Form of Underwriting Agreement

EX-1.1 2 tm2114913d15_ex1-1.htm EXHIBIT 1.1

 

Exhibit 1.1

 

 

AUTHENTIC BRANDS GROUP INC.

 

(a Delaware corporation)

 

[l] Shares of Class A Common Stock

 

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

Dated: [l], 20__

 

 

 

AUTHENTIC BRANDS GROUP INC.

 

(a Delaware corporation)

 

[l] Shares of Class A Common Stock

 

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

[l], 20__

 

BofA Securities, Inc.

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

 

As Representatives of the several Underwriters

listed in Schedule A hereto

 

c/o    BofA Securities, Inc.

One Bryant Park

New York, NY 10036

 

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

383 Madison Avenue

New York, NY 10179

 

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

200 West Street

New York, NY 10282

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Authentic Brands Group Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), confirms its agreement with BofA Securities, Inc. (“BofA”) and each of the other Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto (collectively, the “Underwriters,” which term shall also include any underwriter substituted as hereinafter provided in Section 10 hereof), for whom BofA and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC (“JPM”) and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC (“GS”) are acting as representatives (in such capacity, the “Representatives”), with respect to (i) the sale by the Company and the purchase by the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the respective numbers of shares of Class A Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company (“Class A Common Stock”) set forth in Schedule A hereto and (ii) the grant by the Company to the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the option described in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any part of [l] additional shares of Class A Common Stock. The aforesaid [l] shares of Class A Common Stock (the “Initial Securities”) to be purchased by the Underwriters and all or any part of the [l] shares of Class A Common Stock subject to the option described in Section 2(b) hereof (the “Option Securities”) are herein called, collectively, the “Securities.”

 

 

On the date hereof, the business of the Company is conducted through Authentic Brands Group LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“ABG LLC”), and its subsidiaries. Prior to the Closing Time (as hereinafter defined), among other things, pursuant to the Transactions (as defined in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus), (i) the Company will become the sole managing member of ABG LLC, (ii) the Company will amend and restate its certificate of incorporation (the “Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation”) and will be authorized to issue shares of Class A Common Stock, shares of Class B common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Class B Common Stock”) and shares of Class C common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Class C Common Stock” and, together with the Class A Common Stock and the Class B Common Stock, the “Common Stock”), in each case with the rights and privileges as set out in the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and (iii) the Company will use certain of the proceeds from the offering of the Securities to purchase LLC Common Interests (as defined in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus). As the sole managing member of ABG LLC, the Company will operate and control all of the business and affairs of ABG LLC and, through ABG LLC and its subsidiaries, conduct its business. The Company and ABG LLC are collectively referred to herein as the “ABG Parties”. The Company understands that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of the Securities as soon as the Representatives deem advisable after this Agreement has been executed and delivered.

 

The Company and the Underwriters agree that up to [l] shares of the Initial Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters (the “Reserved Securities”) shall be reserved for sale by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (an affiliate of BofA, hereinafter referred to as “Merrill Lynch”) to certain persons designated by the Company (the “Invitees”), as part of the distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters, subject to the terms of this Agreement, the applicable rules, regulations and interpretations of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) and all other applicable laws, rules and regulations. The Company solely determined, without any direct or indirect participation by the Underwriters or Merrill Lynch, the Invitees who will purchase Reserved Securities (including the amount to be purchased by such persons) sold by Merrill Lynch. To the extent that such Reserved Securities are not orally confirmed for purchase by Invitees by 11:59 P.M. (New York City time) on the date of this Agreement, such Reserved Securities may be offered to the public as part of the public offering contemplated hereby.

 

The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-1 (No. 333-257725), including the related preliminary prospectus or prospectuses, covering the registration of the sale of the Securities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”). Promptly after execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will prepare and file a prospectus in accordance with the provisions of Rule 430A (“Rule 430A”) of the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1933 Act (the “1933 Act Regulations”) and Rule 424(b) (“Rule 424(b)”) of the 1933 Act Regulations. The information included in such prospectus that was omitted from such registration statement at the time it became effective but that is deemed to be part of such registration statement at the time it became effective pursuant to Rule 430A(b) is herein called the “Rule 430A Information.” Such registration statement, including the amendments thereto, the exhibits thereto and any schedules thereto, at the time it became effective, and including the Rule 430A Information, is herein called the “Registration Statement.” Any registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations is herein called the “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement” and, after such filing, the term “Registration Statement” shall include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. Each prospectus used prior to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, and each prospectus that omitted the Rule 430A Information that was used after such effectiveness and prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, is herein called a “preliminary prospectus.” The final prospectus, in the form first furnished to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offering of the Securities, is herein called the “Prospectus.” For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system or any successor system (“EDGAR”).

 

 

As used in this Agreement:

 

“Applicable Time” means [__:00 P./A.M.], New York City time, on [l], 20__ or such other time as agreed by the Company and BofA.

 

“General Disclosure Package” means any Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectuses issued at or prior to the Applicable Time, the most recent preliminary prospectus that is distributed to investors prior to the Applicable Time and the information included on Schedule B-1 hereto, all considered together.

 

“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 433”), including without limitation any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 405”)) relating to the Securities that is (i) required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) a “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i), whether or not required to be filed with the Commission, or (iii) exempt from filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Securities or of the offering that does not reflect the final terms, in each case 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 Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).

 

“Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors (other than a “bona fide electronic road show,” as defined in Rule 433 (the “Bona Fide Electronic Road Show”)), as evidenced by its being specified in Schedule B-2 hereto.

 

“Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not an Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus.

 

“Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any oral or written communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Section 5(d) of the 1933 Act or Rule 163B of the 1933 Act Regulations.

 

“Written Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any Testing-the-Waters Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 under the 1933 Act.

 

SECTION 1.           Representations and Warranties.

 

(a)            Representations and Warranties by the ABG Parties. Each ABG Party represents and warrants, jointly and severally, to each Underwriter as of the date hereof, the Applicable Time, the Closing Time (as defined below) and any Date of Delivery (as defined below), and agrees with each Underwriter, as follows:

 

(i)             Registration Statement and Prospectuses. Each of the Registration Statement and any amendment thereto has become effective under the 1933 Act. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued under the 1933 Act, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to the ABG Parties’ knowledge, contemplated. The ABG Parties have complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information.

 

 

Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time it became effective, the Applicable Time, the Closing Time and any Date of Delivery complied and will comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations. Each preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, at the time each was filed with the Commission, and, in each case, at the Applicable Time, the Closing Time and any Date of Delivery complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations. Each preliminary prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with this offering and the Prospectus was or will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

 

(ii)           Accurate Disclosure. Neither the Registration Statement nor any amendment thereto, at its effective time, on the date hereof, at the Closing Time or at any Date of Delivery, contained, contains or will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. At the Applicable Time and any Date of Delivery, none of (A) the General Disclosure Package, (B) any individual Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package or (C) any individual Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. Neither the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto, as of its issue date, at the time of any filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b), at the Closing Time or at any Date of Delivery, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

The representations and warranties in this subsection shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through BofA expressly for use therein. For purposes of this Agreement, the only information so furnished shall be the information in the first paragraph under the heading “Underwriting Commissions and Discounts,” the information in the second, third and fourth paragraphs under the heading “Price Stabilization, Short Positions and Penalty Bids” and the information under the heading “Electronic Distribution” in each case contained in the Prospectus (collectively, the “Underwriter Information”).

 

(iii)          Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. No Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, 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 subsection shall not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information. The Company has made available a Bona Fide Electronic Road Show in compliance with Rule 433(d)(8)(ii) such that no filing of any “road show” (as defined in Rule 433(h)) is required in connection with the offering of the Securities.

 

(iv)          Testing-the-Waters Materials. The Company (A) has not alone engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communication other than Testing-the-Waters Communications with the consent of the Representatives with entities that the Company reasonably believes are qualified institutional buyers within the meaning of Rule 144A under the 1933 Act or institutions that are accredited investors within the meaning of Rule 501 under the 1933 Act and (B) has not authorized anyone other than the Representatives to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company reconfirms that the Representatives have been authorized to act on its behalf in undertaking Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company has not distributed any Written Testing-the-Waters Communications other than those listed on Schedule D hereto.

 

 

(v)           Company Not Ineligible Issuer. At the time of filing the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations) of the Securities and at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405, without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an ineligible issuer.

 

(vi)          Emerging Growth Company Status. From the time of the initial confidential submission of the Registration Statement to the Commission (or, if earlier, the first date on which the Company engaged directly or through any individual or entity (“Person”) authorized to act on its behalf in any Testing-the-Waters Communication) through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the 1933 Act (an “Emerging Growth Company”).

 

(vii)         Independent Accountants. The accountants who certified the financial statements and supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are independent public accountants as required by the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.

 

(viii)        Financial Statements; Non-GAAP Financial Measures. The financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, present fairly in all material respects the financial position of ABG LLC and its consolidated subsidiaries at the dates indicated and the statement of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows of ABG LLC and its consolidated subsidiaries for the periods specified; said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved. The supporting schedules, if any, present fairly, in all material respects, in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated therein. The selected financial data and the summary financial information included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly in all material respects the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements included therein. The pro forma financial statements and the related notes thereto included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus have been prepared in accordance with the applicable requirements of the 1933 Act, and the assumptions underlying such pro forma financial information are reasonable. Except as included therein, no historical or pro forma financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus under the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations. All disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply with Regulation G of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 (the “1934 Act”) and Item 10 of Regulation S-K of the 1933 Act, to the extent applicable.

 

 

(ix)           No Material Adverse Change in Business. Except as otherwise stated therein, since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, (A) there has been no material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the ABG Parties and their subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business (a “Material Adverse Effect”), (B) there have been no transactions entered into by the ABG Parties or any of their subsidiaries, other than those in the ordinary course of business, which are material with respect to the ABG Parties and their subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, and (C)  there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by any ABG Party on any class of its capital stock.

 

(x)            Good Standing of the ABG Parties. Each ABG Party has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation or limited liability company in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware and has corporate or limited liability company power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement; and each ABG Party is duly qualified as a foreign corporation or limited liability company 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, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xi)           Good Standing of Subsidiaries. Each “significant subsidiary” of the Company (as such term is defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X) (each, a “Subsidiary” and, collectively, the “Subsidiaries”) has been duly organized and is validly existing in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, has corporate or similar power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and is duly qualified 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, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of each Subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and non-assessable and is owned by an ABG Party, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity, except for any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity under the Credit Facilities (as defined in the Prospectus). None of the outstanding shares of capital stock of any Subsidiary were issued in violation of the preemptive or similar rights of any securityholder of such Subsidiary which have not been duly and validly waived or satisfied. The only subsidiaries of the Company are (A) the subsidiaries listed on Exhibit 21 to the Registration Statement and (B) certain other subsidiaries which, considered in the aggregate as a single subsidiary, do not constitute a “significant subsidiary” as defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X.

 

(xii)          Capitalization. The authorized, issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of ABG LLC are as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus in the column entitled “Historical Authentic Brands Group LLC” under the caption “Capitalization” (except for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to this Agreement, pursuant to reservations, agreements or employee benefit plans referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or pursuant to the exercise of convertible securities or options referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus). The outstanding shares of capital stock of each ABG Party have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable. None of the outstanding shares of capital stock of any ABG Party were issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of any such ABG Party which have not been duly and validly waived or satisfied.

 

 

(xiii)        Authorization of Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by each ABG Party.

 

(xiv)        Authorization and Description of Securities. The Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Company have been duly authorized for issuance and sale to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Company pursuant to this Agreement against payment of the consideration set forth herein, will be validly issued and fully paid and non-assessable; and the issuance of the Securities is not subject to the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company. The Common Stock to be issued pursuant to the Transactions, upon the consummation of the Transactions, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and will conform in all material respects to the “Description of Capital Stock” contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and such description conforms to the rights set forth in the instruments defining the same. No holder of Securities will be subject to personal liability by reason of being such a holder.

 

(xv)         Registration Rights. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no persons with registration rights or other similar rights to have any securities registered for sale pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise registered for sale or sold by any ABG Party under the 1933 Act pursuant to this Agreement.

 

(xvi)        Absence of Violations, Defaults and Conflicts. None of the ABG Parties or any of their respective subsidiaries is (A) in violation of its respective charter, by-laws or similar organizational document, (B) in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, license, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which any ABG Party 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 properties or assets of any ABG Party or any subsidiary is subject (collectively, “Agreements and Instruments”), except for such defaults that would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or (C) in violation of any law or statute applicable to any ABG Party or any of its subsidiaries or any rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any arbitrator, court, governmental body, regulatory body, administrative agency or other authority, body or agency having jurisdiction over any ABG Party or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective properties, assets or operations (each, a “Governmental Entity”), except for such violations that would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The execution, delivery and performance of (A) this Agreement; (B) the Seventh Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of ABG LLC, to become effective on or prior to the Closing Time (as so amended and restated, the “ABG LLC Agreement”); (C) the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company; (D) the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company; (E) the tax receivable agreement (the “Tax Receivable Agreement”) among the Company, ABG LLC and certain holders of limited liability company interests in ABG LLC who will retain their limited liability company interests in ABG LLC (the “TRA Participants”); (F) the Registration Rights Agreement (the “Registration Rights Agreement”) among the Company, certain of the Continuing ABG LLC Equity Owners (as defined in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus) and certain holders of Class A Common Stock; and (G) the Stockholders Agreement among the Company and certain of its stockholders (clauses (A) through (G) collectively, the “Transaction Documents”), and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents and in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (including the issuance and sale of the Securities and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described therein under the caption “Use of Proceeds”) and compliance by each ABG Party with its obligations under the Transaction Documents to which it is a party have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and do not and will 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 properties or assets of any ABG Party or any subsidiary pursuant to, the Agreements and Instruments (except for such conflicts, breaches, defaults or Repayment Events or liens, charges or encumbrances that would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect), nor will such action result in any violation of (x) the provisions of the charter, by-laws or similar organizational document of any ABG Party or any of its subsidiaries or (y) any law or statute applicable to any ABG Party or any of its subsidiaries or any rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any Governmental Entity (except, in the case of this clause (y), for any violation that would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to 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 holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by any ABG Party or any of its subsidiaries.

 

 

(xvii)       Absence of Labor Dispute. No labor dispute with the employees of any ABG Party or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the ABG Parties, is imminent, and no ABG Party is aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its or any subsidiary’s principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or contractors, which, in either case, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xviii)      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 Governmental Entity now pending or, to the knowledge of the ABG Parties, threatened, against or affecting any ABG Party or any of its subsidiaries, which would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or which would reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect their respective properties or assets or the consummation of the transactions contemplated in the Transaction Documents or the performance by each ABG Party of its obligations thereunder; and the aggregate of all pending legal or governmental proceedings to which any ABG Party or any such subsidiary is a party or of which any of their respective properties or assets is the subject which are not described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, including ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business, would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xix)         Accuracy of Exhibits. There are no contracts, licenses or documents which are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement which have not been so described and filed as required.

 

(xx)          Absence of Further Requirements. No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any Governmental Entity is necessary or required for the performance by each ABG Party of its obligations under the Transaction Documents to which it is a party, in connection with the offering, issuance or sale of the Securities hereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by any of the Transaction Documents to which it is a party, except (A) such as have been already obtained or as may be required under the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the rules of the New York Stock Exchange, state securities laws or the rules of FINRA and (B) such as have been obtained under the laws and regulations of jurisdictions outside the United States in which the Reserved Securities were offered.

 

 

(xxi)         Possession of Licenses and Permits. Each ABG Party and its subsidiaries possess such permits, licenses, approvals, consents and other authorizations (collectively, “Governmental Licenses”) issued by the appropriate Governmental Entities necessary to conduct the business now operated by them, except where the failure so to possess would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Each ABG Party and its subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms and conditions of all such Governmental Licenses, except where the failure so to comply would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. All such 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, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. None of the ABG Parties or any of their respective 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 reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xxii)        Title to Property. Each ABG Party and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all real property owned by them 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 Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or (B) do not, singly or in the aggregate, materially affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the applicable ABG Party or any of its subsidiaries; and all of the leases and subleases material to the business of each ABG Party and its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, and under which any ABG Party or any of its subsidiaries holds properties described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, are in full force and effect, and none of the ABG Parties or any of their respective subsidiaries has any notice of any material claim of any sort that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of any ABG Party or any subsidiary under any of the leases or subleases mentioned above, or affecting or questioning the rights of any ABG Party or such subsidiary to the continued possession of the leased or subleased premises under any such lease or sublease.

 

(xxiii)       Intellectual Property. Except as would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, (i) each ABG Party and its respective subsidiaries owns or possesses, or can acquire on reasonable terms, adequate rights to use all trademarks, service marks, trade names, copyrights, patents, domain names, rights of publicity and privacy, trade secrets, know-how (including unpatented or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures) and other intellectual property (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) used by them or necessary to conduct its business as now conducted, (ii) none of the ABG Parties or any of their respective subsidiaries is infringing, misappropriating, diluting, or otherwise violating, or has asserted Intellectual Property rights of others, (iii) to the knowledge of the ABG Parties, all Intellectual Property owned by or exclusively licensed to the ABG Parties or any of their respective subsidiaries is valid and enforceable, and (iv), none of the ABG Parties has received written notice of any pending or threatened litigation relating to any of the foregoing. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and as would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, and to the knowledge of the ABG Parties and their respective subsidiaries, no third party is infringing, misappropriating, diluting, or otherwise violating any Intellectual Property owned by or exclusively licensed to any ABG Party or its subsidiaries.

 

 

(xxiv)       Environmental Laws. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (A) none of the ABG Parties or any of their respective subsidiaries is in violation of any statute, rule, regulation, decision or order of any governmental agency or body or any court, domestic or foreign, relating to the use, disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or relating to the protection or restoration of the environment or human exposure to hazardous or toxic substances (collectively, “environmental laws”), owns or operates any real property contaminated with any substance that is subject to any environmental laws, is liable for any off-site disposal or contamination pursuant to any environmental laws, or is subject to any claim relating to any environmental laws; and none of the ABG Parties is aware of any pending investigation which might lead to such a claim.

 

(xxv)        Accounting Controls and Disclosure Controls. Each ABG Party and each of its subsidiaries maintain effective internal control over financial reporting (as defined under Rules 13-a15 and 15d-15 under the regulations (the “1934 Act Regulations”) under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 (the “1934 Act”)) and a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, since the end date of each ABG Party’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (1) no material weakness in each ABG Party’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (2) no change in each ABG Party’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially and adversely affected, or is reasonably likely to materially and adversely affect, such ABG Party’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

(xxvi)       Compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Company has taken all necessary actions to ensure that, upon the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, it will be in compliance in all material respects with all applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or implementing the provisions thereof (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) that are then in effect and with which the Company is required to comply as of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, and is actively taking steps to ensure that it will be in compliance in all material respects with other applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act not currently in effect, upon the effectiveness of such provisions, or which will become applicable to the Company at all times after the effectiveness of the Registration Statement.

 

(xxvii)      Payment of Taxes. Each ABG Party and its consolidated subsidiaries have filed all U.S. federal, state and local and foreign tax returns required to be filed through the date hereof (other than those U.S. federal, state and local and foreign tax returns the nonfiling of which would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect) and has paid all taxes required to be paid by it, other than those (A) being contested in good faith and for which reserves have been provided in the financial statements of the Company in accordance with GAAP or (B) the nonpayment of which would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. No tax deficiency has been determined adversely to the ABG Parties or their consolidated subsidiaries which would, nor do the ABG Parties nor their consolidated subsidiaries have any knowledge of any tax deficiency which, if determined adversely to the ABG Parties or their consolidated subsidiaries, would, in either such case, result in a Material Adverse Effect. The charges, accruals and reserves on the books of each ABG Party and its consolidated subsidiaries in respect of any tax liability for any years not finally determined are adequate to meet any assessments or re-assessments for additional tax for any years not finally determined, except to the extent of any inadequacy that would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

 

(xxviii)     Insurance. Each ABG Party and its subsidiaries carry or are entitled to the benefits of insurance, from insurers of recognized financial responsibility, in such amounts and covering such risks as are customary for businesses such as the ABG Parties’ and their respective subsidiaries. Each ABG Party has no reason to believe that it or any of its subsidiaries will not be able (A) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (B) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. None of the ABG Parties or any of their respective subsidiaries has been denied any insurance coverage which it has sought or for which it has applied.

 

(xxix)       Investment Company Act. Each ABG Party is not required, and upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated and the application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will not be required, to register as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).

 

(xxx)        Absence of Manipulation. None of the ABG Parties or any of their respective affiliates has taken, nor will the ABG Parties or any affiliate take, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed, or would reasonably be expected, to cause or result in, or which constitutes, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Securities.

 

(xxxi)       Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. None of the ABG Parties, any of their respective subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the ABG Parties, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of any ABG Party or any of its subsidiaries is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “FCPA”), including, without limitation, making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any “foreign official” (as such term is defined in the FCPA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the FCPA and the ABG Parties and, to the knowledge of the ABG Parties, its affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.

 

(xxxii)      Money Laundering Laws. The operations of each ABG Party and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any Governmental Entity (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”); and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any Governmental Entity involving any ABG Party or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the ABG Parties, threatened.

 

 

(xxxiii)     OFAC. None of the ABG Parties or any of their respective subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the ABG Parties, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or representative of any ABG Party or any of its subsidiaries is a Person (i) currently the subject or target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the United States Government, including, without limitation, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”), the United Nations Security Council (“UNSC”), the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury (“HMT”), or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), or (ii) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of Sanctions; and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the sale of the Securities, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiaries, joint venture partners or other Person, to fund any activities of or business with any Person, or in any country or territory, that, at the time of such funding, is the subject of Sanctions or in any other manner that will result in a violation by any Person (including any Person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions.

 

(xxxiv)     No Sales. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company has not sold, issued or distributed any shares of Common Stock during the six-month period preceding the date hereof, including any sales pursuant to Rule 144A under, or Regulation D or S of, the 1933 Act.

 

(xxxv)      Sales of Reserved Securities. In connection with any offer and sale of Reserved Securities outside the United States, each preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, at the time it was filed, complied and will comply in all material respects with any applicable laws or regulations of foreign jurisdictions in which the same is distributed. The Company has not offered, or caused the Representatives or Merrill Lynch to offer, Reserved Securities to any person with the specific intent to unlawfully influence (i) a licensee of any ABG Party or any of its affiliates to alter the licensee’s level or type of business with any such entity or (ii) a trade journalist or publication to write or publish favorable information about any ABG Party or any of its affiliates, or their respective businesses or products.

 

(xxxvi)     Lending Relationship. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (i) none of the ABG Parties has any material lending or other relationship with any bank or lending affiliate of any Underwriter and (ii) the Company does not intend to use any of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities to repay any outstanding debt owed to any affiliate of any Underwriter.

 

(xxxvii)    Statistical and Market-Related Data. Any statistical and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that each ABG Party believes to be reliable and accurate in all material respects and, to the extent required, each ABG Party has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources.

 

 

(xxxviii)   Privacy and Cybersecurity. Except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect: (A) there has been no security breach or incident, unauthorized access or disclosure, or other compromise of or relating to the ABG Parties or their respective subsidiaries’ information technology and computer assets, equipment, systems, networks, hardware, software, applications, websites, data and databases (including the data and information of their respective licensees, customers, employees, suppliers, vendors and any third party data maintained, processed or stored by the ABG Parties and their respective subsidiaries, and any such data processed or stored by third parties on behalf of the ABG Parties and their respective subsidiaries), equipment or technology (collectively, “IT Systems and Data”) (including, but not limited to, any event that would give rise to a breach or incident for which notification by the ABG Parties or their respective subsidiaries to individuals and/or governmental agency, authority or body is required under any applicable law, regulation, code of conduct or privacy- or data protection- related contract to which any of the ABG Parties or their respective subsidiaries is a party); (B) none of the ABG Parties or their respective subsidiaries have been notified in writing of, and each of them have no knowledge of any event or condition that could result in, any security breach or incident, unauthorized access or disclosure or other compromise to their IT Systems and Data; (C) the ABG Parties and their respective subsidiaries’ IT Systems and Data are adequate for, and operate and perform as required in connection with the operation of the ABG Parties’ businesses as currently conducted; (D) the ABG Parties and their respective subsidiaries have (i) implemented appropriate physical, administrative, and technological controls, policies, procedures, and safeguards designed to maintain and protect the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of their IT Systems and Data reasonably consistent with industry standards and practices, or as otherwise required by applicable regulatory standards, and (ii) implemented industry standard measures designed to ensure that the IT Systems and Data are free and clear of all bugs, errors, defects, Trojan horses, time bombs, malware and other corruptants; and (E) the ABG Parties and their respective subsidiaries: (i) are presently in, and for the last three (3) years have been in, compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal and external privacy and security policies, and contractual obligations, in each case, relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Data, to the protection of such IT Systems and Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification, and to the collection, use, transfer, import, export, storage, protection, disposal and disclosure by the ABG Parties and their respective subsidiaries of personal, personally identifiable, sensitive, confidential or regulated data (“Data Security Obligations”), and (ii) have not received any written notification of or complaint regarding non-compliance with any Data Security Obligation. Except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect there is no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body pending or threatened alleging non-compliance with any Data Security Obligation.

 

(b)           Officer’s Certificates. Any certificate signed by any officer of any ABG Party or any of its subsidiaries delivered to the Representatives or to counsel for the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed a representation and warranty by each ABG Party to each Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.

 

SECTION 2.          Sale and Delivery to Underwriters; Closing.

 

(a)            Initial Securities. On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company, at the price per share set forth in Schedule A, that number of Initial Securities set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter, plus any additional number of Initial Securities which such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 10 hereof, subject, in each case, to such adjustments among the Underwriters as BofA in its sole discretion shall make to eliminate any sales or purchases of fractional shares.

 

 

(b)          Option Securities. In addition, on the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company hereby grants an option to the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, to purchase up to an additional [l] shares of Class A Common Stock, at the price per share set forth in Schedule A, 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 Representatives to the Company setting forth the number of Option Securities as to which the several Underwriters are 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 Representatives, but shall not be later than seven full business days after the exercise of said option, nor in any event prior to the Closing Time. If the option is exercised as to all or any portion of the Option Securities, each of the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, will purchase that proportion of the total number of Option Securities then being purchased which the number of Initial Securities set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Initial Securities, subject, in each case, to such adjustments as BofA in its sole discretion shall make to eliminate any sales or purchases of fractional shares.

 

(c)           Payment. Payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of certificates or security entitlements for, the Initial Securities shall be made at the offices of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP, One New York Plaza, New York, New York 10004, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company, at 9:00 A.M. (New York City time) on the second (third, if the pricing occurs after 4:30 P.M. (New York City time) on any given day) business day after the date hereof (unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10), or such other time not later than ten business days after such date as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company (such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called “Closing Time”).

 

In addition, in the event that any or all of the Option Securities are purchased by the Underwriters, payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of certificates or security entitlements for, such Option Securities shall be made at the above-mentioned offices, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company, on each Date of Delivery as specified in the notice from BofA 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 Representatives for the respective accounts of the Underwriters of certificates or security entitlements for the Securities to be purchased by them. It is understood that each Underwriter has authorized the Representatives, for its account, to accept delivery of, receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Initial Securities and the Option Securities, if any, which it has agreed to purchase. BofA, individually and not as representative of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment of the purchase price for the Initial Securities or the Option Securities, if any, to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds have not been received by the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, but such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from its obligations hereunder.

 

(d)           [Reserved.]

 

 

SECTION 3.           Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants with each Underwriter as follows:

 

(a)           Compliance with Securities Regulations and Commission Requests. The Company, subject to Section 3(b), will comply with the requirements of Rule 430A, (which may be by electronic mail), and will promptly notify the Representatives, and confirm the notice in writing, (i) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement shall become effective or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus shall have been filed, (ii) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission, (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or for additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the 1933 Act concerning the Registration Statement and (v) if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the 1933 Act in connection with the offering of the Securities. 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. The Company will use reasonable efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order, prevention or suspension and, if any such order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof as soon as practicable.

 

(b)           Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. The Company will comply with the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Securities as contemplated in this Agreement and in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. If at any time when a prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 172”), would be) required by the 1933 Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Securities, any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters or for the Company, to (i) amend the Registration Statement in order that the Registration Statement will not include 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, (ii) amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order that the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing at the time it is delivered to a purchaser or (iii) amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, in order to comply with the requirements of the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations, the Company will promptly (A) give the Representatives notice of such event, (B) prepare any amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus comply with such requirements and, a reasonable amount of time prior to any proposed filing or use, furnish the Representatives with copies of any such amendment or supplement and (C) file with the Commission any such amendment or supplement; provided that the Company shall not file or use any such amendment or supplement to which the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object. The Company will furnish to the Underwriters such number of copies of such amendment or supplement as the Underwriters may reasonably request.

 

(c)           Delivery of Registration Statements. The Company has furnished or will deliver to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters, if requested, without charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed therewith) and signed copies of all consents and certificates of experts, and will also deliver to the Representatives, if requested, without charge, a conformed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (without exhibits) for each of the Underwriters. The copies of the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

 

 

(d)           Delivery of Prospectuses. The Company has delivered to each Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of each preliminary prospectus as such Underwriter reasonably requested, and the Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the 1933 Act. The Company will furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) required to be delivered under the 1933 Act, such number of copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as such Underwriter may reasonably request. The Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

 

(e)           Blue Sky Qualifications. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts, in cooperation with the Underwriters, to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions (domestic or foreign) as the Representatives may designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required to complete the distribution of the Securities; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject.

 

(f)            Rule 158. The Company will timely file such reports pursuant to the 1934 Act as are necessary in order to make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable an earnings statement for the purposes of, and to provide to the Underwriters the benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act.

 

(g)          Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Securities in the manner specified in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under “Use of Proceeds.”

 

(h)           Listing. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to effect and maintain the listing of the Class A Common Stock (including the Securities) on the New York Stock Exchange.

 

(i)            Restriction on Sale of Securities. During a period of 180 days from the date of the Prospectus, the ABG Parties will not, without the prior written consent of BofA and JPM, (i) directly or indirectly, offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend or otherwise transfer or dispose of any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, or file, cause to be filed or cause to be confidentially submitted any registration statement in connection herewith, under the 1933 Act with respect to any of the foregoing or (ii) enter into any hedging, swap or any other agreement or any transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence of ownership of the Common Stock, regardless of whether any such hedging, swap or other transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (A) the Securities to be sold hereunder, (B) any shares of Common Stock issued by the Company upon the exercise of an option or warrant, the vesting or settlement of LLC Profits Interests or LLC Common Interests (each as defined in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus) or the conversion or exchange of a security outstanding on the date hereof and referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (C) any shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into, exchangeable for or that represent the right to receive shares of Common Stock issued, or options to purchase Common Stock granted, in each case pursuant to existing employee benefit plans of the Company referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (D) any shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to any non-employee director stock plan or dividend reinvestment plan referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; (E) the filing of any registration statement on Form S-8 relating to securities granted or to be granted pursuant to the Company’s equity-based compensation plans that are described in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and Prospectus; (F) the sale, issuance, subscription, redemption or exchange of shares of Common Stock or LLC Interests in connection with the consummation of the Transactions; (G) the sale or issuance of or entry into an agreement to sell or issue shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock in connection with any (1) mergers, (2) acquisition of securities, businesses, property or other assets, (3) joint ventures or (4) strategic alliances or relationships; provided, that the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock (on an as-converted or as-exercised or as-exchanged basis, as the case may be, and excluding any shares of Common Stock or LLC Interests offered or contracted to be sold pursuant to an agreement signed prior to the date hereof) that the Company may sell or issue or agree to sell or issue pursuant to this clause (G) shall not exceed 10% of the total number of shares of the Company’s Class A Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately following the completion of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (determined after giving effect to the assumed exchange of all LLC Interests then outstanding for newly-issued shares of Class A Common Stock); and provided further, that each recipient of shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock pursuant to this clause (G) shall execute a lock-up agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto for the remainder of the Lock-Up Period; or (H) any transaction pursuant to the ABG LLC Agreement in connection with, and as contemplated by, the Transactions.

 

 

(j)            (A) If BofA and JPM, in their sole discretion, agree to release or waive the restrictions set forth in a lock-up agreement described in Section 5(i) hereof for an officer or director of the Company and provides the Company with notice of the impending release or waiver at least three business days before the effective date of the release or waiver, the Company agrees to announce the impending release or waiver by a press release substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto through a major news service at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver; and (B) the Company hereby agrees to announce the occurrence of the Early Release Determination Date (as defined in the form of the lock-up agreement attached hereto as Exhibit A), if any, by a press release through a major news service prior to the commencement of the first Trading Day (as defined in the form of the lock-up agreement attached hereto as Exhibit A) immediately following the Early Release Determination Date.

 

(k)           Reporting Requirements. The Company, during the period when a Prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) required to be delivered under the 1933 Act, will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the 1934 Act within the time periods required by the 1934 Act and 1934 Act Regulations.

 

(l)            Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Representatives, it will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” or a portion thereof, required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433; provided that the Representatives will be deemed to have consented to the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses listed on Schedule B-2 hereto and any “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i) that has been reviewed by the Representatives. The Company represents that it has treated or agrees that it will treat each such free writing prospectus consented to, or deemed consented to, by the Representatives as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and that it has complied and will comply with the applicable requirements of Rule 433 with respect thereto, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping. 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, any preliminary prospectus or the 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 existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.

 

 

(m)          Certification Regarding Beneficial Owners. The Company will deliver to the Representatives, on the date of execution of this Agreement, a properly completed and executed Certification Regarding Beneficial Owners of Legal Entity Customers, together with copies of identifying documentation, and the Company undertakes to provide such additional supporting documentation as the Representatives may reasonably request in connection with the verification of the foregoing certification.

 

(n)           Compliance with FINRA Rules. The Company hereby agrees that it will ensure that the Reserved Securities will be restricted as required by FINRA or the FINRA rules from sale, transfer, assignment, pledge or hypothecation for a period of three months following the date of this Agreement. Merrill Lynch will notify the Company as to which persons will need to be so restricted. At the request of the Underwriters or Merrill Lynch, the Company will direct the transfer agent to place a stop transfer restriction upon such securities for such period of time. Should the Company release, or seek to release, from such restrictions any of the Reserved Securities, the Company agrees to reimburse the Underwriters and Merrill Lynch for any reasonable expenses (including, without limitation, legal expenses) they incur in connection with such release.

 

(o)           Testing-the-Waters Materials. If at any time following the distribution of any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication to eliminate or correct such untrue statement or omission.

 

(p)           Emerging Growth Company Status. The Company will promptly notify the Representatives if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the later of (i) completion of the distribution of the Securities within the meaning of the 1933 Act and (ii) completion of the restricted period referred to in Section 3(i).

 

SECTION 4.           Payment of Expenses.

 

(a)           Expenses. The ABG Parties will, jointly and severally, pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and each amendment thereto, (ii) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of each preliminary prospectus, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto and any costs associated with electronic delivery of any of the foregoing by the Underwriters to investors, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificates or security entitlements for the Securities to the Underwriters, including any stock or other transfer taxes and any stamp or other duties payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Securities to the Underwriters, (iv) the fees and disbursements of the Company’s counsel, accountants and other advisors, (v) the qualification of the Securities under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(e) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection therewith and in connection with the preparation of the Blue Sky Survey and any supplement thereto in an amount not to exceed $10,000, (vi) the fees and expenses of any transfer agent or registrar for the Securities, (vii) all expenses incurred by the Company in connection with any “road show” presentation to potential investors, provided that any expenses or costs associated with any chartered plane used in connection with any “road show” presentation to potential investors will be paid 50% by the ABG Parties and 50% by the Underwriters, (viii) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of a single counsel to the Underwriters in connection with, the review by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Securities in an amount not to exceed $30,000, (ix) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Securities on the New York Stock Exchange, (x) 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 Securities made by the Underwriters caused by a breach of the representation contained in the third sentence of Section 1(a)(ii) and (xi) all costs and expenses of the Underwriters and Merrill Lynch, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters and counsel for Merrill Lynch and any stock or other transfer taxes and any stamp or other duties payable, in connection with matters related to the Reserved Securities which are designated by the Company for sale to Invitees; provided that the aggregate amount payable by the ABG Parties pursuant to this clause (xi) shall not exceed $20,000.

 

 

(b)           Termination of Agreement. If this Agreement is terminated by the Representatives in accordance with the provisions of Section 5, Section 9(a)(i) or (iii) or Section 10 hereof, each ABG Party, jointly and severally, shall reimburse the Underwriters (in the case of a termination pursuant Section 10, only such Underwriters as have so terminated this Agreement with respect to themselves severally and are not in default hereunder) for all of their reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses that were actually incurred, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters. For the avoidance of doubt, if this Agreement is terminated by the Representatives pursuant to Section 10 hereof, the ABG Parties will have no obligation to reimburse any defaulting Underwriter.

 

SECTION 5.          Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligations of the several Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of each ABG Party contained herein or in certificates of any officer of any ABG Party or any of its subsidiaries delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to the following further conditions:

 

(a)           Effectiveness of Registration Statement; Rule 430A Information. The Registration Statement, including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, has become effective and, at the Closing Time, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued under the 1933 Act, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, contemplated by the Commission; and the Company has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information. A prospectus containing the Rule 430A Information shall have been filed with the Commission in the manner and within the time frame required by Rule 424(b) without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8) or a post-effective amendment providing such information shall have been filed with, and declared effective by, the Commission in accordance with the requirements of Rule 430A.

 

 

(b)           Opinion of Counsel for Company. At the Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received (i) the opinion, dated the Closing Time, of Latham & Watkins LLP, counsel for the Company, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters and (ii) the opinion, dated the Closing Time, of Jay Dubiner, General Counsel of the Company, regarding intellectual property matters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters ..

 

(c)           Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters. At the Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received the favorable opinion, dated the Closing Time, of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives. In giving such opinion such counsel may rely, as to all matters governed by the laws of jurisdictions other than the law of the State of New York, the General Corporation Law and Limited Liability Company Act of the State of Delaware and the federal securities laws of the United States, upon the opinions of counsel satisfactory to the Representatives. Such counsel may also state that, insofar as such opinion involves factual matters, they have relied, to the extent they deem proper, upon certificates of officers and other representatives of each ABG Party and its subsidiaries and certificates of public officials.

 

(d)           Officers’ Certificate. At the Closing Time, there shall not have been, since the date hereof or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the ABG Parties and their respective subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, and the Representatives shall have received a certificate of the Chief Executive Officer or the President of each ABG Party and of the chief financial or chief accounting officer of each ABG Party, dated the Closing Time, to the effect that (i) there has been no such material adverse change, (ii) the representations and warranties of each ABG Party in this Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of the Closing Time, (iii) each ABG Party has complied in all material respects with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the Closing Time, and (iv) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement under the 1933 Act has been issued, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to their knowledge, contemplated.

 

(e)           Accountant’s Comfort Letter. At the time of the execution of this Agreement, the Representatives shall have received from Grant Thornton LLP a letter, dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(f)            Bring-down Comfort Letter. At the Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received from Grant Thornton LLP a letter, dated as of the Closing Time, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to subsection (e) of this Section, except that the specified date referred to shall be a date not more than three business days prior to the Closing Time.

 

(g)           Approval of Listing. At the Closing Time, the Securities shall have been approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange, subject only to official notice of issuance.

 

 

(h)           No Objection. FINRA has confirmed that it has not raised any objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements relating to the offering of the Securities.

 

(i)            Lock-up Agreements. At the date of this Agreement, the Representatives shall have received an agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto signed by the persons listed on Schedule C hereto.

 

(j)            Company Chief Financial Officer Certificate. At the date of this Agreement and at the Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received a certificate signed by the chief financial officer of the Company, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters.

 

(k)           Maintenance of Rating. Since the execution of this Agreement, there shall not have been any decrease in or withdrawal of the rating of any securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the 1934 Act) or any notice given of any intended or potential decrease in or withdrawal of any such rating or of a possible change in any such rating that does not indicate the direction of the possible change.

 

(l)            Conditions to Purchase of Option Securities. In the event that the Underwriters exercise their option provided in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any portion of the Option Securities, the representations and warranties of each ABG Party contained herein and the statements in any certificates furnished by any ABG Party and any of its subsidiaries hereunder shall be true and correct as of each Date of Delivery and, at the relevant Date of Delivery, the Representatives shall have received:

 

(i)            Officers’ Certificate. A certificate, dated such Date of Delivery, of the President, Vice President, chief financial officer, chief accounting officer or general counsel of each ABG Party confirming that the certificate delivered at the Closing Time pursuant to Section 5(d) hereof remains true and correct as of such Date of Delivery.

 

(ii)           Opinion of Counsel for Company. If requested by the Representatives, the opinion of Latham & Watkins LLP, counsel for the Company, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(b) hereof.

 

(iii)          Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters. If requested by the Representatives, the favorable opinion of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(c) hereof.

 

(iv)          Bring-down Comfort Letter. If requested by the Representatives, a letter from Grant Thornton LLP, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives and dated such Date of Delivery, substantially in the same form and substance as the letter furnished to the Representatives pursuant to Section 5(e) hereof, except that the “specified date” in the letter furnished pursuant to this paragraph shall be a date not more than three business days prior to such Date of Delivery.

 

(v)           Company Chief Financial Officer Certificate. A certificate signed by the chief financial officer of the Company, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as the certificate required by Section 5(j) hereof.

 

 

(m)          Additional Documents. At the Closing Time and at each Date of Delivery (if any) counsel for the Underwriters shall have been furnished with such documents and certificates as they may reasonably require for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the ABG Parties in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated shall be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters.

 

(n)           Termination of Agreement. If any condition specified in this Section shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement, or, in the case of any condition to the purchase of Option Securities on a Date of Delivery which is after the Closing Time, the obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase the relevant Option Securities, may be terminated by the Representatives by notice to the Company at any time at or prior to Closing Time or such Date of Delivery, as the case may be, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 and except that Sections 1, 6, 7, 8, 15, 16 and 17 shall survive any such termination and remain in full force and effect.

 

SECTION 6.           Indemnification.

 

(a)            Indemnification of Underwriters. Each ABG Party agrees, jointly and severally, to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates (as such term is defined in Rule 501(b) under the 1933 Act (each, an “Affiliate”)), its selling agents and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act as follows:

 

(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), including the Rule 430A Information, 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 included (A) in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or (B) in any materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the ABG Parties in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Securities (“Marketing Materials”), including any roadshow or investor presentations made to investors by the ABG Parties (whether in person or electronically), or the omission or alleged omission in any preliminary prospectus, Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, Prospectus or in any Marketing Materials 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;

 

(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 6(d) below) any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the ABG Parties;

 

(iii)           against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by BofA), 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 the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430A Information, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.

 

(b)           Indemnification of ABG Parties, Directors and Officers. Each Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each ABG Party, the directors of the Company, the officers 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, 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), including the Rule 430A Information, any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or in any Marketing Materials in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter 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 6(a) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Representatives, and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(b) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the ABG Parties. 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 the reasonable 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 6 or Section 7 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 6(a)(ii) or settlement of any claim in connection with any violation referred to in Section 6(f) 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.

 

 

(e)            [Reserved.]

 

(f)            Indemnification for Reserved Securities. In connection with the offer and sale of the Reserved Securities, each ABG Party agrees, jointly and severally, to indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriters, their Affiliates (including Merrill Lynch) and selling agents and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter or Merrill Lynch within the meaning of either Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act, from and against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending, investigating or settling any such action or claim), as incurred, (i) arising out of the violation of any applicable laws or regulations of foreign jurisdictions where Reserved Securities have been offered, (ii) arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any other material prepared by or with the consent of the Company for distribution to Invitees in connection with the offering of the Reserved Securities or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (iii) caused by the failure of any Invitee to pay for and accept delivery of Reserved Securities which have been orally confirmed for purchase by any Invitee by 9:00 A.M. (New York City time) on the first business day after the date of this Agreement or (iv) related to, or arising out of or in connection with, the offering of the Reserved Securities; provided that no indemnification shall be available under this section for any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense which shall have been finally judicially determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to have been caused primarily by the gross negligence or willful misconduct of the Underwriters or their Affiliates.

 

SECTION 7.          Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in Section 6 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 ABG Parties, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, from the offering of the Securities 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 ABG Parties, on the one hand, and of the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions, or in connection with any violation of the nature referred to in Section 6(f) hereof, which resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.

 

The relative benefits received by the ABG Parties, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company, on the one hand, and the total underwriting discount received by the Underwriters, on the other hand, in each case as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of the Securities as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus.

 

The relative fault of the ABG Parties, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, 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 ABG Parties or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission or any violation of the nature referred to in Section 6(f) hereof.

 

 

The ABG Parties and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 7. The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 7 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 7, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting commissions received by such Underwriter in connection with the Shares underwritten by it and distributed to the public.

 

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 7, each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act and each Underwriter’s Affiliates and selling agents shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, 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. The Underwriters’ respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are several in proportion to the number of Initial Securities set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule A hereto and not joint.

 

SECTION 8.          Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive. All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the ABG Parties or any of their respective subsidiaries submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or its Affiliates or selling agents, any person controlling any Underwriter, its officers or directors or any person controlling the ABG Parties and (ii) delivery of and payment for the Securities.

 

SECTION 9.           Termination of Agreement.

 

(a)           Termination. The Representatives may terminate this Agreement, by notice to the Company, at any time at or prior to the Closing Time (i) if there has been, in the judgment of the Representatives, since the time of execution of this Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, or (ii) if there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States or the international financial markets, any outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof or other calamity or crisis or any change or development involving a prospective change in national or international political, financial or economic conditions, in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representatives, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the completion of the offering or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities, or (iii) if trading in any securities of the Company has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or the New York Stock Exchange, or (iv) if trading generally on the New York Stock Exchange has been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by any of said exchanges or by order of the Commission, FINRA or any other governmental authority, or (v) a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States or with respect to Clearstream or Euroclear systems in Europe, or (vi) if a banking moratorium has been declared by either Federal or New York authorities.

 

 

(b)           Liabilities. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section, such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 hereof, and provided further that Sections 1, 6, 7, 8, 14, 15, 16 and 17 shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.

 

SECTION 10.        Default by One or More of the Underwriters. If one or more of the Underwriters shall fail at the Closing Time or a Date of Delivery to purchase the Securities which it or they are obligated to purchase under this Agreement (the “Defaulted Securities”), the Representatives shall have the right, within 24 hours thereafter, to make arrangements for one or more of the non-defaulting Underwriters, or any other underwriters, to purchase all, but not less than all, of the Defaulted Securities in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms herein set forth; if, however, the Representatives shall not have completed such arrangements within such 24-hour period, then:

 

(i)            if the number of Defaulted Securities does not exceed 10% of the number of Securities to be purchased on such date, each of the non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated, severally and not jointly, to purchase the full amount thereof in the proportions that their respective underwriting obligations hereunder bear to the underwriting obligations of all non-defaulting Underwriters, or

 

(ii)            if the number of Defaulted Securities exceeds 10% of the number of Securities to be purchased on such date, this Agreement or, with respect to any Date of Delivery which occurs after the Closing Time, the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase, and the Company to sell, the Option Securities to be purchased and sold on such Date of Delivery shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter.

 

No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of its default.

 

In the event of any such default which does not result in a termination of this Agreement or, in the case of a Date of Delivery which is after the Closing Time, which does not result in a termination of the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase and the Company to sell the relevant Option Securities, as the case may be, either the (i) Representatives or (ii) the Company shall have the right to postpone Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements. As used herein, the term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section 10.

 

SECTION 11.        Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be directed to BofA at One Bryant Park, New York, New York 10036, attention of Syndicate Department (facsimile: (646) 855-3073), with a copy to ECM Legal (facsimile: (212) 230-8730); JPM at 383 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10179 (fax: (212) 622-8358); Attention: Equity Syndicate Desk; GS at 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282);

 

Attention: Registration Department; and notices to the Company shall be directed to it at 1411 Broadway, 21^st Floor, New York, New York 10018, attention of Jay Dubiner.

 

  

SECTION 12.        No Advisory or Fiduciary Relationship. Each ABG Party acknowledges and agrees that (a) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the initial public offering price of the Securities and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the ABG Parties, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other hand, and does not constitute a recommendation, investment advice, or solicitation of any action by the Underwriters, (b) in connection with the offering of the Securities and the process leading thereto, each Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the ABG Parties, any of their respective subsidiaries or their respective stockholders, creditors, employees or any other party, (c) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the ABG Parties with respect to the offering of the Securities or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising any ABG Parties or any of their respective subsidiaries on other matters) and no Underwriter has any obligation to the ABG Parties with respect to the offering of the Securities except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (d) the Underwriters and their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the ABG Parties, (e) the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory, investment or tax advice with respect to the offering of the Securities and the ABG Parties have consulted their own respective legal, accounting, financial, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent they deemed appropriate and (f) none of the activities of the Underwriters in connection with the transactions contemplated herein constitutes a recommendation, investment advice or solicitation of any action by the Underwriters with respect to any entity or natural person.

 

SECTION 13.        Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes.

 

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

 

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

 

For purposes of this Section 13, a “BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k). “Covered Entity” means any of the following: (i) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b); (ii) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or (iii) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b). “Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable. “U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

SECTION 14.        Parties. This Agreement shall each inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters and each ABG Party and their respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Underwriters and the ABG Parties and their respective successors and the controlling persons and officers and directors referred to in Sections 6 and 7 and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Underwriters and the ABG Parties and their respective successors, and said controlling persons and officers and directors and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.

 

 

SECTION 15.        Trial by Jury. Each ABG Party (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its stockholders and affiliates) and each of the Underwriters hereby irrevocably waives, 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 16.        GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT AND ANY CLAIM, CONTROVERSY OR DISPUTE ARISING UNDER OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF, THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO ITS CHOICE OF LAW PROVISIONS.

 

SECTION 17.        Consent to Jurisdiction. Any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby shall be instituted in (i) the federal courts of the United States of America located in the City and County of New York, Borough of Manhattan or (ii) the courts of the State of New York located in the City and County of New York, Borough of Manhattan (collectively, the “Specified Courts”), and each party irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction (except for proceedings instituted in regard to the enforcement of a judgment of any such court , as to which such jurisdiction is non-exclusive) of such courts in any such suit, action or proceeding. Service of any process, summons, notice or document by mail to such party’s address set forth above shall be effective service of process for any suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court. The parties irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or other proceeding in the Specified Courts and irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim in any such court that any such suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.

 

SECTION 18.        TIME. TIME SHALL BE OF THE ESSENCE OF THIS AGREEMENT. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SET FORTH HEREIN, SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME.

 

SECTION 19.        Counterparts and Electronic Signatures. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same Agreement. Electronic signatures complying with the New York Electronic Signatures and Records Act (N.Y. State Tech §§ 301-309), as amended from time to time, or other applicable law will be deemed original signatures for purposes of this Agreement. Transmission by telecopy, electronic mail or other transmission method of an executed counterpart of this Agreement will constitute due and sufficient delivery of such counterpart.

 

SECTION 20.         Effect of Headings. The Section headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

 

 

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the ABG Parties a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement among the Underwriters and the ABG Parties in accordance with its terms.

 

	Very truly yours,    AUTHENTIC BRANDS GROUP INC.
	By
		Name:
		Title:

 

	AUTHENTIC BRANDS GROUP LLC
	By
		Name:
		Title:

 

CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED,
    as of the date first above written:

 

By: BofA Securities, Inc.

 

By
Authorized Signatory
By: J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
By
Authorized Signatory
By: Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC
By
Authorized Signatory

 

For themselves and as Representatives of the other Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto.

 

 

SCHEDULE A

 

The initial public offering price per share for the Securities shall be $[l].

 

The purchase price per share for the Securities to be paid by the several Underwriters shall be $[l], being an amount equal to the initial public offering price set forth above less $[l] per share, subject to adjustment in accordance with Section 2(b) for dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Initial Securities but not payable on the Option Securities.

 

Name of Underwriter		Number of Initial Securities
BofA Securities, Inc.		[l]
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC		[l]
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC		[l]
JefferiesLLC		[l]
UBS Securities LLC		[l]
Wells Fargo Securities, LLC		[l]
Cowen and Company, LLC		[l]
Guggenheim Securities, LLC		[l]
KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc.		[l]
Canaccord Genuity LLC		[l]
Telsey Advisory Group LLC		[l]
Total		[l]

 

 

SCHEDULE B-1

 

Pricing Terms

 

1.             The Company is selling [l] shares of Class A Common Stock.

 

2.             The Company has granted an option to the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, to purchase up to an additional [l] shares of Class A Common Stock.

 

3.             The initial public offering price per share for the Securities shall be $[l].

 

 

SCHEDULE B-2

 

Free Writing Prospectuses

 

[None]

 

 

SCHEDULE C

 

List of Persons and Entities Subject to Lock-up

 

Officers and Directors

 

1.

Jamie Salter

2.

Nick Woodhouse

3.

Kevin Clarke

4.

Corey Salter

5.

Jay Dubiner

6.

Colm Lanigan

7.

Dag Skattum

8.

Jonathan Seiffer

9.

Andrew Crawford

10.

Jeanine Liburd

11.

Elizabeth Smith

12.

John B. Smith

 

Entities

1.

ABG Executive Equity Holdco LLC

2.

ABG Management Equity Holdco LLC

3.

BL Lepus LP

4.

BL Orion II LLC

5.

BL Orion III (B) LP

6.

BL Tauras LLC

7.

BPY Bermuda ABG 2 LLC

8.

BPY US ABG 2 LLC

9.

Exemption Trust under The Muhammad Ali Family Trust

10.

GEI VIII ABG Aggregator LLC

11.

General Atlantic (AB) 2 Collections, L.P.

12.

General Atlantic (AB) Collections, L.P.

13.

General Atlantic (AB) Collections (Parallel), L.P.

14.

Green Equity Investors CF, L.P.

15.

HMR Aero Ipco, LLC

16.

Jasper Ridge Diversified, L.P.

17.

JRP ABG Aggregator, L.P.

18.

JRP ABG Investors, L.P.,

19.

JRP Professionals SPV, L.P. Series M (ABG)

20.

LCP LB, LLC

21.

LGP License Coinvest LLC

22.

LGP License II LLC

	23.	Lion/Simba Holdings, Inc.
	24.	Mine O’Mine, LLC
	25.	parrithon, inc.
	26.	PRPC, LLC
	27.	Restore Capital (LKY), LLC
	28.	Salter Holdings LLC
	29.	Simon BB IpCo Holdings, LLC
	30.	Simon BlackJack Consolidated Holdings, LLC
	31.	Simon BlackJack IpCo Holdings, LLC
	32.	Simon Strategic Services, LLC
	33.	SPG-ABG Investor LLC
	34.	Terrebonne Investments, L.P.

 

 

SCHEDULE D

 

1. Testing-the-Waters Presentation, dated [●]

 

 

FORM OF LOCK-UP AGREEMENT

 

Exhibit A