Norfolk Southern Corporation 6% Senior Notes due 2105 UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT August 23, 2010
Exhibit 1.1
Norfolk Southern Corporation
$250,000,000
6% Senior Notes due 2105
August 23, 2010
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co.
August 23, 2010
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, SACHS & CO.
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
As Representative of the several Underwriters
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Norfolk Southern Corporation, a Virginia corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the several underwriters named in Schedule A (the “Underwriters”), for whom you are acting as representative (the “Representative”), $250,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 6% Senior Notes due 2105 (the “Notes”).
Except for the issue date, issue price, first date of interest accrual and first interest payment date, the Notes will have the same terms as, be fully fungible with, rank equally with and form a single series of debt securities with the $300,000,000 6% Senior Notes due 2105 initially issued by the Company on March 11, 2005 (the "Initial Notes"), and will have the same CUSIP number assigned to the Initial Notes.
The Initial Notes were issued pursuant to an indenture, dated as of January 15, 1991 (the "Original Indenture") between the Company and U.S. Bank Trust National Association (formerly known as First Trust of New York National Association; and successor trustee to ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Guaranty Trust Company of New York), as trustee (the "Trustee"), as supplemented by the First Supplemental Indenture, dated May 19, 1997, the Second Supplemental Indenture, dated April 26, 1999, the Third Supplemental Indenture, dated May 23, 2000, the Fourth Supplemental Indenture, dated February 6, 2001, the Sixth Supplemental Indenture, dated April 30, 2002, the Eighth Supplemental Indenture, dated September 17, 2004 and the Ninth Supplemental Indenture dated March 11, 2005, in each case between the Company and the Trustee (all such supplemental indentures, collectively, the "Initial Supplemental Indentures," and together with the Original Indenture, the "Initial Notes Indenture").
The Notes will be issued as part of the same series of debt securities as the Initial Notes pursuant to the Original Indenture, as supplemented by the Initial Supplemental Indentures, the Tenth Supplemental Indenture dated May 17, 2005 (the "Tenth Supplemental Indenture") and the Eleventh Supplemental Indenture, dated May 17, 2005 (the "Eleventh Supplemental Indenture"), in each case between the Company and the Trustee and a Twelfth Supplemental Indenture to the Original Indenture to be entered into between the Company and the Trustee on or prior to the Closing Date (as defined in Section 2(b) hereof) (the "Twelfth Supplemental Indenture," together with the Original Indenture, the Initial Supplemental Indentures, the Tenth Supplemental Indenture and the Eleventh Supplemental Indenture, the "Indenture").
The Notes will be issued in book-entry form in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee of The Depository Trust Company (the “Depositary”), pursuant to a blanket Letter of Representations on file with the Depositary (the “DTC Agreement”), among the Company, the Trustee and the Depositary.
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The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-158240) as amended by Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 thereto ("Amendment No. 1"), which contains a base prospectus (the “Base Prospectus”), to be used in connection with the public offering and sale of debt securities, including the Notes, and other securities of the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”), and the offering thereof from time to time in accordance with Rule 415 under the Securities Act. Such registration statement, including the financial statements, exhibits and schedules thereto, in the form in which it became effective under the Securities Act, as amended by Amendment No.1, including the exhibits thereto, in the form in which Amendment No. 1 became effective under the Securities Act, including any required information deemed to be a part thereof at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430B under the Securities Act, is called the “Registration Statement.” Any registration statement filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act is called the “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement” and from and after the date and time of filing of the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement the term “Registration Statement” shall include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. The term “Prospectus” shall mean the final prospectus supplement relating to the Notes, together with the Base Prospectus, that is first filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) after the date and time that this Agreement is executed (the “Execution Time”) by the parties hereto. The term “Preliminary Prospectus” shall mean any preliminary prospectus supplement relating to the Notes, together with the Base Prospectus, that is first filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b). Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents that are or are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act prior to 4:10 p.m. on August 23, 2010 (the “Initial Sale Time”). All references in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing, shall include any copy thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System (“▇▇▇▇▇”).
All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is “contained,” “included” or “stated” (or other references of like import) in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Preliminary Prospectus shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information which is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Preliminary Prospectus, as the case may be, prior to the Initial Sale Time; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Preliminary Prospectus shall be deemed to include the filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”), which is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Preliminary Prospectus, as the case may be, after the Initial Sale Time.
The Company hereby confirms its agreements with the Underwriters as follows:
Section 1. Representations and Warranties of the Company
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The Company hereby represents, warrants and covenants to each Underwriter as of the date hereof, as of the Initial Sale Time and as of the Closing Date (in each case, a “Representation Date”), as follows:
a) Compliance with Registration Requirements. The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the Securities Act. The Registration Statement has become effective under the Securities Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued under the Securities Act and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, are contemplated or threatened by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information has been complied with. In addition, the Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Trust Indenture Act”).
At the respective times the Registration Statement became effective and at each Representation Date, the Registration Statement (i) complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Trust Indenture Act, and (ii) did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. At the date of the Prospectus and at the Closing Date, neither the Prospectus nor any amendments or supplements thereto included or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the representations and warranties in this subsection shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment or the Prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto made in reliance upon and in conformity with Underwriter Information (as defined below).
Each Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, at the time each was filed with the Commission, complied in all material respects with the Securities Act, and the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offering of the Notes will, at the time of such delivery, be identical to any electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission via ▇▇▇▇▇, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
b) Disclosure Package. The term “Disclosure Package” shall mean (i) the Preliminary Prospectus dated August 23, 2010, (ii) any issuer free writing prospectuses as defined in Rule 433 of the Securities Act (each, an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”) identified in Exhibit B hereto and (iii) any other free writing prospectus that the parties hereto shall hereafter expressly agree in writing to treat as part of the Disclosure Package. As of the Initial Sale Time, the Disclosure Package did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from the Disclosure Package based upon and in conformity with Underwriter Information.
c) Incorporated Documents. The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the
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Prospectus (i) at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied or will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act and (ii) when read together with the other information in the Disclosure Package, at the Initial Sale Time, and when read together with the other information in the Prospectus, at the date of the Prospectus and at the Closing Date, did not or will not include 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 under which they were made, not misleading.
d) Company is a Well-Known Seasoned Issuer. (i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement, (ii) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or form of prospectus), (iii) at the time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c) of the Securities Act) made any offer relating to the Notes in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163 of the Securities Act, and (iv) as of the Execution Time, the Company was and is a “well known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. The Registration Statement is an “automatic shelf registration statement,” as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act, that automatically became effective not more than three years prior to the Execution Time; the Company has not received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) of the Securities Act objecting to use of the automatic shelf registration statement form and the Company has not otherwise ceased to be eligible to use the automatic shelf registration form.
e) Company is not an Ineligible Issuer. (i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement and (ii) as of the Execution Time (with such date being used as the determination date for purposes of this clause (ii)), the Company was not and is not an Ineligible Issuer (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act), without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 of the Securities Act that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an Ineligible Issuer.
f) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the offering of Notes under this Agreement or until any earlier date that the Company notified or notifies the Representative as described in the next sentence, did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus. 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 Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus the Company has promptly notified or will promptly notify the Representative and has promptly amended or supplemented or will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict. The foregoing two sentences do not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus based upon and in conformity with Underwriter Information.
g) Distribution of Offering Material By the Company. The Company has not distributed and will not distribute, prior to the later of the Closing Date and the completion of the
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Underwriters’ distribution of the Notes, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Notes other than the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus reviewed and consented to by the Representative and included in Exhibit B hereto or the Registration Statement.
h) No Applicable Registration or Other Similar Rights. There are no persons with registration or other similar rights to have any equity or debt securities registered for sale under the Registration Statement or included in the offering contemplated by this Agreement, except for such rights as have been duly waived.
i) The Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
j) Authorization of the Indenture. The Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act. The Initial Notes Indenture, the Tenth Supplemental Indenture and the Eleventh Supplemental Indenture have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and constitute valid and binding agreements of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by general equitable principles. Prior to the issuance of the Notes at the Closing Date, the Indenture shall have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and, upon such authorization, execution and delivery, shall constitute a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by general equitable principles.
k) Authorization of the Notes. The Notes to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Company are in the form contemplated by the Indenture, have been duly authorized for issuance and sale pursuant to this Agreement and the Indenture and, at the Closing Date, will have been duly executed by the Company and, when authenticated in the manner provided for in the Indenture and delivered against payment of the purchase price therefore, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by general equitable principles, and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.
l) Description of the Notes and the Indenture. The Notes and the Indenture conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
m) Accuracy of Statements in Prospectus. The statements in each of the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus under the captions "Description of the Notes" and "Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences to Non-U.S. Holders," in each case insofar as such statements constitute a summary of the legal matters, documents or proceedings referred to therein, fairly present and summarize, in all material respects, the matters referred to therein.
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n) No Material Adverse Change. Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus there has not been any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the general affairs, management, financial position, shareholders' equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
o) Independent Accountants. KPMG LLP, who have certified the financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries and supporting schedules incorporated by reference in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are independent public accountants with respect to the Company as required by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and are an independent registered public accounting firm with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.
p) Preparation of the Financial Statements. The financial statements together with the related notes thereto, incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus present fairly the consolidated financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries as of and at the dates indicated and the results of their operations and cash flows for the periods specified. Such financial statements comply as to form with the accounting requirements of the Securities Act and have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles as applied in the United States ("GAAP") applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved, except as may be expressly stated in the related notes thereto. No other financial statements are required to be included in the Registration Statement. The selected financial data and the summary financial information included in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus. In addition, if any pro forma financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries and the related notes thereto are included in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, such pro forma financial statements and related notes present fairly the information shown therein, have been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines 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.
q) Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, with corporate power and authority to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and the Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or the ownership of its property requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect (as defined herein) or adversely affect its ability to perform its obligations with respect to, or the enforceability of, the Notes or its business or financial condition.
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r) Capitalization. The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable, and all of the issued shares of capital stock of Norfolk Southern Railway Company ("NSR") owned by the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable, and (except for directors' qualifying shares) are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims other than agreements relating to joint venture companies.
s) Absence of Defaults and Conflicts. The issue and sale of the Notes and the compliance by the Company with all of the provisions of the Notes, the Indenture, this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated will not conflict with or result in a breach of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any of the property or assets of the Company or NSR pursuant to the terms of any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or NSR is a party or by which the Company or NSR is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or NSR is subject, other than those conflicts, breaches or defaults that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the financial condition, earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business (a "Material Adverse Effect"), or violate any statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or NSR or any of their properties other than those violations that would not have a Material Adverse Effect, nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the Restated Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws of the Company; and no consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any such court or governmental agency or body is required for the issue and sale of the Notes or the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby, by the Disclosure Package or by the Prospectus, except such as have been obtained or made by the Company and are in full force and effect under the Securities Act, applicable state securities or blue sky laws and from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (the “FINRA”). No event of default or default with notice and/or lapse of time that would constitute an event of default in respect of the Initial Notes has occurred and is continuing.
t) Absence of Proceedings. There are no legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject which is required to be described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the Securities Act which is not described in the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus; the legal or governmental proceedings not so described are proceedings incidental to the kind of business conducted by the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise which will not individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect; and there is no material contract or other material document of a character which is required to be described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the Securities Act which are not described in the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus.
u) No Conflict with OFAC Laws. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the
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Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds, to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.
v) ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Compliance. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company and any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with any provision of the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith (the “▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act”), including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.
w) Internal Controls and Procedures. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain effective internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act. The Company maintains a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability; (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.
x) No Material Weakness in Internal Controls. Except as disclosed in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or in any document incorporated by reference therein, since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (i) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (ii) 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.
y) Accuracy of Exhibits. There are no franchises, contracts or documents which are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or the documents incorporated by reference therein or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement which have not been so described and filed as required.
z) USA Patriot Act Acknowledgement. The Company acknowledges that in accordance with the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)), the underwriters are required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies their respective clients, including the Company, which information may include the name and address of their respective clients, as well as other information that will allow the underwriters to properly identify their respective clients.
Any certificate signed by an officer of the Company and delivered to the Representative or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriter as to the matters set forth therein.
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Section 2. Purchase, Sale and Delivery of the Notes.
a) The Notes. The Company agrees to issue and sell to the several Underwriters, severally and not jointly, all of the Notes upon the terms herein set forth. On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, and upon the terms but subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Underwriters agree, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company the aggregate principal amount of Notes set forth opposite their names on Schedule A at a purchase price of 99.833% of the principal amount of the Notes plus accrued interest on the Notes from March 15, 2010, payable on the Closing Date.
b) The Closing Date. Delivery of certificates for the Notes in global form to be purchased by the Underwriters and payment therefore shall be made at the offices of Sidley Austin LLP, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ (or such other place as may be agreed to by the Company and the Representative) at 9:00 a.m., New York City time, on August 26, 2010, or such other time and date as the Underwriters and the Company shall mutually agree (the time and date of such closing are called the “Closing Date”).
c) Public Offering of the Notes. The Representative hereby advises the Company that the Underwriters intend to offer for sale to the public, as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, their respective portions of the Notes as soon after the Execution Time as the Representative, in its sole judgment, have determined is advisable and practicable.
d) Payment for the Notes. Payment for the Notes shall be made at the Closing Date by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the order of the Company.
It is understood that the Representative has been authorized, for its own accounts and for the accounts of the several Underwriters, to accept delivery of and receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Notes that the Underwriters have agreed to purchase. The Representative may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment for any Notes to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds shall not have been received by the Representative by the Closing Date for the account of such Underwriter, but any such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from any of its obligations under this Agreement.
e) Delivery of the Notes. The Company shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Representative for the accounts of the several Underwriters certificates for the Notes at the Closing Date, against the irrevocable release of a wire transfer of immediately available funds for the amount of the purchase price therefore. The certificates for the Notes shall be in such denominations and registered in such names and denominations as the Representative shall have requested at least two full business days prior to the Closing Date and shall be made available for inspection on the business day preceding the Closing Date at a location in New York City, as the Representative may designate. Time shall be of the essence, and delivery at the time and place specified in this Agreement is a further condition to the obligations of the Underwriters.
Section 3. Covenants of the Company.
The Company covenants and agrees with each Underwriter as follows:
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a) Compliance with Securities Regulations and Commission Requests. The Company, subject to Section 3(b), will comply with the requirements of Rule 430B of the Securities Act, and will promptly notify the Representative, and confirm the notice in writing, of (i) the effectiveness during the Prospectus Delivery Period (as defined below) of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or the filing of any supplement or amendment to the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, (ii) the receipt of any comments from the Commission during the Prospectus Delivery Period, (iii) any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or for additional information, and (iv) the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any order preventing or suspending the use of the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Notes for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes. The Company will promptly effect the filings necessary pursuant to Rule 424 and will take such steps as it deems necessary to ascertain promptly whether the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 424 was received for filing by the Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly file such document. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order and, if any stop order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment.
b) Filing of Amendments. During such period beginning on the date of this Agreement and ending on the later of the Closing Date or such date as, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, the Prospectus is no longer required by law to be delivered in connection with sales of the Notes by an Underwriter or dealer, including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 of the Securities Act (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”), the Company will give the Representative notice of its intention to file or prepare any amendment to the Registration Statement (including any filing under Rule 462(b) of the Securities Act), or any amendment, supplement or revision to the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, whether pursuant to the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, will furnish the Representative with copies of any such documents a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing or use, as the case may be, and will not file or use any such document to which the Representative or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object.
c) Delivery of Registration Statements. The Company has furnished or will deliver to the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed therewith or incorporated by reference therein and documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein) and signed copies of all consents and certificates of experts, and will also deliver to the Representative, without charge, a conformed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto (without exhibits) for each of the Underwriters. The Registration Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to any electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission via ▇▇▇▇▇, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
d) Delivery of Prospectuses. The Company will deliver to each Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of the Preliminary Prospectus as such Underwriter may reasonably request, and the Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes
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permitted by the Securities Act. The Company will furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, during the Prospectus Delivery Period, such number of copies of the Prospectus as such Underwriter may reasonably request. The Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to any electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission via ▇▇▇▇▇, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
e) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. The Company will comply with the Securities Act and the Exchange Act so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Notes as contemplated in this Agreement and in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. If at any time during the Prospectus Delivery Period, any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters or for the Company, to amend the Registration Statement in order that the Registration Statement will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or to amend or supplement the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order that the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, will not include 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 Initial Sale Time or at the time it is delivered or conveyed to a purchaser, not misleading, or if it shall be necessary, in the opinion of either such counsel, at any such time to amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order to comply with the requirements of any law, the Company will (1) notify the Representative of any such event, development or condition and (2) promptly prepare and file with the Commission, subject to Section 3(b) hereof, such amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus comply with such law, and the Company will furnish to the Underwriters, without charge, such number of copies of such amendment or supplement as the Underwriters may reasonably request.
f) Blue Sky Compliance. The Company shall cooperate with the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters to qualify or register the Notes for sale under (or obtain exemptions from the application of) the state securities or blue sky laws of those jurisdictions designated by the Representative, shall comply with such laws and shall continue such qualifications, registrations and exemptions in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Notes. The Company shall not be required to qualify to transact business or to take any action that would subject it to general service of process in any such jurisdiction where it is not presently qualified. The Company will advise the Representative promptly of the suspension of the qualification or registration of (or any such exemption relating to) the Notes for offering, sale or trading in any jurisdiction or any initiation or threat of any proceeding for any such purpose, and in the event of the issuance of any order suspending such qualification, registration or exemption, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to obtain the withdrawal thereof at the earliest possible moment.
g) Use of Proceeds. The Company shall apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Notes sold by it in the manner described under the caption “Use of Proceeds” in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus.
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h) Depositary. The Company will cooperate with the Underwriters and use its best efforts to permit the Notes to be eligible for clearance and settlement through the facilities of the Depositary.
i) Periodic Reporting Obligations. During the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company shall file, on a timely basis, with the Commission and the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") all reports and documents required to be filed under the Exchange Act.
j) Agreement Not to Offer or Sell Additional Securities. During the period commencing on the date hereof and ending on the Closing Date, the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Representative (which consent may be withheld at the sole discretion of the Representative), directly or indirectly, sell, offer, contract or grant any option to sell, pledge, transfer or establish an open “put equivalent position” within the meaning of Rule 16a-1(h) under the Exchange Act, or otherwise dispose of or transfer, or announce the offering of, or file any registration statement under the Securities Act in respect of, any debt securities of the Company substantially similar to the Notes or securities exchangeable for or convertible into debt securities substantially similar to the Notes (other than as contemplated by this Agreement with respect to the Notes).
k) Final Term Sheet. The Company will prepare a final term sheet containing only a description of the Notes, in a form approved by the Underwriters and substantially in the form attached as Exhibit C hereto (but including the expected ratings of the Notes), and will file such term sheet pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act within the time required by such rule (such term sheet, the “Final Term Sheet”). Any such Final Term Sheet is an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus for purposes of this Agreement.
l) Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company represents that it has not made, and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Representative, it will not make, any offer relating to the Notes that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act) required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433 of the Securities Act; provided that the prior written consent of the Representative shall be deemed to have been given in respect of any Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses included in Exhibit B to this Agreement. Any such free writing prospectus consented to or deemed to be consented to by the Representative is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company agrees that (i) it has treated and will treat, as the case may be, each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and (ii) has complied and will comply, as the case may be, with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 of the Securities Act applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including in respect of timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping. The Company consents to the use by any Underwriter of a free writing prospectus that (a) is not an “issuer free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 433, and (b) contains only (i) information describing the preliminary terms of the Notes or their offering, (ii) information permitted by Rule 134 under the Securities Act or (iii) information that describes the final terms of the Notes or their offering and that is included in the Final Term Sheet of the Company contemplated in Section 3(k) or (iv) customary pricing terms.
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m) Registration Statement Renewal Deadline. If immediately prior to the third anniversary (the “Renewal Deadline”) of the initial effective date of the Registration Statement, any of the Notes remain unsold by the Underwriters, the Company will prior to the Renewal Deadline file, if it has not already done so and is eligible to do so, a new automatic shelf registration statement relating to the Notes, in a form satisfactory to the Representative. If the Company is no longer eligible to file an automatic shelf registration statement, the Company will prior to the Renewal Deadline, if it has not already done so, file a new shelf registration statement relating to the Notes, in a form satisfactory to the Representative, and will use its reasonable best efforts to cause such registration statement to be declared effective within 60 days after the Renewal Deadline. The Company will take all other action necessary or appropriate to permit the public offering and sale of the Notes to continue as contemplated in the expired registration statement relating to the Notes. References herein to the Registration Statement shall include such new automatic shelf registration statement or such new shelf registration statement, as the case may be.
n) Notice of Inability to Use Automatic Shelf Registration Statement Form. If at any time during the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company receives from the Commission a notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) or otherwise ceases to be eligible to use the automatic shelf registration statement form, the Company will (i) promptly notify the Representative, (ii) promptly file a new registration statement or post-effective amendment on the proper form relating to the Notes, in a form satisfactory to the Representative, (iii) use its reasonable best efforts to cause such registration statement of post-effective amendment to be declared effective and (iv) promptly notify the Representative of such effectiveness. The Company will take all other action necessary or appropriate to permit the public offering and sale of the Notes to continue as contemplated in the registration statement that was the subject of the Rule 401(g)(2) notice or for which the Company has otherwise become ineligible. References herein to the Registration Statement shall include such new registration statement or post-effective amendment, as the case may be.
o) Filing Fees. The Company agrees to pay the required Commission filing fees relating to the Notes within the time required by and in accordance with Rule 456(b)(1) and 457(r) of the Securities Act.
p) Compliance with ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act. The Company will comply with all applicable securities and other laws, rules and regulations, including, without limitation, the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act, and use its reasonable best efforts to cause the Company’s directors and officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with such laws, rules and regulations, including, without limitation, the provisions of the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act.
The Representative, on behalf of the several Underwriters, may, in its sole discretion, waive in writing the performance by the Company of any one or more of the foregoing covenants or extend the time for their performance.
Section 4. Payment of Expenses. The Company agrees to pay all costs, fees and expenses incurred in connection with the performance of its obligations hereunder and in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including without limitation (i) all expenses incident to the issuance and delivery of the Notes (including all printing and engraving
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costs), (ii) all necessary issue, transfer and other stamp taxes in connection with the issuance and sale of the Notes, (iii) all fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel, independent public or certified public accountants and other advisors to the Company, (iv) all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation, printing, filing, shipping and distribution of the Registration Statement (including financial statements, exhibits, schedules, consents and certificates of experts), each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, and all amendments and supplements thereto, and this Agreement, the Indenture, the DTC Agreement and the Notes, (v) all filing fees, reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred by the Company or the Underwriters in connection with qualifying or registering (or obtaining exemptions from the qualification or registration of) all or any part of the Notes for offer and sale under the state securities or blue sky laws, and, if requested by the Representative, preparing a “Blue Sky Survey” or memorandum, and any supplements thereto, advising the Underwriters of such qualifications, registrations and exemptions, (vi) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters in connection with, the review, if any, by the FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Notes, (vii) the fees and expenses of the Trustee, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Trustee in connection with the Indenture and the Notes, (viii) any fees payable in connection with the rating of the Notes with the ratings agencies, (ix) all fees and expenses (including reasonable fees and expenses of counsel) of the Company in connection with approval of the Notes by the Depositary for “book-entry” transfer, (x) all other fees, costs and expenses referred to in Item 14 of Part II of the Registration Statement, and (xi) all other fees, costs and expenses incurred in connection with the performance of its obligations hereunder for which provision is not otherwise made in this Section. Except as provided in this Section 4 and Sections 6, 8 and 9 hereof, the Underwriters shall pay their own expenses, including the fees and disbursements of their counsel.
Section 5. Conditions of the Obligations of the Underwriters. The obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Notes as provided herein on the Closing Date shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company set forth in Section 1 hereof as of the date hereof, as of the Initial Sale Time, and as of the Closing Date as though then made and to the timely performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to each of the following additional conditions:
a) Effectiveness of Registration Statement. The Registration Statement shall have become effective under the Securities Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued under the Securities Act and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or be pending or threatened by the Commission, any request on the part of the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of counsel to the Underwriters and the Company shall not have received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) of the Securities Act objecting to use of the automatic shelf registration statement form. The Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission in accordance with Rule 424(b) (or any required post-effective amendment providing such information shall have been filed and declared effective in accordance with the requirements of Rule 430A).
b) Accountants’ Comfort Letter. On the date hereof, the Representative shall have received from KPMG LLP, independent registered public accountants for the Company, a letter dated the date hereof addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance satisfactory to the
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Representative with respect to the audited and unaudited financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus.
c) Bring-down Comfort Letter. On the Closing Date, the Representative shall have received from KPMG LLP, independent public or certified public accountants for the Company, a letter dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representative, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished by them pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section 5, except that the specified date referred to therein for the carrying out of procedures shall be no more than three business days prior to the Closing Date.
d) No Material Adverse Change or Ratings Agency Change. For the period from and after the date of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date:
(i) in the judgment of the Representative there shall not have occurred any material adverse change;
(ii) there shall not have been any change or decrease specified in the letter or letters referred to in paragraph (b) of this Section 5 which is, in the sole judgment of the Representative, so material and adverse as to make it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or delivery of the Notes as contemplated by the Prospectus; and
(iii) there shall not have occurred any downgrading, nor shall any notice have been given of any intended or potential downgrading or of any review for a possible change that does not indicate the direction of the possible change, in the rating accorded any securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” as such term is defined for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Securities Act.
e) Opinions of Counsel for the Company. On the Closing Date, the Representative shall have received the favorable opinion of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Esq., Vice President – Law of the Company, dated as of such Closing Date, the form of which is attached as Exhibit A-1, and the opinions of Skadden, Arps, Slate, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇, LLP, counsel to the Company, the forms of which are attached as Exhibit A-2.
f) Opinion of Counsel for the Underwriters. On the Closing Date, the Representative shall have received the favorable opinion of Sidley Austin LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated as of such Closing Date, with respect to such matters as may be reasonably requested by the Underwriters.
g) Officers’ Certificate. On the Closing Date, the Representative shall have received a written certificate executed by the Chairman of the Board or the Chief Executive Officer or an Executive Vice President of the Company and the Chief Financial Officer or Chief Accounting Officer of the Company, dated as of such Closing Date, to the effect that:
(i) the Company has received no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or threatened by the Commission;
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(ii) the Company has not received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) of the Securities Act objecting to use of the automatic shelf registration statement form;
(iii) the representations, warranties and covenants of the Company set forth in Section 1 of this Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made on and as of such Closing Date;
(iv) the Company has complied with all the agreements hereunder and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such Closing Date; and
(v) no event of default or default with notice and/or lapse of time that would be an event of default in respect of the Initial Notes has occurred and is continuing.
h) Additional Documents. On or before the Closing Date, the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters shall have received such information, documents and opinions as they may reasonably require for the purposes of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Notes as contemplated herein, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations and warranties, or the satisfaction of any of the conditions or agreements, herein contained.
If any condition specified in this Section 5 is not satisfied when and as required to be satisfied, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representative by notice to the Company at any time on or prior to the Closing Date, which termination shall be without liability on the part of any party to any other party, except that Sections 4, 6, 8, 9 and 17 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.
Section 6. Reimbursement of Underwriters’ Expenses. If this Agreement is terminated by the Representative pursuant to Section 5, 10 or 11, or if the sale to the Underwriters of the Notes on the Closing Date is not consummated because of any refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company to perform any agreement herein or to comply with any provision hereof, the Company agrees to reimburse the Representative and the other Underwriter (or such Underwriters as have terminated this Agreement with respect to themselves), severally, upon demand for all out-of-pocket expenses that shall have been reasonably incurred by the Representative and the Underwriters in connection with the proposed purchase and the offering and sale of the Notes, including but not limited to fees and disbursements of counsel, printing expenses, travel expenses, postage, facsimile and telephone charges.
Section 7. Effectiveness of this Agreement. This Agreement shall not become effective until the execution of this Agreement by the parties hereto.
Section 8. Indemnification.
(a) Indemnification of the Underwriters. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its directors, officers, employees and agents, and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which such Underwriter or
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such director, officer, employee, agent or controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, or at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation, if such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company), insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based (i) upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, or any amendment thereto, 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 (ii) upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and to reimburse each Underwriter and each such director, officer, employee, agent and controlling person for any and all expenses (including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by the Representative) as such expenses are reasonably incurred by such Underwriter or such director, officer, employee, agent or controlling person in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action; provided, however, that the foregoing indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense to the extent, but only to the extent, arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with Underwriter Information. The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 8(a) shall be in addition to any liabilities that the Company may otherwise have. The term “Underwriter Information” shall mean written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Preliminary Prospectus and/or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto). The Company hereby acknowledges that Underwriter Information shall consist only of the statements set forth in the seven and the eighth paragraphs under the caption "Underwriting" in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus.
(b) Indemnification of the Company, its Directors and Officers. Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which the Company or any such director, officer or controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, or at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation, if such settlement is effected with the written consent of such Underwriter), insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based (i) upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, or any amendment thereto, 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 (ii) upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were
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made, not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with Underwriter Information; and to reimburse the Company, or any such director, officer or controlling person for any legal and other expense reasonably incurred by the Company, or any such director, officer or controlling person in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action. The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 8(b) shall be in addition to any liabilities that each Underwriter may otherwise have.
(c) Notifications and Other Indemnification Procedures. Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 8 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against an indemnifying party under this Section 8, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof, but the omission so to notify the indemnifying party will not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party for contribution or otherwise than under the indemnity agreement contained in this Section 8 or to the extent it is not prejudiced as a proximate result of such failure. In case any such action is brought against any indemnified party and such indemnified party seeks or intends to seek indemnity from an indemnifying party, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate in, and, to the extent that it shall elect, jointly with all other indemnifying parties similarly notified, by written notice delivered to the indemnified party, to assume the defense thereof with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party; provided, however, such indemnified party shall have the right to employ its own counsel in any such action and to participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party, unless: (i) the employment of such counsel has been specifically authorized in writing by the indemnifying party; (ii) the indemnifying party has failed promptly to assume the defense and employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party; or (iii) the named parties to any such action (including any impleaded parties) include both such indemnified party and the indemnifying party or any affiliate of the indemnifying party, and such indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that either (x) there may be one or more legal defenses available to it which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party or such affiliate of the indemnifying party or (y) a conflict may exist between such indemnified party and the indemnifying party or such affiliate of the indemnifying party (it being understood, however, that the indemnifying party shall not, in connection with any one such action or separate but substantially similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm of attorneys (in addition to a single firm of local counsel) for all such indemnified parties, which firm shall be designated in writing by ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. and that all such reasonable fees and expenses shall be reimbursed as they are incurred). Upon receipt of notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of such indemnifying party’s election so to assume the defense of such action and approval by the indemnified party of counsel, the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party under this Section 8 for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof unless the indemnified party shall have employed separate counsel in accordance with the proviso to the next preceding sentence, in which case the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel shall be at the expense of the indemnifying party.
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(d) Settlements. The indemnifying party under this Section 8 shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by Section 8(c) hereof, the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request and (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement, compromise or consent to the entry of judgment in any pending or threatened action, suit or proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity was or could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such action, suit or proceeding 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.
Section 9. Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in Section 8 is for any reason held to be unavailable to or otherwise insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount paid or payable by such indemnified party, as incurred, as a result of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein (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 Notes pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above 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 the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages, liabilities 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 Notes pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Notes pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company, and the total underwriting discount received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth on the front cover page of the Prospectus bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of the Notes as set forth on such cover. 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, on the one hand, or the Underwriters, on the other hand, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
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The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses referred to above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth in Section 8(c), any reasonable legal or other fees or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with investigating or defending any action or claim.
The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 9 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 in this Section 9.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 9, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting commissions received by such Underwriter in connection with the Notes underwritten by it and distributed to the public. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 9 are several, and not joint, in proportion to their respective underwriting commitments as set forth opposite their names in Schedule A. For purposes of this Section 9, each director, officer, employee and agent of an Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company with the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company.
Section 10. Default of One or More of the Several Underwriters. If, on the Closing Date, any one or more of the several Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Notes that it or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, and the aggregate principal amount of Notes, which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase does not exceed 10% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes to be purchased on such date, the other Underwriter shall be obligated, severally, in the proportion to the aggregate principal amounts of such Notes set forth opposite their respective names on Schedule A bears to the aggregate principal amount of such Notes set forth opposite the names of all such non-defaulting Underwriters, or in such other proportions as may be specified by the Representative with the consent of the non-defaulting Underwriters, to purchase such Notes which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase on such date. If, on the Closing Date, any one of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase such Notes and the aggregate principal amount of such Notes with respect to which such default occurs exceeds 10% of the aggregate principal amount of Notes to be purchased on such date, and arrangements satisfactory to the Representative and the Company for the purchase of such Notes are not made within 48 hours after such default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Sections 4, 6, 8, 9 and 17 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination. In any such case, either the Representative or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date, but in no event for longer than seven days in order that the required changes, if any, to the Registration Statement, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or any other documents or arrangements may be effected.
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As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” shall be deemed to include any person substituted for a defaulting Underwriter under this Section 10. Any action taken under this Section 10 shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.
Section 11. Termination of this Agreement. Prior to the Closing Date, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representative by notice given to the Company if at any time (i) trading or quotation in any of the Company’s securities shall have been suspended or limited by the Commission or the NYSE, or trading in securities generally on either the Nasdaq Stock Market or the NYSE shall have been suspended or limited, or minimum or maximum prices shall have been generally established on any of such stock exchanges by the Commission or the FINRA; (ii) a general banking moratorium shall have been declared by any of federal or New York authorities; (iii) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of national or international hostilities or any crisis or calamity involving the United States, or any change in the United States or international financial markets, or any substantial change or development involving a prospective substantial change in United States’ or international political, financial or economic conditions, as in the judgment of the Representative is material and adverse and makes it impracticable or inadvisable to market the Notes in the manner and on the terms described in the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or to enforce contracts for the sale of securities; (iv) in the judgment of the Representative there shall have occurred any material adverse change; or (v) there shall have occurred a material disruption in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services. Any termination pursuant to this Section 11 shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Sections 4 and 6 hereof, and provided further that Sections 4, 6, 8, 9 and 17 shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.
Section 12. No Fiduciary Duty. The Company acknowledges and agrees that: (i) the purchase and sale of the Notes pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price of the Notes and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other hand, and the Company is capable of evaluating and understanding and understands and accepts the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; (ii) in connection with each transaction contemplated hereby and the process leading to such transaction each Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the financial advisor, agent or fiduciary of the Company or its affiliates, stockholders, creditors or employees or any other party; (iii) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an advisory, agency or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to any of the transactions contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) and no Underwriter has any obligation to the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement; (iv) the several Underwriters and their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company and that the several Underwriters have no obligation to disclose any of such interests by virtue of any advisory, agency or fiduciary relationship; and (v) the several Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering contemplated hereby and the Company has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.
22
This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company and the several Underwriters with respect to the subject matter hereof. The Company hereby waives and releases, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that the Company may have against the several Underwriters with respect to any breach or alleged breach of agency or fiduciary duty in conjunction with any of the transactions contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto.
Section 13. Representations and Indemnities to Survive Delivery. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company, of its officers and of the several Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement (i) will remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of any (A) investigation, or statement as to the results thereof, made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, the officers or employees of any Underwriter, or any person controlling the Underwriter, the Company, the officers or employees of the Company, or any person controlling the Company, as the case may be or (B) acceptance of the Notes and payment for them hereunder and (ii) will survive delivery of and payment for the Notes sold hereunder and any termination of this Agreement.
Section 14. Notices. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be mailed, hand delivered or telecopied and confirmed to the parties hereto as follows:
If to the Representative:
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Sachs & Co.
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Facsimile: ▇▇▇-▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
Attention: Registration Department
with a copy to:
Sidley Austin LLP
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Facsimile: 212-839-5599
Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
If to the Company:
Norfolk Southern Corporation
▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Facsimile: ▇▇▇-▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
with a copy to:
Skadden, Arps, Slate ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇, LLP
▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Facsimile: ▇▇▇-▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Any party hereto may change the address for receipt of communications by giving written notice to the others.
Section 15. Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto, including any substitute Underwriters pursuant to Section 10 hereof, and to the benefit of the directors, officers, employees, agents and controlling persons referred to in Sections 8 and 9, and in each case their respective successors, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder. The term “successors” shall not include any purchaser of the Notes as such from any of the Underwriters merely by reason of such purchase.
Section 16. 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.
Section 17. Governing Law Provisions. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED AND INTERPRETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE INTERNAL LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK APPLICABLE TO AGREEMENTS MADE AND TO BE PERFORMED IN THAT STATE.
Section 18. General Provisions. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each one of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument. This Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit. The Section headings herein are for the convenience of the parties only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.
Each of the parties hereto acknowledges that it is a sophisticated business person who was adequately represented by counsel during negotiations regarding the provisions hereof, including, without limitation, the indemnification provisions of Section 8 and the contribution provisions of Section 9, and is fully informed regarding said provisions. Each of the parties hereto further acknowledges that the provisions of Sections 8 and 9 hereto fairly allocate the risks in light of the ability of the parties to investigate the Company, its affairs and its business in order to assure that adequate disclosure has been made in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (and any amendments and supplements thereto), as required by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.
24
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, kindly sign and return to the Company the enclosed copies hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts hereof, shall become a binding agreement in accordance with its terms.
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Very truly yours,
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||
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NORFOLK SOUTHERN CORPORATION
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||
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By:
|
/s/ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
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|
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Name: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
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||
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Title: Vice President and Treasurer
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||
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The foregoing Underwriting Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted by the Representative as of the date first above written.
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & CO.
Acting as Representative of the
several Underwriters named in
the attached Schedule A.
By: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Sachs & Co.
By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. __
(▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Sachs & Co.)
SCHEDULE A
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Underwriters
|
Aggregate Principal Amount of Notes to be Purchased
|
|||
|
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co.
|
$ | 225,000,000 | ||
|
Barclays Capital Inc.
|
$ | 25,000,000 | ||
|
Total
|
$ | 250,000,000 | ||
|
Sch -A
|
EXHIBIT A-1
Form of Opinion of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇,
Vice President – Law of the Company
(i) The Company is a corporation duly incorporated, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia and has been duly qualified as a foreign corporation for the transaction of business and is in good standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or the ownership of its property requires such qualification, except where the failure to so qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(ii) The Company has all requisite corporate power and authority to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(iii) The documents incorporated by reference in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, when they were filed with the Commission appeared on their face to be appropriately responsive in all material respects to the requirements of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, except that such counsel need express no opinion as to the financial statements, related schedules and other financial data, and such counsel need not assume any responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements contained in the documents incorporated by reference in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented.
(iv) The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Transaction Documents have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company.
(v) Each of the Transaction Documents, when executed, will have been duly executed and delivered by the Company.
(vi) The issuance and sale of the Notes have been duly authorized by the Company, and, when executed, issued and delivered by the Company, authenticated in accordance with the terms of the Indenture and paid for by the Underwriters in accordance with the terms of the Underwriting Agreement, the Notes will be valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable in accordance with their terms and entitled to the benefits of the Indenture, except (a) to the extent that enforcement thereof may be limited by (i) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, fraudulent transfer or other similar laws now or hereafter in effect relating to creditors' rights generally and (ii) general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforceability is considered in a proceeding at law or in equity) and (b) that such counsel need express no opinion as to Section 512 of the Original Indenture.
(vii) The Indenture, when executed and delivered by the Company and the Trustee (assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery thereof by the Trustee), will be a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except (a) to the extent that enforcement thereof may be limited by (i) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, fraudulent transfer or other similar laws now or hereafter in effect relating to creditors' rights generally and (ii) general principles of equity (regardless of whether
|
Exhibit A-1
|
enforceability is considered in a proceeding at law or in equity) and (b) that such counsel need express no opinion as to Section 512 of the Original Indenture.
(viii) To the best of such counsel's knowledge: (a) there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is the subject which would be required to be described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus which are not so described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and (b) no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or threatened by others.
(ix) The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of, and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated by, each of the Transaction Documents do not and will not conflict with or result in a breach of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any of the property or assets of the Company or NSR pursuant to the terms of, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument known to me to which the Company or NSR is a party or by which the Company or NSR is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or NSR is subject, other than those conflicts, breaches or defaults that would not have a Material Adverse Effect, or violate any statute or any order, rule or regulation known to such counsel of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or NSR or any of their properties, other than those violations that would not have a Material Adverse Effect, nor will such actions result in any violation of the provisions of the Restated Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws of the Company, except that such counsel need express no opinion with respect to state securities or Blue Sky laws or the laws of any foreign jurisdiction or with respect to the rights to indemnity and contribution under the Underwriting Agreement.
(x) No authorization, approval, consent or order of, and no filing, qualification or registration with, any court or governmental authority is required on the part of the Company for the execution, delivery or performance by the Company of each Transaction Document, including without limitation the issuance and sale of the Notes, other than registration or qualification under state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the offer and sale of the Notes.
(xi) The statements set forth in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption "Description of the Notes" insofar as they purport to summarize certain provisions of the laws and documents referred to therein, fairly summarize such provisions in all material respects.
(xii) The Registration Statement is an “automatic shelf registration statement,” as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act, that automatically became effective not more than three years prior to the Execution Time; the Company has not received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) of the Securities Act objecting to use of the automatic shelf registration statement form and the Company has not otherwise ceased to be eligible to use the automatic shelf registration form.
(xiii) The Registration Statement, including without limitation the Rule 430B Information, the Prospectus, excluding the documents incorporated by reference therein, and each amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, excluding the documents incorporated by reference therein, as of their respective effective or issue dates (including without limitation each deemed effective date with respect to the Underwriters pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(2) of the Securities Act), other than the financial statements and supporting schedules included therein or omitted therefrom, and the Trustee’s Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 (the “Form T-1”), as to
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Exhibit A-2
|
which such counsel need express no opinion, complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act.
Nothing has come to such counsel's attention that would lead such counsel to believe that (i) the Registration Statement or any amendment thereto, including the information required under Rule 430B of the Securities Act (except for financial statements and schedules and other financial data included or incorporated by reference therein or omitted therefrom and the Form T-1, as to which such counsel need make no statement), as of its original effective date and at each deemed effective date with respect to the Underwriter pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(2) of the Securities Act, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) the Disclosure Package (except for financial statements and schedules and other financial data included or incorporated by reference therein or omitted therefrom, as to which such counsel need make no statement), as of the Initial Sale Time, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of circumstances under which they were made, not misleading or (iii) the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto (except for financial statements and schedules and other financial data included or incorporated by reference therein or omitted therefrom, to which such counsel need make no statement), as of the date of the Prospectus, as of the date of any such amended or supplemented prospectus or as of the date hereof, included or includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
In rendering the opinion required under this Exhibit A-1, counsel to the Company need not express any opinion concerning the laws of any jurisdiction other than those of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the United States of America, provided that such counsel states that he is aware of no difference between the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the laws of the State of New York which would cause him to believe that his opinion would be inapplicable if it were furnished in connection with the laws of the State of New York. In addition, in rendering the opinion required under this Exhibit A, such counsel may rely as to matters of fact, to the extent such counsel deems it proper, on certificates of responsible officials of the Company and public officials.
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Exhibit ▇-▇
|
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇-▇
Form of Opinions of Skadden, Arps, Slate, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇, LLP,
Counsel to the Company
(i) The Underwriting Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company to the extent such execution and delivery are governed by the laws of the State of New York.
(ii) The Indenture has been duly executed and delivered by the Company to the extent such execution and delivery are governed by the laws of the State of New York and is a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms.
(iii) The Notes have been duly executed by the Company to the extent such execution and delivery are matters governed by the laws of the State of New York; and the Notes, when duly authenticated by the Trustee and issued and delivered by the Company against payment therefor in accordance with the terms of the Indenture and delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters in accordance with the terms of the Underwriting Agreement, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company entitled to the benefits of the Indenture and enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms.
(iv) The statements set forth in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the heading "Description of the Notes" insofar as they purport to summarize certain provisions of the Indenture and the Notes fairly summarize such provisions in all material respects.
(v) Although the discussion set forth in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus under the caption “CERTAIN U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES TO NON-U.S. HOLDERS” does not purport to discuss all possible United States federal income tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership, and disposition of the Notes to non-U.S. holders, such discussion constitutes, in all material respects, a fair and accurate summary of the United States federal income tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership, and disposition of the Notes to non-U.S. holders.
(vi) The statements set forth in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the heading "Underwriting" insofar as they purport to summarize certain provisions of the Underwriting Agreement fairly summarize such provisions in all material respects.
(vii) The Company is not and, solely after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Notes and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Prospectus, will not be an "investment company" as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940.
In addition, such counsel shall state that, assuming the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company set forth in Section 1(d) of the Underwriting Agreement, the Registration Statement became effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462 of the Securities Act and, pursuant to Section 309 of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (the "Trust Indenture Act"), the Indenture has been qualified under the Trust Indenture Act, and such counsel has been orally advised by the Commission that no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and, to its knowledge, no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or threatened by the Commission.
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Exhibit A-1
|
In addition, such counsel shall state that such counsel has participated in conferences with officers and other representatives of the Company, counsel for the Company, representatives of the independent registered public accountants of the Company and representatives of the Underwriters at which the contents of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the Disclosure Package and related matters were discussed. Such counsel does not pass upon, or assume any responsibility for, the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements contained in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package and has made no independent check or verification thereof (except to the limited extent referred to in paragraph (iv) above). On the basis of the foregoing, (i) the Registration Statement at the time of effectiveness of the Registration Statement for purposes of Section 11 of the Securities Act and the Prospectus, as of the date of the Prospectus Supplement, appeared on their face to be appropriately responsive in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations (except that in each case such counsel need not express any view as to the financial statements, schedules and other financial information included or incorporated by reference therein or excluded therefrom or the Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 (the "Form T-1")) and (ii) no facts have come to such counsel's attention that have caused us to believe that the Registration Statement, at the time of effectiveness of the Registration Statement for purposes of Section 11 of the Securities Act, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or that the Prospectus, as of the date of the Prospectus Supplement and as of the date hereof contained or contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (except that in each case such counsel need not express any view as to the financial statements, schedules and other financial information included or incorporated by reference therein or excluded therefrom, the report of management's assessment of the effectiveness of internal controls over financial reporting or the auditors' attestation report thereon, or the statements contained in the exhibits to the Registration Statement, including the Form T-1). In addition, on the basis of the foregoing, no facts have come to such counsel's attention that have caused it to believe that the Disclosure Package, as of the Initial Sale Time, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (except that such counsel need not express any view as to the financial statements, schedules and other financial information included or incorporated by reference therein or excluded therefrom, the report of management's assessment of the effectiveness of internal controls over financial reporting or the auditors' attestation report thereon, or the statements contained in the exhibits to the Incorporated Documents).
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Exhibit A-2
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EXHIBIT B
Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses
Pricing Term Sheet dated August 23, 2010
|
Exhibit B-1
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EXHIBIT C
Pricing Term Sheet
Dated as of August 23, 2010
Norfolk Southern Corporation
(Total Issue Size $550,000,000)
$250,000,000 Reopening 6.00% Senior Notes due 2105
The following information supplements the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement dated August 23, 2010 (the "Preliminary Prospectus Supplement"), and is filed pursuant to Rule 433, under Registration No. 333-158240.
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Issuer:
|
Norfolk Southern Corporation
|
|
Principal Amount Offered Hereby:
|
$250,000,000
|
|
Aggregate Principal Amount to be Outstanding:
|
$550,000,000
|
|
Format:
|
SEC Registered
|
|
Denominations:
|
$1,000 x $1,000
|
|
Trade Date:
|
August 23, 2010
|
|
Settlement Date:
|
August 26, 2010 (T+3)
|
|
Maturity Date:
|
▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇, ▇▇▇▇
|
|
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Treasury:
|
4.375% UST due May 15, 2040
|
|
Benchmark Treasury Price and Yield:
|
112-30 / 3.657%
|
|
Spread to Benchmark Treasury:
|
T+ 229.3 basis points
|
|
Yield to Maturity:
|
5.95%
|
|
Coupon:
|
6.00%
|
|
Public Offering Price:
|
100.833%, plus accrued interest from March 15, 2010, the last date on which interest was paid on the Issuer's currently outstanding 6% Senior Notes due 2105.
|
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Interest Payment Dates:
|
March 15 and September 15, commencing September 15, 2010.
|
|
Exhibit C-1
|
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Make Whole Call:
|
Any time at the greater of 100% or the make-whole amount at a discount rate equal to the applicable Treasury Yield (as defined in the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement) plus 20 basis points.
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CUSIP#/ISIN#:
|
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇/US655844AV04
|
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Sole Book-Running Manager:
|
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Sachs & Co.
|
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Co-Manager:
|
Barclays Capital Inc.
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The issuer has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement and the related preliminary prospectus supplement and other documents the issuer has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the issuer and this offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting ▇▇▇▇▇ on the SEC Web site at ▇▇▇.▇▇▇.▇▇▇. Alternatively, the representative of the underwriters can arrange to send you the prospectus and related preliminary prospectus supplement if you request it by calling ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Sachs & Co. at ▇- ▇▇▇-▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇. This information does not purport to be a complete description of these securities or the offering. Please refer to the preliminary prospectus supplement for a complete description of the securities. This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in any jurisdiction to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation in such jurisdiction.
Exhibit C-2