1
EXHIBIT 1.1
$125,000,000
KCS ENERGY, INC.
% Convertible Subordinated Notes due 2004
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
________, 1997
▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ INC.
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ INC
PRUDENTIAL SECURITIES INC.
CIBC WOOD GUNDY SECURITIES CORP.
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & COMPANY, INC.
As Representatives of the Several Underwriters
c/o ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ INC.
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Dear Sirs:
KCS Energy, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), proposes,
upon the terms and conditions set forth herein, to issue and sell $125,000,000
aggregate principal amount of its % Convertible Subordinated Notes due 2004
(the "Firm Notes") to the several Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the
"Underwriters"). The Company also proposes, upon the terms and conditions set
forth herein, to issue and sell to the several Underwriters up to an additional
$18,750,000 aggregate principal amount of its % Convertible Subordinated Notes
due 2004 (the "Additional Notes"). The Firm Notes and the Additional Notes are
hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to as the "Notes". The Notes will
be issued pursuant to the provisions of an Indenture to be dated as of , 1997
(the "Indenture"), between the Company and State Street Bank and Trust Company,
as Trustee (the "Trustee"). The Company's common stock, $0.01 par value, is
hereinafter referred to as the "Common Stock".
The Company wishes to confirm as follows its agreement with you (the
"Representatives") and the other several Underwriters on whose behalf you are
acting, in connection with the several purchases of the Notes by the
Underwriters.
1. Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Company has prepared and
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") in
accordance with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and
the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the
"Act"), a registration statement on Form S-3 under the Act (the "registration
statement"), including a prospectus subject to completion relating to the Notes
and the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Notes. The term
"Registration Statement" as used in this Agreement means the registration
statement (including all financial schedules and exhibits),
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as amended at the time it becomes effective, or, if the registration statement
became effective prior to the execution of this Agreement, as supplemented or
amended prior to the execution of this Agreement. If it is contemplated, at the
time this Agreement is executed, that a post-effective amendment to the
registration statement will be filed and must be declared effective before the
offering of the Notes may commence, the term "Registration Statement" as used
in this Agreement means the registration statement as amended by said
post-effective amendment. The term "Prospectus" as used in this Agreement means
the prospectus in the form included in the Registration Statement, or, if the
prospectus included in the Registration Statement omits information in reliance
on Rule 430A under the Act and such information is included in a prospectus
filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act, the term
"Prospectus" as used in this Agreement means the prospectus in the form
included in the Registration Statement as supplemented by the addition of the
Rule 430A information contained in the prospectus filed with the Commission
pursuant to Rule 424(b). The term "Prepricing Prospectus" as used in this
Agreement means the prospectus subject to completion in the form included in
the registration statement at the time of the initial filing of the
registration statement with the Commission, and as such prospectus shall have
been amended from time to time prior to the date of the Prospectus. Any
reference in this Agreement to the registration statement, the Registration
Statement, any Prepricing Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer
to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item
12 of Form S-3 under the Act, as of the date of the registration statement, the
Registration Statement, such Prepricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the
case may be, and any reference to any amendment or supplement to the
registration statement, the Registration Statement, any Prepricing Prospectus
or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any documents filed
after such date under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the
"Exchange Act") which, upon filing, are incorporated by reference therein, as
required by paragraph (b) of Item 12 of Form S-3. As used herein, the term
"Incorporated Documents" means the documents which at the time are incorporated
by reference in the registration statement, the Registration Statement, any
Prepricing Prospectus, the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto.
2. Agreements to Sell and Purchase. The Company hereby agrees, subject
to all the terms and conditions set forth herein, to issue and sell to each
Underwriter and, upon the basis of the representations, warranties and
agreements of the Company herein contained and subject to all the terms and
conditions set forth herein, each Underwriter agrees, severally and not
jointly, to purchase from the Company, at a purchase price of % of the
principal amount thereof, the principal amount of Notes set forth opposite the
name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto (or such principal amount of
Notes increased as set forth in Section 10 hereof).
The Company also hereby agrees, subject to all the terms and
conditions set forth herein, to sell to the Underwriters, and, upon the basis
of the representations, warranties and agreements of the Company herein
contained and subject to all the terms and conditions set forth herein, the
Underwriters shall have the right to purchase from the Company, pursuant to an
option (the "over-allotment option") which may be exercised at any time and
from time to time prior to 9:00 P.M., New York City time, on the 30th day after
the date of the Prospectus (or, if such 30th day shall be a Saturday or Sunday
or a holiday, on the next business day thereafter when the New York Stock
Exchange is open for trading), up to $18,750,000 aggregate principal amount of
Additional Notes. The purchase price of any Additional Notes which the
Underwriters may elect to purchase shall be
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the same as the purchase price of the Firm Notes, plus accrued interest, if
any, from the date of issuance of the Firm Notes to the date of delivery of and
payment for the Additional Notes. Additional Notes may be purchased only for
the purpose of covering over-allotments made in connection with the offering of
the Firm Notes. Upon any exercise of the over-allotment option, each
Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company the
principal amount of Additional Notes which bears the same proportion to the
aggregate principal amount of Additional Notes to be purchased by the
Underwriters as the principal amount of Firm Notes set forth opposite the name
of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto (or such principal amount of Firm
Notes increased as set forth in Section 10 hereof) bears to the aggregate
principal amount of the Firm Notes.
3. Terms of Public Offering. The Company has been advised by you that
the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of their respective portions
of the Notes as soon after the Registration Statement and this Agreement have
become effective as in your judgment is advisable and initially to offer the
Notes upon the terms set forth in the Prospectus.
4. Delivery of the Notes and Payment Therefor. Delivery to the
Underwriters of and payment for the Firm Notes shall be made at the office of
▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Inc., ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, at 10:00 A.M., New
York City time, on , 1997 (the "Closing Date"). The place of closing for the
Firm Notes and the Closing Date may be varied by agreement between you and the
Company.
Delivery to the Underwriters of and payment for any Additional Notes
to be purchased by the Underwriters shall be made at the aforementioned office
of ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Inc. at such time on such date (the "Option Closing Date"),
which may be the same as the Closing Date but shall in no event be earlier than
the Closing Date nor earlier than two nor later than ten business days after
the giving of the notice hereinafter referred to, as shall be specified in a
written notice from you on behalf of the Underwriters to the Company of the
Underwriters' determination to purchase a principal amount, specified in such
notice, of Additional Notes. The place of closing for any Additional Notes and
the Option Closing Date for such Notes may be varied by agreement between you
and the Company.
The Firm Notes and any Additional Notes which the Underwriters may
elect to purchase will be delivered to you for the accounts of the several
Underwriters against payment of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer in
same-day funds and registered in such names and in such denominations as you
shall request prior to 9:30 A.M., New York City time, on the second business
day preceding the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, as the case may be.
The Notes to be delivered to the Underwriters shall be made available to you in
New York City for inspection and packaging not later than 9:30 A.M., New York
City time, on the business day next preceding the Closing Date or the Option
Closing Date, as the case may be.
5. Agreements of the Company. The Company agrees with the several
Underwriters as follows:
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(a) If, at the time this Agreement is executed and delivered,
it is necessary for the Registration Statement or a post-effective amendment
thereto to be declared effective before the offering of the Notes may commence,
the Company will endeavor to cause the Registration Statement or such
post-effective amendment to become effective as soon as possible and will
advise you promptly and, if requested by you, will confirm such advice in
writing, when the Registration Statement or such post-effective amendment has
become effective.
(b) The Company will advise you promptly and, if requested by
you, will confirm such advice in writing: (i) of any request by the Commission
for amendment of or a supplement to the Registration Statement, any Prepricing
Prospectus or the Prospectus or for additional information; (ii) of the
issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of
the Registration Statement or of the suspension of qualification of the Notes
for offering or sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation of any proceeding
for such purpose; and (iii) within the period of time referred to in paragraph
(f) below, of any change in the Company's condition (financial or other),
business, prospects, properties, net worth or results of operations, or of the
happening of any event, which makes any statement of a material fact made in
the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (as then amended or supplemented)
untrue or which requires the making of any additions to or changes in the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus (as then amended or supplemented) in
order to state a material fact required by the Act or the regulations
thereunder to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements
therein not misleading, or of the necessity to amend or supplement the
Prospectus (as then amended or supplemented) to comply with the Act or any
other law. If at any time the Commission shall issue any stop order suspending
the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the Company will make every
reasonable effort to obtain the withdrawal of such order at the earliest
possible time.
(c) The Company will furnish to you, without charge (i) six
signed copies of the registration statement as originally filed with the
Commission and of each amendment thereto, including financial statements and
all exhibits to the registration statement, (ii) such number of conformed
copies of the registration statement as originally filed and of each amendment
thereto, but without exhibits, as you may request, (iii) such number of copies
of the Indenture and of the Incorporated Documents, without exhibits, as you
may request, and (iv) six copies of the exhibits to the Incorporated Documents.
(d) The Company will not file any amendment to the
Registration Statement or make any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus
or, prior to the end of the period of time referred to in the first sentence in
subsection (f) below, file any document which, upon filing becomes an
Incorporated Document, of which you shall not previously have been advised or
to which, after you shall have received a copy of the document proposed to be
filed, you shall reasonably object.
(e) Prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement,
the Company has delivered to you, without charge, in such quantities as you
have requested, copies of each form of the Prepricing Prospectus. The Company
consents to the use, in accordance with the provisions of the Act and with the
securities or Blue Sky laws of the jurisdictions in which the Notes are offered
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by the several Underwriters and by dealers, prior to the date of the
Prospectus, of each Prepricing Prospectus so furnished by the Company.
(f) As soon after the execution and delivery of this
Agreement as possible and thereafter from time to time for such period as in
the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters a prospectus is required by the Act
to be delivered in connection with sales by any Underwriter or dealer, the
Company will expeditiously deliver to each Underwriter and each dealer, without
charge, as many copies of the Prospectus (and of any amendment or supplement
thereto) as you may request. The Company consents to the use of the Prospectus
(and of any amendment or supplement thereto) in accordance with the provisions
of the Act and with the securities or Blue Sky laws of the jurisdictions in
which the Notes are offered by the several Underwriters and by all dealers to
whom Notes may be sold, both in connection with the offering and sale of the
Notes and for such period of time thereafter as the Prospectus is required by
the Act to be delivered in connection with sales by any Underwriter or dealer.
If during such period of time any event shall occur that in the judgment of the
Company or in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters is required to be set
forth in the Prospectus (as then amended or supplemented) or should be set
forth therein in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or if it is necessary
to supplement or amend the Prospectus (or to file under the Exchange Act any
document which, upon filing, becomes an Incorporated Document) in order to
comply with the Act or any other law, the Company will forthwith prepare and,
subject to the provisions of paragraph (d) above, file with the Commission an
appropriate supplement or amendment thereto (or to such document), and will
expeditiously furnish to the Underwriters and dealers a reasonable number of
copies thereof. In the event that the Company and you, as Representatives of
the several Underwriters, agree that the Prospectus should be amended or
supplemented, the Company, if requested by you, will promptly issue a press
release announcing or disclosing the matters to be covered by the proposed
amendment or supplement.
(g) The Company will cooperate with you and with counsel for
the Underwriters in connection with the registration or qualification of the
Notes and the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Notes for
offering and sale by the several Underwriters and by dealers under the
securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as you may designate and will
file such consents to service of process or other documents necessary or
appropriate in order to effect such registration or qualification; provided
that in no event shall the Company be obligated to qualify to do business in
any jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified or to take any action which
would subject it to service of process in suits, other than those arising out
of the offering or sale of the Notes, in any jurisdiction where it is not now
so subject.
(h) The Company will make generally available to its security
holders a consolidated earnings statement, which need not be audited, covering
a twelve-month period commencing after the effective date of the Registration
Statement and ending not later than 15 months thereafter, as soon as
practicable after the end of such period, which consolidated earnings statement
shall satisfy the provisions of Section ll(a) of the Act.
(i) So long as any of the Notes are outstanding, the Company
will furnish to you (i) as soon as available, a copy of each report of the
Company mailed to stockholders or filed with the
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Commission, and (ii) from time to time such other information concerning the
Company as you may request.
(j) If this Agreement shall terminate or shall be terminated
after execution pursuant to any provision hereof (otherwise than pursuant to
the second paragraph of Section 10 hereof or by notice given by you terminating
this Agreement pursuant to Section 10 or Section 11 hereof) or if this
Agreement shall be terminated by the Underwriters because of any failure or
refusal on the part of the Company to comply with the terms or fulfill any of
the conditions of this Agreement, the Company agrees to reimburse the
Representatives for all out-of-pocket expenses (including fees and expenses of
counsel for the Underwriters) incurred by you in connection herewith.
(k) The Company will apply the net proceeds from the sale of
the Notes substantially in accordance with the description set forth in the
Prospectus.
(l) If Rule 430A of the Act is employed, the Company will
timely file the Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act and will
advise you of the time and manner of such filing.
(m) Except as provided in this Agreement, the Company will
not sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of any Common Stock or any
securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, or
grant any options or warrants to purchase Common Stock, for a period of 90 days
after the date of the Prospectus, without the prior written consent of ▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇ Inc. and Salomon Brothers Inc; provided, however, that the Company may
issue and sell common stock pursuant to any employee stock option or other
benefit or incentive plans maintained for the Company's officers, directors or
employees in effect as of the date of this Agreement, and the Company may issue
up to 870,000 shares of Common Stock upon exercise of warrants issued in the
Medallion Acquisition (as defined in the Registration Statement).
(n) The Company has furnished or will furnish to you
"lock-up" letters, in form and substance satisfactory to you, signed by each of
its current officers and directors and each of its stockholders designated by
you.
(o) Except as stated in this Agreement and in the Prepricing
Prospectus and Prospectus, the Company has not taken, nor will it take,
directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that might reasonably be
expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of
the Common Stock to facilitate the sale or resale of the Notes.
(p) The Company will use its best efforts: (i) to have the
Notes listed on the New York Stock Exchange concurrently with the effectiveness
of the registration statement; and (ii) to have the shares of Common Stock
issuable upon conversion of the Notes listed, subject to notice of issuance, on
the New York Stock Exchange prior to the Closing Date.
6. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company
represents and warrants to each Underwriter that:
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(a) Each Prepricing Prospectus included as part of the
registration statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment or
supplement thereto, or filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the Act, complied when
so filed in all material respects with the provisions of the Act. The
Commission has not issued any order preventing or suspending the use of any
Prepricing Prospectus.
(b) The Company and the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement meet the requirements for using Form S-3 under the Act. The
registration statement in the form in which it became or becomes effective and
also in such form as it may be when any post-effective amendment thereto shall
become effective and the prospectus and any supplement or amendment thereto
when filed with the Commission under Rule 424(b) under the Act, complied or
will comply in all material respects with the provisions of the Act and will
not at any such times 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, except that this representation and warranty
does not apply to statements in or omissions from the registration statement or
the prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with (i) information
relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by or on behalf
of any Underwriter through you expressly for use therein, or (ii) the Trustee's
Statement of Eligibility and Qualification (Form T-1) under the Trust Indenture
Act of 1939, as amended (the "1939 Act").
(c) The Incorporated Documents heretofore filed, when they
were filed (or, if any amendment with respect to any such document was filed,
when such amendment was filed), conformed in all material respects with the
requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, any
further Incorporated Documents so filed will, when they are filed, conform in
all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules
and regulations thereunder; no such document when it was filed (or, if an
amendment with respect to any such document was filed, when such amendment was
filed), contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the
statements therein not misleading; and no such further document, when it is
filed, will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or will omit to
state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to
make the statements therein not misleading.
(d) The Indenture has been duly and validly authorized and,
upon its execution and delivery by the Company and assuming due execution and
delivery by the Trustee, will be a valid and binding agreement of the Company,
enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as enforcement thereof may be
limited by bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar laws affecting creditors'
rights generally, and has been (or will have been) duly qualified under the
1939 Act and conforms to the description thereof in the Registration Statement
and the Prospectus.
(e) The Notes have been duly authorized and, when executed by
the Company and authenticated by the Trustee in accordance with the Indenture
and delivered to you against payment therefor in accordance with the terms
hereof, will have been validly issued and delivered, and will constitute valid
and binding obligations of the Company entitled to the benefits of the
Indenture and enforceable in accordance with their terms, except as enforcement
thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar laws
affecting the enforcement of creditors' rights
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generally, and the Notes will conform to the description thereof in the
Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
(f) All the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company
have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable
and are free of any preemptive or similar rights; the shares of Common Stock
issuable upon conversion of the Notes have been duly authorized and reserved
for issuance and, when delivered upon conversion of the Notes, will have been
validly issued and fully paid and will be nonassessable and free of any
preemptive or similar rights; and the capital stock of the Company conforms to
the description thereof in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
(g) The Company is a corporation duly organized and validly
existing in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware with full
corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to
conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus, and is duly registered and qualified to conduct its business and is
in good standing in each jurisdiction or place where the nature of its
properties or the conduct of its business requires such registration or
qualification, except where the failure so to register or qualify does not have
a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or other), business,
properties, net worth or results of operations of the Company and the
Subsidiaries (as hereinafter defined) taken as a whole (a "Material Adverse
Effect").
(h) All the Company's subsidiaries (collectively, the
"Subsidiaries") are listed in an exhibit to the Company's Annual Report on Form
10-K which is incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement. Each
Subsidiary is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good
standing in the jurisdiction of its incorporation, with full corporate power
and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its
business as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, and is
duly registered and qualified to conduct its business and is in good standing
in each jurisdiction or place where the nature of its properties or the conduct
of its business requires such registration or qualification, except where the
failure so to register or qualify does not have a material adverse effect on
the condition (financial or other), business, properties, net worth or results
of operations of such Subsidiary; all the outstanding shares of capital stock
of each of the Subsidiaries have been duly authorized and validly issued, are
fully paid and nonassessable, and are owned by the Company directly, or
indirectly through one of the other Subsidiaries, free and clear of any lien,
adverse claim, security interest, equity or other encumbrance, except as
described in the Registration Statement and except for restrictions on
transferability imposed by the Act or applicable state securities or Blue Sky
laws.
(i) There are no legal or governmental proceedings pending
or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against the Company or any of
the Subsidiaries, or to which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, or to
which any of their respective properties is subject, that are required to be
described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus but are not described
as required, and there are no agreements, contracts, indentures, leases or
other instruments that are required to be described in the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration
Statement or any Incorporated Document that are not described or filed as
required by the Act or the Exchange Act.
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(j) Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries is in
violation of its certificate or articles of incorporation or by-laws, or other
organizational documents, or of any law, ordinance, administrative or
governmental rule or regulation applicable to the Company or any of the
Subsidiaries or of any decree of any court or governmental agency or body
having jurisdiction over the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, except where
any such violation or violations in the aggregate would not have a Material
Adverse Effect, or in default in any material respect in the performance of any
obligation, agreement or condition contained in any bond, debenture, note or
any other evidence of indebtedness or in any material agreement, indenture,
lease or other instrument to which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is a
party or by which any of them or any of their respective properties may be
bound, except where such default would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
(k) Neither the issuance and sale of the Notes, the issuance
of Common Stock upon conversion of the Notes, the execution, delivery or
performance of this Agreement and the Indenture by the Company, nor the
consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby
(i) requires any consent, approval, authorization or other order of or
registration or filing with, any court, regulatory body, administrative agency
or other governmental body, agency or official (except such as may be required
for the registration of the Notes under the Act and the Exchange Act,
registration under the Act of the shares of Common Stock issuable upon
conversion of the Notes, qualification of the Indenture under the 1939 Act, and
compliance with the securities or Blue Sky laws of various jurisdictions, all
of which have been or will be effected in accordance with this Agreement) or
conflicts or will conflict with or constitutes or will constitute a breach of,
or a default under, the certificate or articles of incorporation or bylaws, or
other organizational documents, of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or
(ii) conflicts or will conflict with or constitutes or will constitute a breach
of, or a default under, any material agreement, indenture, lease or other
instrument to which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is a party or by
which any of them or any of their respective properties may be bound, or
violates or will violate in any material respect any statute, law, regulation
or filing or judgment, injunction, order or decree applicable to the Company or
any of the Subsidiaries or any of their respective properties, or will result
in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any
property or assets of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries pursuant to the
terms of any agreement or instrument to which any of them is a party or by
which any of them may be bound or to which any of the property or assets of any
of them is subject.
(l) The accountants, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, who have certified
or shall certify the financial statements included or incorporated by reference
in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (or any amendment or
supplement thereto) are independent public accountants as required by the Act.
(m) The consolidated financial statements, together with
related schedules and notes, included or incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement and the Prospectus (and any amendment or supplement
thereto), present fairly the consolidated financial position, results of
operations and changes in financial position of the Company and the
Subsidiaries on the basis stated in the Registration Statement at the
respective dates or for the respective periods to which they apply; such
statements and related schedules and notes have been prepared in accordance
with generally
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accepted accounting principles consistently applied throughout the periods
involved, except as disclosed therein; and the other financial and statistical
information and data included or incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus (and any amendment or supplement thereto) are
accurately presented and, to the extent such information is derived from the
financial books and records of the Company, are prepared on a basis consistent
with such financial statements and the books and records of the Company and the
Subsidiaries.
(n) The execution and delivery of, and the performance by the
Company of its obligations under, this Agreement have been duly and validly
authorized by the Company, and this Agreement has been duly executed and
delivered by the Company and constitutes the valid and legally binding
agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with
its terms, except as rights to indemnity and contribution hereunder may be
limited by federal or state securities laws and except as the enforcement
hereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other
similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors' rights generally and
subject to the applicability of general principles of equity.
(o) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), subsequent to the
respective dates as of which such information is given in the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), neither
the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has incurred any liability or
obligation, direct or contingent, or entered into any transaction, not in the
ordinary course of business, that is material to the Company and the
Subsidiaries taken as a whole, and there has not been any change in the capital
stock, or material increase in the short-term debt or long-term debt, of the
Company or any of the Subsidiaries, or any material adverse change, or any
development involving or which may reasonably be expected to involve, a
prospective material adverse change, in the condition (financial or other),
business, net worth or results of operations of the Company and the
Subsidiaries taken as a whole.
(p) Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries has good and
indefeasible title to all of its real property (and good and marketable title
to all personal property) described in the Prospectus as being owned by it,
free and clear of all liens, claims, security interests or other encumbrances
except such as are described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus
or in a document filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement or except
such as would not have a Material Adverse Effect and all the property described
in the Prospectus as being held under lease by each of the Company and the
Subsidiaries is held by it under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases,
except such as would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
(q) The Company has not distributed and, prior to the later
to occur of (i) the Closing Date and (ii) completion of the distribution of the
Notes, will not distribute any offering material in connection with the
offering and sale of the Notes other than the Registration Statement, the
Prepricing Prospectus, the Prospectus or other materials, if any, permitted by
the Act.
(r) The Company and each of the Subsidiaries has such
permits, licenses, franchises and authorizations of governmental or regulatory
authorities ("permits") as are necessary to own its respective properties and
to conduct its business in the manner described in the Prospectus, subject to
such qualifications as may be set forth in the Prospectus except to the extent
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the failure to have any such permits would not have a Material Adverse Effect;
the Company and each of the Subsidiaries has fulfilled and performed all its
material obligations with respect to such permits and no event has occurred
which allows, or after notice or lapse of time would allow, revocation or
termination thereof or results in any other material impairment of the rights
of the holder of any such permit, except to the extent that any such revocation
or termination would not have a Material Adverse Effect, and subject in each
case to such qualification as may be set forth in the Prospectus; and, except
as described in the Prospectus, none of such permits contains any restriction
that is materially burdensome to the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a
whole.
(s) The Company maintains a system of internal accounting
controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (i) transactions are
executed in accordance with management's general or specific authorization;
(ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial
statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to
maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in
accordance with management's general or specific authorization; and (iv) the
recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at
reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any
differences.
(t) To the Company's knowledge, neither the Company nor any
of its Subsidiaries nor any employee or agent of the Company or any Subsidiary
has made any payment of funds of the Company or any Subsidiary or received or
retained any funds in violation of any law, rule or regulation, which payment,
receipt or retention of funds is of a character required to be disclosed in the
Prospectus.
(u) The Company and each of the Subsidiaries have filed all
tax returns required to be filed, which returns are complete and correct, and
neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in default in the payment of any
taxes which were payable pursuant to said returns or any assessments with
respect thereto except where the failure to file such returns and make such
payments would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
(v) Except for any rights described in the Prospectus which
have been waived, no holder of any security of the Company has any right to
require registration of shares of Common Stock or any other security of the
Company because of the filing of the registration statement or consummation of
the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(w) The Company and the Subsidiaries own all patents,
trademarks, trademark registrations, service marks, service ▇▇▇▇ registrations,
trade names, copyrights, licenses, inventions, trade secrets and rights
described in the Prospectus as being owned by them or any of them or necessary
for the conduct of their respective businesses, and the Company is not aware of
any claim to the contrary or any challenge by any other person to the rights of
the Company and the Subsidiaries with respect to the foregoing.
(x) The Company is not and, upon sale of the Notes to be
issued and sold thereby in accordance herewith and the application of the net
proceeds to the Company of such sale as described in the Prospectus under the
caption "Use of Proceeds," will not be an "investment
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company" within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended
(the "1940 Act").
(y) The Company and the Subsidiaries are in compliance with,
and not subject to any liability under, the common law and all applicable
federal, state, local and foreign laws, regulations, rules, codes, ordinances,
directives, and orders relating to pollution or to protection of public or
employee health or safety or to the environment, including, without limitation,
those that relate to any Hazardous Material (as defined herein) ("Environmental
Laws"), except, in each case, where noncompliance or liability, individually or
in the aggregate, would not have a Material Adverse Effect. The term "Hazardous
Material" means any pollutant, contaminant or waste, or any hazardous,
dangerous, or toxic chemical, material, waste, substance or constituent subject
to regulation under any Environmental Law.
(z) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a
"holding company" or a "subsidiary company" of a "holding company" or an
"affiliate" of a "holding company," within the meaning of the Public Utility
Holding Company Act of 1935, as amended ("PUHCA").
7. Indemnification and Contribution. (a) The Company agrees to
indemnify and hold harmless each of you and each other Underwriter and each
person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15
of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act from and against any and all
losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses (including reasonable costs
of investigation) arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged
untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Prepricing Prospectus or
in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or in any amendment or
supplement thereto, or arising out of or based upon any omission or alleged
omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, except insofar as such
losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses arise out of or are based upon
any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission which
has been made therein or omitted therefrom in reliance upon and in conformity
with the information relating to such Underwriter furnished in writing to the
Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through you expressly for use in
connection therewith; provided, however, that the indemnification contained in
this paragraph (a) with respect to any Prepricing Prospectus shall not inure to
the benefit of any Underwriter (or to the benefit of any person controlling
such Underwriter) on account of any such loss, claim, damage, liability or
expense arising from the sale of the Notes by such Underwriter to any person if
a copy of the Prospectus shall not have been delivered or sent to such person
within the time required by the Act and the regulations thereunder, and the
untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission of
a material fact contained in such Prepricing Prospectus was corrected in the
Prospectus, unless such failure is the result of the failure by the Company to
comply with Section 5(f) hereof. The foregoing indemnity agreement shall be in
addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have.
(b) If any action, suit or proceeding shall be brought against any
Underwriter or any person controlling any Underwriter in respect of which
indemnity may be sought against the ompany, such Underwriter or such
controlling person shall promptly notify the Company and the Company shall
assume the defense thereof, including the employment of counsel and payment of
all fees and expenses. Such Underwriter or any such controlling person shall
have the right to
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employ separate counsel in any such action, suit or proceeding and to
participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel
shall be at the expense of such Underwriter or such controlling person unless
(i) the Company has agreed in writing to pay such fees and expenses, (ii) the
Company has failed to assume the defense and employ counsel, or (iii) the named
parties to any such action, suit or proceeding (including any impleaded
parties) include both such Underwriter or such controlling person and the
Company and such Underwriter or such controlling person shall have been advised
by its counsel that representation of such indemnified party and the Company by
the same counsel would be inappropriate under applicable standards of
professional conduct (whether or not such representation by the same counsel
has been proposed) due to actual or potential differing interests between them
(in which case the Company shall not have the right to assume the defense of
such action, suit or proceeding on behalf of such Underwriter or such
controlling person). It is understood, however, that the Company shall, in
connection with any one such action, suit or proceeding or separate but
substantially similar or related actions, suits or proceedings in the same
jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances, be
liable for the reasonable fees and expenses of only one separate firm of
attorneys (in addition to any local counsel) at any time for all such
Underwriters and controlling persons not having actual or potential differing
interests with you or among themselves, which firm shall be designated in
writing by ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Inc., and that all such fees and expenses shall be
reimbursed as they are incurred. The Company shall not be liable for any
settlement of any such action, suit or proceeding effected without its written
consent, but if settled with such written consent, or if there be a final
judgment for the plaintiff in any such action, suit or proceeding, the Company
agrees to indemnify and hold harmless any Underwriter, to the extent provided
in the preceding paragraph, and any such controlling person from and against
any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense by reason of such settlement or
judgment.
(c) Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify
and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers who sign the
Registration Statement, and any person who controls the Company within the
meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, to the same
extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company to each Underwriter, but
only with respect to information relating to such Underwriter furnished in
writing by or on behalf of such Underwriter through you expressly for use in
the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Prepricing Prospectus, or any
amendment or supplement thereto. If any action, suit or proceeding shall be
brought against the Company, any of its directors, any such officer, or any
such controlling person, based on the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or
any Prepricing Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, and in
respect of which indemnity may be sought against any Underwriter pursuant to
this paragraph (c), such Underwriter shall have the rights and duties given to
the Company by paragraph (b) above (except that if the Company shall have
assumed the defense thereof such Underwriter shall not be required to do so,
but may employ separate counsel therein and participate in the defense thereof,
but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at such Underwriter's
expense), and the Company, its directors, any such officer, and any such
controlling person, shall have the rights and duties given to the Underwriters
by paragraph (b) above. The foregoing indemnity agreement shall be in addition
to any liability which the Underwriters may otherwise have.
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(d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 7 is
unavailable to an indemnified party under paragraphs (a) or (c) hereof in
respect of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to
therein, then an indemnifying party, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified
party, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party
as a result of such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (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, 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 in connection with the statements or omissions that 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 shall be deemed to be in the same
proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting
expenses) received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discounts and
commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the
table on the cover page of the Prospectus; provided that, in the event that the
Underwriters shall have purchased any Additional Notes hereunder, any
determination of the relative benefits received by the Company or the
Underwriters from the offering of the Notes shall include the net proceeds
(before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the underwriting
discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, from the sale of such
Additional Notes, in each case computed on the basis of the respective amounts
set forth in the notes to the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The
relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other
hand shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the
untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or
alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by
the Company on the one hand or by 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.
(e) The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just
and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by a
pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for
such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account
of the equitable considerations referred to in paragraph (d) above. The amount
paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims,
damages, liabilities and expenses referred to in paragraph (d) above shall be
deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or
other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with
investigating any claim or defending any such action, suit or proceeding.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, no Underwriter shall be
required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total
price of the Notes underwritten by it and distributed to the public exceeds the
amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay
by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged
omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning
of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person
who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters'
obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are several in proportion
to the respective principal amounts of Firm Notes set forth opposite their
names in Schedule I hereto (or such principal amounts of Firm Notes increased
as set forth in Section 10 hereof) and not joint.
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(f) No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of
the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened
action, suit or proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or
could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such
indemnified party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of
such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter
of such action, suit or proceeding.
(g) Any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses for which an
indemnified party is entitled to indemnification or contribution under this
Section 7 shall be paid by the indemnifying party to the indemnified party as
such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses are incurred. The
indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this Section 7 and the
representations and warranties of the Company set forth in this Agreement shall
remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of (i) any
investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any person controlling
any Underwriter, the Company, its directors or officers or any person
controlling the Company, (ii) acceptance of any Notes and payment therefor
hereunder, and (iii) any termination of this Agreement. A successor to any
Underwriter or any person controlling any Underwriter, or to the Company, its
directors or officers, or any person controlling the Company, shall be entitled
to the benefits of the indemnity, contribution and reimbursement agreements
contained in this Section 7.
8. Conditions of Underwriters' Obligations. The several obligations of
the Underwriters to purchase the Firm Notes hereunder are subject to the
following conditions:
(a) If, at the time this Agreement is executed and delivered,
it is necessary for the registration statement or a post-effective amendment
thereto to be declared effective before the offering of the Notes may commence,
the registration statement or such post-effective amendment shall have become
effective not later than 5:30 P.M., New York City time, on the date hereof, or
at such later date and time as shall be consented to in writing by you, and all
filings, if any, required by Rules 424 and 430A under the Act shall be timely
made; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the registration statement
shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been
instituted or, to the knowledge of the Company or any Underwriter, threatened
by the Commission, and any request of the Commission for additional information
(to be included in the registration statement or the prospectus or otherwise)
shall have been complied with to your satisfaction.
(b) Subsequent to the effective date of this Agreement, there
shall not have occurred (i) any change, or any development involving a
prospective change, in or affecting the condition (financial or other),
business, properties, net worth, or results of operations of the Company or the
Subsidiaries not contemplated by the Prospectus, which in your opinion, as
Representatives of the several Underwriters, would materially adversely affect
the market for the Notes, or (ii) any event or development relating to or
involving the Company or any officer or director of the Company which makes any
statement made in the Prospectus materially untrue or which, in the opinion of
the Company and its counsel or the Underwriters and their counsel, requires the
making of any addition to or change in the Prospectus in order to state a
material fact required by the Act or any other law to be stated therein or
necessary in order to make the statements therein
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not misleading, if amending or supplementing the Prospectus to reflect such
event or development would, in your opinion, as Representatives of the several
Underwriters, materially adversely affect the market for the Notes.
(c) You shall have received on the Closing Date, an opinion
of Mayor, Day, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇, L.L.P., counsel for the Company, dated the
Closing Date and addressed to you, as Representatives of the several
Underwriters, to the effect that:
(i) The Company is a corporation duly
incorporated and validly existing in good standing under the laws of the State
of Delaware with full corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate
its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus (and any amendment or supplement thereto), and is
duly registered and qualified to conduct its business and is in good standing
in each jurisdiction or place where the nature of its properties or the conduct
of its business requires such registration or qualification, except where the
failure so to register or qualify does not have a Material Adverse Effect;
(ii) Each of the Subsidiaries is a corporation
duly organized and validly existing in good standing under the laws of the
jurisdiction of its organization, with full corporate power and authority to
own, lease, and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described
in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (and any amendment or
supplement thereto); and all the outstanding shares of capital stock of each of
the Subsidiaries have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid
and nonassessable, and are owned by the Company directly, or indirectly through
one of the other Subsidiaries, free and clear of any perfected security
interest, or, to the best knowledge of such counsel after reasonable inquiry,
any other security interest, lien, adverse claim, equity or other encumbrance;
(iii) The authorized and outstanding capital stock
of the Company is as set forth under the caption "Capitalization" in the
Prospectus; and the authorized capital stock of the Company conforms in all
material respects as to legal matters to the description thereof contained in
the Prospectus under the caption "Description of Capital Stock";
(iv) All the shares of capital stock of the
Company outstanding prior to the issuance of the Notes have been duly
authorized and validly issued, and are fully paid and nonassessable;
(v) The Company has corporate power and
authority to enter into this Agreement and to issue, sell and deliver the Notes
to the Underwriters as provided herein, and this Agreement has been duly
authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and is a valid, legal and
binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance
with its terms, except as enforcement of rights to indemnity and contribution
hereunder may be limited by Federal or state securities laws or principles of
public policy and except as the enforcement hereof may be limited by
bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar laws affecting the
enforcement of creditors' rights generally and subject to the applicability of
general principles of equity;
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(vi) The Indenture has been duly and validly
authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming due execution
and delivery by the Trustee, is a valid and binding agreement of the Company,
enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as enforcement thereof may be
limited by bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar laws affecting creditors'
rights generally, and has been duly qualified under the 1939 Act;
(vii) The Notes have been duly and validly
authorized and executed by the Company and, assuming due authentication of the
Notes by the Trustee, upon delivery to the Underwriters against payment
therefor in accordance with the terms hereof, will have been validly issued and
delivered, and will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company
entitled to the benefits of the Indenture;
(viii) The shares of Common Stock issuable upon
conversion of the Notes have been validly authorized and reserved for issuance
and, when delivered upon conversion of the Notes, will have been validly issued
and fully paid and will be non-assessable and free of preemptive or similar
rights;
(ix) The Registration Statement and all post-
effective amendments, if any, have become effective under the Act and, to the
best knowledge of such counsel after reasonable inquiry, no stop order
suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and
no proceedings for that purpose are pending before or contemplated by the
Commission; and any required filing of the Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b)
has been made in accordance with Rule 424(b);
(x) Neither the Company nor any of the
Subsidiaries is in violation of its respective certificate or articles of
incorporation or bylaws, or other organizational documents, or to the knowledge
of such counsel, is in default in the performance of any material obligation,
agreement or condition contained in any bond, debenture, note or other evidence
of indebtedness, except as may be disclosed in the Prospectus;
(xi) Neither the offer, sale or delivery of the
Notes, the issuance of Common Stock upon conversion of the Notes, the
execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement and the Indenture,
compliance by the Company with the provisions hereof and thereof, nor
consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby and
thereby, conflicts or will conflict with or constitutes or will constitute a
breach of, or a default under, the certificate or articles of incorporation or
bylaws, or other organizational documents, of the Company or any of the
Subsidiaries or to such counsel's knowledge any material agreement, indenture,
lease or other instrument to which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is a
party or by which any of them or any of their respective properties is bound,
or will result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance
upon any property or assets of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, nor will
any such action result in any violation of any existing law, regulation, ruling
(assuming compliance with all applicable state securities and Blue Sky laws),
judgment, injunction, order or decree known to such counsel after reasonable
inquiry, applicable to the Company, the Subsidiaries or any of their respective
properties;
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(xii) No consent, approval, authorization or other
order of, or registration or filing with, any court, regulatory body,
administrative agency or other governmental body, agency, or official is
required on the part of the Company (except as have been obtained under the
Act, the Exchange Act, the 1939 Act, and such as may be required under state
securities or Blue Sky laws governing the purchase and distribution of the
Notes and the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Notes) for
the valid issuance and sale of the Notes to the Underwriters as contemplated by
this Agreement;
(xiii) The Registration Statement and the Prospectus
and any supplements or amendments thereto (except for the financial statements
and the notes thereto and the schedules and other financial and statistical
data or reserve information included therein, as to which such counsel need not
express any opinion) comply as to form in all material respects with the
requirements of the Act; and each of the Incorporated Documents (except for the
financial statements and the notes thereto and the schedules and other
financial and statistical data or reserve information included therein, as to
which counsel need not express any opinion) complies as to form in all material
respects with the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission
thereunder;
(xiv) The statements under "Business and Prop-
erties -- Regulation," "Description of the Notes" and "Certain United States
Federal Income Tax Consequences" in the Registration Statement and Prospectus,
insofar as they are descriptions of contracts, agreements or other legal
documents, or refer to statements of law or legal conclusions, are accurate and
present fairly the information required to be shown;
(xv) To the knowledge of such counsel, (A) other
than as described or contemplated in the Prospectus (or any supplement
thereto), there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending or threatened
against the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, or to which the Company or any
of the Subsidiaries, or any of their property, is subject, which are required
to be described in the Registration Statement or Prospectus (or any amendment
or supplement thereto) and (B) there are no agreements, contracts, indentures,
leases or other instruments, that are required to be described in the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement
thereto) or to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement or any
Incorporated Document that are not described or filed as required, as the case
may be;
(xvi) Except as described in the Prospectus, there
is no holder of any security of the Company or any other person who has the
right, contractual or otherwise, to cause the Company to sell or otherwise
issue to them, or to permit them to underwrite the sale of, the Notes or the
right to have any Common Stock or other securities of the Company included in
the registration statement or the right, as a result of the filing of the
registration statement, to require registration under the Act of any shares of
Common Stock or other securities of the Company.
In addition, such counsel shall state that although counsel has not
undertaken, except as otherwise indicated in their opinion, to determine
independently, and does not assume any responsibility for, the accuracy or
completeness of the statements in the Registration Statement, such counsel has
participated in the preparation of the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus, including review and discussion of the
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contents thereof (including review and discussion of the contents of all
Incorporated Documents) and relying as to materiality to a large extent upon
the analyses, judgments and opinions of officers and other representatives of
the Company, and nothing has come to the attention of such counsel that has
caused them to believe that the Registration Statement (including the
Incorporated Documents) at the time the Registration Statement became
effective, or the Prospectus, as of its date and as of the Closing Date or the
Option Closing Date, as the case may be, 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 in light of the circumstances under
which they were made, not misleading or that any amendment or supplement to the
Prospectus, as of its respective date, and as of the Closing Date or the Option
Closing Date, as the case may be, contained any untrue statement of a material
fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading (it being understood that such counsel need express no
opinion with respect to the financial statements and the notes thereto and the
schedules and other financial and statistical data or reserve information
included in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any Incorporated
Document).
In rendering their opinion as aforesaid, counsel may rely upon an
opinion or opinions, each dated the Closing Date, of other counsel retained by
them or the Company as to laws of any jurisdiction other than the United States
or the States of Texas and Delaware, provided that (1) each such local counsel
is acceptable to the Representatives, (2) such reliance is expressly authorized
by each opinion so relied upon and a copy of each such opinion is delivered to
the Representatives and is, in form and substance satisfactory to them and
their counsel, and (3) counsel shall state in their opinion that they believe
that they and the Underwriters are justified in relying thereon.
(d) You shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of ▇▇▇▇▇▇ &
▇▇▇▇▇▇ L.L.P., counsel for the Underwriters, dated the Closing Date and
addressed to you, as Representatives of the several Underwriters, with respect
to the matters referred to in clauses (v) through (ix), clause (xiii) and the
paragraph immediately following clause (xvi) of the foregoing paragraph (c) and
such other related matters as you may request.
(e) You shall have received letters addressed to you, as
Representatives of the several Underwriters, and dated the date hereof and the
Closing Date from ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ L.L.P., independent certified public
accountants, substantially in the forms heretofore approved by you.
(f) (i) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration
Statement shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall have
been taken or, to the knowledge of the Company, shall be contemplated by the
Commission at or prior to the Closing Date; (ii) there shall not have been any
change in the capital stock of the Company nor any material increase in the
short-term or long-term debt of the Company (other than in the ordinary course
of business) from that set forth or contemplated in the Registration Statement
or the Prospectus (or any amendment or Supplement thereto); (iii) there shall
not have been, since the respective dates as of which information is given in
the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement
thereto), except as may otherwise be stated in the Registration Statement and
Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any material adverse
change in the condition (financial or other), business, prospects, properties,
net worth or results of operations of the Company and the
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Subsidiaries taken as a whole; (iv) the Company and the Subsidiaries shall not
have any liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent (whether or not in
the ordinary course of business), that are material to the Company and the
Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, other than those reflected in the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto); and (v)
all the representations and warranties of the Company contained in this
Agreement shall be true and correct on and as of the date hereof and on and as
of the Closing Date as if made on and as of the Closing Date, and you shall
have received a certificate, dated the Closing Date and signed by the chief
executive officer and the chief financial officer of the Company (or such other
officers as are acceptable to you), to the effect set forth in this Section
8(g) and in Section 8(h) hereof.
(g) The Company shall not have failed at or prior to the Closing Date
to have performed or complied with any of its agreements herein contained and
required to be performed or complied with by it hereunder at or prior to the
Closing Date.
(h) There shall not have been any announcement by any "nationally
recognized statistical rating organization", as defined for purposes of Rule
436(g) under the Act, that (i) it is downgrading its rating assigned to any
class of securities of the Company, or (ii) it is reviewing its rating assigned
to any class of securities of the Company with a view to possible downgrading,
or with negative implications, or direction not determined.
(i) The Notes shall have been listed, subject to notice of issuance,
on the New York Stock Exchange and the shares of Common Stock issuable upon
conversion of the Notes shall have been listed, subject to notice of issuance,
on the New York Stock Exchange.
(j) The Company shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to you
such further certificates and documents as you shall have reasonably requested.
All such opinions, certificates, letters and other documents will be
in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are satisfactory in form
and substance to you and your counsel.
Any certificate or document signed by any officer of the Company and
delivered to you, as Representatives of the Underwriters, or to counsel for the
Underwriters, shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to
each Underwriter as to the statements made therein.
The several obligations of the Underwriters to purchase Additional
Notes hereunder are subject to the satisfaction on and as of any Option Closing
Date of the conditions set forth in this Section 8, except that, if any Option
Closing Date is other than the Closing Date, the certificates, opinions and
letters referred to in paragraphs (c) through (g) shall be dated the Option
Closing Date in question and the opinions called for by paragraphs (c), (d) and
(e) shall be revised to reflect the sale of Additional Notes.
9. Expenses. The Company agrees to pay the following costs and
expenses and all other costs and expenses incident to the performance by it of
its obligations hereunder: (i) the preparation, printing (or reproduction), and
filing with the Commission of the registration statement (including
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financial statements and exhibits thereto), each Prepricing Prospectus, the
Prospectus, each amendment or supplement to any of them, this Agreement, the
Indenture and the Statement of Eligibility and Qualification of the Trustee;
(ii) the printing (or reproduction) and delivery (including postage, air
freight charges and charges for counting and packaging) of such copies of the
registration statement, each Prepricing Prospectus, the Prospectus, the
Incorporated Documents, and all amendments or supplements to any of them, as
may be reasonably requested for use in connection with the offering and sale of
the Notes; (iii) the preparation, printing (or reproduction), execution and
delivery of the Indenture and the preparation, printing, authentication,
issuance and delivery of the Notes, including any stamp taxes in connection
with the original issuance of the Notes; (iv) the printing (or reproduction)
and delivery of this Agreement, the preliminary and supplemental Blue Sky
Memoranda and all other agreements or documents printed (or reproduced) and
delivered in connection with the offering of the Notes; (v) the registration of
the Notes under the Exchange Act and the listing of the Notes and the shares of
Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Notes on the New York Stock
Exchange; (vi) the registration or qualification of the Notes and the shares of
Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Notes for offer and sale under the
securities or Blue Sky laws of the several states as provided in Section 5(g)
hereof (including the reasonable fees, expenses and disbursements of counsel
for the Underwriters relating to the preparation, printing (or reproduction),
and delivery of the preliminary and supplemental Blue Sky Memoranda and such
registration and qualification); (vii) the filing fees and the fees and
expenses of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with any filings
required to be made with the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.;
(viii) the fees and expenses of the Trustee; (ix) the fees and expenses
associated with obtaining ratings for the Notes from nationally recognized
statistical rating organizations; (x) the transportation and other expenses
incurred by or on behalf of Company representatives in connection with
presentations to prospective purchasers of the Notes; and (xi) the fees and
expenses of the Company's accountants and the fees and expenses of counsel
(including local and special counsel) for the Company.
10. Effective Date of Agreement. This Agreement shall become
effective: (i) upon the execution and delivery hereof by the parties hereto; or
(ii) if, at the time this Agreement is executed and delivered, it is necessary
for the registration statement or a post-effective amendment thereto to be
declared effective before the offering of the Notes may commence, when
notification of the effectiveness of the registration statement or such
post-effective amendment has been released by the Commission. Until such time
as this Agreement shall have become effective, it may be terminated by the
Company, by notifying you, or by you, as Representatives of the several
Underwriters, by notifying the Company.
If any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse
to purchase Notes which it or they are obligated to purchase hereunder on the
Closing Date, and the aggregate principal amount of Notes which such defaulting
Underwriter or Underwriters are obligated but fail or refuse to purchase is not
more than one-tenth of the aggregate principal amount of Notes which the
Underwriters are obligated to purchase on the Closing Date, each non-defaulting
Underwriter shall be obligated, severally, in the proportion which the
principal amount of Firm Notes set forth opposite its name in Schedule I hereto
bears to the aggregate principal amount of Firm Notes set forth opposite the
names of all non-defaulting Underwriters or in such other proportion as you may
specify in accordance with Section 20 of the Master Agreement Among
Underwriters of ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Inc.,
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to purchase the Notes which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters are
obligated, but fail or refuse, to purchase. If any one or more of the
Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Notes which it or they are
obligated to purchase on the Closing Date and the aggregate principal amount of
Notes with respect to which such default occurs is more than one-tenth of the
aggregate principal amount of Notes which the Underwriters are obligated to
purchase on the Closing Date and arrangements satisfactory to you and the
Company for the purchase of such Notes by one or more non-defaulting
Underwriters or other party or parties approved by you and the Company are not
made within 36 hours after such default, this Agreement will terminate without
liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company. In any
such case which does not result in termination of this Agreement, either you 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, in the
Registration Statement and the Prospectus or any other documents or
arrangements may be effected. Any action taken under this paragraph shall not
relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any such
default of any such Underwriter under this Agreement. The term "Underwriter" as
used in this Agreement includes, for all purposes of this Agreement, any party
not listed in Schedule I hereto who, with your approval and the approval of the
Company, purchases Notes which a defaulting Underwriter is obligated, but fails
or refuses, to purchase.
Any notice under this Section 10 may be given by telegram, telecopy or
telephone but shall be subsequently confirmed by letter.
11. Termination of Agreement. This Agreement shall be subject to
termination in your absolute discretion, without liability on the part of any
Underwriter to the Company by notice to the Company, if prior to the Closing
Date or any Option Closing Date (if different from the Closing Date and then
only as to the Additional Notes), as the case may be, (i) trading in the Common
Stock of the Company shall be suspended or subject to any restriction or
limitation not in effect on the date of this Agreement; (ii) trading in
securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock
Exchange or the Nasdaq National Market shall have been suspended or materially
limited, (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities in New
York or New Jersey shall have been declared by either federal or state
authorities, or (iv) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of
hostilities or other international or domestic calamity, crisis or change in
political, financial or economic conditions, the effect of which on the
financial markets of the United States is such as to make it, in your judgment,
impracticable or inadvisable to commence or continue the offering of the Notes
on the terms set forth on the cover page of the Prospectus or to enforce
contracts for the resale of the Notes by the Underwriters.
Notice of such termination may be given by telegram, telecopy or
telephone and shall be subsequently confirmed by letter.
12. Information Furnished by the Underwriters. The statements set
forth in the last paragraph on the cover page, the stabilization legend on the
inside cover page, and the statements in the first, third and sixth paragraphs
under the caption "Underwriting" in any Prepricing Prospectus and in the
Prospectus, constitute the only information furnished by or on behalf of the
Underwriters through you as such information is referred to in Sections 6(b)
and 7 hereof.
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13. Miscellaneous. Except as otherwise provided in Sections 5, 10 and
11 hereof, notice given pursuant to any provision of this Agreement shall be in
writing and shall be delivered (i) if to the Company, at the office of the
Company at ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇.
Christmas, Chief Executive Officer; or (ii) if to you, as Representatives of
the several Underwriters, care of ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Inc., ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Attention: Manager, Investment Banking Division.
This Agreement has been and is made solely for the benefit of the
several Underwriters, the Company, its directors and officers, and the other
controlling persons referred to in Section 7 hereof and their respective
successors and assigns, to the extent provided herein, and no other person
shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement. Neither
the term "successor" nor the term "successors and assigns" as used in this
Agreement shall include a purchaser from any Underwriter of any of the Notes in
his status as such purchaser.
14. Applicable Law; Counterparts. This Agreement shall be governed by
and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable
to contracts made and to be performed within the State of New York.
This Agreement may be signed in various counterparts which together
constitute one and the same instrument. If signed in counterparts, this
Agreement shall not become effective unless at least one counterpart hereof
shall have been executed and delivered on behalf of each party hereto.
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Please confirm that the foregoing correctly sets forth the agreement
between the Company and the several Underwriters.
Very truly yours,
KCS ENERGY, INC.
By:
--------------------------------
Name:
Title:
Confirmed as of the date first
above mentioned on behalf of
themselves and the other several
Underwriters named in Schedule I
hereto.
▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ INC.
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ INC
PRUDENTIAL SECURITIES INC.
CIBC WOOD GUNDY SECURITIES CORP.
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & COMPANY, INC.
As Representatives of the Several Underwriters
By ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ INC.
By:
--------------------------
Managing Director
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SCHEDULE I
KCS ENERGY, INC.
PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF
UNDERWRITER NOTES
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------------------
▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Inc....................................................................
Salomon Brothers Inc................................................................
Prudential Securities Inc...........................................................
CIBC Wood Gundy Securities Corp.....................................................
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Company, Inc........................................................ -------------------
Total...................................................................... $ 125,000,000
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