Terra Property Trust, Inc. [•]% Notes due 20[•] UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

Exhibit 1.1

 

$[•]

 

Terra Property Trust, Inc.

 

[•]% Notes due 20[•]

 

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

[•], ▇▇▇▇

 

▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. Inc.
As Representative of the several
Underwriters named in Schedule I

▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇

▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Terra Property Trust, Inc., a corporation incorporated under the laws of Maryland (the “Company”), confirms its respective agreements with Ladenburg ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. Inc. (“Ladenburg”) and each of the other underwriters named in Schedule I (collectively, the “Underwriters,” which term shall also include any underwriter substituted as hereinafter provided in Section 10 hereof), for whom Ladenburg is acting as representative (in such capacity, the “Representative”), with respect to (i) the sale by the Company and the purchase by the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the respective principal amount of the Company’s [•]% Senior Notes due 20[•] (the “Notes”), set forth in Schedule I, and (ii) the grant by the Company to the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the option to purchase up to an aggregate of $[•] additional principal amount of notes to cover over-allotments, if any, on the terms set forth in Section 2(b) (this “Agreement”). The aforesaid aggregate $[•] principal amount of Notes (the “Initial Securities”) to be purchased by the Underwriters and all or any part of the $[●] principal amount of Notes subject to the option described in Section 2(b) hereof (the “Option Securities”) are herein called, collectively, the “Securities.” The Securities will be issued under the indenture to be dated as of [•], 2021 between the Company and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee,” as amended and supplemented by that certain Supplemental Indenture to be dated as of [•], 2021 (such indenture, as so amended and supplemented, the “Indenture”).

 

The Company understands that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of the Securities as soon as the Representative deems advisable after this Agreement has been executed and delivered.

 

 

The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-11 (No. 333-[•]), covering the public offering and sale of the Securities, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “1933 Act Regulations”), which registration statement has become effective under the 1933 Act. Such registration statement as of any time, means such registration statement as amended by any post-effective amendments thereto at such time, including the exhibits and any schedules thereto at such time, the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein at such time pursuant to Item 29 of Form S-11 under the 1933 Act or otherwise and the documents otherwise deemed to be a part thereof as of such time pursuant to Rule 430A under the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 430A”), is referred to herein as the “Registration Statement;”  provided, however, that the “Registration Statement” without reference to a time means such registration statement as amended by any post-effective amendments thereto as of the time of the first contract of sale for the Securities, which time shall be considered the “new effective date” of such registration statement with respect to the Securities, including the exhibits and schedules thereto as of such time, the documents incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference therein at such time pursuant to Item 29 of Form S-11 under the 1933 Act or otherwise and the documents otherwise deemed to be a part thereof as of such time pursuant to the Rule 430A.  Any registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations is herein referred to as the “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement” and, after such filing, the term “Registration Statement” shall include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. The preliminary prospectus contained in the Registration Statement used in connection with the offering of the Securities, including the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 29 of Form S-11 under the 1933 Act or otherwise, are collectively referred to herein as a “preliminary prospectus.”  Promptly after execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will prepare and file a final prospectus relating to the Securities in accordance with the provisions of Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 424(b)”).  The final prospectus, in the form first furnished to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offering of the Securities, including the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 29 of Form S-11 under the 1933 Act, are collectively referred to herein as the “Prospectus.” For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (or any successor system) (“▇▇▇▇▇”).

 

As used in this Agreement:

 

“Applicable Time” means [•]: [•] p.m., Eastern time, on [•], 2021 or such other time as agreed by the Company and the Representative.

 

“General Disclosure Package” means any Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectuses issued at or prior to the Applicable Time, the most recent preliminary prospectus relating to the Securities (including any documents incorporated therein by reference) that is distributed to investors prior to the Applicable Time and the information included on Schedule II, all considered together.

 

“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 433”), including without limitation any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 405”)) relating to the Securities that is (i) required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) a “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i), whether or not required to be filed with the Commission, or (iii) exempt from filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Securities or of the offering that does not reflect the final terms, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).

 

 

“Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors (other than a “bona fide electronic road show,” as defined in Rule 433), as evidenced by its being specified in Schedule III.

 

“Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not an Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus.

 

“Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any oral or written communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Section 5(d) of the 1933 Act.

 

“Written Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any Testing-the-Waters Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 under the 1933 Act.

 

All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is “contained,” “included” or “stated” (or other references of like import) in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to include all such financial statements and schedules and other information incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to include the filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), and the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1934 Act (the “1934 Act Regulations”), incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, such preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, at or after the execution and delivery of this Agreement.

 

1.                   Representations and Warranties.

 

(a)      Representations and Warranties by the Company. The Company represents and warrants to each Underwriter as of the date hereof, the Applicable Time, the Closing Time (as defined below) and any Date of Delivery (as defined below), and agrees with each Underwriter, as follows:

 

(i)                             Registration Statement and Prospectuses. The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-11 under the 1933 Act for the offering and sale of the Securities contemplated by this Agreement . Each of the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto has been or will be (A)  prepared by the Company in conformity with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations in all material respects; (B)  filed with the Commission under the 1933 Act; (C)  effective under the 1933 Act; and (D) delivered by the Company to the Representative. The Company has complied to the Commission’s satisfaction with all requests of the Commission for additional or supplemental information. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued under the 1933 Act, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, contemplated. The Company has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information.

 

 

Each of the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time of its effectiveness conformed and will conform in all material respects, at the time it became effective, to the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations. The conditions for use of Form S-11 and to use incorporation by reference set forth in the General Instructions thereto, have been satisfied. Each preliminary prospectus (including the prospectus filed as part of the Registration Statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment or supplement thereto), any supplement thereto or any prospectus wrapper prepared in connection therewith, and the Prospectus conformed in all material respects when filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations to the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations. Each preliminary prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offering of the Securities and the Prospectus was or will be identical in all material respects to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to ▇▇▇▇▇, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

 

The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, when they became effective or at the time they were filed with the Commission, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations.

 

(ii)                          Accurate Disclosure. Neither the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement nor any amendment thereto, at the times they became effective, at the Closing Time or at any Date of Delivery, contained, contains or will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading. As of the Applicable Time, neither (A) the General Disclosure Package nor (B) any individual Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, and (C) any individual Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, contained, contains or will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. Neither the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto (including any prospectus wrapper), as of its date, at the time of any filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b), at the Closing Time or at any Date of Delivery, contained, contains or will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, at the time the Registration Statement became effective or when such documents incorporated by reference were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, when read together with the other information in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, as the case may be, did not and will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

 

The representations and warranties in this subsection shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, any individual Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto (including any prospectus wrapper)), made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company through the Representative by or on behalf of any Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein. For purposes of this Agreement, the only information so furnished shall be the information in the third, twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth paragraphs relating to commissions, market making activities, stabilization and penalty bids set forth under the heading “Underwriting” in the Prospectus (collectively, the “Underwriter Information”).

 

(iii)                        Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conformed or will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations on the date of first use, and the Company has complied with all prospectus delivery and any filing requirements applicable to such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus pursuant to the 1933 Act Regulations. The Company has not made any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus without the prior written consent of the Representative. The Company has retained in accordance with the 1933 Act Regulations all Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses that were not required to be filed pursuant to the 1933 Act Regulations. No Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference therein, and any preliminary or other prospectus deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified.

 

 

(iv)                         Independent Accountants. The accountants who certified the financial statements and supporting schedules included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are independent public accountants as required by the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and the 1934 Act, the 1934 Act Regulations, if applicable, and with respect KMPG, LLP, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. KPMG, LLP has not, during the periods covered by the financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, provided to the Company any non-audit services, as such term is defined in Section 10A(g) of the 1934 Act, except as approved by the Company’s audit committee.

 

(v)                           Financial Statements; Non-GAAP Financial Measures. The historical financial statements (including the related notes and supporting schedules) included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus comply as to form in all material respects with the requirements of Regulation S-X under the 1933 Act, are accurate in all material respects and present fairly the financial position of the Company on a consolidated basis at the dates indicated; said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved. The supporting schedules, if any, present fairly in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated therein. The selected financial data included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein in all material respects and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements included therein. All disclosures included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply in all material respects with Regulation G of the 1934 Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K of the 1933 Act, to the extent applicable. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus 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 in all material respects. Each of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus discloses all material off-balance sheet transactions, arrangements, obligations (including contingent obligations), and other relationships of the Company with unconsolidated entities or other persons that may have a material current or future effect on the Company’s financial condition, changes in financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures, capital resources, or significant components of revenues or expenses. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (a) neither the Company nor any of its direct and indirect subsidiaries, including each entity disclosed or described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus as being a Subsidiary of the Company (each, a “Subsidiary” and, collectively, the “Subsidiaries”), has incurred any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent, or entered into any material transactions other than in the ordinary course of business, (b) the Company has not declared or paid any dividends or made any distribution of any kind with respect to its capital stock, (c) there has not been any change in the capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or, other than in the course of business, any grants under any stock compensation plan, and (d) there has not been any material adverse change in the Company’s long-term or short-term debt.

 

 

(vi)                         No Material Adverse Change in Business. Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, except as otherwise stated therein, (A) there has been no material adverse change in or affecting the business affairs, business, earnings, condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, stockholders’ equity, assets, properties, management or prospects of the Company and its Subsidiaries considered as one enterprise (including all of the properties of the Company and its Subsidiaries), whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business (a “Material Adverse Effect”), (B) there have been no transactions entered into by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, other than those in the ordinary course of business, which are material with respect to such entities considered as one enterprise or incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to such entities considered as one enterprise, and (C) no officer or director of the Company has resigned from any position with the Company.

 

(vii)                      Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing in good standing as a corporation under the laws of the State of Maryland with full power and authority to own its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement, the Indenture and the Securities. The Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of its businesses, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(viii)                    Capitalization. The authorized, issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption “Capitalization” (except for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to this Agreement, pursuant to reservations, agreements or employee benefit plans referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or pursuant to the exercise, redemption, or exchange of convertible or exchangeable securities, options or warrants referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus). The issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable, conform to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Prospectus and were issued in compliance with federal and state securities laws and not in violation of any preemptive right, resale right, right of first refusal or offer or similar right. The issuance of such shares of capital stock of the Company was exempt from registration or qualification under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no options, warrants or other rights to purchase, agreements or other obligations to issue, or rights to convert any obligations into or exchange any securities or interests for shares of the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ capital stock or exchange any securities for shares of the Company’s capital stock outstanding.

 

 

(ix)                         Authorization of Agreements. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company. The Indenture has been duly authorized by the Company and has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “Trust Indenture Act”) and, when duly executed and delivered in accordance with its terms by the Company and the Trustee, will constitute a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms. All approvals, if any, of such documents required under the Trust Indenture Act have been obtained and are in full force and effect. The Securities have been duly authorized by the Company and, when duly executed, authenticated, issued and delivered as provided in the Indenture and paid for as provided herein, will be duly and validly issued and outstanding and will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms. The Securities will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture. All statements relating to the Notes contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus conform, in all material respects, to the Securities, and the issuance of the Securities is not subject to any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or offer or similar rights.

 

(x)                           Form 8-A. On or prior to the Closing Date, the Company will file a registration statement on Form 8-A relating to the Securities pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act.

 

(xi)                         Registration Rights. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person granting such person the right to require the Company to file a registration statement under the 1933 Act with respect to any securities of the Company owned or to be owned by such person or to require the Company to include such securities in the securities registered pursuant to the Registration Statement or in any securities being registered pursuant to any other registration statement filed by the Company under the ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇.

 

 

(xii)                      Absence of Violations and Defaults. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is (A) in violation of its charter, bylaws or similar organizational documents, (B) in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease, license or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which it is bound or to which any of the properties or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary is subject (collectively, “Agreements and Instruments”), except for such defaults that would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, or (C) except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, in violation of any federal, state, local or foreign statute, rule, regulation or any order, judgment, writ or decree of any arbitrator, court or governmental, regulatory or administrative agency, authority or body or any self-regulatory organization or other non-governmental regulatory authority having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective properties, assets or operations (each, a “Governmental Entity”), except for such violations that would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xiii)                    Absence of Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the Indenture and the Notes and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein, therein and in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (including the issuance and sale of the Securities and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described therein under the caption “Use of Proceeds”) and the compliance by the Company with its obligations hereunder and thereunder have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate or other action and do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any properties or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary pursuant to, the Agreements and Instruments (except for such conflicts, breaches, defaults or Repayment Events or liens, charges or encumbrances that would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect or which have been waived), nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the charter, bylaws or similar organizational documents of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any Governmental Entity. As used herein, a “Repayment Event” means any event or condition which gives the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

 

(xiv)                     No Defaults; Violations. No material default exists in the due performance and observance of any term, covenant or condition of any material license, contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, note, loan or credit agreement, or any other agreement or instrument evidencing an obligation for borrowed money, or any other material agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which the Company may be bound or to which any of the properties or assets of the Company is subject. The Company is not in violation of any term or provision of its charter, by-laws or similar organizational documents, or in violation of any franchise, license, permit, applicable law, rule, regulation, judgment or decree of any Governmental Entity.

 

 

(xv)                       Employee Benefits. (A) The Company and each of its Subsidiaries or their “ERISA Affiliates” (as defined below) are in compliance in all respects with all applicable provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, including the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (“ERISA”); (B) no “reportable event” (as defined in ERISA) has occurred with respect to any “employee benefit plan” (as defined in ERISA) for which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or ERISA Affiliates would have any liability; (C) the Company and each of its Subsidiaries or their ERISA Affiliates have not incurred and do not reasonably expect to incur liability under Title IV of ERISA with respect to termination of, or withdrawal from, any “employee benefit plan”; and (D) each “employee benefit plan” for which the Company and each of its Subsidiaries or any of their ERISA Affiliates would have any liability that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (collectively, the “Code”), is so qualified in all material respects and nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which would cause the loss of such qualification; except, in the cases of (A), (B), and (C), as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. “ERISA Affiliate” means, with respect to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, any member of any group of organizations described in Sections 414(b), (c) or (m) of the Code or Section 4001(b)(1) of ERISA of which the Company or such Subsidiary is a member.

 

(xvi)                     Absence of Proceedings. There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any Governmental Entity now pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against the Company or any Subsidiary, which is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus that are not so described, or which would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or would reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement or the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder; and the aggregate of all pending legal or governmental proceedings to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or of which any of their respective properties or assets is the subject which are not described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, including ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business, would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

 

 

(xvii)                Accuracy of Descriptions. The statements made in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (including in each case, the documents incorporated by reference therein) under the caption “Description of the Notes,” insofar as it purports to constitute a summary of the terms of the Securities, and under the captions “Prospectus Summary—Emerging Growth Company Status; and —Specific Terms of the Notes and the Offering,” “Interested Director Transactions” and “Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” insofar as such statements constitute summaries of the terms of statutes, rules or regulations, legal matters or governmental proceedings or agreements, contracts and other documents, are accurate and fair summaries of the terms of such statutes, rules or regulations, legal matters or governmental proceedings or agreements, contracts and other documents in all material respects. All agreements between the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and any other party expressly referenced in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company or such Subsidiary, as applicable, enforceable against the Company or such Subsidiaries, as applicable, as appropriate, in accordance with their respective terms, except to the extent that enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, fraudulent transfer, moratorium or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general equitable principles and, with respect to equitable relief, the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought (regardless of whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding at law or in equity) and, with respect to any indemnification provisions contained therein, except as rights under those provisions may be limited by applicable law or policies underlying such law. The Company’s operating policies, investment guidelines and other policies described in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Prospectus accurately reflect in all material respects the current intentions of the Company with respect to the operation of its business, and no material deviation from such guidelines or policies is currently contemplated.

 

(xviii)                Accuracy of Exhibits. There are no legal or governmental proceedings or contracts or other documents of a character required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or, in the case of documents to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement, which are not described and filed as required.

 

(xix)                  Absence of Further Requirements. No consent, approval, authorization, license, certification, clearance, permits or order of, or filing or registration of or with, any Governmental Entity is necessary or required for the execution, delivery and performance by the Company or any Subsidiary of its obligations hereunder or under the Indenture or Securities, in connection with the offering, issuance and sale of the Securities hereunder, or its consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the Indenture, the Securities, or the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, or the application of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described under “Use of Proceeds” in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Prospectus, except such as have been obtained or made and except for such as have been obtained or as may be required under the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the rules of the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), applicable state or foreign securities laws or the by-laws and rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) or the failure of which would have neither (a) a Material Adverse Effect or (b) a material adverse effect on the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

 

(xx)                   Possession of Licenses and Permits. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company and its Subsidiaries possess such permits, licenses, approvals, consents, permits, certifications, clearances, orders and other authorizations (collectively, “Governmental Licenses”) issued by the appropriate Governmental Entities necessary to conduct the business now operated by them, except where the failure so to possess would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms and conditions of all Governmental Licenses, except where the failure so to comply would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. All of the Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect, except when the invalidity of such Governmental Licenses or the failure of such Governmental Licenses to be in full force and effect would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Governmental Licenses which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xxi)                  Title to Personal Property. Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all of its assets and personal property owned by it, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects, except such as are described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or such as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its Subsidiaries; and all assets and personal property held under lease by the Company and its Subsidiaries are held by it under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases, with such exceptions as do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such assets by the Company and its Subsidiaries and the Company does not have notice of any material claim of any sort that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the Company and its Subsidiaries under any such leases or affecting or questioning the rights of the Company and its Subsidiaries to be in the continued possession of the leased premises under such leases.

 

(xxii)                  Property. (i) The Company and its Subsidiaries have good and marketable fee simple title (or in the case of ground leases, a valid leasehold interest) to all real property owned by them and the improvements (exclusive of improvements owned by tenants or by landlords, if applicable) located thereon, in each case, free and clear of all mortgages, pledges, liens, security interests, claims, restrictions or encumbrances of any kind, except such as (A) are described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (B) will not, singly or in the aggregate, materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere in any material respect with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or (C) would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect; (ii) except as otherwise set forth in or described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected have a Material Adverse Effect, all of the leases and subleases of the Company and its Subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, and under which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries hold properties described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are in full force and effect, and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has any notice of any claim of any sort that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the Company or any Subsidiary under any of the leases or subleases mentioned above, or affecting or questioning the rights of the Company or such Subsidiary to the continued possession of the leased or subleased premises under any such lease or sublease; (iii) none of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has received from any Governmental Entities any written notice of any condemnation of or zoning change affecting the properties of the Company and its Subsidiaries or any part thereof, and none of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries knows of any condemnation or zoning change affecting the properties of the Company and its Subsidiaries which is threatened and, in each case, which if consummated would reasonably be expected to, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect; (iv) each of the properties of the Company and its Subsidiaries complies with all applicable codes, ordinances, laws and regulations (including without limitation, building and zoning codes, laws and regulations and laws relating to access to the properties of the Company and its Subsidiaries), except for failures to the extent disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and except for such failures to comply that would not individually or in the aggregate reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (v) neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received written notice of proposed material special assessment or any proposed change in any property tax, zoning or land use law or availability of water affecting any property that would reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect; and (vi) to the knowledge of the Company and its Subsidiaries, except as set forth in or described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or reflected in the pro forma financial statements, and except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected have a Material Adverse Effect, there are no uncured events of default, or events that with the giving of notice or passage of time, or both, would constitute an event of default, by any tenant under any of the terms and provisions of the leases.

 

 

(xxiii)                No Acquisitions or Dispositions. (A) There are no contracts, letters of intent, term sheets, agreements, arrangements or understandings with respect to the direct or indirect acquisition or disposition by any of the Company or its Subsidiaries of interests in assets or real property that are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus that are not so described; and (B) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has sold any real property to a third party during the immediately preceding twelve calendar months except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(xxiv)                Title Insurance. Title insurance in favor of the Company and the Subsidiaries has been obtained with respect to each property owned by any such entity, except where the failure to maintain such title insurance would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xxv)                 Mortgages; Deeds of Trust. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, the Company has not issued any debt and has no debt outstanding. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, none of the properties owned by the Company or its Subsidiaries is encumbered by any credit agreements, mortgages, deeds of trust, guaranties, side letters, and other documents evidencing, securing or otherwise relating to any secured or unsecured indebtedness of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

 

(xxvi)                Environmental Laws. Except as would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, (A) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is in violation of any federal, state, local or foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, policy or rule of common law or any judicial or administrative interpretation thereof, including any judicial or administrative order, consent, decree or judgment, relating to pollution or protection of human health, the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including, without limitation, laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened release of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products, asbestos-containing materials, mold or any hazardous materials as defined by or regulated under any Environmental Laws, as defined below (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (B) the Company and its Subsidiaries have all permits, authorizations and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and are each in compliance with their requirements, and (C) there are no pending or known threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, claims, liens, notices of noncompliance or violation, investigation or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

 

 

(xxvii)              Accounting Controls and Disclosure Controls. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries (A) make and keep accurate books and records and (B) maintain effective internal control over financial reporting (as defined under Rule 13-a15 and 15d-15 under the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1934 Act Regulations) and a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (1) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, (2) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of the Company’s financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for its assets, (3) access to the Company’s assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, and (4) the recorded accountability for the Company’s assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Since the Company’s incorporation, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there has been (A) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (B) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected or is reasonably likely to materially affect the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Since the date of the most recent audited financial statements of the Company, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company has not been advised of (A) any significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal controls that could adversely affect the ability of the Company to record, process, summarize and report financial data, and (B) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the internal controls of the Company.

 

(xxviii)              Compliance with the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their respective capacities as such, to comply with all provisions of the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or implementing provisions thereof (the “▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act”) that are then in effect and with which the Company is required to comply as of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, and is actively taking steps to ensure that it will be in compliance with other provisions of the Sarbanes Oxley Act not currently in effect, upon the effectiveness of such provisions, or which will become applicable to the Company at all times after the effectiveness of the Registration Statement.

 

(xxix)                Critical Accounting Policies. The description of the Company’s accounting policies included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus accurately and fully describes, in all material respects, (A) the accounting policies that the Company believes are the most important in the portrayal of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations and that require management’s most difficult, subjective or complex judgments (“Critical Accounting Policies”); (B) the judgments and uncertainties affecting the application of Critical Accounting Policies; and (C) the likelihood that materially different amounts would be reported under different conditions or using different assumptions and an explanation thereof

 

 

(xxx)                  Federal Tax Status. Commencing with its taxable year ended December 31, 2016, the Company has been and, following the sale of the Securities will continue to be, organized in conformity with the requirements for qualification and taxation as a real estate investment trust (a “REIT”) under the Code. The ownership and method of operation of the Company as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus has enabled the Company to meet the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code for the Company’s taxable year ended December 31, 2020 and will enable the Company to meet the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code for the Company’s taxable years ended thereafter. The Company intends to qualify as a REIT under the Code for the Company’s taxable years ended December 31, 2021 and thereafter, does not know of any event that would reasonably be expected to cause the Company to fail to qualify as a REIT under the Code during any such time and has no intention of changing its proposed and current method of operation or engaging in activities which would cause it to fail to qualify or make economically undesirable its qualification as a REIT under the Code. All statements regarding the Company’s qualification and taxation as a REIT and descriptions of the Company’s organization, ownership and method of operation set forth in, or incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are true, correct and complete in all material respects. Each of the Company’s Subsidiaries has been, is, and will be a “taxable REIT Subsidiary” within the meaning of Section 856(l) of the Code, and the Company is not aware of any fact that would negatively impact such qualification. Each other Subsidiary of the Company has been properly treated since formation, and will continue to be properly treated, as a partnership or a disregarded entity (rather than an association or partnership taxable as a corporation) within the meaning of Section 7701 of the Code and all applicable regulations under the Code and no election has been made to the contrary. The Company has complied with the requirements of the no-action relief issued on December 7, 2012 by the Division of Swap Dealers and Intermediary Oversight of the Commodities and Futures Trading Commission with respect to negotiation of mortgage REITs and commodities purchase options.

 

(xxxi)                 Payment of Taxes. The Company and its current (and with respect to (A) and (B), former) Subsidiaries (A) have paid all material federal, state, local and foreign taxes (whether imposed directly, through withholding or otherwise and including any interest, additions to tax or penalties applicable thereto) required to be paid through the date hereof, other than those being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which adequate reserves have been provided on the books of the applicable entity, (B) have timely filed all material tax returns or extensions thereof required to be filed through the date hereof, and all such tax returns are correct and complete in all material respects, and (C) have established adequate reserves for all taxes that have accrued but are not yet due and payable. The charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the Company and its Subsidiaries in respect of any income and corporation tax liability for any years not finally determined are adequate to meet any assessments or re-assessments for additional income tax for any years not finally determined, except to the extent of any inadequacy that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. No tax deficiency has been asserted against the Company or any of its current or former Subsidiaries, nor does any such entity know of any tax deficiency that is likely to be asserted and, if determined adversely to any such entity, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

 

(xxxii)               Possession of Intellectual Property. The Company and its Subsidiaries own or possess adequate rights to use all material patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, trade names, trademark registrations, service ▇▇▇▇ registrations, copyrights, licenses, know-how, software, systems and technology (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures) necessary for the conduct of its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and has no reason to believe that the conduct of its business will conflict with, and has not received any notice of any claim of conflict with, any such rights of others. There is no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened action, suit, proceeding, or claim by others challenging the rights of the Company or any Subsidiary in or to such rights. There is no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding, or claim by others that the Company or any Subsidiary infringes, misappropriates, or otherwise violates any such rights of others.

 

(xxxiii)               Insurance. The Company and its Subsidiaries carry or are entitled to the benefits of insurance, with financially sound and reputable insurers, in such amounts and covering such risks as the Company believes is generally maintained by companies of established repute engaged in the same or similar business and in such amounts as is commercially reasonable in light of nature of the Company’s assets and properties and the value of its assets and properties, in the aggregate, by the Company and its Subsidiaries, and all such insurance is in full force and effect. The Company has no reason to believe that it will not be able (A) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (B) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has been denied any insurance coverage which it has sought or for which it has applied.

 

(xxxiv)              Investment Company Act. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is required, or upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated and the application of the net proceeds therefrom as described under “Use of Proceeds” in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will be required, to register as an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company” within the meaning of such terms under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

 

(xxxv)               Absence of Manipulation. Neither the Company nor any affiliate of the Company has taken, nor will the Company or any affiliate take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that has constituted or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities, and has taken no action which would directly or indirectly violate Regulation M or which would constitute a special selling effort as such term is defined under Regulation M.

 

 

(xxxvi)              Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. None of the Company, any of its Subsidiaries, or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of such entity is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “FCPA”), including, without limitation, making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any “foreign official” (as such term is defined in the FCPA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the FCPA and the Company and, to the knowledge of the Company, its affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA, and the Company has instituted and maintains policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance by the Company and its Subsidiaries therewith.

 

(xxxvii)            Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any Governmental Entity (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”); and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any Governmental Entity involving the Company or any Subsidiary with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened.

 

(xxxviii)            No Conflicts with OFAC Laws. None of the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or representative of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is an individual or entity (“Person”) currently the subject or target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the United States Government, including, without limitation, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury, or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor is the Company located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of Sanctions; and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the net proceeds of the sale of the Securities, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such net proceeds to any Subsidiaries, joint venture partners or other Person, to fund any activities of or business with any Person, or in any country or territory, that, at the time of such funding, is the subject of Sanctions or 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.

 

 

(xxxix)               Distribution of Offering Material. The Company and its Subsidiaries have not distributed and, prior to the later to occur of the Closing Time and the completion of the distribution of the Securities, will not distribute any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities other than any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus, or any other materials, if any, permitted by the 1933 Act.

 

(xl)                    Restrictions on Distributions. No Subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any distributions to the Company, from making any other distribution on such Subsidiary’s equity interests, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such Subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such Subsidiary’s property or assets to the Company or any other Subsidiary of the Company, except as described in or contemplated by the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(xli)                   No Equity Awards. Except for grants pursuant to equity incentive plans disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company has not granted to any person or entity, a stock option or other equity-based award to purchase or receive capital stock pursuant to an equity-based compensation plan or otherwise.

 

(xlii)                 No Finder’s Fee. Except as disclosed in responses to the FINRA questionnaires completed by the Company in connection with the offering of the Securities and for the Underwriters’ discounts and commissions payable by the Company to the Underwriters in connection with the offering of the Securities contemplated herein or as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company, nor to its knowledge, none of its affiliates, has incurred any liability for any brokerage commission, finder’s, consenting or origination fees or similar payments in connection with the offering of the Securities contemplated hereby or entered into any other agreements, arrangements or understandings that may affect the Underwriter’s compensation as directed by FINRA.

 

(xliii)               Payments Within Twelve (12) Months. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, the Company has not made any direct or indirect payments (in cash, securities or otherwise) with respect to the offering of the Securities to: (i) any person, as a finder’s fee, consulting fee or otherwise, in consideration of such person raising capital for the Company or introducing to the Company persons who raised or provided capital to the Company; (ii) any FINRA member; or (iii)  any person or entity that has any direct or indirect affiliation or association with any FINRA member, within the twelve (12) months prior to the effective date of the Registration Statement.

 

 

(xliv)                 Absence of Certain Relationships. Except as otherwise described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or its Subsidiaries, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders, customers or suppliers of the Company, on the other hand, that is required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus which is not so described and (ii) the Company has not, directly or indirectly, including through any Subsidiary, extended credit, arranged to extend credit, or renewed any extension of credit, in the form of a personal loan, to or for any executive officer of the Company, or to or for any family member or affiliate of any director or executive officer of the Company.

 

(xlv)                  No Integration. The Company has not sold or issued any securities that would be integrated with the offering of the Securities contemplated by this Agreement pursuant to the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations or the interpretations thereof by the Commission.

 

(xlvi)                Lending Relationship. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company (A) does not have any material lending or other relationship with any bank or lending affiliate of any Underwriter and (B) does not intend to use any of the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities to repay any outstanding debt owed to any affiliate of any Underwriter or other FINRA members.

 

(xlvii)                No Ratings. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure package and the Prospectus, the Company has no debt securities or preferred stock that is rated by any “nationally recognized statistical rating agency” (as such term is defined by the Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) of the 1933 Act).

 

(xlviii)              No FINRA Affiliations. There are no affiliations or associations between any member of FINRA and any of the Company's officers, directors or 5% or greater securityholders.

 

 

 

 

(xlix)        Statistical and Market-Related Data. All statistical and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes, after reasonable inquiry, to be reliable and accurate, and such data agree with the sources from which they are derived, and, to the extent required, the Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources.

 

(l)             Emerging Growth Company. From the time of the initial filing 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) through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company” as defined in Section 2(a) of the 1933 Act (an “Emerging Growth Company”).

 

(li)           Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company has not distributed any Written Testing-the-Waters Communications.

 

(b)      Officer’s Certificates. Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company and delivered to the Representative or counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the offering of the Securities shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company as to matters covered thereby, to each Underwriter.

 

2.            Sale and Delivery to Underwriters; Closing.

 

(a)      Initial Securities. Subject to the terms and conditions and upon the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein set forth, the Company agrees to issue and sell to each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees, to purchase from the Company, at the price per Note set forth in Schedule I, the principal amount of Initial Securities set forth opposite such Underwriter’s name in Schedule I, plus any additional principal of Initial Securities which such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 10 hereof, subject, in each case, to such adjustments among the Underwriters as the Representative in its sole discretion shall make to eliminate any sales or purchases of fractional Notes.

 

(b)      Option Securities. In addition, subject to the terms and conditions and upon the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein set forth, the Company hereby grants an option to the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, to purchase up to an additional $[•] principal amount of Option Securities at the price per Note set forth in Schedule I. The option hereby granted will expire 30 days after the date hereof and may be exercised in whole or in part from time to time only for the purpose of covering overallotments made in connection with the offering and distribution of the Initial Securities upon notice by the Representative to the Company setting forth the principal amount of Option Securities as to which the several Underwriters are then exercising the option and the time and date of payment and delivery for such Option Securities. Any such time and date of delivery (a “Date of Delivery”) shall be determined by the Representative, but shall not be later than seven full business days after the exercise of said option, nor in any event prior to the Closing Time. If the option is exercised as to all or any portion of the Option Securities, each of the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, will purchase that proportion of the total number of Option Securities then being purchased which the number of Initial Securities set forth in Schedule I opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total principal amount of Initial Securities, subject, in each case, to such adjustments as the Representative in its sole discretion shall make to eliminate any sales or purchases of fractional Notes.

 

 

(c)      Delivery of and Payment for the Securities. Payment of the purchase price for, and electronic delivery of, the Initial Securities shall be made at the offices of Blank Rome LLP, ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇ ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company, at 9:00 A.M. (Eastern time) on the fifth (sixth, if the pricing occurs after 4:30 p.m. (Eastern time) on any given day) business day after the date hereof (unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10), or such other time not later than ten business days after such date as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company (such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called “Closing Time”). In addition, in the event that any or all of the Option Securities are purchased by the Underwriters, payment of the purchase price for, and electronic delivery of, such Option Securities shall be made at the above-mentioned offices, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company, on each Date of Delivery as specified in the notice from the Representative to the Company. Payment shall be made to the Company by wire transfer of immediately available funds to a bank account designated by the Company against delivery to the Representative for the respective accounts of the Underwriters of certificates for the Securities to be purchased by them. It is understood that each Underwriter has authorized the Representative, for its account, to accept delivery of, receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Initial Securities and the Option Securities, if any, which it has agreed to purchase. Ladenburg, individually and not as representative of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment of the purchase price for the Initial Securities and the Option Securities, if any, to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds have not been received by the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, but such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from its obligations hereunder.

 

(d)      Denominations; Registration. Electronic delivery of the Initial Securities and the Option Securities, if any, shall be in such denominations and registered in such names as the Representative may request in writing at least one full business day before the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be. The Initial Securities and any Option Securities shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Company to the Representative, through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company, for the account of the several Underwriters.

 

 

3.            Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants with each Underwriter as follows:

 

(a)      Compliance with Securities Regulations and Commission Requests. The Company, subject to Section 3(b), will comply with the requirements of Rule 430A,  and will notify the Representative immediately, and confirm the notice in writing, (i) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement shall become effective or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus shall have been filed, (ii) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission, (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus including any document incorporated by reference therein or for additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(e) of the 1933 Act concerning the Registration Statement and (v) if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the 1933 Act in connection with the offering of the Securities. The Company will effect all filings required under Rule 424(b), in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)), and will take such steps as it deems necessary to ascertain promptly whether the form of prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 424(b) was received for filing by the Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly file such prospectus. The Company will make every reasonable effort to prevent the issuance of any stop order, prevention or suspension and, if any such order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment.

 

(b)      Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. The Company will comply with the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Securities as contemplated in this Agreement and in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. If at any time when a prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 172”), would be) required by the 1933 Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Securities, any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters or for the Company, to (i) amend the Registration Statement in order that the Registration Statement will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order that the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing at the time it is delivered to a purchaser or (iii) amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, in order to comply with the requirements of the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations, the Company will (A) promptly give the Representative notice of such event, (B) furnish the Representative with copies of any such documents prior to such proposed filing or use, as the case may be, (C) promptly prepare any amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus comply with such requirements and, a reasonable amount of time prior to any proposed filing or use, furnish the Representative with copies of any such amendment or supplement and (D) promptly file with the Commission any such amendment or supplement; provided that the Company shall not file or use any such amendment or supplement to which the Representative or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object. The Company will furnish to the Underwriters such number of copies of such amendment or supplement as the Underwriters may reasonably request. The Company has given the Representative notice of any filings made pursuant to the 1934 Act or 1934 Act Regulations within 48 hours prior to the Applicable Time; the Company will give the Representative notice of its intention to make any such filing from the Applicable Time to the Closing Time and will furnish the Representative with copies of any such documents a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing, as the case may be, and will not file or use any such document to which the Representative or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object. If at any time when a prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) required by the 1933 Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Securities and following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus relating to the Securities or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would 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 at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representative and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.

 

 

(c)      Delivery of Registration Statements. The Company has furnished or will deliver to the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, signed electronic copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (including electronic copies of the exhibits filed therewith or incorporated by reference therein and documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein) and signed electronic copies of all consents and certificates of experts, and will also deliver to the Representative, without charge, a conformed electronic copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (without exhibits) for each of the Underwriters. The copies of the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical in all material respects to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to ▇▇▇▇▇, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

 

(d)      Delivery of Prospectuses. The Company has delivered to each Underwriter, without charge, as many electronic copies of each preliminary prospectus as such Underwriter reasonably requested, and the Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the 1933 Act. The Company will furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) required to be delivered under the 1933 Act, such number of electronic copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as such Underwriter may reasonably request. The Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to ▇▇▇▇▇, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

 

(e)      Blue Sky Qualifications. The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts, in cooperation with the Underwriters, to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions (domestic or foreign) as the Representative may designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required to complete the distribution of the Securities; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject.

 

 

(f)       Rule 158. The Company will timely file such reports pursuant to the 1934 Act as are necessary in order to make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable an earnings statement for the purposes of, and to provide to the Underwriters the benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act (subject to Rule 158 under the 1933 Act).

 

(g)      Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities in the manner set forth in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds.”

 

(h)      Listing. The Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to list the Securities on the NYSE within thirty (30) days following the Closing Time.

 

(i)       Restriction on Sale of Securities. During a period of 90 days from the date of the Prospectus, the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Representative, (i) directly or indirectly, offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase or otherwise transfer or dispose of any debt securities or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for debt securities or file any registration statement under the 1933 Act with respect to any of the foregoing, or (ii) enter into any swap or any other agreement or any transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence of ownership of the debt securities, whether any such swap or transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of debt securities or such other securities, in cash or otherwise. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to the Securities to be sold hereunder.

 

If the Representative, in its sole discretion, agrees to release or waive the restrictions set forth in a lock-up agreement described in Section 5(k) hereof for an officer or director of the Company and provides the Company with notice of the impending release or waiver at least three business days before the effective date of the release or waiver, the Company agrees to announce the impending release or waiver by a press release through a major news service at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver.

 

(j)       Reporting Requirements. The Company will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the 1934 Act within the time periods required by the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations during the period when a Prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) required to be delivered under the 1933 Act. Additionally, the Company shall report the use of proceeds from the issuance of the Securities as may be required under Rule 463 under the 1933 Act.

 

(k)      Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Representative, it will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” or a portion thereof, required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433; provided that the Representative will be deemed to have consented to the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses listed on Schedule III and any “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i) that has been reviewed by the Representative. The Company represents that it has treated or agrees that it will treat each such free writing prospectus consented to, or deemed consented to, by the Representative as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and that it has complied and will comply with the applicable requirements of Rule 433 with respect thereto, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representative and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.

 

 

(l)        Absence of Manipulation. Except as contemplated herein or in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.

 

(m)     Qualification and Taxation as a REIT. The Company will use its best efforts to qualify and continue to qualify for taxation as a REIT under the Code and will not intentionally take any action to revoke or otherwise terminate the Company’s REIT election, unless the Company’s board of directors determines in good faith that it is no longer in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders to be so qualified.

 

(n)      ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇. The Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to comply in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act to the extent such provisions are applicable to the Company.

 

(o)      Notification of Material Events. The Company, during the period when the Prospectus is (or but for the exemption in Rule 172 would be) required to be delivered under the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act, shall notify the Representative of the occurrence of any material events respecting its activities, affairs or condition, financial or otherwise, if, but only if, as a result of any such event it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel, to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the Prospectus not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing at the time it is (or but for the exemption in Rule 172 would be) delivered to a purchaser, and the Company will forthwith supply such information as shall be necessary in the opinion of counsel to the Company and the Underwriters for the Company to prepare any necessary amendment or supplement to the Prospectus so that, as so amended or supplemented, the Prospectus will not contain an 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 at the time it is (or but for the exemption in Rule 172 would be) delivered to a purchaser, not misleading.

 

(p)      Testing-the-Waters Materials. If at any time following the distribution of any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representative and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication to eliminate or correct such untrue statement or omission.

 

(q)      Emerging Growth Company. The Company will promptly notify the Representative if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the later of (i) completion of the distribution of the Securities within the meaning of the Securities Act and (ii) completion of the 90-day restricted period referred to in Section 3(i).

 

 

4.             Payment of Expenses.

 

(a)      Expenses. The Company will pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and each amendment thereto, (ii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificates for the Securities to the Underwriters, including any stock, transfer or other taxes and any stamp or other duties payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Securities to the Underwriters, (iii) the fees and disbursements of the Company’s counsel, accountants and other advisors, (iv) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of each preliminary prospectus, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto and any costs associated with electronic delivery of any of the foregoing by the Underwriters to investors, (v) the fees and expenses of any transfer agent or registrar for the Securities, (vi) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Securities, including without limitation, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations, travel and lodging expenses of the officers of the Company and any such consultants, and the cost of aircraft and other transportation chartered or owned by the Company or its affiliates and used in connection with the road show, (vii) the fees and disbursements incident to the review by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Securities (including related fees and expenses of counsel to the Underwriters in an amount not to exceed $5,000), (viii) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Securities on the NYSE, (ix) fees and expenses of the Representative, including fees and expenses of counsel to the Underwriters, up to $75,000 in the aggregate, and (x) the costs and expenses (including, without limitation, any damages or other amounts payable in connection with legal or contractual liability) associated with the reforming of any contracts for sale of the Securities made by the Underwriters caused by a breach of the representation contained in the third sentence of Section 1(a)(ii).

 

(b)      Underwriter Expenses. Except to the extent otherwise provided in Section 4(a) or Section 4(c) hereof, the Underwriters will pay all of their own costs and expenses, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters.

 

(c)      Termination of Agreement. If this Agreement is terminated by the Representative in accordance with the provisions of Section 5(m) or Section 9(a)(ii) hereof, the Company shall reimburse the Underwriters for all of their actual out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters up to a maximum of $75,000.

 

 

5.             Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The respective obligations of the several Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein or in certificates of any officer of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to each of the following additional terms and conditions:

 

(a)      Effectiveness of Registration Statement. The Registration Statement, including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, has become effective and at Closing Time no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued under the 1933 Act, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, contemplated; and the Company has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information.

 

(b)      No Amendments or Supplements. No prospectus or amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall be filed to which the Underwriters shall have reasonably objected in writing.

 

(c)      Opinion of Counsel and Tax Counsel for the Company. At the Closing Time, the Representative shall have received (i) the favorable opinion, (ii) a 10b-5 “negative assurance” statement and (iii) a REIT tax opinion, each dated as of the Closing Time, of ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Bird, LLP, counsel and tax counsel for the Company, and in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters, to the effect set forth in Exhibits ▇-▇, ▇-▇ and A-3 hereto and to such further effect as counsel to the Underwriters may reasonably request.

 

(d)      Opinion of Maryland Counsel for the Company. The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date the favorable opinion of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, special Maryland counsel for the Company, dated as of the Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters, to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto.

 

(e)      Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters. At Closing Time, the Representative shall have received the favorable opinion and 10b-5 “negative assurance” statement, dated as of the Closing Time, of Blank Rome LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters, with respect to such matters as the Underwriters may reasonably request.

 

(f)       Accountant’s Comfort Letter; Company Financial Information. At the time of the execution of this Agreement, the Representative shall have received from KPMG, LLP a letter, dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(g)      Bring-down Comfort Letter; Company Financial Information. At the Closing Time, the Representative shall have received from KPMG, LLP a letter, dated as of the Closing Time, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to subsection (e) of this Section, except that the specified date referred to shall be a date not more than three business days prior to the Closing Time.

 

(h)      Officers’ Certificate. At the Closing Time, there shall not have been, since the date hereof or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, any Material Adverse Effect, and the Representative shall have received a certificate of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, dated the Closing Time, to the effect set forth in Exhibit C-1 hereto.

 

(i)       Certificate of the Chief Financial Officer. At the time of execution of this Agreement, the Representative shall have received a certificate of the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, dated as of such date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, to the effect set forth in Exhibit C-2. At the Closing Time, the Representative shall have received a certificate, dated as of the Closing Time, of the Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Accounting Officer of the Company confirming that the certificate delivered by the Company at the time of execution of this Agreement pursuant to the prior sentence of this Section 5(h) hereof remains true and correct as of the Closing Time.

 

(j)       Approval of Listing. At the Closing Time, the Securities shall have been approved for listing on the NYSE, subject only to official notice of issuance.

 

(k)      No Objection. FINRA shall have confirmed that it has not raised any objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements relating to the offering of the Securities.

 

 

(l)       Conditions to the Purchase of Option Securities. In the event that the Underwriters exercise their option provided in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any portion of the Option Securities, the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein and the statements in any certificates furnished by the Company and any of its Subsidiaries hereunder shall be true and correct as of each Date of Delivery and, at the relevant Date of Delivery, the Representative shall have received:

 

(i)          Officers’ Certificate. A certificate, dated such Date of Delivery, of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company confirming that the certificate delivered at the Closing Time pursuant to Section 5(h) hereof remains true and correct as of such Date of Delivery.

 

(ii)         Opinion of Counsel and Tax Counsel for Company. The favorable (i) opinion and 10b-5 negative assurance statement and REIT tax opinion of ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Bird, LLP, counsel and tax counsel for the Company and (ii) opinion of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP , Maryland counsel for the Company, each in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(c) and 5(d) hereof, respectively.

 

(iii)        Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters. The favorable opinion and 10b-5 negative assurance statement of Blank Rome LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(e) hereof.

 

(iv)        Certificate of the Chief Financial Officer. A certificate of the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, dated such Date of Delivery, substantially in the same form and substance as the letter furnished to the Representative pursuant to Section 5(h) hereof.

 

(m)     Additional Documents. At the Closing Time and at each Date of Delivery (if any) counsel for the Underwriters shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as they may require for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated shall be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters.

 

(n)      Termination of Agreement. If any condition specified in this Section shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement, or, in the case of any condition to the purchase of Option Securities on a Date of Delivery which is after the Closing Time, the obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase the relevant Option Securities, may be terminated by the Representative by notice to the Company at any time at or prior to Closing Time or such Date of Delivery, as the case may be, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 and except that Sections 1, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 shall survive any such termination and remain in full force and effect.

 

6.             Indemnification.

 

(a)      Indemnification of Underwriters. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates (as such term is defined in Rule 501(b) under the 1933 Act (each, an “Affiliate”)), its selling agents and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act as follows:

 

 

 

(i)                 against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430A, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in (A) any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or (B) in any materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company in connection with the marketing of the offing of the Securities (“Marketing Materials”), including any road show or investor presentation made to investors by the Company (whether in person or electronically), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

 

(ii)              against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that (subject to Section 6(d) below) any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company;

 

(iii)            against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by the Representative), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) above;

 

provided, however, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising solely out of any untrue statement or omission made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430A, any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information. The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 6(a) shall be in addition to any liabilities that the Company may otherwise have.

 

(b)      Indemnification of Company, Directors and Officers. Each Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act, against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in subsection (a) of this Section, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430A, any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information. The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 6(b) shall be in additional to any other liabilities that each Underwriter may otherwise have.

 

 

(c)      Actions against Parties; Notification. Each indemnified party shall give notice as promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action (including any governmental investigation) commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability hereunder to the extent it is not materially prejudiced as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement. The indemnifying party shall be entitled, to the extent that it shall elect, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense of such action, with counsel satisfactory to the indemnified party, to represent the indemnified party and any others the indemnifying party may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and disbursements of such counsel related to such proceeding. In any such proceeding, any indemnified party 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 party unless (i) the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel, (ii) the indemnifying party has failed within a reasonable time to retain counsel satisfactory to the indemnified party, (iii) the indemnified party 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 party, or (iv) the named parties to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the indemnifying party and the indemnified party and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them, and in any such event the reasonable fees and expenses of separate counsel (and any additional local counsels) shall be paid by the indemnifying party. If the indemnifying party does not elect to assume the defense, then such firm shall be designated in writing by the Representative, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(a), and by the Company in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(b). No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 6 or Section 7 hereof (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

 

(d)      Settlement without Consent if Failure to Reimburse. If at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 6(a)(ii) effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.

 

 

7.                   Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in Section 6 hereof is for any reason unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount of such losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by such indemnified party, as incurred, (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and of the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions, that resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.

 

The relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company, on the one hand, and the total underwriting discount received by the Underwriters, on the other hand, in each case as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate public offering price of the Securities as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus.

 

The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

 

The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 7. The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 7 shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.

 

 

Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.

 

No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

 

For purposes of this Section 7, each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act and each Underwriter’s Affiliates and selling agents shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company, subject in each case to the preceding two paragraphs. The Underwriters’ respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are several in proportion to the number of Initial Securities set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule I and not joint.

 

8.                   Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive. All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or its Affiliates or selling agents, any person controlling any Underwriter, its officers or directors, any person controlling the Company and (ii) delivery of and payment for the Securities.

 

9.                   Termination of Agreement.

 

The Representative may terminate this Agreement, by notice to the Company, at any time at or prior to the Closing Time (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on, or by, as the case may be, any of the NYSE, the NYSE Amex LLC, the NASDAQ Stock Market, (ii) trading of any securities of the Company shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market, (iii) a material disruption in securities settlement, payment or clearance services in the United States shall have occurred, (iv) any moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by Federal or New York State authorities or (v) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities, or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis that, in the Representative’s judgment, is material and adverse and which, singly or together with any other event specified in this clause (v), makes it, in the Representative’s judgment, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offer, sale or delivery of the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus.

 

 

10.               Default by One or More of the Underwriters. If one or more of the Underwriters shall fail at Closing Time or a Date of Delivery to purchase the Securities which it or they are obligated to purchase under this Agreement (the “Defaulted Securities”), the Representative shall have the right, within 24 hours thereafter, to make arrangements for one or more of the non-defaulting Underwriters, or any other underwriters, to purchase all, but not less than all, of the Defaulted Securities in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms herein set forth; if, however, the Representative shall not have completed such arrangements within such 24-hour period, then:

  

(i)             if the principal amount of Defaulted Securities does not exceed 10% of the principal amount of Securities to be purchased on such date, each of the non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated, severally and not jointly, to purchase the full amount thereof in the proportions that their respective underwriting obligations hereunder bear to the underwriting obligations of all non-defaulting Underwriters, or

 

(ii)            if the principal amount of Defaulted Securities exceeds 10% of the principal amount of Securities to be purchased on such date, this Agreement or, with respect to any Date of Delivery which occurs after the Closing Time, the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase, and the Company to sell, the Option Securities to be purchased and sold on such Date of Delivery shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter.

 

No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of its default.

 

In the event of any such default which does not result in a termination of this Agreement or, in the case of a Date of Delivery which is after the Closing Time, which does not result in a termination of the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase and the Company to sell the relevant Option Securities, as the case may be, either the (i) Representative or (ii) the Company shall have the right to postpone Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements. As used herein, the term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section 10.

 

11.               Notices. All notices and communications hereunder shall be in writing and effective only upon receipt and (A) if to the Underwriters, shall be sufficient in all respects if delivered, mailed or sent to the Representative in care of Ladenburg ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. Inc., ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Attention: Equity Syndicate Desk (facsimile no. (▇▇▇)-▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇), with a copy to the Legal Department, with a copy to Blank Rome LLP, ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇ ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Attention: ▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Esq. (facsimile no. (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇); and (B) if to the Company, shall be sufficient in all respects if delivered, mailed or sent to the Company at the offices of the Company at ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇^▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇, with a copy to ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Bird LLP, ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ (facsimile no. ((▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇).

 

 

12.               Research Analyst Independence. The Company acknowledges that the Underwriters’ research analysts and research departments are required to be independent from their respective investment banking divisions and are subject to certain regulations and internal policies, and that such Underwriters’ research analysts may hold views and make statements or investment recommendations and/or publish research reports with respect to the Company and/or the offering of the Securities that differ from the views of their respective investment banking divisions. The Company hereby waives and releases, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that the Company may have against the Underwriters with respect to any conflict of interest that may arise from the fact that the views expressed by their independent research analysts and research departments may be different from or inconsistent with the views or advice communicated to the Company by such Underwriters’ investment banking divisions. The Company acknowledges that each of the Underwriters is a full service securities firm and as such from time to time, subject to applicable securities laws, may effect transactions for its own account or the account of its customers and hold long or short positions in debt or equity securities of the companies that may be the subject of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

13.               No Advisory or Fiduciary Relationship. The Company and its Subsidiaries acknowledge and agree that (a) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price of the Securities and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company and its Subsidiaries, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other hand, (b) in connection with the offering of the Securities and the process leading thereto, each Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, any of its Subsidiaries, or their respective stockholders, equity interest holders, creditors, employees or any other party, (c) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company or its Subsidiaries with respect to the offering of the Securities or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company or any of its Subsidiaries on other matters) and no Underwriter has any obligation to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries with respect to the offering of the Securities except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (d) the Underwriters and their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of each of the Company and its Subsidiaries, and (e) none of the Underwriters or legal counsel for the Underwriters has provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice to the Company or its Subsidiaries with respect to the offering of the Securities and the Company and its Subsidiaries have consulted their own respective legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent they deemed appropriate.

 

14.               Parties. This Agreement shall each inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters, the Company and their respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Underwriters, the Company and their respective successors and the controlling persons and officers and directors referred to in Sections 6 and 7 and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Underwriters, the Company and their respective successors, and said controlling persons and officers and directors and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.

 

 

15.               Trial by Jury. The Company (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its stockholders and affiliates) and each of the Underwriters hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

16.               Consent to Jurisdiction; Waiver of Immunity. Any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby (“Related Proceedings”) shall be instituted in (i) the federal courts of the United States of America located in the City and County of New York, Borough of Manhattan or (ii) the courts of the State of New York located in the City and County of New York, Borough of Manhattan (collectively, the “Specified Courts”), and each party hereto irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction (except for proceedings instituted in regard to the enforcement of a judgment of any such court (a “Related Judgment”), as to which such jurisdiction is non-exclusive) of such courts in any such suit, action or proceeding. Service of any process, summons, notice or document by mail to such party’s address set forth above shall be effective service of process for any suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court. The parties irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or other proceeding in the Specified Courts and irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim in any such court that any such suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.

 

17.               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, WITHOUT REGARD TO ITS CHOICE OF LAW PROVISIONS.

 

18.               TIME. TIME SHALL BE OF THE ESSENCE OF THIS AGREEMENT. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SET FORTH HEREIN, SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME.

 

19.               Partial Unenforceability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other Section, paragraph or provision hereof. If any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.

 

20.               Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same Agreement.

 

21.               Effect of Headings. The Section headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

 

[Signature page follows]

 

 

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the Company a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement among the Underwriters and the Company in accordance with its terms.

 

	Very truly yours,
	TERRA PROPERTY TRUST, INC.
	By:
		Name:
		Title:

 

  

Accepted:

 

Ladenburg ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. Inc.

 

For itself and as Representative
of the several Underwriters named
in Schedule I

  

By:
	Authorized Representative

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]

 

  

SCHEDULE I

 

The public offering price per Note shall be $25.00.

 

The purchase price per Note to be paid by the several Underwriters shall be $[•], being an amount equal to the public offering price set forth above less $[•] per share, subject to adjustment in accordance with Section 2(b) for interest payable on the Initial Securities but not payable on the Option Securities.

 

Underwriters			Principal Amount of Initial Securities
Ladenburg ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. Inc.		$
Total		$

 

 

 

 

 

 

SCHEDULE II

 

ORALLY CONVEYED PRICING INFORMATION

 

1. The Company is selling $[•] principal amount of Notes.

 

2. The Company has granted an option to the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, to purchase up to an additional $[•] principal amount of Notes.

 

3. The public offering price per Note is $25.00.

 

FREE WRITING PROSPECTUS

 

None.

 

 

EXHIBIT A-1

 

[FORM OF OPINION OF COUNSEL FOR THE COMPANY]

 

  

▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇-▇

 

[FORM OF NEGATIVE ASSURANCE LETTER OF COUNSEL FOR THE COMPANY]

 

 

▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇-▇

 

[FORM OF REIT TAX OPINION OF COUNSEL OF THE COMPANY]

 

 

EXHIBIT B

 

[FORM OF OPINION OF MARYLAND COUNSEL FOR THE COMPANY]

 

 

EXHIBIT C-1

 

CERTIFICATE OF THE COMPANY

 

TERRA PROPERTY TRUST, INC.

 

OFFICERS’ CERTIFICATE

 

[•], 2021

 

The undersigned, the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of Terra Property Trust, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), pursuant to Section 5(h) of the Underwriting Agreement, dated as of [•], 2021 (the “Underwriting Agreement”), by and among the Company and Ladenburg ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. Inc., as representative of the several underwriters listed in Schedule I thereto (collectively, the “Underwriters”), providing for the sale by the Company to the Underwriters of (i) $[•] principal amount of [•]% Notes due 20[•] (the “Notes”), of the Company and (ii) up to an additional $[•] principal amount of Notes, hereby certify that they are authorized to execute this Officers’ Certificate in the name and on behalf of the Company. Each of the undersigned also hereby certifies that:

 

(i)

the representations and warranties of the Company in Section 1(a) of the Underwriting Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made as of the date hereof;

 

(ii)

the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied under the Underwriting Agreement at or prior to the date hereof;

 

(iii)

no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, has been issued, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to their knowledge, contemplated; and

 

(iv)

there has not been, since the date of the Underwriting Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, any Material Adverse Effect.

 

Each of ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Bird, LLP, counsel to the Company, and Blank Rome LLP, counsel to the Underwriters, is entitled to rely upon this Officers’ Certificate in connection with the respective opinions given by such firms pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement.

 

Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Underwriting Agreement.

 

[Signature page follows]

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, we have hereunto set our hands as of the date first written above.

 

	By:
	Name:
	Title:
	By:
	Name:
	Title:

 

 

EXHIBIT C-2

 

CERTIFICATE OF THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

 

TERRA PROPERTY TRUST, INC.

 

[•], 2021

 

Pursuant to Section 5(i) of the Underwriting Agreement, dated [•], 2020 (the “Underwriting Agreement”), by and among Terra Property Trust, Inc, a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), and Ladenburg ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. Inc., as representative of the several underwriters listed in Schedule I thereto (collectively, the “Underwriters”), on the other hand, the undersigned, ▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, hereby certifies that:

 

1.

As the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, (A) I am responsible for the Company’s accounting and financial matters, (B) I am familiar with the Company’s internal accounting records and all of the audited and unaudited financial statements, including any pro forma financial statements, that are included in the preliminary prospectus supplement, dated [•], 2021 (the “Preliminary Prospectus Supplement”), and (C) I am familiar with and responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in 1934 Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in 1934 Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)).

 

2.

I have been actively involved in the preparation of the financial data included in the Company’s Preliminary Prospectus Supplement.

 

3.

I certify that since the preparation of the financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2020, (a) there has been no change in the internal control over financial reporting of the Company that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the internal control over financial reporting of the Company and (b) the Company has not changed in any material respect any of its principal accounting policies.

 

4.

I have supervised the compilation of the pro forma financial statements and the related notes thereto included and incorporated by reference into in the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement and certify that such pro forma financial statements and related notes present fairly in all material respects the information shown therein, have been prepared in accordance with the rules and guidelines of the Securities and Exchange Commission with respect to pro forma financial statements and have been properly compiled on the bases described therein, and the assumptions used in the preparation thereof are reasonable and the adjustments used therein are appropriate to give effect to the transactions and circumstances referred to therein.

 

 

5.

I have reviewed the information circled on Exhibit A hereto (the “Circled Information”), which information is included in the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement.  As of the Applicable Time and subject to the information included on Schedule III to the Underwriting Agreement, the Circled Information: (i) has been derived from the financial and accounting records of the Company and its Subsidiaries (or schedules prepared by the Company’s management therefrom) and is true, accurate and correct in all material respects; and/or (ii) has been derived from the internal records or schedules of the Company and its Subsidiaries and is true, accurate and correct in all material respects, in each case, as applicable.

 

6.

Since the Applicable Time and subject to the information included on Schedule III to the Underwriting Agreement, nothing has come to our attention that caused us to believe that the Circled Information, as of the Applicable Time, was not true, correct and accurate, in each case in all material respects.

 

Unless otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms used in this Certificate shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Underwriting Agreement.

 

This Certificate is to assist the Underwriters and their counsel in conducting and documenting their investigation of the affairs of the Company in connection with the offer and sale of the Securities. Each of ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Bird, LLP, counsel to the Company, and Blank Rome LLP, counsel to the Underwriters, is entitled to rely upon this Certificate in connection with the respective opinions given by such firms pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, we have hereunto set our hands as of the date first written above.

 

	By:
	Name:
	Title: