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EXHIBIT 1.01
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AMERICAN AXLE & MANUFACTURING HOLDINGS, INC.
(a Delaware corporation)
7,500,000 Shares of Common Stock
PURCHASE AGREEMENT
Dated: August , 2001
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AMERICAN AXLE & MANUFACTURING HOLDINGS, INC.
(a Delaware corporation)
7,500,000 Shares of Common Stock
(Par Value $0.01 Per Share)
PURCHASE AGREEMENT
August __, 2001
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & CO.
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Lynch, Pierce, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇
Incorporated
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & CO. INCORPORATED
CREDIT SUISSE FIRST BOSTON CORPORATION
FIRST UNION SECURITIES, INC.
UBS WARBURG LLC
as Representatives of the several Underwriters
▇/▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇.
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Lynch, Pierce, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇
Incorporated
World Financial Tower, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
Ladies and Gentlemen:
American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation
(the "Company") and the persons listed on Schedule B hereto (the "Selling
Shareholders") confirm their agreements with ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & Co., ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Lynch,
Pierce, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇ Incorporated ("▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇") and each of the other
Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto (collectively, the "Underwriters", which
term shall also include any underwriter substituted as hereinafter provided in
Section 10 hereof), for whom ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. Incorporated,
Credit Suisse First Boston Corporation, First Union Securities, Inc. and UBS
Warburg LLC are acting as representatives (in such capacity, the
"Representatives"), with respect to (i) the sale by the Company and the Selling
Stockholders, acting severally and not jointly, and the purchase by the
Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the respective numbers of
shares of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company ("Common
Stock") set forth in Schedules A and B hereto and (ii) the grant by the Company
and the Selling Shareholders to the Underwriters, acting severally and not
jointly, of the option described in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any
part of 1,125,000 additional shares of Common Stock to cover over-allotments, if
any. The aforesaid 7,500,000 shares of Common Stock (the "Initial Securities")
to be purchased by the Underwriters and all or any part of the 1,125,000 shares
of Common Stock subject to the option described in Section 2(b) hereof (the
"Option Securities") are hereinafter called, collectively, the "Securities".
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The Company understands that the Underwriters propose to make a public
offering of the Securities as soon as the Representatives deem advisable after
this Agreement has been executed and delivered.
The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"Commission") a registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-66098) covering the
registration of the Securities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
"1933 Act"), including the related preliminary prospectus or prospectuses.
Promptly after execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will either
(i) prepare and file a prospectus in accordance with the provisions of Rule 430A
("Rule 430A") of the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1933 Act
(the "1933 Act Regulations") and paragraph (b) of Rule 424 ("Rule 424(b)") of
the 1933 Act Regulations or (ii) if the Company has elected to rely upon Rule
434 ("Rule 434") of the 1933 Act Regulations, prepare and file a term sheet (a
"Term Sheet") in accordance with the provisions of Rule 434 and Rule 424(b). The
information included in such prospectus or in such Term Sheet, as the case may
be, that was omitted from such registration statement at the time it became
effective but that is deemed to be part of such registration statement at the
time it became effective (a) pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 430A is referred
to as "Rule 430A Information" or (b) pursuant to paragraph (d) of Rule 434 is
referred to as "Rule 434 Information." Each prospectus used before such
registration statement became effective, and any prospectus that omitted, as
applicable, the Rule 430A Information or the Rule 434 Information, that was used
after such effectiveness and prior to the execution and delivery of this
Agreement, is herein called a "preliminary prospectus." Such registration
statement, including the exhibits thereto, schedules thereto, if any, and the
documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3
under the 1933 Act, at the time it became effective and including the Rule 430A
Information and the Rule 434 Information, as applicable, is herein called the
"Registration Statement." Any registration statement filed pursuant to Rule
462(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations is herein referred to as the "Rule 462(b)
Registration Statement," and after such filing the term "Registration Statement"
shall include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. The final prospectus,
including the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of
Form S-3 under the 1933 Act, in the form first furnished to the Underwriters for
use in connection with the offering of the Securities is herein called the
"Prospectus." If Rule 434 is relied on, the term "Prospectus" shall refer to the
preliminary Prospectus dated August 1, 2001, together with the applicable Term
Sheet, and all references in this Agreement to the date of the Prospectus shall
mean the date of the Term Sheet. For purposes of this Agreement, all references
to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or any
Term Sheet or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be
deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic
Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system ("▇▇▇▇▇").
All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules
and other information which is "contained," "included" or "stated" in the
Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or other
references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such
financial statements and schedules and other information which is incorporated
by reference in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the
Prospectus, as the case may be; and all references in this Agreement to
amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, any preliminary
prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to mean and include the filing of
any document under the Securities Exchange Act of
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1934 (the "1934 Act") which is incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement, such preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be.
SECTION 1. Representations and Warranties.
(a) Representations and Warranties by the Company. The Company
represents and warrants to each Underwriter as of the date hereof, as of the
Closing Time referred to in Section 2(c) hereof, and as of each Date of Delivery
(if any) referred to in Section 2(b) hereof, and agrees with each Underwriter,
as follows:
(i) Compliance with Registration Requirements. The Company
meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act. Each of
the Registration Statement and any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement
has become effective under the 1933 Act and no stop order suspending
the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any Rule 462(b)
Registration Statement has been issued under the 1933 Act and no
proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to
the knowledge of the Company, are contemplated by the Commission, and
any request on the part of the Commission for additional information
has been complied with.
At the respective times the Registration Statement, any Rule
462(b) Registration Statement and any post-effective amendments thereto
became effective and at the Closing Time (and, if any Option Securities
are purchased, at the Date of Delivery), the Registration Statement,
the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any amendments and
supplements thereto complied and will comply in all material respects
with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and
did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or
omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. Neither the
Prospectus nor any amendments or supplements thereto, at the time the
Prospectus or any amendments or supplements were issued and at the
Closing Time (and, if any Option Securities are purchased, at the Date
of Delivery), included or will include an untrue statement of a
material fact or omitted or will omit to state a material fact
necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. If Rule 434
is used, the Company will comply with the requirements of Rule 434 and
the Prospectus shall not be "materially different", as such term is
used in Rule 434, from the prospectus included in the Registration
Statement at the time it became effective. The representations and
warranties in this subsection shall not apply to statements in or
omissions from the Registration Statement or the Prospectus made in
reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the
Company in writing by any Underwriter through the Representatives
expressly for use in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus.
Each preliminary prospectus and the prospectus filed as part
of the Registration Statement as originally filed or as part of any
amendment thereto, or filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the 1933 Act,
complied when so filed in all material respects with the 1933 Act
Regulations and each preliminary prospectus and each Prospectus
delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with this offering
was identical to the
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electronically transmitted copy thereof filed with the Commission
pursuant to ▇▇▇▇▇, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
(ii) Incorporated Documents. The documents incorporated or
deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement
and the Prospectus, when they became effective or at the time they were
or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied and will comply in
all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the
1933 Act Regulations or the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of
the Commission thereunder (the "1934 Act Regulations"), as applicable,
and, when read together with the other information in the Prospectus,
at the time the Registration Statement became effective, at the time
the Prospectus was issued and at the Closing Time (and, if any Option
Securities are purchased, at the Date of Delivery), did not and will
not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading.
(iii) Independent Accountants. The accountants who certified
the financial statements and supporting schedule included in the
Registration Statement are independent public accountants as required
by the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations.
(iv) Financial Statements. The financial statements included
in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, together with the
related schedule and notes, present fairly in all material respects the
financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries at
the dates indicated and the respective statement of income,
shareholders' equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated
subsidiaries for the periods specified; said financial statements have
been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting
principles ("GAAP") applied on a consistent basis throughout the
periods involved. The supporting schedule included in the Registration
Statement presents fairly in all material respects in accordance with
GAAP the information required to be stated therein. The selected
financial data and the summary financial information included in the
Prospectus present fairly in all material respects the information
shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of
the audited financial statements included in the Registration
Statement.
(v) No Material Adverse Change in Business. Since the
respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus, except as otherwise stated therein, (A)
there has been no material adverse change in the condition, financial
or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business
prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries (taken as a whole),
whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business (a "Material
Adverse Effect"), (B) there have been no transactions entered into by
the Company or any of its subsidiaries, other than those in the
ordinary course of business, which are material with respect to the
Company and its subsidiaries (taken as a whole), and (C) there has been
no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the
Company on any class of its capital stock.
(vi) 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 State of
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Delaware and has corporate power and authority to own, lease and
operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the
Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this
Agreement; and the Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation
to transact business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction
in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the
ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except
where the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not
result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(vii) Good Standing of Subsidiaries. Each "significant
subsidiary" of the Company (as such term is defined in Rule 1-02 of
Regulation S-X) (each a "Subsidiary" and, collectively, the
"Subsidiaries") has been duly organized and is validly existing as a
corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its
incorporation, has corporate power and authority to own, lease and
operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the
Prospectus and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact
business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such
qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or
leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the
failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a
Material Adverse Effect; except as otherwise disclosed in the
Registration Statement, all of the issued and outstanding capital stock
of each such Subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly issued, is
fully paid and non-assessable and is owned by the Company, directly or
through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest,
mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity, except as has
been made in connection with that certain Credit Facility, dated as of
October 27, 1997, among the Company, American Axle & Manufacturing of
Michigan, Inc., the lenders named therein, The Chase Manhattan Bank, as
administrative agent and collateral agent and Chase Manhattan Bank of
Delaware, as fronting agent, as amended (the "Credit Agreement"); none
of the outstanding shares of capital stock of any Subsidiary was issued
in violation of the preemptive or similar rights of any securityholder
of such Subsidiary. The only Subsidiaries of the Company are the
Subsidiaries listed on Schedule E hereto.
(viii) Capitalization. The authorized, issued and outstanding
capital stock of the Company is as set forth in the Prospectus in the
column entitled "Actual" under the caption "Capitalization" (except for
subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to this Agreement, pursuant to
reservations, agreements or employee benefit plans referred to in the
Prospectus or pursuant to the exercise of convertible securities or
options referred to in the Prospectus). The shares of issued and
outstanding capital stock have been duly authorized and validly issued
and are fully paid and non-assessable; none of the outstanding shares
of capital stock was issued in violation of the preemptive or other
similar rights of any securityholder of the Company.
(ix) Authorization of Agreement. This Agreement has been duly
authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(x) Authorization and Description of Securities. The
Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Company have
been duly authorized for issuance, to the extent not yet issued, and
sale to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement and, when issued,
if not yet issued, and delivered by the Company pursuant to
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this Agreement, against payment of the consideration set forth herein
and therein, will be validly issued and fully paid and non-assessable;
the Common Stock conforms to all statements relating thereto contained
in the Prospectus and such description conforms to the rights set forth
in the instruments defining the same; no holder of the Securities will
be subject to personal liability by reason of being such a holder; and
the issuance of the Securities is not subject to the preemptive or
other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company.
(xi) Absence of Defaults and Conflicts. Neither the Company
nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of its charter or by-laws
or in default, or, to the Company's knowledge, alleged by any other
party to be in default, in the performance or observance of any
obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract,
indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note,
lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of
its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound,
or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any
subsidiary is subject (collectively, "Agreements and Instruments")
except for such defaults that would not result in a Material Adverse
Effect; and the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement
and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and the
use of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described in the
Prospectus under the caption "Use of Proceeds" and compliance by the
Company with its obligations under this Agreement have been duly
authorized by all necessary corporate action and do not and will not,
whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or
both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or, except
for the repayment of outstanding borrowings under the Revolving Credit
Facility as contemplated under "Use of Proceeds" in the Prospectus,
Repayment Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or
imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or
assets of the Company or any subsidiary pursuant to, the Agreements and
Instruments (except for such conflicts, breaches or defaults or liens,
charges or encumbrances that would not result in a Material Adverse
Effect), nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions
of the charter or by-laws of the Company or any subsidiary or any
applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or
decree of any government, government instrumentality or court, domestic
or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary or
any of their assets, properties or operations. As used herein, a
"Repayment Event" means any event or condition which gives the holder
of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person
acting on such holder's behalf) the right to require the repurchase,
redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the
Company or any subsidiary.
(xii) Absence of Labor Dispute. No labor dispute with the
employees of the Company or any subsidiary exists or, to the knowledge
of the Company, is imminent, and the Company is not aware of any
existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its
or any subsidiary's principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or
contractors, which, in either case, may reasonably be expected to
result in a Material Adverse Effect.
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(xiii) Absence of Proceedings. There is no action, suit,
proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any court or
governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, now pending, or, to
the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against or affecting the
Company or any subsidiary, which is required to be disclosed in the
Registration Statement (other than as disclosed therein), or which
might reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or
which might reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect
the properties or assets thereof or the consummation of the
transactions contemplated in this Agreement or the performance by the
Company of its obligations hereunder; the aggregate of all pending
legal or governmental proceedings to which the Company or any
subsidiary is a party or of which any of their respective property or
assets is the subject which are not described in the Registration
Statement, including ordinary routine litigation incidental to the
business, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material
Adverse Effect.
(xiv) Accuracy of Exhibits. There are no contracts or
documents which are required to be described in the Registration
Statement, the Prospectus or the documents incorporated by reference
therein or to be filed as exhibits thereto which have not been so
described and filed as required, and the descriptions of all such
contracts and documents in the Prospectus are complete and accurate in
all material respects.
(xv) Possession of Intellectual Property. The Company and its
subsidiaries own or possess, or can acquire on reasonable terms,
adequate patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions, copyrights,
know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or
unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or
procedures), trademarks, service marks, trade names or other
intellectual property (collectively, "Intellectual Property") necessary
to carry on the business now operated by them, and neither the Company
nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice or is otherwise
aware of any infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others
with respect to any Intellectual Property or of any facts or
circumstances which would render any Intellectual Property invalid or
inadequate to protect the interest of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries therein, and which infringement or conflict (if the
subject of any unfavorable decision, ruling or finding) or invalidity
or inadequacy, singly or in the aggregate, would result in a Material
Adverse Effect.
(xvi) Absence of Further Requirements. No filing with, or
authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration,
qualification or decree of, any court or governmental authority or
agency is necessary or required for the performance by the Company of
its obligations under this Agreement, in connection with the offering,
issuance or sale of the Securities hereunder or the consummation of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except such as have been
already obtained or as may be required under the 1933 Act or the 1933
Act Regulations or state or foreign securities laws.
(xvii) Possession of Licenses and Permits. The Company and its
subsidiaries possess such permits, licenses, approvals, consents and
other authorizations (collectively, "Governmental Licenses") issued by
the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory agencies or
bodies necessary to conduct the business now operated by them,
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except where the failure to possess would not, singly or in the
aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; the Company and its
subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms and conditions of all
such Governmental Licenses, except where the failure so to comply would
not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; all of
the Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect,
except when the invalidity of such Governmental Licenses or the failure
of such Governmental Licenses to be in full force and effect would not
have a Material Adverse Effect; and neither the Company nor any of its
subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the
revocation or modification of any such Governmental Licenses which,
singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision,
ruling or finding, would result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xviii) Title to Property. The Company and its subsidiaries
have good and marketable title to all real property owned by the
Company and its subsidiaries and good title to all other properties
owned by them, in each case, free and clear of all mortgages, pledges,
liens, security interests, claims, restrictions or encumbrances of any
kind except such as (a) are described in the Prospectus, (b) were made
in connection with the Credit Agreement or (c) do not, singly or in the
aggregate, materially affect the value of such property and do not
interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by
the Company or any of its subsidiaries; and all of the leases and
subleases material to the business of the Company and its subsidiaries,
considered as one enterprise, and under which the Company or any of its
subsidiaries holds properties described in the Prospectus, are in full
force and effect, and neither the Company nor any subsidiary has any
notice of any material claim of any sort that has been asserted by
anyone adverse to the rights of the Company or any subsidiary under any
of the leases or subleases mentioned above, or affecting or questioning
the rights of the Company or such subsidiary to the continued
possession of the leased or subleased premises under any such lease or
sublease.
(xix) Compliance with Cuba Act. The Company has complied with,
and is and will be in compliance with, the provisions of that certain
Florida act relating to disclosure of doing business with Cuba,
codified as Section 517.075 of the Florida statutes, and the rules and
regulations thereunder or is exempt therefrom.
(xx) Investment Company Act. The Company is not, and upon the
issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated and the
application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in the
Prospectus will not be, an "investment company" or an entity
"controlled" by an "investment company" as such terms are defined in
the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act").
(xxi) Environmental Laws. Except as described in the
Registration Statement and except as would not, singly or in the
aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, (A) neither the Company
nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any federal, state,
local or foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code,
legally binding policy or rule of common law or any judicial or legally
binding administrative interpretation thereof, including any judicial
or administrative order, consent, decree or judgment, relating to
pollution or protection of human health, the environment (including,
without
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limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or
subsurface strata) or wildlife, including, without limitation, laws and
regulations relating to the release or threatened release of chemicals,
pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous
substances, petroleum or petroleum products (collectively, "Hazardous
Materials") or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use,
treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous
Materials (collectively, "Environmental Laws"), (B) the Company and its
subsidiaries have all permits, authorizations and approvals required
under any applicable Environmental Laws (except for such permits,
authorizations and approvals the absence of which would not result in a
Material Adverse Effect) and are each in compliance with their
requirements, (C) there are no pending or, to the knowledge of the
Company, threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial actions,
suits, demands, demand letters, claims, liens, notices of noncompliance
or violation, investigation or proceedings relating to any
Environmental Law against the Company or any of its subsidiaries and
(D) there are no events or circumstances that might reasonably be
expected to form the basis of an order for clean-up or remediation, or
an action, suit or proceeding by any private party or governmental body
or agency, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries
relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental Laws.
(xxii) Registration Rights. There are no persons with
registration rights or other similar rights to have any securities
registered pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise
registered by the Company under the 1933 Act except as described in the
Prospectus. Except for rights properly exercised by the Selling
Shareholders, all applicable "piggy-back" registration rights otherwise
applicable and entitling the persons holding such rights to have any
securities so registered have been duly and validly waived in respect
of the Registration Statement and the transactions contemplated
thereby.
(xxiii) Taxes. The Company and each of its subsidiaries have
filed all necessary federal, state, local and foreign income, payroll,
franchise and other tax returns (after giving effect to extensions) and
have paid all taxes shown as due thereon or with respect to any of its
properties, except for taxes being contested in good faith for which
adequate reserves have been provided, and there is no tax deficiency
that has been, or to the knowledge of the Company is likely to be,
asserted against the Company, any of its subsidiaries or any of their
properties or assets that would result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xxiv) Maintenance of Adequate Insurance. The Company and each
of its subsidiaries is insured by insurers of recognized financial
responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as is
reasonably prudent in the business in which it is engaged or proposed
to engage after giving effect to the transactions described in the
Prospectus; and the Company does not have any reason to believe that it
will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when
such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar
insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that
would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.
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(b) Representations and Warranties by the Selling Shareholders. Each
Selling Shareholder, severally and not jointly, represents and warrants to each
Underwriter as of the date hereof, as of the Closing Time, and, if the Selling
Shareholder is selling Option Securities on a Date of Delivery, as of each such
Date of Delivery, and agrees with each Underwriter, as follows:
(i) Accurate Disclosure. The Blackstone Information contained
in the Prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto does not
include any untrue statement of a material fact 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.
The parties hereto agree that "Blackstone Information" consists solely
of (i) the biographical information with respect to ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇,
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ and ▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ under the caption "Management"
in the Prospectus and the information with respect to beneficial
ownership of Common Stock by the Selling Shareholders under the caption
"Principal and Selling Stockholders" in the Prospectus.
(ii) Authorization of Agreements. Each Selling Shareholder has
the full right, power and authority to enter into this Agreement and a
Power of Attorney and Custody Agreement (the "Power of Attorney and
Custody Agreement") and to sell, transfer and deliver the Securities to
be sold by such Selling Shareholder hereunder. The execution and
delivery of this Agreement and the Power of Attorney and Custody
Agreement and the sale and delivery of the Securities to be sold by
such Selling Shareholder and the consummation of the transactions
contemplated herein and compliance by such Selling Shareholder with its
obligations hereunder have been duly authorized by such Selling
Shareholder and do not and will not, whether with or without the giving
of notice or passage of time or both, conflict with or constitute a
breach of, or default under, or result in the creation or imposition of
any tax, lien, charge or encumbrance upon the Securities to be sold by
such Selling Shareholder or any property or assets of such Selling
Shareholder pursuant to any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of
trust, loan or credit agreement, note, license, lease or other
agreement or instrument to which such Selling Shareholder is a party or
by which such Selling Shareholder may be bound, or to which any of the
property or assets of such Selling Shareholder is subject, nor will
such action result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or
by-laws or other organizational instrument of such Selling Shareholder,
if applicable, or any applicable treaty, law, statute, rule,
regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any government,
government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having
jurisdiction over such Selling Shareholder or any of its properties.
(iii) Direct Holder of Securities; Title to Securities. Such
Selling Shareholder holds and will hold at the Closing Time and, if any
Option Securities are purchased, on the relevant Date of Delivery, the
Securities to be sold by such Selling Shareholder hereunder, free and
clear of any adverse claim, security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien,
charge, claim, equity or encumbrance of any kind, other than pursuant
to this Agreement; such Securities are certificated securities in
registered form and are not held in any securities account or by or
through any securities intermediary within the meaning of the Uniform
Commercial Code as in effect in the State of New York ("NYUCC"); such
Selling Stockholder has, and, at the Closing Time and, if any Option
Securities are
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purchased, on any relevant Date of Delivery, will have, full right,
power and authority to hold, sell, transfer and deliver the Securities
to be sold by such Selling Stockholder pursuant to this Agreement, and
upon delivery of such Securities and payment of the purchase price
therefor as herein contemplated, assuming each such Underwriter has no
written notice of any adverse claim, each of the Underwriters will be a
protected purchaser (as defined in the NYUCC) with respect to the
Securities purchased by it from such Selling Shareholder, and each such
Underwriter will acquire the interest of such Selling Shareholder in
such Securities free and clear of any adverse claim, security interest,
mortgage, pledge, lien, charge, claim, equity or encumbrance of any
kind.
(iv) Due Execution of Power of Attorney and Custody Agreement.
Such Selling Shareholder has duly executed and delivered, in the form
heretofore furnished to the Representative(s), the Power of Attorney
and Custody Agreement with ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ and ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ as
attorneys-in-fact (the "Attorneys-in-Fact") and First Chicago Trust
Company of New York, as custodian (the "Custodian"); the Custodian is
authorized to deliver the Securities to be sold by such Selling
Shareholder hereunder and to accept payment therefor; and each
Attorney-in-Fact is authorized to execute and deliver this Agreement
and the certificate referred to in Section 5(f) or that may be required
pursuant to Sections 5(l) on behalf of such Selling Shareholder, to
sell, assign and transfer to the Underwriters the Securities to be sold
by such Selling Shareholder hereunder, to determine the purchase price
to be paid by the Underwriters to such Selling Shareholder, as provided
in Section 2(a) hereof, to authorize the delivery of the Securities to
be sold by such Selling Shareholder hereunder, to accept payment
therefor, and otherwise to act on behalf of such Selling Shareholder in
connection with this Agreement.
(v) Absence of Manipulation. Such Selling Shareholder has not
taken, and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action which is
designed to or which has constituted or which might reasonably be
expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the
price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale
of the Securities.
(vi) Absence of Further Requirements. No filing with, or
consent, approval, authorization, order, registration, qualification or
decree of, any court or governmental authority or agency, domestic or
foreign, is necessary or required for the performance by such Selling
Shareholder of its obligations hereunder or in the Power of Attorney
and Custody Agreement, or in connection with the sale and delivery of
the Securities hereunder or the consummation of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement, except such as may have previously been
made or obtained or as may be required under the 1933 Act or the 1933
Act Regulations or state securities laws.
(vii) Restriction on Sale of Securities. During a period of 90
days from the date of the Prospectus, such Selling Shareholder will
not, without the prior written consent of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, (i) offer,
pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to
purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option,
right or warrant for the sale or lend or otherwise dispose of or
transfer, directly or indirectly, any share of Common Stock or any
securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common
Stock whether now owned or hereafter acquired or with respect to which
such
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Selling Shareholder has or hereafter acquires the power of disposition,
or request or demand that the Company file any registration statement
under the 1933 Act with respect to any of the foregoing or (ii) enter
into any swap or any other agreement or any transaction that transfers,
in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence
of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such swap or transaction
described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of
Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise. The
foregoing sentence shall not apply to the Securities to be sold
hereunder.
(viii) Certificates Suitable for Transfer. Certificates for
all of the Securities to be sold by such Selling Shareholder pursuant
to this Agreement, in suitable form for transfer by delivery or
accompanied by duly executed instruments of transfer or assignment in
blank with signatures guaranteed, have been placed in custody with the
Custodian with irrevocable conditional instructions to deliver such
Securities to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement.
(ix) No Association with NASD. To such Selling Shareholder's
knowledge, neither such Selling Stockholder nor any of its affiliates
directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls,
or is controlled by, or is under common control with, or has any other
association with (within the meaning of Article I, Section 1(m) of the
By-laws of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.), any
member firm of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
(the "NASD") that is participating as an underwriter or selling group
member in the offering of the Securities.
(c) Officer's Certificates. Any certificate signed by any officer of
the Company or any of its subsidiaries delivered to the Representatives or to
counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed a representation and warranty by
the Company to each Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby; and any
certificate signed by or on behalf of a Selling Shareholder as such and
delivered to the Representatives or to counsel for the Underwriters pursuant to
the terms of this Agreement shall be deemed a representation and warranty by
such Selling Shareholder to the Underwriters as to the matters covered thereby.
SECTION 2. Sale and Delivery to Underwriters; Closing.
(a) Initial Securities. On the basis of the representations and
warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set
forth, the Company and each Selling Shareholder, severally and not jointly,
agree to sell to each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, and each
Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company and
each Selling Shareholder, severally and not jointly, at the price per share set
forth in paragraph 2 of Schedule C, that proportion of the number of Initial
Securities set forth in Schedule B opposite the name of the Company or such
Selling Shareholder, as the case may be, which the number of Initial Securities
set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter, plus any
additional number of Initial Securities which such Underwriter may become
obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 10 hereof, bears to
the total number of Initial Securities, subject, in each case, to such
adjustments among the Underwriters as the Representatives in their sole
discretion shall make to eliminate any sales or purchases of fractional
securities.
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(b) Option Securities. In addition, on the basis of the representations
and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein
set forth, the Company and the Selling Shareholders, acting severally and not
jointly, hereby grant an option to the Underwriters, severally and not jointly,
to purchase up to an additional 450,000 shares of Common Stock from the Company,
and an additional 675,000 shares of Common Stock from the Selling Shareholders,
at the price per share set forth in Schedule C, less an amount per share equal
to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the
Initial Securities but not payable on the Option Securities. The option hereby
granted will expire 30 days after the date hereof and may be exercised in whole
or in part (ratably among the Company and the Selling Shareholders) from time to
time only for the purpose of covering over-allotments which may be made in
connection with the offering and distribution of the Initial Securities upon
notice by the Representatives to the Company setting forth the number of Option
Securities as to which the several Underwriters are then exercising the option
and the time and date of payment and delivery for such Option Securities. Any
such time and date of delivery (a "Date of Delivery") shall be determined by the
Representatives, but shall not be later than seven full business days after the
exercise of said option, nor in any event prior to the Closing Time, as
hereinafter defined. If the option is exercised as to all or any portion of the
Option Securities, each of the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly,
will purchase that proportion of the total number of Option Securities then
being purchased which the number of Initial Securities set forth in Schedule A
opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Initial
Securities, and the Company and the Selling Stockholders, acting severally and
not jointly, shall sell that proportion of the total number of Option Securities
then being purchased which the number of Option Securities set forth on Schedule
B opposite the name of the Company or such Selling Shareholder bears to the
total number of Option Securities, subject in each case to such adjustments as
the Representatives in their discretion shall make to eliminate any sales or
purchases of fractional shares.
(c) Payment. Payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of
certificates for, the Initial Securities shall be made at the offices of ▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, or at such other
place as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives, the Company and the
Selling Shareholders, at 9:00 A.M. (Eastern time) on the third (fourth, if the
pricing occurs after 4:30 P.M. (Eastern time) on any given day) business day
after the date hereof (unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of
Section 10), or such other time not later than ten business days after such date
as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives, the Company and the Selling
Shareholders (such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called
"Closing Time").
In addition, in the event that any or all of the Option Securities are
purchased by the Underwriters, payment of the purchase price for, and delivery
of certificates for, such Option Securities shall be made at the above-mentioned
offices, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives
and the Company and the Selling Shareholders, on each Date of Delivery as
specified in the notice from the Representatives to the Company and the Selling
Shareholders.
Payment shall be made to the Company and the Selling Shareholders by
wire transfer of immediately available funds to bank accounts designated by the
Company and the Custodian pursuant to each Selling Shareholder's power of Power
of Attorney and Custody Agreement, as
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the case may be, against delivery to the Representatives for the respective
accounts of the Underwriters of certificates for the Securities to be purchased
by them. It is understood that each Underwriter has authorized the
Representatives, for its account, to accept delivery of, receipt for, and make
payment of the purchase price for, the Initial Securities and the Option
Securities, if any, which it has agreed to purchase. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, individually
and not as representative of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated
to) make payment of the purchase price for the Initial Securities or the Option
Securities, if any, to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds have not been
received by the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may
be, but such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from its obligations
hereunder.
(d) Denominations; Registration. Certificates for the Initial
Securities and the Option Securities, if any, shall be in such denominations and
registered in such names as the Representatives may request in writing at least
one full business day before the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery,
as the case may be. The certificates for the Initial Securities and the Option
Securities, if any, will be made available for examination and packaging by the
Representatives in The City of New York not later than 10:00 A.M. (Eastern time)
on the business day prior to the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery,
as the case may be.
SECTION 3. Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants with each
Underwriter as follows:
(a) Compliance with Securities Regulations and Commission Requests. The
Company, subject to Section 3(b), will comply with the requirements of Rule 430A
or Rule 434, as applicable, and will notify the Representatives immediately, and
confirm the notice in writing, (i) when any post-effective amendment to the
Registration Statement shall become effective, or any supplement to the
Prospectus or any amended Prospectus shall have been filed, (ii) of the receipt
of any comments from the Commission, (iii) of any request by the Commission for
any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to
the Prospectus or for additional information, and (iv) of the issuance by the
Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration
Statement or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary
prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for
offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any
proceedings for any of such purposes. The Company will promptly effect the
filings necessary pursuant to Rule 424(b) and will take such steps as it deems
necessary to ascertain promptly whether the form of prospectus transmitted for
filing under Rule 424(b) was received for filing by the Commission and, in the
event that it was not, it will promptly file such prospectus. The Company will
make every reasonable effort to prevent the issuance of any stop order and, if
any stop order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible
moment.
(b) Filing of Amendments. The Company will give the Representatives
notice of its intention to file or prepare any amendment to the Registration
Statement (including any filing under Rule 462(b)), any Term Sheet or any
amendment, supplement or revision to either the prospectus included in the
Registration Statement at the time it became effective or to the Prospectus,
whether pursuant to the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act or otherwise, will furnish the
Representatives with copies of any such documents a reasonable amount of time
prior to such proposed filing or use, as the case may be, and will not file or
use any such document to which
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the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object in
writing within a reasonable period of time.
(c) Delivery of Registration Statements. The Company has furnished or
will deliver to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters, without
charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of
each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed therewith or incorporated by
reference therein and 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 Representatives, without charge, a
conformed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of each
amendment thereto (without exhibits) for each of the Underwriters. The copies of
the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to the
Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof
filed with the Commission pursuant to ▇▇▇▇▇, except to the extent permitted by
Regulation S-T.
(d) Delivery of Prospectus. The Company has delivered to each
Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of each preliminary prospectus as
such Underwriter reasonably requested, and the Company hereby consents to the
use of such copies for purposes permitted by the 1933 Act. The Company will
furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, during the period when the
Prospectus is required to be delivered under the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act, such
number of copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as such
Underwriter may reasonably request. The Prospectus and any amendments or
supplements thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the
electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to
▇▇▇▇▇, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
(e) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. The Company will comply
with the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act
Regulations so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Securities
as contemplated in this Agreement and in the Prospectus. If at any time when a
prospectus is required by the 1933 Act to be delivered in connection with sales
of the Securities, any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of
which it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters or for the
Company, to amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the
Prospectus in order that the Prospectus will not include any untrue statements
of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make
the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing
at the time it is delivered to a purchaser, or if it shall be necessary, in the
opinion of such counsel, at any such time to amend the Registration Statement or
amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to comply with the requirements of
the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations, the Company will promptly prepare and
file with the Commission, subject to Section 3(b), such amendment or supplement
as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus comply with such requirements, and the
Company will furnish to the Underwriters such number of copies of such amendment
or supplement as the Underwriters may reasonably request.
(f) Blue Sky Qualifications. The Company will use its best efforts, in
cooperation with the Underwriters, to qualify the Securities for offering and
sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions
(domestic or foreign) as the Representatives may designate and to maintain such
qualifications in effect for a period of not less than one year
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from the later of the effective date of the Registration Statement and any Rule
462(b) Registration Statement; provided, however, that the Company shall not be
obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a
foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it
is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing
business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject. In each
jurisdiction in which the Securities have been so qualified, the Company will
file such statements and reports as may be required by the laws of such
jurisdiction to continue such qualification in effect for a period of not less
than one year from the later of the effective date of the Registration Statement
and any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement.
(g) Rule 158. The Company will timely file such reports pursuant to the
1934 Act as are necessary in order to make generally available to its
securityholders as soon as practicable an earnings statement for the purposes
of, and to provide the benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section
11(a) of the 1933 Act.
(h) Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the net proceeds received by
it from the sale of the Securities in the manner specified in the Prospectus
under "Use of Proceeds."
(i) Listing. The Company will use its best efforts to effect and
maintain the listing of the Securities on the New York Stock Exchange and will
file with the New York Stock Exchange all documents and notices required by the
New York Stock Exchange of companies that have securities listed thereon.
(j) Restriction on Sale of Securities. During a period of 90 days from
the date of the Prospectus, the Company will not, without the prior written
consent of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, (i) directly or indirectly, offer, pledge, sell,
contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option
or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant for the sale or lend or
otherwise dispose of or transfer any share of Common Stock or any securities
convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or file any
registration statement under the 1933 Act with respect to any of the foregoing
or (ii) enter into any swap or any other agreement or any transaction that
transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence
of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such swap or transaction described
in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such
other securities, in cash or otherwise. The foregoing sentence shall not apply
to (A) the Securities to be sold hereunder, (B) grants of stock options and
other awards pursuant to the terms of the Company's stock option plans in effect
on the date hereof and described in the Prospectus, (C) any shares of Common
Stock issued by the Company upon the exercise of an option or warrant or the
conversion of a security outstanding on the date hereof and referred to in the
Prospectus, (D) any shares of Common Stock issued by the Company pursuant to the
American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc. 401(k) Plan or (E) offers, sales and
issuances of shares of Common Stock, options, rights or warrants to purchase or
any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock
in connection with acquisitions of businesses, companies or assets by the
Company so long as the recipients of such shares, options, rights, warrants or
convertible securities are subject to the restrictions of this Section 3(j)
until the expiration of such 90-day period.
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(k) Reporting Requirements. The Company, during the period when the
Prospectus is required to be delivered under the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act, will
file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the 1934
Act within the time periods required by the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act
Regulations.
SECTION 4. Payment of Expenses.
(a) Expenses. The Company will pay or cause to be paid all expenses
incident to the performance of its and the Selling Shareholders' obligations
under this Agreement, including (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the
Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits) as
originally filed and of each amendment thereto, (ii) the preparation, issuance
and delivery of the certificates for the Securities to the Underwriters,
including any stock or other transfer taxes and any stamp or other duties
payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Securities to the
Underwriters, (iii) the fees and disbursements of the Company's and Selling
Shareholders' respective counsel, accountants and other advisors, (iv) the
qualification of the Securities under securities laws in accordance with the
provisions of Section 3(f) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees
and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection therewith and in
connection with the preparation, printing and delivery of the Blue Sky Survey
and any supplement thereto, (v) the printing and delivery to the Underwriters of
copies of each preliminary prospectus, any Term Sheets and of the Prospectus and
any amendments or supplements thereto, (vi) the fees and expenses of any
transfer agent or registrar for the Securities, (vii) the filing fees incident
to, and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters in
connection with, the review by the NASD of the terms of the sale of the
Securities, (viii) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing
of the Securities on the New York Stock Exchange and (ix) any stamp duties,
capital duties and stock transfer taxes, if any, payable upon the sale of the
Securities to the Underwriters, and their transfer between the Underwriters
pursuant to an agreement between such Underwriters. It is understood, however,
that except as provided in this Section or Sections 6, 7 or 9 hereof, the
Underwriters shall pay their own costs and expenses, including the fees and
disbursements of their counsel, stock transfer taxes due upon resale of any of
the Securities by them and any advertising expenses incurred in connection with
any offers they may make.
(b) Termination of Agreement. If this Agreement is terminated by the
Representatives in accordance with the provisions of Section 5 (other than as a
result of the failure to satisfy the condition set forth in Section 5(j)),
Section 9(a)(i) or Section 11 hereof, the Company shall reimburse the
Underwriters for all of their out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable
fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters.
(c) Allocation of Expenses. The provisions of this Section shall not
affect any agreement that the Company and the Selling Shareholders may make for
the sharing of such costs and expenses.
SECTION 5. Conditions of Underwriters' Obligations. The obligations of
the several Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the
representations and warranties of the Company and the Selling Shareholders
contained in Section 1 hereof or in certificates of any officer of the Company
or any subsidiary of the Company or on behalf of any Selling
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Shareholder delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by
the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to the
following further conditions:
(a) Effectiveness of Registration Statement. The Registration
Statement, including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, has become
effective and at Closing Time no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement shall have been issued under the 1933 Act or proceedings
therefor initiated or threatened by the Commission, and 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. A prospectus
containing the Rule 430A Information shall have been filed with the Commission
in accordance with Rule 424(b) (or a post-effective amendment providing such
information shall have been filed and declared effective in accordance with the
requirements of Rule 430A) or, if the Company has elected to rely upon Rule 434,
a Term Sheet shall have been filed with the Commission in accordance with Rule
424(b).
(b) Opinion of Counsel for Company. At Closing Time, the
Representatives shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of Closing
Time, of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, counsel for the Company, and of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Esq., General Counsel of the Company, each in form and substance
satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced
copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters to the effect set forth
in Exhibits A-1 and A-2 hereto and to such further effect as counsel to the
Underwriters may reasonably request.
(c) Opinion of Counsel for the Selling Shareholders. At Closing Time,
the Representatives shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of
Closing Time, of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, counsel for the Selling
Shareholders, and of ▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Company, counsel to Blackstone Offshore
Capital Partners II L.P., each in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for
the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for
each of the other Underwriters to the effect set forth in Exhibits B-1 and B-2
hereto and to such further effect as counsel to the Underwriters may reasonably
request.
(d) Opinion of Counsel for the Underwriters. At Closing Time, the
Representatives shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of Closing
Time, of ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇, counsel for the Underwriters, together with
signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters
with respect to the matters set forth in clauses (i) (solely as to the valid
existence and good standing and corporate power and authority of the Company),
(ii) (solely as to the Securities), (iii) (solely as to preemptive or other
similar rights arising by operation of law or under the charter or by-laws of
the Company), (iv) through (vi), inclusive, (vii) (solely as to the information
in the Prospectus under "Description of Capital Stock--Common Stock"), and (xvi)
the penultimate paragraph of Exhibit A-1 hereto. In giving such opinion such
counsel may rely, as to all matters governed by the laws of jurisdictions other
than the law of the State of New York, the federal law of the United States and
the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, upon the opinions of
counsel satisfactory to the Representatives. Such counsel may also state that,
insofar as such opinion involves factual matters, they have relied, to the
extent they deem proper, upon certificates of officers of the Company and its
subsidiaries and certificates of public officials.
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(e) Officers' Certificate. At Closing Time, there shall not have been,
since the date hereof or since the respective dates as of which information is
given in the Prospectus, any material adverse change in the condition, financial
or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the
Company or any of its subsidiaries whether or not arising in the ordinary course
of business, and the Representatives shall have received a certificate of the
President or a Vice President of the Company and of the chief financial or chief
accounting officer of the Company, dated as of Closing Time, to the effect that
(i) there has been no such material adverse change, (ii) the representations and
warranties in Section 1(a) hereof are true and correct with the same force and
effect as though expressly made at and as of Closing Time, (iii) the Company has
complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be
performed or satisfied at or prior to Closing Time, and (iv) no stop order
suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and
no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or are
contemplated by the Commission.
(f) Certificate of Selling Shareholders. At Closing Time, the
Representatives shall have received a certificate of an Attorney-in-Fact on
behalf of each Selling Shareholder, dated as of Closing Time, to the effect that
(i) the representations and warranties of each Selling Shareholder contained in
Section 1(b) hereof are true and correct in all respects with the same force and
effect as though expressly made at and as of Closing Time and (ii) each Selling
Shareholder has complied in all material respects with all agreements and all
conditions on its part to be performed under this Agreement at or prior to
Closing Time.
(g) Accountants' Comfort Letter. At the time of the execution of this
Agreement, the Representatives shall have received from Deloitte & Touche LLP a
letter dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the
Representatives, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for
each of the other Underwriters containing statements and information of the type
ordinarily included in accountants' "comfort letters" to underwriters with
respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained
in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
(h) Bring-down Comfort Letter. At Closing Time, the Representatives
shall have received from Deloitte & Touche LLP a letter, dated as of Closing
Time, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter
furnished pursuant to subsection (g) of this Section, except that the specified
date referred to shall be a date not more than three business days prior to
Closing Time.
(i) Approval of Listing. At Closing Time, the Securities shall have
been approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange, subject only to
official notice of issuance.
(j) No Objection. The NASD shall have confirmed that it has not raised
any objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the
underwriting terms and arrangements.
(k) Lock-up Agreements. At the date of this Agreement, the
Representatives shall have received an agreement substantially in the form of
Exhibit C hereto signed by the persons listed on Schedule D hereto.
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(l) Conditions to Purchase of Option Securities. In the event that the
Underwriters exercise their option provided in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase
all or any portion of the Option Securities, the representations and warranties
of the Company and the Selling Shareholders contained herein and the statements
in any certificates furnished by the Company, any subsidiary of the Company and
the Selling Shareholders shall be true and correct as of each Date of Delivery
and, at the relevant Date of Delivery, the Representatives shall have received:
(i) Officers' Certificate. A certificate, dated such Date of
Delivery, of the President or a Vice President of the Company and of
the chief financial or chief accounting officer of the Company
confirming that the certificate delivered at the Closing Time pursuant
to Section 5(e) hereof remains true and correct as of such Date of
Delivery.
(ii) Certificate of Selling Shareholders. A certificate, dated
such Date of Delivery, of an Attorney-in-Fact on behalf of each Selling
Shareholder confirming that the certificate delivered at Closing Time
pursuant to Section 5(f) remains true and correct as of such Date of
Delivery.
(iii) Opinion of Counsel for Company. The favorable opinion of
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, counsel for the Company, and of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, General Counsel for the Company, each in form and substance
satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, dated such Date of
Delivery, relating to the Option Securities to be purchased on such
Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion
required by Section 5(b) hereof.
(iv) Opinion of Counsel for the Selling Shareholders. The
favorable opinion of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, counsel for the
Selling Shareholders, and of ▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Company, counsel to
Blackstone Offshore Capital Partners II L.P., each in form and
substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, dated such Date
of Delivery, relating to the Option Securities to be purchased on such
Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion
required by Section 5(c) hereof.
(v) Opinion of Counsel for the Underwriters. The favorable
opinion of ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇, counsel for the Underwriters, dated
such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option Securities to be
purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as
the opinion required by Section 5(d) hereof.
(vi) Bring-down Comfort Letter. A letter from Deloitte &
Touche LLP, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives
and dated such Date of Delivery, substantially in the same form and
substance as the letter furnished to the Representatives pursuant to
Section 5(g) hereof, except that the "specified date" in the letter
furnished pursuant to this paragraph shall be a date not more than five
days prior to such Date of Delivery.
(m) Additional Documents. At Closing Time and at each Date of Delivery,
counsel for the Underwriters shall have been furnished with such documents and
opinions as they may require for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon the
issuance and sale of the Securities as
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herein contemplated, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the
representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions,
herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company and the Selling
Shareholders in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities as
herein contemplated shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the
Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters.
(n) Termination of Agreement. If any condition specified in this
Section shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this
Agreement, or, in the case of any condition to the purchase of Option Securities
on a Date of Delivery which is after the Closing Time, the obligations of the
several Underwriters to purchase the relevant Option Securities, may be
terminated by the Representatives by notice to the Company at any time at or
prior to Closing Time or such Date of Delivery, as the case may be, and such
termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as
provided in Section 4 and except that Sections 1, 6, 7 and 8 shall survive any
such termination and remain in full force and effect.
SECTION 6. Indemnification.
(a) Indemnification of Underwriters. The Company agrees to indemnify
and hold harmless each Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls any
Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of
the 1934 Act as follows:
(i) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and
expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any untrue statement or
alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the
Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule
430A Information and the Rule 434 Information, if applicable, or the
omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to
be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading or arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue
statement of a material fact included in any preliminary prospectus or
the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or the
omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in
order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances
under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the
Company will not be liable in any such case to any Underwriter to the
extent that any such loss, liability, claim, damage or expense arises
out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement
or omission or alleged omission in the Blackstone Information;
(ii) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and
expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate amount
paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or
proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened,
or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or
omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided
that (subject to Section 6(e) below) any such settlement is effected
with the written consent of the Company; and
(iii) against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred
(including the fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending
against any litigation, or any investigation or
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proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened,
or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or
omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the
extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) above;
provided, however, that (A) this indemnity agreement shall not apply to
any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any
untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in
reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the
Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in the
Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430A
Information and the Rule 434 Information, if applicable, or any preliminary
prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) and (B) as
to any preliminary prospectus, this indemnity agreement shall not inure to the
benefit of any Underwriter or any person, if any, who controls any Underwriter
within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act
on account of any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense arising from the
fact that such Underwriter sold Securities to a person to whom there was not
sent or given, at or prior to the written confirmation of such sale, a copy of
the Prospectus (as then amended or supplemented) in any case where such delivery
is required by the 1933 Act if the Company has previously furnished copies
thereof to such Underwriter in the quantities requested and the loss, liability,
claim, damage or expense of such Underwriter results from an untrue statement or
omission of a material fact contained in such preliminary prospectus which the
Company has sustained the burden of proving was corrected in the Prospectus (as
then amended or supplemented).
(b) Indemnification of the Underwriters by the Selling Shareholders.
Each Selling Shareholder agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter
and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of
Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act, against any and all
loss, liability claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained
in subsection (a) of this Section, as incurred, but only with reference to the
Blackstone Information.
(c) Indemnification of Company, Directors and Officers and the Selling
Shareholders. Each Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless
the Company, its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration
Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning
of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act, and the Selling
Shareholders and each person, if any, who controls the Selling Shareholders
within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act of Section 20 of the 1934 Act
against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the
indemnity contained in subsection (a) of this Section, as incurred, but only
with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or
omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto),
including the Rule 430A Information and the Rule 434 Information, if applicable,
or any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement
thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished
to the Company by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use
in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) or such preliminary
prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto).
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(d) Actions against Parties; Notification. Each indemnified party shall
give notice as promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of
any action commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought
hereunder, but failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such
indemnifying party from any liability hereunder to the extent it is not
materially prejudiced as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve it
from any liability which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity
agreement. In the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(a) above,
counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇; and, in
the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(b) above, counsel to the
indemnified parties shall be selected by the Company. An indemnifying party may
participate at its own expense in the defense of any such action; provided,
however, that counsel to the indemnifying party shall not (except with the
consent of the indemnified party) also be counsel to the indemnified party. In
no event shall the indemnifying parties be liable for fees and expenses of more
than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own
counsel for all indemnified parties in connection with any one action or
separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of
the same general allegations or circumstances. No indemnifying party shall,
without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or
compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any
litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or
body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in respect of which
indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 6 or Section
7 hereof (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties
thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an
unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out
of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include
a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by
or on behalf of any indemnified party.
(e) Settlement without Consent if Failure to Reimburse. If at any time
an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the
indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel which are reimbursable under
this Section 6 or Section 7, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be
liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 6(a)(ii)
effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more
than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request,
(ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such
settlement, which notice shall include a statement by the indemnified party that
it proposes to enter into such settlement on such terms to the extent permitted
by this Section 6(d), at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered
into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such
indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such
settlement.
SECTION 7. Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in Section
6 hereof is for any reason unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an
indemnified party in respect of any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or
expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to
the aggregate amount of such losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses
incurred by such indemnified party, as incurred, (i) in such proportion as is
appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the
Selling Shareholders on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand from
the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the
allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such
proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred
to in clause (i) above
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but also the relative fault of the Company and the Selling Shareholders on the
one hand and of the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the
statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims,
damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.
The relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling
Shareholders on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand in
connection with the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement shall
be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds
from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting
expenses) received by the Company and the Selling Shareholders and the total
underwriting discount received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth on
the cover of the Prospectus, or, if Rule 434 is used, the corresponding location
on the Term Sheet, bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of the
Securities as set forth on such cover.
The relative fault of the Company and the Selling Shareholders on the
one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand shall be determined by reference
to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a
material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates
to information supplied by the Company or the Selling Shareholders or by the
Underwriters and the parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to information
and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
The Company, the Selling Shareholders and the Underwriters agree that
it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7
were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as
one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not
take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section
7. The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses
incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 7 shall
be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such
indemnified party in investigating, preparing or defending against any
litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or
body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such
untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, no Underwriter shall
be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total
price at which the Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public
were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such
Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of any such untrue or
alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.
No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of
Section 11(f) of the ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇) shall be entitled to contribution from any person
who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
For purposes of this Section 7, each person, if any, who controls an
Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of
the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and
each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the
Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company or the
Selling Shareholders within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or
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Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the
Company or the Selling Shareholders, as the case may be. The Underwriters'
respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are several in
proportion to the number of Initial Securities set forth opposite their
respective names in Schedule A hereto and not joint.
The provisions of this Section shall not affect any agreement among the
Company and the Selling Shareholders with respect to contribution.
SECTION 8. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive
Delivery. All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this
Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries or the Selling Shareholders submitted pursuant hereto shall remain
operative and in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by
or on behalf of any Underwriter or controlling person, or by or on behalf of the
Company or the Selling Shareholders, and shall survive delivery of the
Securities to the Underwriters.
SECTION 9. Termination of Agreement.
(a) Termination; General. The Representatives may terminate this
Agreement, by notice to the Company and the Selling Shareholders, at any time at
or prior to Closing Time (i) if there has been, since the time of execution of
this Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in
the Prospectus, any material adverse change in the condition, financial or
otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the
Company or any of its subsidiaries, whether or not arising in the ordinary
course of business, or (ii) if there has occurred any material adverse change in
the financial markets in the United States or the international financial
markets, any outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof or other calamity or
crisis or any change or development involving a prospective change in national
or international political, financial or economic conditions, in each case the
effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representatives,
impracticable to market the Securities or to enforce contracts for the sale of
the Securities, or (iii) if trading in any securities of the Company has been
suspended or materially limited by the Commission or the New York Stock
Exchange, or if trading generally on the New York Stock Exchange has been
suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have
been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by the New York
Stock Exchange or by order of the Commission, the NASD or any other governmental
authority, or (iv) if a banking moratorium has been declared by Federal or New
York authorities.
(b) Liabilities. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to this
Section, such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other
party except as provided in Section 4 hereof, and provided further that Sections
1, 6, 7 and 8 shall survive such termination and remain in full force and
effect.
SECTION 10. Default by One or More of the Underwriters. If one or more
of the Underwriters shall fail at Closing Time or a Date of Delivery to purchase
the Securities which it or they are obligated to purchase under this Agreement
(the "Defaulted Securities"), the Representatives shall have the right, within
24 hours thereafter, to make arrangements for one or more of the non-defaulting
Underwriters, or any other underwriters, to purchase all, but not less than all,
of the Defaulted Securities in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the
terms
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herein set forth. If, however, the Representatives shall not have completed such
arrangements within such 24-hour period, then:
(a) if the number of Defaulted Securities does not exceed 10% of the
number of Securities to be purchased on such date, each of the non-defaulting
Underwriters shall be obligated, severally and not jointly, to purchase the full
amount thereof in the proportions that their respective underwriting obligations
hereunder bear to the underwriting obligations of all non-defaulting
Underwriters, or
(b) if the number of Defaulted Securities exceeds 10% of the number of
Securities to be purchased on such date, this Agreement or, with respect to any
Date of Delivery which occurs after the Closing Time, the obligation of the
Underwriters to purchase and of the Company to sell the Option Securities to be
purchased and sold on such Date of Delivery, shall terminate without liability
on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter.
No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve any defaulting
Underwriter from liability in respect of its default.
In the event of any such default which does not result in a termination
of this Agreement or, in the case of a Date of Delivery which is after the
Closing Time, which does not result in a termination of the obligation of the
Underwriters to purchase and the Company and the Selling Shareholders to sell
the relevant Option Securities, as the case may be, either (i) the
Representatives or (ii) the Company and the Selling Shareholders shall have the
right to postpone the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case
may be, for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required
changes in the Registration Statement or Prospectus or in any other documents or
arrangements. As used herein, the term "Underwriter" includes any person
substituted for an Underwriter under this Section 10.
SECTION 11. Default by One or More of the Selling Shareholders or the
Company.
(a) If a Selling Shareholder shall fail at Closing Time or at a Date of
Delivery to sell and deliver the number of Securities which such Selling
Shareholder or Selling Shareholders are obligated to sell hereunder, and the
remaining Selling Shareholders do not exercise the right hereby granted to
increase, pro rata or otherwise, the number of Securities to be sold by them
hereunder to the total number to be sold by all Selling Shareholders as set
forth in Schedule B hereto, then the Underwriters may, at option of the
Representatives, by notice from the Representatives to the Company and the
non-defaulting Selling Shareholders, either (i) terminate this Agreement without
any liability on the fault of any non-defaulting party except that the
provisions of Sections 1, 4, 6, 7 and 8 shall remain in full force and effect or
(ii) elect to purchase the Securities which the non-defaulting Selling
Shareholders and the Company have agreed to sell hereunder. No action taken
pursuant to this Section 11 shall relieve any Selling Shareholder so defaulting
from liability, if any, in respect of such default.
In the event of a default by any Selling Shareholder as referred to in
this Section 11, each of the Representatives and the Company and the
non-defaulting Selling Shareholders shall have the right to postpone Closing
Time or Date of Delivery for a period not exceeding seven days in
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order to effect any required change in the Registration Statement or Prospectus
or in any other documents or arrangements.
(b) If the Company shall fail at Closing Time or at the Date of
Delivery to sell the number of Securities that it is obligated to sell
hereunder, then this Agreement shall terminate without any liability on the part
of any nondefaulting party; provided, however, that the provisions of Sections
1, 4, 6, 7 and 8 shall remain in full force and effect. No action taken pursuant
to this Section shall relieve the Company from liability, if any, in respect of
such default.
SECTION 12. Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder
shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or
transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the
Underwriters shall be directed to the Representatives at ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, attention of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇'▇▇▇▇▇; notices to the Company shall be directed to it at ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇,
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, attention of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Esq., with a copy to
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇,
attention of ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Esq., and notices to the Selling Shareholders shall
be directed to The Blackstone Group, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, attention of ▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, with a copy to ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ &
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇, attention of ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇, Esq.
SECTION 13. Parties. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and
be binding upon the Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Shareholders and
their respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is
intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other
than the Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Shareholders and their
respective successors and the controlling persons and officers and directors
referred to in Sections 6 and 7 and their heirs and legal representatives, any
legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement
or any provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions and
provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the
Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Shareholders and their respective
successors, and said controlling persons and officers and directors and their
heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or
corporation. No purchaser of Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed to
be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.
SECTION 14. GOVERNING LAW AND TIME. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY
AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK. EXCEPT AS
OTHERWISE SET FORTH HEREIN, SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME.
SECTION 15. Effect of Headings. The Article and Section headings herein
and the Table of Contents are for convenience only and shall not affect the
construction hereof.
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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our
agreement, please sign and return to the Company and the Attorney-in-Fact for
the Selling Shareholders a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along
with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement among the Underwriters,
the Company and the Selling Shareholders in accordance with its terms.
Very truly yours,
AMERICAN AXLE & MANUFACTURING
HOLDINGS, INC.
By:
----------------------------
Name:
Title:
BLACKSTONE CAPITAL PARTNERS II
MERCHANT BANK FUND ▇.▇.
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ OFFSHORE CAPITAL
PARTNERS II ▇.▇.
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ FAMILY INVESTMENT
PARTNERSHIP II L.P.
By:
----------------------------
As Attorney-in-Fact
CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED,
as of the date first above written:
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & CO.
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LYNCH, PIERCE, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇
INCORPORATED
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & CO. INCORPORATED
CREDIT SUISSE FIRST BOSTON CORPORATION
FIRST UNION SECURITIES, INC.
UBS WARBURG LLC
By: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LYNCH, PIERCE, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇
INCORPORATED
By
-------------------------------------------
Authorized Signatory
For themselves and as Representatives of the other Underwriters named in
Schedule A hereto.
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