AeroVironment, Inc. $650,000,000 0% Convertible Senior Notes Due 2030 Underwriting Agreement with J.P. Morgan, BofA Securities, and Raymond James

EX-1.2 3 tm2519048d11_ex1-2.htm EXHIBIT 1.2

 

Exhibit 1.2

 

AEROVIRONMENT, INC.

 

$650,000,000 0% Convertible Senior Notes due 2030

 

Underwriting Agreement

 

July 1, 2025

 

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
BofA Securities, Inc.
Raymond James & Associates, Inc.
As Representatives of the several Underwriters listed in Schedule 1 hereto

 

c/o J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
383 Madison Avenue
New York, New York 10179

 

c/o BofA Securities, Inc.
One Bryant Park
New York, New York 10036

 

c/o Raymond James & Associates, Inc.

880 Carillon Parkway

St. Petersburg, FL 33716

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

AeroVironment, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the several underwriters listed in Schedule 1 hereto (the “Underwriters”), for whom you are acting as representatives (the “Representatives”), $650,000,000 principal amount of 0% Convertible Senior Notes due 2030 of the Company (the “Underwritten Securities”) and, at the option of the Underwriters, up to an additional $97,500,000 principal amount of 0% Convertible Senior Notes due 2030 of the Company (the “Option Securities”). The Underwritten Securities and the Option Securities are herein referred to as the “Securities.” The Securities will be convertible into cash up to the aggregate principal amount of such Securities and cash, shares of common stock of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”), or a combination of cash and shares of Common Stock, at the Company’s election, in respect of the remainder, if any, of the Company’s conversion obligation in excess of the aggregate principal amount of such Securities being converted in accordance with the terms of the Securities and the Indenture (as defined below). The Securities will be issued pursuant to an indenture (the “Base Indenture”), as supplemented by a supplemental indenture (the Base Indenture, as so supplemented, the “Indenture”), in each case, to be dated as of the Closing Date (as defined below), between the Company and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”).

 

Substantially concurrently with the offering of the Securities, the Company will, among other things, issue and sell up to 4,057,460 shares of its Common Stock (the “Shares”), pursuant to a separate underwriting agreement and separate prospectus supplement, subject to customary closing conditions (such offering, the “Concurrent Offering”). The offering of the Securities is not contingent upon the completion of the Concurrent Offering, the Concurrent Offering is not contingent upon the completion of the offering of the Securities, and the Securities are not being offered together with the Shares.

 

The Company hereby confirms the engagement of Raymond James & Associates, Inc. as a “qualified independent underwriter” within the meaning of Rule 5121 (“Rule 5121”) of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) (Raymond James & Associates, Inc. acting in such capacity, the “QIU”). The QIU agrees with the Company to (i) undertake the legal responsibilities and liabilities of an underwriter under the Securities Act (as defined below), specifically including those inherent in Section 11 of the Securities Act, and (ii) participate in the preparation of the Registration Statement (as defined below) and the Prospectus (as defined below) and exercise the usual standards of “due diligence” in respect thereto.  No incremental compensation will be paid to the QIU for its services as a qualified independent underwriter.

 

 

The Company hereby confirms its agreement with the several Underwriters concerning the purchase and sale of the Securities, as follows:

 

1.            Registration Statement. The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”) a registration statement (File No. 333-288424), including a prospectus, relating to the Securities. Such registration statement, as amended at the time it became effective, including the information, if any, deemed pursuant to Rule 430A, 430B or 430C under the Securities Act to be part of the registration statement at the time of its effectiveness (“Rule 430 Information”), is referred to herein as the “Registration Statement”; and as used herein, the term “Preliminary Prospectus” means each prospectus included in such registration statement (and any amendments thereto) before effectiveness, any prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(a) under the Securities Act and the prospectus included in the Registration Statement at the time of its effectiveness that omits Rule 430 Information, and the term “Prospectus” means the prospectus in the form first used (or made available upon request of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act) in connection with confirmation of sales of the Securities. If the Company has filed an abbreviated registration statement pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act (the “Rule 462 Registration Statement”), then any reference herein to the term “Registration Statement” shall be deemed to include such Rule 462 Registration Statement. Any reference in this underwriting agreement (this “Agreement”) to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act, as of the effective date of the Registration Statement or the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, and any reference to “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any documents filed after such date under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”) that are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to such terms in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.

 

At or prior to the Applicable Time (as defined below), the Company had prepared the following information (collectively, the “Pricing Disclosure Package”): a Preliminary Prospectus dated June 30, 2025 and each “free-writing prospectus” (as defined pursuant to Rule 405 under the Securities Act) listed on Annex A hereto.

 

“Applicable Time” means 7:00 P.M., New York City time, on July 1, 2025.

 

2.            Purchase of the Securities.

 

(a)          The Company agrees to issue and sell the Underwritten Securities to the several Underwriters as provided in this Agreement, and each Underwriter, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements set forth herein and subject to the conditions set forth herein, agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company the respective principal amount of Underwritten Securities set forth opposite such Underwriter’s name in Schedule 1 hereto at a price equal to 97.25% of the principal amount thereof (the “Purchase Price”) plus accrued interest, if any, from July 3, 2025 to the Closing Date.

 

In addition, the Company agrees to issue and sell the Option Securities to the several Underwriters as provided in this Agreement, and the Underwriters, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements set forth herein and subject to the conditions set forth herein, shall have the option to purchase, severally and not jointly, from the Company the Option Securities at the Purchase Price plus accrued interest, if any, from July 3, 2025 to the date of payment and delivery. Such option may be exercised only to cover over-allotments in the sale of the Underwritten Securities by the Underwriters.

 

 

If any Option Securities are to be purchased, the principal amount of Option Securities to be purchased by each Underwriter shall be the principal amount of Option Securities which bears the same ratio to the aggregate principal amount of Option Securities being purchased as the principal amount of Underwritten Securities set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in ‎Schedule 1 hereto (or such amount increased as set forth in Section ‎10‎ hereof) bears to the aggregate principal amount of Underwritten Securities being purchased from the Company by the several Underwriters, subject, however, to such adjustments to eliminate Securities in denominations other than $1,000 as the Representatives in their sole discretion shall make.

 

The Underwriters may exercise the option to purchase the Option Securities at any time in whole, or from time to time in part before the thirtieth (30th) day following the date of this Agreement by written notice from the Representatives to the Company. Such notice shall set forth the aggregate principal amount of Option Securities plus accrued interest as to which the option is being exercised and the date and time when the Option Securities are to be delivered and paid for, which may be the same date and time as the Closing Date (as hereinafter defined) but shall not be earlier than the Closing Date nor later than the tenth (10th) business day after the date on which the option shall have been exercised. Any such notice shall be given at least one business day prior to the date and time of delivery specified therein.

 

(b)          The Company understands that the Underwriters intend to make a public offering of the Securities, and initially to offer the Securities on the terms set forth in the Pricing Disclosure Package. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters may offer and sell Securities to or through any affiliate of an Underwriter.

 

(c)          Payment for the Securities shall be made by wire transfer in immediately available funds to the account specified by the Company to the Representatives in the case of the Underwritten Securities, at the offices of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, 450 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10017, at 10:00 A.M. New York City time on July 3, 2025, or at such other time or place on the same or such other date, not later than the fifth business day thereafter, as the Representatives and the Company may agree upon in writing or, in the case of the Option Securities, on the date and at the time and place specified by the Representatives in the written notice of the Underwriters’ election to purchase such Option Securities. The time and date of such payment for the Underwritten Securities is referred to herein as the “Closing Date,” and the time and date for such payment for the Option Securities, if other than the Closing Date, is herein referred to as the “Additional Closing Date.”

 

Payment for the Securities to be purchased on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall be made against delivery to the nominee of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters of the Securities to be purchased on such date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, of one or more global notes representing the Securities (collectively, the “Global Note”), with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the sale of such Securities duly paid by the Company. The Global Note will be made available for inspection by the Representatives at the office of J.P. Morgan Securities LLC set forth above not later than 1:00 P.M., New York City time, on the business day prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.

 

(d)          The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Representatives and the other Underwriters are acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length contractual counterparty to the Company with respect to the offering of Securities contemplated hereby (including in connection with determining the terms of the offering) and not as a financial advisor or a fiduciary to, or an agent of, the Company or any other person. Additionally, neither the Representatives nor any other Underwriter is advising the Company or any other person as to any legal, tax, investment, accounting or regulatory matters in any jurisdiction. The Company shall consult with its own advisors concerning such matters and shall be responsible for making its own independent investigation and appraisal of the transactions contemplated hereby, and neither the Representatives nor the other Underwriters shall have any responsibility or liability to the Company with respect thereto. Any review by the Representatives and the other Underwriters of the Company, the transactions contemplated hereby or other matters relating to such transactions will be performed solely for the benefit of the Underwriters and shall not be on behalf of the Company.

 

 

3.            Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to each Underwriter that:

 

(a)          Preliminary Prospectus. No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and each Preliminary Prospectus included in the Pricing Disclosure Package, at the time of filing thereof, complied in all material respects with the Securities Act, and no Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation or warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in any Preliminary Prospectus, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section ‎7(b)‎ hereof.

 

(b)          Pricing Disclosure Package. The Pricing Disclosure Package as of the Applicable Time did not, and as of the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation or warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in such Pricing Disclosure Package, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section ‎7(b)‎ hereof. No statement of material fact included in the Prospectus has been omitted from the Pricing Disclosure Package and no statement of material fact included in the Pricing Disclosure Package that is required to be included in the Prospectus has been omitted therefrom.

 

(c)          Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. Other than the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company (including its agents and representatives, other than the Underwriters in their capacity as such) has not prepared, made, used, authorized, approved or referred to and will not prepare, make, use, authorize, approve or refer to any “written communication” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) that constitutes an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy the Securities (each such communication by the Company or its agents and representatives (other than a communication referred to in clause ‎(i) below), an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”) other than (i) any document not constituting a prospectus pursuant to Section 2(a)(10)(a) of the Securities Act or Rule 134 under the Securities Act or (ii) the documents listed on Annex A hereto, each electronic road show and any other written communications approved in writing in advance by the Representatives. Each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus complies in all material respects with the Securities Act, has been or will be (within the time period specified in Rule 433) filed in accordance with the Securities Act (to the extent required thereby) and does not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Pricing Disclosure Package, and, when taken together with the Preliminary Prospectus accompanying, or delivered prior to delivery of, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, did not, and as of the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation or warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or Preliminary Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or Preliminary Prospectus, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section ‎7(b)‎ hereof.

 

 

(d)          Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Registration Statement is an “automatic shelf registration statement” as defined under Rule 405 of the Securities Act that has been filed with the Commission not earlier than three years prior to the date hereof; and no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of such registration statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Securities Act has been received by the Company. No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued by the Commission, and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act against the Company or related to the offering of the Securities has been initiated or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened by the Commission; as of the applicable effective date of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, the Registration Statement and any such post-effective amendment complied and will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Trust Indenture Act”), and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading; and as of the date of the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto and as of the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, the Prospectus will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation or warranty with respect to (i) that part of the Registration Statement that constitutes the Statement of Eligibility and Qualification (Form T-1) of the Trustee under the Trust Indenture Act or (ii) any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section ‎7(b)‎ hereof.

 

(e)          Incorporated Documents. The documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Pricing Disclosure Package, when they were filed with the Commission, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act, and none of such documents contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted 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 any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Pricing Disclosure Package, when such documents are filed with the Commission, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act and 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.

 

(f)           Financial Statements. The financial statements (including the related notes thereto) of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, and present fairly in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the results of their operations and the changes in their cash flows for the periods specified; such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered thereby, except that unaudited interim financial statements are subject to normal year-end audit adjustments and exclude certain footnotes, and any supporting schedules included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly in all material respects the information required to be stated therein. The financial statements (including the related notes thereto) of BlueHalo Financing TopCo, LLC (“BlueHalo”) and its consolidated subsidiaries included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly in all material respects the financial position of BlueHalo and its consolidated subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the results of their operations and the changes in their cash flows for the periods specified; such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with GAAP applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered thereby, except that unaudited interim financial statements are subject to normal year-end audit adjustments and exclude certain footnotes, and any supporting schedules included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly in all material respects the information required to be stated therein. The pro forma financial information and the related notes thereto included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus have been prepared in accordance with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the assumptions underlying such pro forma financial information are reasonable and are set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The other financial information included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus has been derived from the accounting records of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries or of BlueHalo and its consolidated subsidiaries, as applicable, and presents fairly in all material respects the information shown thereby. All disclosures included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply with Regulation G of the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K of the Securities Act, to the extent applicable thereto.

 

 

(g)          No Material Adverse Change. Other than as disclosed or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, since the date of the most recent financial statements of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (i) there has not been any material change in the capital stock (other than the issuance of shares of Common Stock upon exercise of stock options and warrants described as outstanding in, and the grant of options and awards under existing equity incentive plans described in, the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus), short-term debt or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, set aside for payment, paid or made by the Company on any class of capital stock, or any material adverse change, or any development that would reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse change, in or affecting the business, properties, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; (ii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has entered into any transaction or agreement (whether or not in the ordinary course of business) that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; and (iii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained any loss or interference with its business that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole and that is either from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor disturbance or dispute or any action, order or decree of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority.

 

(h)          Organization and Good Standing. The Company and each of its subsidiaries have been duly organized and are validly existing and in good standing under the laws of their respective jurisdictions of organization, are duly qualified to do business and are in good standing in each jurisdiction in which their respective ownership or lease of property or the conduct of their respective businesses requires such qualification, and have all power and authority necessary to own or hold their respective properties and to conduct the businesses in which they are engaged, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing or have such power or authority would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the business, properties, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or on the performance by the Company of its obligations under the Transaction Documents (as defined below) (a “Material Adverse Effect”). The Company does not have any significant subsidiaries that are not listed in Exhibit 21.1 of the Company’s most recent Form 10-K.

 

(i)           Capitalization. The Company has authorized capital stock as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the heading “Capitalization”; all the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable and are not subject to any pre-emptive or similar rights; except as described in or expressly contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no outstanding rights (including, without limitation, pre-emptive rights), warrants or options to acquire, or instruments convertible into or exchangeable for, any shares of capital stock or other equity interest in the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any contract, commitment, agreement, understanding or arrangement of any kind relating to the issuance of any capital stock of the Company or any such subsidiary, any such convertible or exchangeable securities or any such rights, warrants or options; the capital stock of the Company conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and all the outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity interests of each subsidiary owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable (except, in the case of any foreign subsidiary, for directors’ qualifying shares) and are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of any lien, charge, encumbrance, security interest, restriction on voting or transfer or any other claim of any third party (collectively, “Liens”), except for Liens described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

 

(j)           Stock Options. With respect to the stock options (the “Stock Options”) granted pursuant to the stock-based compensation plans of the Company and its subsidiaries (the “Company Stock Plans”), (i) each Stock Option intended to qualify as an “incentive stock option” under Section 422 of the Code (as defined below) so qualifies, (ii) each grant of a Stock Option was duly authorized no later than the date on which the grant of such Stock Option was by its terms to be effective by all necessary corporate action, including, as applicable, approval by the board of directors of the Company (or a duly constituted and authorized committee thereof) and any required stockholder approval by the necessary number of votes or written consents, and the award agreement governing such grant (if any) was duly executed and delivered by each party thereto, (iii) each such grant was made in accordance with the terms of the Company Stock Plans, the Exchange Act and all other applicable laws and regulatory rules or requirements, including the rules of the Nasdaq Global Select Market (“Nasdaq”) and any other exchange on which Company securities are traded, in all material respects, and (iv) each such grant was properly accounted for in accordance with GAAP in the financial statements (including the related notes) of the Company and disclosed in the Company’s filings with the Commission in accordance with the Exchange Act and all other applicable laws in all material respects. The Company has not knowingly granted, and there is no and has been no policy or practice of the Company of granting, Stock Options prior to, or otherwise coordinating the grant of Stock Options with, the release or other public announcement of material information regarding the Company or its subsidiaries or their results of operations or prospects.

 

(k)          Due Authorization. The Company has full right, power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement, the Indenture and the Securities (collectively, the “Transaction Documents”) and to perform its obligations hereunder and thereunder; and all action required to be taken for the due and proper authorization, execution and delivery by it of each of the Transaction Documents and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated thereby or by the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus has been duly and validly taken.

 

(l)           Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

 

(m)         The Indenture. The Indenture has been duly authorized by the Company and, when duly executed and delivered in accordance with its terms by each of the parties thereto, will constitute a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally or by equitable principles relating to enforceability (collectively, the “Enforceability Exceptions”), and the Indenture conforms in all material respects to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act.

 

(n)          The Securities. The Securities to be issued and sold by the Company hereunder have been duly authorized by the Company and, when duly executed, authenticated, issued and delivered as provided in the Indenture and paid for as provided herein, will be duly and validly issued and outstanding and will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, subject to the Enforceability Exceptions, and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.

 

 

(o)          The Maximum Number of Underlying Securities. Upon issuance and delivery of the Securities in accordance with this Agreement and the Indenture, the Securities will be convertible at the option of the holder thereof into cash up to the aggregate principal amount of such Securities and cash, shares of Common Stock, or a combination of cash and shares of Common Stock, at the Company’s election, in respect of the remainder, if any, of the Company’s conversion obligation in excess of the aggregate principal amount of such Securities being converted, in accordance with the terms of the Securities and the Indenture. A number of shares of Common Stock equal to the product of (x) the number of Securities (assuming the Underwriters exercise their option to purchase Option Securities in full) and (y) the conversion rate for the Securities (assuming the maximum increase to such conversion rate for a conversion of Securities in connection with a “make-whole fundamental change” or a redemption of Securities) (the “Maximum Number of Underlying Securities”) have been duly authorized and reserved for issuance by the Company upon any conversions of the Securities in accordance with the terms of the Securities and the Indenture and, if and when issued upon any conversion of the Securities in accordance with the terms of the Securities and the Indenture, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable; no holder of such shares will be subject to personal liability by reason of being such a holder; and the issuance of such shares upon any such conversion will not be subject to the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company.

 

(p)          Descriptions of the Transaction Documents. Each Transaction Document conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(q)          No Violation or Default. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (i) in violation of its charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents; (ii) in default, and no event has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a default, in the due performance or observance of any term, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any property or asset of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject; or (iii) in violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except, in the case of clauses ‎(ii) and ‎(iii) above, for any such default or violation that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(r)           No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of each of the Transaction Documents, the issuance and sale of the Securities (including the issuance and delivery of any Common Stock and the payment of any cash, in each case, due upon conversion thereof) and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents or the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, result in the termination, modification or acceleration of, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property, right or asset of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any property, right or asset of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or (iii) result in the violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except, in the case of clauses ‎(i) and ‎(iii) above, for any such conflict, breach, violation, default, lien, charge or encumbrance that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(s)          No Consents Required. No consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority is required for the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of each of the Transaction Documents, the issuance and sale of the Securities (including the issuance and delivery of any Common Stock and the payment of any cash, in each case, due upon conversion thereof) and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents or the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except for the registration of the Securities under the Securities Act, the qualification of the Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, and registrations or qualifications as may be required by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. and under applicable state securities laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters.

 

 

(t)           Legal Proceedings. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no legal, governmental or regulatory investigations, actions, demands, claims, suits, arbitrations, inquiries or proceedings (“Actions”) pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or may reasonably be expected to become a party or to which any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is or may reasonably be expected to become the subject that, individually or in the aggregate, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; no such Actions that would reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, to have a Material Adverse Effect are threatened or, to the Company’s knowledge, contemplated by any governmental or regulatory authority or threatened by others; and (i) there are no current or pending Actions that are required under the Securities Act to be described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that are not so described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and (ii) there are no statutes, regulations or contracts or other documents that are required under the Securities Act to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that are not so filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(u)          Independent Accountants. Deloitte & Touche LLP, who has certified certain financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries within the applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Commission and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) and as required by the Securities Act. To the Company’s knowledge, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, who has certified certain financial statements of BlueHalo and its subsidiaries, are independent public accountants with respect to BlueHalo and its subsidiaries within the meaning of Rule 101 of the Code of Professional Conduct of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and its interpretations and rulings thereunder.

 

(v)          Title to Real and Personal Property. The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to, or have valid rights to lease or otherwise use, all items of real and personal property that are material to the respective businesses of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, claims and defects and imperfections of title, except those that (i) are described in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (ii) do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its subsidiaries or (iii) could not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(w)         Intellectual Property. (i) The Company and its subsidiaries own or, to the Company’s knowledge, have the right to use all material patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, trade names, trademark registrations, service mark registrations, domain names and other source indicators, copyrights and copyrightable works, know-how, trade secrets, systems, procedures, proprietary or confidential information and all other worldwide intellectual property, industrial property and proprietary rights (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) used in the conduct of their respective businesses; (ii) to the Company’s knowledge, the Company’s and its subsidiaries’ conduct of their respective businesses does not infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any Intellectual Property of any person, except where such infringement, misappropriation or other violation would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company and its subsidiaries; (iii) the Company and its subsidiaries have not received any written notice of any material claim relating to Intellectual Property; and (iv) to the Company’s knowledge, the Intellectual Property of the Company and its subsidiaries is not being infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated by any person, except where such infringement, misappropriation or other violation would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company and its subsidiaries.

 

 

(x)          No Undisclosed Relationships. No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders, customers, suppliers or other affiliates of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the other, that would be required by the Securities Act to be described in each of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and that is not so described in such documents and in the Pricing Disclosure Package.

 

(y)          Investment Company Act. The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities and of the Shares in the Concurrent Offering and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, will not be required to register as an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Investment Company Act”).

 

(z)          Taxes. The Company and its subsidiaries have paid all federal, state, local and foreign taxes and filed all tax returns required to be paid or filed by them through the date hereof, except for (i) those being contested in good faith and for which appropriate reserves have been established in accordance with GAAP or (ii) any failure to pay or file which would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and, except for any deficiency that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or that is disclosed in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there is no tax deficiency that has been, or would reasonably be expected to be, asserted against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective properties or assets.

 

(aa)        Licenses and Permits. The Company and its subsidiaries possess all licenses, sub-licenses, certificates, permits and other authorizations issued by, and have made all declarations and filings with, the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory authorities that are necessary for the ownership or lease of their respective properties or the conduct of their respective businesses as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except where the failure to possess or make the same would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; except as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received notice of any revocation or modification of any such license, sub-license, certificate, permit or authorization or has any reason to believe that any such license, sub-license, certificate, permit or authorization will not be renewed in the ordinary course, except where the occurrence of such an event, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(bb)        No Labor Disputes. No labor disturbance by or dispute with employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the Company’s knowledge, is contemplated or threatened, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by, or dispute with, the employees of any of its or any of its subsidiaries’ principal suppliers, contractors or customers, except as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of cancellation or termination with respect to any collective bargaining agreement to which it is a party.

 

 

(cc)        Certain Environmental Matters. (i) The Company and its subsidiaries (x) are in compliance with all, and have not violated any, applicable federal, state, local and foreign laws (including common law), rules, regulations, requirements, decisions, judgments, decrees, orders and other legally enforceable requirements relating to pollution or the protection of human health or safety, the environment, natural resources, hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (collectively, “Environmental Laws”); (y) have received and are in compliance with all, and have not violated any, permits, licenses, certificates or other authorizations or approvals required of them under any Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses; and (z) have not received notice of any actual or potential liability or obligation under or relating to, or any actual or potential violation of, any Environmental Laws, including for the investigation or remediation of any disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, and have no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in any such notice; (ii) there are no costs or liabilities associated with Environmental Laws of or relating to the Company or its subsidiaries, except in the case of each of (i) and (ii) above, for any such matter as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and (iii) except as described in each of the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (x) there is no proceeding that is pending, or that is known to be contemplated, against the Company or any of its subsidiaries under any Environmental Laws in which a governmental entity is also a party, other than such proceeding regarding which it is reasonably believed no monetary sanctions of $300,000 or more will be imposed, (y) the Company and its subsidiaries are not aware of any facts or issues regarding compliance with Environmental Laws, or liabilities or other obligations under Environmental Laws or concerning hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, and (z) none of the Company or any of its subsidiaries anticipates material capital expenditures relating to any Environmental Laws.

 

(dd)       Compliance with ERISA. (i) Each employee benefit plan, within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), for which the Company or any member of its “Controlled Group” (defined as any entity, whether or not incorporated, that is under common control with the Company within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(14) of ERISA or any entity that would be regarded as a single employer with the Company under Section 414(b),(c),(m) or (o) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”)) would have any liability (each, a “Plan”) has been maintained in compliance with its terms and the requirements of any applicable statutes, orders, rules and regulations, including but not limited to ERISA and the Code; (ii) no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred with respect to any Plan, excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption; (iii) for each Plan that is subject to the funding rules of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, no Plan has failed (whether or not waived), or is reasonably expected to fail, to satisfy the minimum funding standards (within the meaning of Section 302 of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code) applicable to such Plan; (iv) no Plan is, or is reasonably expected to be, in “at risk status” (within the meaning of Section 303(i) of ERISA) and no Plan that is a “multiemployer plan” within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA is in “endangered status” or “critical status” (within the meaning of Sections 304 and 305 of ERISA); (v) the fair market value of the assets of each Plan exceeds the present value of all benefits accrued under such Plan (determined based on those assumptions used to fund such Plan); (vi) no “reportable event” (within the meaning of Section 4043(c) of ERISA and the regulations promulgated thereunder) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur; (vii) each Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified, and nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which would cause the loss of such qualification; (viii) neither the Company nor any member of the Controlled Group has incurred, nor reasonably expects to incur, any liability under Title IV of ERISA (other than contributions to the Plan or premiums to the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation, in the ordinary course and without default) in respect of a Plan (including a “multiemployer plan” within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA); and (ix) none of the following events has occurred or is reasonably likely to occur: (A) a material increase in the aggregate amount of contributions required to be made to all Plans by the Company or its Controlled Group affiliates in the current fiscal year of the Company and its Controlled Group affiliates compared to the amount of such contributions made in the Company’s and its Controlled Group affiliates’ most recently completed fiscal year; or (B) a material increase in the Company and its subsidiaries’ “accumulated post-retirement benefit obligations” (within the meaning of Accounting Standards Codification Topic 715-60) compared to the amount of such obligations in the Company’s and its subsidiaries’ most recently completed fiscal year, except in each case with respect to the events or conditions set forth in ‎(i)‎ through ‎‎(ix) hereof, as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

 

(ee)        Disclosure Controls. Except as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company and its subsidiaries maintain an effective system of “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act) that complies with the requirements of the Exchange Act and that has been designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, including controls and procedures designed to ensure that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. The Company and its subsidiaries have carried out evaluations of the effectiveness of their disclosure controls and procedures as required by Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act.

 

(ff)          Accounting Controls. Except as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company and its subsidiaries maintain systems of “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act and have been designed by, or under the supervision of, their respective principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP. Except as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company and its subsidiaries maintain internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (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; and (v) interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Pricing Disclosure Package fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and is prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto. Based on the Company’s most recent evaluation of its internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Rule 13a-15(c) of the Exchange Act, there are no material weaknesses in the Company’s internal controls. The Company’s auditors and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company have been advised of: (i) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting known to the Company which have adversely affected or are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and (ii) any fraud known to the Company, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting.

 

(gg)       eXtensible Business Reporting Language. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.

 

(hh)       Insurance. The Company and its subsidiaries have insurance covering their respective properties, operations, personnel and businesses, including business interruption insurance, which insurance is in amounts and insures against such losses and risks as are generally maintained by similarly situated companies and which the Company reasonably believes are adequate to protect the Company and its subsidiaries and their respective businesses; neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has (i) received notice from any insurer or agent of such insurer that capital improvements or other expenditures are required or necessary to be made in order to continue such insurance or (ii) 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 at reasonable cost from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business.

 

 

(ii)          Cybersecurity; Data Protection. Except as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company’s and its subsidiaries’ information technology assets and equipment, computers, systems, networks, hardware, software, websites, applications, and databases (collectively, “IT Systems”) are reasonably adequate for, and operate and perform in all material respects as required in connection with, the operation of the business of the Company and its subsidiaries as currently conducted, and to the knowledge of the Company, are free and clear of all material bugs, errors, defects, Trojan horses, time bombs, malware and other corruptants. The Company and its subsidiaries have implemented and maintained commercially reasonable controls, policies, procedures, and safeguards designed to maintain and protect their material confidential information and, continuous operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems and data (including all personal, personally identifiable, sensitive, confidential or regulated data (“Personal Data”)) used in connection with their businesses, and there have been no material breaches, violations, outages or unauthorized uses of or accesses to same, except for those that have been remedied without material cost or liability or the duty to notify any other person. The Company and its subsidiaries are presently in material compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, external policies and contractual obligations, in each case, relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Personal Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Personal Data from unauthorized use, access, or modification.

 

(jj)          No Unlawful Payments. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, nor any director, officer or employee of the Company or any of its subsidiaries nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any agent, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made or taken an act in furtherance of an offer, promise or authorization of any direct or indirect unlawful payment or benefit to any foreign or domestic government official or employee, including of any 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; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or any applicable law or regulation implementing the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, or committed an offence under the Bribery Act 2010 of the United Kingdom or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption law; or (iv) 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. The Company and its subsidiaries have instituted, maintain and enforce, and will continue to maintain and enforce policies and procedures designed to promote and ensure compliance with all applicable anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries will use, directly or indirectly, the proceeds of the offering in furtherance of any 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 any applicable anti-corruption laws.

 

(kk)        Compliance with Anti-Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including those of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the applicable money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions where the Company or any of its subsidiaries conducts business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Anti-Money Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened.

 

 

(ll)          No Conflicts with Sanctions Laws. For the past five years, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, directors, officers or employees, nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any agent, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently the subject or the target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. government (including, without limitation, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury or the U.S. Department of State and including, without limitation, the designation as a “specially designated national” or “blocked person”), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, His Majesty’s Treasury, or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor is the Company or any of its subsidiaries located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject or target of Sanctions, including, without limitation, non-government controlled areas of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson Regions of Ukraine, the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic or any other Covered Region of Ukraine identified pursuant to Executive Order 14065, and the Crimea region, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria (each, a “Sanctioned Country”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Securities hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity (i) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business with any person that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject or target of Sanctions, (ii) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business in any Sanctioned Country or (iii) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions. Since April 24, 2019, the Company and its subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in and are not now knowingly engaged in any dealings or transactions with any person that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject or the target of Sanctions or with any Sanctioned Country.

 

(mm)      No Restrictions on Subsidiaries. No subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, under any agreement or other instrument to which it is a party or is subject, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s capital stock or similar ownership interest, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s properties or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company, except for any restrictions described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(nn)       No Broker’s Fees. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any person (other than this Agreement) that would give rise to a valid claim against any of them or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities.

 

(oo)       No Registration Rights. No person has the right to require the Company or any of its subsidiaries to register any securities for sale under the Securities Act by reason of the filing of the Registration Statement with the Commission or the issuance and sale of the Securities.

 

(pp)       No Stabilization. Neither the Company or any of its subsidiaries or controlled affiliates, nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any of its noncontrolled affiliates has taken, directly or indirectly, without giving effect to activities by the Underwriters, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Securities.

 

(qq)       Margin Rules. Neither the issuance, sale and delivery of the Securities nor the application of the proceeds thereof by the Company as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will violate Regulation T, U or X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or any other regulation of such Board of Governors.

 

(rr)         Forward-Looking Statements. No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.

 

(ss)        Statistical and Market Data. Nothing has come to the attention of the Company that has caused the Company to believe that the statistical and market-related data included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus is not based on or derived from sources that are reliable and accurate in all material respects.

 

(tt)         Sarbanes-Oxley Act. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”), including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.

 

 

(uu)       Status under the Securities Act. At the time of filing the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or any offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) under the Securities Act) of the Securities and at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” and is a well-known seasoned issuer, in each case as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act.

 

(vv)       Regulatory Compliance. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company and its subsidiaries have been in compliance with all laws applicable to the Company and the conduct of its business or its products except where such action would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has knowledge of any actual or threatened enforcement action by any governmental entity which has jurisdiction over the operations or products of the Company or any of the Company’s subsidiaries, and none has received notice of any pending or threatened claim or investigation by any governmental entity which has jurisdiction over the operations of the Company and the Company’s subsidiaries against the Company or any of the Company’s subsidiaries which could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any correspondence or notice from any governmental entity alleging or asserting noncompliance with any applicable laws or applicable licenses, certificates, approvals, clearances, authorizations or permits issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory authorities which could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has not, either voluntarily or involuntarily, initiated, conducted, or issued or caused to be initiated, conducted or issued, any recall, market withdrawal or replacement or other notice or similar action relating to the alleged lack of safety or efficacy of any product or any alleged product defect or violation and, to the Company’s knowledge, no third party has initiated, conducted or intends to initiate any such notice or action, except where such notice or action could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(ww)      Outbound Investments. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a “covered foreign person” as that term is used in the Outbound Investment Rules. Neither the company nor any of its subsidiaries currently engages, or has any present intention to engage in the future, directly or indirectly, in (i) a “covered activity” or a “covered transaction”, as each such term is defined in the Outbound Investment Rules, (ii) any activity or transaction that would constitute a “covered activity” or a “covered transaction”, as each such term is defined in the Outbound Investment Rules, if the Company were a U.S. Person or (iii) any other activity that would cause the Underwriters to be in violation of the Outbound Investment Rules or cause the Underwriters to be legally prohibited by the Outbound Investment Rules from performing under this Agreement. For the purpose of this Agreement, “Outbound Investment Rules” means the regulations administered and enforced, together with any related public guidance issued, by the United States Treasury Department under U.S. Executive Order 14105 of August 9, 2023, or any similar law or regulation as of the date of this Agreement, and as codified at 31 C.F.R. §850.202 et seq.

 

4.            Further Agreements of the Company. The Company covenants and agrees with each Underwriter that:

 

(a)          Required Filings. The Company will file the final Prospectus with the Commission within the time periods specified by Rule 424(b) and Rule 430A, 430B or 430C under the Securities Act, will file any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (including the term sheet substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto) to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Securities Act; and the Company will file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and for so long as the delivery of a prospectus is required in connection with the offering or sale of the Securities; and the Company will furnish copies of the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (to the extent not previously delivered) to the Underwriters in New York City prior to 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement in such quantities as the Representatives may reasonably request. The Company will pay the registration fee for this offering within the time period required by Rule 456(b)(1) under the Securities Act (without giving effect to the proviso therein) and in any event prior to the Closing Date.

 

 

(b)          Delivery of Copies. The Company will deliver, upon request and without charge, (i) to the Representatives, two signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto, in each case including all exhibits and consents filed therewith and documents incorporated by reference therein; and (ii) to each Underwriter (A) a conformed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (without exhibits) and (B) during the Prospectus Delivery Period (as defined below), as many copies of the Prospectus (including all amendments and supplements thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein) and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as the Representatives may reasonably request. As used herein, the term “Prospectus Delivery Period” means such period of time after the first date of the public offering of the Securities as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters a prospectus relating to the Securities is required by law to be delivered (or required to be delivered but for Rule 172 under the Securities Act) in connection with sales of the Securities by any Underwriter or dealer.

 

(c)          Amendments or Supplements, Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. Before making, preparing, using, authorizing, approving, referring to or filing any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and before filing any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, whether before or after the time that the Registration Statement becomes effective, the Company will furnish to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters a copy of the proposed Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, amendment or supplement for review and will not make, prepare, use, authorize, approve, refer to or file any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which the Representatives reasonably object.

 

(d)          Notice to the Representatives. The Company will advise the Representatives promptly, and confirm such advice in writing, (i) when the Registration Statement has become effective; (ii) when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective; (iii) when any supplement to the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any amendment to the Prospectus has been filed or distributed; (iv) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or the receipt of any comments from the Commission relating to the Registration Statement or any other request by the Commission for any additional information; (v) of the issuance by the Commission or any other governmental or regulatory authority of any order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any of the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or, to the knowledge of the Company, the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act; (vi) of the occurrence of any event or development within the Prospectus Delivery Period as a result of which the Prospectus, any of the Pricing Disclosure Package or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package or any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading; (vii) of the receipt by the Company of any notice of objection of the Commission to the use of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Securities Act; and (viii) of the receipt by the Company of any notice with respect to any suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offer and sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; and the Company will use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, any of the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or suspending any such qualification of the Securities and, if any such order is issued, will use reasonable best efforts to obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.

 

 

(e)          Ongoing Compliance. (1) If during the Prospectus Delivery Period (i) any event or development shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with law, the Company will promptly notify the Underwriters thereof and forthwith prepare and, subject to paragraph ‎(c) above, file with the Commission and furnish to the Underwriters and to such dealers as the Representatives may designate such amendments or supplements to the Prospectus (or any document to be filed with the Commission and incorporated by reference therein) as may be necessary so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented (or any document to be filed with the Commission and incorporated by reference therein) will not, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus will comply with law and (2) if at any time prior to the Closing Date (i) any event or development shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which the Pricing Disclosure Package as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Pricing Disclosure Package is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend or supplement the Pricing Disclosure Package to comply with law, the Company will promptly notify the Underwriters thereof and forthwith prepare and, subject to paragraph ‎(c) above, file with the Commission (to the extent required) and furnish to the Underwriters and to such dealers as the Representatives may designate such amendments or supplements to the Pricing Disclosure Package (or any document to be filed with the Commission and incorporated by reference therein) as may be necessary so that the statements in the Pricing Disclosure Package as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Pricing Disclosure Package is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Pricing Disclosure Package will comply with law.

 

(f)           Blue Sky Compliance. The Company will qualify the Securities for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives shall reasonably request and will continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for distribution of the Securities; provided that the Company shall not be required to (i) qualify as a foreign corporation or other entity or as a dealer in securities in any such jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to so qualify, (ii) file any general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction or (iii) subject itself to taxation in any such jurisdiction if it is not otherwise so subject.

 

(g)         Earning Statement. The Company will make generally available to its security holders and the Representatives as soon as practicable an earning statement that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 of the Commission promulgated thereunder covering a period of at least twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company occurring after the “effective date” (as defined in Rule 158) of the Registration Statement; provided, that the Company will be deemed to have furnished such statements to its security holders and the Representatives to the extent they are filed on the Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (“EDGAR”) or any successor system.

 

(h)          Clear Market. For a period of 90 days after the date of the Prospectus (the “Restricted Period”), the Company will not (i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, or submit to, or file with, the Commission a registration statement under the Securities Act relating to, any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, or publicly disclose the intention to undertake any of the foregoing, or (ii) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common Stock or any such other securities, whether any such transaction described in clause ‎(i)‎ or ‎‎(ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise, without the prior written consent of J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and BofA Securities, Inc., other than (A) the Securities to be sold hereunder and any shares of Common Stock issued upon conversion of the Securities, (B) the Shares to be issued and sold in to the Concurrent Offering, (C) the issuance of shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exercisable for shares of Common Stock pursuant to the conversion or exchange of convertible or exchangeable securities or the exercise of warrants or options (including net exercise) or the settlement of RSUs (including net settlement), in each case outstanding on the date of this Agreement and described in the Prospectus; (D) grants of stock options, stock awards, restricted stock, RSUs, or other equity awards and the issuance of shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock (whether upon the exercise of stock options or otherwise) to the Company’s employees, officers, directors, advisors, or consultants pursuant to the terms of an equity compensation plan (x) in effect as of the Closing Date and described in the Prospectus or (y) duly adopted by the Company following the Closing Date; (E) the issuance of up to 10% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, or securities convertible into, exercisable for, or which are otherwise exchangeable for, Common Stock, immediately following the Closing Date, in acquisitions or other similar strategic transactions, provided that such recipients enter into a lock-up agreement with the Underwriters for the duration of the Restricted Period; and (F) the filing of any registration statement on Form S-8 relating to securities granted or to be granted pursuant to any plan in effect on the date of this Agreement and described in the Prospectus or any assumed benefit plan pursuant to an acquisition or similar strategic transaction.

 

 

(i)           Use of Proceeds. The Company will apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the heading “Use of Proceeds.”

 

(j)           No Stabilization. Neither the Company nor its subsidiaries or affiliates will take, directly or indirectly, without giving effect to activities by the Underwriters, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Securities and will not take any action prohibited by Regulation M under the Exchange Act in connection with the distribution of the Securities contemplated hereby.

 

(k)          The Maximum Number of Underlying Securities. The Company will reserve and keep available at all times, free of preemptive rights, a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the Maximum Number of Underlying Securities. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to effect and maintain the listing of a number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Securities equal to the Maximum Number of Underlying Securities on Nasdaq.

 

(l)           Reports. During a period of three years from the date of this Agreement, the Company will furnish to the Representatives, as soon as commercially reasonable after the date that they are available, copies of all reports or other communications (financial or other) furnished to holders of the Securities, and copies of any reports and financial statements furnished to or filed with the Commission or any national securities exchange or automatic quotation system; provided the Company will be deemed to have furnished such reports and financial statements to the Representatives to the extent they are filed on EDGAR.

 

(m)         DTC. The Company will assist the Underwriters in arranging for the Securities to be eligible for clearance and settlement through DTC.

 

(n)          Record Retention. The Company will, pursuant to reasonable procedures developed in good faith, retain copies of each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not filed with the Commission in accordance with Rule 433 under the Securities Act.

 

(o)          Shelf Renewal. If immediately prior to the third anniversary (the “Renewal Deadline”) of the initial effective date of the Registration Statement, any of the Securities remain unsold by the Underwriters, the Company will, prior to the Renewal Deadline, file, if it has not already done so and is eligible to do so, a new automatic shelf registration statement relating to the Securities, in a form satisfactory to the Representatives. If the Company is not eligible to file an automatic shelf registration statement, the Company will, prior to the Renewal Deadline, if it has not already done so, file a new shelf registration statement relating to the Securities, in a form satisfactory to the Representatives, and will use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to be declared effective within 180 days after the Renewal Deadline. The Company will take all other action necessary or appropriate to permit the issuance and sale of the Securities to continue as contemplated in the expired registration statement relating to the Securities. References herein to the Registration Statement shall include such new automatic shelf registration statement or such new shelf registration statement, as the case may be.

 

 

(p)         Term Sheet. The Company will prepare a final term sheet relating to this offering of the Securities and the Concurrent Offering in a form approved by you (as set forth in Exhibit A hereto) and will file such term sheet pursuant to and within the time required by Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act.

 

(q)         Conversion Rate. No event has occurred that would, if the Securities were outstanding, require an adjustment to the Conversion Rate (as defined in the Indenture) for the Securities pursuant to the terms of the Indenture.

 

5.            Certain Agreements of the Underwriters. Each Underwriter hereby represents and agrees that:

 

(a)          It has not and will not use, authorize use of, refer to or participate in the planning for use of, any “free writing prospectus”, as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act (which term includes use of any written information furnished to the Commission by the Company and not incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and any press release issued by the Company) other than (i) a free writing prospectus that contains no “issuer information” (as defined in Rule 433(h)(2) under the Securities Act) that was not included (including through incorporation by reference) in the Preliminary Prospectus or a previously filed Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, (ii) any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus listed on Annex A or prepared pursuant to Section ‎3(c)‎ or Section ‎4(c) above (including any electronic road show), or (iii) any free writing prospectus prepared by such underwriter and approved by the Company in advance in writing.

 

(b)          It has not and will not, without the prior written consent of the Company, use any free writing prospectus that contains the final terms of the Securities unless such terms have previously been included in a free writing prospectus filed with the Commission; provided that Underwriters may use the term sheet as set forth in Exhibit A hereto.

 

(c)          It is not subject to any pending proceeding under Section 8A of the Securities Act with respect to the offering (and will promptly notify the Company if any such proceeding against it is initiated during the Prospectus Delivery Period).

 

6.            Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligation of each Underwriter to purchase the Underwritten Securities on the Closing Date or the Option Securities on the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, as provided herein is subject to the performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:

 

(a)          Registration Compliance; No Stop Order. No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be in effect, and no proceeding for such purpose, pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) or pursuant to Section 8A under the Securities Act shall be pending before or threatened by the Commission; the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been timely filed with the Commission under the Securities Act (in the case of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Securities Act) and in accordance with Section 4(a) hereof; and all requests by the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Representatives.

 

(b)          Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of the Company contained herein shall be true and correct on the date hereof and on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be; and the statements of the Company and its officers made in any certificates delivered pursuant to this Agreement shall be true and correct on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.

 

 

(c)          No Downgrade. Subsequent to the earlier of (A) the Applicable Time and (B) the execution and delivery of this Agreement, (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded any debt securities, convertible securities or preferred stock issued, or guaranteed by, the Company or any of its subsidiaries by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization,” as such term is defined under Section 3(a)(62) under the Exchange Act and (ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, or has changed its outlook with respect to, its rating of any such debt securities or preferred stock issued or guaranteed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries (other than an announcement with positive implications of a possible upgrading).

 

(d)          No Material Adverse Change. No event or condition of a type described in Section ‎3(g)‎ hereof shall have occurred or shall exist, which event or condition is not described in the Pricing Disclosure Package (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) and the Prospectus (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) and the effect of which in the judgment of the Representatives makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Securities on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(e)          Officer’s Certificate. The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, a certificate of the chief financial officer or chief accounting officer of the Company and one additional senior executive officer of the Company who is satisfactory to the Representatives (i) confirming that such officers have carefully reviewed the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and, to the knowledge of such officers, the representations set forth in Sections ‎3(b)‎ and ‎3(d)‎ hereof are true and correct, (ii) confirming that the other representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct and that the Company has complied in all material respects with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and (iii) to the effect set forth in paragraphs ‎(a), ‎(c)‎ and ‎(d)‎ above.

 

(f)          Comfort Letters. On the date of this Agreement and on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, each of Deloitte & Touche LLP and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP shall have furnished to the Representatives, at the request of the Company, letters, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, containing statements and information of the type customarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained or incorporated by reference in each of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; provided, that the letter delivered on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall use a “cut-off” date no more than two business days prior to such Closing Date or such Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.

 

(g)         Opinion and 10b-5 Statement of Counsel for the Company. Latham & Watkins LLP, counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to the Representatives, at the request of the Company, their written opinion and 10b-5 statement, dated the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.

 

(h)          Opinion and 10b-5 Statement of Counsel for the Underwriters. The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, an opinion and 10b-5 statement, addressed to the Underwriters, of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, with respect to such matters as the Representatives may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received such documents and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.

 

(i)           No Legal Impediment to Issuance and Sale. No action shall have been taken and no statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any federal, state or foreign governmental or regulatory authority that would, as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, prevent the issuance or sale of the Securities; and no injunction or order of any federal, state or foreign court shall have been issued that would, as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, prevent the issuance or sale of the Securities.

 

 

(j)           Good Standing. The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, satisfactory evidence of the good standing of the Company and its significant subsidiaries in their respective jurisdictions of organization and their good standing in such other jurisdictions as the Representatives may reasonably request, in each case in writing or any standard form of telecommunication from the appropriate governmental authorities of such jurisdictions.

 

(k)          Exchange Listing. A number of shares of Common Stock equal to the Maximum Number of Underlying Securities shall have been approved for listing on Nasdaq, subject to official notice of issuance.

 

(l)           DTC. The Securities shall be eligible for clearance and settlement through DTC.

 

(m)         Lock-up Agreements. The “lock-up” agreements, each substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, between you and officers and directors of the Company relating to sales and certain other dispositions of shares of Common Stock or certain other securities, delivered to you on or before the date hereof, shall be in full force and effect on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.

 

(n)          Additional Documents. On or prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives such further certificates and documents as the Representatives may reasonably request.

 

All opinions, letters, certificates and evidence mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall be deemed to be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters.

 

7.            Indemnification and Contribution.

 

(a)          Indemnification of the Underwriters. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, reasonable and documented legal fees and other reasonable and documented expenses incurred in connection with any suit, action or proceeding or any claim asserted, as such fees and expenses are incurred), joint or several, that arise out of, or are based upon, (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, not misleading, or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed 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 any Pricing Disclosure Package (including any Pricing Disclosure Package that has subsequently been amended), or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, in each case except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in paragraph ‎(b)‎ below.

 

The Company also agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Raymond James & Associates, Inc., its affiliates, directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls Raymond James & Associates, Inc. within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities incurred as a result of Raymond James & Associates, Inc.’s participation as the QIU in connection with this offering.

 

 

(b)          Indemnification of the Company. Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act to the same extent as the indemnity set forth in paragraph ‎(a)‎ above, but only with respect to any losses, claims, damages or liabilities that arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any road show or any Pricing Disclosure Package (including any Pricing Disclosure Package that has subsequently been amended), it being understood and agreed upon that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the following information in the Prospectus furnished on behalf of each Underwriter: the concession figures appearing in the table under the fifth paragraph under the caption “Underwriting (Conflicts of Interest)” and the statements regarding the Underwriters’ stabilization activities contained in the fourteenth paragraph under the caption “Underwriting (Conflicts of Interest).”

 

(c)          Notice and Procedures. If any suit, action, proceeding (including any governmental or regulatory investigation), claim or demand shall be brought or asserted against any person in respect of which indemnification may be sought pursuant to the preceding paragraphs of this Section ‎7‎, such person (the “Indemnified Person”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnification may be sought (the “Indemnifying Person”) in writing; provided that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have under the preceding paragraphs of this Section ‎7‎ except to the extent that it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) by such failure; and provided, further, that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have to an Indemnified Person otherwise than under the preceding paragraphs of this Section ‎7. If any such proceeding shall be brought or asserted against an Indemnified Person and it shall have notified the Indemnifying Person thereof, the Indemnifying Person shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person (who shall not, without the consent of the Indemnified Person, be counsel to the Indemnifying Person) to represent the Indemnified Person and any others entitled to indemnification pursuant to this Section 7 that the Indemnifying Person may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the reasonable and documented fees and expenses in such proceeding and shall pay the reasonable and documented fees and expenses of such counsel related to such proceeding, as incurred. In any such proceeding, any Indemnified Person 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 Person unless (i) the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person shall have mutually agreed to the contrary; (ii) the Indemnifying Person has failed within a reasonable time to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person; (iii) the Indemnified Person shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it that are different from or in addition to those available to the Indemnifying Person; or (iv) the named parties in any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. It is understood and agreed that the Indemnifying Person shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceeding in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all Indemnified Persons, and that all such reasonable and documented fees and expenses shall be paid or reimbursed as they are incurred; provided, however, that if indemnity may be sought pursuant to the second paragraph of Section 7(a) above in respect of such proceeding, then in addition to such separate firm of the Underwriters, their affiliates, directors, officers and such control persons of the Underwriters the indemnifying party shall be liable for the fees and expenses of not more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for Raymond James & Associates, Inc. in its capacity as the QIU, its affiliates, directors, officers and all persons, if any, who control Raymond James & Associates, Inc. within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act. Any such separate firm for any Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and any control persons of such Underwriter shall be designated in writing by the Representatives and any such separate firm for the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and any control persons of the Company shall be designated in writing by the Company. The Indemnifying Person shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the Indemnifying Person agrees to indemnify each Indemnified Person from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an Indemnified Person shall have requested that an Indemnifying Person reimburse the Indemnified Person for reasonable and documented fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by this paragraph, the Indemnifying Person 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 the Indemnifying Person of such request and (ii) the Indemnifying Person shall not have reimbursed the Indemnified Person in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No Indemnifying Person shall, without the written consent of the Indemnified Person, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any Indemnified Person is or could have been a party and indemnification could have been sought hereunder by such Indemnified Person, unless such settlement (x) includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Person, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Person, from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding and (y) does not include any statement as to or any admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any Indemnified Person.

 

 

(d)          Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in paragraphs ‎(a)‎ or ‎‎(b) above is unavailable to an Indemnified Person or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each Indemnifying Person under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such Indemnified Person thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Person as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters on the other, from the offering of the Securities or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause ‎(i)‎ is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause ‎(i)‎ but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters on the other, in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters on the other, shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds (before deducting expenses) received by the Company from the sale of the Securities and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters in connection therewith, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate offering price of the Securities. The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters on the other, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

 

(e)          Limitation on Liability. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to paragraph ‎(d)‎ above 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 paragraph ‎(d)‎ above. The amount paid or payable by an Indemnified Person as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in paragraph ‎(d)‎ above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Indemnified Person in connection with any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs ‎(d)‎ and ‎‎(e), in no event shall an Underwriter be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriter with respect to the offering of the Securities exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant to paragraphs ‎(d)‎ and ‎‎(e) are several in proportion to their respective purchase obligations hereunder and not joint.

 

 

(f)           Non-Exclusive Remedies. The remedies provided for in this Section ‎7 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any Indemnified Person at law or in equity.

 

8.            Effectiveness of Agreement. This Agreement shall become effective as of the date first written above.

 

9.            Termination. This Agreement may be terminated in the absolute discretion of the Representatives, by notice to the Company, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and on or prior to the Closing Date or, in the case of the Option Securities, prior to the Additional Closing Date (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on or by any of the New York Stock Exchange or The Nasdaq Stock Market; (ii) trading of any securities issued or guaranteed by the Company shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by federal or New York State authorities; or (iv) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis, either within or outside the United States, that, in the judgment of the Representatives, is material and adverse and makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Securities on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

10.          Defaulting Underwriter. (a) If, on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, any Underwriter defaults on its obligation to purchase the Securities that it has agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, the non-defaulting Underwriters may in their discretion arrange for the purchase of such Securities by other persons satisfactory to the Company on the terms contained in this Agreement. If, within 36 hours after any such default by any Underwriter, the non-defaulting Underwriters do not arrange for the purchase of such Securities, then the Company shall be entitled to a further period of 36 hours within which to procure other persons satisfactory to the non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase such Securities on such terms. If other persons become obligated or agree to purchase the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter, either the non-defaulting Underwriters or the Company may postpone the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, for up to five full business days in order to effect any changes that in the opinion of counsel for the Company or counsel for the Underwriters may be necessary in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or in any other document or arrangement (provided that any such Additional Closing Date shall not be postponed beyond the thirteenth calendar day immediately following, and including, the Closing Date), and the Company agrees to promptly prepare any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus that effects any such changes. As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” includes, for all purposes of this Agreement unless the context otherwise requires, any person not listed in Schedule 1 hereto that, pursuant to this Section ‎10, purchases Securities that a defaulting Underwriter agreed but failed to purchase.

 

(b)          If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company as provided in paragraph ‎(a)‎ above, the aggregate number of Securities that remain unpurchased on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, does not exceed one-eleventh of the aggregate number of Securities to be purchased on such date, then the Company shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the number of Securities that such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder on such date plus such Underwriter’s pro rata share (based on the number of Securities that such Underwriter agreed to purchase on such date) of the Securities of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made.

 

(c)          If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company as provided in paragraph ‎(a)‎ above, the aggregate number of Securities that remain unpurchased on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, exceeds one-eleventh of the aggregate principal amount of Securities to be purchased on such date, or if the Company shall not exercise the right described in paragraph ‎(b)‎ above, then this Agreement or, with respect to any Additional Closing Date, the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase Securities on the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall terminate without liability on the part of the non-defaulting Underwriters. Any termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section ‎10 shall be without liability on the part of the Company, except that the Company will continue to be liable for the payment of expenses as set forth in Section ‎11 hereof and except that the provisions of Section ‎7‎ hereof shall not terminate and shall remain in effect.

 

 

(d)          Nothing contained herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter of any liability it may have to the Company or any non-defaulting Underwriter for damages caused by its default.

 

11.          Payment of Expenses. (a) Whether or not the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, the Company will pay or cause to be paid all costs and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder, including without limitation, (i) the costs incident to the authorization, issuance, sale, preparation and delivery of the Securities to the Underwriters and any stamp, registration, transfer or other similar taxes payable in that connection; (ii) the costs incident to the preparation, printing and filing under the Securities Act of the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (including all exhibits, amendments and supplements thereto) and the distribution thereof; (iii) the fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel and the Company’s and BlueHalo’s independent accountants; (iv) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the registration or qualification and determination of eligibility for investment of the Securities under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives may designate and the preparation, printing and distribution of a Blue Sky Memorandum (including the reasonable related fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters in an amount not to exceed $5,000.00); (v) the fees and expenses of the Trustee and any paying agent (including related fees and expenses of any counsel to such parties); (vi) all expenses and application fees incurred in connection with the approval of the Securities for book-entry transfer by DTC; (vii) the costs and charges of any transfer agent and any registrar; (viii) all expenses incurred by the Company in connection with any “road show” presentation to potential investors; and (ix) all expenses and application fees related to the listing of a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the Maximum Number of Underlying Securities on Nasdaq. It is understood, however, that except as provided in this Section 11, the Underwriters will pay all of their own costs and expenses, including the fees of their counsel, and including stamp, registration, transfer or other similar taxes payable on resale of any of the Securities by them.

 

(b)          If (i) this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section ‎9‎, (ii) the Company for any reason fails to tender the Securities for delivery to the Underwriters or (iii) the Underwriters decline to purchase the Securities for any reason permitted under this Agreement, the Company agrees to reimburse the Underwriters for all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket costs and expenses (including the reasonable and documented fees and expenses of their counsel) incurred by the Underwriters in connection with this Agreement and the offering contemplated hereby. For the avoidance of doubt, it is understood that the Company shall not pay or reimburse any costs, fees or expenses incurred by any Underwriter that defaults on its obligations to purchase the Securities.

 

12.          Persons Entitled to Benefit of Agreement. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers and directors and any controlling persons referred to herein, and the affiliates of each Underwriter referred to in Section ‎7‎ hereof. Nothing in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any other person any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision contained herein. No purchaser of Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor merely by reason of such purchase.

 

13.          Survival. The respective indemnities, rights of contribution, representations, warranties and agreements of the Company and the Underwriters contained in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of the Company or the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement or any certificate delivered pursuant hereto shall survive the delivery of and payment for the Securities and shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any termination of this Agreement or any investigation made by or on behalf of the Company or the Underwriters or the directors, officers, controlling persons or affiliates referred to in Section ‎7‎ hereof.

 

 

14.          Certain Defined Terms. For purposes of this Agreement, (a) except where otherwise expressly provided, the term “affiliate” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act; (b) the term “business day” means any day other than a day on which banks are permitted or required to be closed in New York City; (c) the term “subsidiary” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act; and (d) the term “significant subsidiary” has the meaning set forth in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X under the Exchange Act.

 

15.          Compliance with USA Patriot Act. In accordance with the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)), the Underwriters are required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies their respective clients, including the Company, which information may include the name and address of their respective clients, as well as other information that will allow the Underwriters to properly identify their respective clients.

 

16.          Miscellaneous.

 

(a)          Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted and confirmed by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be given to the Representatives c/o J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, 383 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10179 (fax: (212) 622-8358), Attention: Equity Syndicate Desk; and c/o BofA Securities, Inc., One Bryant Park, New York, New York 10036, Attention: Syndicate Department, email: ***@***, with a copy to: Attention: ECM Legal, email: ***@***. Notices to the Company shall be given to it at 241 18th Street South, Suite 415, Arlington, Virginia 22202, Attention: General Counsel.

 

(b)         Governing Law. This Agreement and any claim, controversy or dispute arising under or related to this Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

 

(c)          Submission to Jurisdiction. The Company hereby submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the U.S. federal and New York state courts in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby. The Company waives any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such suit or proceeding in such courts. The Company agrees that final judgment in any such suit, action or proceeding brought in such court shall be conclusive and binding upon the Company and may be enforced in any court to the jurisdiction of which Company is subject by a suit upon such judgment.

 

(d)         Waiver of Jury Trial. Each of the parties hereto hereby waives any right to trial by jury in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement.

 

(e)          Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes.

 

(i)          In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer from such Underwriter of this Agreement, and any interest and obligation in or under this Agreement, will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement, and any such interest and obligation, were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.

 

(ii)         In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity or a BHC Act Affiliate of such Underwriter becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under this Agreement that may be exercised against such Underwriter are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.

 

As used in this Section ‎16(e):

 

 

“BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k).

 

“Covered Entity” means any of the following: (i) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b); (ii) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or (iii) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b).

 

“Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable.

 

“U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

(f)          Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in counterparts (which may include counterparts delivered by any standard form of telecommunication), each of which shall be an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including any electronic signature covered by the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, the Electronic Signatures and Records Act or other applicable law, e.g., www.docusign.com) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.

 

(g)          Amendments or Waivers. No amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement, nor any consent or approval to any departure therefrom, shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the parties hereto.

 

(h)          Headings. The headings herein are included for convenience of reference only and are not intended to be part of, or to affect the meaning or interpretation of, this Agreement.

 

 

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please indicate your acceptance of this Agreement by signing in the space provided below.

 

	Very truly yours,
	AeroVironment, Inc.
	By:	/s/ Kevin P. McDonnell
		Name:	Kevin P. McDonnell
		Title:	Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

 

Accepted: As of the date first written above

 

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
BofA Securities, Inc.
Raymond James & Associates, Inc.

 

For themselves and on behalf of the several Underwriters listed in Schedule 1 hereto.

 

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
By:	/s/ Arun Kumarathas
	Name:	Arun Kumarathas
	Title:	Vice President

 

BofA Securities, Inc.
By:	/s/ Maziar Yafeh
	Name:	Maziar Yafeh
	Title:	Managing Director

 

Raymond James & Associates, Inc.
By:	/s/ Sam Maness
	Name:	Sam Maness
	Title:	Managing Director

 

 

Schedule 1

 

Underwriter		Principal Amount of Securities
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC		$	236,366,000
BofA Securities, Inc.			206,819,000
Raymond James & Associates, Inc.			29,545,000
RBC Capital Markets, LLC			29,545,000
William Blair & Company, L.L.C.			29,545,000
Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated			29,545,000
BNP Paribas Securities Corp.			29,545,000
U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.			23,636,000
Citizens JMP Securities, LLC			17,727,000
BMO Capital Markets Corp.			17,727,000
Total		$	650,000,000

 

 

Annex A

 

a.             Pricing Disclosure Package

 

·

Pricing Term Sheet as set forth in Exhibit A hereto

 

b.             Issuer Free Writing Prospectus not included in the Pricing Disclosure Package

 

·

Press release dated June 30, 2025 announcing the proposed offering of the Securities and the proposed Concurrent Offering

 

 

Exhibit A

 

Pricing Term Sheet

 

PRICING TERM SHEET
July 1, 2025

 

AeroVironment, Inc.

Offerings of

$875,000,048 of Shares of Common Stock (3,528,226 Shares)

$650,000,000 0% Convertible Senior Notes due 2030

 

The information in this pricing term sheet supplements (i) AeroVironment, Inc.’s (“AeroVironment”) preliminary prospectus supplement, dated June 30, 2025 (the “Common Stock Preliminary Prospectus Supplement”), relating to an offering of common stock (the “Common Stock Offering”), and (ii) AeroVironment’s preliminary prospectus supplement, dated June 30, 2025 (the “Convertible Notes Preliminary Prospectus Supplement”), relating to an offering of convertible senior notes (the “Convertible Notes Offering”), and, in each case, the accompanying prospectus, dated June 30, 2025, each filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). This pricing term sheet supersedes the information in the Common Stock Preliminary Prospectus Supplement and the Convertible Notes Preliminary Prospectus Supplement to the extent inconsistent with the information in the Common Stock Preliminary Prospectus Supplement and Convertible Notes Preliminary Prospectus Supplement, respectively. Terms used, but not defined, in this pricing term sheet have the respective meanings set forth in the Common Stock Preliminary Prospectus Supplement and the Convertible Notes Preliminary Prospectus Supplement. As used in this pricing term sheet, “we,” “our” and “us” refer to AeroVironment and not to its subsidiaries. AeroVironment has increased the size of the Common Stock Offering from $750,000,000 to $875,000,048 (or, if the underwriters of the Common Stock Offering fully exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Common Stock, $1,006,250,080). In addition, AeroVironment has increased the size of the Convertible Notes Offering from $600,000,000 to $650,000,000 (or, if the underwriters of the Convertible Notes Offering fully exercise their over-allotment option to purchase additional Notes, $747,500,000). The final prospectus supplements relating to the Common Stock Offering and the Convertible Notes Offering will reflect conforming changes relating to such increase in the size of the Common Stock Offering and the Convertible Notes Offering, respectively.

 

Common Stock Offering

 

Issuer:	AeroVironment, Inc.
Securities:	3,528,226 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of AeroVironment, Inc. (the “Common Stock”) (or, if the underwriters of the Common Stock Offering fully exercise their option to purchase additional shares, 4,057,460 shares of Common Stock)
Offering Size:	$875,000,048 (or, if the underwriters of the Common Stock Offering fully exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Common Stock, $1,006,250,080)
Ticker/Exchange for the Common Stock:	AVAV / Nasdaq Global Select Market
Last Reported Sale Price per Share of the Common Stock on July 1, 2025:	$252.40
Public Offering Price per Share of Common Stock:	$248.00
Underwriting Discount:	$9.30 per share of Common Stock, and $32,812,501.80 in the aggregate (or $37,734,378 in the aggregate, if the underwriters of the Common Stock Offering fully exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Common Stock)

 

 

Trade Date:	July 2, 2025
Settlement Date:	T + 1; July 3, 2025
Use of Proceeds:	We estimate that the net proceeds to us from the Common Stock Offering will be approximately $840.9 million (or approximately $967.2 million if the underwriters of the Common Stock Offering fully exercise their option to purchase additional shares of Common Stock), after deducting the underwriters’ discounts and commissions and our estimated offering expenses. We intend to use the net proceeds from the Common Stock Offering, together with the net proceeds from the Convertible Notes Offering, to repay $700.2 million of indebtedness under the New Term Loan and $265.1 million of outstanding borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility, and the remainder for general corporate purposes, including to increase manufacturing capacity.
Lead Book-Running Managers:	J.P. Morgan Securities LLC BofA Securities, Inc.
Joint Book-Running Managers:	Raymond James & Associates, Inc.
	RBC Capital Markets, LLC William Blair & Company, L.L.C.
	Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated BNP Paribas Securities Corp.
Co-Managers:	BTIG, LLC
	Citizens JMP Securities, LLC BMO Capital Markets Corp.
CUSIP/ISIN Numbers for the Common Stock:	CUSIP: 008073108 / ISIN: US0080731088
Convertible Notes Offering
Issuer:	AeroVironment, Inc.
Securities:	0% Convertible Senior Notes due 2030 (the “Notes”)
Offering Size:	$650,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Notes, plus up to an additional $97,500,000 aggregate principal amount of Notes pursuant to the over- allotment option of the underwriters of the Convertible Notes Offering
Ticker/Exchange for the Common Stock:	AVAV / Nasdaq Global Select Market

 

 

Maturity Date:	July 15, 2030
Coupon:	0% per annum
Issue Price:	100% of principal amount per Note
Underwriting Discount:	2.75% of the principal amount of the Notes, and $17,875,000 in the aggregate (or $20,556,250 in the aggregate, if the underwriters of the Convertible Notes Offering fully exercise their over-allotment option)
No Regular Interest; Special Interest	The Notes will not bear regular interest, and the principal amount of the Notes will not accrete. Special interest will accrue on the Notes in the circumstances described in the Convertible Notes Preliminary Prospectus Supplement under the caption “Description of Notes—Events of Default—Special Interest as Sole Remedy for Certain Reporting Defaults.”
	If any special interest accrues on the Notes, then such interest will be payable semi-annually in arrears on the next January 15 or July 15 to noteholders of record as of the close of business on the immediately preceding January 1 and July 1, respectively.
Trade Date:	July 2, 2025
Settlement Date:	T + 1; July 3, 2025
Use of Proceeds:	We estimate that the net proceeds to us from the Convertible Notes Offering will be approximately $630.8 million (or approximately $725.6 million if the underwriters of the Convertible Notes Offering fully exercise their over- allotment option), after deducting the underwriters’ discounts and commissions and our estimated offering expenses. We intend to use the net proceeds from the Convertible Notes Offering, together with the net proceeds from the Common Stock Offering, to repay $700.2 million of indebtedness under the New Term Loan and $265.1 million of outstanding borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility, and the remainder for general corporate purposes, including to increase manufacturing capacity.
CUSIP / ISIN:	CUSIP: 008073 AA6 / ISIN: US008073AA60
Denominations/Multiple:	$1,000 / $1,000
Last Reported Sale Price per Share of the Common Stock on July 1, 2025:	$252.40
Initial Conversion Rate:	3.1017 shares of Common Stock per $1,000 principal amount of Notes
Initial Conversion Price:	Approximately $322.40 per share of Common Stock
Conversion Premium:	Approximately 30.0% above the Public Offering Price per Share of Common Stock in the Common Stock Offering
Lead Book-Running Managers:	J.P. Morgan Securities LLC BofA Securities, Inc.

 

 

Joint Book-Running Managers:	Raymond James & Associates, Inc.
	RBC Capital Markets, LLC William Blair & Company, L.L.C.
	Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated BNP Paribas Securities Corp.
Co-Managers:	U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.
	Citizens JMP Securities, LLC BMO Capital Markets Corp.
Optional Redemption:	We may not redeem the Notes at our option at any time before July 21, 2028. Subject to the terms of the indenture, the Notes will be redeemable, in whole or in part (subject to certain limitations described below), at our option at any time, and from time to time, on or after July 21, 2028 and on or before the 61st scheduled trading day immediately before the Maturity Date, at a cash redemption price equal to the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid special interest, if any, to, but excluding, the redemption date, but only if the last reported sale price per share of Common Stock exceeds 130% of the conversion price on (i) each of at least 20 trading days, whether or not consecutive, during the 30 consecutive trading days ending on, and including, the trading day immediately before the date we send the related redemption notice; and (ii) the trading day immediately before the date we send such notice. However, we may not redeem less than all of the outstanding Notes unless at least $100.0 million aggregate principal amount of Notes are outstanding and not called for redemption as of the time we send the related redemption notice. In addition, calling any Note for redemption will constitute a make-whole fundamental change with respect to that Note, in which case the conversion rate applicable to the conversion of that Note will be increased in certain circumstances if it is converted after it is called for redemption. If we elect to redeem less than all of the outstanding Notes, then the redemption will not constitute a make-whole fundamental change with respect to the Notes not called for redemption, and holders of the Notes not called for redemption will not be entitled to an increased conversion rate for such Notes as described above on account of the redemption, except in certain circumstances. See “Description of Notes—Optional Redemption” in the Convertible Notes Preliminary Prospectus Supplement.
Increase in Conversion Rate in Connection with a Make-Whole Fundamental Change:	If a make-whole fundamental change occurs and the conversion date for the conversion of a Note occurs during the related make-whole fundamental change conversion period, then, subject to the provisions described in the Convertible Notes Preliminary Prospectus Supplement under the caption “Description of Notes—Conversion Rights—Increase in Conversion Rate in Connection with a Make-Whole Fundamental Change,” the conversion rate applicable to such conversion will be increased by a number of shares of Common Stock (the “Additional Shares”) set forth in the table below corresponding (after interpolation as described below) to the make-whole fundamental change effective date and the stock price of such make-whole fundamental change:

 

 

Make-Whole Fundamental Change Effective		Stock Price
Date		$248.00				$275.00				$300.00				$322.40				$360.00				$390.00				$419.12				$500.00				$600.00				$700.00				$850.00				$1,000.00				$1,200.00
July 3, 2025			0.9305				0.7443				0.6113				0.5159				0.3925				0.3183				0.2612				0.1540				0.0816				0.0428				0.0146				0.0034				0.0000
July 15, 2026			0.9305				0.7443				0.6113				0.5159				0.3888				0.3111				0.2520				0.1430				0.0719				0.0355				0.0105				0.0017				0.0000
July 15, 2027			0.9305				0.7443				0.6072				0.4996				0.3639				0.2846				0.2254				0.1196				0.0548				0.0239				0.0051				0.0002				0.0000
July 15, 2028			0.9305				0.7339				0.5697				0.4559				0.3161				0.2372				0.1801				0.0844				0.0321				0.0107				0.0008				0.0000				0.0000
July 15, 2029			0.9305				0.6699				0.4870				0.3652				0.2249				0.1525				0.1046				0.0358				0.0080				0.0008				0.0000				0.0000				0.0000
July 15, 2030			0.9305				0.5346				0.2316				0.0000				0.0000				0.0000				0.0000				0.0000				0.0000				0.0000				0.0000				0.0000				0.0000

 

If such make-whole fundamental change effective date or stock price is not set forth in the table above, then:

 

·

if such stock price is between two stock prices in the table above or the make-whole fundamental change effective date is between two dates in the table above, then the number of Additional Shares will be determined by straight-line interpolation between the numbers of Additional Shares set forth for the higher and lower stock prices in the table above or the earlier and later dates in the table above, based on a 365- or 366-day year, as applicable; and

 

·

if the stock price is greater than $1,200.00 (subject to adjustment in the same manner as the stock prices set forth in the column headings of the table above are adjusted, as described in the Convertible Notes Preliminary Prospectus Supplement under the caption “Description of Notes—Conversion Rights—Increase in Conversion Rate in Connection with a Make-Whole Fundamental Change—Adjustment of Stock Prices and Number of Additional Shares”), or less than $248.00 (subject to adjustment in the same manner), per share of Common Stock, then no Additional Shares will be added to the conversion rate.

 

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, in no event will the conversion rate be increased to an amount that exceeds 4.0322 shares of Common Stock per $1,000 principal amount of Notes, which amount is subject to adjustment in the same manner as, and at the same time and for the same events for which, the conversion rate is required to be adjusted pursuant to the provisions described in the Convertible Notes Preliminary Prospectus Supplement under the caption “Description of Notes—Conversion Rights—Conversion Rate Adjustments—Generally.”

 

We have filed a registration statement (including a prospectus), the Common Stock Preliminary Prospectus Supplement and the Convertible Notes Preliminary Prospectus Supplement with the SEC for the offerings to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the Common Stock Preliminary Prospectus Supplement or the Convertible Notes Preliminary Prospectus Supplement, as applicable, and the prospectus in that registration statement and other documents we have filed with the SEC for more complete information about us and these offerings. You may get these documents free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, we, any underwriter or any dealer participating in the applicable offering will arrange to send you the Common Stock Preliminary Prospectus Supplement or the Convertible Notes Preliminary Prospectus Supplement, as applicable (or, when available, the applicable final prospectus supplement) and the accompanying prospectus upon request to: J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717 or by email at ***@*** and ***@***; or BofA Securities, Attn: Prospectus Department, NC1- 022-02-25, 201 North Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC ###-###-####, email: ***@***, telephone: 1 ###-###-####.

 

 

The information in this pricing term sheet is not a complete description of the Common Stock, the Common Stock Offering, the Notes or the Convertible Notes Offering. You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in the Common Stock Preliminary Prospectus Supplement and the Convertible Notes Preliminary Prospectus Supplement and the accompanying prospectus, as supplemented by this pricing term sheet, in making an investment decision with respect to the Common Stock or the Notes.

 

ANY DISCLAIMERS OR OTHER NOTICES THAT MAY APPEAR BELOW ARE NOT APPLICABLE TO THIS COMMUNICATION AND SHOULD BE DISREGARDED. SUCH DISCLAIMERS OR OTHER NOTICES WERE AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED AS A RESULT OF THIS COMMUNICATION BEING SENT VIA BLOOMBERG OR ANOTHER EMAIL SYSTEM.

 

 

Exhibit B

 

Form of Lock-Up Agreement

 

Form of Lock-Up Agreement

 

__________, 2025

 

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
BofA Securities, Inc.
As Representatives of the several Underwriters listed in Schedule 1 to the Underwriting Agreement referred to below

 

c/o J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
383 Madison Avenue
New York, New York 10179

 

c/o BofA Securities, Inc.
One Bryant Park
New York, New York 10036

 

Re: AeroVironment, Inc. — Public Offering

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

The undersigned understands that you, as Representatives of the several Underwriters, propose to enter into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with AeroVironment, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), providing for the public offering (the “Public Offering”) by the several Underwriters named in Schedule 1 to the Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriters”), of common stock of the Company and/or securities convertible into common stock of the Company (such common stock or securities convertible into common stock, the “Securities”). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings set forth in the Underwriting Agreement.

 

In consideration of the Underwriters’ agreement to purchase and make the Public Offering of the Securities, and for other good and valuable consideration receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the undersigned hereby agrees that, without the prior written consent of J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and BofA Securities, Inc. on behalf of the Underwriters, the undersigned will not, and will not cause any direct or indirect affiliate to, during the period beginning on the date of this letter agreement (this “Letter Agreement”) and ending at the close of business 90 days after the date of the final prospectus supplement relating to the Public Offering (the “Prospectus”) (such period, the “Restricted Period”), subject to the exceptions set forth in this Letter Agreement (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 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of the Company (the “Common Stock”) or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock (including, without limitation, Common Stock or such other securities which may be deemed to be beneficially owned by the undersigned in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and securities which may be issued upon exercise of a stock option or warrant) (collectively with the Common Stock, “Lock-Up Securities”), (2) enter into any hedging, swap or other agreement or transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Lock-Up Securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Lock-Up Securities, in cash or otherwise, (3) make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to the registration of any Lock-Up Securities, or (4) publicly disclose the intention to do any of the foregoing. The undersigned acknowledges and agrees that the foregoing precludes the undersigned from engaging in any hedging or other transactions or arrangements (including, without limitation, any short sale or the purchase or sale of, or entry into, any put or call option, or combination thereof, forward, swap or any other derivative transaction or instrument, however described or defined) designed or intended, or which could reasonably be expected to lead to or result in, a sale or disposition or transfer (whether by the undersigned or any other person) of any economic consequences of ownership, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, of any Lock-Up Securities, whether any such transaction or arrangement (or instrument provided for thereunder) would be settled by delivery of Lock-Up Securities, in cash or otherwise.

 

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the undersigned may:

 

(a)

transfer the undersigned’s Lock-Up Securities without the consent of the Representatives:

 

(i)

as a bona fide gift or gifts, or for bona fide estate planning purposes,

 

(ii)

by will, other testamentary document or intestacy,

 

(iii)

to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned, or if the undersigned is a trust, to a trustor or beneficiary of the trust or to the estate of a beneficiary of such trust (for purposes of this Letter Agreement, “immediate family” shall mean any relationship by blood, current or former marriage, domestic partnership or adoption, not more remote than first cousin),

 

(iv)

to a partnership, limited liability company or other entity of which the undersigned and/or the immediate family of the undersigned are the legal and beneficial owner of all of the outstanding equity securities or similar interests,

 

(v)

to a nominee or custodian of a person or entity to whom a disposition or transfer would be permissible under clauses (i) through (iv) above,

 

(vi)

if the undersigned is a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other business entity, (A) to another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other business entity that is an affiliate (as defined in Rule 405 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended) of the undersigned, or to any investment fund or other entity controlling, controlled by, managing or managed by or under common control with the undersigned or affiliates of the undersigned (including, for the avoidance of doubt, where the undersigned is a partnership, to its general partner or a successor partnership or fund, or any other funds managed by such partnership), or (B) as part of a distribution to members or shareholders of the undersigned,

 

(vii)

by operation of law, such as pursuant to a qualified domestic order, divorce settlement, divorce decree or separation agreement,

 

(viii)

(A) to the Company from an employee of the Company upon death, disability or termination of employment, in each case, of such employee or (B) to the Company pursuant to the provisions of any policy of the Company with respect to the recoupment of incentive-based compensation,

 

(ix)

as part of a sale of the undersigned’s Lock-Up Securities acquired in the Public Offering or in open market transactions after the closing date for the Public Offering,

 

 

(x)

(A) to the Company or (B) in broker-assisted market transactions in connection with the vesting, settlement, or exercise of restricted stock awards, restricted stock units, options, warrants or other rights to purchase shares of Common Stock (including, in each case, in transfers to the Company, by way of “net” or “cashless” exercise), including for the payment of exercise price and tax and remittance payments due as a result of the vesting, settlement, or exercise of such restricted stock awards, restricted stock units, options, warrants or rights; provided that any such shares of Common Stock received and, in the case of transfers contemplated in clause (B) of this paragraph, retained upon such exercise, vesting or settlement shall be subject to the terms of this Letter Agreement, and provided further that any such restricted stock awards, restricted stock units, options, warrants or rights are held by the undersigned pursuant to an agreement or equity awards granted under a stock incentive plan or other equity award plan, each such agreement or plan which is described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or

 

(xi)

pursuant to a bona fide third-party tender offer, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction that is approved by the Board of Directors of the Company and made to all holders of the Company’s capital stock involving a Change of Control (as defined below) of the Company (for purposes hereof, “Change of Control” shall mean the transfer (whether by tender offer, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction), in one transaction or a series of related transactions, to a person or group of affiliated persons, of shares of capital stock if, after such transfer, such person or group of affiliated persons would hold at least a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Company (or the surviving entity)); provided that in the event that such tender offer, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction is not completed, the undersigned’s Lock-Up Securities shall remain subject to the provisions of this Letter Agreement;

 

provided that (A) in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clause ‎(a)‎(i), ‎(ii), ‎(iii), ‎(iv), ‎(v), ‎(vi) and ‎(vii), such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value and each donee, devisee, transferee or distributee shall, except in the case of a transfer pursuant to clause (vii), execute and deliver to the Representatives a lock-up letter in the form of this Letter Agreement, (B) in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clause ‎(a), it shall be a condition to such transfer that no public filing, report or announcement shall be voluntarily made and if any filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, or other public filing, report or announcement reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of shares of Common Stock in connection with such transfer or distribution shall be legally required during the Restricted Period, such filing, report or announcement shall clearly indicate in the footnotes thereto the nature and conditions of such transfer;

 

(b)

exercise outstanding options, settle restricted stock units or other equity awards or exercise warrants pursuant to plans described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; provided that any Lock-up Securities received upon such exercise, vesting or settlement shall be subject to the terms of this Letter Agreement;

 

(c)

convert outstanding preferred stock, warrants to acquire preferred stock or convertible securities into shares of Common Stock or warrants to acquire shares of Common Stock; provided that any such shares of Common Stock or warrants received upon such conversion shall be subject to the terms of this Letter Agreement;

 

(d)

establish one or more trading plans after the date of this Letter Agreement pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act for the transfer or disposition of shares of Lock-Up Securities; provided that (1) such plans do not provide for the transfer or disposition of Lock-Up Securities during the Restricted Period and (2) any public announcement or filing under the Exchange Act made by any person regarding the establishment of such plan during the Restricted Period shall include a statement that the undersigned is not permitted to transfer, sell or otherwise dispose of securities under such plan during the Restricted Period in contravention of this Lock-Up Agreement.

 

 

In furtherance of the foregoing, the Company, and any duly appointed transfer agent for the registration or transfer of the securities described herein, are hereby authorized to decline to make any transfer of securities if such transfer would constitute a violation or breach of this Letter Agreement.

 

The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power and authority to enter into this Letter Agreement. All authority herein conferred or agreed to be conferred and any obligations of the undersigned shall be binding upon the successors, assigns, heirs or personal representatives of the undersigned.

 

This Letter Agreement may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including pdf or any electronic signature complying with the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, e.g., www.docusign.com or www.echosign.com) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.

 

The undersigned acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters have not provided any recommendation or investment advice nor have the Underwriters solicited any action from the undersigned with respect to the Public Offering of the Securities and the undersigned has consulted their own legal, accounting, financial, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent deemed appropriate. The undersigned further acknowledges and agrees that, although the Representatives may be required or choose to provide certain Regulation Best Interest and Form CRS disclosures to you in connection with the Public Offering, the Representatives and the other Underwriters are not making a recommendation to you to enter into this Letter Agreement, and nothing set forth in such disclosures is intended to suggest that the Representatives or any Underwriter is making such a recommendation.

 

The undersigned understands that, if the Underwriting Agreement does not become effective by August 7, 2025 or if the Underwriting Agreement (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination) shall terminate or be terminated prior to payment for and delivery of the Common Stock to be sold thereunder, the undersigned shall be released from all obligations under this Letter Agreement. The undersigned understands that the Underwriters are entering into the Underwriting Agreement and proceeding with the Public Offering in reliance upon this Letter Agreement.

 

This Letter Agreement and any claim, controversy or dispute arising under or related to this Letter Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

 

	Very truly yours,
	By:
		Name:
		Title: