jurisdiction, or the initiation of any proceeding for any of such
purposes. The Company
13
will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop
order or of any order suspending such qualification and, if any such
order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof as soon as possible.
(e) Delivery of Registration Statements. The Company has
furnished or will deliver to you and counsel for the Underwriters,
without charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement as
originally filed and of each amendment thereto (including exhibits
filed therewith or incorporated by reference therein and documents
incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein) and
signed copies of all consents and certificates of experts, and will
also deliver to you, without charge, a conformed copy of the
Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment
thereto (without exhibits) for each of the Underwriters. The copies
of the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to
the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted
copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to
the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
(f) Delivery of Prospectuses. The Company has delivered
to each Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of each
preliminary prospectus as such Underwriter reasonably requested, and
the Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes
permitted by the 1933 Act. The Company will furnish to each
Underwriter, without charge, during the period when the Prospectus is
required to be delivered under the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act, such
number of copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as
such Underwriter may reasonably request. The Prospectus and any
amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Underwriters will
be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed
with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted
by Regulation S-T.
(g) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. The
Company will comply with the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations,
the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations and the 1939 Act and the
1939 Act Regulations so as to permit the completion of the
distribution of the Offered Securities as contemplated in this
Agreement and in the Prospectus. If at any time when a prospectus is
required by the 1933 Act to be delivered in connection with sales of
the Offered Securities, any event shall occur or condition shall exist
as a result of which it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel for
the Underwriters or for the Company, to amend the Registration
Statement or amend or supplement the Prospectus in order that the
Prospectus will not include any untrue statements of a material fact
or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the
statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances
existing at the time it is delivered to a purchaser, or if it shall be
necessary, in the opinion of such counsel, at any such time to amend
the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the Prospectus in
order to comply with the requirements of the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act
Regulations, the Company will promptly prepare and file with the
Commission, subject to Section 3(b), such amendment or supplement as
may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus comply with such
requirements, and the
14
Company will furnish to the Underwriters such number of copies of such
amendment or supplement as the Underwriters may reasonably request.
(h) Rule 158. The Company will timely file such reports
pursuant to the 1934 Act as are necessary in order to make generally
available to its securityholders as soon as practicable an earnings
statement for the purposes of, and to provide the benefits
contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act.
(i) Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the net
proceeds received by it from the sale of the Offered Securities in the
manner specified in the Prospectus under "Use of Proceeds".
(j) Listing. The Company will use its best efforts to
effect the listing of the Offered Securities on the New York Stock
Exchange.
Restriction on Sale of Securities. Between the date of the
Prospectus and the Closing Time or such other date as may be specified
in Schedule II, the Company will not, without your prior written
consent, directly or indirectly, issue, sell, offer or contract to
sell, grant any option for the sale of, or otherwise transfer or
dispose of, any debt securities of the Company.
(l) Reporting Requirements. The Company, during the
period when the Prospectus is required to be delivered under the 1933
Act or the 1934 Act, will file all documents required to be filed with
the Commission pursuant to the 1934 Act within the time periods
required by the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations.
SECTION 4. Payment of Expenses.
(a) Expenses. The Company will pay all expenses incident
to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including (i) the
preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including
financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and of each amendment
thereto, any preliminary prospectus supplements and the Prospectus and any
amendments or supplements thereto (ii) the preparation, printing and delivery
to the Underwriters of this Agreement, any Agreement among Underwriters, the
Designated Indenture and such other documents as may be required in connection
with the offering, purchase, sale, issuance or delivery of the Offered
Securities, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificates
for the Offered Securities to the Underwriters, (iv) the fees and disbursements
of the Company's counsel, accountants and other advisors, (v) the filing fees
incident to any necessary filings under state securities laws and the
reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection
therewith and in connection with the preparation of the Blue Sky Survey and any
supplement thereto, (vi) the printing and delivery to the Underwriters of
copies of each preliminary prospectus supplement and of the Prospectus and any
amendments or supplements thereto, (vii) the preparation, printing and delivery
to the Underwriters of copies of the Blue Sky Survey and any supplement
thereto, (viii) the fees and expenses of the Trustee, including the fees and
disbursements of counsel for the Trustee in connection with the Indenture and
the Offered
15
Securities, (ix) any fees payable in connection with the rating of the Offered
Securities and (x) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the
listing of the Offered Securities on the New York Stock Exchange.
(b) Termination of Agreement. If this Agreement is
terminated by you in accordance with the provisions of Section 5 or Section
9(a)(i) hereof, the Company shall reimburse the Underwriters for all of their
out-of- pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of
counsel for the Underwriters.
SECTION 5. Conditions of Underwriters' Obligations.
Except as otherwise provided in Schedule II, the obligations of the several
Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the representations and
warranties of the Company contained in Section 1 hereof or in certificates of
any officer of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company delivered pursuant
to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its covenants
and other obligations hereunder, and to the following further conditions:
(a) Effectiveness of Registration Statement. The
Registration Statement, including any Rule 462(b) Registration
Statement, has become effective and at Closing Time no stop order
suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have
been issued under the 1933 Act or proceedings therefor initiated or
threatened by the Commission, and any request on the part of the
Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to
the reasonable satisfaction of counsel to the Underwriters.
(b) Opinion of Counsel for Company. At Closing Time, you
shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of Closing Time,
of (i) Locke Purnell Rain Harrell, counsel for the Company, in form
and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, together
with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other
Underwriters to the effect set forth in Exhibit A hereto and to such
further effect as counsel to the Underwriters may reasonably request
(ii) Glen A. Blanscet, General Counsel of the Company, in form and
substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, together with
signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other
Underwriters to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto and to such
further effect as counsel to the Underwriters may reasonably request
and (iii) Hunton & Williams, Virginia counsel for the Company, in form
and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, together
with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other
Underwriters to the effect set forth in Exhibit C hereto and to such
further effect as counsel to the Underwriters may reasonably request.
(c) Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters. At the Closing
Time, you shall have received the favorable opinions of Shearman &
Sterling, counsel for the Underwriters, dated as of the Closing Time,
together with signed or reproduced copies of such opinions for each of
the other Underwriters, to the effect that the opinion or opinions
delivered pursuant to Section 5(b) appear on their face to be
appropriately responsive to the requirements of this Agreement except,
specifying the same, to the extent waived by you, with respect to the
incorporation and legal existence of the Company, the Offered
16
Securities, this Agreement, the Designated Indenture, the Registration
Statement, the Prospectus, the documents incorporated by reference and
such other related matters as you may require, and substantially to
the effect of the penultimate paragraph of Exhibit A hereto. In
giving such opinion such counsel may rely, as to all matters governed
by laws other than the law of the State of New York and the federal
law of the United States, upon the opinions of counsel satisfactory to
you. Such counsel may also state that, insofar as such opinion
involves factual matters, they have relied, to the extent they deem
proper, upon certificates of officers of the Company and its
Subsidiaries and certificates of public officials.
(d) Officers' Certificate. At Closing Time, there shall
not have been, since the date hereof or since the respective dates as
of which information is given in the Prospectus, any material adverse
change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings,
business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its
Subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in
the ordinary course of business, and you shall have received a
certificate of the President or a Vice President of the Company and of
the chief financial or chief accounting officer of the Company, dated
as of Closing Time, to the effect that (i) there has been no such
material adverse change, (ii) the representations and warranties in
Section 1(a) hereof are true and correct with the same force and
effect as though expressly made at and as of Closing Time, (iii) the
Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions
on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to Closing Time
and (iv) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that
purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of
the Company, are contemplated by the Commission.
(e) Accountants' Comfort Letter. At the time of the
execution of this Agreement, you shall have received from Ernst &
Young LLP a letter dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory
to you, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for
each of the other Underwriters containing statements and information
of the type ordinarily included in accountants' "comfort letters" to
underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain
financial information contained in the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus.
(f) Bring-down Comfort Letter. At Closing Time, you
shall have received from Ernst & Young LLP a letter, dated as of
Closing Time, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in
the letter furnished pursuant to subsection (e) of this Section,
except that the specified date referred to shall be a date not more
than three business days prior to Closing Time.
(g) Maintenance of Rating. At Closing Time, the Offered
Securities shall be rated at least A3 by Moody's Investors Service
Inc. and A- by Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, a division of The
McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., and the Company shall have delivered to
you a letter dated as of Closing Time, from each such rating agency,
or other evidence satisfactory to you, confirming that the Offered
Securities have such ratings; and since the date of this Agreement,
there shall not have occurred a downgrading in the rating
17
assigned to the Offered Securities or any of the Company's other
securities by any "nationally recognized statistical rating agency",
as that term is defined by the Commission for purposes of Rule
436(g)(2) under the 1933 Act, and no such organization shall have
publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review its rating
of the Offered Securities or any of the Company's other securities.
(h) Approval of Listing. At Closing Time, the Offered
Securities shall have been approved for listing on the New York Stock
Exchange, subject only to official notice of issuance.
(i) Additional Documents. At Closing Time, counsel for
the Underwriters shall have been furnished with such documents and
opinions as they may require for the purpose of enabling them to pass
upon the issuance and sale of the Offered Securities as herein
contemplated, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the
representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the
conditions, herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company
in connection with the issuance and sale of the Offered Securities as
herein contemplated shall be satisfactory in form and substance to you
and counsel for the Underwriters.
(j) Termination of Agreement. If any condition specified
in this Section shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to
be fulfilled, this Agreement may be terminated by you by notice to the
Company at any time at or prior to Closing Time, and such termination
shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as
provided in Section 4 and except that Sections 1, 6, 7 and 8 shall
survive any such termination and remain in full force and effect.
SECTION 6. Indemnification.
(a) Indemnification of Underwriters. The Company agrees
to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter and each person, if any, who
controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or
Section 20 of the 1934 Act as follows:
(i) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage
and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any untrue
statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in
the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), or the omission
or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or
arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a
material fact included in any preliminary prospectus supplement or the
Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or the omission
or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to
make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under
which they were made, not misleading;
(ii) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage
and expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate
amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or
proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or
18
threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue
statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or
omission; provided that any such settlement is effected with the
written consent of the Company; and
(iii) against any and all expense whatsoever (including the
fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by you), reasonably incurred
in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or
any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body,
commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such
untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or
omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or
(ii) above;
provided, however, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss,
liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any untrue
statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance
upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any
Underwriter through you expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any
amendment thereto), or any preliminary prospectus supplement or the Prospectus
(or any amendment or supplement thereto). The foregoing indemnity with respect
to any untrue statement contained in or any omission from the Prospectus shall
not inure to the benefit of any Underwriter (or any person controlling such
Underwriter) from whom the person asserting any such loss, liability, claim,
damage or expense purchased any of the Offered Securities that are the subject
thereof if the Company shall sustain the burden of proving that (i) the untrue
statement or omission contained in the Prospectus was corrected; (ii) such
person was not sent or given a copy of the Prospectus (excluding documents
incorporated by reference) which corrected the untrue statement or omission at
or prior to the written confirmation of the sale of such Offering Securities to
such person if required by applicable law; and (iii) the Company satisfied its
obligation pursuant to Section 3(f) of this Agreement to provide a sufficient
number of copies of the Prospectus to the Underwriters.
(b) Indemnification of Company, Directors and Officers.
Each Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company,
its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement, and
each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15
of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act against any and all loss,
liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in
subsection (a) of this Section, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue
statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the
Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) or any preliminary prospectus
supplement or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in
reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the
Company by such Underwriter through you expressly for use in the Registration
Statement (or any amendment thereto) or such preliminary prospectus supplement
or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto).
(c) Actions Against Parties; Notification. Each
indemnified party shall give notice as promptly as reasonably practicable to
each indemnifying party of any action commenced against it in respect of which
indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify an indemnifying
party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability hereunder to
the
19
extent it is not materially prejudiced as a result thereof and in any event
shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have otherwise than on
account of this indemnity agreement. In the case of parties indemnified
pursuant to Section 6(a) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be
selected by you, and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section
6(b) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the
Company. An indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in the
defense of any such action; provided, however, that counsel to the indemnifying
party shall not (except with the consent of the indemnified party) also be
counsel to the indemnified party. In no event shall the indemnifying parties
be liable for fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any
local counsel) separate from their own counsel for all indemnified parties in
connection with any one action or separate but similar or related actions in
the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or
circumstances. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent
of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any
judgment with respect to any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by
any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim
whatsoever in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought
under this Section 6 or Section 7 hereof (whether or not the indemnified
parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement,
compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified
party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation,
proceeding or claim 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 any indemnified
party. No indemnifying party shall be liable for any settlement effected
without the prior written consent of such indemnifying party.
SECTION 7. Contribution. If the indemnification provided for
in Section 6 hereof is for any reason unavailable to or insufficient to hold
harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, liabilities, claims,
damages or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall
contribute to the aggregate amount of such losses, liabilities, claims, damages
and expenses incurred by such indemnified party, as incurred, (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 hand from the
offering of the Offered Securities pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the
allocation provided by clause (i) 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 of the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the
statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims,
damages or expenses, 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 hand in connection with the offering of the
Offered Securities pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same
respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the
Offered Securities pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses)
received by the Company and the total underwriting discount received by the
Underwriters, in each case as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus bear to
the aggregate initial public offering price of the Offered Securities as set
forth on such cover.
The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the
Underwriters on the other hand shall be determined by reference to, among other
things, whether any such untrue or
20
alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to
state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the
Underwriters and the parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to information
and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be
just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 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 above in this Section 7. The
aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred
by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 7 shall be deemed
to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified
party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any
investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or
threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged
untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, 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
any 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 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution
from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
For purposes of this Section, each person, if any, who
controls an Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or
Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such
Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who
signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the
Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the
1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company. The
Underwriters' respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section are
several in proportion to the principal amount of Securities set forth opposite
their respective names in Schedule I hereto and not joint.
SECTION 8. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to
Survive Delivery. All representations, warranties and agreements contained in
this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries submitted pursuant hereto shall remain operative and in full force
and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any
Underwriter or controlling person, or by or on behalf of the Company, and shall
survive delivery of the Offered Securities to the Underwriters.
21
SECTION 9. Termination of Agreement.
(a) Termination; General. You may terminate this
Agreement, by notice to the Company, at any time at or prior to Closing Time
(i) if there has been, since the time of execution of this Agreement or since
the respective dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus, any
material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the
earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its
Subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the
ordinary course of business, or (ii) if there has occurred any material adverse
change in the financial markets in the United States, any outbreak of
hostilities or escalation thereof or other calamity or crisis or any change or
development involving a prospective change in national or international
political, financial or economic conditions, in each case the effect of which
is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representative(s), impracticable
to market the Offered Securities or to enforce contracts for the sale of the
Offered Securities, or (iii) if trading in any securities of the Company has
been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or the New York Stock
Exchange, or if trading generally on the American Stock Exchange or the New
York Stock Exchange or in the Nasdaq National Market has been suspended or
materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed,
or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by any of said exchanges or by
such system or by order of the Commission, the National Association of
Securities Dealers, Inc. or any other governmental authority, or (iv) if a
banking moratorium has been declared by either federal or New York state
authorities.
(b) Liabilities. If this Agreement is terminated
pursuant to this Section, such termination shall be without liability of any
party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 hereof, and provided
further that Sections 1, 6, 7 and 8 shall survive such termination and remain
in full force and effect.
SECTION 10. Default by One or More of the Underwriters. If
one or more of the Underwriters shall fail at Closing Time to purchase the
Offered Securities which it or they are obligated to purchase under this
Agreement (the "Defaulted Securities"), you shall have the right, within 24
hours thereafter, to make arrangements for one or more of the non-defaulting
Underwriters, or any other underwriters, to purchase all, but not less than
all, of the Defaulted Securities in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon
the terms herein set forth; if, however, you shall not have completed such
arrangements within such 24-hour period, then:
(a) if the number of Defaulted Securities does not exceed
10% of the aggregate principal amount of the Offered Securities to be
purchased hereunder, the non-defaulting Underwriters shall be
obligated, each severally and not jointly, to purchase the full amount
thereof in the proportions that their respective underwriting
obligations hereunder bear to the underwriting obligations of all
non-defaulting Underwriters, or
(b) if the number of Defaulted Securities exceeds 10% of
the aggregate principal amount of the Offered Securities to be
purchased hereunder, this Agreement shall terminate without liability
on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter.
22
No action taken pursuant to this Section 10 shall relieve any
defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of its default.
In the event of any such default which does not result in a
termination of this Agreement, either you or the Company shall have the right
to postpone Closing Time for a period not exceeding seven days in order to
effect any required changes in the Registration Statement or Prospectus or in
any other documents or arrangements. As used herein, the term "Underwriter"
includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section 10.
SECTION 11. Notices. All notices and other communications
hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if
mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to
the Underwriters shall be directed to you at Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner &
Smith Incorporated, 200 Crescent Court, Suite 550, Dallas, Texas 75201,
attention of Scott W. Archer; and notices to the Company shall be directed to
it at 1800 Three Lincoln Center, 5430 LBJ Freeway, Dallas, Texas 75240,
attention of Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.
SECTION 12. Parties. This Agreement shall inure to the
benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters and the Company and their
respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is
intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other
than the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors and the
controlling persons and officers and directors referred to in Sections 6 and 7
and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy
or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein
contained. This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are
intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Underwriters and the
Company and their respective successors, and said controlling persons and
officers and directors and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the
benefit of no other person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of the Offered
Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason
merely of such purchase.
SECTION 13. GOVERNING LAW AND TIME. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE
GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME.
SECTION 14. Effect of Headings. The Article and Section
headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction
hereof.
23
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of
our agreement, please sign and return to us a counterpart hereof, whereupon
this instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement
among the Company and the Underwriter in accordance with its terms.
Very truly yours,
ATMOS ENERGY CORPORATION
By /s/ Larry J. Dagley
-------------------------------
Name: Larry J. Dagley
Title: Executive Vice President
and Chief Financial Officer
CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED as of
the date first above written:
MERRILL LYNCH & CO.
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
Incorporated
NATIONSBANC MONTGOMERY SECURITIES LLC
EDWARD D. JONES & CO., L.P.
By: MERRILL LYNCH & CO.
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
Incorporated
By: /s/ Charles M. Davis, Jr.
----------------------------
Name: Charles M. Davis, Jr.
Title: Managing Director
24
SCHEDULE I
ATMOS ENERGY CORPORATION
6 3/4% Debentures due 2028
NAME OF UNDERWRITERS PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF
-------------------- OFFERED SECURITIES
-------------------
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated $ 50,000,000
NationsBanc Montgomery Securities LLC 50,000,000
Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P. 50,000,000
-------------------
Total $ 150,000,000
===================
25
SCHEDULE II
ATMOS ENERGY CORPORATION
PRICING INFORMATION
6 3/4% Debentures due 2028
A. General
Current ratings: A3 by Moody's and A- by Standard & Poor's
Closing date, time and location: 10:00 A.M. New York City time, July
27, 1998, at Shearman & Sterling, 599 Lexington Avenue, New York, New
York
Other terms and conditions: None
B. Terms of Offered Securities
Principal amount to be issued: $150,000,000
Interest rate: 6 3/4% payable on January 15 and July 15, commencing
January 15, 1999.
Date of maturity: July 15, 2028
Redemption provisions: Redeemable at the option of the Company, in
whole or in part, in principal amounts of $1,000 or any integral
multiple thereof at any time at a redemption price equal to the sum of
(i) an amount equal to 100% of the principal amount thereof and (ii)
the Make-Whole Premium (as defined in the Indenture), together with
accrued and unpaid interest at the redemption date.
Sinking fund requirements: None
Initial public offering price: 99.115% of the principal amount
plus accrued interest from July 27, 1998.
Purchase price: 98.240% of the principal amount plus accrued interest
from July 27, 1998.
Payment: Wire transfer of immediately available funds.
Listing requirement: NYSE
C. Restriction contemplated by Section 3(k) (if any): None
D. Other terms and conditions
26
SCHEDULE III
LIST OF SUBSIDIARIES
SUBSIDIARY COMPANIES OF ATMOS ENERGY CORPORATION
1. EGASCO, INC. (a Texas corporation)
2. ENERMART, INC. (a Delaware corporation)
3. ENERMART TRUST (a Pennsylvania business trust and a subsidiary of
Enermart, Inc.)
4. TRANS LOUISIANA INDUSTRIAL GAS COMPANY, INC. (a Louisiana corporation)
5. WESTERN KENTUCKY GAS RESOURCES COMPANY d/b/a NRG, INC. (a Delaware
corporation)
6. ATMOS ENERGY SERVICES, INC. (a Delaware corporation)
7. UNITED CITIES GAS STORAGE COMPANY (a Delaware corporation)
8. UCG ENERGY CORPORATION (a Delaware corporation)
9. UCG LEASING, INC. (a Georgia corporation and a subsidiary of UCG
Energy Corporation)
10. ATMOS PROPANE, INC. (a Tennessee corporation and a subsidiary of UCG
Energy Corporation)
27
EXHIBIT A
FORM OF OPINION OF COMPANY'S COUNSEL
TO BE DELIVERED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 5(b)(i)
28
EXHIBIT B
FORM OF OPINION OF COMPANY'S GENERAL
COUNSEL TO BE DELIVERED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 5(b)(ii)
29
EXHIBIT C
FORM OF OPINION OF COMPANY'S VIRGINIA
COUNSEL TO BE DELIVERED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 5(b)(iii)