FINANCIAL SECURITY ASSURANCE HOLDINGS LTD.
6.950% Senior Quarterly Income Debt Securities Due 2098
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Underwriting Agreement
November 6, 1998
Goldman, Sachs & Co.,
As representatives of the several Underwriters
named in Schedule I hereto,
85 Broad Street,
New York, New York 10004
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Financial Security Assurance Holdings Ltd., a New York corporation (the
"Company"), proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to
issue and sell to the Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the
"Underwriters") an aggregate of $100,000,000 principal amount of the 6.950%
Senior Quarterly Income Debt Securities due 2098 (the "Securities").
1. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each of the
Underwriters that:
(a) A registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-34181) in respect
of the Securities has been filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "Commission"); such registration statement and any
post-effective amendment thereto, each in the form heretofore delivered to
you, and, excluding exhibits thereto but including all documents
incorporated by reference in the prospectus contained therein, to you for
each of the other Underwriters, have been declared effective by the
Commission in such form; no other document with respect to such
registration statement or document incorporated by reference therein has
heretofore been filed with the Commission; and no stop order suspending
the effectiveness of such registration statement has been issued and no
proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or threatened by the
Commission (any preliminary prospectus included in such registration
statement or filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(a) of the
rules and regulations of the Commission under the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended (the "Act"), is
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hereinafter called a "Preliminary Prospectus"); the various parts of such
registration statement, including all exhibits thereto but excluding Form
T-1 and including (i) the information contained in the form of final
prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act
in accordance with Section 5(a) hereof and deemed by virtue of Rule 430A
under the Act to be part of the registration statement at the time it was
declared effective and (ii) the documents incorporated by reference in the
prospectus contained in the registration statement at the time such part
of the registration statement became effective, each as amended at the
time such part of the registration statement became effective, are
hereinafter collectively called the "Registration Statement"; such final
prospectus, in the form first filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act,
is hereinafter called the "Prospectus"; any reference herein to any
Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and
include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item
12 of Form S-3 under the Act, as of the date of such Preliminary
Prospectus or Prospectus, as the case may be; any reference to any
amendment or supplement to any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus
shall be deemed to refer to and include any documents filed after the date
of such Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, as the case may be, under
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and
incorporated by reference in such Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, as
the case may be; and any reference to any amendment to the Registration
Statement shall be deemed to refer to and include any annual report of the
Company filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after
the effective date of the Registration Statement that is incorporated by
reference in the Registration Statement;
(b) No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary
Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and each Preliminary
Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, conformed in all material
respects to the requirements of the Act and the Trust Indenture Act of
1939, as amended (the "Trust Indenture Act"), and the rules and
regulations of the Commission thereunder, and did 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, in the
light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply
to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity
with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter
through Goldman, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein;
(c) The documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, when
they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may
be, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Act or
the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the
Commission thereunder, and none of such documents 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; and any further
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documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Prospectus or any
further amendment or supplement thereto, when such documents become
effective or are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, will
conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Act or the
Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the
Commission thereunder 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;
provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply
to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity
with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter
through Goldman, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein;
(d) The Registration Statement conforms, and the Prospectus and any
further amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus will conform, in all material respects to the requirements of
the Act and the Trust Indenture Act and the rules and regulations of the
Commission thereunder and do not and will not, as of the applicable
effective date as to the Registration Statement and any amendment thereto
and as of the applicable filing date as to the Prospectus and any
amendment or supplement thereto, 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; provided,
however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any
statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with
information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through
Goldman, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein;
(e) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained
since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or
incorporated by reference in the Prospectus any material loss or
interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other
calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute
or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set
forth or contemplated in the Prospectus; and, since the respective dates
as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus, there has not been any change in the capital stock or
long-term debt of the Company or of Financial Security Assurance Inc. or
any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective
material adverse change, in or affecting the general affairs, management,
financial position, shareholders' equity or results of operations of the
Company and its subsidiaries, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated
in the Prospectus;
(f) The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title
in fee simple to all real property and good and marketable title to all
personal property owned by them, in each case free and clear of all liens,
encumbrances and defects except such as are described in the Prospectus or
such as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not
interfere with the use
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made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its
subsidiaries; and any real property and buildings held under lease by the
Company and its subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and
enforceable leases with such exceptions as are not material and do not
interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property and
buildings by the Company and its subsidiaries;
(g) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing
as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of New York,
with power and authority (corporate and other) to own its properties and
conduct its business as described in the Prospectus, and has been duly
qualified as a foreign corporation for the transaction of business and is
in good standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which it
owns or leases properties or conducts any business so as to require such
qualification, or is subject to no material liability or disability by
reason of the failure to be so qualified in any such jurisdiction; and
each subsidiary of the Company has been duly incorporated and is validly
existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of its
jurisdiction of incorporation;
(h) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the
Prospectus, and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company
have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and
non-assessable; and all of the issued shares of capital stock of each
subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and
issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and (except for directors'
qualifying shares) are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free
and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims;
(i) The Securities have been duly authorized and, when issued and
delivered pursuant to this Agreement, will have been duly executed,
authenticated, issued and delivered and will constitute valid and legally
binding obligations of the Company entitled to the benefits provided by
the indenture dated as of September 15, 1997 (the "Indenture") between the
Company and First Union National Bank, as Trustee (the "Trustee"), under
which they are to be issued, which is substantially in the form filed as
an exhibit to the Registration Statement; the Indenture has been duly
authorized and duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act and
constitutes a valid and legally binding instrument, enforceable in
accordance with its terms, subject, as to enforcement, to bankruptcy,
insolvency, reorganization and other laws of general applicability
relating to or affecting creditors' rights and to general equity
principles; and the Securities and the Indenture will conform to the
descriptions thereof in the Prospectus;
(j) The issue and sale of the Securities and the compliance by the
Company with all of the provisions of the Securities, the Indenture and
this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein and therein
contemplated will not
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conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or
provisions of, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage,
deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which
the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company
or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or
assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, nor will such
action result in any violation of the provisions of the Certificate of
Incorporation or By-laws of the Company or any statute or any order, rule
or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having
jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their
properties; and no consent, approval, authorization, order, registration
or qualification of or with any such court or governmental agency or body
is required for the issue and sale of the Securities or the consummation
by the Company of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the
Indenture, except the registration under the Act of the Securities, such
as have been obtained under the Trust Indenture Act and such consents,
approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications as may be
required under state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the
purchase and distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters;
(k) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation
of its Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws or in default in the
performance or observance of any material obligation, covenant or
condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan
agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party
or by which it or any of its properties may be bound;
(l) The statements set forth in the Prospectus under the caption
"Description of Debt Securities", insofar as they purport to constitute a
summary of the terms of the Securities and under the caption
"Underwriting", insofar as they purport to describe the provisions of the
laws and documents referred to therein, are accurate, complete and fair;
(m) Other than as set forth in the Prospectus, there are no legal or
governmental proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its
subsidiaries is a party or of which any property of the Company or any of
its subsidiaries is the subject which, if determined adversely to the
Company or any of its subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate
have a material adverse effect on the current or future financial
position, shareholders' equity or results of operations of the Company and
its subsidiaries; and, to the best of the Company's knowledge, no such
proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or
threatened by others;
(n) The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and
sale of the Securities, 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 "Investment Company Act");
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(o) Neither the Company nor any of its affiliates does business with
the government of Cuba or with any person or affiliate located in Cuba
within the meaning of Section 517.075, Florida Statutes; and
(p) PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, who have certified certain financial
statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, are independent public
accountants as required by the Act and the rules and regulations of the
Commission thereunder.
2. Subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company
agrees to issue and sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the
Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at
a purchase price of 96.85% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued
interest, if any, from November 13, 1998 to the Time of Delivery hereunder, the
principal amount of Securities set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter
in Schedule I hereto.
3. Upon the authorization by you of the release of the Securities, the
several Underwriters propose to offer the Securities for sale upon the terms and
conditions set forth in the Prospectus.
4. (a) The Securities to be purchased by each Underwriter hereunder will
be represented by one or more definitive global Securities in book-entry form
which will be deposited by or on behalf of the Company with The Depository Trust
Company ("DTC") or its designated custodian. The Company will deliver the
Securities to Goldman, Sachs & Co., for the account of each Underwriter, against
payment by or on behalf of such Underwriter of the purchase price therefor by
certified or official bank check or checks, payable to the order of the Company
in New York Clearing House (next day) funds, by causing DTC to credit the
Securities to the account of Goldman, Sachs & Co. at DTC. The Company will cause
the certificates representing the Securities to be made available to Goldman,
Sachs & Co. for checking at least twenty-four hours prior to the Time of
Delivery (as defined below) at the office of DTC or its designated custodian
(the "Designated Office"). The time and date of such delivery and payment shall
be 9:30 a.m., New York City time, on November 13, 1998 or such other time and
date as Goldman, Sachs & Co. and the Company may agree upon in writing. Such
time and date are herein called the "Time of Delivery".
(b) The documents to be delivered at the Time of Delivery by or on behalf
of the parties hereto pursuant to Section 7 hereof, including the cross receipt
for the Securities and any additional documents requested by the Underwriters
pursuant to Section 7(h) hereof, will be delivered at the offices of Cravath,
Swaine & Moore, 825 Eighth Avenue, New York, NY 10019 (the "Closing Location"),
and the Securities will be delivered at the Designated Office, all at the Time
of Delivery. A meeting will be held at the Closing Location at 2:00 p.m., New
York City time, on the New York Business Day next preceding the Time of
Delivery, at which meeting the final drafts of the documents to be delivered
pursuant to the preceding sentence will be available for review by the parties
hereto. For the purposes of this Section 4, "New York Business Day" shall mean
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each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is not a day on which
banking institutions in New York City are generally authorized or obligated by
law or executive order to close.
5. The Company agrees with each of the Underwriters:
(a) To prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by you and to file such
Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act not later than the Commission's
close of business on the second business day following the execution and
delivery of this Agreement, or, if applicable, such earlier time as may be
required by Rule 430A(a)(3) under the Act; to make no further amendment or any
supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus prior to the Time of
Delivery which shall be disapproved by you promptly after reasonable notice
thereof; to advise you, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the time
when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes
effective or any supplement to the Prospectus or any amended Prospectus has been
filed and to furnish you with copies thereof; to file promptly all reports and
any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the
Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the
Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and for so long as the
delivery of a prospectus is required in connection with the offering or sale of
the Securities; to advise you, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the
issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of any order preventing or
suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or prospectus, of the
suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any
jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such
purpose, or of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing
of the Registration Statement or Prospectus or for additional information; and,
in the event of the issuance of any stop order or of any order preventing or
suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or prospectus or suspending any
such qualification, to promptly use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal of
such order;
(b) Promptly from time to time to take such action as you may reasonably
request to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the securities
laws of such jurisdictions as you may request and to comply with such laws so as
to permit the continuance of sales and dealings therein in such jurisdictions
for as long as may be necessary to complete the distribution of the Securities,
provided that in connection therewith the Company shall not be required to
qualify as a foreign corporation or to file a general consent to service of
process in any jurisdiction;
(c) To furnish the Underwriters with copies of the Prospectus in such
quantities as you may from time to time reasonably request, and, if the delivery
of a prospectus is required at any time prior to the expiration of nine months
after the time of issue of the Prospectus in connection with the offering or
sale of the Securities and if at such time any event shall have occurred as a
result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an
untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary
in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under
which they were made when such Prospectus is delivered, not
8
misleading, or, if for any other reason it shall be necessary during such same
period to amend or supplement the Prospectus or to file under the Exchange Act
any document incorporated by reference in the Prospectus in order to comply with
the Act, the Exchange Act or the Trust Indenture Act, to notify you and upon
your request to file such document and to prepare and furnish without charge to
each Underwriter and to any dealer in securities as many copies as you may from
time to time reasonably request of an amended Prospectus or a supplement to the
Prospectus which will correct such statement or omission or effect such
compliance; and in case any Underwriter is required to deliver a prospectus in
connection with sales of any of the Securities at any time nine months or more
after the time of issue of the Prospectus, upon your request but at the expense
of such Underwriter, to prepare and deliver to such Underwriter as many copies
as you may request of an amended or supplemented Prospectus complying with
Section 10(a)(3) of the Act;
(d) To make generally available to its securityholders as soon as
practicable, but in any event not later than eighteen months after the effective
date of the Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c)), an earnings
statement of the Company and its subsidiaries (which need not be audited)
complying with Section 11(a) of the Act and the rules and regulations of the
Commission thereunder (including, at the option of the Company, Rule 158);
(e) During the period beginning from the date hereof and continuing to and
including the later of the Time of Delivery and such earlier time as you may
notify the Company, not to offer, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose
of, except as provided hereunder any securities of the Company that are
substantially similar to the Securities;
(f) To make available to the holders of the Securities as soon as
practicable after the end of each fiscal year an annual report (including a
balance sheet and statements of income, shareholders' equity and cash flows of
the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries certified by independent public
accountants) and, as soon as practicable after the end of each of the first
three quarters of each fiscal year (beginning with the fiscal quarter ending
after the effective date of the Registration Statement), consolidated summary
financial information of the Company and its subsidiaries for such quarter in
reasonable detail;
(g) During a period of five years from the effective date of the
Registration Statement, to furnish to you upon request copies of all reports or
other communications (financial or other) furnished to shareholders, and to
deliver to you upon request (i) as soon as they are available, copies of any
reports and financial statements furnished to or filed with the Commission or
any national securities exchange on which the Securities or any class of
securities of the Company is listed; and (ii) such additional information
concerning the business and financial condition of the Company as you may from
time to time reasonably request (such financial statements to be on a
consolidated basis to the extent the accounts of the Company and its
subsidiaries are consolidated in reports furnished to its shareholders generally
or to the Commission); and
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(h) To use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Securities
pursuant to this Agreement substantially in the manner specified in the
Prospectus under the caption "Use of Proceeds".
6. The Company covenants and agrees with the several Underwriters that the
Company will pay or cause to be paid the following: (i) the fees, disbursements
and expenses of the Company's counsel and accountants in connection with the
registration of the Securities under the Act and all other expenses in
connection with the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration
Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus and amendments and
supplements thereto and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the
Underwriters and dealers; (ii) the cost of printing or producing any Agreement
among Underwriters, this Agreement, the Indenture, the Blue Sky and Legal
Investment Memoranda, closing documents (including any compilations thereof) and
any other documents in connection with the offering, purchase, sale and delivery
of the Securities; (iii) all expenses in connection with the qualification of
the Securities for offering and sale under state securities laws as provided in
Section 5(b) hereof, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the
Underwriters in connection with such qualification and in connection with the
Blue Sky and legal investment surveys; (iv) any fees charged by securities
rating services for rating the Securities; (v) the filing fees incident to, and
the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with,
any required review by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. of
the terms of the sale of the Securities; (vi) the cost of preparing the
Securities; (vii) the fees and expenses of the Trustee and any agent of the
Trustee and the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Trustee in connection
with the Indenture and the Securities; and (viii) all other costs and expenses
incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder which are not otherwise
specifically provided for in this Section. It is understood, however, that,
except as provided in this Section, and Sections 8 and 11 hereof, the
Underwriters will pay all of their own costs and expenses, including the fees of
their counsel, transfer taxes on resale of any of the Securities by them, and
any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may make.
7. The obligations of the Underwriters hereunder shall be subject, in
their discretion, to the condition that all representations and warranties and
other statements of the Company herein are, at and as of the Time of Delivery,
true and correct, the condition that the Company shall have performed all of its
obligations hereunder theretofore to be performed, and the following additional
conditions:
(a) The Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to
Rule 424(b) within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by the
rules and regulations under the Act and in accordance with Section 5(a) hereof;
no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any
part thereof shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall
have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; and all requests for
additional information on the part of the Commission shall have been complied
with to your reasonable satisfaction;
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(b) Cravath, Swaine & Moore, counsel for the Underwriters, shall have
furnished to you such opinion or opinions, dated the Time of Delivery, with
respect to the matters covered in paragraphs (i), (vii), (viii), (ix), (x),
(xiii) and (xvi) of subsection (c) below as well as such other related matters
as you may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received such papers
and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such
matters;
(c) Bruce E. Stern, Esq., Secretary and General Counsel for the Company,
shall have furnished to you his written opinion, dated the Time of Delivery, in
form and substance satisfactory to you, to the effect that:
(i) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing
as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of New York,
with power and authority (corporate and other) to own its properties and
conduct its business as described in the Prospectus;
(ii) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in
the Prospectus, and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the
Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully
paid and nonassessable;
(iii) The Company has been duly qualified as a foreign corporation
for the transaction of business and is in good standing under the laws of
each other jurisdiction in which it owns or leases properties or conducts
any business so as to require such qualification or is subject to no
material liability or disability by reason of the failure to be so
qualified in any such jurisdiction (such counsel being entitled to rely in
respect of the opinion in this clause upon opinions of local counsel and
in respect of matters of fact upon certificates of officers of the
Company, provided that such counsel shall state that he believes that both
you and he are justified in relying upon such opinions and certificates);
(iv) Each subsidiary of the Company has been duly incorporated and
is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of
its jurisdiction of incorporation; and all of the issued shares of capital
stock of each such subsidiary have been duly and validly authorized and
issued, are fully paid and non-assessable, and (except for directors'
qualifying shares) are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free
and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims (such counsel
being entitled to rely in respect of the opinion in this clause upon
opinions of local counsel and in respect of matters of fact upon
certificates of officers of the Company or its subsidiaries, provided that
such counsel shall state that he believes that both you and he are
justified in relying upon such opinions and certificates);
(v) To the best of such counsel's knowledge, the Company and its
subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real
property owned by them, in each case free and clear of all liens,
encumbrances and defects except such as are described in the Prospectus or
such as do not
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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 and its
subsidiaries; and any real property and buildings held under lease by the
Company and its subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and
enforceable leases with such exceptions as are not material and do not
interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property and
buildings by the Company and its subsidiaries (in giving the opinion in
this clause, such counsel may state that no examination of record titles
for the purpose of such opinion has been made, and that he is relying upon
a general review of the titles of the Company and its subsidiaries, upon
opinions of local counsel and abstracts, reports and policies of title
companies rendered or issued at or subsequent to the time of acquisition
of such property by the Company or its subsidiaries, upon opinions of
counsel to the lessors of such property and, in respect of matters of
fact, upon certificates of officers of the Company or its subsidiaries,
provided that such counsel shall state that he believes that both you and
he are justified in relying upon such opinions, abstracts, reports,
policies and certificates);
(vi) To the best of such counsel's knowledge and other than as set
forth in the Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental proceedings
pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of
which any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is the
subject which, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its
subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate have a material
adverse effect on the current or future consolidated financial position,
shareholders' equity or results of operations of the Company and its
subsidiaries; and, to the best of such counsel's knowledge, no such
proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or
threatened by others;
(vii) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
delivered by the Company;
(viii) The Securities have been duly authorized, executed,
authenticated, issued and delivered and constitute valid and legally
binding obligations of the Company entitled to the benefits provided by
the Indenture; and the Securities and the Indenture conform to the
descriptions thereof in the Prospectus;
(ix) The Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered
by the Company and constitutes a valid and legally binding instrument,
enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject, as to enforcement, to
bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization and other laws of general
applicability relating to or affecting creditors' rights and to general
equity principles; and the Indenture has been duly qualified under the
Trust Indenture Act;
(x) To the best of such counsel's knowledge, the issue and sale of
the Securities and the compliance by the Company with all of the
provisions of the
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Securities, the Indenture and this Agreement and the consummation of the
transactions herein and therein contemplated will not conflict with or
result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or
constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan
agreement or other agreement or instrument known to such counsel to which
the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company
or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or
assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, nor will such
actions result in any violation of the provisions of the Certificate of
Incorporation or By-laws of the Company or any statute or any order, rule
or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having
jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their
properties;
(xi) No consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or
qualification of or with any such court or governmental agency or body is
required for the issue and sale of the Securities or the consummation by
the Company of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the
Indenture, except such as have been obtained under the Act and the Trust
Indenture Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations
or qualifications as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky
laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Securities by
the Underwriters;
(xii) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in
violation of its Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws, or to the best
of such counsel's knowledge, in default in the performance or observance
of any material obligation, covenant or condition contained in any
indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other
agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of
its properties may be bound;
(xiii) The statements set forth in the Prospectus under the caption
"Description of Debt Securities", insofar as they purport to constitute a
summary of the terms of the Securities, and under the caption
"Underwriting", insofar as they purport to describe the provisions of the
laws and documents referred to therein, are accurate, complete and fair;
(xiv) The Company is not an "investment company" or an entity
"controlled" by an "investment company", as such terms are defined in the
Investment Company Act;
(xv) The documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus or
any further amendment or supplement thereto made by the Company prior to
the Time of Delivery (other than the financial statements and related
schedules therein, as to which such counsel 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 Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations
of the Commission thereunder;
13
and he has no reason to believe that any of such documents, when such
documents became effective or were so filed, as the case may be,
contained, in the case of a registration statement which became effective
under the Act, 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, in the case of other documents
which were filed under the Act or the Exchange Act with the Commission, an
untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact
necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made when such documents were so
filed, not misleading; and
(xvi) The Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any further
amendments and supplements thereto made by the Company prior to the Time
of Delivery (other than the financial statements and related schedules
therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion) comply as to
form in all material respects with the requirements of the Act and the
Trust Indenture Act and the rules and regulations thereunder; although he
does not assume any responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or
fairness of the statements contained in the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus, except for those referred to in the opinion in subsection
(xiii) of this Section 7(c), he has no reason to believe that, as of its
effective date, the Registration Statement or any further amendment
thereto made by the Company prior to the Time of Delivery (other than the
financial statements and related schedules therein, as to which such
counsel need express no opinion) 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, as of its date, the Prospectus or any further amendment or
supplement thereto made by the Company prior to the Time of Delivery
(other than the financial statements and related schedules therein, as to
which such counsel need express no opinion) contained an untrue statement
of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to make
the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they
were made, not misleading or that, as of the Time of Delivery, either the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any further amendment or
supplement thereto made by the Company prior to the Time of Delivery
(other than the financial statements and related schedules therein, as to
which such counsel need express no opinion) contains an untrue statement
of a material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they
were made, not misleading; and he does not know of any amendment to the
Registration Statement required to be filed or of any contracts or other
documents of a character required to be filed as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement or required to be incorporated by reference into
the Prospectus or required to be described in the Registration Statement
or the Prospectus which are not filed or incorporated by reference or
described as required;
14
(d) At the Time of Delivery, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP shall have
furnished to you a letter or letters, dated the respective dates of
delivery thereof, in form and substance satisfactory to you, substantially
to the effect set forth in Annex I hereto;
(e) (i) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries shall have
sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements
included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus any loss or
interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other
calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute
or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set
forth or contemplated in the Prospectus, and (ii) since the respective
dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus there shall not
have been any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company
or any of its subsidiaries or any change, or any development involving a
prospective change, in or affecting the general affairs, management,
financial position, shareholders' equity or results of operations of the
Company and its subsidiaries, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated
in the Prospectus, the effect of which, in any such case described in
Clause (i) or (ii), is in the judgment of the Representatives so material
and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the
public offering or the delivery of the Securities on the terms and in the
manner contemplated in the Prospectus;
(f) On or after the date hereof (i) no downgrading shall have
occurred in the rating accorded the Company's debt securities; or in the
financial strength or claims paying ability of Financial Security
Assurance Inc. by any "nationally recognized statistical rating
organization", as that term is defined by the Commission for purposes of
Rule 436(g)(2) under the Act, and (ii) no such organization shall have
publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, with possible
negative implications, its rating of any of the Company's debt securities
or Financial Security Assurance Inc.'s financial strength or claims paying
ability;
(g) On or after the date hereof there shall not have occurred any of
the following: (i) a suspension or material limitation in trading in
securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange; (ii) a suspension or
material limitation in trading in the Company's securities on the New York
Stock Exchange; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking
activities declared by either Federal or New York State authorities; or
(iv) the outbreak or escalation of hostilities involving the United States
or the declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war, if
the effect of any such event specified in this Clause (iv) in the judgment
of the Representatives makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed
with the public offering or the delivery of the Securities on the terms
and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus; and
(h) The Company shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to
you at the Time of Delivery certificates of officers of the Company
satisfactory to you as to the accuracy of the representations and
warranties of the Company herein at and as of such Time of Delivery, as to
the performance by the Company of all of its obligations hereunder to be
performed at or prior to such Time of Delivery, as to the matters set
forth in subsections (a) and (e) of this Section and as to such other
matters as you may reasonably request.
15
8. (a) The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter
against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which
such Underwriter may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such
losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out
of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a
material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or arise
out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading, and will reimburse each Underwriter for any legal or
other expenses reasonably incurred by such Underwriter in connection with
investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are
incurred; provided, however, that the Company shall not be liable in any such
case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of
or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or
alleged omission made in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement
or the Prospectus or any such amendment or supplement in reliance upon and in
conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter
through Goldman, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein.
(b) Each Underwriter will indemnify and hold harmless the Company against
any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Company may become
subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or
liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an
untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any
Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or any
amendment or supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission
or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case
to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged
untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in any Preliminary
Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any such amendment
or supplement in reliance upon and in conformity with written information
furnished to the Company by such Underwriter through Goldman, Sachs & Co.
expressly for use therein; and will reimburse the Company for any legal or other
expenses reasonably incurred by the Company in connection with investigating or
defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred.
(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under subsection (a) or
(b) above of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party
shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying
party under such subsection, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the
commencement thereof; but the omission so to notify the indemnifying party shall
not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party
otherwise than under such subsection. In case any such action shall be brought
against any indemnified party and it shall notify the indemnifying party of the
commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate
therein and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other
indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with
counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall not, except with the
consent of the
16
indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party), and, after notice from
the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume
the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to such
indemnified party under such subsection for any legal expenses of other counsel
or any other expenses, in each case subsequently incurred by such indemnified
party, in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of
investigation. No indemnifying party shall, without the written consent of the
indemnified party, effect the settlement or compromise of, or consent to the
entry of any judgment with respect to, any pending or threatened action or claim
in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder
(whether or not the indemnified party is an actual or potential party to such
action or claim) unless such settlement, compromise or judgment (i) includes an
unconditional release of the indemnified party from all liability arising out of
such action 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) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 8 is unavailable
to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a) or
(b) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions
in respect thereof) referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall
contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result
of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof)
in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received
by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the
offering of the Securities. If, however, the allocation provided by the
immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by applicable law or if the
indemnified party failed to give the notice required under subsection (c) above,
then each indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount paid or payable by
such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only
such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company on the one
hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or
omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or
actions in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable
considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand
and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion
as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received
by the Company bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received
by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of
the Prospectus. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among
other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact
or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to
information supplied by the Company on the one hand or the Underwriters on the
other 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 subsection (d) were determined by pro rata allocation (even if
the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other
method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations
referred to above in this subsection (d). The amount paid or payable by an
indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or
actions in respect thereof) referred
17
to above in this subsection (d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other
expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with
investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the
provisions of this subsection (d), no Underwriter shall be required to
contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which
the Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to
the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has
otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue
statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent
misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be
entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent
misrepresentation. The Underwriters' obligations in this subsection (d) to
contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting
obligations and not joint.
(e) The obligations of the Company under this Section 8 shall be in
addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have and shall extend,
upon the same terms and conditions, to each person, if any, who controls any
Underwriter within the meaning of the Act; and the obligations of the
Underwriters under this Section 8 shall be in addition to any liability which
the respective Underwriters may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same
terms and conditions, to each officer and director of the Company and to each
person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Act.
9. (a) If any Underwriter shall default in its obligation to purchase the
Securities which it has agreed to purchase hereunder, you may in your discretion
arrange for you or another party or other parties to purchase such Securities on
the terms contained herein. If within thirty-six hours after such default by any
Underwriter you do not arrange for the purchase of such Securities, then the
Company shall be entitled to a further period of thirty-six hours within which
to procure another party or other parties satisfactory to you to purchase such
Securities on such terms. In the event that, within the respective prescribed
periods, you notify the Company that you have so arranged for the purchase of
such Securities, or the Company notifies you that it has so arranged for the
purchase of such Securities, you or the Company shall have the right to postpone
the Time of Delivery for a period of not more than seven days, in order to
effect whatever changes may thereby be made necessary in the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus, or in any other documents or arrangements, and the
Company agrees to file promptly any amendments to the Registration Statement or
the Prospectus which in your opinion may thereby be made necessary. The term
"Underwriter" as used in this Agreement shall include any person substituted
under this Section with like effect as if such person had originally been a
party to this Agreement with respect to such Securities.
(b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the
Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and the Company as
provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate principal amount of such
Securities which remains unpurchased does not exceed one-eleventh of the
aggregate principal amount of all the Securities, then the Company shall have
the right to require each non-defaulting
18
Underwriter to purchase the principal amount of Securities which such
Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder and, in addition, to require each
non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase its pro rata share (based on the
principal amount of Securities which such Underwriter agreed to purchase
hereunder) of the Securities of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for
which such arrangements have not been made; but nothing herein shall relieve a
defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.
(c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the
Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and the Company as
provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate principal amount of Securities
which remains unpurchased exceeds one-eleventh of the aggregate principal amount
of all the Securities, or if the Company shall not exercise the right described
in subsection (b) above to require non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase
Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then this Agreement
shall thereupon terminate, without liability on the part of any non-defaulting
Underwriter or the Company, except for the expenses to be borne by the Company
and the Underwriters as provided in Section 6 hereof and the indemnity and
contribution agreements in Section 8 hereof; but nothing herein shall relieve a
defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.
10. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties
and other statements of the Company and the several Underwriters, as set forth
in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them, respectively, pursuant to
this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any
investigation (or any statement as to the results thereof) made by or on behalf
of any Underwriter or any controlling person of any Underwriter, or the Company,
or any officer or director or controlling person of the Company, and shall
survive delivery of and payment for the Securities.
11. If this Agreement shall be terminated pursuant to Section 9 hereof,
the Company shall not then be under any liability to any Underwriter except as
provided in Sections 6 and 8 hereof; but, if for any other reason, the
Securities are not delivered by or on behalf of the Company as provided herein,
the Company will reimburse the Underwriters through you for all out-of-pocket
expenses approved in writing by you, including fees and disbursements of
counsel, reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in making preparations for the
purchase, sale and delivery of the Securities, but the Company shall then be
under no further liability to any Underwriter except as provided in Sections 6
and 8 hereof.
12. In all dealings hereunder, you shall act on behalf of each of the
Underwriters, and the parties hereto shall be entitled to act and rely upon any
statement, request, notice or agreement on behalf of any Underwriter made or
given by you.
All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in
writing, and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or
facsimile transmission to you as the representatives in care of Goldman, Sachs &
Co., 85 Broad Street, New
19
York, New York 10004, Attention: Registration Department; and if to the Company
shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to the
address of the Company set forth in the Registration Statement, Attention:
General Counsel; provided, however, that any notice to an Underwriter pursuant
to Section 8(c) hereof shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile
transmission to such Underwriter at its address set forth in its Underwriters'
Questionnaire, or telex constituting such Questionnaire, which address will be
supplied to the Company by you upon request. Any such statements, requests,
notices or agreements shall take effect upon receipt thereof.
13. This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure solely to the benefit
of, the Underwriters, the Company and, to the extent provided in Sections 8 and
10 hereof, the officers and directors of the Company and each person who
controls the Company or any Underwriter, and their respective heirs, executors,
administrators, successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or
have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement. No purchaser of any of the
Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed a successor or assign by reason
merely of such purchase.
14. Time shall be of the essence of this Agreement. As used herein, the
term "business day" shall mean any day when the Commission's office in
Washington, D.C. is open for business.
15. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with
the laws of the State of New York.
16. This Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties
hereto in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an
original, but all such respective counterparts shall together constitute one and
the same instrument.
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign and
return to us one for the Company and each of the Representatives plus one for
each counsel counterparts hereof, and upon the acceptance hereof by you, on
behalf of each of the Underwriters, this letter and such acceptance hereof shall
constitute a binding agreement between each of the Underwriters and the Company.
It is understood that your acceptance of this letter on behalf of each of the
Underwriters is pursuant to the authority set forth in
20
a form of Agreement among Underwriters, the form of which shall be submitted to
the Company for examination upon request, but without warranty on your part as
to the authority of the signers thereof.
Very truly yours,
FINANCIAL SECURITY ASSURANCE
HOLDINGS LTD.
By:___________________________
Name:
Title:
Accepted as of the date hereof:
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Salomon Smith Barney Inc.
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated
Morgan Stanley & Co Incorporated
PaineWebber Incorporated
By: Goldman, Sachs & Co.
___________________________
(Goldman, Sachs & Co.)
SCHEDULE I
Principal Amount of
Underwriter Debt Securities
- ----------- ---------------
Goldman Sachs & Co......................................... $ 15,750,000
Salomon Smith Barney Inc................................... $ 15,750,000
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated......... $ 15,750,000
Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated.......................... $ 15,750,000
PaineWebber Incorporated .................................. $ 15,750,000
BT Alex. Brown Incorporated................................ $ 1,250,000
A. G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. ................................ $ 1,250,000
EVEREN Securities, Inc. ................................... $ 1,250,000
CIBC Oppenheimer Corp. . .................................. $ 1,250,000
SG Cowen Securities Corporation............................ $ 1,250,000
Advest, Inc. .............................................. $ 625,000
Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated. ....................... $ 625,000
J. C. Bradford & Co. ..................................... $ 625,000
Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. ................................ $ 625,000
Dain Rauscher Incorporated................................. $ 625,000
Fahnestock & Co. Inc. ..................................... $ 625,000
Fifth Third/The Ohio Company............................... $ 625,000
Gruntal & Co., L.L.C. ..................................... $ 625,000
Interstate/Johnson Lane Corporation........................ $ 625,000
Janney Montgomery Scott Inc. .............................. $ 625,000
Legg Mason Wood Walker, Incorporated....................... $ 625,000
McDonald & Company Securities, Inc. ....................... $ 625,000
McGinn, Smith & Co., Inc. ................................. $ 625,000
Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc. ............................. $ 625,000
Olde Discount Corporation.................................. $ 625,000
Piper Jaffray Inc. ........................................ $ 625,000
Raymond James & Associates, Inc. .......................... $ 625,000
The Robinson-Humphrey Company, LLC......................... $ 625,000
Roney Capital Markets...................................... $ 625,000
TD Securities (USA) Inc.. ................................. $ 625,000
Trilon International Inc. ................................. $ 625,000
Tucker Anthony Incorporated................................ $ 625,000
U. S. Clearing Corp . .............................. $ 625,000
Wheat First Securities, Inc. .............................. $ 625,000
------------
Total.................................................. $100,000,000
============
ANNEX I
Pursuant to Section 7(d) of the Underwriting Agreement, the accountants
shall furnish letters to the Underwriters to the effect that:
(i) They are independent certified public accountants with respect
to the Company and its subsidiaries within the meaning of the Act and the
applicable published rules and regulations thereunder;
(ii) In their opinion, the financial statements and any
supplementary financial information and schedules (and, if applicable,
prospective financial statements and/or pro forma financial information)
examined by them and included or incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus comply as to form in all material
respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act or the
Exchange Act, as applicable, and the related published rules and
regulations thereunder; and, if applicable, they have made a review in
accordance with standards established by the American Institute of
Certified Public Accountants of the consolidated interim financial
statements, selected financial data, pro forma financial information,
prospective financial statements and/or condensed financial statements
derived from audited financial statements of the Company for the periods
specified in such letter, as indicated in their reports thereon, copies of
which have been furnished to the representatives of the Underwriters (the
"Representatives") and are attached hereto;
(iii) They have made a review in accordance with standards
established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants of
the unaudited condensed consolidated statement of income, consolidated
balance sheets and consolidated statements of cash flows included in the
Prospectus and/or included in the Company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q
incorporated by reference into the Prospectus as indicated in their
reports thereon copies of which are attached hereto; and on the basis of
specified procedures including inquiries of officials of the Company who
have responsibility for financial and accounting matters regarding whether
the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements referred to in
paragraph (vi)(A)(i) below comply as to form in the related in all
material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act
and the Exchange Act and the related published rules and regulations,
nothing came to their attention that caused them to believe that the
unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements do not comply as to
form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements
of the Act and the Exchange Act and the related published rules and
regulations;
(iv) The unaudited selected financial information with respect to
the consolidated results of operations and financial position of the
Company for the five most recent fiscal years included in the Prospectus
and included or incorporated by reference in Item 6 of the Company's
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year agrees with the
corresponding amounts
2
(after restatement where applicable) in the audited consolidated financial
statements for such five fiscal years which were included or incorporated
by reference in the Company's Annual Reports on Form 10-K for such fiscal
years;
(v) On the basis of limited procedures, not constituting an
examination in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards,
consisting of a reading of the unaudited financial statements and other
information referred to below, a reading of the latest available interim
financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, inspection of
the minute books of the Company and its subsidiaries since the date of the
latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference
in the Prospectus, inquiries of officials of the Company and its
subsidiaries responsible for financial and accounting matters and such
other inquiries and procedures as may be specified in such letter, nothing
came to their attention that caused them to believe that:
(A) (i) the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of
income, consolidated balance sheets and consolidated statements of
cash flows included in the Prospectus and/or included or
incorporated by reference in the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form
10-Q incorporated by reference in the Prospectus do not comply as to
form in all material respects with the applicable accounting
requirements of the Exchange Act and the related published rules and
regulations, or (ii) any material modifications should be made to
the unaudited consolidated statements of income, consolidated
balance sheets and consolidated statements of cash flows included or
incorporated by reference in the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form
10-Q incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, for them to be in
conformity with generally accepted accounting principles;
(B) any other unaudited income statement data and balance
sheet items included in the Prospectus do not agree with the
corresponding items in the unaudited consolidated financial
statements from which such data and items were derived, and any such
unaudited data and items were not determined on a basis
substantially consistent with the basis for the corresponding
amounts in the audited consolidated financial statements included or
incorporated by reference in the Company's Annual Report on Form
10-K for the most recent fiscal year;
(C) the unaudited financial statements which were not included
in the Prospectus but from which were derived the unaudited
condensed financial statements referred to in Clause (A) and any
unaudited income statement data and balance sheet items included in
the Prospectus and referred to in Clause (B) were not determined on
a basis substantially consistent with the basis for the audited
financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the
Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal
year;
3
(D) any unaudited pro forma consolidated condensed financial
statements included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus
do not comply as to form in all material respects with the
applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the published
rules and regulations thereunder or the pro forma adjustments have
not been properly applied to the historical amounts in the
compilation of those statements;
(E) as of a specified date not more than five days prior to
the date of such letter, there have been any changes in the
consolidated capital stock (other than issuances of capital stock
upon exercise of options and stock appreciation rights, upon
earn-outs of performance shares and upon conversions of convertible
securities, in each case which were outstanding on the date of the
latest balance sheet included or incorporated by reference in the
Prospectus) or any increase in the consolidated long-term debt of
the Company and its subsidiaries, or any decreases in stockholders'
equity or other items specified by the Representatives, or any
increases in any items specified by the Representatives, in each
case as compared with amounts shown in the latest balance sheet
included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, except in
each case for changes, increases or decreases which the Prospectus
discloses have occurred or may occur or which are described in such
letter; and
(F) for the period from the date of the latest financial
statements included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus
to the specified date referred to in Clause (E) there were any
decreases in consolidated total revenues or the total or per share
amounts of consolidated net income or other items specified by the
Representatives, or any increases in any items specified by the
Representatives, in each case as compared with the comparable period
of the preceding year and with any other period of corresponding
length specified by the Representatives, except in each case for
increases or decreases which the Prospectus discloses have occurred
or may occur or which are described in such letter; and
(vi) In addition to the examination referred to in their report(s)
included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus and the limited
procedures, inspection of minute books, inquiries and other procedures
referred to in paragraphs (iii) and (vi) above, they have carried out
certain specified procedures, not constituting an examination in
accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, with respect to
certain amounts, percentages and financial information specified by the
Representatives which are derived from the general accounting records of
the Company and its subsidiaries, which appear in the Prospectus
(excluding documents incorporated by reference) or in Part II of, or in
exhibits and schedules to, the Registration Statement specified by the
Representatives or in documents incorporated by reference in the
Prospectus
4
specified by the Representatives, and have compared certain of such
amounts, percentages and financial information with the accounting records
of the Company and its subsidiaries and have found them to be in
agreement.