72,100,000] AMERICAN DEPOSITARY SHARES REPRESENTING [72,100,000] CLASS A ORDINARY SHARES, PAR VALUE US$0.0001 PER SHARE ZTO EXPRESS (CAYMAN) INC. UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
Exhibit 1.1
[72,100,000] AMERICAN DEPOSITARY SHARES
REPRESENTING
[72,100,000] CLASS A ORDINARY SHARES, PAR VALUE US$0.0001 PER SHARE
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, 2016 |
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. International plc
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London E14 4QA
United Kingdom
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ (Asia) L.L.C.
68th Floor, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Kong Center
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Hong Kong
China Renaissance Securities (Hong Kong) Limited
Units 8107-08, Level 81
International Commerce Centre
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Hong Kong
Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
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New York, NY 10013
United States
Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC
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New York, NY 10010
United States
▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Securities LLC
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New York, NY 10179
United States
As representatives (the “Representatives”) of the several Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto
Ladies and Gentlemen:
ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc., an exempted company incorporated with limited liability under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the several Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the “Underwriters”) [72,100,000] American depositary shares (“American Depositary Shares” or “ADSs”) (the “Firm Securities”), each representing one Class A ordinary share, par value US$0.0001 per share, of the Company (each a “Class A Ordinary Share”).
The Company also proposes to issue and sell to the several Underwriters not more than an additional [10,815,000] American Depositary Shares (the “Additional Securities”) representing [10,815,000] Class A Ordinary Shares, if and to the extent that the Representatives exercise, on behalf of the Underwriters, the right to purchase such Additional Securities granted to the Underwriters in Section 2 hereof. The Firm Securities and the Additional Securities are hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Offered Securities.” Unless the context otherwise requires, each reference to the “Offered Securities,” “Firm Securities” and “Additional Securities” herein also include the underlying Class A Ordinary Shares (hereinafter referred to as the “Offered Shares”). The Class A Ordinary Shares and Class B ordinary shares, par value US$0.0001 per share, of the Company are hereinafter referred to as the “Ordinary Shares.”
The Underwriters will take delivery of the Offered Securities in the form of American Depositary Shares. The American Depositary Shares are to be issued pursuant to a Deposit Agreement dated as of [•], 2016 (the “Deposit Agreement”) among the Company, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Depositary (the “Depositary”), and all holders from time to time of the American Depositary Receipts issued under the Deposit Agreement. Each American Depositary Share will initially represent the right to receive one Class A Ordinary Share deposited pursuant to the Deposit Agreement.
The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement, including a prospectus, relating to the Offered Shares and a registration statement relating to the American Depositary Shares. The registration statement relating to the Offered Shares, as amended at the time it becomes effective, including the information (if any) deemed to be part of the registration statement at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430A under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), is hereinafter referred to as the “Registration Statement.” The prospectus in the form first used to confirm sales of Offered Securities (or in the form first made available to the Underwriters by the Company to meet requests of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act) is hereinafter referred to as the “Prospectus.” The registration statement relating to the American Depositary Shares, as amended at the time it becomes effective, is hereinafter referred to as the “ADS Registration Statement.” If the Company has filed abbreviated registration statements to register additional Ordinary Shares or American Depositary Shares pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act (the “Rule 462 Registration Statements”), then any reference herein to the terms “Registration Statement” and “ADS Registration Statement” shall be deemed to include the corresponding Rule 462 Registration Statement. The Company has filed, in accordance with Section 12 of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), a registration statement on Form 8-A to register the Class A Ordinary Shares and the American Depositary Shares (the “Form 8-A Registration Statement”).
For purposes of this Agreement, “free writing prospectus” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, “Time of Sale Prospectus” means the preliminary prospectus together with the documents and pricing information set forth in Schedule II hereto, and “broadly available road show” means a “bona fide electronic road show” as defined in Rule 433(h)(5) under the Securities Act that has been made
available without restriction to any person. As used herein, the terms “Registration Statement,” “preliminary prospectus,” “Time of Sale Prospectus” and “Prospectus” shall include the documents, if any, incorporated by reference therein as of the date hereof.
Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC (the “Designated Underwriter”) has agreed to reserve a portion of the American Depositary Shares to be purchased by it or its affiliates under this Agreement for sale to the Company’s directors, officers, employees and business associates and other parties related to the Company (collectively, “Participants”), as set forth in the Prospectus under the heading “Underwriting” (the “Directed Share Program”). The American Depositary Shares to be sold by the Designated Underwriter and its affiliates pursuant to the Directed Share Program are referred to hereinafter as the “Directed American Depositary Shares.” Any Directed American Depositary Shares not orally confirmed for purchase by any Participant by 7:00 a.m. New York City Time on the first business day after the date on which this Agreement is executed will be offered to the public by the Underwriters as set forth in the Prospectus.
1. Representations and Warranties. The Company represents and warrants to and agrees with each of the Underwriters that:
(a) Effectiveness of Registration Statement. Each of the Registration Statement and the ADS Registration Statement has become effective under the Securities Act; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the ADS Registration Statement is in effect, and no proceedings for such purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act are pending before or threatened by the Commission. The Form 8-A Registration Statement has become effective as provided in Section 12 of the Exchange Act.
(b) Compliance with Securities Law. (i) Each of the Registration Statement and the ADS Registration Statement, when it became effective, did not contain and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) the Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement and the Prospectus comply and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will comply, in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, (iii) the Time of Sale Prospectus does not contain and, at the time of each sale of the American Depositary Shares in connection with the offering when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and at the Closing Date (as defined in Section 4), as then amended or supplemented by the Company, if applicable, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, (iv) each broadly available road show, if any, when considered together with the Time of Sale Prospectus, does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading and (v) the Prospectus does not contain and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not contain any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that the representations and warranties set forth in this paragraph do not apply to statements or omissions in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus based upon information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the Underwriter Information described as such in Section 8(b) hereof.
(c) Ineligible Issuer Status and Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. The Company is not an “ineligible issuer” in connection with the offering pursuant to Rules 164, 405 and 433 under the Securities Act. Any free writing prospectus that the Company is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act has been, or will be, filed with the Commission in accordance with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. Each free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act or that was prepared by or on behalf of or used or referred to by the Company complies or will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. Except for the free writing prospectuses, if any, identified in Schedule II hereto and electronic road shows, if any, each furnished to the Representatives before first use, the Company has not prepared, used or referred to, and will not, without the prior consent of the Representatives, prepare, use or refer to, any free writing prospectus. The Company has satisfied and agrees that it will satisfy the conditions in Rule 433 to avoid a requirement to file with the Commission any electronic road show. As of the time of each sale of the American Depositary Shares in connection with the offering when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers, no free writing prospectuses, when considered together with the Time of Sale Prospectus, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(d) EGC Status and Testing-the-Waters Communication. (i) From the time of initial confidential submission of the Registration Statement to the Commission (or, if earlier, the first date on which the Company engaged directly or through any person authorized to act on its behalf in any Testing-the-Waters Communication) through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act (an “Emerging Growth Company”). “Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any oral or written communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Securities Act (including any presentation slides used in connection with such communication). (ii) The Company (A) has not alone engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communication other than Testing-the-Waters Communications with the consent of the Representatives with entities that are qualified institutional buyers within the meaning of Rule 144A under the Securities Act or institutions that are accredited investors within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Securities Act, and (B) has not authorized anyone other than the Representatives to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company reconfirms that the
Representatives have been authorized to act on its behalf in undertaking Testing-the-Waters Communications. (iii) The Company has not distributed any Written Testing-the-Waters Communications other than those listed on Schedule III hereto. “Written Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any Testing-the-Waters Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act. As of the time of each sale of the American Depositary Shares in connection with the offering when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers, no individual Written Testing-the-Waters Communications, when considered together with the Time of Sale Prospectus, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(e) Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as an exempted company with limited liability in good standing under the laws of the Cayman Islands, has the corporate power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, results of operations, business or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities, taken as a whole, or on the ability of the Company and its subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities to carry out their obligations under this Agreement and the Deposit Agreement (a “Material Adverse Effect”). The currently effective memorandum and articles of association or other constitutional or organizational documents of the Company comply with the requirements of applicable Cayman Islands law and are in full force and effect. The second amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of the Company adopted by special resolution passed on September 30, 2016, filed as Exhibit 3.2 to the Registration Statement, comply with the requirements of applicable laws of Cayman Islands and, immediately prior to the closing on the Closing Date of the Offered Securities offered and sold hereunder, will be in full force and effect. Complete and correct copies of all constitutional documents of the Company and all amendments thereto have been delivered to the Representatives; no change will be made to any such constitutional documents on or after the date of this Agreement through and including the Closing Date.
(f) Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities. Each of the entities identified on Schedule IV hereto is a subsidiary of the Company (each a “Subsidiary” and collectively, the “Subsidiaries”), and each of the entities identified on Schedule IV hereto is a consolidated affiliated entity through which the Company conducts its operations in the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”) by way of contractual arrangements (each an “Affiliated Entity” and collectively, the “Affiliated Entities”) (unless the context otherwise requires, reference to a “Subsidiary” or an “Affiliated Entity” also includes the branches established by such Subsidiary or Affiliated Entity). Each of the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has the corporate power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus; all of the equity interests in each Subsidiary have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, are duly paid in accordance with its articles of association
and applicable laws and regulations and non-assessable and are free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims; all of the equity interests in each Affiliated Entity have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are duly paid in accordance with its articles of association and applicable laws and regulations and non-assessable, are owned directly as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and, except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, are free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims. None of the outstanding share capital or equity interest in any Subsidiary or Affiliated Entities was issued in violation of preemptive or similar rights of any securityholder of such Subsidiary or Affiliated Entity. All of the constitutional or organizational documents of each of the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities comply with the requirements of applicable laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation or organization and are in full force and effect. Apart from the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities, the Company has no direct or indirect subsidiaries or any other company over which it has direct or indirect effective control, except for those in aggregate are not material to the business or financial conditions of the Company, its subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities, taken as a whole.
(g) VIE Agreements and Ownership Structure.
(i) The description of the corporate structure of the Company and each of the contracts among Shanghai Zhongtongji Network Technology Co., Ltd., the shareholders of ZTO Express Co., Ltd. (the “VIE”) and the VIE, as the case may be (each a “VIE Agreement” and collectively the “VIE Agreements”), as set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus under the captions “Corporate History and Structure” and filed as Exhibits 10.4 through 10.9 to the Registration Statement, is true and accurate in all material respects and nothing has been omitted from such description which would make it misleading. There is no other material agreement, contract or other document relating to the corporate structure or the operation of the Company together with its subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities taken as a whole, which has not been previously disclosed or made available to the Underwriters and disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.
(ii) Each VIE Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the parties thereto and constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of the parties thereto, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject, as to enforceability, to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles. No consent, approval, authorization, or order of, or filing or registration with, any person (including any governmental agency or body or any court) is required for the performance of the obligations under any VIE Agreement by the parties thereto, except as already obtained or disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus; no consent, approval, authorization, order, filing or registration that has been obtained is being withdrawn or revoked or is
subject to any condition precedent which has not been fulfilled or performed. Except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, the corporate structure of the Company complies with all applicable laws and regulations of the PRC, and neither the ownership structure nor the VIE Agreements violate, breach, contravene or otherwise conflict with any applicable laws of the PRC. There is no legal or governmental proceeding, inquiry or investigation pending against the Company, the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities or shareholders of the VIE in any jurisdiction challenging the validity of any of the VIE Agreements, and, to the best knowledge of the Company, no such proceeding, inquiry or investigation is threatened in any jurisdiction.
(iii) Except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, the execution, delivery and performance of each VIE Agreement by the parties thereto do not and will not result in a breach or violation of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in the imposition of any lien, encumbrance, equity or claim upon any property or assets of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities pursuant to (A) the constitutional or organizational documents of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities, (B) any statute, rule, regulation or order of any governmental agency or body or any court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities or any of their properties, or any arbitration award, or (C) any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities is a party or by which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities is bound or to which any of the properties of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities is subject, except, in the case of (B) and (C), where such breach, violation or default would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Each VIE Agreement is in full force and effect and none of the parties thereto is in breach or default in the performance of any of the terms or provisions of such VIE Agreement. None of the parties to any of the VIE Agreements has sent or received any communication regarding termination of, or intention not to renew, any of the VIE Agreements, and no such termination or non-renewal has been threatened by any of the parties thereto.
(iv) The Company possesses, directly or indirectly, the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of the Affiliated Entities, through its rights to authorize the shareholders of the VIE to exercise their voting rights.
(h) Authorization of this Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company. The description of this Agreement
contained in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus is true and accurate in all material respects.
(i) Authorization of the Deposit Agreement. The Deposit Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the Depositary, constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of the Company, enforceable in accordance with its terms subject, as to enforceability, to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles. The description of the Deposit Agreement contained in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus is true and accurate in all material respects.
(j) Due Authorization of Registration Statements. The Registration Statement, the preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus and the ADS Registration Statement and the filing of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus and the ADS Registration Statement with the Commission have been duly authorized by and on behalf of the Company, and the Registration Statement and the ADS Registration Statement have been duly executed pursuant to such authorization by and on behalf of the Company.
(k) Share Capital. The authorized share capital of the Company conforms as to legal matters to the description thereof contained in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.
(l) Ordinary Shares. (i) The Ordinary Shares outstanding prior to the issuance of the Offered Shares have been duly authorized and are validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. As of the date hereof, the Company has authorized and outstanding capitalization as set forth in the sections of the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus under the headings “Capitalization” and “Description of Share Capital” and, as of the Closing Date, the Company shall have authorized and outstanding capitalization as set forth in the sections of the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus under the headings “Capitalization” and “Description of Share Capital.” (ii) Except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, there are (A) no outstanding securities issued by the Company convertible into or exchangeable for rights, warrants or options to acquire from the Company, or obligations of the Company to issue, Ordinary Shares or any of the share capital of the Company, and (B) no outstanding rights, warrants or options to acquire, or instruments convertible into or exchangeable for, any share capital of, or any direct interest in, any of the Company’s Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities.
(m) American Depositary Shares. The Offered Securities, when issued by the Depositary against the deposit of Offered Shares in respect thereof in accordance with the provisions of the Deposit Agreement, (i) will be duly authorized, validly issued and the persons in whose names such American Depositary Shares are registered will be entitled to the rights of registered holders of American Depositary Shares specified therein and in the Deposit Agreement, and (ii) are freely transferable to or for the account
of the several Underwriters and the initial purchasers thereof, and, except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, there are no restrictions on subsequent transfers of the American Depositary Shares under the laws of the Cayman Islands, the PRC or the United States.
(n) Offered Shares. The Offered Shares underlying the Offered Securities to be sold by the Company have been duly authorized and, when issued and delivered in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, and the issuance of such Offered Shares will not be subject to any preemptive rights, resale rights, rights of first refusal or similar rights. The Offered Securities, when issued and delivered against payment therefor in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be free of any restriction upon the voting or transfer thereof pursuant to the Company’s constitutional documents or any agreement or other instrument to which the Company is a party.
(o) Accurate Disclosure. The statements in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus under the headings “Prospectus Summary,” “Risk Factors,” “Enforceability of Civil Liabilities,” “Corporate History and Structure,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” “Business,” “Regulation,” “Related Party Transactions,” “Description of Share Capital,” “Description of American Depositary Shares,” “Taxation” and “Underwriting,” insofar as such statements summarize legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings discussed therein, are accurate, complete and fair summaries of such matters described therein in all material respects. The proceeding sentence, insofar as it relates to statements in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus under the heading “Underwriting,” does not apply to information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the Underwriter Information (as defined herein) described as such in Section 8(b) hereof.
(p) Listing. The American Depositary Shares have been approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange, subject to official notice of issuance.
(q) Compliance with Law, Constitutional Documents and Contracts. Except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities (A) is in breach or violation of any provision of applicable law (including, but not limited to, any applicable law concerning express delivery business, information dissemination over the Internet and user privacy protection), (B) is in breach or violation of its respective constitutional documents, or (C) is in default under (nor has any event occurred which, with notice, lapse of time or both, would result in any breach or violation of, constitute a default under or give the holder of any indebtedness (or a person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a part of such indebtedness under) any agreement or other instrument that is (i) binding upon the Company or any of the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities and (ii) material to the Company and the subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities taken as a whole, or any judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having jurisdiction over the
Company or any of the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities, except where such breach or default in (A) and (C) above would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(r) Absence of Defaults and Conflicts Resulting from Transaction. The execution and delivery by the Company of, and the performance by the Company of its obligations under, this Agreement and the Deposit Agreement will not contravene (i) any provision of applicable law or the memorandum and articles of association or other constitutional documents of the Company, (ii) any agreement or other instrument binding upon the Company, any of its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities, taken as a whole, or (iii) any judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities, and no consent, approval, authorization or order of, or qualification with, any governmental body or agency is required for the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement or the Deposit Agreement, except such as may be required by the securities or Blue Sky laws of the various states of the United States in connection with the offer and sale of the Offered Securities.
(s) No Material Adverse Change in Business. Except as described in the Times of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, since the end of the period covered by the latest audited financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus (i) there has been no material adverse change, nor any development or event involving a prospective material adverse change, in the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, business, properties or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities, taken as a whole; (ii) there has been no purchase of its own outstanding share capital by the Company, no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its share capital; (iii) there has been no material adverse change in the share capital, short-term indebtedness, long-term indebtedness, net current assets or net assets of the Company and its subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities, taken as a whole; (iv) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities has (A) entered into or assumed any material transaction or agreement, (B) incurred, assumed or acquired any material liability or obligation, direct or contingent, (C) acquired or disposed of any material business or any other asset, or (D) agreed to take any of the foregoing actions; and (v) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities has sustained any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood, typhoon, or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree.
(t) No Pending Proceedings. There are no legal or governmental proceedings pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened (including any inquiries or investigations by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign) to which the Company, any of its subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities, or any of its executive officers, directors and key employees is a party or to which any of the properties of the Company or any of its subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities is subject other than (i) proceedings that have been accurately described in all
material respects in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and (ii) proceedings that would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
(u) Preliminary Prospectuses. Each preliminary prospectus filed as part of the registration statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto, or filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act, complied when so filed in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
(v) Investment Company Act. The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Offered Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, will not be required to register as an “investment company” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(w) Environmental Laws. (i) The Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities (A) are in compliance with any and all applicable national, local and foreign laws and regulations (including, for the avoidance of doubt, all applicable laws and regulations of the PRC) relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (“Environmental Laws”), (B) have received all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses and (C) are in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval, except, in each case of (A) to (C) above, where such noncompliance with Environmental Laws, failure to receive required permits, licenses or other approvals or failure to comply with the terms and conditions of such permits, licenses or approvals would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. (ii) There are no costs or liabilities associated with Environmental Laws (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure of properties or compliance with Environmental Laws or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties), except for those that would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(x) Registration Rights; Lock-up Letters. Except as disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person granting such person the right to require the Company to file a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to any securities of the Company owned or to be owned by such person or to require the Company to include such securities in the securities registered pursuant to the Registration Statement or in any securities being registered pursuant to any other registration statement filed by the Company under the Securities Act (collectively, “registration rights”), and any person to whom the Company has granted registration rights has agreed not to exercise such rights until after the expiration of the Restricted Period referred to in Section 6(y) hereof. Each officer, director and shareholder of the Company has furnished to ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. International plc and ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ (Asia) L.L.C., as the representatives of the Underwriters including the Representatives
(the “Lock-up Representatives”) on or prior to the date hereof a letter or letters substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto (the “Lock-Up Letter”).
(y) Compliance with Anti-Corruption Laws. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities, nor any director or officer thereof nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any employee, agent or representative of the Company or of any of its subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities, has (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) taken or will take any action in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization or approval of the payment, giving of money, property, gifts or anything else of value, directly or indirectly, to any “government official” (including any officer or employee of a government or government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office) to induce such government official to do or omit to do any act in violation of his lawful duties, influence official action, or secure, obtain or retain business or any other improper advantage; (iii) made, offered, agreed, requested or taken an act in furtherance of any unlawful bribe or other unlawful benefit, including, without limitation, any rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful or improper payment or benefit; or (iv) will use, directly or indirectly, the proceeds of the offering in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization of the payment or giving of money, or anything else of value, to any person in violation of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the UK Bribery Act, the Anti-Unfair Competition Law of the PRC, the Criminal Law of the PRC or any applicable anti-corruption laws (collectively, the “Anti-Corruption Laws”); and the Company and its subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities and their respective affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with applicable Anti-Corruption Laws and have instituted, maintained and enforced, and will continue to maintain and enforce, policies and procedures reasonably designed to promote and achieve compliance with such laws and with the representations and warranties contained herein; no investigation, action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities with respect to the Anti-Corruption Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(z) Compliance with Anti-Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities are and have been conducted at all times in compliance in all material respects with all applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including applicable provisions of the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by Title III of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act), and the applicable anti-money laundering statutes of jurisdictions where the Company and its subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities conduct business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Anti-Money Laundering Laws”); and no investigation, action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator
involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities with respect to the Anti-Corruption Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(aa) Compliance with Economic Sanctions. (i) None of the Company, any of its subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities, or any director or officer thereof, or, to the Company’s knowledge, any employee, agent, affiliate or representative of the Company or any of its subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities, is an individual or entity (“Person”) that is, or is owned 50% or more or controlled by one or more Persons that are (such Persons referred to as “Sanctioned Persons”):
(A) listed on any sanctions related list of designated persons pursuant to sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. government, including but not limited to the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”), the United Nations Security Council (“UNSC”), the European Union (“EU”), or Her Majesty’s Treasury (“HMT”) or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), or
(B) located, organized or resident in, or a national, governmental entity, or agent of, a country or territory that is the subject of comprehensive Sanctions (as of the date hereof, Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria).
(i) The Company represents and covenants that the Company and its subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities will not, directly or knowingly indirectly, use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other Person:
(A) to fund or facilitate any activities or business of or with any Sanctioned Person or in any country or territory that, at the time of such funding or facilitation is, or whose government is, the subject of comprehensive Sanctions; or
(B) in any other manner that will result in a violation of Sanctions by any Person (including any Person participating in the offering, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise).
(ii) The Company represents and covenants that the Company and its subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities have not engaged in for the past five years, are not now engaged in, and will not engage in, any dealings or transactions directly or knowingly indirectly with any Sanctioned Person, or in any country or territory, that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject of Sanctions.
(bb) Title to Property. (i) Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities has good and marketable title (valid land use rights and building ownership certificates in the case of real property located in the PRC) to all real property and good and marketable title to all personal property owned by them which is material to the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects except such as are described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus or such as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities; and any real property and buildings held under lease by the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with such exceptions as are not material and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities, in each case except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.
(cc) Possession of Intellectual Property. The Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities own, possess, or have been authorized to use, or can acquire on reasonable terms sufficient trademarks, trade names, patent rights, copyrights, domain names, licenses, approvals, trade secrets, inventions, technology, know-how and other intellectual property and similar rights, including registrations and applications for registration thereof (collectively, “Intellectual Property Rights”) necessary or material to the conduct of the business now conducted, and the expected expiration of any such Intellectual Property Rights would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, (i) there are no rights of third parties to any of the Intellectual Property Rights owned by the Company or its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities; (ii) there is no infringement, misappropriation breach, default or other violation, or the occurrence of any event that with notice or the passage of time would constitute any of the foregoing, by the Company or its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities or third parties of any of the Intellectual Property Rights of the Company or its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities; (iii) there is no pending or threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the Company’s or the Subsidiaries’ and Affiliated Entities’ rights in or to, or the violation of any of the terms of, any of their Intellectual Property Rights, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; (iv) there is no pending or threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the validity, enforceability or scope of any such Intellectual Property Rights, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; (v) there is no pending or threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others that the Company or any Subsidiary or Affiliated Entity infringes, misappropriates or otherwise violates or conflicts with any Intellectual Property Rights or other proprietary rights of others and the Company is unaware of any other fact which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; and (vi) none of the Intellectual Property Rights used by the Company or its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities in their businesses has been obtained or is being used by the Company or its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities in violation of any contractual obligation binding on the Company or its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities in violation of the rights of any persons, except in each case covered
by clauses (i) – (vi) such as would not, if determined adversely to the Company or its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(dd) Merger or Consolidation. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliated Entities is a party to any effective memorandum of understanding, letter of intent, definitive agreement or any similar agreements with respect to a merger or consolidation or an acquisition or disposition of assets, technologies, business units or businesses which is required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and which is not so described.
(ee) Termination of Contracts. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliated Entities has sent or received any communication regarding termination of, or intent not to renew, any of the material contracts or agreements referred to or described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus or filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, and no such termination or non-renewal has been threatened by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliated Entities, or to the best knowledge of the Company after due inquiry, by any other party to any such contract or agreement.
(ff) Absence of Labor Dispute; Compliance with Labor Law. No material labor dispute with the employees or third-party contractors of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities exists, or, to the best knowledge of the Company, is imminent; and the Company is not aware of any existing, threatened or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of the principal suppliers, manufacturers or contractors of the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities that would have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities are and have been at all times in compliance with all applicable labor laws and regulations, except for such failure to comply that would not have a Material Adverse Effect, and no governmental investigation or proceedings with respect to labor law compliance exists, or to the best knowledge of the Company, is imminent.
(gg) Insurance. Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts which are reasonably adequate and are customary in the businesses in which they are engaged; and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
(hh) Possession of Licenses and Permits. Except as disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, each of the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities possesses all licenses, certificates, authorizations, declarations and permits issued by, and has made all necessary reports to and filings with, the appropriate national, local or foreign regulatory authorities having jurisdiction over the Company and each of its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities and their respective assets and properties,
for the Company and each of its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities to conduct their respective businesses, except for such failure to possess, report or file that would not have a Material Adverse Effect; each of the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities is in compliance with the terms and conditions of all such licenses, certificates, authorizations and permits in all material respects; such licenses, certificates, authorizations and permits are valid and in full force and effect and contain no materially burdensome restrictions or conditions not described in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus; neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or adverse modification of any such license, certificate, authorization or permit; neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliated Entities has any reason to believe that any such license, certificate, authorization or permit will not be renewed in the ordinary course except for such failure to renew that would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
(ii) Related Party Transactions. There are no material related-party transactions involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities required to be described in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus that have not been described as required.
(jj) PFIC Status. Based on the Company’s current income and assets and projections as to the value of its assets and the market value of its American Depositary Shares, including the current and anticipated valuation of its assets, the Company believes that it was not a Passive Foreign Investment Company (“PFIC”) within the meaning of Section 1297 of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, for its most recent taxable year and does not expect to be a PFIC for its current taxable year or in the foreseeable future.
(kk) No Transaction or Other Taxes. Except as disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, no transaction, stamp, capital or other documentary, issuance, registration, transfer, withholding, or other similar taxes or duties are payable by or on behalf of the Underwriters to the government of the PRC, Hong Kong or Cayman Islands or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof in connection with (i) the creation, allotment and issuance of the Offered Shares and the sale and delivery of the Offered Securities by the Company or the deposit of the Offered Shares with the Depositary and the Custodian, as defined in the Deposit Agreement (the
“Custodian”), the issuance of the American Depositary Shares by the Depositary, and the delivery of the American Depositary Shares to or for the account of the Underwriters, (ii) the purchase from the Company of the Offered Securities and the initial sale and delivery of the American Depositary Shares representing the Offered Shares to purchasers thereof by the Underwriters, or (iii) the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement or the Deposit Agreement; except that Cayman Islands and PRC stamp duty may be payable in the event that this Agreement or the Deposit Agreement is executed in or brought within the jurisdiction of the Cayman Islands or the PRC, as applicable.
(ll) Independent Accountants. Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Certified Public Accountants LLP, whose reports on the consolidated financial statements of the Company are included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, are independent registered public accountants with respect to the Company as required by the Securities Act and by the rules of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.
(mm) Financial Statements. The financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, together with the related notes and schedules thereto, present fairly the consolidated financial position of the Company, its subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities as of the dates indicated and the consolidated results of operations, cash flows and changes in shareholders’ equity of the Company for the periods specified and have been prepared in compliance as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Securities Act and the related rules and regulations adopted by the Commission and in conformity with United States generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved; the other financial data contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus are accurately and fairly presented and prepared on a basis consistent with the financial statements and/or books and records of the Company; there are no financial statements (historical or pro forma) that are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus that are not included as required; and the Company and the subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities do not have any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations) not described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.
(nn) Critical Accounting Policies. The section entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus accurately and fairly describes (i) the accounting policies that the Company believes are the most important in the portrayal of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations and that require management’s most difficult subjective or complex judgment; (ii) the material judgments and uncertainties affecting the application of critical accounting policies and estimates; (iii) the likelihood that materially different amounts would be reported under different conditions or using different assumptions and an explanation thereof; (iv) all material trends, demands, commitments and events known to the Company, and uncertainties, and the potential effects thereof, that the Company believes would materially affect its
liquidity and are reasonably likely to occur; and (v) all off-balance sheet commitments and arrangements of the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities, if any. The Company’s directors and management have reviewed and agreed with the selection, application and disclosure of the Company’s critical accounting policies as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and have consulted with its independent accountants with regards to such disclosure.
(oo) Internal Controls and Compliance with the Sarbanes Oxley Act. Except as disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company maintains a system of internal controls over accounting matters and financial reporting and legal and regulatory compliance controls (collectively, “Internal Controls”) which are sufficient to provide reasonable assurances 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 in the United States 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. Upon consummation of the offering of the Offered Securities, the Internal Controls will be overseen by the Audit Committee (the “Audit Committee”) of the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) in accordance with the rules of the New York Stock Exchange. Except as disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company has not publicly disclosed or reported to the Board a significant deficiency, material weakness, change in Internal Controls, fraud involving management or other employees who have a significant role in Internal Controls, any violation of, or failure to comply with, laws or regulations governing Internal Controls, or any matter which, if determined adversely, would have a Material Adverse Effect (each, an “Internal Control Event”). Each of the Company’s independent directors meets the criteria for “independence” under the rules and regulations under the Exchange Act, the rules of the New York Stock Exchange and, with respect to independent directors who are members of the Audit Committee, the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes Oxley Act”). Except as disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, there has been no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially and adversely affected, or is reasonably likely to materially and adversely affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
(pp) Absence of Accounting Issues. The Company has not received any notice, oral or written, from the Board stating that it is reviewing or investigating, and neither have the Company’s independent auditors recommended that the Board review or investigate, (i) adding to, deleting, changing the application of, or changing the Company’s disclosure with respect to, any of the Company’s material accounting policies; (ii) any matter which could result in a restatement of the Company’s financial statements
for any annual or interim period during the current or prior two fiscal years; or (iii) any Internal Control Event.
(qq) Third-party Data. Any statistical, industry-related and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company reasonably and in good faith believes to be reliable and accurate, and such data agree with the sources from which they are derived, and the Company has obtained the written consent for the use of such data from such sources to the extent required.
(rr) Registration Statement Exhibits. There are no contracts or other documents of a character required to be described in the Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement or the Exchange Act Registration Statement or, in the case of documents, to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not described or filed as required.
(ss) No Unapproved Marketing Documents. The Company has not distributed and, prior to the later to occur of any delivery date and completion of the distribution of the Offered Securities, will not distribute any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Securities other than the preliminary prospectus filed as part of the Registration Statement or as part of any amendment thereto, the Prospectus and any issuer free writing prospectus to which the Representatives have consented, as set forth on Schedule II hereto.
(tt) Payments of Dividends; Payments in Foreign Currency. Except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and Prospectus, (i) none of the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities is prohibited, directly or indirectly, from (A) paying any dividends or making any other distributions on its share capital, (B) making or repaying any loan or advance to the Company or any other Subsidiary or Affiliated Entity or (C) transferring any of its properties or assets to the Company or any other Subsidiary or Affiliated Entity; and (ii) all dividends and other distributions declared and payable upon the share capital of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities (A) may be converted into United States dollars, that may be freely transferred out of such Person’s jurisdiction of incorporation, without the consent, approval, authorization or order of, or qualification with, any court or governmental agency or body in such Person’s jurisdiction of incorporation or tax residence; and (B) are not and will not be subject to withholding, value added or other similar taxes under the currently effective laws and regulations of such Person’s jurisdiction of incorporation, without the necessity of obtaining any consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, registrations, clearances or qualifications of or with any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over such Person.
(uu) Compliance with PRC Overseas Investment and Listing Regulations. Except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, each of the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities has complied, and has taken all steps to ensure compliance by each of its shareholders, directors and officers that is, or is directly or indirectly owned or controlled by, a PRC resident or citizen with any
applicable rules and regulations of the relevant PRC government agencies (including but not limited to the Ministry of Commerce, the National Development and Reform Commission, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (“CSRC”) and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (the “SAFE”)) relating to overseas investment by PRC residents and citizens (the “PRC Overseas Investment and Listing Regulations”), including, without limitation, requesting each such Person that is, or is directly or indirectly owned or controlled by, a PRC resident or citizen, to complete any registration and other procedures required under applicable PRC Overseas Investment and Listing Regulations (including any applicable rules and regulations of the SAFE).
(vv) M&A Rules. The Company is aware of and has been advised as to the content of the Rules on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors and any official clarifications, guidance, interpretations or implementation rules in connection with or related thereto (the “PRC Mergers and Acquisitions Rules”) jointly promulgated by the Ministry of Commerce, the State Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, the State Tax Administration, the State Administration of Industry and Commerce, the CSRC and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on August 8, 2006 and amended on June 22, 2009, including the provisions thereof which purport to require offshore special purpose entities formed for listing purposes and controlled directly or indirectly by PRC companies or individuals to obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to the listing and trading of their securities on an overseas stock exchange. The Company has received legal advice specifically with respect to the PRC Mergers and Acquisitions Rules from its PRC counsel, and the Company understands such legal advice. In addition, the Company has communicated such legal advice in full to each of its directors that signed the Registration Statement and each such director has confirmed that he or she understands such legal advice. The issuance and sale of the Offered Securities, the listing and trading of the Offered Securities on the New York Stock Exchange and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Deposit Agreement, except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, (i) are not and will not be, as of the date hereof or at the Closing Date or an Option Closing Date, as the case may be, adversely affected by the PRC Mergers and Acquisitions Rules and (ii) do not require the prior approval of the CSRC.
(ww) Foreign Private Issuer. The Company is a “foreign private issuer” within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
(xx) Absence of Manipulation. None of the Company, the subsidiaries and the consolidated affiliated entities, any of their respective directors, officers, or, to the knowledge of the Company, affiliates or controlling persons has taken, directly or indirectly, any action which was designed to cause or result in, or that has constituted or which might reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Securities.
(yy) No Sale, Issuance and Distribution of Shares. Except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company has not sold,
issued or distributed any Ordinary Shares during the six-month period preceding the date hereof, including any sales pursuant to Rule 144A under, or Regulation D or S of, the Securities Act, other than shares issued pursuant to employee benefit plans (including employee shareholding platform), qualified stock option plans or other employee compensation plans or pursuant to outstanding options, rights or warrants.
(zz) No Immunity. None of the Company, the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities or any of their respective properties, assets or revenues has any right of immunity, under the laws of the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong, the PRC or the State of New York, or the United States federal laws, from any legal action, suit or proceeding, the giving of any relief in any such legal action, suit or proceeding, set-off or counterclaim, the jurisdiction of any Cayman Islands, Hong Kong, PRC, New York state or United States federal court, service of process, attachment upon or prior to judgment, or attachment in aid of execution of judgment, or execution of a judgment, or other legal process or proceeding for the giving of any relief or for the enforcement of a judgment, in any such court, with respect to its obligations, liabilities or any other matter under or arising out of or in connection with this Agreement or the Deposit Agreement; and, to the extent that the Company, any of the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities or any of their respective properties, assets or revenues may have or may hereafter become entitled to any such right of immunity in any such court in which proceedings may at any time be commenced, each of the Company and the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities waives or will waive such right to the extent permitted by law and has consented to such relief and enforcement as provided in Section 12 of this Agreement and Section 18 of the Deposit Agreement.
(aaa) Validity of Choice of Law. The choice of the laws of the State of New York as the governing law of this Agreement and the Deposit Agreement is a valid choice of law under the laws of the Cayman Islands and the PRC and will be honored by courts in the Cayman Islands and the PRC. The Company has the power to submit, and pursuant to Section 12 of this Agreement and Section 18 of the Deposit Agreement, has legally, validly, effectively and irrevocably submitted, to the personal jurisdiction of each New York State and United States Federal court sitting in The City of New York (each, a “New York Court”) and has validly and irrevocably waived any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or proceeding brought in any such court; and the Company has the power to designate, appoint and empower, and pursuant to Section 12 of this Agreement and Section 18 of the Deposit Agreement, has legally, validly, effectively and irrevocably designated, appointed and empowered, an authorized agent for service of process in any action arising out of or relating to this Agreement, the Deposit Agreement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement or the offering of the Offered Securities in any New York Court, and service of process effected on such authorized agent will be effective to confer valid personal jurisdiction over the Company as provided in Section 12 hereof and Section 18 of the Deposit Agreement.
(bbb) Enforceability of Judgment. Except as disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, any final judgment for a fixed or readily calculable sum of money rendered by a New York Court having jurisdiction under its
own domestic laws in respect of any suit, action or proceeding against the Company based upon this Agreement or the Deposit Agreement and any instruments or agreements entered into for the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and therein would be declared enforceable against the Company, without re-examination or review of the merits of the cause of action in respect of which the original judgment was given or re-litigation of the matters adjudicated upon, by the courts of the Cayman Islands and the PRC, provided that (i) with respect to courts of the Cayman Islands, such judgment (A) is given by a foreign court of competent jurisdiction, (B) imposes on the judgment debtor a liability to pay a liquidated sum for which the judgment has been given, (C) is not in respect of taxes, a fine or a penalty, and (D) was not obtained in a manner and is not of a kind the enforcement of which is contrary to natural justice or the public policy of the Cayman Islands, and (ii) with respect to courts of the PRC, (A) PRC courts may recognize and enforce foreign judgement in accordance with the requirements of the PRC Civil Procedures Law based either on treaties between the PRC and the country where the judgment is made or on the principles of reciprocity with the United States that provide for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments, and (B) according to the PRC Civil Procedures Law, courts in the PRC will not enforce a foreign judgment against the Company if they decided that the judgment violates the basic principles of PRC law or national sovereignty, security or public interest. The Company is not aware of any reason why the enforcement in the Cayman Islands or the PRC of such a New York Court judgment would be, as of the date hereof, contrary to public policy of the Cayman Islands or PRC.
(ccc) No Finder’s Fee. There are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company or its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities and any person that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or other like payment in connection with this offering.
(ddd) No Broker-Dealer Affiliation. There are no affiliations or associations between (i) any member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) and (ii) the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities or any of their respective officers, directors or, to the best knowledge of the Company, 5% or greater security holders or, to the best knowledge of the Company, any beneficial owner of the Company’s unregistered equity securities that were acquired at any time on or after the 180th day immediately preceding the date that the Registration Statement was initially filed with the Commission.
(eee) Compliance with Foreign Laws. The Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus and any preliminary prospectus comply, and any amendments or supplements thereto will comply, with any applicable laws or regulations of the PRC and Hong Kong in which the Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or any preliminary prospectus, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, are distributed in connection with the Directed Share Program. No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or qualification with, any governmental body or agency, other than those obtained, is required in connection with the offering of the Directed American
Depositary Shares in the PRC and Hong Kong where the Directed American Depositary Shares are being offered.
(fff) Absence of Unlawful Influence. The Company has not offered, or caused the Designated Underwriter or its affiliates to offer, Directed American Depositary Shares to any person pursuant to the Directed Share Program with the specific intent to unlawfully influence (i) a customer or supplier of the Company or its affiliates to alter the customer’s or supplier’s level or type of business with the Company or its affiliates, or (ii) a trade journalist or publication to write or publish favorable information about the products or services of the Company or its affiliates.
(ggg) Depositary Side Letter. The Company has executed a side letter (the “Depositary Side Letter”), addressed to the Depositary, instructing the Depositary not to issue ADSs prior to the receipt of Class A Ordinary Shares or deliver Class A Ordinary Shares prior to the receipt of ADSs for withdrawal of the deposited Class A Ordinary Shares, unless consented to by the Company.
(hhh) Certificate of Officers. The certificate(s) signed by any officer of the Company and delivered to the Representatives or counsel to the Underwriters pursuant to Sections 5(c)(i), 5(c)(ii) and 5(d) of this Agreement shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company, as to matters covered thereby, to each Underwriter.
(iii) Tax Filings. (i) The Company and each of its Subsidiaries and the Affiliated Entities have filed all national, local and foreign tax returns required to be filed through the date of this Agreement or have requested extensions thereof and have paid all taxes required to be paid thereon (except for cases in which the failure to file or pay would not have a Material Adverse Effect, or except as currently being contested in good faith and for which adequate reserves have been created in the financial statements of the Company), and no tax deficiency has been determined adversely to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and the Affiliated Entities which has had (nor does the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries and the Affiliated Entities have any notice or knowledge of any tax deficiency which could reasonably be expected to be determined adversely to the Company or its Subsidiaries and the Affiliated Entities and which could reasonably be expected to have) a Material Adverse Effect. (ii) To the best knowledge of the Company after due and careful inquiry, all local and national PRC governmental tax holidays, exemptions, waivers, financial subsidies, and other local and national PRC tax relief, concessions and preferential treatment enjoyed by the Company or any of the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus are valid, binding and enforceable and do not violate any laws, regulations, rules, orders, decrees, guidelines, judicial interpretations, notices or other legislation of the PRC.
2. Agreements to Sell and Purchase. The Company hereby agrees to sell to the several Underwriters, and each Underwriter, upon the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained, but subject to the conditions hereinafter stated, agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company at US$[·] per American
Depositary Share (the “Purchase Price”) the number of Firm Securities set forth in Schedule I hereto opposite its name.
On the basis of the representations and warranties contained in this Agreement, and subject to its terms and conditions, the Company agrees to sell to the Underwriters the Additional Securities, and the Underwriters shall have the right to purchase, severally and not jointly, up to [10,815,000] Additional Securities representing [10,815,000] Class A Ordinary Shares at the Purchase Price. The Representatives may exercise this right on behalf of the Underwriters in whole or from time to time in part by giving written notice not later than 30 days after the date of this Agreement. Any exercise notice shall specify the number of Additional Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters and the date on which such shares are to be purchased. Each purchase date must be at least one business day after the written notice is given and may not be earlier than the closing date for the Firm Securities nor later than five business days after the date of such notice. Additional Securities may be purchased as provided in Section 4 hereof solely for the purpose of covering over-allotments made in connection with the offering of the Firm Securities. On each day, if any, that Additional Securities are to be purchased (an “Option Closing Date”), each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase the number of Additional Securities (subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as the Representatives may determine) that bears the same proportion to the total number of Additional Securities to be purchased on such Option Closing Date as the number of Firm Securities set forth in Schedule I hereto opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Firm Securities.
3. Terms of Public Offering. The Company is advised by the Representatives that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of their respective portions of the Offered Securities as soon after the Registration Statement and this Agreement have become effective as in the judgment of the Representatives is advisable. The Company is further advised by the Representatives that the Offered Securities are to be offered to the public initially at US$[·] per American Depositary Share (the “Public Offering Price”).
4. Payment and Delivery. Payment for the Firm Securities shall be made to the Company in federal or other funds immediately available in New York City against delivery of such Firm Securities for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on [·], 2016, or at such other time on the same or such other date, not later than [·], 2016, as shall be designated in writing by the Representatives. The time and date of such payment are hereinafter referred to as the “Closing Date.”
Payment for any Additional Securities shall be made to the Company in federal or other funds immediately available in New York City against delivery of such Additional Securities for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the date specified in the corresponding notice described in Section 2 or at such other time on the same or on such other date, in any event not later than [·], 2016, as shall be designated in writing by the Representatives.
The American Depositary Shares to be delivered to each Underwriter shall be delivered in book entry form and in such denominations and registered in such names as the Representatives may request in writing not later than one full business day prior to the Closing Date or an Option Closing Date, as the case may be. Such American Depositary Shares shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Company to the Representatives through the facilities of DTC, for the account of such Underwriter, against payment by or on behalf of such Underwriter of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer of federal or other immediately available funds to the account(s) specified by the Company to the Representatives on the Closing Date or an Option Closing Date, as the case may be, or at such other time and date as shall be designated in writing by the Representatives. The Purchase Price payable by the Underwriters shall be reduced by (i) any transfer taxes paid by, or on behalf of, the Underwriters in connection with the transfer of the Offered Securities to the Underwriters duly paid and (ii) any withholding required by law. The Company will cause the certificates representing the Offered Shares to be made available for inspection at least 24 hours prior to the Closing Date or Option Closing Date, as the case may be.
5. Conditions to the Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligations of the Company to sell the Offered Securities to the Underwriters and the several obligations of the Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Offered Securities on the Closing Date and each Option Closing Date are subject to the condition that the Registration Statement shall have become effective not later than 5:00 pm (New York City time) on the date hereof.
The several obligations of the Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Offered Securities on the Closing Date and each Option Closing Date are subject to the following additional conditions precedent:
(a) Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date or an Option Closing Date, as the case may be, there shall not have occurred any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus as of the date of this Agreement that, in the judgment of the Representatives, is material and adverse and that makes it, in the judgment of the Representatives, impracticable or inadvisable to market the Offered Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospectus.
(b) The representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement and any certificates delivered pursuant to this Agreement shall be true and correct as of the date hereof, the Closing Date and any Option Closing Date, and the Company shall have performed all of their respective obligations under this Agreement theretofore to be performed.
(c) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date or an Option Closing Date, as the case may be, a certificate, dated such date and signed by a duly authorized executive officer of the Company, (i) to the effect set forth in Section 5(a) above and to the effect that the representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement are true and correct as of the Closing Date or Option Closing Date, as the case may be, and that the Company has complied with all of the agreements and satisfied all of the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder on or before such date (and the officer signing and delivering such certificate may rely upon the best of his or her knowledge as to proceedings threatened) and (ii) with respect to such other matters as the Representatives may reasonably require.
(d) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date or an Option Closing Date, as the case may be, a certificate, dated such date and signed by the chief executive officer of the Company with respect to certain operating data figures contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters.
(e) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date or an Option Closing Date, as the case may be, an opinion and negative assurance letter of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Arps, Slate, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇ LLP, U.S. counsel for the Company, dated the Closing Date or Option Closing Date, as the case may be, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters.
(f) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date or an Option Closing Date, as the case may be, an opinion of ▇▇▇▇▇▇ and ▇▇▇▇▇▇, Cayman Islands counsel for the Company, dated the Closing Date or Option Closing Date, as the case may be, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters.
(g) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date or an Option Closing Date, as the case may be, an opinion of ▇▇▇▇▇▇ and ▇▇▇▇▇▇, British Virgin Islands counsel for the Company, dated the Closing Date or Option Closing Date, as the case may be, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters.
(h) The Company shall have received on the Closing Date or an Option Closing Date, as the case may be, an opinion of Zhong Lun Law Offices, PRC counsel for the Company, dated the Closing Date or Option Closing Date, as the case may be, a copy of which shall have been provided to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters.
(i) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date or an Option Closing Date, as the case may be, an opinion of Li & Partners, Hong Kong counsel for the Company, dated the Closing Date or Option Closing Date, as the case may be, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters.
At the request of the Company, the opinions of counsel for the Company described above (except for the opinion of the PRC counsel for the Company) shall be addressed to the Underwriters and shall so state therein.
(j) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date or an Option Closing Date, as the case may be, an opinion and negative assurance letter of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & ▇▇▇▇▇ International LLP, U.S. counsel for the Underwriters, dated the Closing Date or Option Closing Date, as the case may be, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters.
(k) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date or an Option Closing Date, as the case may be, an opinion of ▇▇▇ ▇▇ Law Offices, PRC counsel for the Underwriters, dated the Closing Date or an Option Closing Date, as the case may be, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters.
(l) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date or an Option Closing Date, as the case may be, an opinion of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Associates LLP, counsel for the Depositary, dated the Closing Date or Option Closing Date, as the case may be, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters.
(m) The Underwriters shall have received, on each of the date hereof and the Closing Date or an Option Closing Date, as the case may be, a letter dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, from Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Certified Public Accountants LLP, independent public accountants, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to the Underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus; provided that the letter delivered on the Closing Date shall use a “cut-off date” not earlier than the date hereof.
(n) The “lock-up” letters, each substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto, executed by the individuals and entities listed on Schedule V relating to sales and certain other dispositions of Ordinary Shares or certain other securities, delivered to the Lock-up Representatives on or before the date hereof, shall be in full force and effect on the Closing Date.
(o) The Company and the Depositary shall have executed and delivered the Deposit Agreement and, in the case of the Company, the Depositary Side Letter, and the Deposit Agreement shall be in full force and effect on the Closing Date. The Company and the Depositary shall have taken all actions necessary to permit the deposit of the Offered Shares and the issuance of the American Depositary Shares representing such Offered Shares in accordance with the Deposit Agreement.
(p) The Depositary shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to the Underwriters a certificate satisfactory to the Representatives of one of its authorized officers with respect to the deposit with it of the Offered Shares against issuance of the American Depositary Shares, the execution, issuance, countersignature and delivery of the American Depositary Shares pursuant to the Deposit Agreement and such other matters related thereto as the Representatives may reasonably request.
(q) The American Depositary Shares representing the Offered Shares shall have been approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange, subject to only official notice of issuance.
(r) If the Company elects to rely upon Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, the Company shall have filed a Rule 462 Registration Statement with the Commission in compliance with Rule 462(b) promptly after 4:00 p.m., New York City time, on the date of this Agreement, and the Company shall have at the time of filing either paid to the Commission the filing fee for the Rule 462 Registration Statement or given irrevocable instructions for the payment of such fee pursuant to Rule 111(b) under the Securities Act.
(s) The Company shall have filed the Prospectus with the Commission (including the information required by Rule 430A under the Securities Act) in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act; or the Company shall have filed a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement containing the information required by such Rule 430A, and such post-effective amendment shall have become effective.
(t) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement, any Rule 462 Registration Statement, or any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, shall be in effect and no proceedings for such purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act shall have been instituted or threatened by the Commission.
(u) FINRA shall not have raised any objection with respect to the fairness or reasonableness of the underwriting, or other arrangements of the transactions contemplated hereby.
(v) On the Closing Date or Option Closing Date, as the case may be, the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters shall have received such information, documents, certificates and opinions as they may reasonably require for the purposes of enabling them to pass upon the accuracy and completeness of any statement in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, issuance and sale of the Offered Securities as contemplated herein, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations and warranties, or the satisfaction of any of the conditions or agreements, herein contained.
The several obligations of the Underwriters to purchase Additional Securities hereunder are subject to the delivery to the Representatives on the applicable Option Closing Date of such documents as the Representatives may reasonably request with respect to the good standing of the Company, the due authorization and issuance of the Additional Securities to be sold on such Option Closing Date and other matters related to the issuance of such Additional Securities.
6. Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants with each Underwriter as follows:
(a) To file the Prospectus with the Commission within the time periods specified by Rule 424(b) and Rule 430A under the Securities Act.
(b) To furnish to the Representatives, without charge, copies of the Registration Statement and the ADS Registration Statement (including, in each case, exhibits thereto) and for delivery to each other Underwriter a copy of the Registration Statement and the ADS Registration Statement (in each case, without exhibits thereto) and to furnish to the Representatives in New York City, without charge, prior to 10:00 a.m. New York City time on the business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement and during the period mentioned in Section 6(f) or 6(g) below, as many copies of the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus and any supplements and amendments thereto or to the Registration Statement as the Representatives may reasonably request.
(c) Before amending or supplementing the Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, to furnish to the Representatives a copy of each such proposed amendment or supplement and not to file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which the Representatives reasonably object, and to file with the Commission within the applicable period specified in Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act any prospectus required to be filed pursuant to such Rule.
(d) To furnish to the Representatives a copy of each proposed free writing prospectus to be prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred
to by the Company and not to use or refer to any proposed free writing prospectus to which the Representatives reasonably object.
(e) Without the prior consent of the Representatives, not to take any action that would result in an Underwriter or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of the Underwriter that the Underwriter otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder.
(f) If the Time of Sale Prospectus is being used to solicit offers to buy the Offered Securities at a time when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances, not misleading, or if any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which the Time of Sale Prospectus conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement then on file, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus to comply with applicable law, forthwith to prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to any dealer upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Time of Sale Prospectus so that the statements in the Time of Sale Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in light of the circumstances when the Time of Sale Prospectus is delivered to a prospective purchaser, be misleading or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will no longer conflict with the Registration Statement, or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.
(g) If, during such period after the first date of the public offering of the Offered Securities as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Securities Act) is required by law to be delivered in connection with sales by an Underwriter or dealer, any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Securities Act) is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with applicable law, forthwith to prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to the dealers (whose names and addresses the Representatives will furnish to the Company) to which Offered Securities may have been sold by the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters and to any other dealers upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Prospectus so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or
supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Securities Act) is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.
(h) To endeavor to qualify the Offered Securities for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives shall reasonably request.
(i) To advise the Representatives promptly and confirming such advice in writing, of any request by the Commission for amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement, the Form 8-A Registration Statement, any Time of Sale Prospectus, Prospectus or free writing prospectus or for additional information with respect thereto, or of notice of institution of proceedings for (including without limitation, proceedings pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act), or the entry of a stop order, suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the ADS Registration Statement and, if the Commission should enter a stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the ADS Registration Statement, to use its best efforts to obtain the lifting or removal of such order as soon as possible.
(j) To make generally available to the Company’s security holders and to the Representatives as soon as practicable an earning statement covering a period of at least twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company occurring after the date of this Agreement which shall satisfy the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
(k) During the period when the Prospectus is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, to file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act within the time periods required by the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder; during the five-year period after the date of this Agreement, to furnish to the Representatives and, upon request, to each of the other Underwriters, as soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year, a copy of its annual report to shareholders for such year; and to furnish to the Representatives (i) as soon as available, a copy of each report and any definitive proxy statement (if applicable) of the Company filed with or furnished to the Commission under the Exchange Act or mailed to shareholders, and (ii) from time to time, such other information concerning the Company as the Representatives may reasonably request; provided, however, that (i) in each case the Company will have no obligation to deliver such reports or statements (financial or other) to the extent they are publicly available on the Company’s website or the Commission’s ▇▇▇▇▇ reporting system, and (ii) if the Company ceases
to be subject to reporting obligations under the Exchange Act, it will have no obligation hereunder to deliver reports or statements (financial or other).
(l) To apply the net proceeds to the Company from the sale of the Offered Securities in the manner set forth under the heading “Use of Proceeds” in the Time of Sale Prospectus and to file such reports with the Commission with respect to the sale of the Offered Securities and the application of the proceeds therefrom as may be required by Rule 463 under the Securities Act; not to invest, or otherwise use the proceeds received by the Company from its sale of the Offered Securities in such a manner (i) as would require the Company or any of the Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, and (ii) that would result in the Company being not in compliance with any applicable laws, rules and regulations of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange of the PRC.
(m) Not to, and to cause each of its subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities not to, take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Securities.
(n) (i) The Company will indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriters against any transaction, stamp, capital or other issuance, registration, documentary, transaction, transfer, withholding or other similar taxes or duties, including any interest and penalties, on the creation, allotment, issue and sale of the Offered Securities to the Underwriters and on the execution and delivery of, and the performance of the obligations (including the initial resale and delivery of the American Depositary Shares by the underwriters) under, this Agreement or the Deposit Agreement and on bringing any such document within any jurisdiction; (ii) all payments to be made by the Company hereunder shall be made without withholding or deduction for or on account of any present or future taxes, duties or governmental charges whatsoever unless the Company is compelled by law to deduct or withhold such taxes, duties or charges. In that event, the Company shall pay such additional amounts as may be necessary in order that the net amounts received after such withholding or deduction shall equal the amounts that would have been received if no withholding or deduction had been made; (iii) all payments to be made by the Company to the Underwriters hereunder shall be considered exclusive of any value added or similar taxes. Where the Company is obliged to pay value added or similar tax on any amount payable hereunder to the Underwriters, the Company shall pay such additional amounts equal to any applicable value added or similar tax.
(o) To comply with all applicable securities and other laws, rules and regulations in each jurisdiction in which the Directed American
Depositary Shares are offered in connection with the Directed Share Program.
(p) In connection with the Directed Share Program, to ensure that the Directed American Depositary Shares will be restricted to the extent required by FINRA or the FINRA rules from sale, transfer, assignment, pledge or hypothecation for a period of six months following the date of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement (it being understood that the Designated Underwriter will notify the Company as to which Participants will need to be so restricted); and to direct the transfer agent to place stop transfer restrictions upon such securities for such period of time.
(q) To pay transaction, stamp, capital or other issuance, registration, transfer, withholding or other similar taxes or duties, if any, incurred by the Underwriters in connection with the Directed Share Program.
(r) To comply with the terms of the Deposit Agreement so that the American Depositary Shares will be issued by the Depositary and delivered to each Underwriter’s participant account in DTC, pursuant to this Agreement on the Closing Date and each applicable Option Closing Date.
(s) (i) it will not attempt to avoid any judgment in connection with this Agreement obtained by it, applied to it, or denied to it in a court of competent jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands; (ii) following the consummation of the offering, to use its reasonable efforts to obtain and maintain all approvals required in the Cayman Islands to pay and remit outside the Cayman Islands all dividends declared by the Company and payable on the Ordinary Shares, if any; and (iii) to use its reasonable efforts to obtain and maintain all approvals, if any, required in the Cayman Islands for the Company to acquire sufficient foreign exchange for the payment of dividends and all other relevant purposes.
(t) To comply with the PRC Overseas Investment and Listing Regulations, and to use its reasonable efforts to cause holders of its Ordinary Shares that are, or that are directly or indirectly owned or controlled by, Chinese residents or Chinese citizens, to comply with the PRC Overseas Investment and Listing Regulations applicable to them, including, without limitation, requesting each such shareholder to complete any registration and other procedures required under applicable PRC Overseas Investment and Listing Regulations (including any applicable rules and regulations of the SAFE).
(u) To implement and maintain reasonable measures in material compliance with PRC laws and regulations concerning express delivery business.
(v) The Company will promptly notify the Representatives if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the later of (a) completion of the distribution of the Offered Securities within the meaning of the Securities Act and (b) completion of the Restricted Period referred to in Section 6(z).
(w) If at any time following the distribution of any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, when considered together with the Time of Sale Prospectus, included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication to eliminate or correct such untrue statement or omission.
(x) To not release the Depositary from the obligations set forth in, or otherwise amend, terminate, fail to enforce or provide any consent under, the Depositary Side Letter during the Restricted Period (as defined below) without the prior written consents of the Representatives.
(y) The Company will be in compliance with the applicable provisions of the ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇▇ Act of 2002 upon consummation of the offering of the Offered Securities.
(z) The Company, without the prior written consent of the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters, will not, during the period ending 180 days after the date of the Prospectus (the “Restricted Period”), (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, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any Ordinary Shares or American Depositary Shares beneficially owned (as such term is used in Rule 13d-3 of the Exchange Act) by the Company or its affiliates, or any shareholder’s rights associated with such Ordinary Shares or American Depositary Shares beneficially owned, or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Ordinary Shares or American Depositary Shares, or (ii) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Ordinary Shares or American Depositary Shares, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Ordinary Shares, American Depositary Shares or such other securities, in cash or otherwise, or (iii) file any registration statement with the Commission relating to the offering of any Ordinary Shares, American
Depositary Shares or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Ordinary Shares or American Depositary Shares.
The restrictions contained in the preceding paragraph shall not apply to (a) the Offered Securities to be sold hereunder or (b) the issuance by the Company of Ordinary Shares upon the exercise of an option or warrant or the conversion of a security outstanding on the date hereof of which the Underwriters have been advised in writing.
If the Lock-up Representatives, in their sole discretion, agree to release or waive the restrictions set forth in a lock-up letter described in Section 5 hereof for an officer or director of the Company and provide the Company with notice of the impending release or waiver at least three business days before the effective date of the release or waiver, the Company agrees to announce the impending release or waiver by a press release substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto through a major news service at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver.
7. Expenses. Whether or not the transactions contemplated in this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, the Company agrees to pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of their obligations under this Agreement, including: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Company’s counsel and the Company’s accountants in connection with the registration and delivery of the Offered Securities under the Securities Act and all other fees or expenses in connection with the preparation and filing of the Registration Statement, the ADS Registration Statement, the Form 8-A Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company and amendments and supplements to any of the foregoing, including all printing costs associated therewith, and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers, in the quantities hereinabove specified, (ii) all costs and expenses related to the transfer and delivery of the Offered Securities to the Underwriters, including any transfer or other similar taxes payable thereon, (iii) the cost of printing or producing any Blue Sky or Legal Investment memorandum in connection with the offer and sale of the Offered Securities under state securities laws and all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Offered Securities for offer and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section 6(h) hereof, including filing fees and the documented and reasonably incurred fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky or Legal Investment memorandum,(iv) all filing fees in connection with the review and qualification of the offering of the Offered Securities by FINRA, (v) all costs and expenses incident to listing the Offered Securities on the New York Stock Exchange, (vi) the cost of printing certificates representing the Offered Shares, (vii) the costs and charges of any transfer agent, registrar or depositary, (viii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “Testing-the-Waters Communications” or “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the
offering of the Offered Securities, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the preparation or dissemination of any electronic road show, expenses associated with the production of presentation slides and graphics, expenses associated with hosting investor meetings or luncheons, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations with the prior approval of the Company, and travel, meals and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company, any such consultants, and the cost of any vehicle or aircraft chartered for the purpose of the testing-the-waters and the road show, (ix) the document production charges and expenses associated with this Agreement and any closing documents (including compilations thereof) required in connection with the offering, issuance, sale, purchase and delivery of the Offered Securities, (x) all fees and disbursements of counsel (not to exceed $15,000) incurred by the Underwriters in connection with the Directed Share Program and stamp duties, similar taxes or duties or other similar taxes, if any, in connection with the Directed Share Program and (xi) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company hereunder for which provision is not otherwise made in this Section. It is understood, however, that except as provided in this Section, Section 8 entitled “Indemnity and Contribution”, Section 9 entitled “Directed Share Program Indemnification” and the last paragraph of Section 10 below, the Underwriters will pay all of their costs and expenses, including out of pocket expenses, fees and disbursements of their counsel, stock transfer taxes payable on resale of any of the Offered Securities by them and any advertising expenses in connection with the transactions contemplated under this Agreement.
8. Indemnity and Contribution. (a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its directors, officers and employees and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and each affiliate of any Underwriter within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending or investigating any such action or claim) caused by any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or any amendment thereof, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, any issuer free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act, any Company information that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, any “road show” as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act (a “road show”), or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities are caused by any such untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission based upon the Underwriter Information (as defined in paragraph (b) below).
(b) Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, the directors of the Company, the
officers of the Company who sign the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company to such Underwriter, but only with reference to information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus, road show, or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the disclosure on sales to discretionary accounts appearing in the seventh paragraph under the caption “Underwriting” (the “Underwriter Information”).
(c) In case any proceeding (including any governmental investigation) shall be instituted involving any person in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to Section 8(a) or 8(b), such person (the “indemnified party”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnity may be sought (the “indemnifying party”) in writing and the indemnifying party, upon request of the indemnified party, shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party and any others the indemnifying party may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and disbursements of such counsel related to such proceeding. In any such proceeding, any indemnified party shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel, (ii) the named parties to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the indemnifying party and the indemnified party and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them, or (iii) the indemnifying party has failed within a reasonable time to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party . It is understood that the indemnifying party shall not, in respect of the legal expenses of any indemnified party in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for (i) the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all Underwriters and all persons, if any, who control any Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act or who are affiliates of any Underwriter within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act and (ii) the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for the Company, its directors, its officers who sign the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of either such Section, and that all such fees and expenses shall be
reimbursed as they are incurred. In the case of any such separate firm for the Underwriters and such control persons and affiliates of any Underwriters, such firm shall be designated in writing by the Representatives. In the case of any such separate firm for the Company, and such directors, officers and control persons of the Company, such firm shall be designated in writing by the Company. The indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by the second and third sentences of this paragraph, the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request and (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement (x) includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party 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 party.
(d) To the extent the indemnification provided for in Section 8(a) or 8(b) is unavailable to an indemnified party or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each indemnifying party under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the indemnifying party or parties on the one hand and the indemnified party or parties on the other hand from the offering of the Offered Securities or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause 8(d)(i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause 8(d)(i) above but also the relative fault of the indemnifying party or parties on the one hand and of the indemnified party or parties on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with
the offering of the Offered Securities shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds from the offering of the Offered Securities (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate Public Offering Price of the Offered Securities. The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Underwriters’ respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 8 are several in proportion to the respective number of Offered Securities they have purchased hereunder, and not joint.
(e) The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just or equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 8 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in Section 8(d). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in Section 8(d) shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 8, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriter under this Agreement 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 10(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The remedies provided for in this Section 8 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any indemnified party at law or in equity.
(f) The indemnity and contribution provisions contained in this Section 8 and the representations, warranties and other statements of the Company contained in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any termination of this Agreement, (ii) any investigation made by or on behalf of (A) any Underwriter, any person controlling any Underwriter or any affiliate of any Underwriter or (B) the Company, its officers or directors or any person controlling the
Company and (iii) acceptance of and payment for any of the Offered Securities.
9. Directed Share Program Indemnification. (a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Designated Underwriter, each person, if any, who controls the Designated Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act and each affiliate of the Designated Underwriter within the meaning of Rule 405 of the Securities Act (the “Designated Underwriter Entities”) from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending or investigating any such action or claim) (i) arising out of the violation of any applicable laws or regulations of foreign jurisdictions where Directed American Depositary Shares have been offered, (ii) caused by any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any material prepared by or with the consent of the Company for distribution to Participants in connection with the Directed Share Program or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (iii) caused by the failure of any Participant to pay for and accept delivery of Directed American Depositary Shares that the Participant agreed to purchase, or (iv) related to, arising out of, or in connection with the Directed Share Program, other than losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or expenses relating thereto) that are finally judicially determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to have resulted from the bad faith or gross negligence of the Designated Underwriter Entities.
(b) In case any proceeding (including any governmental investigation) shall be instituted involving any Designated Underwriter Entity in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to Section 9(a), the Designated Underwriter Entity seeking indemnity shall promptly notify the Company in writing and the Company, upon request of the Designated Underwriter Entity, shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Designated Underwriter Entity to represent the Designated Underwriter Entity and any others the Company may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and disbursements of such counsel related to such proceeding. In any such proceeding, any Designated Underwriter Entity shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Designated Underwriter Entity unless (i) the Company shall have agreed to the retention of such counsel, (ii) the named parties to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the Company and the Designated Underwriter Entity and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them, or (iii) the indemnifying party has failed within a reasonable time to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party . The Company shall not, in respect of the legal expenses of the Designated Underwriter Entities in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local
counsel) for all Designated Underwriter Entities. Any such separate firm for the Designated Underwriter Entities shall be designated in writing by the Designated Underwriter. The Company shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the Company agrees to indemnify the Designated Underwriter Entities from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time a Designated Underwriter Entity shall have requested the Company to reimburse it for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by the second and third sentences of this paragraph, the Company agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by the Company of the aforesaid request and (ii) the Company shall not have reimbursed the Designated Underwriter Entity in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. The Company shall not, without the prior written consent of the Designated Underwriter, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any Designated Underwriter Entity is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such Designated Underwriter Entity, unless such settlement (x) includes an unconditional release of the Designated Underwriter Entities 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 party.
(c) To the extent the indemnification provided for in Section 9(a) is unavailable to a Designated Underwriter Entity or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then the Company in lieu of indemnifying the Designated Underwriter Entity thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by the Designated Underwriter Entity as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Designated Underwriter Entities on the other hand from the offering of the Directed American Depositary Shares or (ii) if the allocation provided by Section 9(c)(i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in Section 9(c)(i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Designated Underwriter Entities on the other hand in connection with any statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Designated Underwriter Entities on the other hand in connection with the offering of the Directed American Depositary Shares shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds from the offering of the Directed American Depositary Shares
(before deducting expenses) and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Designated Underwriter Entities for the Directed Shares, bear to the aggregate Public Offering Price of the Directed Shares. If the loss, claim, damage or liability is caused by an untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact, the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Designated Underwriter Entities on the other hand shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement or the omission or alleged omission relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Designated Underwriter Entities and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
(d) The Company and the Designated Underwriter Entities agree that it would not be just or equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 9 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Designated Underwriter Entities were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in Section 9(c). The amount paid or payable by the Designated Underwriter Entities as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Designated Underwriter Entities in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 9, no Designated Underwriter Entity shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Directed American Depositary Shares distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages that such Designated Underwriter Entity has otherwise been required to pay. The remedies provided for in this Section 9 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any indemnified party at law or in equity.
(e) The indemnity and contribution provisions contained in this Section 9 shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any termination of this Agreement, (ii) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Designated Underwriter Entity, its controlled persons, affiliates, directors or officers, or the Company, its officers or directors or any person controlling the Company and (iii) acceptance of and payment for any of the Directed Shares.
10. Termination. (a) The Underwriters may terminate this Agreement by notice given by the Representatives to the Company, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on, or by, as the case may be, any of the New York Stock Exchange,
the NYSE MKT, the NASDAQ Global Select Market, The Hong Kong Stock Exchange or other relevant exchanges, (ii) trading of any securities of the Company shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market, (iii) a material disruption in securities settlement, payment or clearance services in the United States, the PRC or the Cayman Islands shall have occurred, (iv) any moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by United States Federal or New York State, PRC or Cayman Islands authorities or (v) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities, or any change in financial markets, currency exchange rates or controls or any calamity or crisis that, in the judgment of the Representatives, is material and adverse and which, singly or together with any other event specified in this clause (v), makes it, in the judgment of the Representatives, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offer, sale or delivery of the Offered Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus.
(b) If this Agreement shall be terminated by the Underwriters, or any of them, because of any failure or refusal on the part of the Company to comply with the terms or to fulfill any of the conditions of this Agreement, or if for any reason the Company shall be unable to perform its obligations under this Agreement, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters or such Underwriters as have so terminated this Agreement with respect to themselves, severally, for all out-of-pocket expenses (including the fees and disbursements of their counsel) reasonably incurred by such Underwriters in connection with this Agreement or the offering contemplated hereunder.
11. Effectiveness; Defaulting Underwriters. This Agreement shall become effective upon the execution and delivery hereof by the parties hereto.
If, on the Closing Date or an Option Closing Date, as the case may be, any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Offered Securities that it has or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, and the aggregate number of Offered Securities which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase is not more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of the Offered Securities to be purchased on such date, the other Underwriters shall be obligated severally in the proportions that the number of Firm Securities set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule I bears to the aggregate number of Firm Securities set forth opposite the names of all such non-defaulting Underwriters, or in such other proportions as the Representatives may specify, to purchase the Offered Securities which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase on such date; provided that in no event shall the number of Offered Securities that any Underwriter has agreed to purchase pursuant to this Agreement be increased pursuant to this Section 11 by an amount in excess of one-ninth of such number of Offered Securities without the written consent of such Underwriter. If, on the Closing Date, any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Firm Securities and the aggregate number of Firm Securities with respect to which such default occurs is more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of Firm Securities to be purchased on such date, and arrangements
satisfactory to the Representatives, the Company for the purchase of such Firm Securities are not made within 36 hours after such default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company. In any such case either the Representatives or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date, but in no event for longer than seven days, in order that the required changes, if any, in the Registration Statement, in the Time of Sale Prospectus, in the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected. If, on an Option Closing Date, any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Additional Securities and the aggregate number of Additional Securities with respect to which such default occurs is more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of Additional Securities to be purchased on such Option Closing Date, the non-defaulting Underwriters shall have the option to (i) terminate their obligation hereunder to purchase the Additional Securities to be sold on such Option Closing Date or (ii) purchase not less than the number of Additional Securities that such non-defaulting Underwriters would have been obligated to purchase in the absence of such default. Any action taken under this paragraph shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.
12. Submission to Jurisdiction; Appointment of Agent for Service. The Company hereby irrevocably submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the U.S. federal and state courts in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York (each, a “New York Court”) in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any transactions contemplated hereby. The Company irrevocably and unconditionally waives any objection to the laying of venue of any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any transactions contemplated hereby in the New York Courts, and irrevocably and unconditionally waives and agrees not to plead or claim in any such court that any such suit or proceeding in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum. The Company irrevocably appoints Law Debenture Corporate Services Inc. as its authorized agent (the “Authorized Agent”) in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York upon which process may be served in any such suit or proceeding, and agree that service of process in any manner permitted by applicable law upon such agent shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process in any manner permitted by applicable law upon the Company, as the case may be, in any such suit or proceeding. The Company further agrees to take any and all action as may be necessary to maintain such designation and appointment of such agent in full force and effect for a period of seven years from the date of this Agreement.
13. Contractual Recognition of Bail-in. Notwithstanding and to the exclusion of any other term of this Agreement or any other agreements, arrangements, or understanding between ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. International plc (“MSIP”) and other parties hereto, each of such other parties acknowledges and accepts that a BRRD Liability arising under this Agreement may be subject to the exercise of Bail-in Powers by the Relevant Resolution Authority, and acknowledges, accepts, and agrees to be bound by:
(a) the effect of the exercise of Bail-in Powers by the Relevant Resolution Authority in relation to any BRRD Liability of MSIP to the
other parties hereto under this agreement, that (without limitation) may include and result in any of the following, or some combination thereof:
(i) the reduction of all, or a portion, of the BRRD Liability or outstanding amounts due thereon;
(ii) the conversion of all, or a portion, of the BRRD Liability into shares, other securities or other obligations of MSIP or another person, and the issue to or conferral on such other parties hereto of such shares, securities or obligations;
(iii) the cancellation of the BRRD Liability;
(iv) the amendment or alteration of any interest, if applicable, thereon, the maturity or the dates on which any payments are due, including by suspending payment for a temporary period;
(b) the variation of the terms of this Agreement, as deemed necessary by the Relevant Resolution Authority, to give effect to the exercise of Bail-in Powers by the Relevant Resolution Authority.
For the purposes of this Section 13:
“Bail-In Legislation” means Part I of the UK Banking Act 2009 and any other law or regulation applicable in the UK relating to the resolution of unsound or failing banks, investment firms or other financial institutions or their affiliates (otherwise than through liquidation, administration or other insolvency proceedings).
“Bail-in Powers” means the powers under the Bail-In Legislation to cancel, transfer or dilute shares issued by a person that is a bank or investment firm or affiliate of a bank or investment firm, to cancel, reduce, modify or change the form of a liability of such a person or any contract or instrument under which that liability arises, to convert all or part of that liability into shares, securities or obligations of that person or any other person, to provide that any such contract or instrument is to have effect as if a right had been exercised under it or to suspend any obligation in respect of that liability.
“BRRD Liability” means a liability in respect of which the relevant Bail-in Powers may be exercised.
“Relevant Resolution Authority” means the resolution authority with the ability to exercise any Bail-in Powers in relation to MSIP.
14. Judgment Currency. If for the purposes of obtaining judgment in any court it is necessary to convert a sum due hereunder into any currency other than United States dollars, the parties hereto agree, to the fullest extent permitted by law, that the rate of exchange used shall be the rate at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the Underwriters could purchase United States dollars with such other currency in The City of New York on the business day preceding that on which final judgment is given. The obligation of the Company pursuant to this Agreement with
respect to any sum due from it to any Underwriter or any person controlling any Underwriter shall, notwithstanding any judgment in a currency other than United States dollars, not be discharged until the first business day following receipt by such Underwriter or controlling person of any sum in such other currency, and only to the extent that such Underwriter or controlling person may in accordance with normal banking procedures purchase United States dollars with such other currency. If the United States dollars so purchased are less than the sum originally due to such Underwriter or controlling person hereunder, the Company agrees as a separate obligation and notwithstanding any such judgment, to indemnify such Underwriter or controlling person against such loss. If the United States dollars so purchased are greater than the sum originally due to such Underwriter or controlling person hereunder, such Underwriter or controlling person agrees to pay to the Company, an amount equal to the excess of the dollars so purchased over the sum originally due to such Underwriter or controlling person hereunder.
15. Entire Agreement. This Agreement, together with any contemporaneous written agreements and any prior written agreements (to the extent not superseded by this Agreement) that relate to the sale and purchase and the offering of the Offered Securities, represents the entire agreement between the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, with respect to the preparation of any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, the conduct of the offering, and the sale and purchase and the offering of the Offered Securities.
16. Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.
17. Applicable Law. This Agreement and any claims, controversy or dispute arising under or related thereto shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York.
18. Headings. The headings of the sections of this Agreement have been inserted for convenience of reference only and shall not be deemed a part of this Agreement.
19. Notices. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and effective only upon receipt and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered, mailed or sent to the Representatives at:
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. International plc
c/o Morgan ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Asia Limited
46/F, International Commerce Center
▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
Kowloon, Hong Kong
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ (Asia) L.L.C.
68th Floor, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Kong Center
▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Hong Kong
China Renaissance Securities (Hong Kong) Limited
Units 8107-08, Level 81
International Commerce Centre
▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Hong Kong
Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
New York, NY 10013
United States
Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
New York, NY 10010
United States
▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Securities LLC
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
New York, NY 10179
United States
if to the Company shall be delivered, mailed or sent to:
No. 1685 Huaxin Tianhuazhi Road
Qingpu District, Shanghai, 201708 China
Attention: Chief Financial Officer
20. Absence of Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees to each of the following:
(i) No Other Relationship. Each of the Underwriters has been retained solely to act as an underwriter in connection with the sale of the Offered Securities and that no fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship between the Company, on the one hand, and any of the Underwriters, on the other hand, has
been created in respect of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the Prospectus, irrespective of whether any of the Underwriters have advised or are advising the Company on other matters.
(ii) Arms’ Length Negotiations. The price of the Offered Securities set forth in this Agreement was established by the Company following discussions and arms-length negotiations with the Underwriters and each of the Company is capable of evaluating and understanding and understands and accepts the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(iii) Absence of Obligation to Disclose. The Company has been advised that each of the Underwriters and their respective affiliates are engaged in a broad range of transactions which may involve interests that differ from those of the Company and that each of the Underwriters has no obligation to disclose such interests and transactions to the Company by virtue of any fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship.
21. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon the Underwriters, the Company and their successors and assigns and any successor or assign of any substantial portion of the Company’s and any of the Underwriters’ respective businesses and/or assets. This Agreement and the terms and provisions hereof are for the sole benefit of only those persons, except that (a) the representations, warranties, indemnities and agreements of the Company contained in this Agreement shall also be deemed to be for the benefit of the directors, officers and affiliates of the Underwriters and each person or persons, if any, who control any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act and (b) the indemnity agreement of the Underwriters contained in Section 8(b) of this Agreement shall be deemed to be for the benefit of its directors, its officers who have signed the Registration Statement and any person controlling the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act. Nothing in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, other than the persons referred to in this Section 21, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision contained herein.
22. The Representatives will act for the several Underwriters in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and any action under this Agreement taken by the Representatives jointly will be binding upon all the Underwriters.
23. Partial Unenforceability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any section, subsection, paragraph or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other section, subsection, paragraph or provision hereof. If any section, subsection, paragraph or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.
24. Amendments. This Agreement may only be amended or modified in writing, signed by all of the parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied)
may be waived unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit.
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Accepted as of the date hereof
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Acting severally on behalf of themselves and the several Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto |
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▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & CO. INTERNATIONAL PLC |
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▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ (ASIA) L.L.C. |
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CHINA RENAISSANCE SECURITIES (HONG KONG) LIMITED |
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CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC. |
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CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) LLC |
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▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ SECURITIES LLC |
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SCHEDULE I
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▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. International plc |
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▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ (Asia) L.L.C. |
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China Renaissance Securities (Hong Kong) Limited |
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Citigroup Global Markets Inc. |
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Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC |
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▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Securities LLC |
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SCHEDULE II
TIME OF SALE PROSPECTUS
1. Preliminary Prospectus issued October 14, 2016
2. [identify all free writing prospectuses filed by the Company under Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act]
3. [free writing prospectus containing a description of terms that does not reflect final terms, if the Time of Sale Prospectus does not include a final term sheet]
4. [orally communicated pricing information such as price per share and size of offering if a Rule 134 pricing term sheet is used at the time of sale instead of a pricing term sheet filed by the Company under Rule 433(d) as a free writing prospectus]
Schedule IV
List of Subsidiaries and Affiliated Entities of the Company
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SCHEDULE V
LIST OF LOCKED-UP PARTIES
All directors and executive officers of the Company
All ordinary and preferred shareholders of the Company
EXHIBIT A
[FORM OF LOCK-UP LETTER]
, 2016
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. International plc
▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
London E14 4QA
United Kingdom
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ (Asia) L.L.C.
68th Floor, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Kong Center
▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Hong Kong
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned understands that ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. International plc, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ (Asia) L.L.C., China Renaissance Securities (Hong Kong) Limited, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, and ▇.▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Securities LLC, as representatives (each, a “Representative,” and collectively, the “Representatives”) of the several underwriters (the “Underwriters”), proposes to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc., an exempted company incorporated with limited liability under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the “Company”), providing for the public offering (the “Public Offering”) by the several Underwriters, including the Representatives, of American Depositary Shares (“American Depositary Shares”), representing Class A ordinary shares, par value US$0.0001 per share, of the Company (the “Class A Ordinary Shares”). The Class A Ordinary Shares, together with the Company’s Class B ordinary shares, par value US$0.0001 per share, are collectively referred to as “Ordinary Shares.”
To induce the Underwriters that may participate in the Public Offering to continue their efforts in connection with the Public Offering, the undersigned hereby agrees that, without the prior written consent of ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. International plc and ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ (Asia) L.L.C. (the “Lock-up Representatives”) on behalf of the Underwriters, it will not, during the period commencing on the date hereof and ending 180 days after the date of the final prospectus (the “Restricted Period”) relating to the Public Offering (the “Prospectus”), (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any Ordinary Shares or American Depositary Shares (collectively, the “Securities”) beneficially owned (as such term is used in Rule 13d-3 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) by the undersigned or any other securities so owned convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for the Securities, or publicly announce the intention to do any of the foregoing or (2) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic
consequences of ownership of the Securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of the Securities or such other securities of the Company, in cash or otherwise. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (a) transactions relating to the Securities or other securities of the Company acquired in open market transactions after the completion of the Public Offering, provided that no filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act shall be required or shall be voluntarily made in connection with subsequent sales of the Securities or other securities of the Company acquired in such open market transactions, (b) transfers of shares of the Securities or any security convertible into the Securities as a bona fide gift, (c) distributions of shares of the Securities or any security convertible into the Securities to limited partners or stockholders of the undersigned, (d) transfers of any Securities to immediate family members, trusts or an entity beneficially owned and controlled by the undersigned, and for the undersigned; provided further that in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clause (b), (c) or (d), (i) each donee, distributee or transferee shall sign and deliver a lock-up letter substantially in the form of this letter and (ii) no filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of the Securities, shall be required or shall be voluntarily made in respect of the transfer or distribution during the Restricted Period, (e) the establishment of a trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act for the transfer of the Securities or (f) award by ZTO Es Holding Limited to employees designated by ▇▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇ of the rights associated with the Class A Ordinary Shares held by ZTO Es Holding Limited as share incentives, provided that (i) such plan under (e) or award under (f) does not provide for the transfer of the Securities during the Restricted Period and (ii) to the extent a public announcement or filing under the Exchange Act, if any, is required regarding the establishment of such plan or award, such announcement or filing shall include a statement to the effect that no transfer of the Securities may be made under such plan or pursuant to or as a result of such award during the Restricted Period.) In addition, the undersigned agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters, it will not, during the Restricted Period, make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to, the registration of any Securities or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for the Securities or publicly announce the intention to do any of the foregoing. The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of the undersigned’s Securities except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.
If the undersigned is an officer or director of the Company, the undersigned further agrees that the foregoing provisions shall be equally applicable to any issuer-Directed American Depositary Shares the undersigned may purchase in the Public Offering.
If the undersigned is an officer or director of the Company, (i) the Representatives agree that, at least three business days before the effective date of any release or waiver of the foregoing restrictions in connection with a transfer of the Securities, one of the Representatives will notify the Company of the impending release or waiver, and (ii) the Company has agreed in the Underwriting Agreement to announce the impending release or waiver by press release through a major news service at least two business days before
the effective date of the release or waiver. Any release or waiver granted by the Representatives hereunder to any such officer or director shall only be effective two business days after the publication date of such press release. The provisions of this paragraph will not apply if (a) the release or waiver is effected solely to permit a transfer not for consideration and (b) the transferee has agreed in writing to be bound by the same terms described in this letter to the extent and for the duration that such terms remain in effect at the time of the transfer.
The undersigned understands that the Company and the Underwriters are relying upon this agreement in proceeding toward consummation of the Public Offering. The undersigned further understands that this agreement is irrevocable and shall be binding upon the undersigned’s heirs, legal representatives, successors and assigns.
Whether or not the Public Offering actually occurs depends on a number of factors, including market conditions. Any Public Offering will only be made pursuant to an Underwriting Agreement, the terms of which are subject to negotiation between the Company and the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters.
This agreement and any claim, controversy or dispute arising under or related to this agreement is governed by, and to be construed in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of New York.
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Very truly yours, |
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EXHIBIT B
FORM OF WAIVER OF LOCK-UP
, 20
[Name and Address of
Officer or Director
Requesting Waiver]
Dear Mr./Ms. [Name]:
This letter is being delivered to you in connection with the offering by ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. (the “Company”) of [·] American depositary shares, each representing one Class A ordinary share, US$0.0001 per share, of the Company, and the lock-up letter dated , 2016 (the “Lock-up Letter”), executed by you in connection with such offering, and your request for a [waiver] [release] dated , 2016, with respect to [·] ordinary shares (the “Securities”).
The undersigned hereby agrees to [waive] [release] the transfer restrictions set forth in the Lock-up Letter, but only with respect to the Securities, effective , 2016; provided, however, that such [waiver] [release] is conditioned on the Company announcing the impending [waiver] [release] by press release through a major news service at least two business days before effectiveness of such [waiver] [release]. This letter will serve as notice to the Company of the impending [waiver] [release].
Except as expressly [waived] [released] hereby, the Lock-up Letter shall remain in full force and effect.
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Very truly yours, |
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Acting severally on behalf of themselves and the several Underwriters named in Schedule I to the Underwriting Agreement | |
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▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. International plc | |
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▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ (Asia) L.L.C. | |
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cc: Company
FORM OF PRESS RELEASE
[Date]
ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. (the “Company”) announced today that the joint book-running managers in the Company’s recent public sale of [·] American depositary shares, each representing one Class A ordinary share, US$0.0001 per share, of the Company, are [waiving][releasing] a lock-up restriction with respect to [·] Class ordinary shares (the “Shares”) of the Company held by [certain officers or directors] [an officer or director] of the Company. The [waiver][release] will take effect on , 201 , and the Shares may be sold on or after such date.
This press release is not an offer for sale of the securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction where such offer is prohibited, and such securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended.