Lazard World Dividend & Income Fund, Inc.
(a Maryland corporation)
Shares of Common Stock
($0.001 Par Value)
PURCHASE AGREEMENT
June , 2005
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co.
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Lynch, Pierce, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇
Incorporated
Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Sons, Inc.
Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC
Advest, Inc.
BB&T Capital Markets, a division of ▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Inc.
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. Incorporated
H&R Block Financial Advisors, Inc.
▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Incorporated
RBC Capital Markets Corporation
▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Company, Incorporated
▇▇▇▇▇ Fargo Securities, LLC
c/o Merrill Lynch, Pierce, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇
Incorporated
▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Lazard World Dividend & Income Fund, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the
"Fund"), and the Fund's investment adviser, Lazard Asset Management LLC, a
Delaware limited liability company (the "Investment Adviser"), confirm their
agreement with ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co., ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Lynch, Pierce, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇
Incorporated ("▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇"), Citigroup Capital Markets Inc., ▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ &
Sons, Inc., Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC, Advest, Inc., BB&T Capital Markets, a
division of ▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Inc., ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. Incorporated, H&R
Block Financial Advisors, Inc., ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Incorporated, RBC Capital
Markets Corporation, ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Company, Incorporated and ▇▇▇▇▇ Fargo
Securities, LLC 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 ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇ and Citigroup Global Markets Inc. are acting as representatives (in such
capacity, the "Representatives"), with respect to the issue and sale by the Fund
and the purchase by the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the
respective number of shares of common stock, $.001 par value, of the Fund
("Common Stock") set forth in said SCHEDULE A, and with respect to the grant by
the Fund to the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the option
described in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any part of [ ]
additional shares of Common Stock to cover overallotments, if any. The aforesaid
[ ] shares of Common Stock (the "Initial Securities") to be purchased by
the Underwriters and all or any part of the [ ] shares of Common
Stock subject to the option described in Section 2(b) hereof (the "Option
Securities") are hereinafter called, collectively, the "Securities."
The Fund understands that the Underwriters propose to make a public
offering of the Securities as soon as the Representatives deem advisable after
this Agreement has been executed and delivered.
The Fund has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"Commission") a registration statement on Form N-2 (No. 333-124045 and No.
811-21751) covering the registration of the Securities under the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), including the related preliminary
prospectus or prospectuses, and a notification on Form N-8A of registration of
the Fund as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended (the "1940 Act"), and the rules and regulations of the Commission under
the 1933 Act and the 1940 Act (the "Rules and Regulations"). Promptly after
execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Fund will either (i) prepare and
file a prospectus in accordance with the provisions of Rule 430A ("Rule 430A")
of the Rules and Regulations and paragraph (c) or (h) of Rule 497 ("Rule 497")
of the Rules and Regulations or (ii) if the Fund has elected to rely upon Rule
434 ("Rule 434") of the Rules and Regulations, prepare and file a term sheet (a
"Term Sheet") in accordance with the provisions of Rule 434 and Rule 497. The
information included in any such prospectus or in any such Term Sheet, as the
case may be, 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, if applicable, (a) pursuant to paragraph (b) of
Rule 430A is referred to as "Rule 430A Information" or (b) pursuant to paragraph
(d) of Rule 434 is referred to as "Rule 434 Information." Each prospectus used
before such registration statement became effective, and any prospectus that
omitted, as applicable, the Rule 430A Information or the Rule 434 Information,
that was used after such effectiveness and prior to the execution and delivery
of this Agreement, including in each case any statement of additional
information incorporated therein by reference, is herein called a "preliminary
prospectus." Such registration statement, including the exhibits thereto and
schedules thereto at the time it became effective and including the Rule 430A
Information and the Rule 434 Information, as applicable, is herein called the
"Registration Statement." Any registration statement filed pursuant to Rule
462(b) of the Rules and 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 in
the form first furnished to the Underwriters for use in connection with the
offering of the Securities, including the statement of additional information
incorporated therein by reference, is herein called the "Prospectus." If Rule
434 is relied on, the term "Prospectus" shall refer to the preliminary
prospectus dated May 23, 2005 together with the Term Sheet and all references in
this Agreement to the date of the Prospectus shall mean the date of the Term
Sheet. For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration
Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or any Term Sheet 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 ("▇▇▇▇▇").
All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules
and other information which is "contained," "included" 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.
SECTION 1. Representations and Warranties.
(a) REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES BY THE FUND AND THE INVESTMENT
ADVISER. The Fund and the Investment Adviser jointly and severally represent and
warrant 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 agree with each Underwriter, as follows:
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(i) COMPLIANCE WITH REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS. 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, or order of
suspension or revocation of registration pursuant to Section 8(e) of the
1940 Act, and no proceedings for any such purpose have been instituted
or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Fund or the Investment
Adviser, are contemplated by the Commission, and any request on the part
of the Commission for additional information has been complied with.
At the respective times the Registration Statement, any Rule
462(b) Registration Statement and any post-effective amendments thereto
became effective 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, the notification on Form N-8A and
any amendments and supplements thereto complied and will comply in all
material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act, the 1940 Act
and the Rules and 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. If Rule
434 is used, the Fund will comply with the requirements of Rule 434 and
the Prospectus shall not be "materially different", as such term is used
in Rule 434, from the prospectus included in the Registration Statement
at the time it became effective.
Each preliminary prospectus and the prospectus filed as part of
the effective Registration Statement or as part of any amendment
thereto, or filed pursuant to Rule 497 under the 1933 Act, complied when
so filed in all material respects with the Rules and 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 ▇▇▇▇▇, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
If a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement is required in
connection with the offering and sale of the Securities, the Fund has
complied or will comply with the requirements of Rule 111 under the 1933
Act Regulations relating to the payment of filing fees thereof.
(ii) INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM. As of the
date of the report of the independent registered public accounting firm
contained in the Registration Statement, the independent registered
public accounting firm who certified the statement of assets and
liabilities included in the Registration Statement are independent
registered public accountants as required by the 1933 Act and the Rules
and Regulations.
(iii) FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. The statement of assets and
liabilities included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus,
together with the related notes, presents fairly the financial position
of the Fund at the date indicated; said statement has been prepared in
conformity with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP").
(iv) EXPENSE SUMMARY. The information set forth in the
Prospectus in the Fee Table has been prepared in accordance with the
requirements of Form N-2 and to the extent estimated or projected, such
estimates or projections are reasonably believed to be attainable and
reasonably based.
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(v) NO MATERIAL ADVERSE CHANGE. 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 (except, in the case of changes on any Date of
Delivery in connection with the Option Securities, for any change in the
net asset value of the Fund resulting from investment operations) in the
condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs
or business prospects of the Fund, whether or not arising in the
ordinary course of business (a "Material Adverse Effect"), (B) there
have been no transactions entered into by the Fund, other than those in
the ordinary course of business, which are material with respect to the
Fund, and (C) there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind
declared, paid or made by the Fund on any class of its capital shares.
(vi) GOOD STANDING OF THE FUND. The Fund has been duly
organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing
under the laws of the State of Maryland and has 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 Fund is duly qualified as a
foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each
other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by
reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of
business, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good
standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(vii) NO SUBSIDIARIES. The Fund has no subsidiaries.
(viii) INVESTMENT COMPANY STATUS. The Fund is duly registered
with the Commission under the 1940 Act as a closed-end, diversified
management investment company, and no order of suspension or revocation
of such registration has been issued or proceedings therefor initiated
or threatened by the Commission.
(ix) OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS. No person is serving or acting
as an officer, director or investment adviser of the Fund except in
accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act and the Rules and
Regulations and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the
"Advisers Act"), and the rules and regulations of the Commission
promulgated under the Advisers Act (the "Advisers Act Rules and
Regulations"). Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement to either of them), no
director of the Fund is (A) an "interested person" (as defined in the
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇) of the Fund or (B) an "affiliated person" (as defined in the
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇) of any Underwriter.
(x) CAPITALIZATION. The authorized, issued and outstanding
shares of Common Stock of the Fund is as set forth in the Prospectus.
All issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Fund have been
duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable
(except as described in the Registration Statement) and have been
offered and sold or exchanged by the Fund in compliance with all
applicable laws (including, without limitation, federal and state
securities laws); none of the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the
Fund were issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights
of any securityholder of the Fund.
(xi) AUTHORIZATION AND DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES. The
Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Fund have been
duly authorized for issuance and sale to the Underwriters pursuant to
this Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Fund pursuant to
this Agreement against payment of the consideration set forth herein,
will be validly issued and fully paid and non-assessable (except as
described in the Registration Statement). The shares of Common Stock
conform, in all material respects, to all statements relating thereto
contained in the Prospectus and such description conforms to the rights
set forth in the instruments defining the same, to the extent such
rights are set forth; no holder of the Securities will be subject to
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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 Fund.
(xii) ABSENCE OF DEFAULTS AND CONFLICTS. The Fund is not in
violation of its articles of incorporation or by-laws, each as amended
from time to time, 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 it is a party or by
which it may be bound, or to which any of the property or assets of the
Fund is subject (collectively, "Agreements and Instruments") except for
such violations or defaults that would not result in a Material Adverse
Effect; and the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement,
the Management Agreement, the Administration Agreement, the Custodian
Agreement, and the Transfer Agency and Service Agreement referred to in
the Registration Statement (as used herein, the "Management Agreement,"
the "Administration Agreement," the "Custodian Agreement" and the
"Transfer Agency Agreement," respectively) 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 Fund 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 Fund 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 articles of incorporation or by-laws of the Fund, each as amended
from time to time, 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 Fund or any of its assets, properties or operations. As used herein,
a "Repayment Event" means any event or condition which gives the holder
of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person
acting on such holder's behalf) the right to require the repurchase,
redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the
Fund.
(xiii) 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 Fund, threatened, against or affecting the Fund,
which is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement (other
than as disclosed therein), or which might reasonably be expected to
result in a Material Adverse Effect, or which might reasonably be
expected to materially and adversely affect the properties or assets of
the Fund or the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this
Agreement or the performance by the Fund of its obligations hereunder.
The aggregate of all pending legal or governmental proceedings to which
the Fund is a party or of which any of its property or assets is the
subject which are not described in the Registration Statement, including
ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business, could not
reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xiv) ACCURACY OF EXHIBITS. There are no contracts or
documents which are required to be described in the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits thereto by the
1933 Act, the 1940 Act or by the Rules and Regulations which have not
been so described and filed as required.
5
(xv) POSSESSION OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. The Fund owns or
has the right to use, 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 the Fund, and the Fund has not received any
notice or is not 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 Fund
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.
(xvi) ABSENCE OF FURTHER REQUIREMENTS. No filing with, or
authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration,
qualification or decree of, any court or governmental authority or
agency is necessary or required for the performance by the Fund 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, the 1940 Act, the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act"), the rules
of the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE") or state securities laws.
(xvii) POSSESSION OF LICENSES AND PERMITS. The Fund possesses
such permits, licenses, approvals, consents and other authorizations
(collectively, "Governmental Licenses") issued by the appropriate
federal, state, local or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies necessary
to operate its properties and to conduct the business as contemplated in
the Prospectus and the Fund is in compliance with the terms and
conditions of all such Governmental Licenses, except where the absence
of such possession or the failure to so comply, as applicable, would not
result in 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 the Fund has not 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.
(xviii) ADVERTISEMENTS. Any advertising, sales literature or
other promotional material (including "prospectus wrappers," "broker
kits," "road show slides" and "road show scripts") authorized in writing
by or prepared by the Fund or the Investment Adviser used in connection
with the public offering of the Securities (collectively, "sales
material") does 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 light of the circumstances in which
they were made, not misleading. All sales material complied and will
comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the
1933 Act, the 1940 Act and the Rules and Regulations and the rules and
interpretations of the NASD, Inc. ("NASD").
(xix) SUBCHAPTER M. The Fund intends to direct the investment
of the proceeds of the offering described in the Registration Statement
in such a manner as to comply with the requirements of Subchapter M of
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended ("Subchapter M of the
Code" and the "Code," respectively), and intends to qualify as a
regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code.
(xx) DISTRIBUTION OF OFFERING MATERIALS. The Fund has not
distributed and, prior to the later to occur of (A) the Closing Time and
(B) completion of the distribution of the shares of Common Stock, will
not distribute any offering material in connection with the offering and
sale
6
of the shares of Common Stock other than the Registration Statement, a
preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or the sales materials.
(xxi) ACCOUNTING CONTROLS. The Fund maintains a system of
internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances
that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management's
general or specific authorization and with the applicable requirements
of the 1940 Act, the Rules and Regulations and the Code; (B)
transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of
financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting
principles and to maintain accountability for assets and to maintain
compliance with the books and records requirements under the 1940 Act
and the Rules and Regulations; (C) access to assets is permitted only in
accordance with the management's general or specific authorization; and
(D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing
assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with
respect to any differences.
(xxii) ABSENCE OF UNDISCLOSED PAYMENTS. To the Fund's
knowledge, neither the Fund nor any employee or agent of the Fund has
made any payment of funds of the Fund or received or retained any funds,
which payment, receipt or retention of funds is of a character required
to be disclosed in the Prospectus.
(xxiii) MATERIAL AGREEMENTS. This Agreement, the Management
Agreement, the Administration Agreement, the Custodian Agreement and the
Transfer Agency Agreement have each been duly authorized by all
requisite action on the part of the Fund, executed and delivered by the
Fund, as of the dates noted therein and each complies with all
applicable provisions of the 1940 Act. Assuming due authorization,
execution and delivery by the other parties thereto, each such Agreement
constitutes a valid and binding agreement of the Fund, enforceable in
accordance with its terms, except as affected by bankruptcy, insolvency,
fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws
relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally, general equitable
principles (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) and
an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing and except as rights
to indemnification or contribution thereunder may be limited by federal
or state laws.
(xxiv) REGISTRATION RIGHTS. There are no persons with
registration rights or other similar rights to have any securities of
the Fund registered pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise
registered by the Fund under the 1933 Act.
(xxv) NYSE LISTING. The Securities have been duly authorized
for listing, upon notice of issuance, on the NYSE and the Fund's
registration statement on Form 8-A under the 1934 Act has become
effective.
(b) REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES BY THE INVESTMENT ADVISER. The
Investment Adviser represents and warrants to each Underwriter, and in the case
of paragraph (iii) also represents to the Fund, 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 as follows:
(i) GOOD STANDING OF THE INVESTMENT ADVISER. The Investment
Adviser has been duly organized and is validly existing and in good
standing as a limited liability company under the laws of the State of
Delaware, with full limited liability company 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 limited
liability company to transact business and is in good standing in each
other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required.
(ii) INVESTMENT ADVISER STATUS. The Investment Adviser is
duly registered and in good standing with the Commission as an
investment adviser under the Advisers Act, and is not
7
prohibited by the Advisers Act or the 1940 Act, or the rules and
regulations under such acts, from acting under the Management Agreement
for the Fund as contemplated by the Prospectus.
(iii) DESCRIPTION OF THE INVESTMENT ADVISER. The description
of the Investment Adviser in the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus (and any amendment or supplement to either of them) complied
and comply in all material respects with the provisions of the 1933 Act,
the 1940 Act, the Advisers Act, the Rules and Regulations and the
Advisers Act Rules and Regulations and is true and correct and does not
contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to
make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which
they were made, not misleading.
(iv) CAPITALIZATION. The Investment Adviser has the financial
resources available to it necessary for the performance of its services
and obligations as contemplated in the Prospectus, this Agreement and
under the Management Agreement and the Additional Compensation Agreement
between the Investment Adviser and ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ dated June 27, 2005
(the "Additional Compensation Agreement").
(v) AUTHORIZATION OF AGREEMENTS; ABSENCE OF DEFAULTS AND
CONFLICTS. This Agreement, the Management Agreement and the Additional
Compensation Agreement have each been duly authorized, executed and
delivered by the Investment Adviser, and, assuming due authorization,
execution and delivery by the other parties thereto, the Management
Agreement and the Additional Compensation Agreement constitute valid and
binding obligations of the Investment Adviser, each enforceable in
accordance with its terms, except as affected by bankruptcy, insolvency,
fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws
relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and general
equitable principles (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at
law); and neither the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the
Management Agreement or the Additional Compensation Agreement nor the
performance by the Investment Adviser of its obligations hereunder or
thereunder will conflict with, or result in a breach of any of the terms
and provisions of, or constitute, with or without the giving of notice
or lapse of time or both, a default under, any agreement or instrument
to which the Investment Adviser is a party or by which it is bound, the
limited liability company agreement or other organizational document of
the Investment Adviser, or to the Investment Adviser's knowledge, by any
law, order, decree, rule or regulation applicable to it of any
jurisdiction, court, federal or state regulatory body, administrative
agency or other governmental body, stock exchange or securities
association having jurisdiction over the Investment Adviser or its
properties or operations; and no consent, approval, authorization or
order of any court or governmental authority or agency is required for
the consummation by the Investment Adviser of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement, the Management Agreement or the
Additional Compensation Agreement, except as have been obtained or may
be required under the 1933 Act, the 1940 Act, the 1934 Act, NYSE or
state securities laws.
(vi) NO MATERIAL ADVERSE CHANGE. Since the respective dates
as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus, except as otherwise stated therein, there has not occurred
any event which would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse
effect on the ability of the Investment Adviser to perform its
obligations under this Agreement, the Management Agreement or the
Additional Compensation Agreement.
(vii) 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 Investment Adviser, threatened against or affecting
the Investment Adviser or any parent or subsidiary of the Investment
Adviser or any partners, directors, officers or employees of the
foregoing, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business,
which might reasonably be expected to result in any material adverse
change
8
in the condition, financial or otherwise, or earnings, business affairs
or business prospects of the Investment Adviser, materially and
adversely affect the properties or assets of the Investment Adviser or
materially impair or adversely affect the ability of the Investment
Adviser to function as an investment adviser or perform its obligations
under the Management Agreement or the Additional Compensation Agreement,
or which is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement and
the Prospectus (and has not been so disclosed).
(viii) ABSENCE OF VIOLATION OR DEFAULT. The Investment Adviser
is not in violation of its organizational documents or in default under
any agreement, indenture or instrument, where such violation or default
would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the
ability of the Investment Adviser to function as an investment adviser
or perform its obligations under the Management Agreement or the
Additional Compensation Agreement.
(c) OFFICER'S CERTIFICATES. Any certificate signed by any officer of
the Fund or the Investment Adviser delivered to the Representatives or to
counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed a representation and warranty by
the Fund or the Investment Adviser, as the case may be, 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 Fund agrees to sell to each Underwriter, severally and not jointly,
and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the
Fund, at the price per share set forth in SCHEDULE B, the 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.
(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 Fund hereby grants an option to the
Underwriters, severally and not jointly, to purchase up to an additional
[ ] shares of Common Stock in the aggregate at the price per share set
forth in SCHEDULE B, less an amount per share equal to any dividends or
distributions declared by the Fund and payable on the Initial Securities but not
payable on the Option Securities. The option hereby granted will expire 45 days
after the date hereof and may be exercised in whole or in part from time to time
only for the purpose of covering overallotments which may be made in connection
with the offering and distribution of the Initial Securities upon written notice
by the Representatives to the Fund 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
Representatives, but shall not be earlier than the second day after the date on
which the option is being exercised nor 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 ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ in
its discretion shall make to eliminate any sales or purchases of a fractional
number of Option Securities plus any additional number of Option Securities
which such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the
provisions of Section 10 hereof.
(c) PAYMENT. Payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of
certificates for, the Initial Securities shall be made at the offices of
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Chance US LLP, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, or at
such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Fund, 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
9
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 Representatives and the Fund
(such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called "Closing Time").
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 Representatives
and the Fund, on each Date of Delivery as specified in the notice from the
Representatives to the Fund.
Payment shall be made to the Fund by wire transfer of immediately
available funds to a bank account designated by the Fund, against delivery to
the Representatives 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 Representatives, 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. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, 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 Representatives 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
Representatives 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.
(a) The Fund and the Investment Adviser, jointly and severally,
covenant with each Underwriter as follows:
(i) COMPLIANCE WITH SECURITIES REGULATIONS AND COMMISSION
REQUESTS. The Fund, subject to Section 3(a)(ii), will comply with the
requirements of Rule 430A or Rule 434, as applicable, and will notify
the Representatives 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 Fund will promptly effect the
filings necessary pursuant to Rule 497 and will take such steps as it
deems necessary to ascertain promptly whether the form of prospectus
transmitted for filing under Rule 497 was received for filing by the
Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly file such
prospectus. The Fund will make every reasonable effort to prevent the
issuance of any stop order, or order of suspension or revocation of
registration pursuant to Section 8(e) of the 1940 Act, and, if any such
stop order or
10
order of suspension or revocation of registration is issued, to obtain
the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment.
(ii) FILING OF AMENDMENTS. The Fund will give the
Representatives notice of its intention to file or prepare any amendment
to the Registration Statement (including any filing under Rule 462(b)),
any Term Sheet 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, will furnish the Representatives 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 Representatives or counsel for the
Underwriters shall reasonably object.
(iii) DELIVERY OF REGISTRATION STATEMENTS. The Fund has
furnished or will deliver to the Representatives 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
signed copies of all consents and certificates of experts, and will also
deliver to the Representatives, 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 ▇▇▇▇▇, except to the
extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
(iv) DELIVERY OF PROSPECTUSES. The Fund has delivered to each
Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of each preliminary
prospectus as such Underwriter reasonably requested, and the Fund hereby
consents to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the 1933
Act. The Fund 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 ▇▇▇▇▇, except to the
extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
(v) CONTINUED COMPLIANCE WITH SECURITIES LAWS. 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 Fund, to amend the
Registration Statement or amend or supplement the Prospectus in order
that the Prospectus will not include any untrue statements of a material
fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the
statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances
existing at the time it is delivered to a purchaser, or if it shall be
necessary, in the opinion of such counsel, at any such time to amend the
Registration Statement or amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to
comply with the requirements of the 1933 Act or the Rules and
Regulations, the Fund will promptly prepare and file with the
Commission, subject to Section 3(a)(ii), 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 Fund will furnish to the Underwriters such number of copies of
such amendment or supplement as the Underwriters may reasonably request.
(vi) BLUE SKY QUALIFICATIONS. The Fund 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 of the United States as the
Representatives 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
11
Statement; provided, however, that the Fund 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 Fund 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.
(vii) RULE 158. The Fund will make generally available to its
securityholders as soon as practicable an earnings statement, if
applicable, for the purposes of, and to provide the benefits
contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act.
(viii) USE OF PROCEEDS. The Fund will use the net proceeds
received by it from the sale of the Securities substantially in the
manner specified in the Prospectus under "Use of Proceeds."
(ix) LISTING. The Fund will use its reasonable best efforts
to cause the Securities to be duly authorized for listing by the NYSE,
prior to the date the Securities are issued.
(x) RESTRICTION ON SALE OF SECURITIES. During a period of
180 days from the date of the Prospectus, the Fund will not, without the
prior written consent of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, (A) directly or indirectly,
offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option, rights or
warrant to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any
option, right or warrant to purchase or otherwise transfer or dispose of
shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable
or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock or file any registration
statement under the 1933 Act with respect to any of the foregoing or (B)
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 shares of Common Stock, whether any such
swap or transaction described in clause (A) or (B) above is to be
settled by delivery of shares of Common Stock or such other securities,
in cash or otherwise. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (1) the
Securities to be sold hereunder or (2) shares of Common Stock issued or,
for avoidance of doubt, purchased in the open market pursuant to any
dividend reinvestment plan.
(xi) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. The Fund, 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 1940 Act and the 1934 Act within the time
periods required by the 1940 Act and the Rules and Regulations and the
1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder,
respectively.
(xii) SUBCHAPTER M. The Fund will use its best efforts to
comply with the requirements of Subchapter M of the Code to qualify as a
regulated investment company under the Code.
(xiii) NO MANIPULATION OF MARKET FOR SECURITIES. The Fund will
not (a) take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or to
result in, or that might reasonably be expected to constitute, the
stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Fund
to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities in violation of
federal or state securities laws, and (b) except for share repurchases
permitted in accordance with applicable laws and purchases of Securities
in the open market pursuant to the Fund's dividend reinvestment plan,
until the Closing Date, or the Date of Delivery, if any, (i) sell, bid
for or purchase the Securities or pay any person any compensation for
soliciting purchases of the Securities or (ii) pay or agree to pay to
any person any compensation for soliciting another to purchase any other
securities of the Fund.
(xiv) RULE 462(B) REGISTRATION STATEMENT. If the Fund elects
to rely upon Rule 462(b), the Fund shall file a Rule 462(b) Registration
Statement with the Commission in compliance with
12
Rule 462(b) by 10:00 P.M., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this
Agreement, and the Fund shall at the time of filing either pay to the
Commission the filing fee for the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement or
give irrevocable instructions for the payment of such fee pursuant to
Rule 111(b) under the ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇.
(b) The Adviser covenants with each Underwriter that for a period of
180 days from the date of the Prospectus, the Adviser will not, without your
prior written, act as investment adviser to any other closed-end registered
investment company having an investment objective, policies and restrictions
substantially similar to those of the Fund.
SECTION 4. Payment of Expenses.
(a) EXPENSES. The Fund will pay all expenses incident to the
performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including (i) the
preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including
financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and of each amendment
thereto, (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 Fund's counsel, the independent registered public
accounting firm and other advisors, (v) the qualification of the Securities
under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(a)(vi)
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,
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, (ix) the filing fees incident to, and the
reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters in connection
with, the review by the NASD of the terms of the sale of the Securities, (x) the
fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Securities on
the NYSE and (xi) the printing of any sales material. Also, the Fund shall pay
the Underwriters $.00667 per common share as partial reimbursement of expenses
incurred in connection with the offering. The amount paid by the Fund as this
partial reimbursement to the Underwriters will not exceed .03335% of the total
price to the public of the shares of Common Stock sold in this offering. The
Investment Adviser has agreed to pay the Fund's offering and organizational
costs (other than sales load) that exceed $[ ] per share of Common Stock.
(b) TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT. If this Agreement is terminated by the
Representatives in accordance with the provisions of Section 5 or Section 9
hereof, the Fund and the Investment Adviser, jointly and severally, agree that
they 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 Fund and the Investment
Adviser contained in Section 1 hereof or in certificates of any officer of the
Fund or the Investment Adviser delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof, to
the performance by the Fund and the Investment Adviser of their respective
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 or will have become effective by 5:30 p.m.,
13
New York City time on the date hereof, and at Closing Time no stop order
suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been
issued under the 1933 Act, no notice or order pursuant to Section 8(e) of the
1940 Act shall have been issued, and no proceedings with respect to either shall
have been initiated or, to the knowledge of counsel to the Underwriters and
counsel to the Fund, threatened by the Commission, and any request on the part
of the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with or
waived 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 497 (or a post-effective amendment providing
such information shall have been filed and declared effective in accordance with
the requirements of Rule 430A or a certificate must have been filed in
accordance with Rule 497(j)) or, if the Fund has elected to rely upon Rule 434,
a Term Sheet shall have been filed with the Commission in accordance with Rule
497.
(b) OPINION OF COUNSEL FOR FUND AND THE INVESTMENT ADVISER. At
Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received the favorable opinion,
dated as of Closing Time, of Stroock & Stroock & ▇▇▇▇▇, counsel for the Fund and
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ and ▇▇▇▇ LLP, counsel for the Investment Adviser
and ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇, General Counsel to the Investment Adviser, together with
signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters
substantially to the effect set forth in EXHIBIT A hereto or in such other forms
and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel to the Underwriters.
(c) OPINION OF COUNSEL FOR UNDERWRITERS. At Closing Time, the
Representatives shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of Closing
Time, of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Chance US LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, together with
signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters
with respect to the matters set forth in clauses (A) (i), (ii), (vi), (vii)
(solely as to preemptive or other similar rights arising by operation of law or
under the charter or by-laws of the Fund), (viii) through (x), inclusive, (xii),
(xiv) (solely as to the information in the Prospectus under "Description of
Shares") and the last paragraph of EXHIBIT A hereto. In giving such opinion such
counsel may rely, as to all matters governed by the laws of jurisdictions other
than the law of the State of New York and the federal law of the United States,
upon the opinions of counsel satisfactory to the Representatives. Such counsel
may also state that, insofar as such opinion involves factual matters, they have
relied, to the extent they deem proper, upon certificates of officers of the
Fund and certificates of public officials.
(d) OFFICERS' CERTIFICATES. At Closing Time, there shall not have
been, since the date hereof or since the respective dates as of which
information is given in the Prospectus, any material adverse change in the
condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or
business prospects of the Fund, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of
business (except, in the case of changes on any Date of Delivery in connection
with the Option Securities, for any change in the net asset value of the Fund
resulting from investment operations), and the Representatives shall have
received a certificate of a duly authorized officer of the Fund and of the chief
financial or chief accounting officer of the Fund and of the President or a Vice
President or Managing Director of the Investment Adviser, dated as of Closing
Time, to the effect that (i) there has been no such material adverse change,
(ii) the representations and warranties in Sections 1(a) and (b) hereof, as
applicable, are true and correct with the same force and effect as though
expressly made at and as of Closing Time, (iii) each of the Fund and the
Investment Adviser, respectively, has complied with all agreements and satisfied
all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied pursuant to this
Agreement at or prior to Closing Time, (iv) with respect to the Investment
Adviser only, there has been no material adverse change in the condition,
financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business
prospects of the Investment Adviser, whether or not arising in the ordinary
course of business and (v) with respect to the Fund only, no stop order
suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, or order of
suspension or revocation of registration pursuant to Section 8(e) of the 1940
Act, has been issued and no proceedings for any such purpose have been
instituted or are pending or are contemplated by the Commission.
14
(e) INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM'S COMFORT LETTER.
At the time of the execution of this Agreement, the Representatives shall have
received from [ ] a letter dated such date, in form and substance
satisfactory to the Representatives, 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 independent registered public
accounting firms' "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 Representatives
shall have received from [ ] 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 listing on the NYSE, 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.
(i) EXECUTION OF ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION AGREEMENT. At Closing Time,
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ shall have received the Additional Compensation Agreement, dated
as of the Closing Date, as executed by the Investment Adviser.
(j) 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 Fund contained herein and the statements in any certificates
furnished by the Fund hereunder shall be true and correct as of each Date of
Delivery and, at the relevant Date of Delivery, the Representatives shall have
received:
(i) OFFICERS' CERTIFICATES. Certificates, dated such Date of
Delivery, of a duly authorized officer of the Fund and of the chief
financial or chief accounting officer of the Fund and of the President
or a Vice President or Managing Director of the Investment Adviser
confirming that the information contained in the certificate delivered
by each of them at the Closing Time pursuant to Section 5(d) hereof
remains true and correct as of such Date of Delivery.
(ii) OPINIONS OF COUNSEL FOR THE FUND AND THE INVESTMENT
ADVISER. The favorable opinions of counsel for the Fund and counsel for
the Investment Adviser, 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 THE UNDERWRITERS. The favorable
opinion of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Chance US 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 [ ], in
form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives and dated such
Date of Delivery, substantially in the same form and substance as the
letter furnished to the Representatives 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.
15
(k) 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 reasonably 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 Fund and the Investment Adviser in connection
with the organization and registration of the Fund under the 1940 Act and the
issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated shall be satisfactory
in form and substance to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters.
(l) TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT. If any condition specified in this
Section 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 Representatives by notice to the Fund 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, 8 and 13
shall survive any such termination and remain in full force and effect.
SECTION 6. Indemnification.
(a) INDEMNIFICATION OF UNDERWRITERS. The Fund and the Investment
Adviser, jointly and severally, agree to indemnify and hold harmless each
Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the
meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act, as follows:
(i) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and
expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any untrue statement or
alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the
Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule
430A Information and the Rule 434 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(e) below) any such settlement is effected with the written
consent of the Fund; and
(iii) against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred
(including the fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇), 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 Fund or the
16
Investment Adviser by any Underwriter through ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ expressly for use in
the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430A
Information and the Rule 434 Information, if applicable, or any preliminary
prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto); and
provided further that neither the Fund nor the Investment Adviser will be liable
to any Underwriter with respect to any indemnification contained in this
paragraph (a) to the extent that the Fund or the Investment Adviser shall
sustain the burden of proving that such loss, liability, claim, damage or
expense resulted from the fact that such Underwriter, in contravention of a
requirement of this Agreement or applicable law, sold Securities to a person to
whom such Underwriter failed to send or give, at or prior to the Closing Time or
the Date of Delivery, as the case may be, a copy of the Prospectus, as then
amended or supplemented if: (i) the Fund has previously furnished copies thereof
(sufficiently in advance of the Closing Time or Date of Delivery, as the case
may be, to allow for distribution by the Closing Time or the Date of Delivery,
as the case may be) to the Underwriter and the loss, liability, claim, damage or
expense of such Underwriter resulted from an untrue statement or omission of a
material fact contained in or omitted from the preliminary prospectus which was
corrected in the Prospectus as, if applicable, amended or supplemented prior to
Closing Time or the Date of Delivery, as the case may be, and such Prospectus
was required by law to be delivered at or prior to the written confirmation of
sale to such person and (ii) the failure to give or send such Prospectus by the
Closing Time or the Date of Delivery, as the case may be, to such person would
have constituted the sole basis for the claim asserted by such person against
the party or parties asserting such loss, liability, claim, damage or expense as
to which indemnification is sought pursuant to this paragraph (a).
(b) INDEMNIFICATION OF THE FUND, INVESTMENT ADVISER, DIRECTORS AND
OFFICERS. Each Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the
Fund and the Investment Adviser, their respective directors, members and
shareholders, each of the Fund's officers who signed the Registration Statement,
and each person, if any, who controls the Fund or the Investment Adviser 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 and the Rule 434 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 Fund or the Investment Adviser by such Underwriter through ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto),
including the Rule 430A Information and the Rule 434 Information, or such
preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement
thereto).
(c) INDEMNIFICATION FOR MARKETING MATERIALS. In addition to the
foregoing indemnification, the Fund and the Investment Adviser also, jointly and
severally, agree 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, against any and all loss, liability,
claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in Section 6(a),
as limited by the proviso set forth therein, with respect to any sales material.
(d) 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 case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(a)
above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇,
and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(b) above, counsel
to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Fund and the Investment
Adviser. An indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in the
17
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.
(e) 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) (through, if applicable, the provisions
of Section 6(b)) effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is
entered into more than 60 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, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party, 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 Fund or the Investment Adviser 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 Fund and the Investment Adviser 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 Fund and the Investment Adviser 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 Fund and the total underwriting discount received by the Underwriters
(whether from the Fund or otherwise), in each case as set forth on the cover of
the Prospectus, or, if Rule 434 is used, the corresponding location on the Term
Sheet, bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of the Securities as
set forth on such cover.
The relative fault of the Fund and the Investment Adviser 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 Fund or the Investment Adviser or by the
Underwriters and the parties'
18
relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or
prevent such statement or omission.
The Fund, the Investment Adviser 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 ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇) 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 and shareholder of the Fund and each member of the Investment
Adviser, respectively, each officer of the Fund who signed the Registration
Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Fund or the Investment
Adviser, 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 Fund and the
Investment Adviser, respectively. 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 covenants contained in this
Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Fund or the Investment Adviser
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 Fund or the Investment Adviser,
and shall survive delivery of the Securities to the Underwriters.
SECTION 9. Termination of Agreement.
(a) TERMINATION; GENERAL. The Representatives may terminate this
Agreement, by notice to the Fund, at any time at or prior to Closing Time (i) if
there has been, since the time of execution of this Agreement or since the
respective dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus, any
material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the
earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Fund or the Investment
Adviser, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, or (ii) if
there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the
United States or the international financial markets, any outbreak of
hostilities or escalation thereof or other calamity or crisis or any change or
development involving a prospective change in national or international
political, financial or economic conditions, in each case the effect of which is
such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representatives, impracticable or
inadvisable to market the Securities or to enforce contracts for the sale of the
Securities, or (iii) if trading in the shares of Common Stock of the Fund has
been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or the NYSE, or if
trading generally
19
on the American Stock Exchange or the NYSE 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 NASD or any other
governmental authority, or a material disruption has occurred in commercial
banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States, or
(iv) if a banking moratorium has been declared by either Federal or New York
authorities.
(b) LIABILITIES. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to this
Section, such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other
party except as provided in Section 4 hereof, and provided further that Sections
1, 6, 7, 8 and 13 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 Representatives
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
Representatives 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 Delivery which occurs after the Closing Time, the obligation of the
Underwriters to purchase and of the Fund 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 Fund to sell the relevant Option Securities, as
the case may be, either the Representatives or the Fund 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. Tax Disclosure.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, from the
commencement of discussions with respect to the transactions contemplated
hereby, the Fund and the Investment Adviser (and each employee, representative
or other agent of the Fund) may disclose to any and all persons, without
limitation of any kind, the tax treatment and tax structure (as such terms are
used in Sections 6011, 6111 and 6112 of the U.S. Code and the Treasury
Regulations promulgated thereunder) of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement and all materials of any kind (including opinions or other tax
analyses) that are provided relating to such tax treatment and tax structure.
20
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
Representatives, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co., ▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, attention of Equity Capital Markets; and notices to the Fund or the
Investment Adviser shall be directed, as appropriate, to the office of Lazard
Asset Management LLC, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇, Attention:
General Counsel.
SECTION 13. Parties.
This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the
Underwriters, the Fund, the Investment Adviser and their respective partners and
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, the Fund, the Investment Adviser and their respective successors
and the controlling persons and officers, directors, shareholders and members
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, the Fund, the Investment Adviser and their respective partners and
successors, and said controlling persons and officers, shareholders, directors
and members 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.
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 APPLICABLE TO AGREEMENTS MADE AND TO BE PERFORMED
IN SAID STATE. UNLESS OTHERWISE EXPLICITLY PROVIDED, SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY
REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME.
SECTION 15. Effect of Headings.
The Article and Section headings herein are for convenience only and
shall not affect the construction hereof.
[SIGNATURES ON FOLLOWING PAGE]
21
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our
agreement, please sign and return to us a counterpart hereof, whereupon this
instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement among
the Underwriters, the Fund and the Investment Adviser in accordance with its
terms.
Very truly yours,
LAZARD WORLD DIVIDEND & INCOME FUND, INC.
By:
-------------------------------------
Name:
Title:
LAZARD ASSET MANAGEMENT LLC
By:
-------------------------------------
Name:
Title:
22
CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED,
as of the date first above written:
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & CO.
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LYNCH, PIERCE, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇
INCORPORATED
CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC.
▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & SONS, INC.
WACHOVIA CAPITAL MARKETS, LLC
ADVEST, INC.
BB&T CAPITAL MARKETS, A DIVISION OF ▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, INC.
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇ & CO. INCORPORATED
H&R BLOCK FINANCIAL ADVISORS, INC.
▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, INCORPORATED
RBC CAPITAL MARKETS CORPORATION
▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & COMPANY, INCORPORATED
▇▇▇▇▇ FARGO SECURITIES, LLC
By: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LYNCH, PIERCE, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇
INCORPORATED
By:
------------------------------------------------
Authorized Signatory
For themselves and as
Representatives of the
other Underwriters named
in SCHEDULE A hereto.
23
SCHEDULE A
Number of
Name of Underwriter Initial Securities
------------------- ----------------------
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Lynch, Pierce, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇
Incorporated.................................
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. ...........................
▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Sons, Inc. ...............................
Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC ...........................
Advest, Inc. ............................................
BB&T Capital Markets, a division of
▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Inc. ...........
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. Incorporated ......................
H&R Block Financial Advisors, Inc. ......................
▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Incorporated .......................
RBC Capital Markets Corporation .........................
▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Company, Incorporated ................
▇▇▇▇▇ Fargo Securities, LLC..............................
Total........................................
Sch A-1
SCHEDULE B
Lazard World Dividend & Income Fund, Inc.
Shares of Common Stock
($.001 Par Value)
1. The initial public offering price per share for the Securities,
determined as provided in said Section 2, shall be $20.00.
2. The purchase price per share for the Securities to be paid by
the several Underwriters shall be $19.10, being an amount equal to the initial
public offering price set forth above less $.90 per share; provided that the
purchase price per share for any Option Securities purchased upon the exercise
of the overallotment option described in Section 2(b) shall be reduced by an
amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Fund
and payable on the Initial Securities but not payable on the Option Securities.
Sch B-1
Exhibit A
FORM OF OPINION OF FUND'S AND INVESTMENT ADVISER'S
COUNSEL TO BE DELIVERED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 5(b)
(A) With respect to the Fund:
(i) The Fund has been duly organized and is validly existing
as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of
Maryland.
(ii) The Fund 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 Fund is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to
transact business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in
which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership
or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the
failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a
Material Adverse Effect.
(iv) To the best of our knowledge, the Fund does not have any
subsidiaries.
(v) The authorized, issued and outstanding shares of common
stock of the Fund are as set forth in the Prospectus under the caption
"Description of Shares" (except for subsequent issuances, if any,
pursuant to the Purchase Agreement); all issued and outstanding shares
of common stock of the Fund have been duly authorized and validly issued
and are fully paid and non-assessable and have been offered and sold or
exchanged by the Fund in compliance with all applicable laws (including,
without limitation, federal and state securities laws); the Common Stock
conform as to legal matters to all statements relating thereto contained
in the Prospectus and such description conforms to the rights set forth
in the instruments defining the same; and none of the outstanding shares
of common stock of the Fund was issued in violation of the preemptive or
other similar rights of any securityholder of the Fund.
(vi) The Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters from
the Fund have been duly authorized for issuance and sale to the
Underwriters pursuant to the Purchase Agreement and, when issued and
delivered by the Fund 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.
(vii) The issuance of the Securities is not subject to
preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Fund.
(viii) The Purchase Agreement has been duly authorized,
executed and delivered by the Fund.
(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 497(c) or Rule
497(h) has been made in the manner and within the time period required
by Rule 497; 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, to the
best of our knowledge, no order of suspension or revocation of
registration
A-1
pursuant to Section 8(e) of the 1940 Act has been issued, and no
proceedings for any such purpose have been instituted or are pending or
threatened by the Commission.
(x) The Registration Statement, including any Rule 462(b)
Registration Statement, the Rule 430A Information and the Rule 434
Information, as applicable, the Prospectus and each amendment or
supplement to the Registration Statement and Prospectus 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), and the notification on Form N-8A
complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of
the 1933 Act, the 1940 Act and the Rules and Regulations.
(xi) If Rule 434 has been relied upon, the Prospectus was not
"materially different," as such term is used in Rule 434, from the
prospectus included in the Registration Statement at the time it became
effective.
(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 articles of
incorporation and by-laws of the Fund and the requirements of the NYSE.
(xiii) To the best of our knowledge, there is not pending or
threatened any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, to
which the Fund is a party, or to which the property of the Fund 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 of the Fund or
the consummation of the transactions contemplated in the Purchase
Agreement or the performance by the Fund of its obligations thereunder.
(xiv) The information in the Prospectus under "Description of
Stock" and "Taxation" and in the Registration Statement under Item 29
(Indemnification), to the extent that it constitutes matters of law,
summaries of legal matters, the Fund's articles of incorporation and
by-laws or legal proceedings, or legal conclusions, has been reviewed by
us and is correct in all material respects.
(xv) Each of the Management Agreement, the Administration
Agreement, the Custodian Agreement, the Transfer Agency Agreement, the
Purchase Agreement and the Additional Compensation Agreement comply in
all material respects with all applicable provisions of the 1940 Act,
the Advisers Act, the Rules and Regulations and the Advisers Act Rules
and Regulations.
(xvi) The Fund is duly registered with the Commission under
the 1940 Act as a closed-end, diversified management investment company;
and, to the best of our knowledge, no order of suspension or revocation
of such registration has been issued or proceedings therefor initiated
or threatened by the Commission.
(xvii) To the best of our knowledge, no person is serving as an
officer, director or investment adviser of the Fund except in accordance
with the 1940 Act and the Rules and Regulations and the Investment
Advisers Act and the Advisers Act Rules and Regulations. Except as
disclosed in the Registration Statement and Prospectus (or any amendment
or supplement to either of them), to the best of our knowledge, no
director of the Fund is an "interested person" (as defined in the ▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇) of the Fund or an "affiliated person" (as defined in the ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇)
of an Underwriter.
(xviii) There are no statutes or regulations that are required
to be described in the Prospectus that are not described as required.
A-2
(xix) All descriptions in the Registration Statement of
contracts and other documents to which the Fund is 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.
(xx) To the best of our knowledge, the Fund is not in
violation of its articles of incorporation or by-laws and no default by
the Fund exists in the due performance or observance of any material
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.
(xxi) No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent,
license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any court or
governmental authority or agency (other than under the 1933 Act, the
1934 Act, the 1940 Act and the Rules and 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 or sale
of the Securities or the consummation of the transactions contemplated
by this Agreement.
(xxii) 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 Fund 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 Fund 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 Fund 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 Fund is subject, nor will such action result in any violation of
the provisions of the charter or by-laws of the Fund, 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 Fund or any of its properties,
assets or operations.
(xxiii) The Purchase Agreement, the Management Agreement, the
Administration Agreement, the Custodian Agreement and the Transfer
Agency Agreement have each been duly authorized by all requisite action
on the part of the Fund, executed and delivered by the Fund, as of the
dates noted therein. Assuming due authorization, execution and delivery
by the other parties thereto with respect to the Administration
Agreement, the Custodian Agreement and the Transfer Agency Agreement,
each of the Management Agreement, the Administration Agreement, the
Custodian Agreement and the Transfer Agency Agreement constitutes a
valid and binding agreement of the Fund, enforceable in accordance with
its terms, except as affected by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent
conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating
to or affecting creditors' rights generally, general equitable
principles (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) and
an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.
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(B) With respect to the Investment Adviser:
(xxiv) The Investment Adviser has been duly organized and is
validly existing as a limited liability company in good standing under
the laws of the State of Delaware.
(xxv) The Investment Adviser has full limited liability
company 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.
(xxvi) The Investment Adviser is duly qualified as a foreign
limited liability company to transact business and is in good standing
in each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required,
whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct
of business, except where the failure to so qualify would not result in
a Material Adverse Effect.
(xxvii) The Investment Adviser is duly registered with the
Commission as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act and is not
prohibited by the Advisers Act, the Advisers Act Rules and Regulations,
the 1940 Act or the Rules and Regulations from acting under the
Management Agreement for the Fund as contemplated by the Prospectus.
(xxviii) The Purchase Agreement, the Management Agreement and
the Additional Compensation Agreement have been duly authorized,
executed and delivered by the Investment Adviser, and the Management
Agreement and the Additional Compensation Agreement each constitute a
valid and binding obligation of the Investment Adviser, enforceable in
accordance with their terms, except as affected by bankruptcy,
insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and other
similar laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and
general equitable principles (whether considered in a proceeding in
equity or at law).
(xxix) To the best of our knowledge, there is not pending or
threatened any action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation, to
which the Investment Adviser is a party, or to which the property of the
Investment Adviser is subject, before or brought by any court or
governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, which might reasonably
be expected to result in any material adverse change in the condition,
financial or otherwise, in the earnings, business affairs or business
prospects of the Investment Adviser, materially and adversely affect the
properties or assets of the Investment Adviser or materially impair or
adversely affect the ability of the Investment Adviser to function as an
investment adviser or perform its obligations under the Management
Agreement and the Additional Compensation Agreement or which is required
to be disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus.
(xxx) 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.
(xxxi) To the best of our knowledge, the Investment Adviser is
not in violation of its certificate of incorporation, by-laws or other
organizational documents and no default by the Investment Adviser exists
in the due performance or observance of any material 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.
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(xxxii) 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, the 1940 Act and the Rules and 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.
(xxxiii) 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 and compliance by
the Investment Adviser 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
Investment Adviser 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 Investment Adviser 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 Investment Adviser 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
Investment Adviser, 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 Investment Adviser or any of its properties,
assets or operations.
In addition, we have participated in the preparation of the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus and participated in discussions with certain
officers, directors and employees of the Fund, representatives of [ ], the
independent registered public accounting firm who examined the statement of
assets and liabilities of the Fund included or incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and you and your representatives and
we have reviewed certain Fund records and documents. While we have not
independently verified and are not passing upon, and do not assume any
responsibility for, the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the information
contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, except to the extent
necessary to enable us to give the opinions with respect to the Fund in
paragraphs (A)(v), (xiv) and (xix), on the basis of such participation and
review, nothing has come to our attention that would lead us to believe that the
Registration Statement (except for financial statements, supporting schedules
and other financial data included therein or omitted therefrom, as to which we
do not express any belief), at the time such Registration Statement 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 (except for financial
statements, supporting schedules and other financial data included therein or
omitted therefrom, as to which we do not express any belief), at the time the
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.
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