Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. 5,250,000 Shares of Common Stock Underwriting Agreement
Exhibit 1.1
Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.
5,250,000 Shares of Common Stock
June 22, 2023
BofA Securities, Inc.
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. LLC
▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Securities LLC
As Representatives of the
several Underwriters listed
in Schedule 1 hereto
c/o BofA Securities, Inc.
One Bryant Park
c/o Goldman ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. LLC
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
c/o ▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Securities LLC
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Sphere Entertainment Group, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Selling Stockholder”), a stockholder of Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to sell to the several underwriters listed in Schedule 1 hereto (the “Underwriters”), for whom you are acting as representatives (the “Representatives”), an aggregate of 5,250,000 shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Company (the “Underwritten Shares”) and, at the option of the Underwriters, up to an additional 787,500 shares of Common Stock (the “Option Shares”). The Underwritten Shares and the Option Shares are herein referred to as the “Shares”. The shares of Common Stock of the Company to be outstanding after giving effect to the sale of the Shares are referred to herein as the “Stock”.
On June 21, 2023, the Company and the Selling Stockholder entered into an agreement (the “Share Repurchase Agreement”) for the Company to repurchase from the Selling Stockholder in a private transaction a number of shares of Common Stock equal to $25.0 million (the “Share Repurchase”) at a price per share equal to the Purchase Price (as defined below). The completion of the Share Repurchase is contingent on the satisfaction of customary closing conditions and conditioned upon the completion of the sale of the Shares by the Selling Stockholder pursuant to this underwriting agreement (this “Agreement”).
The Company and the Selling Stockholder, as applicable, hereby confirm their agreement with the several Underwriters concerning the purchase and sale of the Shares, as follows:
1. Registration Statement. The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, a registration statement (File No. 333-272780), including a prospectus, relating to the Shares. Such registration statement, as amended at the time it became effective, including the information, if any, deemed pursuant to Rule 430A, 430B or 430C under the Securities Act to be part of the registration statement at the time of its effectiveness (“Rule 430 Information”), is referred to herein as the “Registration Statement”; and as used herein, the term “Preliminary Prospectus” means each prospectus included in such registration statement (and any amendments thereto) before effectiveness, any prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(a) under the Securities Act and the prospectus included in the Registration Statement at the time of its effectiveness that omits Rule 430 Information, and the term “Prospectus” means the prospectus in the form first used (or made available upon request of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act) in connection with confirmation of sales of the Shares. If the Company has filed an abbreviated registration statement pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act (the “Rule 462 Registration Statement”), then any reference herein to the term “Registration Statement” shall be deemed to include such Rule 462 Registration Statement. Any reference in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-1 under the Securities Act, as of the effective date of the Registration Statement or the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to such terms in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
At or prior to the Applicable Time (as defined below), the Company had prepared the following information (collectively, the “Pricing Disclosure Package”): a Preliminary Prospectus dated June 20, 2023, and each “free-writing prospectus” (as defined pursuant to Rule 405 under the Securities Act) listed on Annex A hereto.
“Applicable Time” means 5:33 P.M., New York City time, on June 22, 2023.
2. Purchase of the Shares.
(a) The Selling Stockholder agrees to sell the Underwritten Shares to the several Underwriters as provided in this Agreement, and each Underwriter, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements set forth herein and subject to the conditions set forth herein, agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase at a price per share of $29.76 (the “Purchase Price”) from the Selling Stockholder the number of Underwritten Shares (to be adjusted by you so as to eliminate fractional shares) determined by multiplying the aggregate number of Underwritten Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholder as set forth in Schedule 2 hereto by a fraction, the numerator of which is the aggregate number of Underwritten Shares to be purchased by such Underwriter as set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule 1 hereto and the denominator of which is the aggregate number of Underwritten Shares to be purchased by all the Underwriters from the Selling Stockholder hereunder. The public offering price of the Shares is not in excess of the price recommended by BofA Securities, Inc., acting as a “qualified independent underwriter” within the meaning of Rule 5121 of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”).
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In addition, the Selling Stockholder agrees, as and to the extent indicated in Schedule 2 hereto, to sell the Option Shares to the several Underwriters and the Underwriters, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements set forth herein and subject to the conditions set forth herein, shall have the option to purchase, severally and not jointly, from the Selling Stockholder the Option Shares at the Purchase Price less an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Underwritten Shares but not payable on the Option Shares. If any Option Shares are to be purchased, the number of Option Shares to be purchased by each Underwriter shall be the number of Option Shares which bears the same ratio to the aggregate number of Option Shares being purchased as the number of Underwritten Shares set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule 1 hereto (or such number increased as set forth in Section 12 hereof) bears to the aggregate number of Underwritten Shares being purchased from the Selling Stockholder by the several Underwriters, subject, however, to such adjustments to eliminate any fractional Shares as the Representatives in their sole discretion shall make.
The Underwriters may exercise the option to purchase Option Shares at any time in whole, or from time to time in part, on or before the thirtieth day following the date of the Prospectus, by written notice from the Representatives to the Selling Stockholder and the Company. Such notice shall set forth the aggregate number of Option Shares as to which the option is being exercised and the date and time when the Option Shares are to be delivered and paid for, which may be the same date and time as the Closing Date (as hereinafter defined) but shall not be earlier than the Closing Date nor later than the tenth full business day (as hereinafter defined) after the date of such notice (unless such time and date are postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 12 hereof). Any such notice shall be given at least two full business days prior to the date and time of delivery specified therein.
(b) The Selling Stockholder understands that the Underwriters intend to make a public offering of the Shares, and initially to offer the Shares on the terms set forth in the Pricing Disclosure Package. The Selling Stockholder acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters may offer and sell Shares to or through any affiliate of such Underwriter.
(c) Payment for the Shares shall be made by wire transfer in immediately available funds to the account specified by the Selling Stockholder to the Representatives, in the case of the Underwritten Shares, at the offices of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ at 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on June 27, 2023, or at such other time or place on the same or such other date, not later than the fifth business day thereafter, as the Representatives, the Company and the Selling Stockholder may agree upon in writing or, in the case of the Option Shares, on the date and at the time and place specified by the Representatives in the written notice of the Underwriters’ election to purchase such Option Shares. The time and date of such payment for the Underwritten Shares is referred to herein as the “Closing Date”, and the time and date for such payment for the Option Shares, if other than the Closing Date, is herein referred to as the “Additional Closing Date”.
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Payment for the Shares to be purchased on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall be made against delivery to the Representatives for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters of the Shares to be purchased on such date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the sale of such Shares duly paid by the Selling Stockholder. Delivery of the Shares shall be made through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company unless the Representatives shall otherwise instruct.
(d) Each of the Company and the Selling Stockholder acknowledges and agrees that the Representatives and the other Underwriters are acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length contractual counterparty to the Company and the Selling Stockholder with respect to the offering of Shares contemplated hereby (including in connection with determining the terms of the offering) and not as a financial advisor or a fiduciary to, or an agent of, the Company, the Selling Stockholder or any other person with respect to this offering. Additionally, neither any of the Representatives nor any other Underwriter is advising the Company, the Selling Stockholder or any other person as to any legal, tax, investment, accounting or regulatory matters in any jurisdiction. The Company and the Selling Stockholder shall consult with their own advisors concerning such matters and each shall be responsible for making its own independent investigation and appraisal of the transactions contemplated hereby, and neither the Representatives nor any other Underwriter shall have any responsibility or liability to the Company or the Selling Stockholder with respect thereto. Any review by the Representatives and the other Underwriters of the Company, the transactions contemplated hereby or other matters relating to such transactions will be performed solely for the benefit of the Representatives and the other Underwriters and shall not be on behalf of the Company or the Selling Stockholder. Moreover, the Selling Stockholder acknowledges and agrees that, although the Representatives may be required or choose to provide the Selling Stockholder with certain Regulation Best Interest and Form CRS disclosures in connection with the offering, the Representatives and the other Underwriters are not making a recommendation to the Selling Stockholder to participate in the offering, enter into a “lock-up” agreement, or sell any Shares at the price determined in the offering, and nothing set forth in such disclosures is intended to suggest that the Representatives or any Underwriter is making such a recommendation.
3. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to each Underwriter and the Selling Stockholder that:
(a) Preliminary Prospectus. No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and each Preliminary Prospectus included in the Pricing Disclosure Package, at the time of filing thereof, complied in all material respects with the Securities Act, and no Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation or warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information (as defined herein).
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(b) Pricing Disclosure Package. The Pricing Disclosure Package as of the Applicable Time did not, and as of the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or 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; provided that the Company makes no representation or warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information. No statement of material fact included in the Prospectus has been omitted from the Pricing Disclosure Package and, other than the information set forth on Annex A(b) hereto, no statement of material fact included in the Pricing Disclosure Package that is required to be included in the Prospectus has been omitted therefrom.
(c) Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. Other than the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company (including its agents and representatives, other than the Underwriters in their capacity as such) has not prepared, made, used, authorized, approved or referred to and will not prepare, make, use, authorize, approve or refer to any “written communication” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) that constitutes an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy the Shares (each such communication by the Company or its agents and representatives (other than a communication referred to in clause (i) below) an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”) other than (i) any document not constituting a prospectus pursuant to Section 2(a)(10)(a) of the Securities Act or Rule 134 under the Securities Act or (ii) the documents listed on Annex A hereto, each electronic road show (including the investor presentation dated June 2023) and any other written communications approved in writing in advance by the Representatives. Each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus complies in all material respects with the Securities Act, has been or will be (within the time period specified in Rule 433) filed in accordance with the Securities Act (to the extent required thereby) and does not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Pricing Disclosure Package, and, when taken together with the Preliminary Prospectus accompanying, or delivered prior to delivery of, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, did not, and as of the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or 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; provided that the Company makes no representation or warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or Preliminary Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.
(d) Emerging Growth Company. From the time of initial confidential submission of the Registration Statement to the Commission (or, if earlier, the first date on which the Company engaged directly or through any person authorized to act on its behalf in any Testing-the-Waters Communication undertaken in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Securities Act) through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act (an “Emerging Growth Company”). “Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any oral or written communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on either Section 5(d) of, or Rule 163B under, the Securities Act.
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(e) Testing-the-Waters Materials. The Company (i) has not alone engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communications other than Testing-the-Waters Communications with the consent of the Representatives (x) with entities that are qualified institutional buyers (“QIBs”) within the meaning of Rule 144A under the Securities Act or institutions that are accredited investors within the meaning of Rule 501(a)(1), (a)(2), (a)(3), (a)(7) or (a)(8) under the Securities Act (“IAIs”) and otherwise in compliance with the requirements of Section 5(d) of the Securities Act or (y) with entities that the Company reasonably believed to be QIBs or IAIs and otherwise in compliance with the requirements of Rule 163B under the Securities Act and (ii) has not authorized anyone other than the Representatives to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company reconfirms that the Representatives have been authorized to act on its behalf in undertaking Testing-the-Waters Communications by virtue of a writing substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto. The Company has not distributed or approved for distribution any Written Testing-the-Waters Communications other than those listed on Annex B hereto. “Written Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any Testing-the-Waters Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act. Any individual Written Testing-the-Waters Communication does not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Pricing Disclosure Package, complied in all material respects with the Securities Act, and when taken together with the Pricing Disclosure Package as of the Applicable Time, did not, and as of the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or 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.
(f) Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Registration Statement has been declared effective by the Commission. No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued by the Commission, and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act against the Company or related to the offering of the Shares has been initiated or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission; as of the applicable effective date of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, the Registration Statement and any such post-effective amendment complied and will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act, and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading; and as of the date of the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto and as of the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, the Prospectus will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or 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; provided that the Company makes no representation or warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.
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(g) Financial Statements. The combined financial statements (including the related notes thereto) of the Company included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and present fairly in all material respects the financial position of the Company as of the dates indicated and the results of their operations and the changes in their cash flows for the periods specified; such combined financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) in the United States applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered thereby, and any supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement present fairly in all material respects the information required to be stated therein; the other financial information included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus has been derived from the accounting records of Sphere Entertainment Co. under the carve-out principles and presents fairly in all material respects the information shown thereby; all disclosures included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of Commission) comply in all material respects with Regulation G of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and Item 10 of Regulation S-K of the Securities Act, to the extent applicable; and the pro forma condensed combined financial information and the related notes thereto included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus have been prepared in accordance with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the assumptions underlying such pro forma condensed combined financial information are reasonable and, to the extent material to such pro forma condensed combined financial information, are set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(h) No Material Adverse Change. Since the date of the most recent combined financial statements of the Company included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except in connection with the distribution by Sphere Entertainment Co. of approximately 67% of the issued and outstanding shares of the common stock of the Company on April 20, 2023 (the “Distribution”), or in each case as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (i) there has not been any change in the capital stock (other than the issuance of shares of Common Stock upon exercise of stock options and warrants or upon the vesting of restricted stock units, and the grant of options and awards, in each case, under existing equity incentive plans described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus), long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, set aside for payment, paid or made by the Company on any class of capital stock, or any material adverse change, or any development that would reasonably be expected to result in a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the business, properties, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; (ii) other than in the ordinary course of business, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has entered into any transaction or agreement that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; and (iii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained any loss or interference with its business that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole and that is either from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor disturbance or dispute or any action, order or decree of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority.
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(i) Organization and Good Standing. The Company and each of its significant subsidiaries as determined in accordance with the definition in Rule 1-02(w) of Article 1 of Regulation S-X promulgated by the Commission (“Significant Subsidiaries”) have been duly organized and are validly existing and in good standing under the laws of their respective jurisdictions of organization, are duly qualified to do business and are in good standing in each jurisdiction in which their respective ownership or lease of property or the conduct of their respective businesses requires such qualification, and have all power and authority necessary to own or hold their respective properties and to conduct the businesses in which they are engaged, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing or have such power or authority would not, individually or in the aggregate, have, or reasonably be expected to have, a prospective material adverse effect on the business, properties, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity, or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or on the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement (a “Material Adverse Effect”). The Company does not, directly or indirectly, have any subsidiaries other than the subsidiaries listed in Exhibit 21 to the Registration Statement.
(j) Capitalization. Based on the assumptions set forth therein, after giving effect to the Share Repurchase, the Company will have an authorized capitalization in all material respects on a pro forma basis as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the heading “Capitalization”; all the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company (including the Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholder) have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable and are not subject to any pre-emptive or similar rights; except as described in or expressly contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or, with respect to the Significant Subsidiaries, except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, there are no outstanding rights (including, without limitation, pre-emptive rights), warrants or options to acquire, or instruments convertible into or exchangeable for, any shares of capital stock or other equity interest in the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries, or any contract, commitment, agreement, understanding or arrangement of any kind relating to the issuance of any capital stock of the Company or any such Significant Subsidiary, any such convertible or exchangeable securities or any such rights, warrants or options; the capital stock of the Company conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and all the outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity interests of each Significant Subsidiary owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of any lien, charge, encumbrance, security interest, restriction on voting or transfer or any other claim of any third party, except for (i) those that would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect, (ii) those under the (A) the Credit Agreement (as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time), dated as of June 30, 2022, among MSG National Properties, LLC, the Selling Stockholder and certain subsidiaries of MSG National Properties, LLC, as guarantors, the lenders and L/C issuers party thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent and (B) the Security Agreement (as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time), dated as of June 30, 2022, among MSG National Properties, LLC, and the other grantors referred to therein, as grantors, and ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ Bank, N.A., as administrative agent (collectively, the “MSG National Properties Loan Documents”) or (iii) those restrictions pursuant to any rules of and any agreements or understandings with the National Basketball Association.
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(k) Stock Options. With respect to the stock options (the “Stock Options”) granted pursuant to the stock-based compensation plans of the Company and its subsidiaries (the “Company Stock Plans”), (i) each Stock Option intended to qualify as an “incentive stock option” under Section 422 of the Code (as defined below) so qualifies, (ii) each grant of a Stock Option was duly authorized no later than the date on which the grant of such Stock Option was by its terms to be effective by all necessary corporate action, including, as applicable, approval by the board of directors of the Company (or a duly constituted and authorized committee thereof) and any required stockholder approval by the necessary number of votes or written consents, (iii) each such grant was made in compliance in all material respects with the terms of the Company Stock Plans, the Exchange Act and all other applicable laws and regulatory rules or requirements, including the rules of the New York Stock Exchange (the “Exchange”) and any other exchange on which Company securities are traded, and (iv) each such grant was properly accounted for in accordance with GAAP in the combined financial statements (including the related notes) of the Company and disclosed in the Company’s filings with the Commission in accordance with the Exchange Act and all other applicable laws. The Company has not knowingly granted, and there is no and has been no policy or practice of the Company of granting, Stock Options prior to, or otherwise coordinating the grant of Stock Options with, the release or other public announcement of material information regarding the Company or its subsidiaries or their results of operations with the intention of providing for spring-loading with respect to the value of such Stock Options.
(l) Due Authorization. The Company has full right, power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and to perform its obligations hereunder; and all action required to be taken for the due and proper authorization, execution and delivery by it of this Agreement and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby has been duly and validly taken.
(m) Underwriting Agreement and Share Repurchase Agreement. (i) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and (ii) the Share Repurchase Agreement has been duly authorized pursuant to the Company’s existing share repurchase program and has been duly executed and delivered by the Company.
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(n) Descriptions of the Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(o) No Violation or Default. Neither the Company nor any of its Significant Subsidiaries is (i) in violation of its charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents; (ii) in default, and no event has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a default, in the due performance or observance of any term, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries is bound or to which any property or asset of the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries is subject; or (iii) in violation of any applicable law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries, except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, for any such default or violation that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(p) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (including the Share Repurchase), the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, result in the termination, modification or acceleration of, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property, right or asset of the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries is bound or to which any property, right or asset of the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries is subject, (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws of the Company, (iii) result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents of any of the Company’s Significant Subsidiaries or (iv) result in the violation of any applicable law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority having jurisdiction over the Company, except, in the case of clauses (i), (iii) and (iv) above, for any such conflict, breach, violation, default, lien, charge or encumbrance that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(q) No Consents Required. No consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority is required for the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, the sale of the Shares and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including the Share Repurchase, except for (i) the registration of the Shares under the Securities Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders and registrations or qualifications as may be required by FINRA and under applicable state securities laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares by the Underwriters, (ii) as will have been obtained or made on or prior to the Closing Date, and (iii) for such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, licenses, registrations or qualifications the failure of which to obtain would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
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(r) Legal Proceedings. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no legal, governmental or regulatory investigations, actions, demands, claims, suits, arbitrations, inquiries or proceedings (“Actions”) pending to which the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries is, or to the knowledge of the Company, may be a party or to which any property of the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries is or, to the knowledge of the Company, may be the subject that, individually or in the aggregate, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; to the knowledge of the Company, no such Actions are threatened or contemplated by any governmental or regulatory authority or threatened by others; and (i) there are no current or pending Actions that are required under the Securities Act to be described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that are not so described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and (ii) there are no contracts or other documents that are required under the Securities Act to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that are not so filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(s) Independent Accountants. Each of Deloitte and Touche LLP and KPMG LLP, who have issued unqualified audit opinions on the combined financial statements of the Company, is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company within the applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Commission and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) and as required by the Securities Act.
(t) Title to Real and Personal Property. The Company and its Significant Subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to, or have valid rights to lease or otherwise use, all items of real and personal property that are material to the respective businesses of the Company and its Significant Subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, claims and defects and imperfections of title except (i) those that do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its subsidiaries, (ii) those that would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect or (iii) those under the MSG National Properties Loan Documents.
(u) Intellectual Property. Except as would not be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (i) the Company and its Significant Subsidiaries own or have the right to use all patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, trade names, trademark registrations, service mark registrations, domain names and other source indicators, copyrights and copyrightable works, know-how, trade secrets, systems, procedures, proprietary or confidential information and all other worldwide intellectual property, industrial property and proprietary rights (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) used in the conduct of their respective businesses; (ii) the Company’s and its Significant Subsidiaries’ conduct of their respective businesses does not infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any Intellectual Property of any person; (iii) the Company and its Significant Subsidiaries have not received any notice of any claim relating to Intellectual Property; and (iv) to the knowledge of the Company, the Intellectual Property of the Company and its Significant Subsidiaries is not being infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated by any person.
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(v) No Undisclosed Relationships. No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders, customers, suppliers or other affiliates of the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries, on the other, that is required by the Securities Act to be described in each of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and that is not so described in such documents and in the Pricing Disclosure Package.
(w) Investment Company Act. The Company is not required to register as an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
(x) Taxes. The Company and its Significant Subsidiaries have paid all federal, state, local and foreign taxes and filed all tax returns required to be paid or filed through the date hereof, except for those tax returns the failure to file which does not and would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect and other than taxes being contested in good faith and for which adequate reserves have been provided in accordance with GAAP or those taxes the failure to pay which does not and would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect; and except as otherwise disclosed in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there is no tax deficiency that has been, or would reasonably be expected to be, asserted against the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries or any of their respective properties or assets, except for those as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(y) Licenses and Permits. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or as would not be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (i) the Company and its Significant Subsidiaries possess all licenses, sub-licenses, certificates, permits and other authorizations issued by, and have made all declarations and filings with, the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory authorities that are necessary for the ownership or lease of their respective properties or the conduct of their respective businesses as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus and (ii) neither the Company nor any of its Significant Subsidiaries has received written notice of any revocation or modification of any such license, sub-license, certificate, permit or authorization or has any reason to believe that any such license, sub-license, certificate, permit or authorization will not be renewed.
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(z) No Labor Disputes. Except, in each case, as would not have a Material Adverse Effect, (i) no labor disturbance by or dispute with employees of the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is contemplated or threatened, (ii) the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by, or dispute with, the employees of any of its or its Significant Subsidiaries’ principal suppliers, contractors or customers, and (iii) neither the Company nor any of its Significant Subsidiaries has received any notice of cancellation or termination with respect to any collective bargaining agreement to which it is a party.
(aa) Certain Environmental Matters. Except for any such matter as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (i) the Company and its Significant Subsidiaries (x) are in compliance with all, and have not violated any, applicable federal, state, local and foreign laws (including common law), rules, regulations, requirements, decisions, judgments, decrees, orders and other legally enforceable requirements relating to pollution or the protection of human health or safety, the environment, natural resources, hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (collectively, “Environmental Laws”); (y) have received and are in compliance with all, and have not violated any, permits, licenses, certificates or other authorizations or approvals required of them under any Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses; and (z) have not received notice of any actual or potential liability or obligation under or relating to, or any actual or potential violation of, any Environmental Laws, including for the investigation or remediation of any disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, and have no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in any such notice; (ii) there are no costs or liabilities associated with Environmental Laws of or relating to the Company or its Significant Subsidiaries. Except as described in each of the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there is no proceeding that is required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 103(c)(3) of Regulation S-K promulgated by the Commission or any matter relating to Environmental Laws that is required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 101(c)(2)(i) of Regulation S-K promulgated by the Commission.
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(bb) Compliance with ERISA. Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (i) each employee benefit plan, within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), maintained for employees of the Company or of any member of its “Controlled Group” (defined as any trade or business, whether or not incorporated, that is under common control with the Company within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(14) of ERISA or any entity that would be regarded as a single employer with the Company under Section 414(b) and (c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) (and Sections 414(m) and (o) of the Code for purposes of provisions relating to Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA)), or any such plan to which the Company or any member of its Controlled Group is required to contribute on behalf of any of its employees or with respect to which the Company has any liability (each, a “Plan”) has been maintained in compliance with its terms and the requirements of applicable provisions of ERISA, the Code and other federal or state laws; (ii) no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred with respect to any Plan, excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption; (iii) no Plan that is an employee pension benefit plan (excluding “multiemployer plans” within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA) that is maintained or is contributed to by the Company or a member of its Controlled Group and is either covered by Title IV of ERISA or is subject to the minimum funding standards under Section 412 of the Code (each, a “Pension Plan”) has failed (whether or not waived), or is reasonably expected to fail, to satisfy the minimum funding standards (within the meaning of Section 302 of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code) applicable to such Pension Plan; (iv) no Pension Plan is, or is reasonably expected to be, in “at risk status” (within the meaning of Section 303(i) of ERISA) and no Plan that is a “multiemployer plan” within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA is in “endangered status” or “critical status” (within the meaning of Section 305 of ERISA) (v) the present value of all benefits accrued under each Pension Plan did not, as of the last annual valuation date prior to the date on which this representation is made or deemed made, exceed the fair market value of the assets of each Pension Plan (determined based on those assumptions used to fund such Pension Plan); (vi) no “reportable event,” as defined in Section 4043(c) of ERISA, other than events for which the 30-day notice period has been waived, has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur; (vii) each Plan that is intended to be a qualified plan under Section 401(a) of the Code has received a favorable determination letter from the IRS to the effect that the form of such Plan is qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code and the trust related thereto has been determined by the IRS to be exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(a) of the Code, or an application for such a letter is currently being processed by the IRS, and nothing has occurred with respect to the operation of any such Plan that would prevent or cause the loss of such tax-qualified status or exemption; and (viii) neither the Company nor any member of the Controlled Group has incurred, nor reasonably expects to incur, any liability under Title IV of ERISA (other than contributions to the Plan or premiums to the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation, in the ordinary course and without default) in respect of a Plan (including a “multiemployer plan” within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA).
(cc) Disclosure Controls. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain an effective system of “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act) that complies with the requirements of the Exchange Act in all material respects and that has been designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, including controls and procedures designed to ensure that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. The Company and its subsidiaries have carried out evaluations of the effectiveness of their disclosure controls and procedures as required by Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act.
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(dd) Accounting Controls. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain systems of “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no material weaknesses in the Company’s internal controls. The Company’s auditors and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company have been advised of: (i) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting which have adversely affected or are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting; and (iii) interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and is prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.
(ee) eXtensible Business Reporting Language. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included in the Registration Statement fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.
(ff) Cybersecurity; Data Protection. Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (i) the Company and its subsidiaries’ information technology assets and equipment, computers, systems, networks, hardware, software, websites, applications, and databases (collectively, “IT Systems”) are adequate for, and operate and perform as required in connection with the operation of the business of the Company and its subsidiaries as currently conducted, free and clear of all bugs, errors, defects, Trojan horses, time bombs, malware and other corruptants, (ii) the Company and its subsidiaries have implemented and maintained commercially reasonable controls, policies, procedures, and safeguards to maintain and protect their confidential information and the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems and data (including all personal, personally identifiable, sensitive, confidential or regulated data (“Personal Data”)) used in connection with their businesses, and there have been no breaches, violations, outages or unauthorized uses of or accesses to same, and (iii) the Company and its subsidiaries are presently in compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Personal Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Personal Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification.
(gg) Insurance. The Company and its subsidiaries have insurance covering their respective properties, operations, personnel and businesses material to their operations, including business interruption insurance, which insurance is in amounts and insures against such losses and risks as the Company reasonably believes are adequate and customary for their business; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has (i) since the date of the Distribution, received notice from any insurer or agent of such insurer that capital improvements or other expenditures are required or necessary to be made in order to continue such insurance or (ii) any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage as may be necessary or appropriate to continue its business as now conducted and at a cost that would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
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(hh) No Unlawful Payments. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or controlled affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, in each case acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, has (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made or taken an act in furtherance of an offer, promise or authorization of any direct or indirect unlawful payment or benefit to any foreign or domestic government official or employee, including of any government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or any applicable law or regulation implementing the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, or committed an offence under the Bribery Act 2010 of the United Kingdom or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption law; or (iv) made, offered, agreed, requested or taken an act in furtherance of any unlawful bribe or other unlawful benefit, including, without limitation, any unlawful rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful or improper payment or benefit. The Company and its subsidiaries have instituted, maintain and enforce, and will continue to maintain and enforce, policies and procedures designed to promote and ensure compliance with all applicable anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws.
(ii) Compliance with Anti-Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in material compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including those of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the applicable money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions where the Company or any of its subsidiaries conducts business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines applicable to the Company and its subsidiaries that are issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Anti-Money Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(jj) No Conflicts with Sanctions Laws. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or controlled affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, in each case acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, is currently the subject or the target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. government (including, without limitation, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury or the U.S. Department of State and including, without limitation, the designation as a “specially designated national” or “blocked person”), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, His Majesty’s Treasury or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor is the Company or any of its subsidiaries located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject or target of Sanctions, including, without limitation, Crimea, the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, Kherson, the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic, and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Syria (each, a “Sanctioned Country”). For the past five years, the Company and its subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in, and are not now knowingly engaged in, any dealings or transactions with any person that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject or the target of Sanctions or with any Sanctioned Country.
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(kk) No Restrictions on Subsidiaries. Except (i) as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (ii) as restricted under the MSG National Properties Loan Documents and (iii) as restricted by any rules of and any agreements or understandings with the National Basketball Association, no subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, under any agreement or other instrument to which it is a party or is subject, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s capital stock or similar ownership interest, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s properties or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company.
(ll) No Broker’s Fees. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any person (other than this Agreement) that would give rise to a valid claim against any of them or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares.
(mm) No Registration Rights. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no person has the right to require the Company or any of its subsidiaries to register any securities for sale under the Securities Act by reason of the filing of the Registration Statement with the Commission or, to the knowledge of the Company, the sale of the Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholder hereunder.
(nn) No Stabilization. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries or controlled affiliates has taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares.
(oo) Statistical and Market Data. Nothing has come to the attention of the Company that has caused the Company to believe that the statistical and market-related data included in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus is not based on or derived from sources that are reliable and accurate in all material respects.
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(pp) Forward-Looking Statements. No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) included in any of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.
(qq) ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or, to the knowledge of the Company, any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply in all material respects with any provision of the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act of 2002, as amended and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith, including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.
(rr) Status under the Securities Act. At the time of filing the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or any offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) under the Securities Act) of the Shares and at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
(ss) No Ratings. There are (and prior to the Closing Date, will be) no debt securities, convertible securities or preferred stock issued or guaranteed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries that are rated by a “nationally recognized statistical rating organization”, as such term is defined in Section 3(a)(62) under the Exchange Act.
4. Representations and Warranties of the Selling Stockholder. The Selling Stockholder represents and warrants to each Underwriter and the Company that:
(a) Required Consents; Authority. Except for the release of the Shares from the pledge under the MSG Las Vegas Loan Documents (as defined below), the registration under the Securities Act of the Shares, such consents, approvals, authorizations and orders as may be required under any state securities, blue sky or antifraud laws or FINRA in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares by the Underwriters and such consents, approvals, authorizations or orders as would not adversely affect in any material respect the Selling Stockholder’s ability to perform its obligations hereunder, all consents, approvals, authorizations and orders necessary for the execution and delivery by the Selling Stockholder of this Agreement, and for the sale and delivery of the Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholder hereunder, have been obtained; and the Selling Stockholder has full right, power and authority to enter into this Agreement, and to sell, assign, transfer and deliver the Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholder hereunder; this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Selling Stockholder.
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(b) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Selling Stockholder of this Agreement, the sale of the Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholder and the consummation by the Selling Stockholder of the transactions contemplated herein or therein will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, result in the termination, modification or acceleration of, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property, right or asset of the Selling Stockholder pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Selling Stockholder is a party or by which the Selling Stockholder is bound or to which any of the property, right or asset of the Selling Stockholder is subject, (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents of the Selling Stockholder or (iii) result in the violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory agency having jurisdiction over the Selling Stockholder or the property of the Selling Stockholder, except in the cases of clause (i) and (iii), as would not, individually or in the aggregate, adversely affect in any material respect the Selling Stockholder’s ability to perform its obligations hereunder.
(c) Title to Shares. The Selling Stockholder has good and valid title to the Shares to be sold at the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, by the Selling Stockholder hereunder, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or adverse claims, except those that exist pursuant to (i) the Credit Agreement (as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time), dated as of December 22, 2022, among MSG Las Vegas, LLC, the lenders party thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, as administrative agent, (ii) the Pledge and Security Agreement (as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time), dated as of December 22, 2022, by and between MSG Las Vegas, LLC and JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, as administrative agent, (iii) the Guaranty Agreement (as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time), dated as of December 22, 2022, by the Selling Stockholder in favor of JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, as administrative agent, on behalf of the lenders, (iv) the Pledge Agreement (as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time), dated as of December 22, 2022, by the Selling Stockholder in favor of JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, as administrative agent, on behalf of the lenders, (v) the UCC-1 Financing Statement filed on December 22, 2022, as amended by the UCC-3 Financing Statement filed on April 21, 2023, with the Selling Stockholder as the debtor and JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, as administrative agent, on behalf of the lenders as the secured party, and (vi) the letter agreement, dated as of December 22, 2022, among the National Basketball Association, JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, as administrative agent and as lender, Sphere Entertainment Group, LLC, MSG Arena, LLC and the Company (collectively, (i) through (vi), the “MSG Las Vegas Loan Documents”); the Selling Stockholder will have, immediately prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, good and valid title to the Shares to be sold at the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, by the Selling Stockholder, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or adverse claims; and, upon delivery of the certificates representing such Shares and payment therefor pursuant hereto, good and valid title to such Shares, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or adverse claims, will pass to the several Underwriters.
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(d) No Stabilization. The Selling Stockholder has not taken and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares.
(e) Pricing Disclosure Package. The Pricing Disclosure Package, at the Applicable Time did not, and as of the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or 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; provided that the Selling Stockholder’s representation under this section shall only apply to any untrue statement of a material fact or omission to state a material fact made in reliance upon, and in conformity with, information relating to the Selling Stockholder furnished to the Company in writing by or on behalf of the Selling Stockholder expressly for use in the Pricing Disclosure Package (or any amendment or supplement thereto), it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Selling Stockholder is (i) the name, address and number of shares of Common Stock owned by the Selling Stockholder before and after the offering, and (ii) the other information with respect to the Selling Stockholder that appears in the table (and corresponding footnotes) under the caption “Principal and Selling Stockholders,” in each case, in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or in any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (the “Selling Stockholder Information”).
(f) Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and Written Testing-the-Waters Communication. Other than the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Selling Stockholder (including its agents and representatives, other than the Underwriters in their capacity as such) has not prepared, made, used, authorized, approved or referred to and will not prepare, make, use, authorize, approve or refer to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, other than (i) any document not constituting a prospectus pursuant to Section 2(a)(10)(a) of the Securities Act or Rule 134 under the Securities Act or (ii) the documents listed on Annex A or Annex B hereto, each electronic road show and any other written communications approved in writing in advance by the Company and the Representatives.
(g) Registration Statement and Prospectus. As of the applicable effective date of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, the Registration Statement and any such post-effective amendment complied and will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act, and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading; and as of the date of the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto and as of the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, the Prospectus will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or 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; provided that the Selling Stockholder’s representation under this section shall only apply to any untrue statement of a material fact or omission to state a material fact made in reliance upon, and in conformity with, the Selling Stockholder Information.
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(h) Material Information. As of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, the sale of the Shares by the Selling Stockholder is not and will not be prompted by any material information concerning the Company that is not set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus.
(i) No Unlawful Payments. Neither the Selling Stockholder nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Selling Stockholder, any director, officer, agent, employee or controlled affiliate of the Selling Stockholder or any of its subsidiaries, in each case acting on behalf of the Selling Stockholder or any of its subsidiaries, has (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made or taken an act in furtherance of an offer, promise or authorization of any direct or indirect unlawful payment or benefit to any foreign or domestic government official or employee, including of any government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or any applicable law or regulation implementing the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, or committed an offence under the Bribery Act 2010 of the United Kingdom or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption law; or (iv) made, offered, agreed, requested or taken an act in furtherance of any unlawful bribe or other unlawful benefit, including, without limitation, any unlawful rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful or improper payment or benefit. The Selling Stockholder and its subsidiaries have instituted, maintain and enforce, and will continue to maintain and enforce policies and procedures designed to promote and ensure compliance with all applicable anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws.
(j) Compliance with Anti-Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Selling Stockholder and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in material compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including those of the Anti-Money Laundering Laws, and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Selling Stockholder or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Selling Stockholder, threatened.
(k) No Conflicts with Sanctions Laws. Neither the Selling Stockholder nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Selling Stockholder, any director, officer, agent, employee or controlled affiliate of the Selling Stockholder or any of its subsidiaries, in each case acting on behalf of the Selling Stockholder or any of its subsidiaries, is currently the subject or the target of any Sanctions, nor is the Selling Stockholder or any of its subsidiaries located, organized or resident in a Sanctioned Country; and the Selling Stockholder will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Shares hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity (i) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business with any person that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject or target of Sanctions, (ii) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business in any Sanctioned Country or (iii) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions. For the past five years, the Selling Stockholder and its subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in, are not now knowingly engaged in any dealings or transactions with any person that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject or the target of Sanctions or with any Sanctioned Country.
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(l) Organization and Good Standing. The Selling Stockholder has been duly organized and is validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its respective jurisdictions of organization.
(m) ERISA. The Selling Stockholder is not (i) an “employee benefit plan” as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA and subject to Title I of ERISA, (ii) a “plan,” as defined in and subject to Section 4975 of the Code or (iii) an entity deemed to hold “plan assets” of any such plan or account under 29 C.F.R. 2510.3-101, as modified by Section 3(42) of ERISA.
5. Further Agreements of the Company. The Company covenants and agrees with each Underwriter that:
(a) Required Filings. The Company will file the final Prospectus with the Commission within the time periods specified by Rule 424(b) and Rule 430A, 430B or 430C under the Securities Act, will file any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Securities Act; and the Company will furnish copies of the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (to the extent not previously delivered) to the Underwriters in New York City prior to 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the second business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement in such quantities as the Representatives may reasonably request.
(b) Delivery of Copies. The Company will deliver, without charge, (i) to the Representatives upon request from the Representatives, one signed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto, in each case including all exhibits and consents filed therewith and documents incorporated by reference therein; and (ii) to each Underwriter upon request by such Underwriter (A) a conformed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (without exhibits) and (B) during the Prospectus Delivery Period (as defined below), as many copies of the Prospectus (including all amendments and supplements thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus) as the Representatives may reasonably request. As used herein, the term “Prospectus Delivery Period” means such period of time after the first date of the public offering of the Shares as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters a prospectus relating to the Shares is required by law to be delivered (or required to be delivered but for Rule 172 under the Securities Act) in connection with sales of the Shares by any Underwriter or dealer.
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(c) Amendments or Supplements, Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. Before making, preparing, using, authorizing, approving, referring to or filing any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and before filing any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, the Company will furnish to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters a copy of the proposed Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, amendment or supplement for review and will not make, prepare, use, authorize, approve, refer to or file any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which the Representatives reasonably objects.
(d) Notice to the Representatives and the Selling Stockholder. The Company will advise the Representatives and the Selling Stockholder promptly, and upon request from the Representatives confirm such advice in writing (which advice may be delivered via e-mail), (i) when the Registration Statement has become effective; (ii) when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective; (iii) when any supplement to the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication or any amendment to the Prospectus has been filed or distributed; (iv) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or the receipt of any comments from the Commission relating to the Registration Statement or any other request by the Commission for any additional information including, but not limited to, any request for information concerning any Testing-the-Waters Communication; (v) of the issuance by the Commission or any other governmental or regulatory authority of any order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any of the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication or the initiation or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatening of any proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act; (vi) of the occurrence of any event or development within the Prospectus Delivery Period as a result of which the Prospectus, any of the Pricing Disclosure Package, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package, any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading; and (vii) of the receipt by the Company of any notice with respect to any suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offer and sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; and the Company will use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any of the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication or suspending any such qualification of the Shares and, if any such order is issued, will obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.
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(e) Ongoing Compliance. (1) If during the Prospectus Delivery Period (i) any event or development shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with law, the Company will promptly notify the Underwriters thereof and forthwith prepare and, subject to paragraph (c) above, file with the Commission and furnish to the Underwriters and to such dealers as the Representatives may designate such amendments or supplements to the Prospectus as may be necessary so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus will comply with law and (2) if at any time prior to the Closing Date (i) any event or development shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which the Pricing Disclosure Package as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Pricing Disclosure Package is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend or supplement the Pricing Disclosure Package to comply with law, the Company will promptly notify the Underwriters thereof and forthwith prepare and, subject to paragraph (c) above, file with the Commission (to the extent required) and furnish to the Underwriters and to such dealers as the Representatives may designate, such amendments or supplements to the Pricing Disclosure Package as may be necessary so that the statements in the Pricing Disclosure Package as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Pricing Disclosure Package is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Pricing Disclosure Package will comply with law.
(f) Blue Sky Compliance. The Company will qualify the Shares for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives shall reasonably request and will continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for distribution of the Shares; provided that the Company shall not be required to (i) qualify as a foreign corporation or other entity or as a dealer in securities in any such jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to so qualify, (ii) file any general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction or (iii) subject itself to taxation in any such jurisdiction if it is not otherwise so subject.
(g) Earning Statement. The Company will make generally available to its security holders and the Representatives as soon as practicable an earning statement that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 of the Commission promulgated thereunder covering a period of at least twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company occurring after the “effective date” (as defined in Rule 158) of the Registration Statement; provided that the Company will be deemed to have furnished such statements to its security holders and the Representative to the extent they are filed on the Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval system.
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(h) Clear Market. For a period of 60 days after the date of the Prospectus, the Company will not (i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, or submit to, or file with, the Commission a registration statement under the Securities Act relating to, any shares of Stock or any securities convertible into, redeemable for or exercisable or exchangeable for Stock, or publicly disclose the intention to undertake any of the foregoing, or (ii) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Stock or any such other securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise, without the prior written consent of ▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Securities LLC, other than the Shares to be sold hereunder.
The restrictions described above do not apply to (i) the issuance of shares of Stock or securities convertible into or exercisable for shares of Stock pursuant to the conversion or exchange of convertible or exchangeable securities, the exercise of warrants or options (including through net exercise) or the settlement of restricted stock units (“RSUs”) (including through net settlement), in each case outstanding on the date of this Agreement and described in the Prospectus; (ii) grants of stock options, restricted stock, RSUs, or other equity-based awards and the issuance of shares of Stock or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of Stock (whether upon the exercise of stock options, settlement of RSUs or otherwise) to employees, officers, directors, advisors, or consultants of the Company and its subsidiaries pursuant to the terms of an equity compensation plan in effect as of the Closing Date and described in the Prospectus or any assumed benefit plan pursuant to an acquisition or similar strategic transaction; (iii) the filing of any registration statement on Form S-8 relating to securities granted or to be granted pursuant to any plan in effect on the date of this Agreement and described in the Prospectus or any assumed benefit plan pursuant to an acquisition or similar strategic transaction; or (iv) the issuance of, or entry into an agreement to issue, up to 10% of the outstanding shares of Stock or any Related Securities in connection with one or more mergers, acquisitions of securities, businesses, property or other assets or products, joint ventures, commercial relationships or other strategic corporate transactions or alliances; provided that, in the case of this clause (h)(iv), the transferee of such Stock or any Related Securities agrees to be bound in writing to the restrictions set forth in this Section 5(h). For purposes of the foregoing, “Related Securities” shall mean any options or warrants or other rights to acquire Stock or any securities exchangeable or exercisable for or convertible into Stock, or to acquire other securities or rights ultimately exchangeable or exercisable for, or convertible into, Stock.
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(i) No Stabilization. Neither the Company nor its subsidiaries or controlled affiliates will take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Stock.
(j) Exchange Listing. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to maintain the listing of the Shares on the Exchange.
(k) Reports. For a period of two years from the date hereof, the Company will furnish to the Representatives, as soon as they are available, copies of all reports or other communications (financial or other) furnished to holders of the Shares, and copies of any reports and financial statements furnished to or filed with the Commission or any national securities exchange or automatic quotation system; provided the Company will be deemed to have furnished such reports and financial statements to the Representatives to the extent they are filed on the Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval system.
(l) Record Retention. The Company will, pursuant to reasonable procedures developed in good faith, retain copies of each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not filed with the Commission in accordance with Rule 433 under the Securities Act.
(m) Filings. The Company will file with the Commission such reports as may be required by Rule 463 under the Securities Act.
(n) Emerging Growth Company. The Company will promptly notify the Representatives if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the later of (i) completion of the distribution of Shares within the meaning of the Securities Act and (ii) completion of the 60-day restricted period referred to in Section 5(h) hereof.
6. Further Agreements of the Selling Stockholder. The Selling Stockholder severally covenants and agrees with each Underwriter that:
(a) No Stabilization. It will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Stock.
(b) Tax Form. It will deliver to the Representatives prior to or at the Closing Date a properly completed and executed United States Treasury Department Form W-9 (or other applicable form or statement specified by the Treasury Department regulations in lieu thereof) in order to facilitate the Underwriters’ documentation of their compliance with the reporting and withholding provisions of the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 with respect to the transactions herein contemplated.
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(c) Use of Proceeds. It will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Shares hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to a subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity (i) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business with any person that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject of target of Sanctions, (ii) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business in any Sanctioned Country or (iii) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions.
7. Certain Agreements of the Underwriters. Each Underwriter hereby severally represents and agrees that:
(a) It has not and will not use, authorize use of, refer to, or participate in the planning for use of, any “free writing prospectus”, as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act (which term includes use of any written information furnished to the Commission by the Company and not incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and any press release issued by the Company) other than (i) a free writing prospectus that contains no “issuer information” (as defined in Rule 433(h)(2) under the Securities Act) that was not included (including through incorporation by reference) in the Preliminary Prospectus or a previously filed Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, (ii) any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus listed on Annex A or prepared pursuant to Section 3(c) or Section 4(c) above (including any electronic road show), or (iii) any free writing prospectus prepared by such underwriter and approved by the Company in advance in writing (each such free writing prospectus referred to in clauses (i) or (iii), an “Underwriter Free Writing Prospectus”).
(b) It has not and will not, without the prior written consent of the Company, use any free writing prospectus that contains the final terms of the Shares unless such terms have previously been included in a free writing prospectus filed with the Commission.
(c) It is not subject to any pending proceeding under Section 8A of the Securities Act with respect to the offering (and will promptly notify the Company and the Selling Stockholder if any such proceeding against it is initiated during the Prospectus Delivery Period).
8. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligation of each Underwriter to purchase the Underwritten Shares on the Closing Date or the Option Shares on the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, as provided herein is subject to the performance by the Company and the Selling Stockholder of their respective covenants and other obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:
(a) Registration Compliance; No Stop Order. No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be in effect, and no proceeding for such purpose or pursuant to Section 8A under the Securities Act shall be pending before or threatened by the Commission; the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been timely filed with the Commission under the Securities Act (in the case of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Securities Act) and in accordance with Section 5(a) hereof; and all requests by the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Representatives.
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(b) Representations and Warranties. The respective representations and warranties of the Company and the Selling Stockholder contained herein shall be true and correct on the date hereof and on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be; and the statements of the Company and its officers and the Selling Stockholder and its officers made in any certificates delivered pursuant to this Agreement shall be true and correct on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.
(c) No Material Adverse Change. No event or condition of a type described in Section 3(h) hereof shall have occurred or shall exist, which event or condition is not described in the Pricing Disclosure Package (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) and the Prospectus (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) and the effect of which in the judgment of the Representatives makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Shares on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(d) Officer’s Certificate. The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, (x) a certificate of the chief financial officer or chief accounting officer of the Company and one additional senior executive officer of the Company (i) confirming that such officers have carefully reviewed the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and, to the knowledge of such officers, the representations of the Company set forth in Sections 3(b) and 3(d) hereof are true and correct, (ii) confirming that the other representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct and that the Company has complied in all material respects with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and (iii) to the effect set forth in paragraphs (a) and (c) above and (y) a certificate of the Selling Stockholder, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, (A) confirming that the representations of the Selling Stockholder set forth in Sections 4(e), 4(f) and 4(g) hereof are true and correct and (B) confirming that the other representations and warranties of the Selling Stockholder in this Agreement are true and correct in all material respects and that the Selling Stockholder has complied in all material respects with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such Closing Date.
(e) Comfort Letters and Chief Financial Officer’s Certificate. (i) On the date of this Agreement and on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, each of Deloitte and Touche LLP and KPMG LLP shall have furnished to the Representatives, at the request of the Company, letters, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, containing statements and information of the type customarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the combined financial statements and certain financial information contained in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; provided, that the letter delivered on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall use a “cut-off” date no more than three business days prior to such Closing Date or such Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.
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(ii) On the date of this Agreement and on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives a certificate, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof and addressed to the Underwriters, of its chief financial officer with respect to certain financial data contained in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, providing “management comfort” with respect to such information, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.
(f) Opinion and Disclosure Letter of Counsel for the Company. (i) ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to the Representatives, at the request of the Company, their written opinion and disclosure letter, dated the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and addressed to the Underwriters, to the effect set forth in Annex C-1 hereto; and (ii) ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, General Counsel of the Company, shall have furnished to the Representatives, at the request of the Company, his written opinion, dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Underwriters, to the effect set forth in Annex C-2.
(g) Opinion of Counsel for the Selling Stockholder. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, counsel for the Selling Stockholder, shall have furnished to the Representatives, at the request of the Selling Stockholder, their written opinion, dated the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and addressed to the Underwriters, to the effect set forth in Annex C-3.
(h) Opinion and 10b-5 Statement of Counsel for the Underwriters. The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, an opinion and 10b-5 statement, addressed to the Underwriters, of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, with respect to such matters as the Representatives may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received such documents and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.
(i) No Legal Impediment to Sale. No action shall have been taken and no statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any federal, state or foreign governmental or regulatory authority that would, as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, prevent the sale of the Shares; and no injunction or order of any federal, state or foreign court shall have been issued that would, as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, prevent the sale of the Shares.
(j) Good Standing. The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, reasonably satisfactory evidence of the good standing of the Company in the State of Delaware, in each case in writing or any standard form of telecommunication from the appropriate governmental authorities of such jurisdictions.
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(k) Exchange Listing. The Shares to be delivered on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall have been duly listed on the Exchange.
(l) Lock-up Agreements. The “lock-up” agreements, each substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, between you and the Selling Stockholder and the officers and directors of the Company listed on Schedule 3 hereto relating to sales and certain other dispositions of shares of Stock or certain other securities, delivered to you on or before the date hereof, shall be in full force and effect on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.
(m) Additional Documents. On or prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, the Company and the Selling Stockholder shall have furnished to the Representatives such further certificates and documents as the Representatives may reasonably request.
All opinions, letters, certificates and evidence mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall be deemed to be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters.
9. Indemnification and Contribution.
(a) Indemnification of the Underwriters by the Company. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, reasonable and documented legal fees and other expenses incurred in connection with any suit, action or proceeding or any claim asserted, as such fees and expenses are incurred), joint or several, that arise out of, or are based upon, (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, not misleading, or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, any road show as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act (a “road show”) or any Pricing Disclosure Package (including any Pricing Disclosure Package that has subsequently been amended), or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, in each case except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in paragraph (c) below.
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The Company also agrees to indemnify and hold harmless, BofA Securities, Inc., its affiliates, directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls BofA Securities, Inc. within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities incurred as a result of BofA Securities, Inc.’s participation as a “qualified independent underwriter” within the meaning of FINRA Rule 5121 in connection with the offering of the Shares.
(b) Indemnification of the Underwriters by the Selling Stockholder. The Selling Stockholder hereunder agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act to the same extent as the indemnity set forth in paragraph (a) above; provided, however, that the Selling Stockholder’s agreement to indemnify and hold harmless hereunder shall only apply insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with the Selling Stockholder Information. The liability of the Selling Stockholder under this Section 9(b) shall be limited to an amount equal to the aggregate gross proceeds (after underwriting discounts and commissions but before deducting other expenses) received by the Selling Stockholder.
The Selling Stockholder also agrees to indemnify and hold harmless BofA Securities, Inc., its affiliates, directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls BofA Securities, Inc. within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities incurred as a result of BofA Securities, Inc.’s participation as a “qualified independent underwriter” within the meaning of FINRA Rule 5121 in connection with the offering of the Shares.
(c) Indemnification of the Company and the Selling Stockholder. Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act and the Selling Stockholder to the same extent as the indemnity set forth in paragraph (a) above, but only with respect to any losses, claims, damages or liabilities that arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, any road show or any Pricing Disclosure Package (including any Pricing Disclosure Package that has subsequently been amended), it being understood and agreed upon that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the following information in the Prospectus furnished on behalf of each Underwriter: the concession and reallowance figures appearing in the third paragraph under the caption “Underwriting (Conflicts of Interest)” and the information contained in the fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth paragraphs under the caption “Underwriting (Conflicts of Interest)” (the “Underwriter Information”).
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(d) Notice and Procedures. If any suit, action, proceeding (including any governmental or regulatory investigation), claim or demand shall be brought or asserted against any person in respect of which indemnification may be sought pursuant to the preceding paragraphs of this Section 9, such person (the “Indemnified Person”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnification may be sought (the “Indemnifying Person”) in writing; provided that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have under the preceding paragraphs of this Section 9 except to the extent that it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) by such failure; and provided, further, that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have to an Indemnified Person otherwise than under the preceding paragraphs of this Section 9. If any such proceeding shall be brought or asserted against an Indemnified Person and it shall have notified the Indemnifying Person thereof, the Indemnifying Person shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person (who shall not, without the consent of the Indemnified Person, be counsel to the Indemnifying Person) to represent the Indemnified Person and any others entitled to indemnification pursuant to this Section 9 that the Indemnifying Person may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the reasonable and documented fees and expenses in such proceeding and shall pay the reasonable and documented fees and expenses of such counsel related to such proceeding, as incurred. In any such proceeding, any Indemnified Person shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Person unless (i) the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person shall have mutually agreed to the contrary; (ii) the Indemnifying Person has failed within a reasonable time to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person; (iii) the Indemnified Person shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it that are different from or in addition to those available to the Indemnifying Person; or (iv) the named parties in any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. It is understood and agreed that the Indemnifying Person shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceeding in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any one firm of local counsel in each jurisdiction) for all Indemnified Persons, and that all such fees and expenses shall be paid or reimbursed as they are incurred; provided, however, that if indemnity may be sought pursuant to the second paragraph of Section 9(a) or 9(b) above in respect of such proceeding, then in addition to such separate firm of the Underwriters, their affiliates, directors, officers and such control persons of the Underwriters the indemnifying party shall be liable for the fees and expenses of not more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for BofA Securities, Inc. in its capacity as a “qualified independent underwriter”, its affiliates, directors, officers and all persons, if any, who control BofA Securities, Inc. within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act. Any such separate firm for any Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and any control persons of such Underwriter shall be designated in writing by the Representatives and any such separate firm for the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and any control persons of the Company shall be designated in writing by the Company and any such separate firm for the Selling Stockholder shall be designated in writing by the Selling Stockholder. The Indemnifying Person shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent, the Indemnifying Person agrees to indemnify each Indemnified person from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement. No Indemnifying Person shall, without the written consent of the Indemnified Person, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any Indemnified Person is or could have been a party and indemnification could have been sought hereunder by such Indemnified Person, unless such settlement (x) includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Person, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Person, from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding and (y) does not include any statement as to or any admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any Indemnified Person.
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(e) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in paragraphs (a), (b) or (c) above is unavailable to an Indemnified Person or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each Indemnifying Person under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such Indemnified Person thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Person as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Stockholder, on the one hand, and the Underwriters or BofA Securities, Inc. in its capacity as a “qualified independent underwriter”, as the case may be, on the other, from the offering of the Shares 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) but also the relative fault of the Company and the Selling Stockholder, on the one hand, and the Underwriters or BofA Securities, Inc. in its capacity as a “qualified independent underwriter”, as the case may be, on the other, in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Stockholder, on the one hand, and the Underwriters or BofA Securities, Inc. in its capacity as a “qualified independent underwriter”, as the case may be, on the other, shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds (before deducting expenses) received by the Selling Stockholder from the sale of the Shares and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters in connection therewith, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover of the Prospectus, or the fee to be received by BofA Securities, Inc. in its capacity as a “qualified independent underwriter”, as the case may be, bear to the aggregate offering price of the Shares. The relative fault of the Company and the Selling Stockholder, on the one hand, and the Underwriters or BofA Securities, Inc. in its capacity as a “qualified independent underwriter”, as the case may be, on the other, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company and the Selling Stockholder or by the Underwriters or BofA Securities, Inc. in its capacity as a “qualified independent underwriter”, as the case may be, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
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(f) Limitation on Liability. The Company, the Selling Stockholder and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to paragraph (e) above were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Selling Stockholder or the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in paragraph (e) above. The amount paid or payable by an Indemnified Person as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in paragraph (e) above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses incurred by such Indemnified Person in connection with any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs (e) and (f), (i) in no event shall an Underwriter be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriter with respect to the offering of the Shares exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission and (ii) in no event shall the Selling Stockholder be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the aggregate proceeds (after deducting any underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters but before deducting any expenses of the Company or the Selling Stockholder) from the Shares sold by the Selling Stockholder exceed the amount of any damages that the Selling Stockholder has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant to paragraphs (e) and (f) are several in proportion to their respective purchase obligations hereunder and not joint.
(g) Non-Exclusive Remedies. The remedies provided for in this Section 9 paragraphs (a) through (f) are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any Indemnified Person at law or in equity.
10. Effectiveness of Agreement. This Agreement shall become effective as of the date first written above.
11. Termination. This Agreement may be terminated in the absolute discretion of the Representatives, by notice to the Company and the Selling Stockholder, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and on or prior to the Closing Date or, in the case of the Option Shares, prior to the Additional Closing Date (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on or by any of the Exchange; (ii) trading of any securities issued or guaranteed by the Company shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by federal or New York State authorities; or (iv) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis, either within or outside the United States, that, in the judgment of the Representatives, is material and adverse and makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Shares on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
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12. Defaulting Underwriter.
(a) If, on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, any Underwriter defaults on its obligation to purchase the Shares that it has agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, the non-defaulting Underwriters may in their discretion arrange for the purchase of such Shares by other persons satisfactory to the Company and the Selling Stockholder on the terms contained in this Agreement. If, within 36 hours after any such default by any Underwriter, the non-defaulting Underwriters do not arrange for the purchase of such Shares, then the Company and the Selling Stockholder shall be entitled to a further period of 36 hours within which to procure other persons satisfactory to the non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase such Shares on such terms. If other persons become obligated or agree to purchase the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter, either the non-defaulting Underwriters or the Company and the Selling Stockholder may postpone the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, for up to five full business days in order to effect any changes that in the opinion of counsel for the Company, counsel for the Selling Stockholder or counsel for the Underwriters may be necessary in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or in any other document or arrangement, and the Company agrees to promptly prepare any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus that effects any such changes. As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” includes, for all purposes of this Agreement unless the context otherwise requires, any person not listed in Schedule 1 hereto that, pursuant to this Section 12, purchases Shares that a defaulting Underwriter agreed but failed to purchase.
(b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Stockholder as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate number of Shares that remain unpurchased on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, does not exceed one-eleventh of the aggregate number of Shares to be purchased on such date, then the Company and the Selling Stockholder shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the number of Shares that such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder on such date plus such Underwriter’s pro rata share (based on the number of Shares that such Underwriter agreed to purchase on such date) of the Shares of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made.
(c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Stockholder as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate number of Shares that remain unpurchased on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, exceeds one-eleventh of the aggregate amount of Shares to be purchased on such date, or if the Company and the Selling Stockholder shall not exercise the right described in paragraph (b) above, then this Agreement or, with respect to any Additional Closing Date, the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase Shares on the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall terminate without liability on the part of the non-defaulting Underwriters. Any termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section 12 shall be without liability on the part of the Company, except that the Company and the Selling Stockholder will continue to be liable for the payment of expenses as set forth in Section 13 hereof and except that the provisions of Section 9 hereof shall not terminate and shall remain in effect.
(d) Nothing contained herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter of any liability it may have to the Company, the Selling Stockholder or any non-defaulting Underwriter for damages caused by its default.
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13. Payment of Expenses.
(a) Whether or not the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, the Company will pay or cause to be paid all costs and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder, including without limitation, (i) the costs incident to the sale, preparation and delivery of the Shares and any taxes payable in that connection (to the extent any such taxes have not already been paid by the Selling Stockholder); (ii) the costs incident to the preparation, printing and filing under the Securities Act of the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (including all exhibits, amendments and supplements thereto) and the distribution thereof; (iii) the fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel and independent accountants; (iv) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the registration or qualification and determination of eligibility for investment of the Shares under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives may designate and the preparation, printing and distribution of a Blue Sky Memorandum (including the related reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters), provided that the reimbursement obligation for such fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters does not exceed $10,000; (v) the cost of preparing stock certificates, if any; (vi) the costs and charges of any transfer agent and any registrar; (vii) all reasonable expenses and application fees incurred in connection with any filing with, and clearance of the offering by, FINRA; provided that the reimbursement obligation for any such fees and expenses representing fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters shall be documented and not exceed $25,000; (viii) all expenses incurred by the Company in connection with any “road show” presentation to potential investors; and (ix) all expenses and application fees related to the listing of the Shares on the Exchange. The Selling Stockholder shall pay the underwriting discounts and commissions attributable to the sale of the Shares to the Underwriters, the fees and expenses of the Selling Stockholder’s counsel and the reasonable and documented fees and expenses of BofA Securities, Inc., acting as “qualified independent underwriter” within the meaning of the aforementioned FINRA Rule 5121. The Underwriters will pay all of their other costs and expenses, including the fees of their counsel.
(b) If (i) this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 8 or 11 or (ii) the Selling Stockholder for any reason fails to tender the Shares for delivery to the Underwriters, the Selling Stockholder agrees to reimburse the Underwriters for all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket costs and expenses (including the reasonable and documented fees and expenses of their counsel) reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in connection with this Agreement and the offering contemplated hereby.
14. Persons Entitled to Benefit of Agreement. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers and directors and any controlling persons referred to herein and the affiliates of each Underwriter referred to in Section 9 hereof. Nothing in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any other person any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision contained herein. No purchaser of Shares from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor merely by reason of such purchase.
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15. Survival. The respective indemnities, rights of contribution, representations, warranties and agreements of the Company, the Selling Stockholder and the Underwriters contained in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of the Company, the Selling Stockholder or the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement or any certificate delivered pursuant hereto shall survive the delivery of and payment for the Shares and shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any termination of this Agreement or any investigation made by or on behalf of the Company, the Selling Stockholder or the Underwriters or the directors, officers, controlling persons or affiliates referred to in Section 9 hereof.
16. Certain Defined Terms. For purposes of this Agreement, (a) except where otherwise expressly provided, the term “affiliate” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act; (b) the term “business day” means any day other than a day on which banks are permitted or required to be closed in New York City; and (c) the term “subsidiary” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
17. Compliance with USA Patriot Act. In accordance with the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)), the Underwriters are required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies their respective clients, including the Company and the Selling Stockholder, which information may include the name and address of their respective clients, as well as other information that will allow the Underwriters to properly identify their respective clients.
18. Miscellaneous.
(a) Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted and confirmed by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be given to the Representatives c/o BofA Securities, Inc., One Bryant Park, New York, New York 10036, Attention: Syndicate Department; ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. LLC, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇, Attention: Registration Department; c/o ▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Securities LLC, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ (fax: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇); Attention: Equity Syndicate Desk. Notices to the Company shall be given to it at Two Pennsylvania Plaza New York, NY, 10121; Attention: Chief Financial Officer, with a copy to the General Counsel. Notice to the Selling Stockholder shall be given to it at Two Pennsylvania Plaza New York, NY, 10121; Attention: Chief Financial Officer, with a copy to the Secretary.
(b) Governing Law. This Agreement and any claim, controversy or dispute arising under or related to this Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
(c) Submission to Jurisdiction. Each party hereto hereby submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the U.S. federal and New York state courts in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby. Each party hereto waives any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such suit or proceeding in such courts. Each party hereto agrees that final judgment in any such suit, action or proceeding brought in such court shall be conclusive and binding upon such party and may be enforced in any court to the jurisdiction of which such party is subject by a suit upon such judgment.
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(d) Waiver of Jury Trial. Each of the parties hereto hereby waives any right to trial by jury in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement.
(e) Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes.
(i) In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer from such Underwriter of this Agreement, and any interest and obligation in or under this Agreement, will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement, and any such interest and obligation, were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.
(ii) In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity or a BHC Act Affiliate of such Underwriter becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under this Agreement that may be exercised against such Underwriter are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.
As used in this Section 18(e):
“BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k).
“Covered Entity” means any of the following:
(i) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b);
(ii) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or
(iii) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b).
“Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable.
“U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) Title II of the ▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
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(f) Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in counterparts (which may include counterparts delivered by any standard form of telecommunication), each of which shall be an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. The words “execution,” “signed,” “signature,” “delivery,” and words of like import in or relating to this Agreement or any document to be signed in connection with this Agreement shall be deemed to include electronic signatures, deliveries or the keeping of records in electronic form, each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature, physical delivery thereof or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case may be, and the parties hereto consent to conduct the transactions contemplated hereunder by electronic means.
(g) Amendments or Waivers. No amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement, nor any consent or approval to any departure therefrom, shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the parties hereto.
(h) Headings. The headings herein are included for convenience of reference only and are not intended to be part of, or to affect the meaning or interpretation of, this Agreement.
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please indicate your acceptance of this Agreement by signing in the space provided below.
[Signature pages follow]
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| Very truly yours, | ||||
| MADISON SQUARE GARDEN ENTERTAINMENT CORP. | ||||
| By: | /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇’▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ | |||
| Name: | ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇’▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ | |||
| Title: | Executive Vice President and Treasurer | |||
| SPHERE ENTERTAINMENT GROUP, LLC | ||||
| By: | /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ | |||
| Name: | ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ | |||
| Title: | Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer | |||
[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]
| Accepted: As of the date first written above | ||
| BOFA SECURITIES, INC. | ||
| ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & CO. LLC | ||
| ▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ SECURITIES LLC | ||
| For themselves and on behalf of the several Underwriters listed in Schedule 1 hereto. | ||
| BOFA SECURITIES, INC. | ||
| By | /s/ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ | |
| Authorized Signatory | ||
| ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & CO. LLC | ||
| By | /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ | |
| Authorized Signatory | ||
| ▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ SECURITIES LLC | ||
| By | /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ | |
| Authorized Signatory | ||
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Schedule 1
| Underwriter | Number of Shares | |||
| BofA Securities, Inc. |
1,750,000 | |||
| ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. LLC |
1,750,000 | |||
| ▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Securities LLC |
1,750,000 | |||
|
|
|
|||
| Total |
5,250,000 | |||
|
|
|
|||
Schedule 2
| Selling Stockholder | Number of Underwritten Shares: |
Number of Option Shares: | ||
| Sphere Entertainment Group, LLC |
5,250,000 | 787,500 |
Schedule 3
List of Persons and Entities Subject to Lock-Up
| 1. | Sphere Entertainment Group, LLC |
| 2. | ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ |
| 3. | ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ |
| 4. | ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ |
| 5. | ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇ |
| 6. | ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇ |
| 7. | ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇ |
| 8. | ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ |
| 9. | ▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇ |
| 10. | ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇ |
| 11. | ▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇ |
| 12. | ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇ |
| 13. | ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ |
| 14. | ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ |
| 15. | ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ |
| 16. | ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇’▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ |
| 17. | ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ |
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Annex A
| a. | Free Writing Prospectuses |
Free Writing Prospectus relating to Launch Press Release, dated June 20, 2023
Free Writing Prospectus relating to Pricing Press Release, dated June 22, 2023
| b. | Pricing Information Provided Orally by Underwriters |
Underwritten Shares: 5,250,000
Option Shares: 787,500
Public offering price per share: $31.00
Settlement Date: June 27, 2023
Annex B
Written Testing-the-Waters Communications
[Omitted]
Annex C-1
Form of Opinion of Counsel for the Company
[Omitted]
Annex C-2
Form of Opinion of General Counsel for the Company
[Omitted]
Annex C-3
Form of Opinion of Counsel For
The Selling Stockholder
[Omitted]
Exhibit A
Testing the waters authorization (to be delivered by the issuer to the Representatives in email or letter form)
[Omitted]
Exhibit B
FORM OF LOCK-UP AGREEMENT
[•], 2023
BofA Securities, Inc.
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. LLC
▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Securities LLC
As Representatives of
the several Underwriters listed in
Schedule 1 to the Underwriting
Agreement referred to below
c/o BofA Securities, Inc.
One Bryant Park
New York, New York 10036
c/▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. LLC
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
New York, New York 10282
c/o ▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Securities LLC
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
New York, New York 10179
| Re: | Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. – Public Offering |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned understands that you, as Representatives of the several Underwriters, propose to enter into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and Sphere Entertainment Group, LLC (formerly known as MSG Entertainment Group, LLC), a Delaware limited liability company, providing for the public offering (the “Public Offering”) by the several Underwriters named in Schedule 1 to the Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriters”), of Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (the “Class A Common Stock”). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings set forth in the Underwriting Agreement.
In consideration of the Underwriters’ agreement to purchase and make the Public Offering of the Class A Common Stock, and for other good and valuable consideration, receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the undersigned hereby agrees that, without the prior written consent of ▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Securities LLC on behalf of the Underwriters, the undersigned will not, and will not cause any direct or indirect controlled affiliate to, during the period beginning on the date of this letter agreement (this “Letter Agreement”) and ending at the close of business 60 days after the date of the final prospectus relating to the Public Offering (the “Prospectus” and,
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such period, the “Restricted Period”), (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Class A Common Stock or any securities convertible into, redeemable for or exercisable or exchangeable for Class A Common Stock (including without limitation, Class A Common Stock or such other securities beneficially owned by the undersigned in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and securities which may be issued upon exercise of a stock option or warrant) (collectively with the Class A Common Stock, the “Lock-Up Securities”), (2) enter into any hedging, swap or other agreement or transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Lock-Up Securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Lock-Up Securities, in cash or otherwise, (3) make any demand for, or exercise any right with respect to, the registration of any Lock-Up Securities, or (4) publicly disclose the intention to do any of the foregoing. The undersigned acknowledges and agrees that the foregoing precludes the undersigned from engaging in any hedging or other transactions or arrangements (including, without limitation, any short sale or the purchase or sale of, or entry into, any put or call option, or combination thereof, forward, swap or any other derivative transaction or instrument, however described or defined) designed or intended, or which could reasonably be expected to lead to or result in, a sale or disposition or transfer (whether by the undersigned or any other person) of any economic consequences of ownership, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, of any Lock-Up Securities, whether any such transaction or arrangement (or instrument provided for thereunder) would be settled by delivery of Lock-Up Securities, in cash or otherwise. The undersigned further confirms that it has publicly disclosed or furnished the Representatives with the details of any transaction the undersigned is a party to as of the date hereof, which transaction would have been restricted by this Letter Agreement if it had been entered into by the undersigned during the Restricted Period.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the undersigned may:
(a) transfer Lock-Up Securities:
(i) as a bona fide gift or gifts or a charitable contribution or contributions, or for bona fide estate planning purposes,
(ii) pursuant to a will or intestacy, including to any beneficiary of, or estate of a beneficiary pursuant to, a trust, will, other testamentary document or applicable laws of descent, or pursuant to a final domestic relations settlement or similar order,
(iii) to any family member or members of the undersigned or to any trust or other estate planning vehicle for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the family of the undersigned, or if the undersigned is a trust or other estate planning vehicle, to a trustor or beneficiary of the trust or other estate planning vehicle or to the estate of a beneficiary of such trust or other estate planning vehicle (for purposes of this Letter Agreement, “family” shall mean any relationship by blood, current or former marriage, domestic partnership or adoption, not more remote than first cousin),
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(iv) to a corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity of which the undersigned and the family of the undersigned are the legal and beneficial owner of all of the outstanding equity securities or similar interests,
(v) to a nominee or custodian of a person or entity to whom a disposition or transfer would be permissible under clauses (i) through (iv) above,
(vi) if the undersigned is a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other entity, (A) to another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other entity that is an affiliate (as defined in Rule 405 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended) of the undersigned, or to any investment fund or other entity controlling, controlled by, managing or managed by or under common control with the undersigned or affiliates of the undersigned (including, for the avoidance of doubt, where the undersigned is a partnership, to its general partner or a successor partnership or fund, or any other funds managed by such partnership), or (B) as part of a distribution to members or shareholders of the undersigned,
(vii) by operation of law, such as pursuant to a qualified domestic order, divorce settlement, divorce decree or separation agreement,
(viii) to the Company or to an affiliate of the Company from an employee of the Company or an affiliate of the Company upon death, disability or termination of employment, in each case, of such employee,
(ix) as part of a sale of the undersigned’s Lock-Up Securities acquired after the date of the Prospectus,
(x) to the Company in connection with the vesting, settlement or exercise of restricted stock, restricted stock units, options, warrants or other rights to purchase shares of Class A Common Stock (including, in each case, by way of “net” or “cashless” exercise), including for the payment of exercise price and tax and remittance payments due as a result of the vesting, settlement, or exercise of such restricted stock, restricted stock units, options, warrants or rights, provided that any such shares of Class A Common Stock received upon such exercise, vesting or settlement shall be subject to the terms of this Letter Agreement, and provided, further, that any such restricted stock, restricted stock units, options, warrants or rights are held by the undersigned pursuant to an agreement or equity awards granted under a stock incentive plan or other equity award plan, each such agreement or plan which is described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, or
(xi) pursuant to a bona fide third-party tender offer, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction that is approved by the Board of Directors of the Company and made to all holders of the Company’s capital stock involving a Change of Control (as defined below) of the Company (for purposes hereof, “Change of Control” shall mean the transfer (whether by tender offer, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction), in one transaction or a series of related transactions, to a person or group of affiliated persons, of shares of capital stock if, after such transfer, such person or group of affiliated persons would hold at least a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Company (or the surviving entity)); provided that in the event that such tender offer, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction is not completed, the undersigned’s Lock-Up Securities shall remain subject to the provisions of this Letter Agreement;
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provided that (A) in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clause (a)(i), (iii), (iv), (v) and (vi), such transfer shall not involve a disposition for monetary value and each donee, devisee, transferee or distributee shall execute and deliver to the Representatives a lock-up letter in the form of this Letter Agreement, (B) in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clause (a)(iii), (iv), (v), (vi) and (ix), no filing by any party (donor, donee, devisee, transferor, transferee, distributer or distributee) under the Exchange Act, or other public announcement shall be required or shall be made voluntarily in connection with such transfer or distribution (other than a filing on a Form 5 made after the expiration of the Restricted Period referred to above) and (C) in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clause (a)(i), (ii), (vii), (viii) and (x), it shall be a condition to such transfer that any filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act or other public filing, report or announcement reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of shares of Class A Common Stock in connection with such transfer or distribution shall clearly indicate in the footnotes thereto the nature and conditions of such transfer;
(b) exercise outstanding options, settle restricted stock units or other equity awards or exercise warrants pursuant to plans described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; provided that any Lock-Up Securities received upon such exercise, vesting or settlement shall be subject to the terms of this Letter Agreement;
(c) convert outstanding preferred stock, warrants to acquire preferred stock or convertible securities into shares of Class A Common Stock or warrants to acquire shares of Class A Common Stock; provided that any such shares of Class A Common Stock or warrants received upon such conversion shall be subject to the terms of this Letter Agreement;
(d) establish trading plans pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act” and, such plan, a “10b5-1 Plan”) for the transfer of shares of Lock-Up Securities; provided that (1) such plans do not provide for the transfer of Lock-Up Securities during the Restricted Period and (2) to the extent a public announcement or filing under the Exchange Act, if any, is required of, or voluntarily made regarding the establishment of, such 10b5-1 Plan, such announcement or filing shall include a statement to the effect that no transfer of Lock-Up Securities may be made under such 10b5-1 Plan during the Restricted Period;
(e) register the Class A Common Stock pursuant to the Registration Statement and sell the Class A Common Stock to be sold by the undersigned pursuant to the terms of the Underwriting Agreement;
(f) make public disclosures on behalf of Sphere Entertainment Co. and its subsidiaries to comply with applicable law, rule or regulation, including disclosures in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Sphere Entertainment Co. and other related public disclosures; and
(g) transfer Class A Common Stock to the Company.
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[If the undersigned is not a natural person, the undersigned represents and warrants that no single natural person, entity or “group” (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act) beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, 50% or more of the common equity interests, or 50% or more of the voting power, in the undersigned.]
In furtherance of the foregoing, the Company, and any duly appointed transfer agent for the registration or transfer of the securities described herein, are hereby authorized to decline to make any transfer of securities if such transfer would constitute a violation or breach of this Letter Agreement.
The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power and authority to enter into this Letter Agreement. All authority herein conferred or agreed to be conferred and any obligations of the undersigned shall be binding upon the successors, assigns, heirs or personal representatives of the undersigned.
The undersigned acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters have not provided any recommendation or investment advice nor have the Underwriters solicited any action from the undersigned with respect to the Public Offering of the Class A Common Stock and the undersigned has consulted their own legal, accounting, financial, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent deemed appropriate. The undersigned further acknowledges and agrees that, although the Representatives may be required or choose to provide certain Regulation Best Interest and Form CRS disclosures to you in connection with the Public Offering, the Representatives and the other Underwriters are not making a recommendation to you to participate in the Public Offering, enter into this Letter Agreement, or sell any Class A Common Stock at the price determined in the Public Offering, and nothing set forth in such disclosures is intended to suggest that the Representatives or any Underwriter is making such a recommendation.
The undersigned understands that, if the Underwriting Agreement does not become effective by June 30, 2023, or if the Underwriting Agreement (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination) shall terminate or be terminated prior to payment for and delivery of the Class A Common Stock to be sold thereunder, the undersigned shall be released from all obligations under this Letter Agreement. The undersigned understands that the Underwriters are entering into the Underwriting Agreement and proceeding with the Public Offering in reliance upon this Letter Agreement.
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This Letter Agreement and any claim, controversy or dispute arising under or related to this Letter Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
| Very truly yours, | ||
| [NAME OF STOCKHOLDER OR DIRECTOR/OFFICER] | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
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