NIELSEN HOLDINGS N.V. 30,000,000 Shares of Common Stock Underwriting Agreement
Exhibit 1.1
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ HOLDINGS N.V.
30,000,000 Shares of Common Stock
March 5, 2014
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Lynch, Pierce, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇
Incorporated
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC
Eleven ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The stockholder named in Schedule 2 hereto (the “Selling Stockholder”) of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Holdings N.V., a Dutch public company with limited liability (naamloze vennootschap) (the “Company”), proposes to sell to ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Lynch, Pierce, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇ Incorporated and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC (collectively, the “Underwriters” or “you”) an aggregate of 30,000,000 shares of common stock, par value EUR 0.07 per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Company (the “Underwritten Shares”) and, at the option of the Underwriters, up to an additional 4,500,000 shares of Common Stock of the Company (the “Option Shares”). The Underwritten Shares and the Option Shares are herein referred to as the “Shares.” The shares of Common Stock of the Company to be outstanding after giving effect to the sale of the Shares are referred to herein as the “Stock.”
The Company and the Selling Stockholder hereby confirm their agreement with the Underwriters concerning the purchase and sale of the Shares, as follows:
1. Registration Statement. The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”), a registration statement (File No. 333-180192), including a prospectus, relating to the Shares. Such registration statement, as amended at the time it became effective, including the information, if any, deemed pursuant to Rule 430A, 430B or 430C under the Securities Act to be part of the registration statement at the time of its effectiveness (“Rule 430 Information”), is referred to herein as the “Registration Statement”; and as used herein, the term “Preliminary Prospectus” means the base prospectus included in such registration statement (and any amendments thereto) together with any preliminary prospectus supplement relating to the Shares filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b), and the term “Prospectus” means such base prospectus together with the final prospectus supplement filed or to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule
424(b) in the form first used (or made available upon request of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act) in connection with confirmation of sales of the Shares. Any reference in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act, as of the effective date of the Registration Statement or the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, and any reference to “amend”, “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any documents filed after such date under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”) that are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to such terms in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
At or prior to the Applicable Time (as defined below), the Company had prepared the following information (collectively with the pricing information set forth on Annex D, the “Pricing Disclosure Package”): the Preliminary Prospectus and the “free-writing prospectus” (as defined pursuant to Rule 405 under the Securities Act) listed on Annex E hereto.
“Applicable Time” means 8:00 A.M., New York City time, on March 5, 2014.
2. Purchase of the Shares by the Underwriters.
(a) The Selling Stockholder agrees to sell the Underwritten Shares to the Underwriters as provided in this Agreement, and each Underwriter, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements set forth herein and subject to the conditions set forth herein, agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Selling Stockholder at a purchase price per share of $46.25 (the “Purchase Price”) the number of Underwritten Shares set forth in Schedule 1 hereto.
In addition, the Selling Stockholder, as and to the extent indicated in Schedule 2 hereto, agrees to sell the Option Shares to the Underwriters as provided in this Agreement. The Underwriters, on the basis of the representations and warranties and agreements herein contained and subject to the conditions set forth herein, shall have the option to purchase at their election, severally and not jointly, from the Selling Stockholder the Option Shares at the Purchase Price less an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Underwritten Shares but not payable on the Option Shares. If any Option Shares are to be purchased, the number of Option Shares to be purchased by each Underwriter shall be the number of Option Shares which bears the same ratio to the aggregate number of Option Shares being purchased as the number of Underwritten Shares set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule 1 hereto (or such number increased as set forth in Section 13 hereof) bears to the aggregate number of Underwritten Shares being purchased from the Selling Stockholder by the Underwriters, subject, however, to such adjustments to eliminate any fractional Shares as the Underwriters in their discretion shall make. Any such election to purchase Option Shares shall be made in proportion to the maximum number of Option Shares to be sold by each Selling Stockholder as set forth in Schedule 2 hereto.
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The Underwriters may exercise the option to purchase Option Shares at any time in whole, or from time to time in part, on or before the thirtieth day following the date of the Prospectus, by written notice from the Underwriters to each of the Company and the Selling Stockholder. Such notice shall set forth the aggregate number of Option Shares as to which the option is being exercised and the date and time when the Option Shares are to be delivered and paid for, which may be the same date and time as the Closing Date (as hereinafter defined) but shall not be earlier than the Closing Date or later than the tenth full business day (as hereinafter defined) after the date of such notice (unless such time and date are postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 12 hereof). Any such notice shall be given at least three business days prior to the date and time of delivery specified therein.
(b) The Selling Stockholder understands that the Underwriters intend to make a public offering of the Shares as soon after the effectiveness of this Agreement as in the judgment of the Underwriters is advisable, and initially to offer the Shares on the terms set forth in the Prospectus. The Selling Stockholder acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters may offer and sell Shares to or through any affiliate of an Underwriter.
(c) Payment for the Shares shall be made by wire transfer in immediately available funds to the account(s) specified by the Selling Stockholder to the Underwriters at the offices of ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP at 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on March 10, 2014, or at such other time or place on the same or such other date, not later than the fifth business day thereafter, as the Underwriters and the Selling Stockholder may agree upon in writing or, in the case of the Option Shares, on the date and at the time and place specified by the Underwriters in the written notice of the Underwriters’ election to purchase such Option Shares. The time and date of such payment for the Underwritten Shares is referred to herein as the “Closing Date,” and the time and date for such payment for the Option Shares, if other than the Closing Date, is herein referred to as the “Additional Closing Date.”
Payment for the Shares to be purchased on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall be made against delivery to the Underwriters of the Shares to be purchased on such date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the sale of such Shares duly paid by the Selling Stockholder.
At the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, the Underwriters shall transfer the Shares to Cede & Co. (“Cede”) or such other nominee as may be designated by the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), pursuant to deeds of transfer to be signed by the Underwriters and countersigned by the Company and the Selling Stockholder for acknowledgement, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B-1 and Exhibit B-2 (the “Deeds of Transfer”).
Registration in the shareholders’ register of the Company shall take place of such Shares in the name of Cede or such other nominee and the Shares shall be credited on the books of DTC to the securities accounts of the Underwriters.
Delivery of the Shares shall be made through the facilities of DTC unless the Underwriters shall otherwise instruct.
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(d) Each of the Company and the Selling Stockholder acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters are acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length contractual counterparty to the Selling Stockholder with respect to the offering of Shares contemplated hereby (including in connection with determining the terms of the offering) and not as a financial advisor or a fiduciary to, or an agent of, the Company, the Selling Stockholder or any other person. Additionally, neither Underwriter is advising the Company, the Selling Stockholder or any other person as to any legal, tax, investment, accounting or regulatory matters in any jurisdiction. The Company and the Selling Stockholder shall consult with their own advisors concerning such matters and shall be responsible for making their own independent investigation and appraisal of the transactions contemplated hereby, and the Underwriters shall have no responsibility or liability to the Company or the Selling Stockholder with respect thereto. Any review by the Underwriters of the Company, the transactions contemplated hereby or other matters relating to such transactions will be performed solely for the benefit of the Underwriters and shall not be on behalf of the Company or the Selling Stockholder. The Company and the Selling Stockholder agree that they will not claim that the Underwriters, or any of them, has rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owes a fiduciary or similar duty to the Company or the Selling Stockholder, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.
3. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to each Underwriter and the Selling Stockholder that:
(a) Preliminary Prospectus. No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and each Preliminary Prospectus included in the Pricing Disclosure Package, at the time of filing thereof, complied in all material respects with the Securities Act, and no Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter expressly for use in any Preliminary Prospectus, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 9(c) hereof.
(b) Pricing Disclosure Package. The Pricing Disclosure Package as of the Applicable Time did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter expressly for use in such Pricing Disclosure Package, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 9(c) hereof.
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(c) Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. Other than the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company (including its agents and representatives, other than the Underwriters in their capacity as such) has not prepared, used, authorized, approved or referred to and will not prepare, use, authorize, approve or refer to any “written communication” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) that constitutes an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy the Shares (each such communication by the Company or its agents and representatives (other than a communication referred to in clause (i) below) an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”) other than (i) any document not constituting a prospectus pursuant to Section 2(a)(10)(a) of the Securities Act or Rule 134 under the Securities Act or (ii) the document listed on Annex E hereto, each electronic road show and any other written communications approved in writing in advance by the Underwriters. Each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus complied in all material respects with the Securities Act, has been or will be (within the time period specified in Rule 433) filed in accordance with the Securities Act (to the extent required thereby) and, when taken together with the Preliminary Prospectus accompanying, or delivered prior to delivery of, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or Preliminary Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter expressly for use in such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or Preliminary Prospectus, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 9(c) hereof.
(d) Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Registration Statement is an “automatic shelf registration statement” as defined under Rule 405 of the Securities Act that has been filed with the Commission not earlier than three years prior to the date hereof; and no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of such registration statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Securities Act has been received by the Company. No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued by the Commission, and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act against the Company or related to the offering of the Shares has been initiated or threatened by the Commission; as of the applicable effective date of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, the Registration Statement and any such post-effective amendment complied and will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act, and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading; and as of the date of the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto and as of the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, the Prospectus will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes
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no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter expressly for use in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 9(c) hereof.
(e) Financial Statements. The consolidated and condensed consolidated historical financial statements (including the related notes thereto) of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, and present fairly the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as of and for the dates indicated and the results of their operations and the changes in their cash flows for the periods specified; such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered thereby, and any supporting schedules included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement present fairly the information required to be stated therein; and the other financial information included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus has been derived from the accounting records of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries and presents fairly the information shown thereby; and the pro forma financial information and the related notes thereto incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus have been prepared in accordance with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the assumptions underlying such pro forma financial information are reasonable and are set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(f) No Material Adverse Change. Since the date of the most recent financial statements of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (i) there has not been any change in the capital stock (other than the issuance of shares of Common Stock upon exercise of stock options and warrants described as outstanding in, and the grant of options and awards under existing equity incentive plans described in, the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus), any material change in short-term debt or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, set aside for payment, paid or made by the Company on any class of capital stock, or any material adverse change in or affecting the business, properties, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; (ii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has entered into any transaction or agreement (whether or not in the ordinary course of business) that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; and (iii) neither the Company nor any of
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its subsidiaries has sustained any loss or interference with its business that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole and that is either from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor disturbance or dispute or any action, order or decree of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except in each case as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(g) Organization and Good Standing. The Company and each of its subsidiaries have been duly organized and are validly existing and in good standing (where such concept is legally relevant) under the laws of their respective jurisdictions in which it is chartered or organized with full corporate or other organizational power and authority to own or lease, as the case may be, and to operate its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation or other entity and is in good standing (where such concept is legally relevant) under the laws of each jurisdiction where the ownership or leasing of its properties or the conduct of its business requires such qualification except where the failure to be so organized or qualified, have such power or authority or be in good standing would not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the business, properties, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or on the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement (a “Material Adverse Effect”). The Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity other than the subsidiaries listed in Exhibit 21 to the Company’s Annual Report or Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and subsidiaries that, taken together, would not be a significant subsidiary of the Company as defined by rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X.
(h) Capitalization. Except as described in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, all the outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity interests, as applicable, of the Company (including the Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholder) and each subsidiary have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable and are not subject to any pre-emptive or similar rights upon the proposed transfer of such shares; except as described in or expressly contemplated by the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no outstanding rights (including, without limitation, pre-emptive rights), warrants or options to acquire, or instruments convertible into or exchangeable for, any shares of capital stock or other equity interest in the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any contract, commitment, agreement, understanding or arrangement of any kind relating to the issuance of any capital stock of the Company or any such subsidiary, any such convertible or exchangeable securities or any such rights, warrants or options; the capital stock of the Company conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and all the outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity interests of each subsidiary are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of any lien, charge, encumbrance, security interest, restriction on voting or
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transfer or any other claim of any third party (other than as described in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, including liens, encumbrances and restrictions imposed in connection with or permitted under the debt instruments described in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus).
(i) Stock Options. With respect to the stock options (the “Stock Options”) granted pursuant to the stock-based compensation plans of the Company and its subsidiaries (the “Company Stock Plans”), (i) each Stock Option intended to qualify as an “incentive stock option” under Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) so qualifies, (ii) each grant of a Stock Option was duly authorized no later than the date on which the grant of such Stock Option was by its terms to be effective (the “Grant Date”) by all necessary corporate action, including, as applicable, approval by the board of directors of the Company (or a duly constituted and authorized committee thereof) and any required stockholder approval by the necessary number of votes or written consents, and the award agreement governing such grant (if any) was duly executed and delivered by each party thereto, (iii) each such grant was made in accordance with the terms of the Company Stock Plans, the Exchange Act and all other applicable laws and regulatory rules or requirements and (iv) each such grant was properly accounted for in accordance with GAAP in the financial statements (including the related notes) of the Company and disclosed in the Company’s filings with the Commission in accordance with the Exchange Act and all other applicable laws. The Company has not knowingly granted, and there is no and has been no policy or practice of the Company of granting, Stock Options prior to, or otherwise coordinating the grant of Stock Options with, the release or other public announcement of material information regarding the Company or its subsidiaries or their results of operations or prospects.
(j) Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(k) Description of the Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(l) No Violation or Default. None of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is in violation or default of (i) any provision of its charter, bylaws or any equivalent organizational document; (ii) the terms of any indenture, contract, lease, mortgage, deed of trust, note agreement, loan agreement or other agreement, obligation, condition, covenant or instrument to which it is a party or bound or to which its property is subject; or (iii) any statute, law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree applicable to the Company or any of its subsidiaries of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body, arbitrator or other authority having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its properties, as applicable, other than in the cases of clauses (ii) and (iii), such violations and defaults that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
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(m) No Conflicts. None of the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the sale of the Shares or the consummation of any other of the transactions herein contemplated by this Agreement or the fulfillment of the terms hereof or thereof will conflict with, result in a breach or violation of or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to (i) the terms of any indenture, contract, lease, mortgage, deed of trust, note agreement, loan agreement or other agreement, obligation, condition, covenant or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or bound or to which its or their property is subject; or (ii) any statute, law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body, arbitrator or other authority having jurisdiction over the Company or its subsidiaries or any of its or their properties, other than in the cases of clauses (i) and (ii), such breaches, violations, liens, charges or encumbrances that would not reasonably be expected to, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect or result in the violation of the charter, bylaws or any equivalent organizational document of the Company or any such subsidiary.
(n) No Consents Required. No consent, approval, authorization, order, license, registration or qualification of or with any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority is required for the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of each of this Agreement, the sale of the Shares and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except for (i) the registration of the Shares under the Securities Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders and registrations or qualifications as may be required by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) and under applicable state securities laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares by the Underwriters or (ii) such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, licenses, registrations or qualifications as shall have been obtained or made prior to the Closing Date.
(o) Legal Proceedings. No action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or its subsidiaries or its or their property is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened that (i) would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the performance of this Agreement or (ii) would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto); and (iii) there are no current or pending legal, governmental or regulatory actions, suits or proceedings that are required under the Securities Act to be described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that are not so described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and (iv) there are no contracts or other documents that are required under the Securities Act to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that are not so filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
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(p) Independent Accountants. (i) Ernst & Young LLP, who has certified certain financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries and is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries within the applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Commission and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) and as required by the Securities Act and (ii) KPMG LLP, who has certified certain financial statements of Arbitron Inc. (“Arbitron”) and its subsidiaries and is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to Arbitron and its subsidiaries within the applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Commission and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) and as required by the Securities Act.
(q) Title to Real and Personal Property. The Company and its subsidiaries owns or leases all such real properties as are necessary to the conduct of its respective operations as currently conducted, except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(r) Title to Intellectual Property. The Company and its subsidiaries own, possess, license or otherwise have rights to use all patents, trademarks and service marks, trade names, copyrights, domain names (in each case including all registrations and applications to register same), inventions, trade secrets, technology, know-how and other intellectual property (collectively, the “Intellectual Property”) necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses as now conducted or as proposed to be conducted in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (“Company Intellectual Property”), except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. In each case, except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (i) the Company and its subsidiaries own, license or have rights to use all Company Intellectual Property free and clear in all respects of all adverse claims, liens or other encumbrances; (ii) to the knowledge of the Company, there is no infringement by third parties of any Company Intellectual Property; (iii) there is no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by any third party challenging the Company’s or its subsidiaries’ rights in or to any Company Intellectual Property; (iv) there is no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by any third party challenging the validity, scope or enforceability of any Company Intellectual Property; (v) there is no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by any third party alleging that the Company and its subsidiary infringes or otherwise violates any Intellectual Property rights of any third party; and (vi) the Company and its subsidiaries have taken commercially reasonable steps to maintain and protect Company Intellectual Property.
(s) No Undisclosed Relationships. No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders, customers or suppliers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the other, that is required by the Securities Act to be described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and that is not so described in such documents and in the Pricing Disclosure Package.
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(t) Investment Company Act. The Company is not required to register as an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Investment Company Act”).
(u) Taxes. The Company and its subsidiaries have filed all non-U.S., U.S. federal, state and local tax returns that are required to be filed or have requested extensions thereof except in any case in which the failure so to file would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect and except as set forth in or contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto) and have paid all taxes required to be paid by them and any other tax assessment, fine or penalty levied against them, to the extent that any of the foregoing is due and payable, except for any such assessment, fine or penalty that is currently being contested in good faith or as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect and except as set forth in or contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto).
(v) Licenses and Permits. The Company and its subsidiaries possess all licenses, certificates, permits and other authorizations issued by the appropriate U.S. federal, state or non-U.S. regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses, except where the failure to possess such licenses, certificates, permits and other authorizations would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, and none of the Company or its subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such certificate, authorization or permit that, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto).
(w) No Labor Disputes. (i) No labor problem or dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the Company’s knowledge, is threatened, and (ii) the Company is not aware of any existing labor problem or dispute that, in the cases of both clauses (i) and (ii), would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(x) Compliance with and Liability under Environmental Laws. The Company and its subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with any and all applicable non-U.S., U.S. federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety (as such is affected by Hazardous Materials including those relating to the Release or threat of Release of Hazardous Materials), and to pollution or protection of the Environment or Hazardous Materials (“Environmental Laws”); (ii) have received and are in compliance with all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable
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Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses and own and operate their properties; (iii) have not received notice of any actual or potential liability under, or actual or alleged violation of, any Environmental Law; and (iv) have not been named as a “potentially responsible party” under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended, except where such non-compliance with Environmental Laws, failure to receive or comply with required permits, licenses or other approvals, liability violation or status as a potentially responsible party would not reasonably be expected to, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect and except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto). For purposes of this Agreement, “Environment” means ambient air, surface water, groundwater, soil, surface and subsurface strata, and natural resources such as wetlands, flora and fauna. “Hazardous Materials” means any substance, material, pollutant, contaminant, chemical, waste, compound, or constituent, in any form, including without limitation, petroleum and petroleum products, subject to regulation or which can give rise to liability under any Environmental Law. “Release” means any release, spill, emission, discharge, deposit, disposal, leaking, pumping, pouring, dumping, emptying, injection or leaching into the Environment, or into, from or through any building, structure or facility.
(y) Compliance with ERISA. (i) The minimum funding standard under Section 302 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (“ERISA”), has been satisfied by each “pension plan” (as defined in Section 3(2) of ERISA) that has been established or maintained by the Company, its subsidiaries and their ERISA Affiliates (as defined below); (ii) each of the Company and its subsidiaries has fulfilled its obligations, if any, under Section 515 of ERISA; (iii) each pension plan and welfare plan established or maintained by the Company and its subsidiaries is in compliance with the currently applicable provisions of ERISA; and (iv) none of the Company and its subsidiaries has incurred or, except as set forth or contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, would reasonably be expected to incur any withdrawal liability under Section 4201 of ERISA, any liability under Section 4062, 4063, or 4064 of ERISA, or any other liability under Title IV of ERISA (other than contributions to pension plans or premiums to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, in the ordinary course and without default); except, in each case, as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. “ERISA Affiliate” means any trade or business (whether or not incorporated) that, together with the Company, is treated as a single-employer under Section 414(b) or (c) of the Code.
(z) Disclosure Controls. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain an effective system of “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act) that complies with the requirements of the Exchange Act and that has been designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, including controls and procedures designed to ensure that such information is accumulated
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and communicated to the Company’s management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. The Company and its subsidiaries have carried out evaluations of the effectiveness of their disclosure controls and procedures as required by Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act.
(aa) Accounting Controls. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain systems of “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act and have been designed by, or under the supervision of, their respective principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, including, but not limited to, 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 disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no material weaknesses in the Company’s internal controls.
(bb) Insurance. The Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole are insured against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which they are engaged or as required by law.
(cc) No Unlawful Payments. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has (a) (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity, (ii) made any direct or indirect unlawful payment to any foreign or domestic government official or employee from corporate funds, or (iii) made any bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment, in each case in this clause (a) within the past five years or (b) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977.
(dd) Compliance with Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “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 with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.
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(ee) Compliance with OFAC, etc. None of the Company, any of its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“OFAC”), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury or other relevant sanctions authority; and the Company will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the offering of the Shares hereunder, 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.
(ff) No Restrictions on Subsidiaries. Except as described in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and other than restrictions relating to distributable reserves and similar concepts contained in the articles of association or similar charter documents, no subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, under any agreement or other instrument to which it is a party or is subject, 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 properties or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company.
(gg) No Broker’s Fees. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any person (other than this Agreement) that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares.
(hh) No Registration Rights. Except as described in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no person has the right to require the Company or any of its subsidiaries to register any securities for sale under the Securities Act by reason of the filing of the Registration Statement with the Commission or, to the knowledge of the Company, the sale of the Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholder hereunder.
(ii) No Stabilization. The Company has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares.
(jj) Forward-Looking Statements. No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.
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(kk) Statistical and Market Data. Nothing has come to the attention of the Company that has caused the Company to believe that the statistical and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus is not based on or derived from sources that are reliable and accurate in all material respects.
(ll) ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or, to the knowledge of the Company, any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with any applicable provision of the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith, including Section 402 related to loans.
(mm) Status Under the Securities Act. At the time of filing the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or any offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) under the Securities Act) of the Shares and at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” and is a well-known seasoned issuer, in each case as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act. The Company has paid the registration fee for this offering pursuant to Rule 456(b)(1) under the Securities Act or will pay such fee within the time period required by such rule (without giving effect to the proviso therein) and in any event prior to the Closing Date.
(nn) Legality. The legality, validity, enforceability or admissibility into evidence of any of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, this Agreement or the Shares in any jurisdiction in which the Company is organized or does business is not dependent upon such document being submitted into, filed or recorded with any court or other authority in any such jurisdiction on or before the date hereof or that any tax, imposition or charge be paid in any such jurisdiction on or in respect of any such document.
(oo) Submission to Jurisdiction. The Company has the power to submit and has taken all necessary corporate action to submit to the jurisdiction of any federal or state court located in the Borough of Manhattan in the City of New York (a “New York Court”).
(pp) Legal Action. A holder of the Shares and each Underwriter are each entitled to ▇▇▇ as plaintiff in the courts of the jurisdiction of formation and domicile of the Company for the enforcement of their respective rights under this Agreement and the Shares and such access to such courts will not be subject to any conditions which are not applicable to residents of such jurisdiction or a company incorporated in such jurisdiction, other than the requirement to post a bond or guarantee with respect to court costs and legal fees.
(qq) Judgments. Subject to such qualifications and assumptions as are set forth in the opinion of relevant local counsel for the Company, the courts of the jurisdiction of formation and domicile of the Company will recognize and enforce a judgment obtained against the Company in a New York Court in an action arising out of or in connection with this Agreement or the Shares, in each case, without reconsidering the merits thereof.
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4. Representations and Warranties of the Selling Stockholder. The Selling Stockholder represents and warrants to each Underwriter and the Company that:
(a) Required Consents; Authority. All consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, licenses, registration or qualification of or with any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority necessary for the execution, delivery and performance by the Selling Stockholder of this Agreement, for the sale and delivery of the Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholder hereunder and for the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, have been obtained; and the Selling Stockholder has full right, power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to sell, assign, transfer and deliver the Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholder hereunder; this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Selling Stockholder.
(b) No Conflicts. None of the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the sale of the Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholder or the consummation of any other of the transactions herein contemplated by this Agreement or the fulfillment of the terms hereof or thereof will conflict with, result in a breach or violation of or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Selling Stockholder pursuant to (i) the terms of any indenture, contract, lease, mortgage, deed of trust, note agreement, loan agreement or other agreement, obligation, condition, covenant or instrument to which the Selling Stockholder is a party or bound or to which its property is subject; or (ii) any statute, law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body, arbitrator or other authority having jurisdiction over the Selling Stockholder or any of its properties, other than in the cases of clauses (i) and (ii), such breaches, violations, liens, charges or encumbrances that would not reasonably be expected to, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect or result in the violation of the charter, bylaws or any equivalent organizational document of the Selling Stockholder.
(c) Title to Shares. The Selling Stockholder has good and valid title to the Shares to be sold at the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, by the Selling Stockholder hereunder, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or adverse claims; the Selling Stockholder will have, immediately prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, good and valid title to the Shares to be sold at the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, by the Selling Stockholder, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or adverse claims; and, upon delivery of such Shares and payment therefor pursuant hereto, good and valid title to such Shares, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or adverse claims, will pass to the Underwriters.
(d) No Stabilization. The Selling Stockholder has not taken and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares.
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(e) Pricing Disclosure Package. The Pricing Disclosure Package, at the Applicable Time did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that such representations and warranties set forth in this subsection (e) apply only to statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to the Selling Stockholder furnished in writing by or on behalf of the Selling Stockholder expressly for use in the Pricing Disclosure Package, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by or on behalf of the Selling Stockholder consists of the Selling Stockholder’s name and any information relating to the Selling Stockholder’s holding of Common Stock (the “Selling Stockholder Information”).
(f) Prospectus. As of the date of the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto and as of the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, the Prospectus will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that such representations and warranties set forth in this subsection (f) apply only to statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to the Selling Stockholder furnished in writing by or on behalf of the Selling Stockholder expressly for use in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by or on behalf of the Selling Stockholder consists of the Selling Stockholder Information.
The Selling Stockholder represents and warrants that the Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholder hereunder have been placed in custody, in the form heretofore furnished to you, duly executed and delivered by the Selling Stockholder to Computershare Shareowner Services LLC, as custodian (the “Custodian”).
The Selling Stockholder specifically agrees that the Shares held in custody for the Selling Stockholder, are subject to the interests of the Underwriters hereunder, and that the arrangements made by the Selling Stockholder for such custody are to that extent irrevocable. The Selling Stockholder specifically agrees that the obligations of the Selling Stockholder hereunder shall not be terminated by operation of law, in the case of a partnership, corporation or similar organization, by the dissolution of such partnership, corporation or organization, or by the occurrence of any other event. If any such partnership, corporation or similar organization should be dissolved, or if any other such event should occur, before the delivery of the Shares hereunder, such Shares shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Selling Stockholder in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement.
5. Further Agreements of the Company. The Company covenants and agrees with each Underwriter that:
(a) Required Filings. The Company will file the final Prospectus with the Commission within the time periods specified by Rule 424(b) and Rule 430A, 430B or 430C under the Securities Act; will file any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to the extent
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required by Rule 433 under the Securities Act; will file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and for so long as the delivery of a prospectus is required in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares; and will furnish copies of the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (to the extent not previously delivered) to the Underwriters in New York City prior to 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement in such quantities as the Underwriters may reasonably request. The Company will pay the registration fee for this offering within the time period required by Rule 456(b)(1) under the Securities Act (without giving effect to the proviso therein) and in any event prior to the Closing Date.
(b) Delivery of Copies. The Company will deliver, without charge, to each Underwriter (A) two signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto, in each case including all exhibits and consents filed therewith and (B) during the Prospectus Delivery Period (as defined below), as many copies of the Prospectus (including all amendments and supplements thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus) as the Underwriters may reasonably request. As used herein, the term “Prospectus Delivery Period” means such period of time after the first date of the public offering of the Shares as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters a prospectus relating to the Shares is required by law to be delivered (or required to be delivered but for Rule 172 under the Securities Act) in connection with sales of the Shares by any Underwriter or dealer.
(c) Amendments or Supplements, Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. Before preparing, using, authorizing, approving, referring to or filing any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and before filing any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, the Company will furnish to the Underwriters and counsel for the Underwriters a copy of the proposed Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, amendment or supplement for review and will not prepare, use, authorize, approve, refer to or file any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which the Underwriters reasonably object.
(d) Notice to the Underwriters. The Company will advise the Underwriters promptly, and confirm such advice in writing, (i) when the Registration Statement has become effective; (ii) when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective; (iii) when any supplement to the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any amendment to the Prospectus has been filed; (iv) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or the receipt of any comments from the Commission relating to the Registration Statement or any other request by the Commission for any additional information; (v) of the issuance by the Commission of any order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any of the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to
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Section 8A of the Securities Act; (vi) of the occurrence of any event within the Prospectus Delivery Period as a result of which the Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package or any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading; (vii) of the receipt by the Company of any notice of objection of the Commission to the use of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Securities Act; and (viii) of the receipt by the Company of any notice with respect to any suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offer and sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; and the Company will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any of the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or suspending any such qualification of the Shares and, if any such order is issued, will obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.
(e) Ongoing Compliance. (1) If during the Prospectus Delivery Period (i) any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with law, the Company will immediately notify the Underwriters thereof and forthwith prepare and, subject to paragraph (c) above, file with the Commission and furnish to the Underwriters and to such dealers as the Underwriters may designate such amendments or supplements to the Prospectus as may be necessary so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus will comply with law and (2) if at any time prior to the Closing Date (i) any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which the Pricing Disclosure Package as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Pricing Disclosure Package is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend or supplement the Pricing Disclosure Package to comply with law, the Company will immediately notify the Underwriters thereof and forthwith prepare and, subject to paragraph (c) above, file with the Commission (to the extent required) and furnish to the Underwriters and to such dealers as the Underwriters may designate such amendments or supplements to the Pricing Disclosure Package as may be necessary so that the statements in the Pricing Disclosure Package as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Pricing Disclosure Package is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Pricing Disclosure Package will comply with law.
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(f) Blue Sky Compliance. The Company will qualify the Shares for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Underwriters shall reasonably request and will continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for distribution of the Shares; provided that the Company shall not be required to (i) qualify as a foreign corporation or other entity or as a dealer in securities in any such jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to so qualify, (ii) file any general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction or (iii) subject itself to taxation in any such jurisdiction if it is not otherwise so subject.
(g) Earning Statement. The Company will make generally available to its security holders and the Underwriters as soon as practicable an earning statement that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 of the Commission promulgated thereunder covering a period of at least twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company occurring after the “effective date” (as defined in Rule 158) of the Registration Statement.
(h) Clear Market. For a period of 45 days after the date of the Prospectus, the Company will not (i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, or file with the Commission a registration statement under the Securities Act relating to, any shares of Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Stock, or publicly disclose the intention to make any offer, sale, pledge, disposition or filing, or (ii) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Stock or any such other securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the Underwriters, other than (A) any options or other awards (including without limitation restricted stock or restricted stock units), or shares of Common Stock issued with respect to such options and other awards, granted under Company stock plans or otherwise in equity compensation arrangements, in each case as in effect on the date hereof, with directors, officers employees and consultants of the Company and its subsidiaries, (B) the filing of any registration statement on Form S-8, or the issuance of any securities registered on Form S-8, in each case relating to any benefit plans or arrangements disclosed in the Prospectus or (C) the issuance of Common Stock in connection with the acquisition of the assets of, or a majority or controlling portion of the equity of, or a joint venture with another entity in connection with the acquisition by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of such entity; provided, however, (1) the aggregate number of shares issued pursuant to clause (C) above, considered individually and together with all such previous acquisitions or joint ventures, if any, announced during the 45-day restricted period shall not exceed 10.0% of the Common Stock issued and outstanding as of the date of such acquisition agreement or joint venture agreement, as the case may be, and (2) that prior to the issuance of such shares pursuant to clauses (A) and (B), in each case, if upon the receipt of such shares the recipient would be required to make a filing under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, each recipient of such shares shall execute and deliver to each Underwriter a lockup letter substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto.
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(i) [Reserved].
(j) No Stabilization. The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Stock.
(k) [Reserved].
(l) Reports. So long as the Shares are outstanding, the Company will furnish to the Underwriters, as soon as they are available, copies of all reports or other communications (financial or other) furnished to all holders of the Shares, and copies of any reports and financial statements furnished to or filed with the Commission or any national securities exchange or automatic quotation system; provided the Company will be deemed to have furnished such reports and financial statements to the Underwriters to the extent they are filed on the Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval system.
(m) Record Retention. The Company will, pursuant to reasonable procedures developed in good faith, retain copies of each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not filed with the Commission in accordance with Rule 433 under the Securities Act.
6. Further Agreements of the Selling Stockholder. The Selling Stockholder covenants and agrees with each Underwriter that:
(a) Tax Form. It will deliver to the Underwriters prior to or at the Closing Date a properly completed and executed United States Treasury Department Form W-9 (or other applicable form or statement specified by the Treasury Department regulations in lieu thereof) in order to facilitate the Underwriters’ documentation of their compliance with the reporting and withholding provisions of the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 with respect to the transactions herein contemplated.
7. Certain Agreements of the Underwriters. Each Underwriter hereby represents and agrees that:
(a) It has not used, authorized use of, referred to or participated in the planning for use of, and will not use, authorize use of, refer to or participate in the planning for use of, any “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act (which term includes use of any written information furnished to the Commission by the Company and not incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and any press release issued by the Company) other than (i) a free writing prospectus that contains no “issuer information” (as defined in Rule 433(h)(2) under the Securities Act) that was not included (including through incorporation by reference) in the Preliminary Prospectus or a previously filed Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, (ii) any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus
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listed on Annex E or prepared pursuant to Section 3(c) or Section 4(c) above (including any electronic road show), or (iii) any free writing prospectus prepared by such Underwriter and approved by the Company in advance in writing (each such free writing prospectus referred to in clauses (i) or (iii), an “Underwriter Free Writing Prospectus”).
(b) It has not and will not, without the prior written consent of the Company, use any free writing prospectus that contains the final terms of the Shares unless such terms have previously been included in a free writing prospectus filed with the Commission; provided, further that any Underwriter using such term sheet shall notify the Company, and provide a copy of such term sheet to the Company, prior to, or substantially concurrently with, the first use of such term sheet.
(c) It is not subject to any pending proceeding under Section 8A of the Securities Act with respect to the offering (and will promptly notify the Company if any such proceeding against it is initiated during the Prospectus Delivery Period).
8. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligation of each Underwriter to purchase the Underwritten Shares on the Closing Date or the Option Shares on the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, as provided herein is subject to the performance by the Company and the Selling Stockholder of their respective covenants and other obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:
(a) Registration Compliance; No Stop Order. No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be in effect, and no proceeding for such purpose, pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) or pursuant to Section 8A under the Securities Act shall be pending before or threatened by the Commission; the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been timely filed with the Commission under the Securities Act (in the case of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Securities Act) and in accordance with Section 4(a) hereof; and all requests by the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Underwriters.
(b) Representations and Warranties. The respective representations and warranties of the Company and the Selling Stockholder contained herein shall be true and correct on the date hereof and on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be; and the statements of the Company and its officers and of the Selling Stockholder and their officers made in any certificates delivered pursuant to this Agreement shall be true and correct on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.
(c) No Downgrade. Subsequent to the earlier of (A) the Applicable Time and (B) the execution and delivery of this Agreement, if there are any debt securities or preferred stock of, or guaranteed by, the Company or any of its subsidiaries that are rated by a “nationally recognized statistical rating organization,” as such term is defined by the Commission for purposes of Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act, (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded any such debt securities or preferred stock and
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(ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, or has changed its outlook with respect to, its rating of any such debt securities or preferred stock (other than an announcement with positive implications of a possible upgrading).
(d) No Material Adverse Change. Subsequent to the Applicable Time or, if earlier, the dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) and the Prospectus (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto), there shall not have been any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the business, properties, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) the effect of which in the judgment of the Underwriters is so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Shares on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(e) Officer’s Certificate. The Underwriters shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, a certificate of (i) the chief financial officer or chief accounting officer of the Company and one additional senior executive officer of the Company who is satisfactory to the Underwriters (A) confirming that such officers have carefully reviewed the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and, to the knowledge of such officers, the representations of the Company set forth in Sections 3(b) and 3(d) hereof are true and correct, (B) confirming that the other representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct and that the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and (C) to the effect set forth in paragraphs (a), (c) and (d) above and (ii) the Selling Stockholder or appropriate representative, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters, (A) confirming that the representations of the Selling Stockholder set forth in Sections 4(e) and 4(f) hereof are true and correct and (B) confirming that the other representations and warranties of the Selling Stockholder in this agreement are true and correct and that the Selling Stockholder has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such Closing Date.
(f) Comfort Letters. On the date of this Agreement and on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, Ernst & Young LLP and KPMG LLP shall have furnished to the Underwriters, at the request of the Company, letters, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters, containing statements and information of the type customarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained or incorporated
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by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; provided that the letter delivered by Ernst & Young LLP on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall use a “cut-off” date no more than three business days prior to such Closing Date or such Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.
(g) Opinion and 10b-5 Statement of Counsel for the Company and the Selling Stockholder. (i) ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to the Underwriters, at the request of the Company, their written opinion and 10b-5 statement, dated the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters, to the effect set forth in Annex A hereto and (ii) ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Chance LLP, Dutch counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to the Underwriters, at the request of the Company, their written opinion, dated the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters, to the effect set forth in Annex B hereto.
(h) Opinion of Counsel for the Selling Stockholder. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Chance, counsel for the Selling Stockholder, shall have furnished to the Underwriters, at the request of the Selling Stockholder, their written opinion, dated the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters, to the effect set forth in Annex C hereto.
(i) Opinion and 10b-5 Statement of Counsel for the Underwriters. The Underwriters shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, an opinion and 10b-5 statement of ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, with respect to such matters as the Underwriters may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received such documents and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.
(j) No Legal Impediment to Sale. No action shall have been taken and no statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any federal, state or foreign governmental or regulatory authority that would, as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, prevent the sale of the Shares; and no injunction or order of any federal, state or foreign court shall have been issued that would, as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, prevent the sale of the Shares.
(k) Good Standing. The Underwriters shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, satisfactory evidence of the good standing (where legally relevant) of the Company, Valcon Acquisition B.V. and The ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Company B.V. in their respective jurisdictions of organization and their good standing as foreign entities in such other jurisdictions as the Underwriters may reasonably request, in each case in writing or any standard form of telecommunication from the appropriate governmental authorities of such jurisdictions.
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(l) Exchange Listing. The Shares to be delivered on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall have been approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange (the “Exchange”), subject to official notice of issuance.
(m) Lock-up Agreement. The “lock-up” agreement, substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto, between you and the Selling Stockholder relating to sales and certain other dispositions of shares of Stock or certain other securities, delivered to you on or before the date hereof, shall be full force and effect on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.
(n) Additional Documents. On or prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, the Company and the Selling Stockholder shall have furnished to the Underwriters such further certificates and documents as the Underwriters may reasonably request.
All opinions, letters, certificates and evidence mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall be deemed to be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters.
9. Indemnification and Contribution.
(a) Indemnification by the Company. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter and the Selling Stockholder, its affiliates, directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter or the Selling Stockholder within the meaning of 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, legal fees and other expenses incurred in connection with any suit, action or proceeding or any claim asserted, as such fees and expenses are incurred), joint or several, that arise out of, or are based upon, (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, not misleading, or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act or any Pricing Disclosure Package (including any Pricing Disclosure Package that has subsequently been amended), or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, in each case except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in subsection (c) below.
(b) Indemnification by the Selling Stockholder. The Selling Stockholder agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter and the Company, their affiliates, directors and officers
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and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter or the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act to the same extent as the indemnity set forth in paragraph (a) above, provided that the Selling Stockholder shall be liable only to the extent that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission has been made in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Pricing Disclosure Package in reliance upon and in conformity with the Selling Stockholder Information; provided, further, that the liability under this subsection of the Selling Stockholder shall be limited to an amount equal to the aggregate gross proceeds after underwriting commissions and discounts, but before expenses, to the Selling Stockholder from the sale of Securities sold by the Selling Stockholder hereunder.
(c) Indemnification of the Company and the Selling Stockholder. Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act and the Selling Stockholder to the same extent as the indemnity set forth in paragraph (a) above, but only with respect to any losses, claims, damages or liabilities that arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Pricing Disclosure Package, it being understood and agreed upon that the only such information furnished by the Underwriters consists of the following information in the Prospectus furnished on behalf of the Underwriters: the seventh paragraph of the cover page regarding delivery of the Shares; the name of the Underwriters and their participation in the sale of the Shares under the caption “Underwriting”; the information concerning stabilizing transactions and other information appearing in the seventh paragraph under the caption “Underwriting.”
(d) Notice and Procedures. If any suit, action, proceeding (including any governmental or regulatory investigation), claim or demand shall be brought or asserted against any person in respect of which indemnification may be sought pursuant to the preceding paragraphs of this Section 9, such person (the “Indemnified Person”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnification may be sought (the “Indemnifying Person”) in writing; provided that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have under the preceding paragraphs of this Section 9 except to the extent that it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) by such failure; and provided, further, that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have to an Indemnified Person otherwise than under the preceding paragraphs of this Section 9. If any such proceeding shall be brought or asserted against an Indemnified Person and it shall have notified the Indemnifying Person thereof, the Indemnifying Person shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person to represent the Indemnified Person in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and expenses of such counsel related to such proceeding, as incurred. In any such proceeding, any Indemnified Person shall have the
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right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Person unless (i) the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person shall have mutually agreed to the contrary; (ii) the Indemnifying Person has failed within a reasonable time to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person; (iii) the Indemnified Person shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it that are different from or in addition to those available to the Indemnifying Person; or (iv) the named parties in any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interest between them. It is understood and agreed that the Indemnifying Person shall not, 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 Indemnified Persons, and that all such fees and expenses shall be paid or reimbursed as they are incurred. Any such separate firm for any Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and any control persons of such Underwriter shall be designated in writing by the Underwriters and any such separate firm for the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and any control persons of the Company shall be designated in writing by the Company and any such separate firm for the Selling Stockholder shall be designated in writing by the Selling Stockholder. The Indemnifying Person 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 Person agrees to indemnify each Indemnified Person from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. No Indemnifying Person shall, without the written consent of the Indemnified Person, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any Indemnified Person is or could have been a party and indemnification could have been sought hereunder by such Indemnified Person, unless such settlement (x) includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Person, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Person, from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding and (y) does not include any statement as to or any admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any Indemnified Person.
(e) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) above is unavailable to an Indemnified Person or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each Indemnifying Person under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such Indemnified Person thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Person 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 and the Selling Stockholder, on the one hand, and the Underwriters on the other, from the offering of the Shares or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) but also the relative fault of the Company and the Selling Stockholder, on the one hand, and the Underwriters on the other, 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 Company and the Selling Stockholder, on the one hand, and the Underwriters on the other, shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds (before deducting expenses) received by the Selling Stockholder from the sale of the
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Shares and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters as set forth in the table on the cover of the Prospectus in connection therewith, bear to the aggregate offering price of the Shares. The relative fault of the Company and the Selling Stockholder, on the one hand, and the Underwriters on the other, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company and the Selling Stockholder or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
(f) Limitation on Liability. The Company, the Selling Stockholder and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 9 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purposes) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in paragraph (e) above. The amount paid or payable by an Indemnified Person as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in paragraph (e) above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses incurred by such Indemnified Person in connection with any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 9, in no event shall any Underwriter be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriter with respect to the offering of the Shares 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 Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 9 are several in proportion to their respective purchase obligations hereunder and not joint.
(g) Non-Exclusive Remedies. The remedies provided for in this Section 9 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any Indemnified Person at law or in equity.
10. Effectiveness of Agreement. This Agreement shall become effective upon the execution and delivery hereof by the parties hereto.
11. Termination. This Agreement may be terminated in the absolute discretion of the Underwriters, by notice to the Company and the Selling Stockholder, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date or, in the case of the Option Shares, prior to the Additional Closing Date (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on or by any of the New York Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq Stock Market; (ii) trading of any securities issued or guaranteed by the Company shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by federal or New York State authorities; (iv) any material disruptions in settlement or clearance services shall have occurred that make it impracticable to proceed with the sale of the Shares as described in this Agreement; or (v) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or any calamity or crisis, either within or outside the
-▇▇-
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, that, in the judgment of the Underwriters, is material and adverse and makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Shares on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
12. Defaulting Underwriter.
(a) If, on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, any Underwriter defaults on its obligation to purchase the Shares that it has agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, the non-defaulting Underwriter may in their discretion arrange for the purchase of such Shares by other persons satisfactory to the Company and the Selling Stockholder on the terms contained in this Agreement. If, within 36 hours after any such default by any Underwriter, the non-defaulting Underwriter does not arrange for the purchase of such Shares, then the Company and the Selling Stockholder shall be entitled to a further period of 36 hours within which to procure other persons satisfactory to the non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase such Shares on such terms. If other persons become obligated or agree to purchase the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter, either the non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company and the Selling Stockholder may postpone the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, for up to five full business days in order to effect any changes that in the opinion of counsel for the Company, counsel for the Selling Stockholder or counsel for the Underwriters may be necessary in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or in any other document or arrangement, and the Company agrees to promptly prepare any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus that effects any such changes. As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” includes, for all purposes of this Agreement unless the context otherwise requires, any person not listed in Schedule 1 hereto that, pursuant to this Section 12, purchases Shares that a defaulting Underwriter agreed but failed to purchase.
(b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter by the non-defaulting Underwriter, the Company and the Selling Stockholder as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate number of Shares that remain unpurchased on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, does not exceed one-eleventh of the aggregate number of Shares to be purchased on such date, then the Company and the Selling Stockholder shall have the right to require the non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the number of Shares that such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder on such date plus such Underwriter’s pro rata share (based on the number of Shares that such Underwriter agreed to purchase on such date) of the Shares of such defaulting Underwriter for which such arrangements have not been made.
(c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter by the non-defaulting Underwriter, the Company and the Selling Stockholder as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate number of Shares that remain unpurchased on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, exceeds one-eleventh of the aggregate amount of Shares to be purchased on such date, or if the Company and the Selling Stockholder shall not exercise the right described in paragraph (b) above, then this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of the non-defaulting Underwriter. Any
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termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section 12 shall be without liability on the part of the Company and the Selling Stockholder, except that the Company will continue to be liable for the payment of expenses as set forth in Section 13 hereof and except that the provisions of Section 9 shall not terminate and shall remain in effect.
(d) Nothing contained herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter of any liability it may have to the Company, the Selling Stockholder or the non-defaulting Underwriter for damages caused by its default.
13. Payment of Expenses.
(a) Whether or not the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, the Company will pay or cause to be paid all costs and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder, including without limitation, (i) the costs incident to the authorization, issuance, sale, preparation and delivery of the Shares and any taxes payable in that connection; (ii) the costs incident to the preparation, printing and filing under the Securities Act of the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (including all exhibits, amendments and supplements thereto) and the distribution thereof; (iii) the fees and expenses of the Company’s and the Selling Stockholder’s counsel and independent accountants; (iv) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the registration or qualification of the Shares under the state or foreign securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Underwriters may designate and the preparation, printing and distribution of a Blue Sky Memorandum (including the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters related thereto); (v) the cost of preparing stock certificates; (vi) the costs and charges of any transfer agent and any registrar; (vii) all expenses and application fees incurred in connection with any filing with, and clearance of the offering by, FINRA; (viii) all expenses incurred by the Company in connection with any “road show” presentation to potential investors; provided, however, that the Underwriters shall be responsible for 50% of the third party costs of any private aircraft incurred by or on behalf of the Company in connection with such road show; and (ix) all expenses and application fees related to the listing of the Shares on the Exchange. It is, however, understood that except as provided in this Section 13 and Section 9 hereof, the Underwriters will pay all of their own costs and expenses, including the fees of their counsel (other than fees and expenses specified in this clause (a) of Section 13, and fees and expenses incurred by any of them as an Indemnified Person pursuant to Section 9) and stock transfer taxes on resale of any of the Shares by them, including, for the avoidance of doubt, the cost of aircraft as specified in clause (viii) of this clause (a).
(b) If (i) this Agreement is terminated pursuant to clause (ii) of Section 11, (ii) the sale of the Shares provided for herein is not consummated because any condition to the obligations of the Underwriters set forth in Section 8 hereof is not satisfied (other than by reason of a default by any of the Underwriters) or (iii) the sale of Shares provided for herein is not consummated because of any refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company or the Selling Stockholder to perform any agreement herein or comply with any provision hereof (other than by reason of a default by any of the Underwriters), the Company agrees to reimburse the Underwriters
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for all out-of-pocket costs and expenses (including the reasonable fees and expenses of their counsel) reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in connection with this Agreement and the offering contemplated hereby.
14. Persons Entitled to Benefit of Agreement. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers and directors and any controlling persons referred to in Section 9 hereof. Nothing in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any other person any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision contained herein. No purchaser of Shares from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor merely by reason of such purchase.
15. Survival. The respective indemnities, rights of contribution, representations, warranties and agreements of the Company, the Selling Stockholder and the Underwriters contained in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of the Company, the Selling Stockholder or the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement or any certificate delivered pursuant hereto shall survive the delivery of and payment for the Shares and shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any termination of this Agreement or any investigation made by or on behalf of the Company, the Selling Stockholder or the Underwriters.
16. Certain Defined Terms. For purposes of this Agreement, (a) except where otherwise expressly provided, the term “affiliate” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act; (b) the term “business day” means any day other than a day on which banks are permitted or required to be closed in New York City; and (c) the term “subsidiary” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
17. Miscellaneous.
(a) [Reserved].
(b) Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted and confirmed by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be given to ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Lynch, Pierce, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇ Incorporated at ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ (fax: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇); Attention: Syndicate Department (with a copy to fax: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇; Attention: ECM Legal) and to Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC at Eleven ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇; Attention LCD-IBD. Notices to the Company shall be given to it at ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ (fax: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇); Attention: Chief Legal Officer.
(c) USA Patriot Act. In accordance with the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)), the Underwriters are required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies their respective clients, including the Company, which information may include the name and address of their respective clients, as well as other information that will allow the Underwriters to properly identify their respective clients.
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(d) Governing Law. THIS AGREEMENT AND ANY MATTERS RELATED TO THIS TRANSACTION SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICT OF LAWS THAT WOULD RESULT IN THE APPLICATION OF ANY LAW OTHER THAN THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK. The Company agrees that any suit or proceeding arising in respect of this Agreement or our engagement will be tried exclusively in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York or, if that court does not have subject matter jurisdiction, in any state court located in The City and County of New York and the Company agrees to submit to the jurisdiction of, and to venue in, such courts.
(e) Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in counterparts (which may include counterparts delivered by any standard form of telecommunication), each of which shall be an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
(f) Amendments or Waivers. No amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement, nor any consent or approval to any departure therefrom, shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the parties hereto.
(g) Headings. The headings herein are included for convenience of reference only and are not intended to be part of, or to affect the meaning or interpretation of, this Agreement.
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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please indicate your acceptance of this Agreement by signing in the space provided below.
| Very truly yours, | ||||||
| Very truly yours, | ||||||
| ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ HOLDINGS N.V. | ||||||
| By: | /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Black | |||||
| Name: | ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Black | |||||
| Title: | Company Secretary | |||||
| VALCON ACQUISITION HOLDING (LUXEMBOURG) S. À ▇.▇. | ||||||
| By: | /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ | |||||
| Name: | ▇▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ | |||||
| Title: | Class A Manager | |||||
| By: | /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ | |||||
| Name: | ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ | |||||
| Title: | Class B Manager | |||||
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ LYNCH, PIERCE, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇
INCORPORATED
| By: | /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ | |
| Authorized Signatory | ||
| CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) LLC | ||
| By: | /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ | |
| Authorized Signatory | ||
Schedule 1
| Underwriter |
Number of Shares | |||
| ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Lynch, Pierce, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇ Incorporated |
15,000,000 | |||
| Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC |
15,000,000 | |||
|
|
|
|||
| Total |
30,000,000 | |||
|
|
|
|||
Schedule 2
| Selling Stockholder |
Number of Underwritten Shares: |
Number of Option Shares: |
||||||
| Valcon Acquisition Holding (Luxembourg) S.à ▇.▇. |
30,000,000 | 4,500,000 | ||||||
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