AFFILIATED MANAGERS GROUP, INC. Shares of Common Stock (par value $0.01 per share) EQUITY DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
Exhibit 10.3
AFFILIATED MANAGERS GROUP, INC.
Shares of Common Stock
(par value $0.01 per share)
EQUITY DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
June 6, 2016
[BANK NAME]
[ADDRESS]
Ladies and Gentlemen:
This Equity Distribution Agreement (this Agreement), dated as of June 6, 2016, is among Affiliated Managers Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Company), [ ] ([ ] and when acting as sales agent, forward seller and/or principal, the Agent) and [ ] ([ ]). The Company, [ ] and [ ] agree as follows:
Introductory. The Company proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to issue and sell from time to time shares (the Shares) of the Companys common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the Common Stock), (i) to or through the Agent, as sales agent and/or principal, or (ii) through the Agent, as forward seller, in connection with the Confirmations (as defined below) entered into with [ ], in each case on the terms set forth in this Agreement and having an aggregate offering price not in excess of $500,000,000 (the Maximum Program Amount).
Certain Direct Sales. The Company agrees that whenever it determines to sell Shares directly to the Agent as principal it will enter into a written Terms Agreement (the Terms Agreement) with the Agent in substantially the form of Schedule I hereto, relating to such sale in accordance with Section 2(l) hereof. References herein to this Agreement or to matters contained herein or hereunder, or words of similar import, mean this Agreement and any applicable Terms Agreement.
Forward Sales. The Company has entered into a forward stock purchase transaction with [ ] as set forth in a separate letter agreement dated the date hereof, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit A (the Initial Confirmation). The Company may also enter into additional forward stock purchase transactions with [ ] under the Initial Confirmation or on substantially similar terms (each, a Subsequent Confirmation and, together with the Initial Confirmation, the Confirmations). In connection with the Confirmations and the Forward Sales (as defined below), [ ] may instruct an affiliate to borrow and sell Common Stock or engage in certain other hedging activities related thereto ([ ] and any such affiliate, the Forward Purchaser). For the avoidance of doubt, the Company, the Agent and the Forward Purchaser shall have the right, subject to terms mutually agreed by all parties, in their sole discretion, to cause the Terms Agreement, which contemplates sales to the Agent as principal, to contemplate a forward sale component.
Subject to the terms and conditions herein and therein, under the Initial Confirmation and, if applicable, the Subsequent Confirmations, the Company will deliver to the Forward Purchaser, or an affiliate thereof (including the Agent), up to the number of Shares as
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may be sold as a Forward Sale in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. In connection therewith, the Company and the Forward Purchaser understand that the Forward Purchaser, through the Agent, will effect sales of Shares not in excess of the Maximum Program Amount on the terms set forth in Section 2 of this Agreement.
Additional Agreements.
The Company has also entered into equity distribution agreements (the Additional Equity Distribution Agreements), dated the date hereof, with each of (1) [ ] ([ ]) and [ ] and (2) [ ] ([ ], and together with [ ], the Additional Agents) and [ ] and a forward stock purchase transaction with an affiliate of each of [ ] and [ ], and the Company may enter into additional forward stock purchase transactions with an affiliate of each of [ ] and [ ].
The Company previously entered into distribution agency agreements (the Distribution Agency Agreements), dated August 6, 2013, with each of Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. (Deutsche Bank), Citigroup Global Markets Inc. (Citi), RBC Capital Markets, LLC (RBC), Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. (Scotia) and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC (Wells Fargo and, together with Deutsche Bank, Citi, RBC and Scotia, the Distribution Agency Managers) and a forward stock purchase transaction with an affiliate of each of the Distribution Agency Managers.
Section 1. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to the Agent and the Forward Purchaser that:
(a) Compliance with Registration Requirements. The Company has filed, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 1933 Act), and the rules and regulations thereunder (the 1933 Act Regulations), with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission) an automatic shelf registration statement, as defined in Rule 405 of the 1933 Act Regulations (Rule 405), on Form S3 (File No. 333-210819), including a prospectus, to be used in connection with the public offering and sale of the Shares, which incorporates by reference documents that the Company has filed or will file in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the 1934 Act), and the rules and regulations thereunder (the 1934 Act Regulations), which registration statement became effective not earlier than three years on or prior to the date of this Agreement upon filing under Rule 462(e) of the 1933 Act Regulations.
Except where the context otherwise requires, the registration statement, as it may have heretofore been amended, including all documents filed as part thereof or incorporated by reference therein, and including any information contained in a Prospectus (as defined below) filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 430B of the 1933 Act Regulations (Rule 430B), and also including any other registration statement filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(b) or Rule 429 of the 1933 Act Regulations, is herein called the Registration Statement; the base prospectus filed as part of such Registration Statement, in the form in which it has most recently been filed with the Commission on or prior to the date of this Agreement, is herein called the Base Prospectus; the prospectus supplement dated June 6, 2016, specifically relating to the Shares prepared and filed with the Commission pursuant to
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Rule 424(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations is herein called the Prospectus Supplement; and the Base Prospectus, as amended and supplemented from time to time by any Prospectus Supplements, is herein called the Prospectus. The Registration Statement at the time it originally became effective is herein called the Original Registration Statement. Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, Prospectus Supplement or Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein as of the Applicable Time (as defined below), and any reference herein to the terms amend, amendment or supplement with respect to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing after the execution hereof with the Commission of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, any Prospectus Supplement and any document deemed to be incorporated by reference therein prior to the Applicable Time relating to the particular Shares. As used in this subsection and elsewhere in this Agreement, Applicable Time means the time of each sale of any Shares pursuant to this Agreement.
To the extent that the Registration Statement is not available for the sales of the Shares as contemplated by this Agreement or the Company is not a well-known seasoned issuer as defined in Rule 405 or otherwise is unable to make the representations set forth in Section 1(b) at any time when such representations are required, the Company shall file a new registration statement with respect to any additional shares of Common Stock necessary to complete such sales of the Shares and shall cause such registration statement to become effective as promptly as practicable. After the effectiveness of any such registration statement, all references to Registration Statement included in this Agreement shall be deemed to include such new registration statement, including all documents filed as part thereof or incorporated therein by reference, and all references to Prospectus included in this Agreement shall be deemed to include the final form of prospectus, including all documents incorporated therein by reference, included in any such registration statement, as amended or supplemented from time to time (including by any prospectus supplement thereto). For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to any amendment or supplement thereto shall be deemed to include any copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval (EDGAR) system, and such copy shall be identical in content to any Prospectus delivered to the Agent for use in connection with the offering of the Shares.
(b) Well-Known Seasoned Issuer. (1) At the time of filing of the Original Registration Statement, (2) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the 1933 Act or otherwise (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act or form of prospectus), (3) at the time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c) of the 1933 Act Regulations) made any offer relating to the Shares in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163 of the 1933 Act Regulations, (4) at the earliest time after the filing of the Original Registration Statement that a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations) of the Shares was made, and (5) at the date hereof, the Company was and is a well-known seasoned issuer as defined in Rule 405. The Registration Statement is an automatic shelf registration statement, as defined in Rule 405, and the Shares, since their registration on the Registration Statement, have been and remain eligible for registration by the Company on a Rule 405 automatic shelf
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registration statement. The Company has not received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations objecting to the use of the automatic shelf registration statement form.
(c) S-3 Eligibility. The Company meets, and at the time of filing of the Original Registration Statement met, the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act. The Registration Statement has been filed with the Commission and is effective under the 1933 Act. The Company has not received, and has no notice of, any order of the Commission preventing or suspending the use or effectiveness of the Registration Statement, or threatening or instituting proceedings for that purpose. Any statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement have been so described or filed. Copies of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, any such amendments or supplements and all documents incorporated by reference therein that were filed with the Commission on or prior to the date of this Agreement (including one fully executed copy of each of the Registration Statement and of each amendment thereto for the Agent) have been delivered to the Agent and its counsel. The Company has not distributed any offering material in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares other than the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any other materials, if any, permitted by the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and reviewed and consented to by the Agent.
(d) Form Compliance; No Material Misstatement or Omission of a Material Fact. Each of the Registration Statement, any post-effective amendment thereto, the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto conforms, and when it became effective or was filed with the Commission conformed, in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations. The Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, when it became effective or was filed with the Commission, did not, and each such part, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, as of each Direct Settlement Date (as defined herein), will not, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. The Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto does not, and on the date of filing thereof with the Commission did not, and, at each Direct Settlement Date, will not, include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that the foregoing shall not apply to statements in, or omissions from, any such document in reliance upon, and in conformity with, Agent Information (as defined below).
(e) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. Any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus(es) (as defined below) and the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, all considered together (collectively, the General Disclosure Package), do not 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 under which they were made, not misleading as of each Applicable Time and, as then amended or supplemented by the Company, if applicable, at each Direct Settlement Date.
As used in this subsection and elsewhere in this Agreement, Issuer Free Writing Prospectus means any issuer free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 433 of the 1933 Act
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Regulations (Rule 433), relating to the Shares, in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Companys records pursuant to Rule 433(g).
Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus does not, and as of its issue date and all subsequent times did not, include any information that conflicts or conflicted with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein, and any preliminary or other prospectus deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified.
The representations and warranties in this Section 1(e) shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with the Agent Information.
(f) Incorporation of Documents by Reference. The documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus comply, and at the time they were filed with the Commission complied, in all material respects with the requirements of the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations, and, when read together with the other information in the Prospectus, do not, and at the time the Original Registration Statement became effective and at the date of the Prospectus did not, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(g) Independent Accountants. The accountants who certified the financial statements and supporting schedules incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and the Prospectus are independent public accountants as required by the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations.
(h) Financial Statements. The financial statements included in or incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, present fairly in all material respects (i) the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries at the dates indicated and (ii) the consolidated statements of income, changes in stockholders equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries for the periods specified; said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved, except as stated therein. The supporting schedules incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and the Prospectus present fairly in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated therein. Any pro forma financial statements of the Company, and the related notes thereto, included in or incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and the Prospectus present fairly in all material respects the information shown therein, have been prepared in accordance with the Commissions rules and guidelines with respect to pro forma financial statements and have been properly compiled on the basis described therein, and the assumptions used in the preparation thereof are reasonable and the adjustments used therein are appropriate to give effect to the transactions and circumstances referred to therein. No other financial statements are required to be set forth in or incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement or the Prospectus under the 1933 Act
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or the 1933 Act Regulations. As used in this subsection and elsewhere in this Agreement, subsidiary has the meaning set forth in Rule 405.
(i) No Material Adverse Change in Business. Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except as otherwise stated therein, (A) there has been no material adverse change or prospective material adverse change in the business, management, financial position, stockholders equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise from that set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business (a Material Adverse Effect), (B) there have been no transactions entered into by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, other than those in the ordinary course of business, which are material with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, and (C) there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its capital stock.
(j) Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware and has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under, or as contemplated by, this Agreement and the Confirmations. The Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(k) Good Standing of Subsidiaries. Each subsidiary of the Company has been duly organized or formed and is validly existing as a corporation, limited partnership, limited liability company, Massachusetts business trust or general partnership, as the case may be, under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization and is in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization, has power (corporate or otherwise) and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation, limited partnership, limited liability company, Massachusetts business trust or general partnership, as the case may be, to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to so qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. Except as otherwise disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, all of the issued shares of capital stock of each subsidiary of the Company which is a corporation, have been duly authorized and validly issued, and are fully paid and non-assessable, and to the extent owned by the Company or any of its subsidiaries (except for directors qualifying shares and as described or reflected generally in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus) are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims, in each case with such exceptions, individually or in the aggregate, as would not have a Material Adverse Effect. The partnership interests, membership interests and shares of beneficial interest of each subsidiary of the Company which is a partnership, limited liability company or Massachusetts business trust have been validly issued in
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accordance with applicable law and the partnership agreement, limited liability agreement or declaration of trust, as applicable, of such subsidiary, and to the extent owned by the Company or any of its subsidiaries (except as described or reflected generally in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus) are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims, in each case with such exceptions, individually or in the aggregate, as would not have a Material Adverse Effect; and none of the outstanding shares of capital stock, partnership interests, membership interests or shares of beneficial interests, as the case may be, of any subsidiary of the Company was issued in violation of the preemptive or similar rights of any securityholder of such subsidiary.
(l) Capitalization. The Company has the authorized, issued and outstanding capitalization described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (except for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to reservations, agreements or employee benefit plans or pursuant to the exercise of convertible securities or options, in each case accurately described or reflected in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented). The shares of issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company, including the Shares, have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable; and none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company was issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company. There are no authorized or outstanding options, warrants, preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other rights to purchase, or equity or debt securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for, any capital stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries other than those accurately described or reflected in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, or pursuant to reservations, agreements or employee benefit plans or the exercise of convertible securities or options, in each case accurately described or reflected in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented.
(m) Authorization of Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(n) Authorization of Confirmations. The Initial Confirmation has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and constitutes a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency (including, without limitation, all laws relating to fraudulent transfers), reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting enforcement of creditors rights generally and except as enforcement thereof is subject to general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law). The Company has duly authorized each Subsequent Confirmation and, when executed and delivered by the Company, each Subsequent Confirmation will constitute a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency (including, without limitation, all laws relating to fraudulent transfers), reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting enforcement of creditors rights generally and except as enforcement thereof is subject to general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law). The description of the Confirmation and the Subsequent Confirmations set forth in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus is correct in all material respects.
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(o) Authorization and Description of Shares. The description of the Common Stock set forth in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus is correct in all material respects. The Forward Settlement Shares (which means the Settlement Shares as defined in the Confirmation(s)) have been duly authorized by the Company for issuance and sale to the Forward Purchaser pursuant to the Confirmation(s) and, if and when issued and delivered by the Company pursuant to the Confirmation(s) against payment of the consideration specified therein, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and will not be issued in violation of any preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company. The Direct Settlement Shares (as defined herein, and together with the Forward Settlement Shares, the Settlement Shares) have been duly authorized by the Company for issuance and sale to the Agent, as sales agent and/or principal, and, when issued and delivered by the Company against payment therefor, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and will not be issued in violation of any preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company. No holder or beneficial owner of the Shares or the Settlement Shares will be subject to personal liability solely by reason of being such a holder or beneficial owner. The issuance and sale by the Company of the Forward Settlement Shares to the Forward Purchaser or its affiliate in settlement of the Confirmation(s) in accordance with the terms thereof and the delivery by the Forward Purchaser or its affiliate of the Forward Settlement Shares, during the term of and at settlement of the Confirmation(s), to close out open borrowings of Common Stock created in the course of the hedging activities created by the Forward Purchaser or its affiliate relating to its exposure under the Confirmation(s) will not require registration under the 1933 Act. The Company will not have an obligation to file a prospectus supplement pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations in connection with any Forward Settlement Shares delivered to the Forward Purchaser or its affiliate by the Company upon such settlement, and no prospectus supplement will be required to be filed under Rule 424(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations in connection with any Forward Settlement Shares delivered by the Forward Purchaser or its affiliate to close out open borrowings created in the course of the hedging activities created by the Forward Purchaser or its affiliate relating to its exposure under the Confirmation(s), assuming in each case that the Agent complied with Rule 173 of the 1933 Act Regulations in connection with the sales of Shares in an amount not less than the Number of Shares (as defined in the Confirmation(s)).
(p) Listing on New York Stock Exchange. The Shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (the NYSE) and the Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, terminating the listing of the Shares from the NYSE, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission or the NYSE is contemplating terminating such listing.
(q) Absence of Defaults and Conflicts. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of its charter or by-laws or other constituting or organizational document or in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound, or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company is subject (collectively, Agreements and Instruments) except for such defaults that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect; and the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the Confirmation(s) and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and therein and
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in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and compliance by the Company with its obligations hereunder and thereunder, have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and do not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company pursuant to, the Agreements and Instruments (except for such conflicts, breaches or defaults or liens, charges or encumbrances that would not result in a Material Adverse Effect), nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws or other constituting or organizational instrument as in effect on the date hereof of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company or any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any government, government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary of the Company or any of their assets, properties or operations, except for any such violation of any applicable law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of law which would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. As used herein, a Repayment Event means any event or condition which gives the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holders behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any subsidiary of the Company.
(r) Absence of Proceedings. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, now pending, or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against or affecting the Company or any subsidiary of the Company, which, singly or in the aggregate, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or which would reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement or the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder.
(s) Accuracy of Descriptions. All of the descriptions of contracts or other documents contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are accurate and complete descriptions in all material respects of such contracts or other documents.
(t) Absence of Further Requirements. No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any court or governmental authority or agency is necessary or required for the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder or under the Confirmation(s) or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, or for the due execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement and the Confirmation(s), except such as have been already obtained or as may be required under the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations or state securities laws.
(u) Possession of Licenses and Permits. The Company and its subsidiaries possess such permits, licenses, approvals, consents and other authorizations (collectively, Governmental Licenses) issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies necessary to conduct the business now operated by them; the Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms and conditions of all such Governmental
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Licenses, except in any such case where the failure to so possess or to comply would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; all of the Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect, except where the invalidity of such Governmental Licenses or the failure of such Governmental Licenses to be in full force and effect would not have a Material Adverse Effect; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such Governmental Licenses which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(v) Title to Property. The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all real property owned by the Company and its subsidiaries and good title to all other properties owned by them, in each case, free and clear of all mortgages, pledges, liens, security interests, claims, restrictions or encumbrances of any kind except such as (a) are described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or (b) would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect; and all of the leases and subleases material to the business of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, and under which the Company or any of its subsidiaries holds properties described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are in full force and effect, and neither the Company nor any subsidiary of the Company has any notice of any material claim of any sort that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company under any of the leases or subleases mentioned above, or affecting or questioning the rights of the Company or such subsidiary to the continued possession of the leased or subleased premises under any such lease or sublease.
(w) No Investment Company. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is, and upon the offering of the Shares as herein contemplated will be, an investment company or an entity controlled by an investment company as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act).
(x) Company Not an Investment Adviser. The Company is not required to register as an investment adviser or as a broker-dealer under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the Advisers Act) or the 1934 Act, respectively, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder. The Company is not required to be registered, licensed or qualified as an investment adviser or broker-dealer under the laws requiring any such registration, licensing or qualification in any jurisdiction in which it or its subsidiaries conduct business. Each of the subsidiaries has been duly registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act, and has been duly registered as a broker-dealer under the 1934 Act, and each such registration is in full force and effect, in each case to the extent such registration is required and with such exceptions as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Each of the subsidiaries is duly registered, licensed or qualified as an investment adviser and broker-dealer under state and local laws where such registration, licensing or qualification is required by such laws and is in compliance with all such laws requiring any such registration, licensing or qualification, in each case with such exceptions, individually or in the aggregate, as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
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(y) Investment Adviser Subsidiaries. Each subsidiary of the Company which is required to be registered as an investment adviser or broker-dealer is and has been in compliance with all applicable laws and governmental rules and regulations, as may be applicable to its investment advisory or broker-dealer business, except to the extent that such non-compliance would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect and none of such subsidiaries is prohibited by any provision of the Advisers Act or the 1940 Act from acting as an investment adviser. Each subsidiary of the Company which is required to be registered as a broker-dealer is a member in good standing of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). No subsidiary of the Company which is required to be registered as an investment adviser or broker-dealer is in default with respect to any judgment, order, writ, injunction, decree, demand or assessment issued by any court or any foreign, federal, state, municipal or other governmental agency, board, commission, bureau, instrumentality or department, domestic or foreign, or by any self-regulatory authority relating to any aspect of its investment advisory or broker-dealer business, which would need to be disclosed pursuant to Rule 206(4)-4(b) under the Advisers Act, or which is reasonably likely to give rise to an affirmative answer to any of the questions in Item 11, Part 1 of the Form ADV of such registered investment adviser or which is reasonably likely to give rise to an affirmative answer to any of the questions in Item 7 of the Form BD of such broker-dealer.
(z) Investment Company Mutual Funds. Each mutual fund of which a subsidiary of the Company serves as the investment advisor (a Mutual Fund) has been since inception, is currently and will be immediately after consummation of the transactions contemplated herein, a duly registered investment company in compliance with the 1940 Act, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, except where any failure to be duly registered, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Since their initial offering, shares of each of the Mutual Funds have been duly qualified for sale under the securities laws of each jurisdiction in which they have been sold or offered for sale at such time or times during which such qualification was required, and, if not so qualified, the failure to so qualify would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The offering and sale of shares of each of the Mutual Funds have been registered under the 1933 Act during such period or periods for which such registration is required; the related registration statement has become effective under the 1933 Act; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of any such registration statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or, to the best knowledge of the Company, are contemplated. Except to the extent that such failure to comply, misstatement or omission, as the case may be, would not reasonably be likely to result in a Material Adverse Effect, the registration statement of each Mutual Fund, together with the amendments and supplements thereto, under the 1940 Act and the 1933 Act has, at all times when such registration statement was effective, complied in all material respects with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the 1933 Act then in effect and neither such registration statement nor any amendments or supplements thereto contained, at the time and in the light of the circumstances in which they were made, an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, at the time and in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. All shares of each of the Mutual Funds were sold pursuant to an effective registration statement, or pursuant to a valid exemption from registration, and have been duly authorized and are validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. Each of the Mutual Funds investments has been made in accordance with its
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investment policies and restrictions set forth in its registration statement in effect at the time the investments were made and have been held in accordance with its respective investment policies and restrictions, to the extent applicable and in effect at the time such investments were held, except to the extent any failure to comply with such policies and restrictions, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(aa) Investment Advisory Agreements. The Company is not a party as an investment advisor or distributor to any investment advisory agreement or distribution agreement and is not serving or acting as an investment adviser to any person. Each of the investment advisory agreements to which any of its subsidiaries is a party is a legal and valid obligation of such subsidiary and complies with the applicable requirements of the Advisers Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, except where the failure to so comply would not individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Each of the investment advisory agreements and distribution agreements between a subsidiary of the Company and a Mutual Fund is a legal and valid obligation of such subsidiary and complies with the applicable requirements of the 1940 Act, and in the case of such distribution agreements, with the applicable requirements of the 1934 Act, except where the failure to so comply would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. No investment advisory agreement or distribution agreement to which any of the subsidiaries is a party that was either in effect on January 1, 2013 or entered into by a subsidiary of the Company since January 1, 2013 has been terminated or expired, except where any such termination or expiration would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. None of such subsidiaries is in breach or violation of or in default under any such investment advisory agreement or distribution agreement, with such exceptions individually or in the aggregate as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. No subsidiary of the Company is serving or acting as an investment adviser to any person except pursuant to an agreement to which such subsidiary is a party and which is in full force and effect, other than any agreement the non-existence of which would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The consummation of the transaction contemplated herein will not constitute an assignment, as such term is defined in the Advisers Act and the 1934 Act, of an investment advisory agreement.
(bb) No Fiduciary Duties. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) the sale of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement is an arms-length commercial transaction among the Company, on the one hand, and the Forward Purchaser and/or the Agent (as applicable), on the other hand, (ii) in connection with the Forward Sales (as defined herein) contemplated hereby and the process leading to such transaction(s), the Agent is acting as agent for the Forward Purchaser in connection with sales of the Shares sold on behalf of the Forward Purchaser and neither the Agent nor the Forward Purchaser nor any of their affiliates is an agent or fiduciary of the Company, or its stockholders, creditors, employees or any other party, (iii) the Agent has not assumed and will not assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether the Agent has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) and the Agent has no obligation to the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (iv) the Agent and its affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company and (v) the Agent has not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with
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respect to the offering contemplated hereby and the Company has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.
(cc) Internal Control over Financial Reporting. The Company maintains a system of internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the 1934 Act Regulations) that complies with the requirements of the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations and that has been designed by the Companys principal executive officer and principal financial officer, or under their supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting, the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and the interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement. The Companys internal control over financial reporting is effective and the Company is not aware of any material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting. Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there has been no change in the Companys internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Companys internal control over financial reporting.
(dd) eXtensible Business Reporting Language. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commissions rules and guidelines applicable thereto.
(ee) Disclosure Controls and Procedures. The Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the 1934 Act Regulations) that comply with the requirements of the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations; such disclosure controls and procedures have been designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company and its subsidiaries is made known to the Companys principal executive officer and principal financial officer by others within those entities; and such disclosure controls and procedures are effective.
(ff) No Stop Order or Cease-and-Desist Proceeding. The Registration Statement is not the subject of a pending proceeding or examination under Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the 1933 Act, and the Company is not the subject of a pending proceeding under Section 8A of the 1933 Act in connection with the offering of the Securities.
(gg) Actively-Traded Security. The Common Stock is an actively traded security exempted from the requirements of Rule 101 of Regulation M under the 1934 Act by subsection (c)(1) of such rule.
(hh) No Other At-The-Market Offerings. Except for the Additional Equity Distribution Agreements and as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company has not entered into any other sales agency agreements or other similar arrangements with any agent or any other representative in respect of at the market offerings of the Shares in accordance with Rule 415(a)(4) of the 1933 Act Regulations.
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(ii) No Stabilization or Manipulation. The Company has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would be reasonably expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.
(jj) No Commissions. There is no broker, finder or other party that is entitled to receive from the Company any brokerage or finders fee or other fee or commission as a result of any transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(kk) Deemed Representation. Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company delivered to the Agent or the Forward Purchaser or to counsel for the Agent or the Forward Purchaser pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to the Agent or the Forward Purchaser as to the matters covered thereby.
Section 2. Sale and Delivery of Shares.
(a) (i) Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Company may issue and sell Shares through the Agent acting as sales agent for the Company or directly to the Agent acting as principal from time to time (any such sale, a Direct Sale).
(ii) In addition, subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Company may, in consultation with the Forward Purchaser and the Agent, instruct the Forward Purchaser or its affiliate to borrow, offer and sell Shares through the Agent, as forward seller (any such sale, a Forward Sale). Agent agrees to use its reasonable efforts to sell the Shares under a Forward Sale in the manner contemplated by the General Disclosure Package.
(b) The Shares are to be sold on a daily basis or otherwise as shall be agreed to by the Company, the Agent and, if applicable, the Forward Purchaser on any day that is a trading day for the NYSE (other than a day on which the NYSE is scheduled to close prior to its regular weekday closing time, each, a Trading Day) that the Company has satisfied its obligations under Section 4 of this Agreement and that the Company has instructed the Agent to make such sales. On any Trading Day, the Company, in consultation with the Agent and, if applicable, the Forward Purchaser, may instruct the Agent by telephone (confirmed promptly by telecopy or email, which confirmation will be promptly acknowledged by the Agent) as to (i) the maximum amount of Shares to be sold by the Agent on such day (in any event not in excess of the amount then available for sale under the Prospectus and the currently effective Registration Statement), (ii) the minimum price per Share at which such Shares may be sold and (iii) whether the sale of such Shares will be a Direct Sale or a Forward Sale. Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the Agent shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to sell as sales agent for the Forward Purchaser (in the case of a Forward Sale) or for the Company (in the case of a Direct Sale) all of the Shares so designated by the Company. The Company and the Agent each acknowledge and agree that (A) there can be no assurance that the Agent will be successful in selling the Shares, (B) the Agent will incur no liability or obligation to the Company or any other person or entity if it does not sell Shares for any reason other than a failure by the Agent to use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices and applicable law and regulations to sell such Shares as required by this Agreement, and (C) the
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Agent shall be under no obligation to purchase Shares on a principal basis, except as expressly agreed by the Agent in a Terms Agreement.
(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not authorize the sale of, and the Agent shall not be obligated to use its commercially reasonable efforts to sell, any Shares (i) at a price lower than the minimum price therefor authorized from time to time or (ii) having an aggregate offering price in excess of the aggregate offering price of Shares authorized from time to time to be issued and sold under this Agreement, in each case, by the Companys board of directors, or a duly authorized committee thereof, and notified to the Agent in writing. In addition, the Company or the Agent may, upon notice to the other party hereto by telephone (confirmed promptly by telecopy or email, which confirmation will be promptly acknowledged), suspend the offering of the Shares for any reason and at any time; provided, however, that such suspension shall not affect or impair the parties respective obligations with respect to the Shares sold hereunder prior to the giving of such notice. Under no circumstances shall the aggregate offering price of Shares sold pursuant to this Agreement and the Additional Equity Distribution Agreements exceed the Maximum Program Amount or the aggregate offering price of Common Stock available for sale under the currently effective Registration Statement. Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement, if in the event of any Forward Sale either (i) the Forward Purchaser or its affiliate is unable to borrow and deliver any Shares for sale under this Agreement or (ii) in the sole judgment of the Forward Purchaser or its affiliate, it is either impracticable to do so or the Forward Purchaser or its affiliate would incur a stock loan cost that is equal to or greater than 75 basis points per annum to do so, then the Agent shall only be required to sell on behalf of the Forward Purchaser or its affiliate the aggregate number of Shares that the Forward Purchaser or its affiliate is able to, and that it is practicable to, so borrow below such cost.
(d) The Company agrees that any offer to sell, any solicitation of an offer to buy, or any sales of Shares pursuant to this Agreement, the Additional Equity Distribution Agreements or the Distribution Agency Agreements shall be effected by or through only one of the Agent, the Additional Agents or the Distribution Agency Managers on any single day, but in no event by more than one, and the Company shall in no event request that the Agent, the Additional Agents and any of the Distribution Agency Managers sell Shares on the same day.
(e) If either party reasonably believes that the exemptive provisions set forth in Rule 101(c)(1) of Regulation M under the 1934 Act are not satisfied with respect to the Company or the Shares, it shall promptly notify the other party and sales of Shares under this Agreement shall be suspended until that or other exemptive provisions have been satisfied in the judgment of each party.
(f) The Agent shall not make any sales of Shares as sales agent or forward seller other than by means of ordinary brokers transactions in accordance with Rule 153 of the 1933 Act Regulations.
(g) The gross sales price of any Shares sold pursuant to this Agreement shall be the market or other price agreed to by the Company and the Agent for Shares sold by the Agent under this Agreement at the time of such sale (the Gross Proceeds). The compensation payable to the Agent for sales of Shares shall be (i) in connection with any Direct Sale, 1.40% of
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the gross sales price for such Shares, unless otherwise agreed in a Terms Agreement (the Direct Sale Compensation) or (ii) in connection with any Forward Sale, the difference between the Gross Proceeds and the amount payable by the Forward Purchaser to the Company under the Confirmation(s), assuming full physical settlement of the Confirmation(s) based on the Initial Forward Price (as such term is defined in the Confirmation(s)). The amount payable (i) by the Agent to the Company in connection with any Direct Sale, shall be the Gross Proceeds less the Direct Sale Compensation or (ii) by the Forward Purchaser to the Company in connection with any Forward Sale, shall be determined pursuant to the Confirmation(s), assuming full physical settlement of the Confirmation(s) based on the Initial Forward Price, subject to the price adjustment and other provisions of the Confirmation(s), and shall constitute the net proceeds to the Company for such sales (in each case, the Net Proceeds).
(h) The Agent shall provide written confirmation (which may be by telecopy or email) to the Company following the close of trading on the NYSE each day on which Shares are sold under this Agreement setting forth the number of Shares sold on such day, the price or prices at which such Shares were sold on such day, the aggregate Gross Proceeds of the Shares, the Net Proceeds to the Company and the compensation payable by the Company to the Agent with respect to such sales.
(i) Settlement for sales of Shares pursuant to this Section 2 will occur on the third business day that is also a Trading Day following the trade date on which such sales are made, unless another date shall be agreed to by the Company and the Agent (each such day, a Settlement Date). On each Settlement Date for any Direct Sale (each such day, a Direct Settlement Date), such Shares (the Direct Settlement Shares) shall be delivered by the Company to the Agent in book-entry form to the Agents account at The Depository Trust Company against payment by the Agent of the Net Proceeds from the sale of such Shares in same day funds delivered to an account designated by the Company. On each Settlement Date for any Forward Sale, the Shares sold through the Agent for settlement on such date shall be delivered by the Forward Purchaser to the Agent. If the Company shall default on its obligation to deliver Shares through the Agent as sales agent on any Direct Settlement Date, the Company shall (i) indemnify and hold the Agent harmless against any loss, claim or damage arising from or as a result of such default by the Company and (ii) pay the Agent any commission to which it would otherwise be entitled absent such default.
(j) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Company and the Agent agree that no sales of Shares shall take place, and the Company shall not request the sale of any Shares that would be sold, and the Agent shall not be obligated to sell, (A) during any period starting on the first day of each fiscal quarter of the Company and ending on the day on which the Companys insider trading policy, as then in existence, does not prohibit the purchases or sales of the Companys Common Stock by its officers or directors (except to the extent that the Company is not in possession of material non-public information during the first five days of such period), (B) during any other period in which the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or (C) during any period in which the Company is in possession of material non-public information.
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(k) At each Applicable Time and on each Settlement Date, each date the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be amended or supplemented (other than a prospectus supplement to the Prospectus included as part of the Registration Statement filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations relating solely to the offering of securities other than the Shares) (a Registration Statement Amendment Date) and each date the Company files an Annual Report on Form 10-K or a Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or an amendment to any such document (a Company Periodic Report Date), the Company shall be deemed to have affirmed each representation and warranty (except for the representation and warranty in Section 1(l) hereof, which the Company shall be deemed to have affirmed only at each Company Periodic Report Date) and its compliance with each covenant and other agreement contained in this Agreement (unless the Company shall have notified the Agent to the contrary in writing). The Company shall cause a senior corporate officer of the Company from time to time designated by the Company (which senior corporate officer shall initially be a senior corporate officer holding one of the offices specified in Exhibit B hereto) to respond via electronic mail to a communication from the Agent in the form set forth in Exhibit B hereto when, during the term of this Agreement, the Company shall have received such a communication. Any obligation of the Agent to use its commercially reasonable efforts to sell the Shares on behalf of the Forward Purchaser or the Company, as applicable, shall be subject to, as determined in the reasonable discretion of the Agent, the continuing accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company, the compliance by the Company with each covenant contained herein, the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and the continuing satisfaction of the additional conditions specified in Section 4 of this Agreement.
(l) The Agent shall not have any obligation to purchase Shares as principal, whether from the Company or otherwise, unless the Company and the Agent agree as set forth below. Shares purchased from the Company by the Agent, individually or in a syndicate, as principal shall be purchased in accordance with terms agreed upon between the Agent and the Company as evidenced by a Terms Agreement. The Agents commitment to purchase Shares from the Company as principal shall be deemed to have been made on the basis of the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company, and performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations, herein contained and shall be subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth. At the time of each Terms Agreement, the Agent shall specify the requirements, if any, for the officers certificate, opinions and letters of counsel and accountants letter pursuant to Sections 4(c), 4(d), 4(e) and 4(f) hereof. In the event of a conflict between the terms of this Agreement and a Terms Agreement, the terms of such Terms Agreement shall control.
Section 3. Covenants of the Company. The Company hereby covenants and agrees with the Agent that:
(a) During the period beginning on the date hereof and ending on the date, as determined in the reasonable discretion of the Agent, that a prospectus is no longer required by law to be delivered in connection with the offering or sales of the Shares by the Agent or any dealer (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 153 or 172 of the 1933 Act Regulations, or in lieu thereof, a notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the 1933 Act Regulations) (the Prospectus Delivery Period):
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(i) the Company will notify the Agent promptly in writing of the time when any subsequent amendment to the Registration Statement has become effective or any amendment to the Registration Statement or any subsequent supplement to the Prospectus has been filed;
(ii) the Company will prepare and file with the Commission any material required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the 1933 Act Regulations and any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus that, in the reasonable judgment of the Company, may be necessary or advisable in connection with the offering of the Shares by the Agent;
(iii) the Company will comply with Rule 430B; provided, however, that the Company will not file any amendment to the Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus with respect to the Shares unless a copy thereof has been submitted to the Agent a reasonable period of time before filing with the Commission or if the Agent reasonably objects to such filing in writing, in each case excluding an amendment by incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act;
(iv) 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, 14 or 15 of the 1934 Act and will advise the Agent of any such filing;
(v) the Company will furnish to the Agent at the time of filing thereof, a copy of any document that upon filing is deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus; and
(vi) the Company will cause each amendment or supplement to the Prospectus to be filed with the Commission as required pursuant to the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations or, in the case of any document to be incorporated therein by reference, to be filed with the Commission as required pursuant to the 1934 Act, within the prescribed time period; in connection with a Terms Agreement, the Company will prepare and file with the Commission, a pricing supplement with respect to the offer and sale of Shares covered by such Terms Agreement. The Company will effect all filings required under Rule 424(b), in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)), and will take such steps as it deems necessary to ascertain promptly whether the form of prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 424(b) was received for filing by the Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly file such prospectus.
(b) The Company shall pay the required Commission filing fees relating to the Shares within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1)(i) of the 1933 Act Regulations without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) of the 1933 Act Regulations.
(c) To the extent the Company requests that the Agent effect sales of Shares pursuant to this Agreement, the Company will advise the Agent (through notice provided to
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Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, or other counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Agent) of the receipt of any comments of or request by the Commission for any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, including the documents incorporated by reference therein, or for additional or supplemental information with respect thereto or of notice of institution of proceedings for the entry of a stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement by the Commission or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(e) of the 1933 Act concerning the Registration Statement or of any order or notice preventing or suspending the use of the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, or of any proceedings to remove, suspend or terminate from listing or quotation the Common Stock from any securities exchange upon which it is listed for trading or included or designated for quotation, or of the threatening or initiation of any proceedings for any of such purposes, which comments, requests, notices, proceedings have been received, threatened or initiated since the last time the Company requested that the Agent effect sales of Shares pursuant to this Agreement. The Company shall use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order or notice of prevention or suspension of such use. If the Commission shall enter any such stop order or issue any such notice at any time, the Company will use its best efforts to obtain the lifting or reversal of such order or notice at the earliest possible moment, or will file an amendment to the Registration Statement or a new registration statement in a form satisfactory to the Agent and use its best efforts to have such amendment or new registration statement become effective as soon as practicable.
(d) The Company will make available to the Agent and from time to time furnish to the Agent, at the Companys expense, copies of the Prospectus (or the Prospectus as amended or supplemented if the Company shall have made any amendments or supplements thereto after the effective date of the Registration Statement) in such quantities and at such locations as the Agent may reasonably request for the purposes contemplated by the 1933 Act.
(e) The Company will promptly notify the Agent to suspend the offering of Shares (i) when the Company is in possession of material non-public information and (ii) upon the happening of any event known to the Company during the Prospectus Delivery Period or otherwise prior to the final Settlement Date which, in the reasonable judgment of the Company, would require the making of any change in the Registration Statement or in the Prospectus then being used, or in the information incorporated by reference therein, so that the Registration Statement and the Prospectus would not include an untrue statement of material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. During such time period, the Company will prepare and furnish, at the Companys expense, to the Agent promptly such amendments or supplements to such Registration Statement and Prospectus as may be necessary to reflect any such change and will furnish the Agent with a copy of such proposed amendment or supplement before filing any such amendment or supplement with the Commission. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement (or any other registration statement relating to the Shares) or the Prospectus or any preliminary prospectus or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company
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will promptly notify the Agent and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.
(f) The Company will furnish such information as may be required and otherwise will cooperate in qualifying the Shares for offering and sale under the securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Agent may designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Shares; provided that the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to consent to the service of process under the laws of any such jurisdiction (except service of process with respect to the offering and sale of the Shares). The Company will promptly advise the Agent of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Shares for sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose.
(g) Prior to the final Settlement Date, the Company will furnish to the Agent (i) copies of any reports or other communications which the Company shall send directly to its stockholders or shall from time to time publish or publicly disseminate, (ii) copies of all annual, quarterly and current reports filed with the Commission on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K, or such other similar form as may be designated by the Commission, (iii) copies of any financial statements or reports filed with any national securities exchange on which any class of securities of the Company is listed and (iv) such other information as the Agent may reasonably request regarding the Company, in each case as soon as such reports, communications, documents or information becomes available. Where in any part of this Agreement there is an obligation on the part of the Company to deliver a document to the Agent or its counsel, or to provide notification of the filing of any such document with the Commission, such obligation shall be deemed satisfied if and when such document shall have been filed on the Commissions EDGAR system.
(h) The Company will make generally available to its stockholders as soon as practicable, and in the manner contemplated by Rule 158 of the 1933 Act Regulations but in any event not later than 15 months after the end of the Companys current fiscal quarter, an earnings statement (which need not be audited) covering a 12 month period beginning after the date upon which a prospectus supplement is filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations that shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act and Rule 158 of the 1933 Act Regulations.
(i) Whether or not the transactions contemplated hereunder are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, the Company will pay all of its costs, expenses, fees and taxes incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder, including, but not limited to, such costs, expenses, fees and taxes in connection with (i) the preparation and filing of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, each prospectus supplement filed by the Company in connection with the offering and sale of Shares by the Agent under this Agreement and any amendments or supplements thereto and the printing and furnishing of copies of each thereof to the Agent (including costs of mailing and shipment), (ii) the producing, word processing and/or printing of this Agreement, the Confirmation(s), any power of attorney and any closing documents (including compilations thereof) and the reproduction and/or printing and furnishing of copies of each thereof to the Agent (including costs of mailing and shipment), (iii) the qualification of the
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Shares for offering and sale under state laws and the determination of their eligibility for investment under state law as aforesaid (including the reasonable legal fees and filing fees and other disbursements of counsel for the Agent and the Forward Purchaser) and the preparation, printing and furnishing of copies of any blue sky surveys to the Agent, (iv) the listing of the Settlement Shares on the NYSE, (v) any filing for review of the public offering of the Shares by FINRA, (vi) the fees and disbursements of the Companys counsel and accountants, (vii) the performance of the Companys other obligations hereunder, (viii) the costs and expenses (including without limitation any damages or other amounts payable in connection with legal or contractual liability) associated with the reforming of any contracts for sale of the Shares made by the Agent caused by a breach of the representation contained in the first paragraph of Section 1(e) and (ix) the registration, issue, sale and delivery of the Settlement Shares. The Agent and the Forward Purchaser will pay their own out-of-pocket costs and expenses incurred in connection with entering into this Agreement and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including, without limitation, travel, reproduction, printing and similar expenses as well as the fees and disbursements of their legal counsel.
(j) The Company will use the Net Proceeds from the sale of the Shares in the manner set forth in the Prospectus.
(k) During the period beginning on the date on which instructions to sell Shares hereunder are delivered by the Company to the Agent and ending on the Settlement Date or Direct Settlement Date with respect to such sales, the Company will not sell, offer or agree to sell, contract to sell, pledge, register, grant any option to purchase or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of capital stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable, exercisable or redeemable for capital stock or warrants or other rights to purchase capital stock, except (i) for the registration of the Shares and the sales of Shares through the Agent or the Additional Agents pursuant to this Agreement and the Additional Equity Distribution Agreements, respectively, (ii) for shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to outstanding equity awards or the grant of equity awards under (x) existing employee benefit agreements or equity incentive plans or (y) employee benefit agreements or equity incentive plans described in the Prospectus or the Registration Statement, (iii) any shares of Common Stock issued upon conversion, repurchase or exchange of the Companys outstanding convertible securities, (iv) shares of Common Stock or other securities issued as consideration for investments in or acquisitions of entities involved in investment advisory or investment management activities or other financial services related business (including any resale of shares issued in such a transaction) or (v) any filing under the 1933 Act relating to any shares of Common Stock on Form S-8 or any issuances of Common Stock thereunder, without (a) giving the Agent prior written notice, as promptly as reasonably practicable, specifying the nature of the proposed sale and the date of such proposed sale and (b) the Agent suspending activity under this program for such period of time as requested by the Company or as reasonably deemed appropriate by the Agent in light of the proposed sale.
(l) At any time during the term of this Agreement, the Company will advise the Agent immediately after it shall have received notice or obtain knowledge thereof, of (x) any information or fact that, in the opinion of counsel to the Company, would alter or affect, in any material respect, any opinion, certificate, letter or other document provided to the Agent pursuant to Section 4 of this Agreement or any of the representations or warranties made pursuant to
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Section 1 of this Agreement or (y) any non-compliance or imminent non-compliance by the Company with any of its covenants or obligations hereunder in any material respect.
(m) Except as provided in the last sentence hereof, upon commencement of the offering of the Shares under this Agreement, (i) at each time Shares are delivered to the Agent as principal on a Direct Settlement Date, (ii) on every Monday during the term of this Agreement following a week during which no certificate was furnished pursuant to this Section 3(m) (except for any Monday during any period starting on the first day of each fiscal quarter of the Company and ending on the third business day following the next Company Earnings Report Date, unless sales of Shares took place during such period pursuant to Section 2(j)(A)) and (iii) promptly after each Registration Statement Amendment Date, each Company Periodic Report Date, and each date on which a current report on Form 8-K shall be furnished by the Company under Item 2.02 of such form in respect of a public disclosure or material non-public information regarding the Companys results of operations or financial condition for a completed quarterly or annual fiscal period (a Company Earnings Report Date) and on such other dates as the Agent shall reasonably request, the Company will furnish or cause to be furnished forthwith to the Agent a certificate dated the Direct Settlement Date, date of effectiveness of such amendment, the date of filing with the Commission of such supplement or other document or the date of such request, as the case may be, in a form satisfactory to the Agent to the effect that the statements contained in the certificate referred to in Section 4(e) of this Agreement which were last furnished to the Agent are true and correct at the time of such Direct Settlement Date, amendment, supplement or filing, as the case may be, as though made at and as of such time (except that such statements shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented to such time) or, in lieu of such certificate, a certificate of the same tenor as the certificate referred to in said Section 4(e), but modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented, or to the document incorporated by reference into the Prospectus, to the time of delivery of such certificate. As used in this paragraph, to the extent there shall be an Applicable Time on or following the dates referred to above, promptly shall be deemed to be such Applicable Time. The delivery requirements in this Section shall be suspended after the maximum number of Shares authorized to be issued and sold under this Agreement have been sold under this Agreement and the Additional Equity Distribution Agreements, in the aggregate. To the extent that the Company does not furnish or cause to be furnished the certificate on a date identified above, the Agents obligations to effect sales under this Agreement shall be suspended until such time that the Company furnishes or causes to be furnished such certificate (and any other deliverables that may be due pursuant to the last sentence of Sections 3(n) and 3(o), respectively, of this Agreement).
(n) Except as provided in the last sentence hereof, upon commencement of the offering of the Shares under this Agreement, (i) at each time Shares are delivered to the Agent as principal on a Direct Settlement Date and (ii) promptly after each Registration Statement Amendment Date, each Company Periodic Report Date and each Company Earnings Report Date and on such other dates as the Agent shall reasonably request, the Company will furnish or cause to be furnished forthwith to the Agent and to counsel to the Agent written opinions and negative assurance letters of Ropes & Gray LLP, or other counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Agent, dated the Direct Settlement Date, date of effectiveness of such amendment, the date of filing with the Commission of such supplement or other document or the date of such request, as the case may be, in a form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agent and its counsel, of
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the same tenor as the opinions and negative assurance letters referred to in Section 4(c) of this Agreement, but modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended and supplemented, or to the document incorporated by reference into the Prospectus, to the time of delivery of such opinion, provided that the Company shall not be required to furnish or cause to be furnished the opinion referred to in Section 4(c) other than upon the commencement of the offering of the Shares and each date the Company files an Annual Report on Form 10-K. As used in this paragraph, to the extent there shall be an Applicable Time on or following the dates referred to above, promptly shall be deemed to be such Applicable Time. The delivery requirements in this Section shall be suspended after the maximum number of Shares authorized to be issued and sold under this Agreement have been sold under this Agreement and the Additional Equity Distribution Agreements, in the aggregate. To the extent that the Company does not furnish or cause to be furnished the opinion and/or negative assurance letter on a date identified above, the Agents obligations to effect sales under this Agreement shall be suspended until such time that the Company furnishes or causes to be furnished such opinion and/or negative assurance letter (and any other deliverables that may be due pursuant to the last sentence of Sections 3(m) and 3(o), respectively, of this Agreement); provided that the Company shall be required to furnish an opinion only if the Company has filed an Annual Report on Form 10-K during this suspension period.
(o) Except as provided in the last sentence hereof, upon commencement of the offering of the Shares under this Agreement, (i) at each time Shares are delivered to the Agent as principal on a Direct Settlement Date and (ii) promptly after each Registration Statement Amendment Date, each Company Periodic Report Date and each Company Earnings Report Date and on such other dates as the Agent shall reasonably request, the Company will cause PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (and any other independent registered public accounting firm whose report is incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement) to furnish to the Agent a letter, dated the Direct Settlement Date, date of effectiveness of such amendment, the date of filing of such supplement or other document with the Commission or the date of such request, as the case may be, in form satisfactory to the Agent, its counsel and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (and, as applicable, the independent registered public accounting firm(s)), of the same tenor as the letter referred to in Section 4(d) hereof, but modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, as amended and supplemented, or to the document incorporated by reference into the Prospectus, to the date of such letter. As used in this paragraph, to the extent there shall be an Applicable Time on or following the dates referred to above, promptly shall be deemed to be such Applicable Time. The delivery requirements in this Section shall be suspended after the maximum number of Shares authorized to be issued and sold under this Agreement have been sold under this Agreement and the Additional Equity Distribution Agreements, in the aggregate. To the extent that the Company does not cause PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (and, as applicable, the independent registered public accounting firm(s)) to furnish the letter on a date identified above, the Agents obligations to effect sales under this Agreement shall be suspended until such time that the Company causes PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (and, as applicable, the independent registered public accounting firm(s)) to furnish such letter (and any other deliverables that may be due pursuant to the last sentence of Sections 3(m) and 3(n), respectively, of this Agreement).
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(p) The Company acknowledges that the Agent will be trading the Companys Common Stock for the Agents own account and for the account of its clients at the same time as sales of Shares occur pursuant to this Agreement.
(q) (i) If any condition set forth in Section 4(a) or 4(g) hereof shall not have been satisfied on the applicable Settlement Date, the Agent, at the direction of the Company, will offer to any person who has agreed to purchase Shares pursuant to the offering contemplated by this Agreement as the result of an offer to purchase solicited by the Agent the right to refuse to purchase and pay for such Shares.
(ii) If any condition set forth in Section 4(a) or 4(g) hereof shall not have been satisfied on the applicable Direct Settlement Date, the Company will offer to any person who has agreed to purchase Shares from or through the Agent the right to refuse to purchase and pay for such Shares.
(r) The Company will disclose in its Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as applicable, the aggregate price of Shares sold through the Agent under this Agreement and through the Additional Agents under the Additional Equity Distribution Agreements during the relevant period, together with any other information that is required to comply with the 1933 Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.
(s) The Company will use its best efforts to cause the Settlement Shares to be listed on the NYSE and to maintain such listing and to file with the NYSE all documents and notices required by the NYSE of companies that have securities that are listed on the NYSE, it being understood that the Agent shall not be obligated to effect any sales of Shares in an amount exceeding the number of Settlement Shares that have been approved for listing on the NYSE.
(t) The Company will not (i) take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to stabilize or manipulate the price of any security of the Company, or which may cause or result in, or which would in the future reasonably be expected to cause or result in, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company, to facilitate the sale or resale of any of the Shares, (ii) bid for or purchase, or pay any person (other than as contemplated by the provisions of this Agreement) any compensation for, soliciting purchases of the Shares or (iii) pay or agree to pay to any person any compensation for soliciting any order to purchase any security that is a reference security with respect to the Common Stock of the Company (within the meaning of Regulation M under the 1934 Act) other than as contemplated by the provisions of this Agreement, in each case, during any restricted period within the meaning of Regulation M under the 1934 Act.
(u) The Company will comply with all of the provisions of any undertakings in the Registration Statement.
(v) The Company will cooperate timely with any reasonable due diligence review conducted by the Agent or its counsel from time to time in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including, without limitation, providing information and making available documents and senior corporate officers, during regular business hours and at the Companys offices, at such times as the Agent may reasonably request. If the Agent shall so
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request of one of the senior corporate officers of the Company specified in Exhibit B by 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time on any business day, the Company shall either (i) make available one or more senior corporate officers of the Company for interview due diligence at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time on the next following business day or (ii) direct the Agent to cease offers and sales of the Shares until such time as such senior corporate officer or officers of the Company shall be made available for such purposes. Further, the Company shall make available a Senior Vice President (or other senior corporate officer reasonably acceptable to the Agent) and counsel of the Company for interview due diligence at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time on the 15th calendar day of the third month of each fiscal quarter of the Company.
(w) The Company represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Agent, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 405, whether or not required to be filed with the Commission. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Company and the Agent is hereinafter referred to as a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus. The Company represents that it has treated or agrees that it will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping.
(x) The Company agrees that it will not claim that the Agent has rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owes a fiduciary or similar duty to the Company, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.
Section 4. Conditions of Agents Obligations. The obligations of the Agent hereunder are subject to (i) the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company on the date hereof and as of each Registration Statement Amendment Date, Company Earnings Report Date, Company Periodic Report Date, Applicable Time and Settlement Date, (ii) the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and (iii) the following additional conditions precedent:
(a) (i) No stop order with respect to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued under the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations or proceedings initiated under Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the 1933 Act and no order directed at any document incorporated by reference therein and no order preventing or suspending the use of the Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and no suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or to the knowledge of the Company or the Agent of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes, has occurred; (ii) the Registration Statement and all amendments thereto, or modifications thereof, if any, shall not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; (iii) the Prospectus and all amendments or supplements thereto, or modifications thereof, if any, and the General Disclosure Package shall not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading; (iv) the Company shall have filed the Prospectus, and any amendments and supplements thereto, with the Commission (including the
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information required by Rule 430B) in the manner and within the time period required by the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations, and any post-effective amendment thereto containing the information required by Rule 430B shall have become effective and (v) all material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433(d) shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time periods prescribed for such filings under Rule 433.
(b) In the judgment of the Agent, there shall not have occurred any Material Adverse Effect.
(c) The Company shall cause to be furnished to the Agent, on every date specified in Section 3(n) hereof (except as provided in the last sentence of Section 3(n)), the opinion and negative assurance letter of Ropes & Gray LLP, or other counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Agent, addressed to the Agent, dated as of such date, in form reasonably satisfactory to the Agent and its counsel, substantially in the form of Exhibit C-1 and Exhibit C-2 attached hereto.
(d) The Company shall cause to be furnished to the Agent, on every date specified in Section 3(o) hereof (except as provided in the last sentence of Section 3(o)), from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (and any other independent registered public accounting firm whose report is incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement), letters dated the date of delivery thereof and addressed to the Agent in form and substance satisfactory to the Agent, its counsel, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (and, as applicable, the independent registered public accounting firm(s)), containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants comfort letters to underwriters with respect to the financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement.
(e) The Company shall furnish to the Agent, on each date specified in Section 3(m) hereof (except as provided in the last sentence of Section 3(m)), a certificate of two of its executive officers to the effect that (i) the representations and warranties of the Company as set forth in this Agreement are true and correct as of the date of such certificate (the Certificate Date), (ii) the Company shall have performed such of its obligations under this Agreement as are to be performed at or before each such Certificate Date and (iii) the conditions set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section 4 have been met.
(f) On the date hereof, the Agent shall have received the opinion of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, or other counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Agent, dated the date hereof and addressed to the Agent in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Agent. On every date specified in Section 3(n) hereof, the Agent shall have received a negative assurance letter of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, or other counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Agent, dated as of such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Agent.
(g) All filings with the Commission required by Rule 424 of the 1933 Act Regulations to have been filed by each Applicable Time or related Settlement Date, as the case may be, shall have been made within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by Rule 424 (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)).
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(h) The Settlement Shares shall have been approved for listing on the NYSE, subject to official notice of issuance. The Agent acknowledges that as of the date of this Agreement, 4,500,000 shares of Common Stock have been approved for listing on the NYSE.
(i) The Company shall have furnished to the Agent such other documents and certificates as to the accuracy and completeness of any statement in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the General Disclosure Package as of each Settlement Date as the Agent may reasonably request.
(j) The Company shall have paid the required Commission filing fees relating to the Shares within the time period required by Rule 456(b)(1)(i) of the 1933 Act Regulations without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) of the 1933 Act Regulations.
(k) FINRA shall not have raised any objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the terms and arrangements under this Agreement.
(l) No amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus, including documents deemed to be incorporated by reference therein, shall be filed to which the Agent objects in writing.
(m) Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, since the later of the time of execution of this Agreement and the most recent Applicable Time, there shall not have occurred any downgrading, nor shall any notice, announcement or written indication have been given or made of any intended or potential downgrading in the rating accorded any securities of or guaranteed by the Company by any nationally recognized statistical rating organization, as that term is defined in Rule 436(g)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations.
Section 5. Indemnification.
(a) Indemnification of Agent and Forward Purchaser. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Agent and the Forward Purchaser, each of their directors, officers, employees and agents, and each person, if any, who controls the Agent or the Forward Purchaser within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act:
(i) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
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(ii) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that (subject to Section 5(d) below) any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company; and
(iii) against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by the Agent), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) above;
provided, however, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with the Agent Information.
(b) Indemnification of Company, Directors and Officers. The Agent and the Forward Purchaser severally and not jointly agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in subsection (a) of this Section, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Agent expressly for use therein. The Company acknowledges that (i) the statements set forth in the third sentence of the second paragraph under the caption Plan of Distribution (Conflicts of Interest) in the Prospectus Supplement concerning transactions that stabilize the Common Stock and (ii) the Agents name on the front cover page of the Prospectus Supplement, on the back cover page of the Prospectus and under the caption Plan of Distribution (Conflicts of Interest) in the Prospectus Supplement constitute the only information furnished in writing by or on behalf of the Agent for inclusion in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) (the Agent Information).
(c) Actions against Parties; Notification. Each indemnified party shall give notice as promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability hereunder to the extent it is not materially prejudiced as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement. In the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 5(a) above, counsel to the
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indemnified parties shall be selected by the Agent, and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 5(b) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Company. An indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in the defense of any such action; provided, however, that counsel to the indemnifying party shall not (except with the consent of the indemnified party) also be counsel to the indemnified party. In no event shall the indemnifying parties be liable for fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for all indemnified parties in connection with any one action or separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 5 or Section 6 hereof (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.
(d) Settlement without Consent if Failure to Reimburse. If at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 5(a)(ii) effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. Notwithstanding the immediately preceding sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, an indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 5(a)(ii) effected without its consent if such indemnifying party (i) reimburses such indemnified party in accordance with such request to the extent it considers such request to be reasonable and (ii) provides written notice to the indemnified party substantiating the unpaid balance as unreasonable, in each case prior to the date of such settlement.
(e) Additional Liability. The obligations of the Company under this Section 5 shall be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to the directors and officers of the Agent and the Forward Purchaser and to each person, if any, who controls the Agent or the Forward Purchaser within the meaning of the 1933 Act and each broker-dealer affiliate of the Agent or the Forward Purchaser; and the obligations of the Agent and the Forward Purchaser under this Section 5 shall be in addition to any liability which the Agent and the Forward Purchaser may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each officer and director of the Company and to each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the 1933 Act.
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Section 6. Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in Section 5 hereof is for any reason unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount of such losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by such indemnified party, as incurred, (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Agent and the Forward Purchaser on the other hand from the offering of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Agent and the Forward Purchaser on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.
The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Forward Purchaser and the Agent on the other hand in connection with the offering of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as (i) the Net Proceeds from the offering of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses and, for the avoidance of doubt, without including proceeds from the offering of Shares pursuant to the Additional Equity Distribution Agreements) received by the Company (which shall be deemed to include the proceeds that would be received by the Company upon physical settlement of the Confirmation(s) assuming that the aggregate amount payable by the Forward Purchaser under the Confirmation(s) is equal to the aggregate amount of the Net Proceeds realized upon the sale of the Shares) and (ii) the aggregate proceeds received by the Forward Purchaser and the Agent from the sale of the Shares less the aggregate Net Proceeds.
The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Forward Purchaser and the Agent on the other hand shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Forward Purchaser and the Agent and the parties relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
The Company, the Agent and the Forward Purchaser agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 6 were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 6. The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 6 shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 6, the Agent and the Forward Purchaser shall not be required to contribute any amount in excess of (i) the total compensation received by the Agent in connection with the sale of Shares on behalf of the Company and (ii)
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the total compensation received by the Agent in connection with the sale of Shares on behalf of the Forward Purchaser or the Company.
No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
For purposes of this Section 6, the person, if any, who controls the Agent or the Forward Purchaser within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act and the Agents and the Forward Purchasers Affiliates shall have the same rights to contribution as such Agent or Forward Purchaser, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company.
Section 7. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive Delivery. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company, the Agent and the Forward Purchaser, as set forth in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them, respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation (or any statement as to the results thereof) made by or on behalf of the Agent and the Forward Purchaser or any controlling person of the Agent and the Forward Purchaser, or the Company, or any officer or director or controlling person of the Company, and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Shares.
Section 8. Termination.
(a) The Company shall have the right, by giving written notice as hereinafter specified, to terminate this Agreement in its sole discretion at any time. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that (i) if Shares have been sold through the Agent, then Section 3(q) shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination, (ii) with respect to any pending sale through the Agent, the obligations of the Company, including in respect of compensation of the Agent, shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination and (iii) the provisions of Section 1, Section 3(i), Section 5 and Section 6 of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.
(b) The Agent shall have the right, by giving written notice as hereinafter specified, to terminate this Agreement in its sole discretion at any time. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Section 1, 3(i), Section 5 and Section 6 of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.
(c) This Agreement shall remain in full force and effect unless terminated pursuant to Section 8(a) or (b) above or otherwise by mutual agreement of the parties or upon settlement of the sale of all the Shares in the aggregate in one or more offerings; provided that any such termination by mutual agreement or pursuant to this clause (c) shall in all cases be
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deemed to provide that Section 1, Section 3(i), Section 5 and Section 6 of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.
(d) Any termination of this Agreement shall be effective on the date specified in such notice of termination; provided that such termination shall not be effective until the close of business on the date of receipt of such notice by the Agent or the Company, as the case may be. If such termination shall occur prior to the Settlement Date for any sale of Shares, such sale shall settle in accordance with the provisions of Section 2(i) hereof.
(e) The Agent may terminate a Terms Agreement by notice given by it to the Company, if after the execution and delivery of such agreement and prior to any Settlement Date (as defined in the Terms Agreement) (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on, or by, as the case may be, the New York Stock Exchange, (ii) trading of any securities of the Company shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market, (iii) a material disruption in securities settlement, payment or clearance services in the United States shall have occurred, (iv) any moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by Federal or New York State authorities or (v) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or any calamity or crisis that, in the Agents judgment, is material and adverse and which, singly or together with any other event specified in this clause (v), makes it, in the Agents judgment, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offer, sale or delivery of the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus.
Section 9. Notices. Except as otherwise herein provided, all statements, requests, notices and agreements shall be in writing and delivered by hand, overnight courier, mail or facsimile and, if to the Agent, shall be sufficient in all respects if delivered or sent to [ ]; if to the Forward Purchaser, it shall be sufficient in all respects if delivered or sent to [ ]; if to the Company, it shall be sufficient in all respects if delivered or sent to the Company at the offices of the Company at 777 South Flagler Drive, West Palm Beach, FL 33401, Attention: Chief Financial Officer, with a copy to the Company at 600 Hale Street, P.O. Box 1000, Prides Crossing, MA 01965, Attention: General Counsel. Each party to this Agreement may change such address for notices by sending to the parties to this Agreement written notice of a new address for such purpose.
Section 10. Parties. The Agreement herein set forth has been and is made solely for the benefit of the Agent, the Forward Purchaser and the Company and to the extent provided in Section 5 hereof the controlling persons, directors and officers referred to in such section, and their respective successors, assigns, heirs, personal representatives and executors and administrators. No other person, partnership, association or corporation (including a purchaser, as such purchaser, from any of the Agent) shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement.
Section 11. Adjustments For Stock Splits. The parties acknowledge and agree that all share related numbers contained in this Agreement shall be adjusted to take into account any stock split effected with respect to the Shares.
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Section 12. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties hereto and thereto in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such respective counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument. This Agreement may be delivered by any party by facsimile or other electronic transmission.
Section 13. Time of the Essence. Time shall be of the essence of this Agreement. As used herein, the term business day shall mean any day when the Commissions office in Washington, D.C. is open for business.
Section 14. Waiver of Jury Trial. The Company, the Agent and the Forward Purchaser hereby irrevocably waive, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
Section 15. Governing Law. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REFERENCE TO ITS PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAW.
Section 16. Headings. The Section headings in this Agreement have been inserted as a matter of convenience of reference and are not a part of this Agreement.
Section 17. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon the Agent, the Forward Purchaser and the Company and their successors and assigns and any successor or assign of any substantial portion of the Companys and any of the Agents or Forward Purchasers respective businesses and/or assets.
Section 18. Severability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other Section, paragraph or provision hereof. If any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.
Section 19. Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement and supersedes all other prior and contemporaneous agreements and undertakings, both written and oral, among the parties hereto with regard to the subject matter hereof.
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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the Company a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement among the Agent, the Forward Purchaser and the Company in accordance with its terms.
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Accepted as of the date hereof:
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Schedule I
Affiliated Managers Group, Inc.
Shares of Common Stock
(par value $0.01 per share)
TERMS AGREEMENT
[BANK NAME]
[BANK ADDRESS]
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Affiliated Managers Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Company), proposes, on the basis of the representations and warranties, and subject to the terms and conditions, stated herein and in the Equity Distribution Agreement, dated June 6, 2016 (the Sales Agreement), among the Company, [ ] (the Agent) and [ ], to issue and sell to the Agent as principal for resale (the Underwriter), and the Underwriter agrees to purchase from the Company, the shares of Common Stock specified in Schedule A hereto (the [Initial] Securities) [, and to grant to the Underwriter the option to purchase the additional shares of Common Stock specified in Schedule A hereto (the Option Securities, and together with the Initial Securities, the Securities)]*,[in each case]* on the terms specified in Schedule A hereto. In addition, under no circumstances shall any shares with respect to which the Agent acts as principal pursuant to this Agreement be offered or sold by the Agent at an initial offering price lower than the initial offering price set forth on Schedule A hereto. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein have the respective meanings ascribed thereto in the Sales Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, as shall be mutually agreed by the parties in their sole discretion, any transaction under this Terms Agreement may be structured as a forward sale.
The Company grants an option to the Underwriter to purchase up to an additional [ ] Option Securities at the price per share set forth in Schedule A hereto, less an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Initial Securities but not payable on the Option Securities. The option hereby granted may be exercised for 30 days after the date hereof and may be exercised in whole or in part at any time from time to time upon notice by the Underwriter to the Company setting forth the number of Option Securities as to which the Underwriter is then exercising the option and the time and date of payment and delivery for such Option Securities. Any such time and date of delivery (a Date of Delivery) shall be determined by the Underwriter, but shall not be later than seven full business days after the exercise of said option, nor in any event prior to the Settlement Date (as defined below). For purposes of clarity, the parties hereto agree that the opinions and letter of counsel, officers certificate and accountants letter referred to in Sections 4(c), 4(d), 4(e) and 4(f) of the Sales Agreement are required to be delivered by or on behalf of the Company on the Settlement Date.*
Payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of certificates for, the Initial Securities shall be made at the offices of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, 1 Liberty Plaza,
New York, New York 10006, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Underwriter and the Company, at 9:00 A.M. (New York City time) on the third (or fourth, if the pricing occurs after 4:30 P.M. (New York City time) on any given day) business day after the date hereof, or such other time not later than ten business days after such date as shall be agreed upon by the Underwriter and the Company (such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called Settlement Date).
In addition, in the event that any or all of the Option Securities are purchased by the Underwriter, payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of certificates for, such Option Securities shall be made at the above-mentioned offices, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Underwriter and the Company, on each Date of Delivery as specified in the notice from the Underwriter to the Company.*
Payment shall be made to the Company by wire transfer of immediately available funds to a bank account designated by the Company against delivery to the Underwriter for its own account for the Securities to be purchased by it.
Each of the provisions of the Sales Agreement not related solely to the Agent, as agent of the Company, is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and shall be deemed to be part of this Terms Agreement to the same extent as if each such provision had been set forth in full herein. Each of the representations and warranties set forth in the Sales Agreement shall be deemed to have been made at and as of the date of this Terms Agreement [and] [,] the Applicable Time [and any Date of Delivery]*.
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the Company a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement between the Underwriter and the Company in accordance with its terms.
THIS TERMS AGREEMENT AND ANY CLAIM, CONTROVERSY OR DISPUTE ARISING UNDER OR RELATED TO THIS TERMS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO ITS CHOICE OF LAW PROVISIONS.
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* Include only if the Underwriter has an option to purchase additional shares of Common Stock from the Company.
Schedule A to Terms Agreement
Title of [Initial] Securities [and Additional Option Securities]:
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share
Number of Shares of [Initial] Securities:
[ ]
[Number of Shares of [Option] Securities:]
[ ]
[Price to Public:]
[ ]
Purchase Price by [ ]:
[ ]
Method of and Specified Funds for Payment of Purchase Price:
[By wire transfer to a bank account specified by the Company in same day funds.]
Method of Delivery:
[To [ ] account, or the account of [ ] designee, at The Depository Trust Company via DWAC in return for payment of the purchase price.]
Settlement Date:
[ ], 20[ ]
[Lockup:]
[ ]
Exhibit A
CONFIRMATION
Separately attached
Exhibit B
Form of Electronic Communication Specified in Section 2(k):
Please confirm that the prospectus (including the documents incorporated by reference therein), as of the date of this email, does not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
Offices Initially Designated by the Company for purposes of Section 2(k) and Section 3(v):
Chief Financial Officer
General Counsel
Exhibit C-1
FORM OF OPINION OF
ROPES & GRAY LLP
Separately attached
Exhibit C-2
FORM OF NEGATIVE ASSURANCE LETTER OF
ROPES & GRAY LLP
Separately attached