BANKOF AMERICA CORPORATION UNDERWRITINGAGREEMENT 5\% SENIOR NOTES, DUE 2011
BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
5⅜% SENIOR NOTES, DUE 2011
New York, New York
August 9, 2006
To the Representatives
named in Schedule I
hereto of the Underwriters
named in Schedule II hereto
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:
Bank of America Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), proposes to sell to the underwriters named in Schedule II hereto (the "Underwriters"), for whom you are acting as Representatives (the "Representatives"), the principal amount of its securities identified in Schedule I hereto (the "Securities"). The Securities will be issued under an indenture dated as of January 1, 1995 between the Company and The Bank of New York, as trustee (the "Trustee"), as supplemented by the First Supplemental Indenture dated as of September 18, 1998, the Second Supplemental Indenture dated as of May 7, 2001, the Third Supplemental Indenture dated as of July 28, 2004 and the Fourth Supplemental Indenture dated as of April 28, 2006 (as so supplemented, the "Indenture"). The Securities are described more fully in the final prospectus supplement, in the form in which it shall be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), including the Basic Prospectus (as defined herein), and which is hereinafter called the "Final Prospectus". If the firm or firms listed in Schedule II hereto include only the firm or firms listed in Schedule I hereto, then the terms "Underwriters" and "Representatives", as used herein, each shall be deemed to refer to such firm or firms.
1. Representations and Warranties.
(a) The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each Underwriter that:
(i) The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the Act, and has filed with the Commission a registration statement on such form (the file number of which is set forth in Schedule I hereto), which has become effective, for the registration under the Act of the Securities. Such registration statement, as amended at the date of this Agreement, meets the requirements set forth in Rule 415(a)(1) under the Act and complies in all other material respects with said Rule. The Company proposes to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act a supplement to the form of prospectus included in such registration statement relating to the Securities and the plan of distribution thereof and has previously advised you of all further information (financial and other) with respect to the Company to be set forth therein. Such registration statement, including the exhibits thereto, as amended at the date of this Agreement, is hereinafter called the "Registration
Statement"; such prospectus in the form in which it appears in the Registration Statement is hereinafter called the "Basic Prospectus"; and such supplemented form of prospectus in preliminary form dated August 8, 2006 (including the Basic Prospectus as so supplemented) is hereinafter called the "Preliminary Prospectus". Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 which were filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), on or before the date of this Agreement, or the issue date of the Basic Prospectus, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, as the case may be; and any reference herein to the terms "amend", "amendment" or "supplement" with respect to the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing of any document under the Exchange Act after the date of this Agreement, or the issue date of the Basic Prospectus, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, as the case may be, and deemed to be incorporated therein by reference. Each of the Preliminary Prospectus and the Final Prospectus, when filed by electronic transmission pursuant to the Commission's Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System ("EDGAR") (except as may be permitted by Regulation S-T under the Act), was identical to the copy thereof delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offer and sale of the Securities.
(ii) The term "Disclosure Package" shall mean (i) the Preliminary Prospectus, as it may be amended or supplemented, (ii) the issuer free writing prospectuses as defined in Rule 433 of the Act (each, an "Issuer Free Writing Prospectus"), if any, identified in Schedule III hereto; (iii) any other free writing prospectus that the parties hereto shall hereafter expressly agree in writing to treat as part of the Disclosure Package, and (iv) the Final Term Sheet (as defined herein), which also shall be identified in Schedule III hereto. As of 3:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on the date of this Agreement (the "Applicable Time"), the Disclosure Package did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from the Disclosure Package based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by or on behalf of any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 7(b) hereof (the "Underwriter Information").
(iii) As of the date hereof, when the Final Prospectus is first filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act, when any supplement or amendment to the Final Prospectus is filed with the Commission, at the Closing Date (as hereinafter defined) and, with respect to the Registration Statement in (i) and (ii) below, as of the Applicable Time, (i) the Registration Statement became effective, the Registration Statement, as amended as of any such time, and the Final Prospectus, as amended or supplemented as of any such time, and the Indenture will comply in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the Act, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the "Trust Indenture Act"), and the Exchange Act and the respective rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, (ii) the Registration Statement, as amended as of any such time, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, and (iii) the Final Prospectus, as amended or
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supplemented as of any such time, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to (A) that part of the Registration Statement which shall constitute the Statement of Eligibility and Qualification of the Trustee (Form T-1) under the Trust Indenture Act of the Trustee or (B) the Underwriter Information. The documents which are incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus or from which information is so incorporated by reference, when they were filed with the Commission, complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Act, the Exchange Act and the respective rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, as applicable, and did not, when such documents were so filed, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Commission has not issued any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any order preventing or suspending the use of the Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, and the Company is without knowledge that any proceedings have been instituted for either purpose.
(iv) (i) At the earliest time after the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the Act) and (ii) as of the date of the execution and delivery of this Agreement (with such date being used as a determination date for purposes of this clause (ii)), the Company neither was nor is an Ineligible Issuer (as defined in Rule 405 of the Act).
(v) Neither any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus nor the Final Term Sheet, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the offering contemplated hereby or until any earlier date that the Company notified or notifies the Representatives as described in the next sentence, did not, does not, and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts, or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, including any document incorporated by reference therein, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, that has not been superseded or modified. 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, the Company has promptly notified or will promptly notify the Representatives and has promptly amended or supplemented or will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict. The foregoing two sentences do not apply to statements in or omissions from an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter specifically for use therein.
(vi) The Company has not distributed and will not distribute, prior to the later of the Closing Date and the completion of the Underwriters' distribution of the Securities, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities other than the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Final Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus reviewed and consented to by the Underwriters and included in Schedule III hereto.
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(b) Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, represents and agrees that:
(i) it has not and will not, directly or indirectly, offer, sell or deliver any of the Securities or distribute the Preliminary Prospectus, the Final Prospectus or any other offering materials relating to the Securities in or from any jurisdiction except under circumstances that will, to the best of its knowledge and belief, result in compliance with any applicable laws and regulations thereof and that, to the best of its knowledge and belief, will not impose any obligations on the Company except as set forth herein; and
(ii) it will comply in all material respects with the selling restrictions set forth in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Final Prospectus under the caption "Underwriting-Selling Restrictions."
2. Purchase and Sale. Subject to the terms and conditions and in reliance upon the representations and warranties herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter, and each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at the purchase price set forth in Schedule I hereto, the principal amount of the Securities set forth opposite such Underwriter's name in Schedule II hereto.
3. Delivery and Payment. Delivery of and payment for the Securities shall be made on the date and at the time specified in Schedule I hereto, which date and time may be postponed by agreement between the Representatives and the Company or as provided in Section 8 hereto (such date and time of delivery and payment for the Securities being herein called the "Closing Date"). Delivery of the Securities shall be made to the Representatives for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters against payment by the several Underwriters through the Representatives of the purchase price thereof in the manner set forth in Schedule I hereto. Unless otherwise agreed, certificates for the Securities shall be in book-entry form, and such certificates shall be deposited with The Depository Trust Company ("DTC") or a custodian for DTC and registered in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee for DTC.
4. Agreements. The Company agrees with the several Underwriters that:
(a) Prior to the termination of the offering of the Securities, the Company will not file any amendment to the Registration Statement or supplement to the Basic Prospectus or the Disclosure Package (including the Final Prospectus) unless the Company has furnished you a copy for your review prior to filing and will not file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which you reasonably object. Subject to the foregoing sentence, the Company will cause the Final Prospectus to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424 via EDGAR. The Company will advise the Representatives promptly (i) when the Preliminary Prospectus and the Final Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424, (ii) when any amendment to the Registration Statement or the Disclosure Package relating to the Securities shall have become effective, (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment of the Registration Statement or amendment of or supplement to the Final Prospectus or the Disclosure Package or for any additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the institution or threatening of any proceeding for that purpose, and (v) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose.
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The Company will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order and, if issued, to obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.
(b) If, at any time when a prospectus relating to the Securities is required to be delivered under the Act, except with respect to any such delivery requirement imposed upon an affiliate of the Company in connection with any secondary market sales, any event occurs as a result of which the Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein in light of the circumstances under which they were made or then prevailing, as the case may be, not misleading, or if it shall be necessary to amend or supplement the Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus to comply with the Act or the Exchange Act or the respective rules and regulations thereunder, the Company promptly will prepare and file with the Commission, subject to the first sentence of paragraph (a) of this Section 4, an amendment or supplement which will correct such statement or omission or an amendment or supplement which will effect such compliance (including, if consented to by the Underwriters, by means of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus), and will give immediate notice, and confirm in writing, to the Underwriters to cease the solicitation of offers to purchase the Securities, and furnish to the Underwriters a reasonable number of copies of such amendment or supplement.
(c) The Company will make generally available to its security holders and to the Representatives as soon as practicable, but not later than 60 days after the close of the period covered thereby, an earnings statement (in form complying with the provisions of Rule 158 under the Act) covering a twelve-month period beginning not later than the first day of the Company's fiscal quarter next following the "effective date" (as defined in said Rule 158) of the Registration Statement.
(d) The Company will furnish to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, copies of the Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto) and each amendment thereto which shall become effective on or prior to the Closing Date and, so long as delivery of a prospectus by an Underwriter or dealer may be required by the Act, as many copies of the Preliminary Prospectus, or the Final Prospectus and any amendments thereof and supplements thereto as the Representatives may reasonably request. The Company will pay the expenses of printing all documents relating to the offering.
(e) The Company will arrange for the qualification of the Securities for sale under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives may reasonably designate, will maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Securities and will arrange for the determination of the legality of the Securities for purchase by institutional investors; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to qualify to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified or to take any action which would subject it to general or unlimited service of process in any jurisdiction where it is not now so subject.
(f) Until the business day following the Closing Date, the Company will not, without the consent of the Representatives, offer or sell, or announce the offering of, any securities covered by the Registration Statement or by any other registration statement filed under the Act; provided, however, the Company may, at any time, offer or sell or announce the offering of securities (A) covered by a registration statement on Form S-8, (B) covered by a
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registration statement on Form S-3 and (i) pursuant to which the Company issues securities under one of the Company's medium-term note programs (including, without limitation, the Company's Series K Medium-Term Note Program and the Company's InterNotes Program) or (ii) pursuant to which the Company issues securities for its dividend reinvestment plan, or (C) the other notes offered by the Final Prospectus.
(g) The Company will prepare a final term sheet containing only a description of the Securities, in a form approved by the Representatives and contained in Schedule IV of this Agreement, and will file such term sheet pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act as promptly as possible, but in any case not later than the time required by such rule (such term sheet, the "Final Term Sheet").
(h) The Company represents that it has not made and 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" (as defined in Rule 405 of the Act) required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433 of the Act; provided that the prior written consent of the Representatives shall be deemed to have been given in respect of the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses included in Schedule III hereto. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Representatives is hereinafter referred to as a "Permitted Free Writing Prospectus." The Company agrees that (i) it has treated and will treat as the case may be, each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and (ii) it has complied and will comply, as the case may be, with the requirements of Rule 164 and 433 of the Act applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including in respect of timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping. The Company consents to the use by any Underwriter of a free writing prospectus that (a) is not an "issuer free writing prospectus" as defined in Rule 433, and (b) contains only (i) information describing the preliminary terms of the Securities or the offering and that is included in the Final Term Sheet of the Company contemplated in paragraph (g) above or (ii) information permitted by Rule 134 of the Act.
5. Conditions to the Obligations of the Underwriters. The obligations of the Underwriters to purchase the Securities shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company contained herein as of the date hereof, as of the date of the effectiveness of any amendment to the Registration Statement filed prior to the Closing Date (including the filing of any document incorporated by reference therein) and as of the Closing Date, to the accuracy of the statements of the Company made in any certificates furnished pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:
(a) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, as amended from time to time, shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or threatened; and the Preliminary Prospectus and the Final Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission within the time period prescribed by the Commission.
(b) For the period from and after effectiveness of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date, the Final Term Sheet, and any other material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act, shall have been filed with the Commission
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within the applicable time periods prescribed for such filings under such Rule or, to the extent applicable, under Rule 164(b).
(c) The Company shall have furnished to the Representatives the opinion of Helms Mulliss & Wicker, PLLC, counsel for the Company, dated the Closing Date, to the effect of paragraphs (i) and (iv) through (xi) below, and the opinion of the General Counsel of the Company (or such other attorney, reasonably acceptable to counsel to the Underwriters, who exercises general supervision or review in connection with a particular securities law matter for the Company), dated the Closing Date, to the effect of paragraphs (ii) and (iii) below:
(i) the Company is a duly organized and validly existing corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, has the corporate power and authority to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, and is duly registered as a bank holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended; Bank of America, N.A. (the "Principal Subsidiary Bank") is a national banking association formed under the laws of the United States and authorized thereunder to transact business;
(ii) each of the Company and the Principal Subsidiary Bank is qualified or licensed to do business as a foreign corporation in any jurisdiction in which such counsel has knowledge that the Company or the Principal Subsidiary Bank, as the case may be, is required to be so qualified or licensed;
(iii) all the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Principal Subsidiary Bank have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and (except as provided in 12 U.S.C. § 55, as amended) nonassessable, and, except as otherwise set forth in the Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, all outstanding shares of capital stock of the Principal Subsidiary Bank (except directors' qualifying shares) are owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company free and clear of any perfected security interest and such counsel is without knowledge of any other security interests, claims, liens or encumbrances;
(iv) the Indenture and the Securities conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus;
(v) the Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company, has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act, and constitutes a legal, valid, and binding instrument of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency, moratorium, fraudulent conveyance or other similar laws affecting the rights of creditors now or hereafter in effect, and to equitable principles that may limit the right to specific enforcement of remedies, and further subject to 12 U.S.C. §1818(b)(6)(D) and similar bank regulatory powers and to the application of principles of public policy; and the Securities have been duly authorized and, when executed and authenticated in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture and delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement, will constitute legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company entitled to the benefits of the Indenture and enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency, moratorium, fraudulent conveyance or other similar laws affecting the rights of creditors now or hereafter in effect, and to equitable principles that may
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limit the right to specific enforcement of remedies, and further subject to 12 U.S.C. §1818(b)(6)(D) and similar bank regulatory powers and to the application of principles of public policy;
(vi) such counsel is without knowledge that (1) there is any pending or threatened action, suit or proceeding before or by any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries, of a character required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, or the Final Prospectus which is omitted or not adequately disclosed therein, or (2) any franchise, contract or other document of a character required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, or the Final Prospectus, or to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, is not so described or filed as required;
(vii) the Registration Statement has become effective under the Act; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued, and such counsel is without knowledge that any proceeding for that purpose has been instituted or threatened; and the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, and the Final Prospectus and each amendment thereof or supplement thereto (other than the financial statements and other financial and statistical information contained therein or incorporated by reference therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion) comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Act, the Exchange Act, the Trust Indenture Act and the respective rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder;
(viii) this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and constitutes a legal, valid and binding agreement of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency, moratorium, fraudulent conveyance or other similar laws affecting the rights of creditors now or hereafter in effect, and to equitable principles that may limit the right to specific enforcement of remedies, and except insofar as the enforceability of the indemnity and contribution provisions contained in this Agreement may be limited by federal and state securities laws, and further subject to 12 U.S.C. §1818(b)(6)(D) and similar bank regulatory powers and to the application of principles of public policy;
(ix) no consent, approval, authorization or order of any court or governmental agency or body in the United States is necessary or required on behalf of the Company for the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein, except such as have been obtained under the Act and such as may be required under the blue sky, state securities or insurance or similar laws of the United States in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters and such other approvals (specified in such opinion) as have been obtained;
(x) neither the issuance and sale of the Securities, nor the consummation of any other of the transactions herein contemplated nor the fulfillment of the terms hereof will conflict with, result in a breach of, or constitute a default under (1) the certificate of incorporation or by-laws of the Company, each as amended to date, (2) the terms of any indenture or other material agreement or instrument known to such counsel and to which the Company or the Principal Subsidiary Bank is a party or bound or (3) any order, law or regulation
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known to such counsel to be applicable to the Company or the Principal Subsidiary Bank of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body or arbitrator having jurisdiction over the Company or the Principal Subsidiary Bank; and
(xi) such counsel is without knowledge of any rights to the registration of securities of the Company under the Registration Statement which have not been waived by the holders of such rights or which have not expired by reason of lapse of time following notification of the Company's intention to file the Registration Statement.
In rendering such opinion, but without opining in connection therewith, such counsel also shall state that, although it expresses no view as to portions of the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, or the Final Prospectus consisting of financial statements and other financial, accounting and statistical information and it has not independently verified, is not passing upon and assumes no responsibility for, the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements contained in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, or Final Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto (other than as stated in (iv) above), it has no reason to believe that such remaining portions of the Registration Statement or any amendment thereto as of the time it became effective, as of the Applicable Time or as of the date of such opinion contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or that, subject to the foregoing with respect to financial statements and other financial, accounting and statistical information, the Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the statement therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or that the Final Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, as of its date or as of the date of such opinion contained or contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
In rendering such opinion, such counsel may rely (A) as to matters involving the application of laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of North Carolina, the United States, or the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware to the extent deemed proper and specified in such opinion, upon the opinion of counsel to the Underwriters, or upon the opinion of other counsel of good standing believed to be reliable and who are satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters; and (B) as to matters of fact, to the extent deemed proper, on certificates of responsible officers of the Company and its subsidiaries and public officials.
(d) The Representatives shall have received from Morrison & Foerster LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, such opinion or opinions, dated the Closing Date, with respect to the issuance and sale of the Securities, the Indenture, the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, and the Final Prospectus and any other related matters as the Representatives may reasonably require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they request for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters.
(e) The Company shall have furnished to the Representatives a certificate of the Company, signed by the Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer or a Senior Vice President, and the principal financial or accounting officer of the Company, dated the Closing
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Date, to the effect that the signers of such certificate have carefully examined the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, and the Final Prospectus and this Agreement and they are without knowledge that:
(i) the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are not true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of the Closing Date and the Company has not performed or complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to the Closing Date;
(ii) any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued or any proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or threatened by the Commission; and
(iii) since the date of the most recent financial statements included in the Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, there has been any material adverse change or any development involving a prospective material adverse change in the condition (financial or other), earnings, business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus.
(f) At the time this Agreement is executed, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP shall have furnished to the Representatives a letter or letters (which may refer to letters previously delivered to one or more of the Representatives), dated as of the date of this Agreement, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, confirming that the response, if any, to Item 10 of the Registration Statement is correct insofar as it relates to them and stating in effect that:
(i) They are an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company within the meaning of the Act and the applicable rules and regulations thereunder adopted by the Commission.
(ii) In their opinion, the consolidated financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries audited by them and included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Final Prospectus comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the Exchange Act and the related rules and regulations adopted by the Commission.
(iii) On the basis of procedures (but not an audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards) consisting of:
(a) Reading the minutes of the meetings of the stockholders, the board of directors, executive committee and audit committee of the Company and the boards of directors of the Principal Subsidiary Bank as set forth in the minute books through a specified date not more than five business days prior to the date of delivery of such letter;
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(b) Performing the procedures specified by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants for a review of interim financial information as described in Statement of Accounting Standards No. 100, Interim Financial Information, on the unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Final Prospectus and reading the unaudited interim financial data, if any, for the period from the date of the latest balance sheet included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Final Prospectus to the date of the latest available interim financial data; and
(c) Making inquiries of certain officials of the Company who have responsibility for financial and accounting matters regarding the specific items for which representations are requested below;
nothing has come to their attention as a result of the foregoing procedures that caused them to believe that:
(1) the unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements, included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Final Prospectus, do not comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Exchange Act and the published rules and regulations thereunder;
(2) any material modifications should be made to the unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements, included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Final Prospectus, for them to be in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles;
(3) (i) at the date of the latest available interim financial data and at the specified date not more than five business days prior to the date of the delivery of such letter, there was any change in the common stock or the consolidated long-term debt (other than scheduled repayments of such debt) of the Company and the subsidiaries on a consolidated basis as compared with the amounts shown in the latest balance sheet included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Final Prospectus or (ii) for the period from the date of the latest available financial data to a specified date not more than five business days prior to the delivery of such letter, there was any change in the common stock or the consolidated long-term debt (other than scheduled repayments of such debt) of the Company and the subsidiaries on a consolidated basis, except in all instances for changes or decreases which the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Final Prospectus discloses have occurred or may occur, or PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP shall state any specific changes or decreases.
(iv) The letter shall also state that PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP has carried out certain other specified procedures, not constituting an audit, with respect to certain
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amounts, percentages and financial information which are included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Final Prospectus and which are specified by the Representatives and agreed to by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, and has found such amounts, percentages and financial information to be in agreement with the relevant accounting, financial and other records of the Company and its subsidiaries identified in such letter.
In addition, on the Closing Date, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP shall have furnished to the Representatives a letter or letters, dated the date of this Agreement, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect set forth in this paragraph (f) and in Schedule I hereto.
(g) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, and the Final Prospectus, there shall not have been (i) any change or decrease specified in the letter or letters referred to in paragraph (f) of this Section 5 or (ii) any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the condition (financial or other), earnings, business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries the effect of which, in any case referred to in clause (i) or (ii) above, is, in the judgment of the Representatives, so material and adverse as to make it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or the delivery of the Securities as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, and the Final Prospectus.
(h) Prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives such further information, certificates and documents as the Representatives may reasonably request.
(i) On or after the date hereof and prior to the Closing Date (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded the Company's debt securities by any "nationally recognized statistical rating organization," as that term is defined by the Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Act, and (ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, with possible negative implications, its rating of any of the Company's debt securities.
(j) There shall not have come to the Representatives' attention any facts that would cause the Representatives to believe that the Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, or the Final Prospectus, at the time it was required to be delivered to a purchaser of the Securities, included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances existing at the time of such delivery, not misleading.
If any of the conditions specified in this Section 5 shall not have been fulfilled in all material respects when and as provided in this Agreement, or if any of the opinions and certificates mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall not be in all material respects reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Representatives and their counsel, this Agreement and all obligations of the Underwriters hereunder may be canceled at, or at any time prior to, the Closing Date by the Representatives. Notice of such cancellation shall be given to the Company in writing or by telephone or telegraph confirmed in writing.
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6. Payment of Expenses. The Company will pay all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including (i) the printing and filing of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment or supplement thereto, (ii) the copying of this Agreement, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificates for the Securities to the Underwriters, including capital duties, stamp duties and transfer taxes, if any, payable upon issuance of any of the Securities, the sale of the Securities to the Underwriters and the fees and expenses of any transfer agent or trustee for the Securities, (iv) the fees and expenses of counsel to any such transfer agent or trustee, (v) the fees and disbursements of the Company's counsel and accountants, (vi) the qualification of the Securities under state securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 4(e), including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection therewith and in connection with the preparation of any Blue Sky Survey, (vii) the printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto of any free writing prospectus and of the Preliminary Prospectus and the Final Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, (viii) the printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of any Blue Sky Survey, and (ix) the fees of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., (x) the preparation, printing, reproduction and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of the Indentures and all supplements and amendments thereto, (xi) any fees charged by rating agencies for the rating of the Securities, and (xii) the fees and expenses of any depository and any nominee thereof in connection with the Securities.
If the sale of the Securities provided for herein is not consummated because any condition to the obligations of the Underwriters set forth in Section 5 hereof is not satisfied or because of any refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company to perform any agreement herein or comply with any provision hereof other than by reason of a default by any of the Underwriters, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters severally upon demand for all out-of-pocket expenses (including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel) that shall have been incurred by them in connection with the proposed purchase and sale of the Securities.
7. Indemnification and Contribution.
(a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter and each person who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act against any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which they or any of them may become subject under the Act, the Exchange Act or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement as originally filed or in any amendment thereof, or arise out of or are based upon 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, or arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Basic Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the information contained in the Final Term Sheet, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereof, or arise out of or are based upon any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and agrees to reimburse each such indemnified party for
13
any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action; provided, however, that the Company will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon any such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made therein in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information, or arises out of or is based upon statements in or omissions from that part of the Registration Statement which shall constitute the Statement of Eligibility and Qualification of the Trustee (Form T-1) under the Trust Indenture Act of the Trustee This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have.
(b) Each Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signs the Registration Statement, and each person who controls the Company within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act, to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company to each Underwriter, but only with reference to written information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company by or on behalf of such Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for inclusion in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereof. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which any Underwriter may otherwise have. The Company acknowledges that (i) the names of the Underwriters and the statements required by Item 508 of Regulation S-K set forth on the cover page or under the heading "Underwriting" in the Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, and (ii) the sentences relating to concessions and reallowances and the paragraph related to stabilization and syndicate covering transactions, under the heading "Underwriting" in the Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, constitute the only information furnished in writing by or on behalf of the several Underwriters for inclusion in the Registration Statement or the Final Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto.
(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 7 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under this Section 7, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the omission so to notify the indemnifying party will not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party otherwise than under this Section 7. In case any such action is brought against any indemnified party, and it notifies the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate therein, and, to the extent that it may elect by written notice delivered to the indemnified party promptly after receiving the aforesaid notice from such indemnified party, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party; provided, however, that if the defendants in any such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, the indemnified party or parties shall have the right to select separate counsel to assert such legal defenses and to otherwise participate in the defense of such action on behalf of such indemnified party or parties. Upon receipt of notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense of such action and approval by the indemnified party of counsel, the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party under this Section 7 for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the
14
defense thereof unless (i) the indemnified party shall have employed separate counsel in connection with the assertion of legal defenses in accordance with the proviso to the next preceding sentence (it being understood, however, that the indemnifying party shall not be liable for the expenses of more than one separate counsel (in addition to local counsel), approved by the Representatives in the case of subparagraph (a), representing the indemnified parties under subparagraph (a) who are parties to such action), (ii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party within a reasonable time after notice of commencement of the action or (iii) the indemnifying party has authorized the employment of counsel for the indemnified party at the expense of the indemnifying party; and except that if clause (i) or (iii) is applicable, such liability shall be only in respect of the counsel referred to in such clause (i) or (iii).
(d) To provide for just and equitable contribution in circumstances in which the indemnification provided for in paragraph (a) of this Section 7 is due in accordance with its terms but is for any reason held by a court to be unavailable from the Company on the grounds of policy or otherwise, the Company and the Underwriters shall contribute to the aggregate losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with investigating or defending same) to which the Company and one or more of the Underwriters may be subject in such proportion so that the Underwriters are responsible for that portion represented by the percentage that the underwriting discount bears to the sum of such discount and the purchase price of the Securities specified in Schedule I hereto and the Company is responsible for the balance; provided, however, that (y) in no case shall any Underwriter (except as may be provided in any agreement among underwriters relating to the offering of the Securities) be responsible for any amount in excess of the underwriting discount applicable to the Securities purchased by such Underwriter hereunder and (z) no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 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 who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of the Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each person who controls the Company within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act, each officer of the Company who shall have signed the Registration Statement and each director of the Company shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company, subject in each case to clause (y) of this paragraph (d). Any party entitled to contribution will, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action, suit or proceeding against such party in respect of which a claim for contribution may be made against another party or parties under this paragraph (d), notify such party or parties from whom contribution may be sought, but the omission to so notify such party or parties shall not relieve the party or parties from whom contribution may be sought from any other obligation it or they may have hereunder or otherwise than under this paragraph (d).
8. Default by an Underwriter. If any one or more Underwriters shall fail to purchase and pay for any of the Securities agreed to be purchased by such Underwriter or Underwriters hereunder and such failure to purchase shall constitute a default in the performance of its or their obligations under this Agreement, the remaining Underwriters shall be obligated severally to take up and pay for (in the respective proportions which the amount of Securities set forth opposite their names in Schedule II hereto bear to the aggregate amount of Securities set forth opposite the names of all the remaining Underwriters) the Securities which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase; provided, however, that in the event
15
that the aggregate amount of Securities which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase shall exceed 10% of the aggregate amount of Securities set forth in Schedule II hereto, the remaining Underwriters shall have the right to purchase all, but shall not be under any obligation to purchase any, of the Securities, and if such non-defaulting Underwriters do not purchase all the Securities, this Agreement will terminate without liability to any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company. In the event of a default by any Underwriter as set forth in this Section 8, the Closing Date shall be postponed for such period, not exceeding seven days, as the Representatives shall determine in order that the required changes in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Final Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter of its liability, if any, to the Company and any non-defaulting Underwriter for damages occasioned by its default hereunder.
9. Termination. This Agreement shall be subject to termination in the absolute discretion of the Representatives, by notice given to the Company prior to delivery of and payment for the Securities, if prior to such time (i) trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange shall have been suspended or limited or minimum prices shall have been established on such exchange, or (ii) a banking moratorium shall have been declared by federal or New York State authorities or a material disruption in the commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States shall have occurred, or (iii) there shall have occurred any outbreak or material escalation of hostilities or other calamity or crisis (in the United States or elsewhere) the effect of which on the financial markets of the United States is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representatives, impracticable to market the Securities.
10. Representations and Indemnities to Survive. The respective agreements, representations, warranties, indemnities and other statements of the Company or its officers and of the Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or the Company or any of the officers, directors or controlling persons referred to in Section 7 hereof, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Securities. The provisions of Section 6 and 7 hereof and this Section 10 shall survive the termination or cancellation of this Agreement.
11. Notices. All communications hereunder will be in writing and effective only on receipt, and, if sent to the Representatives, will be mailed, delivered or telegraphed and confirmed to them, at the address specified in Schedule I hereto, with a copy to: Morrison & Foerster LLP, 1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10104-0050, Attn: James R. Tanenbaum; or, if sent to the Company, will be mailed, delivered or telegraphed and confirmed to it at Bank of America Corporation, Corporate Treasury Division, NC1-007-07-06, 100 North Tryon Street, Charlotte, North Carolina 28255, Attn: Karen A. Gosnell, Senior Vice President, with a copy to each of: Bank of America Corporation, 101 South Tryon Street, Legal Department, NC1-002-29-01, Charlotte, North Carolina 28255, Attn: General Counsel; and Helms Mulliss & Wicker, PLLC, 201 North Tryon Street, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202, Attn: Boyd C. Campbell, Jr.
12. Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers and directors and controlling
16
persons referred to in Section 7 hereof, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder.
13. No Fiduciary Duties; Agreement Complete.
(a) The Company acknowledges and agrees that: (i) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price of the Securities and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm's-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other hand, and the Company is capable of evaluating and understanding and understands and accepts the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; (ii) in connection with each transaction contemplated hereby and the process leading to such transaction each Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the financial advisor, agent or fiduciary of the Company, or its affiliates, stockholders, creditors or employees or any other party; (iii) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an advisory, agency or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to any of the transactions contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) and no Underwriter has any obligation to the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement; (iv) the several Underwriters and their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company and that the several Underwriters have no obligation to disclose any of such interests by virtue of any advisory, agency or fiduciary relationship; and (v) the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering contemplated hereby and the Company has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.
(b) This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company and the several Underwriters, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof. The Company hereby waives and releases, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that the Company may have against the several Underwriters with respect to any breach or alleged breach of agency or fiduciary duty.
14. Applicable Law. This Agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to principles of conflict of laws.
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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to us the enclosed duplicate hereof, whereupon this letter and your acceptance shall represent a binding agreement among the Company and the several Underwriters.
Very truly yours,
BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION
| By: | /s/ Karen A. Gosnell |
The foregoing Agreement is
hereby confirmed and accepted
as of the date specified in
Schedule I hereto.
By: BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC
| By: | /s/ Lily Chang |
For themselves and the other several Underwriters, if any, named in Schedule II to the foregoing Agreement.
SCHEDULE I
Underwriting Agreement dated August 9, 2006
Registration Statement No. 333-112708
| Representatives: | Banc of America Securities LLC |
| Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. | |
| HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. | |
| Blaylock & Company, Inc. | |
| Muriel Siebert & Co., Inc. |
Address of Representatives: c/o Banc of America Securities LLC
214 North Tryon Street
Charlotte, North Carolina 28255
Attention: Brian L. Hungerford, Principal
Title, Purchase Price and Description of Securities:
Title: 5⅜% Senior Notes, due 2011
Principal amount: $1,000,000,000
Interest: 5⅜%. Interest payable on February 15 and August 15 of each year, beginning February 15, 2007.
Public offering price: 99.619%
Purchase price (include type of funds and accrued interest or amortization, if applicable): 99.268% in federal (same day) funds or wire transfer to an account previously designated to the Representatives by the Company or, if agreed to by the Representatives and the Company, by certified or official bank check or checks.
Sinking fund provisions: none.
Redemption provisions: none.
Other provisions: none.
Closing Date, Time and Location: August 14, 2006, 9:00 a.m. Charlotte time, Office of Helms Mulliss & Wicker, PLLC.
Listing: The notes will not be listed on any securities exchange.
Additional items to be covered by the letter from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP delivered pursuant to Section 5(f) at the time this Agreement is executed: none
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SCHEDULE II
|
| Principal Amount |
| Banc of America Securities LLC | $970,000,000 |
| Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. | 10,000,000 |
| HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. | 10,000,000 |
| Blaylock & Company, Inc. | 5,000,000 |
| Muriel Siebert & Co., Inc. | 5,000,000 |
|
| |
| TOTAL............................................................................................................. | $1,000,000,000 |
II-1
SCHEDULE III
Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses
Final Term Sheet
III-1
SCHEDULE IV
Filed Pursuant to Rule 433
Registration No. 333-112708
BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION
$1,000,000,000
5⅜% Senior Notes, due 2011
FINAL TERM SHEET
Dated August 9, 2006
| Issuer: | Bank of America Corporation |
| Ratings: | Aa2 (Moody's)/AA- (S&P)/AA- (Fitch) |
| Aggregate Principal Amount: | $1,000,000,000 |
| Ranking: | Senior |
| Issue Price: | 99.619% |
| Trade Date: | August 9, 2006 |
| Settlement Date: | August 14, 2006 (DTC) |
| Maturity Date: | August 15, 2011 |
| Interest Rate: | 5⅜% |
| Interest Payment Dates: | February 15 and August 15 of each year, beginning February 15, 2007 |
| Day Count: | 30/360 |
| Simultaneous Offerings: | $750,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Floating Rate Senior Notes, due 2011, $750,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 5¾% Subordinated Notes, due 2016, and $500,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Floating Rate Subordinated Notes, due 2016 |
IV-1
| Lead Manager: | Banc of America Securities LLC |
| Co-Managers: | Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc., HSBC Securities (USA) Inc., Blaylock & Company, Inc., and Muriel Siebert & Co., Inc. |
| Listing: | None |
| CUSIP: | 060505CK8 |
The issuer has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with the SEC for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement and other documents the issuer has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the issuer and this offering. You may obtain these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC Web site at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, Bank of America Corporation or the lead underwriter will arrange to send you the prospectus if you request it by contacting Bank of America Corporation, Corporate Treasury - Securities Administration, at
1 ###-###-####, or Banc of America Securities LLC, toll free at ###-###-####. You may also request a copy by e-mail from ***@*** or ***@***.
IV-2
