SYSWIN INC. ORDINARY SHARES, PAR VALUE US$0.0000008 PER SHARE in the form of American Depositary Shares UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
Exhibit 1.1
ORDINARY SHARES, PAR VALUE US$0.0000008 PER SHARE
in the form of American Depositary Shares
November , 2010
November , 2010
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. International plc
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▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
As Representative of the several Underwriters
named in Schedule II hereto
Ladies and Gentlemen:
SYSWIN Inc., an exempted company with limited liability incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the “Company”), proposes, on the terms and subject to the conditions stated herein, to issue and sell to the several Underwriters named in Schedule II hereto (the “Underwriters”) an aggregate of 9,600,000 American depositary shares (the “ADSs”), each representing four ordinary shares of the Company, par value US$0.0000008 per share (the “Ordinary Shares”), and certain shareholders of the Company (the “Selling Shareholders”) named in Schedule I hereto severally propose, on the terms and subject to the conditions stated herein, to sell to the several Underwriters an aggregate of 2,400,000 ADSs (together with the ADSs being sold by the Company, the “Firm ADSs”).
A Selling Shareholder also proposes, on the terms and subject to the conditions stated herein, to sell to the several Underwriters not more than an additional 1,800,000 ADSs (the “Additional ADSs”), if and to the extent that you, as the representative of the Underwriters (the “Representative”), shall have determined to exercise, on behalf of the Underwriters, the right to purchase such number of Ordinary Shares granted to the Underwriters in Section 3 hereof. The respective amounts of the Firm ADSs and the Additional ADSs to be sold by the Selling Shareholders are set forth opposite their names in Schedule I hereto. The Firm ADSs and the Additional ADSs are hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Offered ADSs.” The Ordinary Shares represented by the Offered ADSs are hereafter referred to as the “Offered Shares.” Unless the context otherwise requires, each reference to the Firm ADSs, the Additional ADSs or Offered ADSs herein also includes the Offered Shares represented by such ADSs. The Company and the Selling Shareholders are hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to as the “Sellers.”
The Offered ADSs are to be issued pursuant to a deposit agreement dated as of November , 2010 (the “Deposit Agreement”) among the Company, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. as depositary (the “Depositary”) and the holders from time to time of the ADSs issued thereunder.
The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement, including a prospectus, relating to the Offered Shares, and the Company and the Depositary have filed a registration statement relating to the ADSs. The registration statement relating to the Offered Shares as amended at the time it becomes effective, including the information (if any) deemed to be part of the registration statement at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), is hereinafter referred to as the “Registration Statement”; the prospectus in the form first used to confirm sales of Offered ADSs (or in the form first made available to the Underwriters by the Company to meet requests of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act) is hereinafter referred to as the “Prospectus.” The registration statement relating to the ADSs, as amended at the time it becomes effective, is hereafter referred to as the “ADS Registration Statement.” If the Company has filed abbreviated registration statements to register additional Ordinary Shares or ADSs pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act (the “Rule 462 Registration Statements”), then any reference herein to the term “Registration Statement” or “ADS Registration Statement” shall be deemed to include such Rule 462 Registration Statement. The Company has filed, in accordance with Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), a registration statement on Form 8-A to register the Offered Shares and the Offered ADSs (the “Form 8-A Registration Statement”).
For purposes of this Agreement, “free writing prospectus” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, “Time of Sale Prospectus” means the preliminary prospectus together with the free writing prospectuses, if any, each identified in Schedule III hereto, and “broadly available road show” means a “bona fide electronic road show” as defined in Rule 433(h)(5) under the Securities Act that has been made available without restriction to any person. As used herein, the terms “Registration Statement,” “ADS Registration Statement,” “Form 8-A Registration Statement,” “preliminary prospectus,” “Time of Sale Prospectus” and “Prospectus” shall include the documents, if any, incorporated by reference therein.
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. International plc (the “Designated Underwriter”) has agreed to reserve a portion of the Offered ADSs to be purchased by it or its affiliates under this Agreement for sale to the Company’s directors, officers, employees and business associates and other parties related to the Company (collectively, “Participants”), as set forth in the Prospectus under the heading “Underwriters” (the “Directed Share Program”). The Offered ADSs to be sold by the Designated Underwriter or its affiliates pursuant to the Directed Share Program are referred to hereinafter as the “Directed ADSs.” Any Directed ADSs not orally confirmed for purchase by any Participant by the end of the business day on which this Agreement is executed will be offered to the public by the Underwriters as set forth in the Prospectus.
The Company agrees and confirms that references to “affiliates” of ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ that appear in this Agreement shall be understood to include Mitsubishi UFJ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Securities Co., Ltd.
1. Representations and Warranties of the Company and ▇▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇. The Company and ▇▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, jointly and severally, represent and warrant to and agree with each of the Underwriters that:
(a) Each of the Registration Statement and the ADS Registration Statement has become effective; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the ADS Registration Statement, and no proceedings for such purpose are pending before or, to the Company’s knowledge, are threatened by the Commission; the Form 8-A Registration Statement has become effective as provided in Section 12 of the Exchange Act.
(b) (i) Each of the Registration Statement and the ADS Registration Statement, when it became effective, did not contain and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) the Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement and the Prospectus comply and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, (iii) the Time of Sale Prospectus does not, and at the time of each sale of the Offered ADSs in connection with the offering when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and at the Closing Date (as defined in Section 5), the Time of Sale Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented by the Company, if applicable, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, (iv) each broadly available road show, if any, when considered together with the Time of Sale Prospectus, does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading and (v) the Prospectus does not contain and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that the representations and warranties set forth in this paragraph do not apply to statements or omissions in the Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus based upon information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use therein.
(c) At the time of filing the Registration Statement and as of the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer” in connection with the offering pursuant to Rules 164, 405 and 433 under the Securities Act. Any free writing prospectus that the Company is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act has been, or will be, filed with the Commission in
accordance with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. Each free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act or that was prepared by or on behalf of or used or referred to by the Company complies or will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. Except for the free writing prospectuses, if any, identified in Schedule III hereto, and electronic road shows, if any, each furnished to the Representative before first use, the Company has not prepared, used or referred to, and will not, without the prior consent of the Representative, prepare, use or refer to, any free writing prospectus. The Company has satisfied and agrees that it will satisfy the conditions in Rule 433 to avoid a requirement to file with the Commission any electronic road show.
(d) The Company has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as an exempted company with limited liability in good standing under the laws of the Cayman Islands, has the corporate power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, results of operations, business or prospects of the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities (as defined below), taken as a whole, or on the Company’s ability to carry out its obligations under this Agreement and the Deposit Agreement (“Material Adverse Effect”). All constitutive documents of the Company comply with the requirements of applicable Cayman Islands laws and are in full force and effect. The amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of the Company as filed as Exhibit 3.2 to the Registration Statement comply with the requirements of applicable Cayman Islands laws and, once adopted on the Closing Date, will be in full force and effect. Complete and correct copies of all constitutive documents of the Company and all amendments thereto have been delivered to the Representative; except as set forth in the exhibits to the Registration Statement, no change will be made to any such constitutive documents on or after the date of this Agreement through and including the Closing Date.
(e) Each of (i) SYSWIN Limited and Beijing Syswin Zhi Di Technology Company Limited (each a “Subsidiary” and collectively called the “Subsidiaries”) and (ii) Beijing Syswin Xing Ye Real Estate Brokerage Company Limited (including each of its subsidiaries) (each an “Affiliated Entity”, collectively called the “Affiliated Entities” and together with the Subsidiaries, the “Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities”) has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has the corporate power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such
qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities, taken as a whole. The Company has no subsidiaries or controlled affiliates other than the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities. All constitutive documents of each of the Subsidiaries and the Affiliated Entities comply with the requirements of applicable laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation and are in full force and effect. All of the equity interests in each Subsidiary have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned directly or indirectly through subsidiaries by the Company free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims; all of the equity interests in each Affiliated Entity of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned directly by the individuals as disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus, except for as disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims.
(f) The description of the corporate structure of the Company and the various contracts among the Subsidiaries, the shareholders of the Affiliated Entities, and the Affiliated Entities, as the case may be (each a “Corporate Structure Contract” and collectively the “Corporate Structure Contracts”), as set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus under the captions “Our Corporate History and Structure” and “Related Party Transactions” and filed as Exhibits 10.3 through 10.6 to the Registration Statement, is true and accurate in all material respects and nothing has been omitted from such description which would make it misleading in any material respect. There is no other agreement, contract or other document relating to the corporate structure or the operation of the Company and the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities which has not been previously disclosed or made available to the Underwriters and, to the extent material to the Company, disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus.
(g) Each Corporate Structure Contract has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the parties thereto and constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of the parties thereto, enforceable in accordance with its terms subject, as to enforceability, to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles. No consent, approval, authorization, or order of, or filing or registration with, any person (including any governmental agency or body or any court) is required for the performance of the obligations under any Corporate Structure Contract by the parties thereto. There is no legal or governmental proceeding, inquiry or investigation pending against the Company, the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities or shareholders of the Affiliated Entities in any jurisdiction challenging the validity of any of the Corporate Structure Contracts and, to the Company’s knowledge, no such proceeding, inquiry or investigation is threatened in any jurisdiction.
(h) The execution, delivery and performance of each Corporate Structure Contract by the parties thereto do not and will not result in a breach or violation of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default under, or
result in the imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities pursuant to (A) the charter or by-laws of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities, (B) any statute, rule, regulation or order of any governmental agency or body or any court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities or any of their properties, or (C) any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries and the Affiliated Entities is a party or by which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities is bound or to which any of the properties of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities is subject, except, in the case of (B) and (C), for such that would not have a Material Adverse Effect. Each Corporate Structure Contract is in full force and effect and none of the parties thereto is in breach or default in the performance of any of the terms or provisions of such Corporate Structure Contract. None of the parties to any of the Corporate Structure Contracts has sent or received any communication regarding termination of, or intention not to renew, any of the Corporate Structure Contracts, and, to the Company’s knowledge, no such termination or non-renewal has been threatened by any of the parties thereto.
(i) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(j) The Deposit Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the Depositary, constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of the Company, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject, as to enforceability, to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles.
(k) The authorized share capital of the Company conforms as to legal matters to the description thereof contained in each of the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.
(l) The Ordinary Shares (including the Offered Shares represented by Offered ADSs to be sold by the Selling Shareholders) outstanding prior to the issuance of the Offered Shares represented by Offered ADSs to be sold by the Company have been duly authorized and are validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. As of the date hereof, the Company has authorized and outstanding capitalization as set forth in the sections of the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus under the headings “Capitalization” and “Description of Share Capital” and, as of the Closing Date, the Company shall have authorized and outstanding capitalization as set forth in the sections of the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus under the headings “Capitalization” and “Description of Share Capital.”
(m) The Offered Shares represented by the Offered ADSs to be sold by the Company have been duly authorized and, when issued and delivered in
accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be validly issued, will have been issued in compliance with all applicable securities laws, will be fully paid and non-assessable, and the issuance of such Offered Shares will not be subject to any preemptive rights, resale rights, rights of first refusal or similar rights. The Offered Shares, when issued and delivered against payment therefor in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be free of any restriction upon the voting or transfer thereof pursuant to the Company’s constitutive documents or any agreement or other instrument to which the Company is a party.
(n) The Offered ADSs, when issued by the Depositary against the deposit of Offered Shares in respect thereof in accordance with the provisions of the Deposit Agreement, will be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, and the persons in whose names such ADSs are registered will be entitled to the rights of registered holders of ADSs specified therein and in the Deposit Agreement.
(o) The execution and delivery by the Company of, and the performance by the Company of its obligations under, this Agreement and the Deposit Agreement will not contravene (A) any provision of applicable law or the certificate of incorporation or by-laws of the Company or (B) any agreement or other instrument binding upon the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities that is material to the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities, taken as a whole, or (C) any judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having jurisdiction over the Company, any Subsidiary or Affiliated Entity, except, in the case of (C), for any contravention that would not have a Material Adverse Effect; except for such that have been obtained, no consent, approval, authorization or order of, or qualification with, any governmental body or agency is required for the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement or the Deposit Agreement, except such as may be required by the securities or Blue Sky laws of the various states in connection with the offer and sale of the Offered ADSs.
(p) There has not occurred any Material Adverse Effect from that set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus.
(q) There are no legal or governmental proceedings pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities is a party or to which any of the properties of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities is subject (i) other than proceedings accurately described in all material respects in the Time of Sale Prospectus and proceedings that would not have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities, taken as a whole, or on the power or ability of the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities to perform their respective obligations under this Agreement or to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Time of Sale Prospectus or (ii) that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and are not so described; and there are no statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to
be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not described or filed as required.
(r) Each preliminary 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 Securities Act, complied when so filed in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
(s) The Company is a “foreign private issuer” within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
(t) The Company is not, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Offered ADSs and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus will not be, required to register as an “investment company” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(u) The Company does not expect to be a passive foreign investment company for United States federal income tax purposes for its current taxable year ending December 31, 2010 or for the foreseeable future.
(v) Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities is in material breach or violation of any provision of applicable law or is in breach or violation of its respective constitutive documents, or in default under (nor has any event occurred which, with notice, lapse of time or both, would result in any breach or violation of, constitute a default under or give the holder of any indebtedness (or a person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a part of such indebtedness under) any agreement or other instrument binding upon the Company or any of the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entity that is material to the Company and the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entity, taken as a whole, or any judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having jurisdiction over the Company or any of the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities.
(w) The Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities (i) are in compliance with any and all applicable foreign and People’s Republic of China (“PRC’) laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (“Environmental Laws”), (ii) have received all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses and (iii) are in material compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval, except where such noncompliance with Environmental Laws, failure to receive required permits, licenses or other approvals or failure to comply with the terms and conditions of such permits, licenses or approvals would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities, taken as a whole.
(x) The Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities are not liable for any costs or other liabilities associated with Environmental Laws (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure of properties or compliance with Environmental Laws or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties) which would, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities, taken as a whole.
(y) Except as disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person granting such person the right to require the Company to file a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to any securities of the Company or to require the Company to include such securities with the Offered Shares registered pursuant to the Registration Statement.
(z) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities, nor any of their respective directors, officers, or employees, nor, to the Company’s best knowledge, any agent or representative of the Company or of any of its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities or affiliates, has taken or will take any action in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization or approval of the payment or giving of money, property, gifts or anything else of value, directly or indirectly, to any “government official” (including any officer or employee of a government or government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office) to influence official action or secure an improper advantage; and the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities and affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with applicable anti-corruption laws and have instituted and maintain and will continue to maintain policies and procedures designed to promote and achieve compliance with such laws and with the representation and warranty contained herein.
(aa) The operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities are and have been conducted at all times in material compliance with all applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, the applicable anti-money laundering statutes of jurisdictions where the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities conduct business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Anti-Money Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities with respect to the Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(bb) (i) The Company represents that neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities (collectively, the “Entity”) or , to the knowledge of the Entity, any director, officer, employee, agent, affiliate or
representative of the Entity, is an individual or entity (“Person”) that is, or is owned or controlled by a Person that is:
(A) the subject of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) , the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury, or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor
(B) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of Sanctions (including, without limitation, Burma/Myanmar, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria).
(ii) The Entity represents that, for the past five years, it has not knowingly engaged in and is not now knowingly engaged in any dealings or transactions with any Person, or in any country or territory, that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject of Sanctions.
(cc) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, (i) the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities have not incurred any material liability or obligation, direct or contingent, nor entered into any material transaction; (ii) the Company has not purchased any of its outstanding capital stock, nor declared, paid or otherwise made any dividend or distribution of any kind on its capital stock; and (iii) there has not been any material change in the capital stock, short-term debt or long-term debt of the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities, except in each case as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, respectively.
(dd) The Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property and good and marketable title to all personal property owned by them which is material to the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects except such as are described in the Time of Sale Prospectus or such as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities; and any real property and buildings held under lease by the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with such exceptions as are not material and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities, in each case except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus.
(ee) The Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities own or possess, or can acquire on reasonable terms, all material 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 and trade names currently employed by them in connection with the business now operated by them, and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities has received any notice of infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any of the foregoing which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would have a material adverse effect on the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities, taken as a whole.
(ff) Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities has full power, authority and legal right to enter into, execute, assume, deliver and perform its obligations under each of the contracts and agreements referred to or described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus or filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement to which it is a party (the “Disclosed Contracts”), and has authorized, executed and delivered each of the Disclosed Contracts, and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the other parties thereto, the Disclosed Contracts constitute valid, legal and binding obligations of the Company or such Subsidiary or Affiliated Entity, enforceable against it in accordance with the terms thereof, subject, in each case as to enforceability, to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles. Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities has sent or received any communication regarding termination of, or intent not to renew, any of the Disclosed Contracts, and no such termination or non-renewal has been threatened by the Company or any of the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities or, to the best knowledge of the Company after due inquiry, any other party to any such contract or agreement, except as disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus.
(gg) No material labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities exists, except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus, or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent; and the Company is not aware of any existing, threatened or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its principal suppliers, manufacturers or contractors that could have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities, taken as a whole.
(hh) The Company and each of its Subsidiaries and Affiliate Entities are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which they are engaged; neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities has been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied for; and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities has 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 have
a Material Adverse Effect on the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities, taken as a whole, except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus.
(ii) The Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities possess all certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses, and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such certificate, authorization or permit which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities, taken as a whole.
(jj) All tax returns required to be filed by the Company or any of the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities have been timely filed except for those tax returns the failure of which to file does not and would not be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities, taken as a whole, and all taxes and other assessments of a similar nature (whether imposed directly or through withholding) including any interest, additions to tax or penalties applicable thereto due or claimed to be due from such entities have been timely paid, other than those being contested in good faith and for which adequate reserves have been provided or as would not be reasonably expected to, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities, taken as a whole. All local and national PRC governmental tax holidays, exemptions, waivers, financial subsidies, and other local and national PRC tax relief, concessions and preferential treatment enjoyed by the Company or any of the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus are valid, binding and enforceable and do not violate any laws, regulations, rules, orders, decrees, guidelines, judicial interpretations, notices or other legislation of the PRC.
(kk) Except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus, no Subsidiary is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such Subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such Subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such Subsidiary’s property or assets to the Company or any other Subsidiary of the Company.
(ll) PricewaterhouseCoopers ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ CPAs Limited Company, whose report on the consolidated financial statements of the Company and the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities is included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, are independent registered public accountants as required by the Securities Act and by the rules of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.
(mm) The financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, together with the related notes and schedules thereto, present fairly the consolidated financial position of the
Company and the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities as of the dates indicated and the consolidated results of operations, cash flows and changes in shareholders’ equity of the Company for the periods specified and have been prepared in compliance as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Securities Act and the related rules and regulations adopted by the Commission and in conformity with United States generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved; the other financial and statistical data contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus are accurately and fairly presented and prepared on a basis consistent with the financial statements and books and records of the Company; there are no financial statements (historical or pro forma) that are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus that are not included as required; the Company and the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities do not have any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations) not described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus; and all disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply with Regulation G of the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act, to the extent applicable.
(nn) The section entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus accurately and fully describes (i) accounting policies that the Company believes are the most important in the portrayal of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations and that require significant management judgment, (ii) material judgments and uncertainties affecting the application of critical accounting policies and (iii) the likelihood that materially different amounts would be reported under different conditions or using different assumptions and an explanation thereof. The Company’s directors and management have reviewed and agreed with the selection, application and disclosure of the Company’s critical accounting policies as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and have consulted with its independent accountants with regards to such disclosure.
(oo) The Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus fairly and accurately describe all material trends, demands, commitments and events known to the Company, and uncertainties, and the potential effects thereof, that the Company believes would be materially affect its liquidity and are reasonably likely to occur.
(pp) The Company and each of its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is
permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus, since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (i) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (ii) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
(qq) There are no material relationships or transactions between the Company or any of the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities on one hand and their respective 10% or greater shareholders, affiliates, directors or officers or any affiliates or members of the immediate families of such persons, on the other hand, that are not disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus.
(rr) Except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Company has not sold, issued or distributed any Ordinary Shares during the six-month period preceding the date hereof, including any sales pursuant to Rule 144A under, or Regulation D or S of, the Securities Act, other than shares issued pursuant to employee benefit plans, qualified stock option plans or other employee compensation plans or pursuant to outstanding options, rights or warrants.
(ss) Any third-party statistical and market-related data included the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate.
(tt) The statements in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus under the headings “Description of Share Capital” and “Description of American Depositary Shares” insofar as they purport to constitute a summary of the terms of the Offered Shares and the Offered ADSs, respectively, and under the headings “Risk Factors,” “Enforceability of Civil Liabilities,” “Regulation,” “Taxation” and “Underwriting” insofar as such statements summarize legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings discussed therein, are accurate, complete and fair summaries of such matters described therein in all material respects.
(uu) The ADSs have been approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”), subject to official notice of issuance.
(vv) Except as disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or other like payment in connection with this offering.
(ww) Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities nor any of their respective directors, officers, affiliates or controlling persons has taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed, or which has
constituted or might reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Shares or the Offered ADSs.
(xx) The Registration Statement, the preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus and the ADS Registration Statement and the filing of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus and the ADS Registration Statement with the Commission have been duly authorized by and on behalf of the Company, and the Registration Statement and the ADS Registration Statement have been duly executed pursuant to such authorization by and on behalf of the Company.
(yy) Except as disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus, no transaction, stamp, capital or other issuance, registration, transaction, transfer or withholding taxes or duties are payable in the PRC, Hong Kong and the Cayman Islands by or on behalf of the Underwriters to any PRC, Hong Kong or Cayman Islands taxing authority in connection with (i) the issuance, sale and delivery of the Offered Shares by the Company, the issuance of the Offered ADSs by the Depositary, and the delivery of the Offered ADSs to or for the account of the Underwriters, (ii) the purchase from the Company of the Offered Shares and the initial sale and delivery of the Offered ADSs representing the Offered Shares to purchasers thereof by the Underwriters, (iii) the deposit of the Offered Shares with the Depositary and the Custodian (as defined below) and the issuance and delivery of the Offered ADSs, or (iv) the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the Deposit Agreement.
(zz) Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities has taken, or is in the process of taking, all reasonable steps to comply with, and to ensure compliance by all of the Company’s direct or indirect shareholders and option holders who are PRC residents with any applicable rules and regulations of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange of the PRC (the “SAFE Rules and Regulations”), including, without limitation, requiring each shareholder and option holder that is, or is directly or indirectly owned or controlled by, a PRC resident to complete any registration and other procedures required under applicable SAFE Rules and Regulations.
(aaa) (i) The Company is aware of, and has been advised as to, the content of the Rules on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors jointly promulgated on August 8, 2006 by the Ministry of Commerce, the State Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, the State Administration of Taxation, the State Administration of Industry and Commerce, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (“CSRC”) and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange of the PRC (the “M&A Rules”), in particular the relevant provisions thereof that purport to require offshore special purpose vehicles controlled directly or indirectly by PRC-incorporated companies or PRC residents and established for the purpose of obtaining a stock exchange listing outside of the PRC to obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to the listing and trading of their securities on any stock exchange located outside of the PRC. The Company has received legal advice specifically with respect to the M&A Rules from its PRC counsel and the Company understands such legal advice. In
addition, the Company has communicated such legal advice in full to each of its directors that signed the Registration Statement and each such director has confirmed that he or she understands such legal advice.
(bbb) The issuance and sale of the Offered Shares and the Offered ADSs, the listing and trading of the ADSs on the NYSE and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus and the Deposit Agreement are not and will not be, as of the date hereof and on the Closing Date, affected by the M&A Rules or any official clarifications, guidance, interpretations or implementation rules in connection with or related to the M&A Rules, including the guidance and notices issued by the CSRC on September 8 and September 21, 2006 (together with the M&A Rules, the “M&A Rules and Related Clarifications”).
(ccc) The M&A Rules and Related Clarifications do not require the Company to obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to the issuance and sale of the Offered Shares or the Offered ADSs, the listing and trading of the ADSs on the NYSE, or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus or the Deposit Agreement.
(ddd) The statements set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus under the headings “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Doing Business in China—Any requirement to obtain prior approval required under the M&A Rules and/or any other regulations promulgated by relevant PRC regulatory agencies in the future could delay this offering and failure to obtain this approval, if required, could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and reputation as well as the trading price of our ADSs, and could also create uncertainties for this offering.” when taken together with the statements under “Regulation—Regulations on mergers and Acquisition by Foreign Investors,” are fair and accurate summaries of the matters described therein, and nothing has been omitted from such summaries that would make them misleading in any material respect.
(eee) The Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus and any preliminary prospectus comply, and any amendments or supplements thereto will comply, with any applicable laws or regulations of foreign jurisdictions in which the Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or any preliminary prospectus, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, are distributed in connection with the Directed Share Program.
(fff) No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or qualification with, any governmental body or agency, other than those obtained, is required in connection with the offering of the Directed ADSs in any jurisdiction where the Directed ADSs are being offered.
(ggg) The Company has not offered, or caused the Designated Underwriter to offer, Offered ADSs to any person pursuant to the Directed Share Program with the specific intent to unlawfully influence (i) a customer or supplier
of the Company to alter the customer’s or supplier’s level or type of business with the Company, or (ii) a trade journalist or publication to write or publish favorable information about the Company or its products.
(hhh) The choice of the laws of the State of New York as the governing law of this Agreement and the Deposit Agreement is a valid choice of law under the laws of the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong and the PRC and will be honored by courts in the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong and the PRC. The Company has the power to submit, and pursuant to Section 17 of this Agreement and Section 19 of the Deposit Agreement, has legally, validly, effectively and irrevocably submitted, to the personal jurisdiction of each New York Court (as defined in Section 17), and the Company has the power to designate, appoint and authorize, and pursuant to Section 17 of this Agreement and Section 19 of the Deposit Agreement, has legally, validly, effectively and irrevocably designated, appointed and authorized, the Authorized Agent (as defined in Section 17 hereof) for service of process, in each case, in any action arising out of or relating to this Agreement, the Deposit Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, and service of process effected on such Authorized Agent will be effective to confer valid personal jurisdiction over the Company as provided in Section 17 hereof and Section 19 of the Deposit Agreement.
(iii) None of the Company, any of the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities or any of their respective properties, assets or revenues has any right of immunity, under the laws of the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong, the PRC or the State of New York, from any legal action, suit or proceeding, the giving of any relief in any such legal action, suit or proceeding, set-off or counterclaim, the jurisdiction of any ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ federal court, service of process, attachment upon or prior to judgment, or attachment in aid of execution of judgment, or execution of a judgment, or other legal process or proceeding for the giving of any relief or for the enforcement of a judgment, in any such court, with respect to its obligations, liabilities or any other matter under or arising out of or in connection with this Agreement or the Deposit Agreement; and, to the extent that the Company, any of the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities or any of their respective properties, assets or revenues may have or may hereafter become entitled to any such right of immunity in any such court in which proceedings may at any time be commenced, each of the Company and the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities waives or will waive such right to the extent permitted by law and has consented to such relief and enforcement as provided in Section 17 of this Agreement and Section 19 of the Deposit Agreement.
(jjj) Except as disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus, any final judgment for a fixed sum of money rendered by a New York Court having jurisdiction under its own domestic laws in respect of any suit, action or proceeding against the Company based upon this Agreement and the Deposit Agreement would be recognized and enforced by (A) Cayman Islands courts without re-examining the merits of the case under the common law doctrine of obligation; provided that (i) adequate service of process has been effected and the
defendant has had a reasonable opportunity to be heard, (ii) such judgments or the enforcement thereof are not contrary to the law, public policy, security or sovereignty of the Cayman Islands, (iii) such judgments were not obtained by fraudulent means and do not conflict with any other valid judgment in the same matter between the same parties and (iv) an action between the same parties in the same matter is not pending in any Cayman Islands court at the time the lawsuit is instituted in the foreign court; and (B) PRC courts, subject to compliance with relevant civil procedural requirements under the PRC Civil Procedures Law. It is not necessary that this Agreement, the Deposit Agreement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus or any other document be filed or recorded with any court or other authority in the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong or the PRC.
2. Representations and Warranties of the Selling Shareholders. Each Selling Shareholder, severally and not jointly, represents and warrants to and agrees with each of the Underwriters that:
(a) Such Selling Shareholder has been duly organized and is validly existing as a company in good standing in its jurisdiction of formation.
(b) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by or on behalf of such Selling Shareholder.
(c) The execution and delivery by such Selling Shareholder of, and the performance by such Selling Shareholder of its obligations under, this Agreement, will not (i) contravene any provision of applicable law, or (ii) the certificate of incorporation or by-laws of such Selling Shareholder (if such Selling Shareholder is a corporation), or (iii) any agreement or other instrument binding upon such Selling Shareholder or any judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having jurisdiction over such Selling Shareholder except, in the case of clauses (i) and (iii) above, for any breaches, violations or defaults that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on such Selling Shareholder or materially and adversely affect the ability of such Selling Shareholder to consummate the transactions contemplated herein. No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or qualification with, any governmental body or agency having jurisdiction over such Selling Shareholder is required for the performance by such Selling Shareholder of its obligations under this Agreement, except for the registration of the Offered Shares under the Securities Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications as may be required under the Exchange Act and may be required by the securities or Blue Sky laws of the various states in connection with the offer and sale of the Offered Shares.
(d) Such Selling Shareholder has, and on the Closing Date will have, valid title to, or a valid “security entitlement” within the meaning of Section 8-501 of the New York Uniform Commercial Code in respect of, the Offered Shares to be sold by such Selling Shareholder free and clear of all security interests, claims, liens, equities or other encumbrances and the legal right and power, and all authorization and approval required by law, to enter into this
Agreement and to sell, transfer and deliver the Offered Shares to be sold by such Selling Shareholder or a security entitlement in respect of such Offered Shares.
(e) The Offered Shares to be sold by such Selling Shareholder may be freely deposited by such Selling Shareholder with the Depositary or with the custodian as agent for the Depositary in accordance with the Deposit Agreement against issuance of Offered ADSs representing such Offered Shares so deposited by such Selling Shareholder.
(f) Such Selling Shareholder has not taken and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to, or which has constituted, or which might reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Shares or the Offered ADSs.
(g) There are no contracts, agreements or understandings between such Selling Shareholder and any person that would give rise to a valid claim against such Selling Shareholder or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or other like payment in connection with this offering.
(h) There are no affiliations or associations between any member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (the “FINRA”) and such Selling Shareholder; none of the proceeds received by such Selling Shareholder from the sale of the Offered Shares represented by the Offered ADSs to be sold by such Selling Shareholder pursuant to this Agreement will be paid to a member of the FINRAor any affiliate of (or person “associated with,” as such terms are used in the rules of the FINRA) such member.
(i) Except as disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus, no transaction, stamp, capital or other issuance, registration, transaction, transfer or withholding taxes or duties are payable by or on behalf of the Underwriters in connection with (i) the sale and delivery of the Offered Shares by such Selling Shareholder, the issuance of the Offered ADSs by the Depositary, and the delivery of such Offered ADSs to or for the account of the Underwriters, (ii) the purchase from such Selling Shareholder and the initial sale and delivery by the Underwriters of the Offered ADSs to purchasers thereof, (iii) the deposit by such Selling Shareholder of the Offered Shares with the Depositary and the custodian and the issuance and delivery of the Offered ADSs, or (iv) the execution and delivery of this Agreement.
(j) Such Selling Shareholder has not distributed and will not distribute, prior to the later of the latest Option Closing Date (as defined below) and the completion of the Underwriters’ distribution of the Offered ADSs, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered ADSs by the Selling Shareholders, including any free writing prospectus.
(k) Other than as disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus, such Selling Shareholder does not have any registration or other similar rights to have
any equity or debt securities registered for sale by the Company under the Registration Statement or included in this offering.
(l) Such Selling Shareholder does not have, or has waived prior to the date hereof, any preemptive right, co-sale right or right of first refusal or other similar right to purchases any of the Offered Shares represented by the Offered ADSs that are to be sold by the Company or any other Selling Shareholder to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement; and such Selling Shareholder does not own any warrants, options or similar rights to acquire, and does not have any right or arrangement to acquire, any capital shares, right, warrants, options or other securities from the Company, other than those described in the Time of Sale Prospectus.
(m) Neither such Selling Shareholder, nor, to the best knowledge of such Selling Shareholder after due inquiry, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of such Selling Shareholder is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the OFAC
(n) Any certificate signed by any officer of such Selling Shareholder and delivered to the Representative or counsel for the Underwriters as required or contemplated by this Agreement shall constitute a representation and warranty hereunder by such Selling Shareholder, as to matters covered thereby, to each Underwriter.
(o) Such Selling Shareholder has no reason to believe that the representations and warranties of the Company contained in Section 1 are not true and correct, is familiar with the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and has no knowledge of any material fact, condition or information not disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus that has had, or may have, a material adverse effect on the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities, taken as a whole. Such Selling Shareholder is not prompted by any information concerning the Company or its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities which is not set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus to sell its Offered ADSs pursuant to this Agreement.
(p) (i) The Registration Statement, when it became effective, did not contain and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) the Registration Statement and the Prospectus comply and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder; (iii) the Time of Sale Prospectus does not, and at the time of each sale of the Offered ADSs in connection with the offering when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and at the Closing Date (as defined in Section 5), the Time of Sale Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented by the Company, if applicable, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, (iv) each
broadly available road show, if any, when considered together with the Time of Sale Prospectus, does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading and (v) the Prospectus does not contain and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, provided that the representations and warranties set forth in this paragraph 2(p) are limited to statements or omissions made in reliance upon information relating to such Selling Shareholder furnished to the Company in writing by such Selling Shareholder expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto.
3. Agreements to Sell and Purchase. Each Seller, on the terms and subject to the conditions stated herein, severally and not jointly, hereby agrees to sell to the several Underwriters, and each Underwriter, upon the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained, but subject to the conditions hereinafter stated, agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from such Seller at US$ per ADS (the “Purchase Price”) the number of Firm ADSs (subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional ADSs as the Representative may determine) that bears the same proportion to the number of Firm ADSs to be sold by such Seller as the number of Firm ADSs set forth in Schedule II hereto opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Firm ADSs.
On the basis of the representations and warranties contained in this Agreement, and subject to its terms and conditions, a Selling Shareholder agrees to sell to the Underwriters the Additional ADSs, and the Underwriters shall have the right to purchase, severally and not jointly, up to 1,800,000 Additional ADSs at the Purchase Price, provided, however, that the amount paid by the Underwriters for any Additional ADSs shall be reduced by an amount per ADS equal to any dividends declared by the Company and payable on the Firm ADSs but not payable on such Additional ADSs. The Representative may exercise this right on behalf of the Underwriters in whole or from time to time in part by giving written notice not later than 30 days after the date of this Agreement. Any exercise notice shall specify the number of Additional ADSs to be purchased by the Underwriters and the date on which such shares are to be purchased. Each purchase date must be at least one business day after the written notice is given and may not be earlier than the closing date for the Firm ADSs nor later than ten business days after the date of such notice. Additional ADSs may be purchased as provided in Section 5 hereof solely for the purpose of covering over-allotments made in connection with the offering of the Firm ADSs. On each day, if any, that Additional ADSs are to be purchased (an “Option Closing Date”), each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase the number of Additional ADSs (subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional ADSs as the Representative may determine) that bears the same proportion to the total number of Additional ADSs to be purchased on such Option Closing Date as the number
of Firm ADSs set forth in Schedule II hereto opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Firm ADSs.
Each Seller hereby agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Representative on behalf of the Underwriters, it will not, during the period ending 180 days after the date of the Prospectus, (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any Ordinary Shares, ADSs or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Ordinary Shares or ADSs or (2) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Ordinary Shares or ADSs, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Ordinary, ADSs or such other securities, in cash or otherwise or (3) file any registration statement with the Commission relating to the offering of any Ordinary Shares or ADSs or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Ordinary Shares or ADSs, or (4) publicly disclose the intention to make any such offer, pledge, sale or disposition, or enter into any such transaction, swap, hedge or other arrangement, or file any such registration statement.
The restrictions contained in the preceding paragraph shall not apply to (a) the Offered Shares represented by ADSs to be sold hereunder, (b) the issuance by the Company of Ordinary Shares upon the exercise of an option or warrant or the conversion of a security outstanding on the date hereof of which the Underwriters have been advised in writing, (c) the issuance of Ordinary Shares or the grant of options to purchase Ordinary Shares under any equity incentive plan, (d) transactions by a Selling Shareholder relating to Ordinary Shares, ADSs or other securities acquired in open market transactions after the completion of the offering of the Offered ADSs, provided that no filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, shall be required or shall be voluntarily made in connection with subsequent sales of Ordinary Shares, ADSs or other securities acquired in such open market transactions, (e) transfers by a Selling Shareholder of Ordinary Shares or ADSs as a bona fide gift, or (f) distribution by a Selling Shareholder of Ordinary Shares or ADSs to limited partners or shareholders of the Selling Shareholder; provided that in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clause (e) or (f), (i) each donee or distributee shall enter into a written agreement accepting the restrictions set forth in the preceding paragraph and this paragraph as if it were a Selling Shareholder and (ii) no filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of Ordinary Shares or ADSs, shall be required or shall voluntarily made in respect of the transfer or distribution during the 180-day restricted period.
In addition, each Selling Shareholder, agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Representative on behalf of the Underwriters, it will not, during the period ending 180 days after the date of the Prospectus, make any demand for, or exercise any right with respect to, the registration of any Ordinary Shares, ADSs or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Ordinary
Shares or ADSs. Each Selling Shareholder consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent, registrar and Depositary against the transfer of any Ordinary Shares or ADSs held by such Selling Shareholder except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if (1) during the last 17 days of the 180-day restricted period the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs; or (2) prior to the expiration of the 180-day restricted period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the 180-day period, the restrictions imposed by this agreement shall continue to apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event. The Company shall promptly notify the Representative of any earnings release, news or event that may give rise to an extension of the initial 180-day restricted period.
4. Terms of Public Offering. The Sellers are advised by the Representative that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of their respective portions of the Offered ADSs as soon as practicable after the Registration Statement and this Agreement have become effective. The Sellers are further advised by the Representative that the Offered ADSs are to be offered to the public initially at US$ per ADS (the “Public Offering Price”) and to certain dealers selected by the Representative at a price that represents a concession not in excess of US$ per ADS under the Public Offering Price, and that any Underwriter may allow, and such dealers may reallow, a concession, not in excess of US$ per ADS, to any Underwriter or to certain other dealers.
5. Payment and Delivery. Payment for the Firm ADSs to be sold by each Seller shall be made to such Seller in Federal or other funds immediately available in New York City against delivery of such Firm ADSs for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters at a.m., New York City time, on , 2010, or at such other time on the same or such other date, not later than , 2010, as shall be designated in writing by the Representative. The time and date of such payment are hereinafter referred to as the “Closing Date.”
Payment for any Additional ADSs shall be made to the Company in Federal or other funds immediately available in New York City against delivery of such Additional ADSs for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters at a.m., New York City time, on the date specified in the corresponding notice described in Section 3 or at such other time on the same or on such other date, in any event not later than , 2010, as shall be designated in writing by the Representative.
The Firm ADSs and Additional ADSs shall be registered in such names and in such denominations as the Representative shall request in writing not later than one full business day prior to the Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be. The Firm ADSs and Additional ADSs shall be
delivered to the Representative on the Closing Date or an Option Closing Date, as the case may be, for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters, with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the transfer of the Offered ADSs to the Underwriters duly paid, against payment of the Purchase Price therefor.
6. Conditions to the Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligations of the Sellers to sell the Offered ADSs to the Underwriters and the several obligations of the Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Offered ADSs on the Closing Date are subject to the condition that the Registration Statement shall have become effective not later than (New York City time) on the date hereof.
The several obligations of the Underwriters are subject to the following further conditions:
(a) Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date:
(i) there shall not have occurred any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus as of the date of this Agreement that, in the reasonable judgment of the Representative, is material and adverse and that makes it, in the reasonable judgment of the Representative, impracticable to market the Offered ADSs on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospectus.
(b) Prior to and on the Closing Date, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the ADS Registration Statement shall have been issued under the Securities Act and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or shall be contemplated by the Commission.
(c) The representations and warranties of the Company and the Selling Shareholders contained in this Agreement and any certificates delivered pursuant to this Agreement shall be true and correct as of the Closing Date, and each of the Company and the Selling Shareholders shall have complied with all of the agreements, performed all of its obligations and satisfied all of the conditions hereunder on its part that are required to be complied with, performed or satisfied on or before the Closing Date.
(d) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date a certificate, dated the Closing Date and signed by the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, to the effect set forth in Section 6(a)(i) above and to the effect that the representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement are true and correct as of the Closing Date and that the Company has complied with all of the agreements and satisfied all of the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder on or before the Closing Date.
The officer signing and delivering such certificate may rely upon the best of his or her knowledge as to proceedings threatened.
(e) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date a certificate, dated the Closing Date and signed by ▇▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ to the effect set forth in Section 6(a)(i) above and to the effect that the representations and warranties of ▇▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ contained in this Agreement are true and correct as of the Closing Date.
(f) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date a certificate, dated the Closing Date and signed by the Chief Financial Officer of the Company with respect to certain operating data contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters.
(g) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of Skadden, Arps, Slate, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇ LLP, United States counsel for the Company, dated the Closing Date, substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto.
(h) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of ▇▇▇▇▇▇ and Calder, Cayman Islands counsel for the Company, dated the Closing Date, substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto.
(i) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of Jingtian & Gongcheng Attorneys At Law, PRC counsel for the Company, dated the Closing Date, substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto.
(j) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of Chui & ▇▇▇, Hong Kong counsel for SYSWIN Limited, dated the Closing Date, substantially in the form of Exhibit D hereto.
(k) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of Skadden, Arps, Slate, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇ LLP, United States counsel for the Selling Shareholders, dated the Closing Date, substantially in the form of Exhibit E hereto.
(l) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of local counsel for each of the Selling Shareholders, dated the Closing Date, substantially in the form of Exhibit F hereto.
The opinions described in Sections 6(g) through 6(l) above shall be rendered to the Underwriters at the request of the Company or one or more of the Selling Shareholders, as the case may be, and shall so state therein.
(m) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of Shearman & Sterling LLP, United States counsel for the Underwriters, dated the Closing Date, in the form and substance satisfactory to the Representative.
(n) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of Commerce & Finance Law Office, PRC counsel for the Underwriters, dated the Closing Date, in the form and substance satisfactory to the Representative.
(o) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Associates LLP, counsel for the Depositary, dated the Closing Date, substantially in the form of Exhibit G hereto.
(p) The Underwriters shall have received, on each of the date hereof and the Closing Date, a letter dated the date hereof or the Closing Date, as the case may be, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, from PricewaterhouseCoopers ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ CPAs Limited Company, independent public accountants, 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, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus; provided that the letter delivered on the Closing Date shall use a “cut-off date” not earlier than the date hereof.
(q) The “lock-up” agreements, each substantially in the form of Exhibit H hereto, between the Representative and all of the shareholders, officers and directors of the Company relating to sales and certain other dispositions of Ordinary Shares, ADSs or certain other securities, delivered to the Representative on or before the date hereof, shall be in full force and effect on the Closing Date.
(r) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date a certificate, dated the Closing Date and signed by each Selling Shareholder, to the effect that, as of the Closing Date, they have not been informed that: (i) the representations and warranties made by such Selling Shareholder herein are not true or correct as of the Closing Date; or (ii) such Selling Shareholder has not complied with any obligation or satisfied any condition which is required to be performed or satisfied on the part of such Selling Shareholder as of the Closing Date.
(s) The Company and the Depositary shall have executed and delivered the Deposit Agreement, and the Deposit Agreement shall be in full force and effect on the Closing Date. The Company and the Depositary shall have taken all action necessary to permit the deposit of the Offered Shares and the issuance of the Offered ADSs representing such Offered Shares in accordance with the Deposit Agreement.
(t) The Depositary shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to the Underwriters a certificate satisfactory to the Representative of one of its authorized officers with respect to the deposit with it of the Offered Shares against issuance of the Offered ADSs, the execution, issuance, countersignature and delivery of the Offered ADSs pursuant to the Deposit Agreement and such other matters related thereto as the Representative may reasonably request.
(u) The Underwriters shall have received from each Selling Shareholder a United States Treasury Department Form W-9 or the applicable Form W-8 (or other applicable form or statement specified by the United States Treasury Department regulations in lieu thereof) properly completed and executed by each Selling Shareholder.
(v) The FINRA shall not have raised any objection with respect to the fairness or reasonableness of the underwriting, or other arrangements of the transactions, contemplated hereby.
(w) The ADSs shall have been listed and admitted and authorized for trading on the NYSE.
(x) The Company shall have furnished to the Representative such other documents and certificates as to the accuracy and completeness of any statement in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus as of the Closing Date, as the Representative may reasonably request.
The several obligations of the Underwriters to purchase Additional ADSs hereunder are subject to the delivery to the Representative on the applicable Option Closing Date of such documents as the Representative may reasonably request with respect to the good standing of the Company, the due authorization and issuance of the Additional ADSs to be sold on such Option Closing Date and other matters related to the issuance of such Additional ADSs.
7. Covenants of the Sellers.
(a) The Company covenants with each Underwriter as follows:
(i) To file the Prospectus with the Commission within the time periods specified by Rule 424(b) and Rule 430A under the Securities Act.
(ii) To furnish to the Representative, without charge, five signed copies of the Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto) and for delivery to each other Underwriter a conformed copy of the Registration Statement (without exhibits thereto) and to furnish to the Representative in New York City, without charge, prior to 10:00 a.m. New York City time on the business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement and during the period mentioned in Section 7(a)(vi) or 7(a)(vii) below, as many copies of the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus and any supplements and amendments thereto or to the Registration Statement as the Representative may reasonably request.
(iii) Before amending or supplementing the Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, to furnish to the Representative a copy of each such proposed amendment or supplement and not to file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which the Representative reasonably objects, and to file with the Commission within the applicable period specified in
Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act any prospectus required to be filed pursuant to such Rule.
(iv) To furnish to the Representative a copy of each proposed free writing prospectus to be prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company and not to use or refer to any proposed free writing prospectus to which the Representative reasonably objects.
(v) Not to take any action that would result in an Underwriter or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of the Underwriter that the Underwriter otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder.
(vi) If the Time of Sale Prospectus is being used to solicit offers to buy the Offered ADSs at a time when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances, not misleading, or if any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which the Time of Sale Prospectus conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement then on file, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus to comply with applicable law, forthwith to prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to any dealer upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Time of Sale Prospectus so that the statements in the Time of Sale Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when the Time of Sale Prospectus is delivered to a prospective purchaser, be misleading or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will no longer conflict with the Registration Statement, or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.
(vii) If, during such period after the first date of the public offering of the Offered ADSs as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Securities Act) is required by law to be delivered in connection with sales by an Underwriter or dealer (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”), any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Securities Act) is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with applicable law, forthwith to prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to the dealers (whose names and addresses the
Representative will furnish to the Company) to which Offered ADSs may have been sold by the Representative on behalf of the Underwriters and to any other dealers upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Prospectus so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Securities Act) is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.
(viii) To endeavor to qualify the Offered ADSs for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Representative shall reasonably request.
(ix) To advise the Representative promptly and confirming such advice in writing, of any request by the Commission for amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement, the Form 8-A Registration Statement, any Time of Sale Prospectus, Prospectus or free writing prospectus or for additional information with respect thereto, or of notice of institution of proceedings for, or the entry of a stop order, suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the ADS Registration Statement and, if the Commission should enter a stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the ADS Registration Statement, to use its best efforts to obtain the lifting or removal of such order as soon as possible.
(x) To make generally available to the Company’s security holders and to the Representative as soon as practicable an earning statement covering a period of at least twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company occurring after the date of this Agreement which shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
(xi) During the period when the Prospectus is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, to file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act within the time periods required by the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder; during the five-year period after the date of this Agreement, to furnish to the Representative and, upon request, to each of the other Underwriters, as soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year, a copy of its annual report to shareholders for such year; and to furnish to the Representative (i) as soon as available, a copy of each report of the Company filed with or furnished to the Commission under the Exchange Act or mailed to shareholders, and (ii) from time to time, such other information concerning the Company as the Representative may reasonably request. However, so long as the Company is subject to the reporting requirements of either Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act and is timely filing reports with the Commission on its
▇▇▇▇▇ reporting system, it is not required to furnish such reports or statements filed through ▇▇▇▇▇ to the Underwriters.
(xii) To apply the net proceeds to the Company from the sale of the Offered ADSs in the manner set forth under the heading “Use of Proceeds” in the Time of Sale Prospectus and to file such reports with the Commission with respect to the sale of the Offered ADSs and the application of the proceeds therefrom as may be required by Rule 463 under the Securities Act; not to invest, or otherwise use the proceeds received by the Company from its sale of the Offered ADSs in such a manner (i) as would require the Company, any of the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities to register as an investment company under the 1940 Act, and (ii) that would result in the Company being not in compliance with any applicable laws, rules and regulations of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange of the PRC.
(xiii) Not to, and to cause the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities not to, take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Shares or the Offered ADSs.
(xiv) The Company will indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriters against any documentary, stamp or similar issue tax, including any interest and penalties, on the creation, issue and sale of the Offered ADSs to the Underwriters and on the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the Deposit Agreement. All payments to be made by the Company hereunder shall be made without withholding or deduction for or on account of any present or future taxes, duties or governmental charges whatsoever unless the Company is compelled by law to deduct or withhold such taxes, duties or charges. In that event, the Company shall pay such additional amounts as may be necessary in order that the net amounts received after such withholding or deduction shall equal the amounts that would have been received if no withholding or deduction had been made.
(xv) To comply with all applicable securities and other laws, rules and regulations in each jurisdiction in which the Directed ADSs are offered in connection with the Directed Share Program.
(xvi) In connection with the Directed Share Program, to ensure that the Directed ADSs will be restricted to the extent required by FINRA or the FINRA rules from sale, transfer, assignment, pledge or hypothecation for a period of three months following the date of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement (it being understood that the Representative will notify the Company as to which Participants will need to be so restricted); and to direct the transfer agent to place stop transfer restrictions upon such securities for such period of time.
(xvii) To pay all fees and disbursements of counsel (including non-U.S. counsel) incurred by the Underwriters in connection with the Directed Share Program and stamp duties, similar taxes or duties or other taxes, if any, incurred by the Underwriters in connection with the Directed Share Program.
(xviii) To comply with the terms of the Deposit Agreement so that the Offered ADSs will be issued by the Depositary and delivered to each Underwriter’s participant account in DTC, pursuant to this Agreement on the Closing Date and the applicable Option Closing Date.
(xix) Not to attempt to avoid any judgment obtained by it or denied to it in a court of competent jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands; (ii) following the consummation of the offering of the Offered ADSs, to use its reasonable efforts to obtain and maintain all approvals required in the Cayman Islands to pay and remit outside the Cayman Islands all dividends declared by the Company and payable on the Ordinary Shares; and (iii) to use its reasonable efforts to obtain and maintain all approvals required in the Cayman Islands for the Company to acquire sufficient foreign exchange for the payment of dividends and all other relevant purposes.
(xx) To comply with the SAFE Rules and Regulations, and to use its reasonable efforts to cause its shareholders that are, or that are directly or indirectly owned or controlled by, Chinese residents or Chinese citizens, to comply with the SAFE Rules and Regulations applicable to them, including, without limitation, requesting each such shareholder to complete any registration and other procedures required under applicable SAFE Rules and Regulations.
(xxi) The Entity represents and covenants that it will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other Person:
(A) to fund or facilitate any activities or business of or with any Person or in any country or territory that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject of Sanctions; or
(B) in any other manner that will result in a violation of Sanctions by any Person (including any Person participating in the offering, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise).
(xxii) The Entity covenants that it will not engage in any dealings or transactions with any Person, or in any country or territory, that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject of Sanctions.
(b) Each Selling Shareholder, in addition to its other agreements and obligations hereunder, severally and not jointly, covenants with each Underwriter as follows:
(i) Such Selling Shareholder will not prepare, or have prepared on its behalf, or use or refer to, any free writing prospectus, nor will it distribute any written materials in connection with the offer or sale of the Offered ADSs.
(ii) Such Selling Shareholder will not take any action that would result in an Underwriter or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of the Underwriter that the Underwriter otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder.
(iii) During the period when delivery of a Prospectus (or, in lieu thereof, the notice referred to under Rule 173(a) under the Securities Act) is required under the Securities Act, such Selling Shareholder will advise the Underwriters promptly, and will confirm such advice in writing to the Underwriters, of any change in the information relating to such Selling Shareholder in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus.
(iv) Such Selling Shareholder will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Shares or the Offered ADSs.
(v) Such Selling Shareholder will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Offered ADSs contemplated hereby, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.
(vi) Such Selling Shareholder, severally and not jointly, will indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriters against any documentary, stamp or similar issue tax, including any interest and penalties, on the creation, issue and sale of the Offered ADSs to the Underwriters by such Selling Shareholder and on the execution and delivery of this Agreement. All payments to be made by such Selling Shareholder hereunder shall be made without withholding or deduction for or on account of any present or future taxes, duties or governmental charges whatsoever unless such Selling Shareholder is compelled by law to deduct or withhold such taxes, duties or charges. In that event, such Selling Shareholder shall pay such additional amounts as may be necessary in order that the net amounts received after such withholding or deduction shall equal the amounts that would have been received if no withholding or deduction had been made.
8. Expenses. Whether or not the transactions contemplated in this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, the Sellers agree to pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of their obligations under this Agreement, including: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Company’s counsels, the Company’s accountants and counsels for the Selling Shareholders in connection with the registration and delivery of the Offered Shares and Offered ADSs under the Securities Act and all other fees or expenses in connection with the preparation and filing of the Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement, the Form 8-A Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company and amendments and supplements to any of the foregoing, including all printing costs associated therewith, and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers, in the quantities hereinabove specified, (ii) all costs and expenses related to the transfer and delivery of the Offered ADSs to the Underwriters, including any transfer or other taxes payable thereon, (iii) the cost of printing or producing any Blue Sky, Legal Investment memorandum or prospectus wrapper in connection with the offer and sale of the Offered ADSs under state securities laws or the laws of such jurisdiction as the Representative may designate and all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Offered ADSs for offer and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section 7(a)(viii) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky or Legal Investment memorandum, (iv) all filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters incurred in connection with the review and qualification of the offering of the Offered ADSs by the FINRA, (v) all fees and expenses in connection with the preparation and filing of the registration statement on Form 8-A relating to the Ordinary Shares and all costs and expenses incident to listing the ADSs on the NYSE, (vi) all the costs and expenses of qualifying the Offered ADSs for inclusion in the book-entry settlement system of the Depositary Trust Company, (vii) the cost of printing certificates representing the ADRs or Offered Shares, (viii) the costs and charges of any transfer agent, registrar or Depositary, (ix) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Offered ADSs, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the preparation or dissemination of any electronic road show, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations with the prior approval of the Company, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company and any such consultants, and the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the road show, (x) the document production charges and expenses associated with printing this Agreement, agreement among Underwriters, any dealer agreements, any closing documents (including compilations thereof) and such other documents as may be required in connection with the offering, issuance, sale, purchase and delivery of the Offered ADSs, and the reproduction and/or printing and furnishing of copies of each thereof to the Underwriters and (except closing documents) to
dealers (including costs of mailing and shipment), (xi) all fees and disbursements of counsel incurred by the Underwriters in connection with the Directed Share Program and stamp duties, similar taxes or duties or other taxes, if any, incurred by the Underwriters in connection with the Directed Share Program and (xii) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company hereunder for which provision is not otherwise made in this Section. The Company hereby agrees with the Underwriters that it will pay any such amount not so paid by any Selling Shareholder. It is understood, however, that except as provided in this Section, Section 10 entitled “Indemnity and Contribution” , Section 11 entitled “Directed Share Program Indemnification” and the last paragraph of Section 13 below, the Underwriters will pay all of their costs and expenses, including fees and disbursements of their counsel, stock transfer taxes payable on resale of any of the Offered ADSs by them and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may make. The Underwriters, pro rata in accordance with their respective commissions received, will reimburse the Company for certain reasonable documented expenses it incurs in connection with the offering of the Offered ADSs (including, without limitation, printing and road show expenses) up to an amount equivalent to 0.5% of the aggregate proceeds of the sale of the Offered ADSs (including those related to any over-allotment option).
The provisions of this Section shall not supersede or otherwise affect any agreement that the Sellers may otherwise have for the allocation of such expenses among themselves.]
9. Covenants of the Underwriters. Each Underwriter severally covenants with the Company (a) not to take any action that would result in the Company being required to file with the Commission under Rule 433(d) a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter that otherwise would not be required to be filed by the Company thereunder, but for the action of the Underwriter and (b) it is not subject to any pending proceeding under Section 8A of the Securities Act with respect to the offering of the Offered ADSs and will promptly notify the Company if any such proceeding against it is initiated during the Prospectus Delivery Period.
10. Indemnity and Contribution. (a) The Seller and ▇▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, jointly and severally, agree to indemnify and holds harmless each Underwriter, each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and each affiliate of any Underwriter within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending or investigating any such action or claim) caused by any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement or any amendment thereof, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act, any Company information that the Company has filed, or is required to file,
pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities are caused by any such untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission based upon information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use therein. The liability of ▇▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ and Brilliant Strategy Limited under the indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph, in aggregate, shall be limited to an amount equal to the net proceeds received by Brilliant Strategy Limited from the sale of ADSs under this Agreement. The liability of the Selling Shareholder under the indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph shall be limited to an amount equal to the net proceeds received by it from the sale of ADSs under this Agreement (the “Net Proceeds”).
(b) Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, ▇▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, the Selling Shareholders, the directors of the Company, the officers of the Company who sign the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company or any Selling Shareholder within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending or investigating any such action or claim) caused by any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or any amendment thereof, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act, any Company information that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, or the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented if the Company shall have furnished any amendments or supplements thereto), or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, but only with reference to information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto.
(c) In case any proceeding (including any governmental investigation) shall be instituted involving any person in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to Section 10(a) or 10(b), such person (the “indemnified party”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnity may be sought (the “indemnifying party”) in writing and the indemnifying party, upon request of the indemnified party, shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party and any others the indemnifying party may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and disbursements of such counsel related to such proceeding. In any such proceeding, any indemnified
party shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel or (ii) the named parties to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the indemnifying party and the indemnified party and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. It is understood that the indemnifying party shall not, in respect of the legal expenses of any indemnified party in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for (i) the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all Underwriters and all persons, if any, who control any Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act or who are affiliates of any Underwriter within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act, (ii) the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for the Company, its directors, its officers who sign the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of either such Section and (iii) the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all Selling Shareholders and all persons, if any, who control any Selling Shareholder within the meaning of either such Section, and that all such fees and expenses shall be reimbursed as they are incurred. In the case of any such separate firm for the Underwriters and such control persons and affiliates of any Underwriters, such firm shall be designated in writing by the Representative. In the case of any such separate firm for the Company, and such directors, officers and control persons of the Company, such firm shall be designated in writing by the Company. In the case of any such separate firm for the Selling Shareholders and such control persons of any Selling Shareholders, such firm shall be designated in writing by the persons named as attorneys-in-fact for the Selling Shareholders under the Powers of Attorney. The indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by the second and third sentences of this paragraph, the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request and (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding.
(d) To the extent the indemnification provided for in Section 10(a) or 10(b) is unavailable to an indemnified party or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each indemnifying party under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the indemnifying party or parties on the one hand and the indemnified party or parties on the other hand from the offering of the Offered ADSs or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause 10(d)(i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause 10(d)(i) above but also the relative fault of the indemnifying party or parties on the one hand and of the indemnified party or parties on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Sellers on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the offering of the Offered ADSs shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds from the offering of the Offered ADSs (before deducting expenses) received by each Seller and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate Public Offering Price of the Offered ADSs. The relative fault of the Sellers on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Sellers or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Underwriters’ respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 10 are several in proportion to the respective number of Offered ADSs they have purchased hereunder, and not joint. The liability of each Selling Shareholder under the contribution agreement contained in this paragraph shall be limited to an amount equal to such Selling Shareholder’s Net Proceeds. The Selling Shareholder’s obligations in this Section 10 to contribute are several in proportion to their Net Proceeds and not joint.
(e) The Sellers and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just or equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 10 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 that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in Section 10(d). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in Section 10(d) shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 10, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Offered ADSs underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter
has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The remedies provided for in this Section 10 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any indemnified party at law or in equity.
(f) The indemnity and contribution provisions contained in this Section 10 and the representations, warranties and other statements of the Company and the Selling Shareholders contained in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any termination of this Agreement, (ii) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, any person controlling any Underwriter or any affiliate of any Underwriter, any Selling Shareholder or any person controlling any Selling Shareholder, or the Company, its officers or directors or any person controlling the Company and (iii) acceptance of and payment for any of the Offered ADSs.
The provisions of this Section shall not supersede or otherwise affect any agreement that the Sellers may otherwise have among themselves for indemnification and contribution in connection with the registration of the Offered Shares.
11. Directed Share Program Indemnification. (a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Designated Underwriter, each person, if any, who controls Designated Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act and each affiliate of Designated Underwriter within the meaning of Rule 405 of the Securities Act (“Designated Underwriter Entities”) from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending or investigating any such action or claim) (i) caused by any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any material prepared by or with the consent of the Company for distribution to Participants in connection with the Directed Share Program or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; (ii) caused by the failure of any Participant to pay for and accept delivery of Directed ADSs that the Participant agreed to purchase; or (iii) related to, arising out of, or in connection with the Directed Share Program, other than losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or expenses relating thereto) that are finally judicially determined to have resulted from the bad faith or gross negligence of Designated Underwriter Entities.
(b) In case any proceeding (including any governmental investigation) shall be instituted involving any Designated Underwriter Entity in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to Section 11(a), the Designated Underwriter Entity seeing indemnity, shall promptly notify the Company in writing and the Company, upon request of the Designated Underwriter Entity, shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Designated Underwriter Entity
to represent the Designated Underwriter Entity and any others the Company may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and disbursements of such counsel related to such proceeding. In any such proceeding, any Designated Underwriter Entity shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Designated Underwriter Entity unless (i) the Company shall have agreed to the retention of such counsel or (ii) the named parties to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the Company and the Designated Underwriter Entity and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. The Company shall not, in respect of the legal expenses of the Designated Underwriter Entities in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all Designated Underwriter Entities. Any such separate firm for the Designated Underwriter Entities shall be designated in writing by the Designated Underwriter. The Company shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the Company agrees to indemnify the Designated Underwriter Entities from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time a Designated Underwriter Entity shall have requested the Company to reimburse it for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by the second and third sentences of this paragraph, the Company agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by the Company of the aforesaid request and (ii) the Company shall not have reimbursed the Designated Underwriter Entity in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. The Company shall not, without the prior written consent of the Designated Underwriter, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any Designated Underwriter Entity is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such Designated Underwriter Entity, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of the Designated Underwriter Entities from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding.
(c) To the extent the indemnification provided for in Section 11(a) is unavailable to a Designated Underwriter Entity or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then the Company in lieu of indemnifying the Designated Underwriter Entity thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by the Designated Underwriter Entity as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Designated Underwriter Entities on the other hand from the offering of the Directed ADSs or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause 11(c)(i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause 11(c)(i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Designated Underwriter Entities on the other hand in connection with any statements or omissions that resulted in
such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Designated Underwriter Entities on the other hand in connection with the offering of the Directed ADSs shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds from the offering of the Directed ADSs (before deducting expenses) and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Designated Underwriter Entities for the Directed ADSs, bear to the aggregate Public Offering Price of the Directed ADSs. If the loss, claim, damage or liability is caused by an untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact, the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Designated Underwriter Entities on the other hand shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement or the omission or alleged omission relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Designated Underwriter Entities and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
(d) The Company and the Designated Underwriter Entities agree that it would not be just or equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 11 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Designated Underwriter Entities were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in Section 11(c). The amount paid or payable by the Designated Underwriter Entities as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Designated Underwriter Entities in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 11, no Designated Underwriter Entity shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Directed ADSs distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages that such Designated Underwriter Entity has otherwise been required to pay. The remedies provided for in this Section 11 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any indemnified party at law or in equity.
(e) The indemnity and contribution provisions contained in this Section 11 shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any termination of this Agreement, (ii) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Designated Underwriter Entity or the Company, its officers or directors or any person controlling the Company and (iii) acceptance of and payment for any of the Directed ADSs.
12. Termination. The Underwriters may terminate this Agreement by notice given by the Representative to the Company, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on, or by, as the case may be, any of the New York Stock Exchange, the NASDAQ Global Market, the Hong Kong
Stock Exchange or other relevant exchanges, (ii) trading of any securities of the Company shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market, (iii) a material disruption in securities settlement, payment or clearance services in the United States, the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong, the PRC or other relevant jurisdiction shall have occurred, (iv) any moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by United States Federal, New York State, Cayman Islands, the PRC, Hong Kong or other relevant foreign country authorities or (v) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities, or any change in financial markets, currency exchange rates or controls or any calamity or crisis that, in the reasonable judgment of the Representative, is material and adverse and which, singly or together with any other event specified in this clause (v), makes it, in the reasonable judgment the Representative, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offer, sale or delivery of the Offered ADSs on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus.
13. Effectiveness; Defaulting Underwriters. This Agreement shall become effective upon the execution and delivery hereof by the parties hereto.
If, on the Closing Date or an Option Closing Date, as the case may be, any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Offered ADSs that it has or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, and the aggregate number of Offered ADSs which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase is not more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of the Offered ADSs to be purchased on such date, the other Underwriters shall be obligated severally in the proportions that the number of Firm ADSs set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule II bears to the aggregate number of Firm ADSs set forth opposite the names of all such non-defaulting Underwriters, or in such other proportions as the Representative may specify, to purchase the Offered ADSs which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase on such date; provided that in no event shall the number of Offered ADSs that any Underwriter has agreed to purchase pursuant to this Agreement be increased pursuant to this Section 13 by an amount in excess of one-ninth of such number of Offered ADSs without the written consent of such Underwriter. If, on the Closing Date, any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Firm ADSs and the aggregate number of Firm ADSs with respect to which such default occurs is more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of Firm ADS to be purchased on such date, and arrangements satisfactory to the Representative, the Company and the Selling Shareholders for the purchase of such Firm ADSs are not made within 36 hours after such default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter, the Company or the Selling Shareholders. In any such case either the Representative or the relevant Sellers shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date, but in no event for longer than seven days, in order that the required changes, if any, in the Registration Statement, in the Time of Sale Prospectus, in the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected. If, on an Option Closing Date, any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Additional ADSs and the aggregate number of
Additional ADSs with respect to which such default occurs is more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of Additional ADSs to be purchased on such Option Closing Date, the non-defaulting Underwriters shall have the option to (i) terminate their obligation hereunder to purchase the Additional ADSs to be sold on such Option Closing Date or (ii) purchase not less than the number of Additional ADSs that such non-defaulting Underwriters would have been obligated to purchase in the absence of such default. Any action taken under this paragraph shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.
If this Agreement shall be terminated by the Underwriters, or any of them, because of any failure or refusal on the part of any Seller to comply with the terms or to fulfill any of the conditions of this Agreement, or if for any reason any Seller shall be unable to perform its obligations under this Agreement, the Sellers will reimburse the Underwriters or such Underwriters as have so terminated this Agreement with respect to themselves, severally, for all out-of-pocket expenses (including the fees and disbursements of their counsel) reasonably incurred by such Underwriters in connection with this Agreement or the offering contemplated hereunder.
14. Entire Agreement. (a) This Agreement, together with any contemporaneous written agreements and any prior written agreements (to the extent not superseded by this Agreement) that relate to the offering of the Offered ADSs, represents the entire agreement between the Company and the Selling Shareholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, with respect to the preparation of any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, the conduct of the offering, and the purchase and sale of the Offered ADSs.
(b) The Company acknowledges that in connection with the offering of the Offered ADSs: (i) the Underwriters have acted at arms length, are not agents of, and owe no fiduciary duties to, the Company or any other person, (ii) the Underwriters owe the Company only those duties and obligations set forth in this Agreement and prior written agreements (to the extent not superseded by this Agreement), if any, and (iii) the Underwriters may have interests that differ from those of the Company. The Company waives to the full extent permitted by applicable law any claims it may have against the Underwriters arising from an alleged breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the offering of the Offered ADSs.
15. Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.
16. Applicable Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York.
17. Submission to Jurisdiction; Appointment of Agent for Service. Each Seller hereby irrevocably submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the
U.S. federal and state courts in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York (each, a “New York Court”) in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement, the Deposit Agreement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement, the offering of the Offered ADSs or any transactions contemplated hereby. Each Seller irrevocably and unconditionally waives any objection to the laying of venue of any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement, the Deposit Agreement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement, the offering of the Offered ADSs or any transactions contemplated hereby in the New York Courts, and irrevocably and unconditionally waives and agrees not to plead or claim in any such court that any such suit or proceeding in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum. Each Seller irrevocably appoints CT Corporation System, as its authorized agent (the “Authorized Agent”) in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York upon which process may be served in any such suit or proceeding, and agrees that service of process in any manner permitted by applicable law upon such agent shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process in any manner permitted by applicable law upon the Company and the Selling Shareholders, as the case may be, in any such suit or proceeding. Each Seller further agrees to take any and all action as may be necessary to maintain such designation and appointment of such agent in full force and effect for a period of seven years from the date of this Agreement.
18. Judgment Currency. The obligation of any Seller pursuant to this Agreement in respect of any sum due to any Underwriter shall, notwithstanding any judgment in a currency other than United States dollars, not be discharged until the first business day, following receipt by such Underwriter of any sum adjudged to be so due in such other currency, on which (and only to the extent that) such Underwriter may in accordance with normal banking procedures purchase United States dollars with such other currency; if the United States dollars so purchased are less than the sum originally due to such Underwriter hereunder, the relevant Seller agrees, as a separate obligation and notwithstanding any such judgment, to indemnify such Underwriter against such loss. If the United States dollars so purchased are greater than the sum originally due to such Underwriter hereunder, such Underwriter agrees to pay to the relevant Seller an amount equal to the excess of the dollars so purchased over the sum originally due to such Underwriter hereunder.
19. Headings. The headings of the sections of this Agreement have been inserted for convenience of reference only and shall not be deemed a part of this Agreement.
20. Notices. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and effective only upon receipt and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered, mailed or sent to ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. International plc at ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, to the attention of Head of Capital Markets; if to the Company and the Selling Shareholders shall be delivered, mailed or sent to ▇/▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇. ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇ ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
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BRILLIANT STRATEGY LIMITED |
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CHINA REBRO LIMITED |
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Accepted as of the date hereof
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. International plc
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Acting on behalf of itself and the several Underwriters named in Schedule II hereto |
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▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. International plc |
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SCHEDULE I
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Selling Shareholder |
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Brilliant Strategy Limited |
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1,800,000 |
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China Rebro Limited |
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SCHEDULE II
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▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. International plc |
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▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ & Company, L.L.C. |
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▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. Inc. |
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▇▇▇▇ Capital Partners, LLC |
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SCHEDULE III
Time of Sale Prospectus
1. Preliminary Prospectus issued on November 10, 2010.
2. .
EXHIBIT H
FORM OF LOCK-UP LETTER
, 2010
▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. International plc
▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
As representative of the several Underwriters
named in the Underwriting Agreement
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned understands that you propose to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with SYSWIN Inc., an exempted company with limited liability incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the “Company”), providing for the public offering (the “Public Offering”) by the several Underwriters, including you (the “Underwriters”), of American depositary shares (the “ADSs”), each representing Ordinary shares, par value US$0.0000008 per share of the Company (the “Ordinary Shares”).
To induce the Underwriters that may participate in the Public Offering to continue their efforts in connection with the Public Offering, the undersigned hereby agrees that, without your prior written consent on behalf of the Underwriters, it will not, during the period commencing on the date hereof and ending 180 days after the date of the final prospectus relating to the Public Offering (the “Prospectus”), (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any Ordinary Shares, ADSs or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Ordinary Shares or ADSs or (2) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Ordinary Shares or ADSs, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Ordinary Shares, ADSs or such other securities, in cash or otherwise or (3) publicly disclose the intention to make any such offer, pledge, sale or disposition, or enter into any such transaction, swap, hedge or other arrangement. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (a) transactions relating to Ordinary
Shares, ADSs or other securities acquired in open market transactions after the completion of the Public Offering, provided that no filing under Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), shall be required or shall be voluntarily made in connection with subsequent sales of Ordinary Shares, ADSs or other securities acquired in such open market transactions, (b) transfers of Ordinary Shares or ADSs as a bona fide gift, (c) transfers of Ordinary Shares or ADSs to a family member, any entity controlled by the family member, an affiliate of the undersigned or a trust, or (d) distribution of Ordinary Shares or ADSs to limited partners or shareholders of the undersigned; provided that in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clause (b), (c) or (d), (i) each party receives the Ordinary Shares or ADSs shall sign and deliver a lock-up letter substantially in the form of this letter and (ii) no filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of Ordinary Shares or ADSs, shall be required or shall be voluntarily made in respect of the transfer or distribution during the restricted period referred to in the foregoing sentence. In addition, the undersigned agrees that, without your prior written consent on behalf of the Underwriters, it will not, during the period commencing on the date hereof and ending 180 days after the date of the Prospectus, make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to, the registration of any Ordinary Shares, ADSs or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Ordinary Shares or ADSs. The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent, registrar and depositary against the transfer of the undersigned’s Ordinary Shares or ADSs except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.
If:
(1) during the last 17 days of the restricted period the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs; or
(2) prior to the expiration of the restricted period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the restricted period;
the restrictions imposed by this agreement shall continue to apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event.
The undersigned shall not engage in any transaction that may be restricted by this agreement during the 34-day period beginning on the last day of the initial restricted period unless the undersigned requests and receives prior written confirmation from the Company or you that the restrictions imposed by this agreement have expired.
The undersigned understands that the Company and the Underwriters are relying upon this agreement in proceeding toward consummation of the Public Offering. The undersigned further understands that this agreement is irrevocable and shall be binding upon the undersigned’s heirs, legal representatives, successors and assigns.
Whether or not the Public Offering actually occurs depends on a number of factors, including market conditions. Any Public Offering will only be made pursuant to an Underwriting Agreement, the terms of which are subject to negotiation between the Company and the Underwriters.
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Very truly yours, |
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(Name) |
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(Address) |