EXHIBIT 1.1
EXECUTION COPY
GREENE COUNTY BANCSHARES, INC.
(A TENNESSEE CORPORATION)
1,833,043 SHARES OF COMMON STOCK
(PAR VALUE $2.00 PER SHARE)
PURCHASE AGREEMENT
September 22, 2005
KEEFE, BRUYETTE & WOODS, INC.
as Representative of the several Underwriters
787 Seventh Avenue
4th Floor
New York, New York 10019
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Greene County Bancshares, Inc., a Tennessee corporation (the "Company")
confirms its agreement with Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc. ("Keefe Bruyette") and
each of the other Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto (collectively, the
"Underwriters," which term shall also include any underwriter substituted as
hereinafter provided in Section 10 hereof), for whom Keefe Bruyette is acting as
representative (in such capacity, the "Representative"), with respect to (i) the
sale by the Company and the purchase by the Underwriters of the respective
numbers of shares of Common Stock, $2.00 par value per share, of the Company
("Common Stock") set forth in Schedules A and B hereto and (ii) the grant by the
Company to the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the option
described in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any part of 274,957
additional shares of Common Stock to cover over-allotments, if any. The
aforesaid 1,833,043 shares of Common Stock (the "Initial Securities") to be
purchased by the Underwriters and all or any part of the 274,957 shares of
Common Stock subject to the option described in Section 2(b) hereof (the "Option
Securities") are hereinafter called, collectively, the "Securities."
The Company understands that the Underwriters propose to make a public
offering of the Securities as soon as the Representative deems advisable after
this Agreement has been executed and delivered.
The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"Commission") a registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-127120) covering the
registration of the Securities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
"1933 Act"), including the related preliminary prospectus or prospectuses.
Promptly after execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will
prepare and file a prospectus in accordance with the provisions of Rule 430A
("Rule 430A") of the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1933 Act
(the "1933 Act Regulations") and paragraph (b) of Rule 424 ("Rule 424(b)") of
the 1933 Act
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Regulations. The information included in such prospectus that was omitted from
such registration statement at the time it became effective but that is deemed
to be part of such registration statement at the time it became effective
pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 430A is referred to as "Rule 430A
Information." Each prospectus used before such registration statement became
effective, and any prospectus that omitted the Rule 430A Information that was
used after such effectiveness and prior to the execution and delivery of this
Agreement, is herein called a "preliminary prospectus." Such registration
statement, including the exhibits thereto, schedules thereto, if any, and the
documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3
under the 1933 Act, at the time it became effective and including the Rule 430A
Information, is herein called the "Registration Statement." Any registration
statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations is herein
referred to as the "Rule 462(b) Registration Statement," and after such filing
the term "Registration Statement" shall include the Rule 462(b) Registration
Statement. The final prospectus, including the documents incorporated by
reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act, in the
form first furnished to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offering
of the Securities is herein called the "Prospectus." For purposes of this
Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, any preliminary
prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the
foregoing shall be deemed to include the 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," "described," "referred to"
or "stated" in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the
Prospectus (or other references of like import) 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, any preliminary
prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be; and all references in this
Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, any
preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to mean and include the
filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
(the "1934 Act"), which is incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement, such preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be.
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(c) hereof, and as of each Date of Delivery (if any)
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.
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At the respective times the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b)
Registration Statement and any post-effective amendments thereto became
effective and at the Closing Time (and, if any Option Securities are
purchased, at the Date of Delivery), 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 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 (and, if any Option Securities are
purchased, at the Date of Delivery), 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 or on behalf of any Underwriter through Keefe
Bruyette expressly for use in the Registration Statement or Prospectus,
provided however, that such information shall be limited to the information
described in the final proviso contained in Section 6(a).
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 or hereafter are filed with the
Commission, complied and will comply in all material respects with the
requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations or the 1934 Act
and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (the "1934 Act
Regulations"), as applicable, 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 (and, if any Option Securities are purchased, at the Date of
Delivery), 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.
(iii) Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. Each of Dixon
Hughes, PLLC and Crowe Chizek and Company LLC, the accounting firms that
certified the financial statements and supporting schedules of the Company
included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, is an
independent registered public accounting firm as required by the 1933 Act
and the 1933 Act Regulations. With respect to the Company and to the
Company's knowledge, Dixon Hughes, PLLC and Crowe Chizek
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and Company LLC are not and have not been in violation of the auditor
independence requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
("Sarbanes-Oxley Act") and the related rules and regulations of the
Commission.
(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 balance
sheet, statement of income and comprehensive income, statement of changes
in shareholders' equity and statement of 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. No other financial statements or supporting schedules are
required to be included in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus.
All disclosures contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus
regarding "non-GAAP financial measures" (as such term is defined by the
rules and regulations of the Commission) comply with Regulation G of the
1934 Act, the 1934 Act Regulations and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the
1933 Act, to the extent applicable.
(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 results of operations 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) except for
the proposed acquisition by the Company's subsidiary, Greene County Bank,
of five branches located in Clarksville, Tennessee, from Old National Bank
(the "Clarksville Acquisition"), there have been no 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 dividends on 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 is a registered bank
holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended
("BHCA"), has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation
in good standing under the laws of the State of Tennessee and has the
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
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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 direct or indirect
subsidiary of the Company has been duly organized and is validly existing
as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its
incorporation, has corporate power and authority 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 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. Greene County
Capital Trust I and Greene County Capital Trust II have been duly formed
and are validly existing as business trusts under the Delaware Business
Trust Act, 12 Del. Code Section 3801, et seq., and are in good standing
under the laws of the State of Delaware. All of the issued and outstanding
capital stock of each such subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly
issued, is fully paid and non-assessable and 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 was issued in
violation of the preemptive or similar rights of any securityholder of such
subsidiary. The only subsidiaries of the Company are the subsidiaries
listed on Schedule D hereto.
(viii) Subsidiary Operations. Except as disclosed in the Prospectus,
the Company and its subsidiaries conduct their respective businesses in
compliance in all material respects with all federal, state, local and
foreign statutes, laws, rules, regulations, decisions, directives and
orders applicable to them (including, without limitation, all regulations
and orders of, or agreements with, the Board of Governors of the Federal
Reserve System ("FRB"), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC"),
the Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions, as applicable, and the
Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Housing Act, the Community
Reinvestment Act, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, all other applicable
fair lending laws or other laws relating to discrimination and the Bank
Secrecy Act and Title III of the USA Patriot Act). Neither the Company nor
its subsidiaries has received any communication from any governmental
entity asserting that the Company or any subsidiary is not in compliance
with any statute, law, rule, regulation, decision, directive or order.
(ix) 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, pursuant to reservations,
agreements or employee benefit plans referred to in the Prospectus or
documents incorporated by reference into 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 have been
duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable;
none of the outstanding shares of capital stock was issued in violation of
the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the
Company.
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(x) Authorization of Agreement. This Agreement has been duly
authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and, when duly executed
by the Underwriters, will constitute the valid and binding agreement of the
Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms,
except as may be limited or otherwise affected by (A) bankruptcy,
insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, fraudulent conveyance or other
similar statutes, rules, regulations or other laws affecting the
enforcement of creditors' rights and remedies generally, and (B) the
unavailability of, or limitation on the availability of, a particular right
or remedy (whether in a proceeding in equity or at law) because of an
equitable principle or a requirement as to commercial reasonableness,
conscionability or good faith.
(xi) Authorization and Description of Securities. The Securities to be
purchased by the Underwriters from the Company have been duly authorized
for issuance and sale to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement and,
when issued and delivered by the Company pursuant to this Agreement against
payment of the consideration set forth herein, will be validly issued and
fully paid and non-assessable; the Common Stock conforms to all statements
relating thereto contained or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus
and such description conforms to the rights set forth in the instruments
defining the same; no holder of the Securities will be subject to personal
liability by reason of being such a holder; and the issuance of the
Securities is not subject to the preemptive or other similar rights of any
securityholder of the Company.
(xii) 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 and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and
in the Registration Statement (including the issuance and sale of the
Securities and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities as
described in the Prospectus under the caption "Use of Proceeds") and
compliance by the Company with its obligations hereunder 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
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"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.
(xiii) 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.
(xiv) 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 consummation of the transactions
contemplated in this Agreement or the performance by the Company of its
obligations hereunder; 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, would not reasonably be expected to
result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xv) 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.
(xvi) 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.
(xvii) Absence of Further Requirements. Except for governmental
approvals required in connection with the Clarksville Acquisition, no
filing with, or authorization,
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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 Securities hereunder
or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement,
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.
(xviii) Possession of Licenses and Permits. The Company and its
subsidiaries possess such material permits, licenses, approvals, consents
and other authorizations (collectively, "Governmental Licenses") issued by
the appropriate federal, state, local, banking 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 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.
(xix) 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.
(xx) Investment Company Act. The Company is not, and upon the issuance
and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated and the application of
the net proceeds therefrom as described in the Prospectus will not be, an
"investment company" or an entity "controlled" by an "investment company"
as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended
(the "1940 Act").
(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,
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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 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) there are no events or
circumstances that might reasonably be expected to form the basis of an
order for clean-up 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.
(xxii) Taxes. The Company and each of the subsidiaries has (a) timely
filed all material foreign, United States federal, state and local tax
returns, information returns, and similar reports that are required to be
filed (taking into account valid extensions), and all tax returns are true,
correct and complete in all material respects, (b) paid in full all taxes
required to be paid by it and any other assessment, fine or penalty levied
against it, except for any such assessment, fine or penalty that is
currently being contested in good faith or as would not have, individually
or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, and (c) established on the
most recent balance sheet reserves that are adequate for the payment of all
taxes not yet due and payable.
(xxiii) Regulatory Agreements. Neither the Company nor any of its
subsidiaries is a party to or subject to any order, decree, agreement,
memorandum or understanding or similar agreement with, or a commitment
letter, supervisory letter or similar submission to, any governmental
entity charged with the supervision or regulation of depository
institutions or engaged in the insurance of deposits (including the FDIC)
or the supervision or regulation of it or any of its subsidiaries, except
as would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse
Effect, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has been
advised by any such governmental entity that such governmental entity is
contemplating issuing or requesting (or is considering the appropriateness
of issuing or requesting) any such order, decree, agreement, memorandum or
understanding, commitment letter, supervisory letter or similar submission,
except as would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material
Adverse Effect.
(xxiv) Statistical and Market Data. The statistical and market related
data contained in the Prospectus and Registration Statement are based on or
derived from sources which the Company reasonably believes are reliable and
accurate.
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(xxv) Relationship. No relationship, direct or indirect, exists
between or among the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the one hand,
and the directors, officers, shareholders, customers or suppliers of the
Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the other, that is required by the
Securities Act or by the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder
to be described in the Registration Statement and/or the Prospectus and
that is not so described.
(xxvi) Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. The Company and its
subsidiaries maintain a system of internal control over financial reporting
(as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the 1934
Act) sufficient to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability
of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for
external purposes in accordance with GAAP, including, those policies and
procedures that: (A) pertain to maintenance of records that in reasonable
detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of
the assets of the Company; (B) provide reasonable assurance that
transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial
statements in accordance with GAAP, and that receipts and expenditures of
the Company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of
management and directors; and (C) provide reasonable assurance regarding
prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or
disposition of the Company's assets that could have a material effect on
the Company's financial statements. The Company's independent registered
public accounting firm and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors
have been advised of: (A) any significant deficiencies and material
weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial
reporting which could adversely affect the Company's ability to record,
process, summarize, and report financial data; and (B) any fraud, whether
or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a
significant role in the Company's internal control over financial
reporting.
(xxvii) Deposit Insurance. The deposit accounts of Greene County Bank
are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to the legal
maximum, Greene County Bank has paid all premiums and assessments required
by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the regulations thereunder
and no proceeding for the termination or revocation of such insurance is
pending or threatened. Greene County Bank is a member in good standing of
the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati.
(xxviii) No Registration Rights. No person has the right to require
the Company or any of its subsidiaries to register any securities for sale
under the 1933 Act by reason of the filing of the Registration Statement
with the Commission or the issuance and sale of the Securities to be sold
by the Company hereunder.
(xxix) No Stabilization or Manipulation. The Company has not taken,
directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that could reasonably be
expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the
price of the Securities.
(xxx) No Unauthorized Use of Prospectus. The Company has not
distributed and, prior to the later to occur of (i) the Closing Time and
(ii) completion of the distribution of
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the Securities, will not distribute any prospectus (as such term is defined
in the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations) in connection with the
offering and sale of the Securities other than the Registration Statement,
any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or other materials, if any,
permitted by the 1933 Act or by the 1933 Act Regulations and approved by
the Representative.
(xxxi) Forward-Looking Statements. No forward-looking statement
(within the meaning of Section 27A of the 1933 Act and Section 21E of the
1934 Act) contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a
reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.
(xxxii) Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Company is in compliance with the
applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the rules and
regulations of the Commission thereunder, and the corporate governance and
other rules and requirements of Nasdaq and will comply in all material
respects with any such provisions that will become effective in the future
upon their effectiveness.
(xxxiii) Lock-up Agreements. Each of the Company's executive officers
and directors and 5% or greater shareholders and certain other
shareholders, in each case as listed on Schedule E hereto, has executed and
delivered lock-up agreements as contemplated by Section 5(i) hereof.
(xxxiv) Fees. Other than as contemplated by this Agreement, there is
no broker, finder or other party that is entitled to receive from the
Company or any subsidiary any brokerage or finder's fee or any other fee,
commission or payment as a result of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement.
(xxxv) ERISA. The Company and each of the subsidiaries or their "ERISA
Affiliates" (as defined below) are in compliance in all material respects
with all presently applicable provisions of the Employee Retirement Income
Security Act of 1974, as amended, including the regulations and published
interpretations thereunder ("ERISA"); no "reportable event" (as defined in
ERISA) has occurred with respect to any "employee benefit plan" (as defined
in ERISA) for which the Company or any of the subsidiaries or ERISA
Affiliates would have any liability; the Company and each of the
subsidiaries or their ERISA Affiliates have not incurred and do not expect
to incur liability under (i) Title IV of ERISA with respect to termination
of, or withdrawal from, any "employee benefit plan" or (ii) Sections 412,
4971, 4975 or 4980B of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder
(collectively the "Code"); and each "employee benefit plan" for which the
Company and each of its Subsidiaries or any of their ERISA Affiliates would
have any liability that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of
the Code is so qualified in all material respects and nothing as occurred,
whether by action or by failure to act, which would cause the loss of such
qualification. "ERISA Affiliate" means, with respect to the Company or a
subsidiary, any member of any group of organizations described in Sections
414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of the Code or Section 400(b) of ERISA of which the
Company or such subsidiary is a member.
11
(b) Officer's Certificates. Any certificate signed by any officer of the
Company or any of its subsidiaries delivered to the Representative or to counsel
for the Underwriters pursuant to a provision of this Agreement 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) Initial Securities. On the basis of the representations and warranties
herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the
Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, and each
Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company, at
the price per share set forth in Schedule C, that number of Initial Securities
set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter, plus any
additional number of Initial Securities which such Underwriter may become
obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 10 hereof, subject,
in each case, to such adjustments among the Underwriters as the Representative
in its sole discretion shall make to eliminate any sales or purchases of
fractional securities.
(b) Option Securities. In addition, on the basis of the representations and
warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set
forth, the Company hereby grants an option to the Underwriters, severally and
not jointly, to purchase up to an additional 274,957 shares of Common Stock, as
set forth in Schedule B, at the price per share set forth in Schedule C, less an
amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company
and payable on the Initial Securities but not payable on the Option Securities.
The option hereby granted will expire 30 days after the date hereof and may be
exercised in whole or in part from time to time only for the purpose of covering
over-allotments which may be made in connection with the offering and
distribution of the Initial Securities upon notice by the Representative to the
Company setting forth the number of Option Securities as to which the several
Underwriters are then exercising the option and the time and date of payment and
delivery for such Option Securities. Any such time and date of delivery (a "Date
of Delivery") shall be determined by the Representative, but shall not be later
than seven full business days after the exercise of said option, nor in any
event prior to the Closing Time, as hereinafter defined. If the option is
exercised as to all or any portion of the Option Securities, each of the
Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, will purchase that proportion of
the total number of Option Securities then being purchased which the number of
Initial Securities set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter
bears to the total number of Initial Securities, subject in each case to such
adjustments as the Representative in its discretion shall make to eliminate any
sales or purchases of fractional shares.
(c) Payment. Payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of
certificates for, the Initial Securities shall be made at the offices of Alston
& Bird LLP, 1201 West Peachtree Street, Atlanta, Georgia 30309, or at such other
place as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company, at 10:00
A.M. (Eastern time) on the third (fourth, if the pricing occurs after 4:30 P.M.
(Eastern time) on any given day) business day after the date hereof (unless
postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10), or such other time
not later than ten business days after such date as shall be agreed upon by the
Representative and the Company (such time and date of payment and delivery being
herein called "Closing Time").
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In addition, in the event that any or all of the Option Securities are
purchased by the Underwriters, payment of the purchase price for, and delivery
of certificates for, such Option Securities shall be made at the above-mentioned
offices, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representative
and the Company, on each Date of Delivery as specified in the notice from the
Representative to the Company.
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
the Representative for the respective accounts of the Underwriters of
certificates for the Securities to be purchased by them. It is understood that
each Underwriter has authorized the Representative, for its account, to accept
delivery of, receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the
Initial Securities and the Option Securities, if any, which it has agreed to
purchase. Keefe Bruyette, individually and not as representative of the
Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment of the purchase
price for the Initial Securities or the Option Securities, if any, to be
purchased by any Underwriter whose funds have not been received by the Closing
Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, but such payment
shall not relieve such Underwriter from its obligations hereunder.
(d) Denominations; Registration. Certificates for the Initial Securities
and the Option Securities, if any, shall be in such denominations and registered
in such names as the Representative may request in writing at least one full
business day before the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the
case may be. The certificates for the Initial Securities and the Option
Securities, if any, will be made available for examination and packaging by the
Representative(s) in The City of New York not later than 10:00 A.M. (Eastern
time) on the business day prior to the Closing Time or the relevant Date of
Delivery, as the case may be.
SECTION 3. Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants with each
Underwriter as follows:
(a) Compliance with Securities Regulations and Commission Requests. The
Company, subject to Section 3(b), will comply with the requirements of Rule 430A
or Rule 434, as applicable, and will notify the Representative immediately, and
confirm the notice in writing, (i) when any post-effective amendment to the
Registration Statement shall become effective, or any supplement to the
Prospectus or any amended Prospectus shall have been filed, (ii) of the receipt
of any comments from the Commission, (iii) of any request by the Commission for
any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to
the Prospectus or for additional information, and (iv) of the issuance by the
Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration
Statement or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary
prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for
offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any
proceedings for any of such purposes. The Company will promptly effect the
filings necessary pursuant to Rule 424(b) and will take such steps as it deems
necessary to ascertain promptly whether the form of prospectus transmitted for
filing under Rule 424(b) was received for filing by the Commission and, in the
event that it was not, it will promptly file such prospectus. The Company will
make every reasonable effort to prevent the
13
issuance of any stop order and, if any stop order is issued, to obtain the
lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment.
(b) Filing of Amendments. The Company will give the Representative 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 the Representative 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 the
Representative or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object.
(c) Delivery of Registration Statements. The Company has furnished or will
deliver to the Representative 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 the Representative, 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.
(d) 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.
(e) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. The Company will comply with
the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act
Regulations so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the 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 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
14
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
Company will furnish to the Underwriters such number of copies of such amendment
or supplement as the Underwriters may reasonably request.
(f) Blue Sky Qualifications. The Company will use its best efforts, in
cooperation with the Underwriters, to qualify the Securities for offering and
sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions
(domestic or foreign) as the Representative may designate and to maintain such
qualifications in effect for a period of not less than one year from the later
of the effective date of the Registration Statement and any Rule 462(b)
Registration Statement; provided, however, that the Company shall not be
obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a
foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it
is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing
business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject. In each
jurisdiction in which the Securities have been so qualified, the Company will
file such statements and reports as may be required by the laws of such
jurisdiction to continue such qualification in effect for a period of not less
than one year from the effective date of the Registration Statement and any Rule
462(b) Registration Statement.
(g) 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.
(h) Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the net proceeds received by it
from the sale of the Securities in the manner specified in the Prospectus under
"Use of Proceeds."
(i) Listing. The Company will use its best efforts to effect and maintain
the quotation of the Securities on The Nasdaq National Market and will file with
The Nasdaq National Market all documents and notices required by The Nasdaq
National Market of companies that have securities that are traded in the
over-the-counter market and quotations for which are reported by The Nasdaq
National Market.
(j) Restriction on Sale of Securities. During a period of 180 days from the
date of the Prospectus (the "Restricted Period"), the Company will not, without
the prior written consent of Keefe Bruyette, directly or indirectly, (i) offer,
pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase,
purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to
purchase or otherwise transfer or dispose of any share of Common Stock or any
securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or
file any registration statement under the 1933 Act with respect to any of the
foregoing or (ii) enter into any swap, hedge or any other agreement or any
15
transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the
economic consequence of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such swap,
hedge or transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by
delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise. The
foregoing sentence shall not apply to (A) the Securities to be sold hereunder,
(B) any shares of Common Stock issued by the Company upon the exercise of an
option or warrant outstanding on the date hereof and referred to in the
Prospectus, (C) any shares of Common Stock issued or options to purchase Common
Stock granted pursuant to existing employee benefit plans of the Company
referred to in the Prospectus or incorporated by reference therein, or (D) any
transfer, sale or other disposition with the prior written consent of Keefe
Bruyette. Keefe Bruyette agrees, for the benefit of the other Representatives,
if applicable, not to provide such consent without providing notice to each
Representative to permit compliance with applicable provisions of NASD Conduct
Rule 2711(f) restricting publication and distribution of research and public
appearances by research analysts before and after the expiration, waiver or
termination of a lock-up agreement and agrees only to provide consent in
circumstances that will permit such compliance by the Representatives.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that either (i) during the period
that begins on the date that is 15 calendar days plus three (3) business days
before the last day of the Restricted Period and ends on the last day of the
Restricted Period, the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a
material event relating to the Company occurs, or (ii) prior to the expiration
of the Restricted Period, the Company announces that it will release earnings
results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the Restricted
Period, the restrictions set forth herein will continue to apply until the
expiration of the date that is 15 calendar days plus three (3) business days
after the date on which the earnings release is issued or the material news or
event related to the Company occurs.
(k) 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.
(l) Compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. During the time when a
prospectus is required to be delivered under the 1933 Act, the Company shall at
all times comply, in all material respects, with all applicable provisions of
the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, including the related rules and regulations
promulgated thereunder by the Commission and The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc., in
effect from time to time.
(m) Notice of Issuance. The Company will timely file a "Notification Form:
Change in the Number of Shares Outstanding" with the Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc.
SECTION 4. Payment of Expenses.
(a) Expenses. The Company will pay or cause to be paid all expenses
incident to the performance of their obligations under this Agreement, including
(i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement
(including financial statements and exhibits) as originally
16
filed and of each amendment thereto, (ii) the preparation, printing and delivery
to the Underwriters of this Agreement, any Agreement among Underwriters and such
other documents as may be required in connection with the offering, purchase,
sale, issuance or delivery of the Securities, (iii) the preparation, issuance
and delivery of the certificates for the Securities to the Underwriters,
including any stock or other transfer taxes and any stamp or other duties
payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Securities to the
Underwriters, (iv) the fees and disbursements of the Company's counsel,
accountants and other advisors, (v) the qualification of the Securities under
securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(f) hereof,
including filing fees 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, 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 any transfer agent or
registrar for the Securities and (ix) the filing fees incident to, and the
reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters in connection
with, the review by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (the
"NASD") of the terms of the sale of the Securities and (x) the fees and expenses
incurred in connection with the inclusion of the Securities in the Nasdaq
National Market.
(b) Termination of Agreement. If this Agreement is terminated by the
Representative in accordance with the provisions of Section 5, Section 9(a) or
Section 11 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. 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
the 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. A prospectus containing
the Rule 430A Information shall have been filed with the Commission in
accordance with Rule 424(b) (or a post-effective amendment providing such
information shall have been filed and declared effective in accordance with the
requirements of Rule 430A).
(b) Opinion of Counsel for Company. At Closing Time, the Representative
shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of Closing Time, of Bass,
Berry & Sims PLC, 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
17
other Underwriters to the effect set forth in Exhibit A hereto and to such
further effect as counsel to the Underwriters may reasonably request.
(c) Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters. At Closing Time, the
Representative shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of Closing
Time, of Alston & Bird LLP, special counsel for the Underwriters.
(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 results of operations of
the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not
arising in the ordinary course of business, and the Representative shall have
received a certificate of the chief executive officer 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 (except for such representations and warranties expressly made as
of an earlier date), (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 Company, are contemplated
by the Commission.
(e) Accountant's Comfort Letter. At the time of the execution of this
Agreement, the Representative shall have received from Dixon Hughes, PLLC a
letter dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the
Representative, 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, the Representative shall
have received from Dixon Hughes, PLLC 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) Approval of Listing. At Closing Time, the Securities shall have been
approved for inclusion in and listing on The Nasdaq National Market, subject
only to official notice of issuance.
(h) No Objection. The NASD has confirmed that it has not raised any
objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting
terms and arrangements.
18
(i) Lock-up Agreements. Prior to the distribution of the preliminary
prospectus, the Representative shall have received an agreement substantially in
the form of Exhibit B hereto signed by the persons listed on Schedule E hereto,
with the exception of R. Stan Puckett and Phil M. Bachman, from whom such
agreements have been received prior to the date hereof.
(j) Delivery of Prospectus. The Company shall have complied with the
provisions hereof with respect to the furnishing of prospectuses, in electronic
or printed format, on the New York business day next succeeding the date of this
Agreement; provided further, that the Company shall use all reasonable efforts
to ensure that printed copies of prospectuses are available as soon as
practicable following the date hereof.
(k) No Termination Event. On or after the date hereof there shall not have
occurred any of the events, circumstances or occurrences set forth in Section
9(a).
(l) Conditions to Purchase of Option Securities. In the event that the
Underwriters exercise their option provided in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase
all or any portion of the Option Securities, the representations and warranties
of the Company contained herein and the statements in any certificates furnished
by the Company and any subsidiary of the Company hereunder shall be true and
correct as of each Date of Delivery and, at the relevant Date of Delivery, the
Representative shall have received:
(i) Officers' Certificate. A certificate, dated such Date of Delivery,
of the chief executive officer of the Company and of the chief financial or
chief accounting officer of the Company confirming that the certificate
delivered at the Closing Time pursuant to Section 5(d) hereof remains true
and correct as of such Date of Delivery.
(ii) Opinion of Counsel for Company. The favorable opinion of Bass,
Berry & Sims PLC, counsel for the Company, in form and substance
satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, dated such Date of Delivery,
relating to the Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery
and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(b)
hereof.
(iii) Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters. The favorable opinion of
Alston & Bird LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated such Date of
Delivery, relating to the Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of
Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by
Section 5(c) hereof.
(iv) Bring-down Comfort Letter. A letter from Dixon Hughes, PLLC, in
form and substance satisfactory to the Representative and dated such Date
of Delivery, substantially in the same form and substance as the letter
furnished to the Representative pursuant to Section 5(f) hereof, except
that the "specified date" in the letter furnished pursuant to this
paragraph shall be a date not more than five days prior to such Date of
Delivery.
19
(v) No Termination Event. There shall not have occurred prior to the
Date of Delivery any of the events, circumstances or occurrences set forth
in Section 9(a).
(m) Additional Documents. At Closing Time and at each Date of Delivery
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 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 Securities
as herein contemplated shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the
Representative and counsel for the Underwriters.
(n) Termination of Agreement. If any condition specified in this Section 5
shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this
Agreement, or, in the case of any condition to the purchase of Option Securities
on a Date of Delivery which is after the Closing Time, the obligations of the
several Underwriters to purchase the relevant Option Securities, may be
terminated by the Representative by notice to the Company at any time at or
prior to Closing Time or such Date of Delivery, as the case may be, 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 to the extent and in the manner set forth in clauses (i), (ii) and
(iii) below:
(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), including the Rule 430A Information, if
applicable, 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
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 threatened, or of any claim
whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such
alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that (subject to Section
6(d) below) any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the
Company; and
20
(iii) against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including
the fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by Keefe Bruyette), 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, or
on behalf of, any Underwriter through Keefe Bruyette expressly for use in the
Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430A
Information, if applicable, or any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or
any amendment or supplement thereto); provided further that the parties
acknowledge and agree that the only information that any Underwriter has
furnished to the Company specifically for inclusion in the Registration
Statement, preliminary prospectus and Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement
thereto) are the concession and reallowance figures appearing in the Prospectus
in the section entitled "Underwriting" and the information contained under the
captions "Underwriting - Stabilization" and "Underwriting - Passive Market
Making."
(b) Indemnification of Company and 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), including the Rule 430A Information, if applicable,
or any preliminary prospectus 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 Keefe Bruyette expressly for use in
the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) or such preliminary
prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), provided
that the parties acknowledge and agree that the only written information that
any Underwriter has furnished to the Company specifically for inclusion in the
Registration Statement, preliminary prospectus and Prospectus (or any amendment
or supplement thereto) are the concession and reallowance figures appearing in
the Prospectus in the section entitled "Underwriting" and the information
contained under the captions "Underwriting - Stabilization" and "Underwriting -
Passive Market Making."
(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 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
21
case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(a) above, counsel to the
indemnified parties shall be selected by Keefe Bruyette, 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.
(d) Settlement without Consent if Failure to Reimburse. If at any time an
indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the
indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party
agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by
Section 6(a)(ii) effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is
entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the
aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of
the terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being
entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such
indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such
settlement.
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 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 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 Securities
pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company
22
and the total underwriting discount received by the Underwriters, in each case
as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus.
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 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 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 7, 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 7 are several in
proportion to the number of Initial Securities set forth opposite their
respective names in Schedule A 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
Securities to the Underwriters.
23
SECTION 9. Termination of Agreement.
(a) Termination; General. The Representative may terminate this Agreement,
by notice to the Company, at any time at or prior to Closing Time or Date of
Delivery (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 results of operations 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 since the time of
execution of this Agreement 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,
including without limitation as a result of terrorist activities, in each case
the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the
Representative, impracticable to market the Securities or to enforce contracts
for the sale of the Securities, or (iii) if trading in any securities of the
Company has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or the Nasdaq
National Market, 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 or Tennessee
authorities or a material disruption in commercial banking or securities
settlement or clearance services in the United States has occurred.
(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 or a Date of Delivery to purchase
the Securities which it or they are obligated to purchase under this Agreement
(the "Defaulted Securities"), the Representative 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, the Representative 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 number
of Securities to be purchased on such date, each of the non-defaulting
Underwriters shall be obligated, 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 number of
Securities to be purchased on such date, this Agreement or, with respect to any
Date of
24
Delivery which occurs after the Closing Time, the obligation of the Underwriters
to purchase and of the Company to sell the Option Securities to be purchased and
sold on such Date of Delivery shall terminate without liability on the part of
any non-defaulting Underwriter.
No action taken pursuant to this Section 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 or, in the case of a Date of Delivery which is after the Closing
Time, which does not result in a termination of the obligation of the
Underwriters to purchase and the Company to sell the relevant Option Securities,
as the case may be, either (i) the Representative or (ii) the Company shall have
the right to postpone Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case
may be, 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. Default by the Company. If the Company shall fail at Closing
Time or at the Date of Delivery to sell and deliver the number of Securities
that it is obligated to sell and deliver hereunder, then this Agreement shall
terminate without any liability on the part of any nondefaulting party;
provided, however, that the provisions of Sections 1, 4, 6, 7 and 8 shall remain
in full force and effect. No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve
the Company from liability, if any, in respect of such default.
SECTION 12. 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 the Representative at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods,
Inc., 787 Seventh Avenue, 4th Floor, New York, New York 10019, attention of
General Counsel; notices to the Company shall be directed to it at Greene County
Bancshares, Inc., 100 North Main Street, Greeneville, Tennessee 37743-4992,
attention of R. Stan Puckett.
SECTION 13. 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 Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed to
be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.
25
SECTION 14. GOVERNING LAW AND TIME. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND
CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK. EXCEPT AS
OTHERWISE SET FORTH HEREIN, SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME.
SECTION 15. General Provisions. This Agreement constitutes the entire
agreement of the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all prior written or
oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations
with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement may be executed in two
or more counterparts, each one of which shall be an original, with the same
effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.
This Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the
parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived
unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit.
The Article and Section headings herein and the Table of Contents are for
convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.
[Signatures on Next Page]
26
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement,
please sign and return to the Company, whereupon this instrument, along with all
counterparts, will become a binding agreement among the Underwriters and the
Company in accordance with its terms.
Very truly yours,
GREENE COUNTY BANCSHARES, INC.
By: /s/ Stan Puckett
----------------------------------
Title: Chairman / CEO
CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED,
as of the date first above written:
KEEFE BRUYETTE & WOODS, INC.
By: /s/ Jeffrey D. Evans
-----------------------------------
Authorized Signatory
Jeffrey D. Evans
Managing Director
Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc.
For itself and as Representative of the other Underwriters named in Schedule A
hereto.
27
SCHEDULE A
Number of
Initial
Name of Underwriter Securities
- ------------------- ----------
Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc....................................... 1,077,831
Howe Barnes Investments, Inc....................................... 359,276
SunTrust Capital Markets, Inc...................................... 359,276
Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc....................................... 18,330
BB&T Capital Markets, a division of Scott & Stringfellow, Inc...... 18,330
Total.............................................................. 1,833,043
==========
Sch A-1
SCHEDULE B
Number of Initial Maximum Number of Option
Securities to be Sold Securities to Be Sold
--------------------- ------------------------
Greene County Bancshares, Inc. ........ 1,833,043 274,957
Total ................................. 1,833,043 274,957
Sch B-1
SCHEDULE C
GREENE COUNTY BANCSHARES, INC.
1,833,043 shares of Common Stock
(Par Value $2.00 Per Share)
1. The public offering price per share for the Securities, determined as
provided in said Section 2, shall be $25.75.
2. The purchase price per share for the Securities to be paid by the
several Underwriters shall be $24.205, being an amount equal to the public
offering price set forth above less $1.545 per share; provided that the purchase
price per share for any Option Securities purchased upon the exercise of the
over-allotment option described in Section 2(b) shall be reduced by an amount
per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and
payable on the Initial Securities but not payable on the Option Securities.
Sch C-1
SCHEDULE D
List of subsidiaries
Greene County Bank
Superior Financial Services, Inc.
GCB Acceptance Corporation
Fairway Title Company
Greene County Capital Trust I
Greene County Capital Trust II
Sch D-1
SCHEDULE E
List of persons and entities
subject to lock-up agreements
1. R. Stan Puckett
2. Phil M. Bachman
3. Charles S. Brooks
4. Bruce Campbell
5. W.T. Daniels
6. Robin Haynes
7. Jerald K. Jaynes
8. Terry Leonard
9. John Tolsma
10. Charles H. Whitfield, Jr.
11. Ronald E. Mayberry
12. Kenneth R. Vaught
13. Steve L. Droke
14. William F. Richmond
Sch E-1
Exhibit A
FORM OF OPINION OF COMPANY'S COUNSEL
TO BE DELIVERED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 5(b)
(i) The Company is a registered bank holding company under the
Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended ("BHCA"), and has been duly
incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the
laws of the State of Tennessee. The activities of each of the Company's direct
and indirect subsidiaries are permissible for subsidiaries of a bank holding
company. The activities of Superior Financial Services, Inc., GCB Acceptance
Corporation and Fairway Title Company are permissible for subsidiaries of a
Tennessee chartered and FDIC insured bank.
(ii) The Company 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 the Purchase
Agreement.
(iii) The Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation 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.
(iv) 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 the Purchase Agreement or pursuant to reservations, agreements or employee
benefit plans 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; and 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.
(v) The Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters from the
Company have been duly authorized for issuance and sale to the Underwriters
pursuant to the Purchase Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Company
pursuant to the Purchase Agreement against payment of the consideration set
forth in the Purchase Agreement, will be validly issued and fully paid and
non-assessable and no holder of the Securities is or will be subject to personal
liability by reason of being such a holder.
(vi) The issuance and sale of the Securities by the Company is not
subject to the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the
Company.
(vii) Each direct and indirect subsidiary of the Company listed on
Schedule A hereto has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a
corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its
incorporation, has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its
A-1
properties and to conduct its business as described in the Prospectus and is
duly qualified as a foreign corporation 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; all of the issued and outstanding capital
stock of each subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully
paid and non-assessable and, to the best of our knowledge, 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 was issued in violation of
the preemptive or similar rights of any securityholder of such subsidiary.
(viii) The Purchase Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
delivered by the Company and, when duly executed by the Underwriters, will
constitute the valid and binding agreement of the Company enforceable against
the Company in accordance with its terms, except as may be limited or otherwise
affected by (A) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, fraudulent
conveyance or other similar statutes, rules, regulations or other laws affecting
the enforcement of creditors' rights and remedies generally, and (B) the
unavailability of, or limitation on the availability of, a particular right or
remedy (whether in a proceeding in equity or at law) because of an equitable
principle or a requirement as to commercial reasonableness, conscionability or
good faith.
(ix) The Registration Statement, including any Rule 462(b)
Registration Statement, has been declared effective under the 1933 Act; any
required filing of the Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) has been made in the
manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b); and, to the best of
our knowledge, 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 threatened by the Commission.
(x) The Registration Statement, including any Rule 462(b)
Registration Statement and the Rule 430A Information, as applicable, the
Prospectus, excluding the documents incorporated by reference therein, and each
amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement and Prospectus, excluding
the documents incorporated by reference therein, as of their respective
effective or issue dates (other than the financial statements and supporting
schedules included therein or omitted therefrom, as to which we need express no
opinion) complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of
the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations.
(xi) The documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus
(other than the financial statements and supporting schedules included therein
or omitted therefrom, as to which we need express no opinion), when they became
effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, complied as to
form in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act or the 1934
Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
(xii) The form of certificate used to evidence the Common Stock
complies in all material respects with all applicable statutory requirements,
with any applicable requirements of the charter and by-laws of the Company and
the requirements of The Nasdaq National Market.
(xiii) To the best of our knowledge, there is not pending or
threatened any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, to which the
Company or any subsidiary is a party, or to which
A-2
the property of the Company or any subsidiary is subject, before or brought by
any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, 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 the
Purchase Agreement or the performance by the Company of its obligations
thereunder.
(xiv) The information in the Prospectus under "Risk Factors,"
"Description of Capital Stock" and "Underwriting" and in the Registration
Statement under Items 14 and 15, in each instance to the extent that it
constitutes matters of law, summaries of legal matters, the Company's charter
and bylaws or legal proceedings, or legal conclusions, have been reviewed by us
and are accurate and complete.
(xv) To the best of our knowledge, there are no statutes or
regulations that are required to be described in the Prospectus that are not
described as required.
(xvi) All descriptions in the Registration Statement of contracts
and other documents to which the Company or its subsidiaries are a party are
accurate in all material respects; to the best of our knowledge, there are no
franchises, contracts, indentures, mortgages, loan agreements, notes, leases or
other instruments required to be described or referred to in the Registration
Statement or to be filed as exhibits thereto other than those described or
referred to therein or filed or incorporated by reference as exhibits thereto,
and the descriptions thereof or references thereto are correct in all material
respects.
(xvii) Neither the Company nor any subsidiary is in violation of its
charter or by-laws and no default by the Company or any subsidiary exists in the
due performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or
condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, loan agreement, note,
lease or other agreement or instrument that is described or referred to in the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus or filed or incorporated by reference
as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.
(xviii) No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license,
order, registration, qualification or decree of, any court or governmental
authority or agency, domestic or foreign (other than under the 1933 Act and the
1933 Act Regulations, which have been obtained, or as may be required under the
securities or blue sky laws of the various states, as to which we need express
no opinion) is necessary or required in connection with the due authorization,
execution and delivery of the Purchase Agreement or for the offering, issuance,
sale or delivery of the Securities.
(xix) The execution, delivery and performance of the Purchase
Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated in the Purchase
Agreement and in the Registration Statement (including the issuance and sale of
the Securities and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities as
described in the Prospectus under the caption "Use Of Proceeds") and compliance
by the Company with its obligations under the Purchase Agreement do not and will
not, whether with or without the giving of notice or lapse of time or both,
conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment Event (as
defined in Section 1(a)(xii) of the Purchase Agreement) 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 any contract, indenture,
mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or any other
agreement or instrument, known to us, to which the Company or any subsidiary is
a party or by which it or any of them may be bound, or to which any
A-3
of the property or assets of the Company or any subsidiary is subject (except
for such conflicts, breaches or defaults or liens, charges or encumbrances that
would not have 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, known to us, of any government, government instrumentality or
court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any
subsidiary or any of their respective properties, assets or operations.
(xx) The Company is not an "investment company" or an entity
"controlled" by an "investment company," as such terms are defined in the 1940
Act.
(xxi) To such counsel's knowledge, without independent
investigation, neither the Company nor its subsidiaries is a party to or subject
to any order, decree, agreement, memorandum of understanding or similar
arrangement with, or a commitment letter, supervisory letter or similar
submission to, any governmental entity charged with the supervision or
regulation of depository institutions or engaged in the insurance of deposits
(including the FDIC) or the supervision or regulation of the Company or any of
its subsidiaries and neither the Company nor its subsidiaries has been advised
by any such governmental entity that such governmental entity is contemplating
issuing or requesting (or is considering the appropriateness of issuing or
requesting) any such order, decree, agreement, memorandum of understanding,
commitment letter, supervisory letter or similar submission.
(xxii) With respect to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002:
(A) The Company has adopted a Code of Ethics and
Code of Conduct for senior financial officers meeting the
requirements of 17 CFR Part 228.406 and an audit committee
charter meeting the requirements of Rule 4350(d)(1)(C) of the
Nasdaq Marketplace Rules;
(B) The Company's Board of Directors has
determined that a majority of its members and all of the
members of its compensation and audit committees are
independent under applicable Nasdaq Marketplace Rules, and
based solely on our review of written representations
furnished by such directors, to our knowledge no independent
director of the Company has any relationship prohibited under
Rule 4200(a)(15)(A) through (G) of the Nasdaq Marketplace
Rules and no audit committee member has any relationship
prohibited under Rule 4350(d)(2)(a)(1) of the Nasdaq
Marketplace Rules;
(C) The Board of Directors has adopted a policy
regarding the nominations process pursuant to Rule
4350(b)(4)(B) of the Nasdaq Marketplace Rules that provides
for the nomination of directors in accordance with such rules;
and
(D) The certifications pursuant to Sections 302
and 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 contained in the
Company's periodic reports filed with the Commission since
August 14, 2002 complied as to form in all material respects
with the requirements of such Act and the Commission's
regulations promulgated thereunder; provided, however, that we
do not give any opinion as to the accuracy of the content of
such certifications.
A-4
(xiii) The Company and its subsidiaries conduct their respective
businesses in compliance in all material respects with all federal, state, local
and foreign statutes, laws, rules, regulations, decisions, directives and orders
applicable to them (including, without limitation, all regulations and orders
of, or agreements with, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
("FRB"), the FDIC, the Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions, as
applicable, and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Housing Act, the
Community Reinvestment Act, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, all other
applicable fair lending laws or other laws relating to discrimination and the
Banks Secrecy Act and Title III of the USA Patriot Act), and neither the Company
nor its subsidiaries have received any communication from any governmental
entity asserting that the Company or any of its subsidiaries is not in
compliance with any statute, law, rule, regulation, decision, directive or
order.
Nothing has come to our attention that would lead us to believe that
the Registration Statement or any amendment thereto, including the Rule 430A
Information (if applicable), (except for financial statements and schedules and
other financial data included or incorporated by reference therein or omitted
therefrom, as to which we need make no statement), at the time such Registration
Statement or any such amendment became effective, contained an untrue statement
of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or that the
Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto (except for financial
statements and schedules and other financial data included or incorporated by
reference therein or omitted therefrom, as to which we need make no statement),
at the time the Prospectus was issued, at the time any such amended or
supplemented prospectus was issued or at the Closing Time, included or includes
an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits 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.
In rendering such opinions, such counsel may rely as to matters of fact
(but not as to legal conclusions), to the extent they deem proper, on
certificates of responsible officers of the Company and public officials. Such
opinion shall not state that it is to be governed or qualified by, or that it is
otherwise subject to, any treatise, written policy or other document relating to
legal opinions, including, without limitation, the Legal Opinion Accord of the
ABA Section of Business Law (1991).
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EXHIBIT B
________, 2005
Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc.
as Representative of the several
Underwriters to be named in the
within-mentioned Purchase Agreement
787 Seventh Avenue
4th Floor
New York, New York 10019
Re: Proposed Public Offering by Greene County Bancshares, Inc.
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Dear Sirs:
The undersigned, a shareholder and an executive officer and/or director
of Greene County Bancshares, Inc., a Tennessee corporation (the "Company"),
understands that Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc. ("Keefe Bruyette") proposes to
enter into a Purchase Agreement (the "Purchase Agreement") with the Company
providing for the public offering of shares (the "Securities") of the Company's
common stock, $2.00 par value per share (the "Common Stock"). In recognition of
the benefit that such an offering will confer upon the undersigned as a
shareholder and an executive officer and/or director of the Company, and for
other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are
hereby acknowledged, the undersigned agrees with each underwriter to be named in
the Purchase Agreement that, during a period of 180 days from the date of the
Purchase Agreement, the undersigned will not, without the prior written consent
of Keefe Bruyette, directly or indirectly, (i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to
sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract
to sell, grant any option, right or warrant for the sale of, or otherwise
dispose of or transfer any shares of the Company's Common Stock or any
securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Common Stock,
whether now owned or hereafter acquired by the undersigned or with respect to
which the undersigned has or hereafter acquires the power of disposition, or
file any registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
with respect to any of the foregoing or (ii) enter into any swap or any other
agreement or any transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or
indirectly, the economic consequence of ownership of the Common Stock, whether
any such swap or transaction is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or
other securities, in cash or otherwise. In the event that either (i) during the
period that begins on the date that is 15 calendar days plus three (3) business
days before the last day of the 180-day restricted period and ends on the last
day of the 180-day restricted period, the Company issues an earnings release or
material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs, or (ii) prior
to the expiration of the 180-day restricted period, the Company announces that
it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last
day of the 180-day restricted period, the restrictions set forth herein will
continue to apply until the expiration of the date that is 15 calendar days plus
three (3) business days after the date on which the earnings release is issued
or the material news or event related to the Company occurs.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the undersigned may transfer the undersigned's
shares of Common Stock (i) as a bona fide gift or gifts, provided that the donee
or donees agree to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth herein,
(ii) to any trust or family limited partnership for the direct or indirect
benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned,
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provided that the trustee of the trust or general partner of the family limited
partnership, as the case may be, agrees to be bound by the restrictions set
forth herein, and provided further that any such transfer shall not involve a
disposition for value, (iii) pledged in a bona fide transaction outstanding as
of the date hereof to a lender to the undersigned, as disclosed in writing to
the underwriters (iv) pursuant to the exercise by the undersigned of stock
options that have been granted by the Company prior to, and are outstanding as
of, the date of the Purchase Agreement, where the Common Stock received upon any
such exercise is held by the undersigned, individually or as fiduciary, in
accordance with the terms of this Lock-Up Agreement, or (v) with the prior
written consent of Keefe Bruyette. For purposes of this Lock-Up Agreement,
"immediate family" shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage or adoption,
not more remote than first cousin. The undersigned now has and, except as
contemplated by clauses (i) through (v) above, for the duration of the Lock-Up
Agreement will have good and marketable title to the undersigned's shares of
Common Stock, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, and claims whatsoever,
except with respect to any liens, encumbrances and claims that were in existence
on the date hereof. The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of
stop transfer instructions with the Company's transfer agent and registrar
against the transfer of the undersigned's common stock, except in compliance
with this Lock-Up Agreement. In furtherance of the foregoing, the Company and
its transfer agent are hereby authorized to decline to make any transfer of
securities if such transfer would constitute a violation or breach of this
Lock-Up Agreement.
The undersigned represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power and
authority to enter into this Lock-Up Agreement. The undersigned agrees that the
provisions of this Lock-Up Agreement shall be binding also upon the successors,
assigns, heirs and personal representatives of the undersigned.
The undersigned understands that, if the Purchase Agreement does not become
effective, or if the Purchase Agreement (other than the provisions thereof which
survive termination) shall terminate or be terminated prior to payment for and
delivery of the Common Stock to be sold thereunder, the undersigned shall be
released from all obligations under this Lock-up Agreement.
This Lock-up Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the
laws of the State of New York.
Very truly yours,
Signature:
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Print Name:
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