Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation
EXHIBIT 1.1
Execution Copy
Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation
Common Stock (par value $0.10 per share)
Underwriting Agreement
June 20, 2008
Goldman, Sachs & Co.,
As representative of the several Underwriters
named in Schedule I hereto,
c/o Goldman, Sachs & Co.,
85 Broad Street,
New York, New York 10004
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the Company), proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to issue and sell to the Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the Underwriters) an aggregate of 4,350,000 shares (the Firm Securities) and, at the election of the Underwriters, up to 652,500 additional shares (the Optional Securities) of common stock, par value $0.10 per share, of the Company (Stock) (the Firm Securities and the Optional Securities that the Underwriters elect to purchase pursuant to Section 2 hereof being collectively called the Securities).
1. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each of the Underwriters that:
(a) An automatic shelf registration statement as defined under Rule 405 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Act), on Form S-3 (File No. 333-151725) in respect of the Securities has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission) not earlier than three years prior to the date hereof; such registration statement, and any post-effective amendment thereto, became effective on filing; and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of such registration statement or any part thereof has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or threatened by the Commission, and no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of such registration statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Act has been received by the Company (the base prospectus filed as part of such registration statement, in the form in which it has most recently been filed with the Commission on or prior to the date of this Agreement, is hereinafter called the Basic Prospectus; any preliminary prospectus (including any preliminary prospectus supplement) relating to the Securities filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act is hereinafter called a Preliminary Prospectus; the various parts of such
registration statement, including all exhibits thereto and including any prospectus supplement relating to the Securities that is filed with the Commission and deemed by virtue of Rule 430B to be part of such registration statement, each as amended at the time such part of the registration statement became effective, are hereinafter collectively called the Registration Statement; the Basic Prospectus, as amended and supplemented immediately prior to the Applicable Time (as defined in Section 1(c) hereof), is hereinafter called the Pricing Prospectus; the form of the final prospectus relating to the Securities filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act in accordance with Section 5(a) hereof is hereinafter called the Prospectus; any reference herein to the Basic Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Act, as of the date of such prospectus; any reference to any amendment or supplement to the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, any prospectus supplement relating to the Securities filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act and any documents filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), and incorporated therein, in each case after the date of the Basic Prospectus, such Preliminary Prospectus, or the Prospectus, as the case may be; any reference to any amendment to the Registration Statement shall be deemed to refer to and include any annual report of the Company filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the effective date of the Registration Statement that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement; and any issuer free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 433 under the Act relating to the Securities is hereinafter called an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus);
(b) No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (including, without limitation, any road show that is a free writing prospectus under Rule 433) has been issued by the Commission, and each Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and did not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through Goldman, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein;
(c) For the purposes of this Agreement, the Applicable Time is 5:00 p.m. (Eastern time) on the date of this Agreement. The Pricing Prospectus as supplemented by the information contained in Schedule II(c) hereof, taken together (collectively, the Pricing Disclosure Package), as of the Applicable Time, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus listed on Schedule II(a) hereto does
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not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus and each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as supplemented by and taken together with the Pricing Disclosure Package as of the Applicable Time, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to statements or omissions made in the Pricing Disclosure Package or an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through Goldman, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein;
(d) The documents incorporated by reference in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, when they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and none of such documents contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement thereto, when such documents become effective or are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through Goldman, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein; and no such documents were filed with the Commission since the Commissions close of business on the business day immediately prior to the date of this Agreement and prior to the execution of this Agreement, except as set forth on Schedule II(c) hereto;
(e) The Registration Statement conforms, and the Prospectus and any further amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus will conform, in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and do not and will not, as of the applicable effective date as to each part of the Registration Statement and as of the applicable filing date as to the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through Goldman, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein;
(f) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Pricing Prospectus any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion,
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flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus, except for losses or interferences that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the general affairs, management, financial position, prospects, stockholders equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise (a Material Adverse Effect); and, since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Pricing Prospectus, there has not been any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any change that would have a Material Adverse Effect, or any development involving a prospective change that, to the best knowledge of the Company, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus;
(g) (1) The Company and each of its subsidiaries has good and marketable title to all real property described or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Pricing Prospectus as being owned by each of them, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects, except (A) royalties, overriding royalties and other burdens under oil and gas leases, (B) easements, restrictions, rights-of-way and other matters that commonly affect property, (C) liens securing taxes and other governmental charges, or claims of materialmen, mechanics and similar persons, not yet due and payable, (D) liens and encumbrances under operating agreements, farmout agreements, unitization, pooling and commutation agreements, declarations and orders, and gas sales contracts, securing payment of amounts not yet due and payable and of a scope and nature customary in the oil and gas industry and (E) liens, encumbrances and defects that do not in the aggregate materially affect the value of the real property or materially interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such real property by the Company; and (2) the working interests in oil, gas and mineral leases or mineral interests which constitute a portion of the real property held by the Company reflect in all material respects the right of the Company to explore or receive production from such real property, and the care taken by the Company and its subsidiaries with respect to acquiring or otherwise procuring such leases or mineral interests was generally consistent with standard industry practices for acquiring or procuring leases and interests therein to explore for hydrocarbons;
(h) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the Delaware, with power and authority (corporate and other) to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Pricing Prospectus, and has been duly qualified as a foreign corporation for the transaction of business and is in good standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which it owns or leases properties or conducts any business so as to require such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified would not have a Material Adverse Effect; and each subsidiary of the Company has been duly incorporated or organized and is validly existing in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation or organization;
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(i) Each of the Company and its subsidiaries own, or have obtained valid and enforceable licenses for, or other adequate rights to use, all material inventions, patent applications, patents, trademarks (both registered and unregistered), tradenames, copyrights, trade secrets and other proprietary information described or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Pricing Prospectus as being owned or licensed by them or which are necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses, except where the failure to own, license or have such rights would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and the conduct of their respective businesses will not conflict in any material respect with, and neither of the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received notice of any claim or conflict with, any rights of others;
(j) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Pricing Prospectus, and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company, including any treasury shares included in the Securities, have been duly and validly authorized and issued, and are fully paid and non-assessable and conform to the description of the Stock contained in the Pricing Prospectus and Prospectus; and all of the issued shares of capital stock of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and (except for directors qualifying shares and except as otherwise set forth in the Pricing Prospectus) are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims;
(k) Any unissued Securities to be issued and sold by the Company to the Underwriters hereunder have been duly and validly authorized and, when issued and delivered against payment therefor as provided herein, will be duly and validly issued and fully paid and non-assessable and will conform to the description of the Securities contained in the Prospectus;
(l) The issue and sale of the Securities and the compliance by the Company with this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated (i) will not conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, except for any such conflict, breach, violation or default which (A) would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, (B) would not impair the Companys ability to perform its obligations hereunder and (C) would not have a material adverse effect on the transactions contemplated hereby, and (ii) will not result in any violation of the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws of the Company or any statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties; and no consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any such court or governmental agency or body is required for the issue and sale of the Securities or the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement except such as have been obtained under the Act and such consents,
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approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters;
(m) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of its Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws or in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties may be bound, except for any such violation or default which would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect;
(n) The statements set forth in the Pricing Prospectus and Prospectus under the caption Description of Capital Stock, insofar as they purport to constitute a summary of the terms of the Stock and under the caption Underwriting, insofar as they purport to describe the provisions of the laws and documents referred to therein, are accurate, complete and fair in all material respects;
(o) Other than as set forth in the Pricing Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is the subject which, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect; and, to the best of the Companys knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or threatened by others;
(p) The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof, will not be an investment company, as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the Investment Company Act);
(q) The information supplied by the Company to its independent petroleum engineering consultants for purposes of preparing the reserve review reports used to review estimates of reserves of the Company included in the Registration Statement, Preliminary Prospectus and Prospectus, including, without limitation, production, costs of operation and development, current prices for production, agreements relating to current and future operations and sales of production, was true and correct in all material respects on the date supplied and was prepared in accordance with customary industry practices; Miller and Lents, Ltd., independent petroleum engineers, who prepared review reports with respect to the Companys estimates of its proved oil, natural gas liquids and gas reserves and the future net revenues associated with such reserves, are independent with respect to the Company;
(r) The Company has not taken and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed to or which has constituted or which would reasonably be expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities;
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(s) (A) (i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement, (ii) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or form of prospectus), and (iii) at the time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c) under the Act) made any offer relating to the Securities in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163 under the Act, the Company was a well-known seasoned issuer as defined in Rule 405 under the Act; and (B) at the earliest time after the filing of the Registration Statement that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) under the Act) of the Securities, the Company was not an ineligible issuer as defined in Rule 405 under the Act;
(t) PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC), who have certified certain financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, and who have audited the effectiveness of the Companys internal control over financial reporting, are independent public accountants as required by the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder;
(u) The Company maintains a system of internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act) that complies with the requirements of the Exchange Act and has been designed by the Companys principal executive officer and principal financial officer, or under their supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. The Companys internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2007 and the Company is not aware of any material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting;
(v) Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Pricing Prospectus, there has been no change in the Companys internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Companys internal control over financial reporting;
(w) The Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act; such disclosure controls and procedures have been designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company and its subsidiaries is made known to the Companys principal executive officer and principal financial officer by others within those entities; and such disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of March 31, 2008;
(x) Other than as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Pricing Prospectus, the proved reserves for crude oil and natural gas for each of the periods presented in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus were prepared in accordance with the Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 69 and Rule 4-10 of Regulation S-X;
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(y) The Company and its subsidiaries maintain insurance of the types and in the amounts reasonably believed to be adequate for their business and consistent in all material respects with insurance coverage maintained by similar companies in similar businesses, all of which insurance is in full force and effect; and
(z) Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has all necessary licenses, authorizations, consents and approvals (collectively, Consents) and has made all necessary filings required under any federal, state, local or foreign law, regulation or rule (Filings) and has obtained all necessary Consents from other persons, in order to conduct their respective businesses, except where the failure to have any such Consent or to have made any such Filing would not except where the failure to have any such Consent or to have made any such Filing would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of, or in default under, any such Consent which violation or default would have a Material Adverse Effect.
2. Subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, (a) the Company agrees to issue and sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at a purchase price per share of $62.66, the number of Firm Securities set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto and (b) in the event and to the extent that the Underwriters shall exercise the election to purchase Optional Securities as provided below, the Company agrees to issue and sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at the purchase price per share set forth in clause (a) of this Section 2, that portion of the number of Optional Securities as to which such election shall have been exercised (to be adjusted by you so as to eliminate fractional shares) determined by multiplying such number of Optional Securities by a fraction, the numerator of which is the maximum number of Optional Securities which such Underwriter is entitled to purchase as set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto and the denominator of which is the maximum number of Optional Securities that all of the Underwriters are entitled to purchase hereunder.
The Company hereby grants to the Underwriters the right to purchase at their election up to 652,500 Optional Securities, at the purchase price per share set forth in the paragraph above, for the sole purpose of covering sales of shares in excess of the number of Firm Securities, provided that the purchase price per Optional Security shall be reduced by an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Firm Securities but not payable on the Optional Securities. Any such election to purchase Optional Securities may be exercised only by written notice from you to the Company, given within a period of 30 calendar days after the date of this Agreement, setting forth the aggregate number of Optional Securities to be purchased and the date on which such Optional Securities are to be delivered, as determined by you but in no event earlier than the First Time of Delivery (as defined in Section 4 hereof) or, unless you and the Company otherwise agree in writing, earlier than two or later than ten business days after the date of such notice.
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3. Upon the authorization by you of the release of the Firm Securities, the several Underwriters propose to offer the Firm Securities for sale upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Prospectus.
4. (a) The Securities to be purchased by each Underwriter hereunder, in definitive form, and in such authorized denominations and registered in such names as Goldman, Sachs & Co. may request upon at least forty-eight hours prior notice to the Company shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Company to Goldman, Sachs & Co., through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company (DTC), for the account of such Underwriter, against payment by or on behalf of such Underwriter of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer of federal (same-day) funds to the account specified by the Company to Goldman, Sachs & Co. at least forty-eight hours in advance. The Company will cause the certificates representing the Securities to be made available for checking and packaging at least twenty-four hours prior to the Time of Delivery (as defined below) with respect thereto at the office of DTC or its designated custodian (the Designated Office). The time and date of such delivery and payment shall be, with respect to the Firm Securities, 9:30 a.m., New York City time, on June 25, 2008 or such other time and date as Goldman, Sachs & Co. and the Company may agree upon in writing, and, with respect to the Optional Securities, 9:30 a.m., New York time, on the date specified by Goldman, Sachs & Co. in the written notice given by Goldman, Sachs & Co. of the Underwriters election to purchase such Optional Securities, or such other time and date as Goldman, Sachs & Co. and the Company may agree upon in writing. Such time and date for delivery of the Firm Securities is herein called the First Time of Delivery, such time and date for delivery of the Optional Securities, if not the First Time of Delivery, is herein called the Second Time of Delivery, and each such time and date for delivery is herein called a Time of Delivery.
(b) The documents to be delivered at each Time of Delivery by or on behalf of the parties hereto pursuant to Section 8 hereof, including the cross-receipt for the Securities and any additional documents requested by the Underwriters pursuant to Section 8(k) hereof, will be delivered at the offices of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., 1001 Fannin, Houston, Texas 77002 (the Closing Location), and the Securities will be delivered at the Designated Office, all at such Time of Delivery. A meeting will be held at the Closing Location at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the New York Business Day next preceding such Time of Delivery, at which meeting the final drafts of the documents to be delivered pursuant to the preceding sentence will be available for review by the parties hereto. For the purposes of this Section 4, New York Business Day shall mean each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is not a day on which banking institutions in New York City are generally authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
5. The Company agrees with each of the Underwriters:
(a) To prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by you and to file such Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act not later than the Commissions close of business on the second business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement; to make no further amendment or any supplement to the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus or the Prospectus prior to the last Time of Delivery which shall be disapproved by you promptly after reasonable notice thereof; to advise you, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the time
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when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus has been filed and to furnish you with copies thereof; to file promptly all other material required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act; to file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and for so long as the delivery of a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) is required in connection with the offering or sale of the Securities; to advise you, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or other prospectus in respect of the Securities, of any notice of objection of the Commission to the use of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Act, of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or for additional information; and, in the event of the issuance of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or other prospectus or suspending any such qualification, to promptly use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal of such order; and in the event of any such issuance of a notice of objection, promptly to take such steps including, without limitation, amending the Registration Statement or filing a new registration statement, at its own expense, as may be necessary to permit offers and sales of the Securities by the Underwriters (references herein to the Registration Statement shall include any such amendment or new registration statement);
(b) If required by Rule 430B(h) under the Act, to prepare a form of prospectus in a form approved by you and to file such form of prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act not later than may be required by Rule 424(b) under the Act; and to make no further amendment or supplement to such form of prospectus which shall be disapproved by you promptly after reasonable notice therereof;
(c) Promptly from time to time to take such action as you may reasonably request to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as you may request and to comply with such laws so as to permit the continuance of sales and dealings therein in such jurisdictions for as long as may be necessary to complete the distribution of the Securities, provided that in connection therewith the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction;
(d) Prior to 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the New York Business Day next succeeding the date of this Agreement and from time to time, to furnish the Underwriters with electronic copies of the Prospectus in New York City in such quantities as you may reasonably request, and, on the second New York Business Day succeeding the date of this Agreement and from time to time, to furnish the Underwriters with written copies of the Prospectus in New York City in such quantities as you may reasonably request, and, if the delivery of a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) is required at any time prior to the expiration of nine months after the time of issue of the Prospectus in connection with the offering or sale of the Securities and if at such time any event shall have occurred as a result of which the
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Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an 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 when such Prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) is delivered, not misleading, or, if for any other reason it shall be necessary during such same period to amend or supplement the Prospectus or to file under the Exchange Act any document incorporated by reference in the Prospectus in order to comply with the Act or the Exchange Act, to notify you and upon your request to file such document and to prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter and to any dealer in securities as many written and electronic copies as you may from time to time reasonably request of an amended Prospectus or a supplement to the Prospectus which will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance; and in case any Underwriter is required to deliver a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) in connection with sales of any of the Securities at any time nine months or more after the time of issue of the Prospectus, upon your request but at the expense of such Underwriter, to prepare and deliver to such Underwriter as many written and electronic copies as you may request of an amended or supplemented Prospectus complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Act;
(e) To make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable, but in any event not later than sixteen months after the effective date of the Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c) under the Act), an earnings statement of the Company and its subsidiaries (which need not be audited) complying with Section 11(a) of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (including, at the option of the Company, Rule 158);
(f) During the period beginning from the date hereof and continuing to and including the date 75 days after the date of the Prospectus, not to offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, grant any option to purchase, make any short sale or otherwise dispose, except as provided hereunder, of any securities of the Company that are substantially similar to the Securities, including but not limited to any options or warrants to purchase shares of Stock or any securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for, or that represent the right to receive, Stock or any such substantially similar securities (other than pursuant to employee stock option plans existing on, or upon the conversion or exchange of convertible or exchangeable securities outstanding as of, the date of this Agreement), without your prior written consent;
(g) To pay the required Commission filing fees relating to the Securities within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1) under the Act without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the Act;
(h) To use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement in the manner specified in the Pricing Prospectus under the caption Use of Proceeds;
(i) To use its best efforts to list, subject to notice of issuance, any newly issued Securities on the New York Stock Exchange (the Exchange); and
(j) Upon request of any Underwriter, to furnish, or cause to be furnished, to such Underwriter an electronic version of the Companys trademarks, servicemarks and corporate logo
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for use on the website, if any, operated by such Underwriter for the purpose of facilitating the on-line offering of the Securities (the License); provided, however, that the License shall be used solely for the purpose described above, is granted without any fee and may not be assigned or transferred.
6. (a) The Company represents and agrees that, without the prior consent of Goldman, Sachs & Co., it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute a free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 405 under the Act; each Underwriter represents and agrees that, without the prior consent of the Company and Goldman, Sachs & Co., it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute a free writing prospectus; any such free writing prospectus the use of which has been consented to by the Company and Goldman, Sachs & Co. is listed on Schedule II(a) hereto;
(b) The Company has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 under the Act applicable to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission or retention where required and legending; and
(c) The Company agrees that if at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus any event occurred or occurs as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus would conflict with the information in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus or would include an 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 then prevailing, not misleading, the Company will give prompt notice thereof to Goldman, Sachs & Co. and, if requested by Goldman, Sachs & Co., will prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or other document which will correct such conflict, statement or omission; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions in an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through Goldman, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein.
7. The Company covenants and agrees with the several Underwriters that the Company will pay or cause to be paid the following: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Companys counsel and accountants in connection with the registration of the Securities under the Act and all other expenses in connection with the preparation, printing, reproduction and filing of the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and amendments and supplements thereto and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers; (ii) the cost of printing or producing this Agreement, any Blue Sky Memorandum, closing documents (including any compilations thereof) and any other documents in connection with the offering, purchase, sale and delivery of the Securities; (iii) all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Securities for offering and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section 5(c) hereof, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky survey; (iv) all fees and expenses in connection with listing the Securities on the Exchange; (v) the filing fees incident to, and the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with, any required review by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority of the terms of the sale of the Securities;
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(vi) the cost of preparing the Securities; (vii) the cost and charges of any transfer agent or registrar; and (viii) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder which are not otherwise specifically provided for in this Section. It is understood, however, that, except as provided in this Section, and Sections 9 and 12 hereof, the Underwriters will pay all of their own costs and expenses, including the fees of their counsel, transfer taxes on resale of any of the Securities by them, and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may make.
8. The obligations of the Underwriters hereunder, as to the Securities to be delivered at each Time of Delivery, shall be subject, in their discretion, to the condition that all representations and warranties and other statements of the Company herein are, at and as of such Time of Delivery, true and correct, the condition that the Company shall have performed all of its obligations hereunder theretofore to be performed, and the following additional conditions:
(a) The Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by the rules and regulations under the Act and in accordance with Section 5(a) hereof; all material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time period prescribed for such filings by Rule 433; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission and no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Act shall have been received; no stop order suspending or preventing the use of the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; and all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission shall have been complied with to your reasonable satisfaction;
(b) Vinson & Elkins L.L.P, counsel for the Underwriters, shall have furnished to you such written opinion or opinions, dated such Time of Delivery, in form and substance satisfactory to you, and such counsel shall have received such papers and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters;
(c) Each of Baker Botts L.L.P., counsel for the Company, and Lisa A. Machesney, Vice President, Managing Counsel and Corporate Secretary of the Company, shall have furnished to Goldman, Sachs & Co. their written opinions, dated such Time of Delivery, in form and substance satisfactory to Goldman, Sachs & Co., to the effect set forth in Annex II and Annex III, respectively;
(d) On the date of the Prospectus at a time prior to the execution of this Agreement, at 9:30 a.m., New York City time, on the effective date of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement filed subsequent to the date of this Agreement and also at each Time of Delivery, PwC shall have furnished to you a letter or letters, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof, in form and substance satisfactory to you, to the effect set forth in Annex I hereto (the executed copy of the letter delivered prior to the execution of this Agreement is attached as Annex I(a) hereto and a form of letter to be delivered on the effective date of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, and as of the Time of Delivery is attached as Annex I(b) hereto);
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(e) (i) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries shall have sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Pricing Prospectus any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus, and (ii) since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Pricing Prospectus there shall not have been any change in the capital stock or long term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the general affairs, management, financial position, stockholders equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus, the effect of which, in any such case described in clause (i) or (ii), is in your reasonable judgment so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Securities being delivered at such Time of Delivery on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus;
(f) On or after the Applicable Time (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded the Companys 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 Companys debt securities;
(g) On or after the Applicable Time there shall not have occurred any of the following: (i) a suspension or material limitation in trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange; (ii) a suspension or material limitation in trading in the Companys securities on the New York Stock Exchange; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities declared by either Federal or New York or Texas State authorities or a material disruption in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States; (iv) the outbreak or escalation of hostilities involving the United States or the declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war or (v) the occurrence of any other calamity or crisis or any change in financial, political or economic conditions in the United States or elsewhere, if the effect of any such event specified in clause (iv) or (v) in your judgment makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Securities being delivered at such Time of Delivery on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus;
(h) At the time of execution of this Agreement, the Underwriters shall have received from Miller and Lents, Ltd., independent petroleum engineers, an initial letter (the initial expert letter), in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriters and their counsel, addressed to the Underwriters and dated the date hereof and a subsequent letter dated as of the Time of Delivery, which such letter shall cover the period from any initial expert letter to the Time of Delivery, confirming that, with respect to the Company, they are independent petroleum engineers, and confirming such information related to their review of the proved reserves of the Company as counsel to the Underwriters shall reasonably request;
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(i) At the Time of Delivery, the initial expert letter shall not have been rescinded and the Company shall have no reason to believe that the representations in such letter are not true and correct in all respects;
(j) At the Time of Delivery, neither PwCs initial letter nor its bring-down letter referred to in Section 8(d) shall have been rescinded and the Company shall have no reason to believe that the representations in such letter are not true and correct in all respects;
(k) The Company shall have complied with the provisions of Section 5(d) hereof with respect to the furnishing of electronic prospectuses on the New York Business Day next succeeding the date of this Agreement;
(l) The Securities shall have been duly listed, subject to notice of issuance, on the Exchange;
(m) The Company has obtained and delivered to you executed copies of an agreement from all executive officers and directors of the Company, substantially in the form set forth in Annex IV hereto; and
(n) The Company shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to you at such Time of Delivery certificates of officers of the Company satisfactory to you as to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company herein at and as of such time, as to the performance by the Company of all of its obligations hereunder to be performed at or prior to such time, as to the matters set forth in subsections (a) and (e) of this Section and as to such other matters as you may reasonably request.
9. (a) The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Underwriter may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any issuer information filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act, or any road show (as defined in Rule 433) not constituting an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (a Non-Prospectus Road Show) or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and will reimburse each Underwriter for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Underwriter in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the Company shall 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 an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or any Non-Prospectus Road Show in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through Goldman, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein.
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(b) Each Underwriter will indemnify and hold harmless the Company against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Company may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus or any such amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Underwriter through Goldman, Sachs & Co. expressly for use therein; and will reimburse the Company for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred.
(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under such subsection, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the omission so to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party otherwise than under such subsection, except to the extent that the indemnifying party suffers actual prejudice as a result of such failure. In case any such action shall be brought against any indemnified party and it shall notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall not, except with the consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party), and, after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified party under such subsection for any legal expenses of other counsel or any other expenses, in each case subsequently incurred by such indemnified party, in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation. No indemnifying party shall, without the written consent of the indemnified party, effect the settlement or compromise of, or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to, any pending or threatened action or claim in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified party is an actual or potential party to such action or claim) unless such settlement, compromise or judgment (i) includes an unconditional release of the indemnified party from all liability arising out of such action 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.
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(d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 9 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to therein other than as provided therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Securities. If, however, the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by applicable law or if the indemnified party failed to give the notice required under subsection (c) above, then, except to the extent (but only to the extent) that the indemnifying party suffers actual prejudice as a result of any failure by the indemnified party to notify the indemnifying party of any action, proceeding or investigation as contemplated by subsection (c) of this Section 9, each indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount paid or payable by such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company on the one hand or the Underwriters on the other and the parties relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this subsection (d) 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 subsection (d). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to above in this subsection (d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (d), no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters obligations in this subsection (d) to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.
(e) The obligations of the Company under this Section 9 shall be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Act
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and each broker-dealer affiliate of any Underwriter; and the obligations of the Underwriters under this Section 9 shall be in addition to any liability which the respective Underwriters may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each officer and director of the Company and to each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Act.
10. (a) If any Underwriter shall default in its obligation to purchase the Securities which it has agreed to purchase hereunder at a Time of Delivery, you may in your discretion arrange for you or another party or other parties to purchase such Securities on the terms contained herein. If within thirty-six hours after such default by any Underwriter you do not arrange for the purchase of such Securities, then the Company shall be entitled to a further period of thirty-six hours within which to procure another party or other parties satisfactory to you to purchase such Securities on such terms. In the event that, within the respective prescribed periods, you notify the Company that you have so arranged for the purchase of such Securities, or the Company notifies you that it has so arranged for the purchase of such Securities, you or the Company shall have the right to postpone such Time of Delivery for a period of not more than seven days, in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be made necessary in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any other documents or arrangements, and the Company agrees to file promptly any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which in your opinion may thereby be made necessary. The term Underwriter as used in this Agreement shall include any person substituted under this Section with like effect as if such person had originally been a party to this Agreement with respect to such Securities.
(b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and the Company as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate number of such Securities which remains unpurchased does not exceed one-eleventh of the aggregate number of all the Securities to be purchased at such Time of Delivery, then the Company shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the number of Securities which such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder at such Time of Delivery and, in addition, to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase its pro rata share (based on the number of Securities which such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder) of the Securities of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.
(c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and the Company as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate number of such Securities which remains unpurchased exceeds one-eleventh of the aggregate number of all the Securities to be purchased at such Time of Delivery, or if the Company shall not exercise the right described in subsection (b) above to require non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then this Agreement (or, with respect to the Second Time of Delivery, the obligations of the Underwriters to purchase and of the Company to sell the Optional Securities) shall thereupon terminate, without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company, except for the expenses to be borne by the Company and the Underwriters as provided in Section 7 hereof and the indemnity and contribution agreements in Section 9 hereof; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.
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11. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company and the several Underwriters, as set forth in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them, respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation (or any statement as to the results thereof) made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any controlling person of any Underwriter, or the Company, or any officer or director or controlling person of the Company, and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Securities.
12. If this Agreement shall be terminated pursuant to Section 10 hereof or as a result of Section 8(g)(i), (iii), (iv) or (v) hereof, the Company shall not then be under any liability to any Underwriter except as provided in Sections 7 and 9 hereof; but, if for any other reason, any of the Securities are not delivered by or on behalf of the Company as provided herein, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters through you for all out of pocket expenses approved in writing by you, including fees and disbursements of counsel, reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in making preparations for the purchase, sale and delivery of the Securities not so delivered, but the Company shall then be under no further liability to any Underwriter except as provided in Sections 7 and 9 hereof.
13. In all dealings hereunder, you shall act on behalf of each of the Underwriters, and the parties hereto shall be entitled to act and rely upon any statement, request, notice or agreement on behalf of any Underwriter made or given by you.
All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in writing, and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to you as the representative in care of Goldman, Sachs & Co., 85 Broad Street, 20th Floor, New York, New York 10004, Attention: Registration Department; and if to the Company shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to the address of the Company set forth in the Registration Statement, Attention: Secretary; provided, however, that any notice to an Underwriter pursuant to Section 9(c) hereof shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to such Underwriter at its address set forth in its Underwriters Questionnaire, or telex constituting such Questionnaire, which address will be supplied to the Company by you upon request. Any such statements, requests, notices or agreements shall take effect upon receipt thereof.
In accordance with the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)), the Underwriters are required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies their respective clients, including the Company, which information may include the name and address of their respective clients, as well as other information that will allow the Underwriters to properly identify their respective clients.
14. This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure solely to the benefit of, the Underwriters, the Company and, to the extent provided in Sections 9 and 11 hereof, the officers and directors of the Company and each person who controls the Company or any Underwriter,
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and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement. No purchaser of any of the Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed a successor or assign by reason merely of such purchase.
15. Time shall be of the essence of this Agreement. As used herein, the term business day shall mean any day when the Commissions office in Washington, D.C. is open for business.
16. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement is an arms-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other, (ii) in connection therewith and with the process leading to such transaction each Underwriter is acting solely as a principal and not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, (iii) no Underwriter has assumed an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) or any other obligation to the Company except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement and (iv) the Company has consulted its own legal and financial advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate. The Company agrees that it will not claim that the Underwriters, or any of them, has rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owes a fiduciary or similar duty to the Company, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.
17. This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company and the Underwriters, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof.
18. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
19. The Company 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.
20. This Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties hereto in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such respective counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument.
21. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Company is authorized to disclose to any persons the U.S. federal and state income tax treatment and tax structure of the potential transaction and all materials of any kind (including tax opinions and other tax analyses) provided to the Company relating to that treatment and structure, without the Underwriters imposing any limitation of any kind. However, any information relating to the tax treatment and tax structure shall remain confidential (and the foregoing sentence shall not apply) to the extent necessary to enable any person to comply with securities laws. For this purpose, tax structure is limited to any facts that may be relevant to that treatment.
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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign and return to us one for the Company and the Representative plus one for each counsel counterparts hereof, and upon the acceptance hereof by you, on behalf of each of the Underwriters, this letter and such acceptance hereof shall constitute a binding agreement between each of the Underwriters and the Company. It is understood that your acceptance of this letter on behalf of each of the Underwriters is pursuant to the authority set forth in a form of Agreement among Underwriters, the form of which shall be submitted to the Company for examination upon request, but without warranty on your part as to the authority of the signers thereof.
Very truly yours, | ||||
Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation | ||||
By: | /s/ Scott C. Schroeder | |||
Name: | Scott C. Schroeder | |||
Title: | Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | |||
Accepted as of the date hereof: | ||
Goldman, Sachs & Co. | ||
By: | /s/ Goldman, Sachs & Co. | |
(Goldman, Sachs & Co.) | ||
On behalf of each of the Underwriters |
SCHEDULE I
| ||||
Underwriter | Total Number of Firm Securities to be Purchased | Number of Optional Securities to be Purchased if Maximum Option Exercised | ||
Goldman, Sachs & Co. | 2,262,000 | 339,300 | ||
KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc. | 1,174,500 | 176,175 | ||
Banc of America Securities LLC | 217,500 | 32,625 | ||
J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. | 217,500 | 32,625 | ||
Howard Weil Incorporated | 130,500 | 19,575 | ||
BMO Capital Markets Corp. | 87,000 | 13,050 | ||
Jefferies & Company, Inc. | 87,000 | 13,050 | ||
Tristone Capital Co. | 87,000 | 13,050 | ||
Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. Securities, Inc. | 87,000 | 13,050 | ||
Total | 4,350,000 | 652,500 |
SCHEDULE I
SCHEDULE II
(a) | Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses: |
None.
(b) | Additional Documents Incorporated by Reference: |
None.
(c) | Pricing Information: |
Number of shares offered: | 4,350,000 Firm Securities and up to 652,500 Optional Securities | |||
Public Offering Price: | $65.27 per share |
SCHEDULE II
Annex I
DESCRIPTION OF ACCOUNTANTS COMFORT LETTER
Pursuant to Section 8(d) of the Underwriting Agreement, the accountants shall furnish letters to the Underwriters to the effect that:
(i) They are independent certified public accountants with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries within the meaning of the Act and the applicable published rules and regulations thereunder;
(ii) In their opinion, the financial statements and any supplementary financial information and schedules examined by them and included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the related published rules and regulations thereunder; and, if applicable, they have made a review in accordance with standards established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants of the consolidated interim financial statements, selected financial data, and/or condensed financial statements derived from audited financial statements of the Company for the periods specified in such letter, as indicated in their reports thereon, copies of which have been furnished to the representative of the Underwriters (the Representative);
(iii) They have made a review in accordance with standards established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants of the unaudited condensed consolidated statement of income, consolidated balance sheets and consolidated statements of cash flows included in the Prospectus and/or included in the Companys quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2008 incorporated by reference into the Prospectus as indicated in their reports thereon; and on the basis of specified procedures including inquiries of officials of the Company who have responsibility for financial and accounting matters regarding whether the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements referred to in paragraph (vi)(A)(i) below comply as to form in the related in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the Exchange Act and the related published rules and regulations, nothing came to their attention that caused them to believe that the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements do not comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the Exchange Act and the related published rules and regulations;
(iv) The unaudited selected financial information with respect to the consolidated results of operations and financial position of the Company for the five most recent fiscal years included in the Prospectus and included or incorporated by reference in Item 6 of the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year agrees with the corresponding amounts (after restatement where applicable) in the audited consolidated financial statements for such five fiscal years which were included or incorporated by reference in the Companys Annual Reports on Form 10-K for such fiscal years;
ANNEX I
(v) They have compared the information in the Prospectus under selected captions with the disclosure requirements of Regulation S-K and on the basis of limited procedures specified in such letter nothing came to their attention as a result of the foregoing procedures that caused them to believe that this information does not conform in all material respects with the disclosure requirements of Items 301, 302, 402 and 503(d), respectively, of Regulation S-K;
(vi) On the basis of limited procedures, not constituting an examination in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, consisting of a reading of the unaudited financial statements and other information referred to below, a reading of the latest available interim financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, inspection of the minute books of the Company and its subsidiaries since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, inquiries of officials of the Company and its subsidiaries responsible for financial and accounting matters and such other inquiries and procedures as may be specified in such letter, nothing came to their attention that caused them to believe that:
(A)(i) the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of income, consolidated balance sheets and consolidated statements of cash flows included in the Prospectus and/or included or incorporated by reference in the Companys Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the first quarter ended March 31, 2008 incorporated by reference in the Prospectus do not comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Exchange Act and the related published rules and regulations, or (ii) any material modifications should be made to the unaudited consolidated statements of income, consolidated balance sheets and consolidated statements of cash flows included or incorporated by reference in the Companys Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the first quarter ended March 31, 2008 incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, for them to be in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles;
(B) any other unaudited income statement data and balance sheet items included in the Prospectus do not agree with the corresponding items in the unaudited consolidated financial statements from which such data and items were derived, and any such unaudited data and items were not determined on a basis substantially consistent with the basis for the corresponding amounts in the audited consolidated financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year;
(C) the unaudited financial statements which were not included in the Prospectus but from which were derived the unaudited condensed financial statements referred to in clause (A) and any unaudited income statement data and balance sheet items included in the Prospectus and referred to in clause (B) were not determined on a basis substantially consistent with the basis for the audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year;
ANNEX I - 2
(D) as of a specified date not more than five days prior to the date of such letter, there have been any changes in the consolidated capital stock (other than issuances of capital stock upon exercise of options and stock appreciation rights, upon earn outs of performance shares and upon conversions of convertible securities, in each case which were outstanding on the date of the latest balance sheet included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus) or any increase in the consolidated long term debt of the Company and its subsidiaries, or any decreases in consolidated net current assets or stockholders equity or other items specified by the Representative, or any increases in any items specified by the Representative, in each case as compared with amounts shown in the latest balance sheet included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, except in each case for changes, increases or decreases which the Prospectus discloses have occurred or may occur or which are described in such letter; and
(E) for the period from the date of the latest financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus to the specified date referred to in clause (D) there were any decreases in consolidated net revenues or operating profit or the total or per share amounts of consolidated net income or other items specified by the Representative, or any increases in any items specified by the Representative, in each case as compared with the comparable period of the preceding year and with any other period of corresponding length specified by the Representative, except in each case for increases or decreases which the Prospectus discloses have occurred or may occur or which are described in such letter; and
(vii) In addition to the examination referred to in their report incorporated by reference in the Prospectus and the limited procedures, inspection of minute books, inquiries and other procedures referred to in paragraphs (iii) and (vi) above, they have carried out certain specified procedures, not constituting an examination in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, with respect to certain amounts, percentages and financial information specified by the Representative which are derived from the general accounting records of the Company and its subsidiaries, which appear in the Prospectus (excluding documents incorporated by reference) or in Part II of, or in exhibits and schedules to, the Registration Statement specified by the Representative or in documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus specified by the Representative, and have compared certain of such amounts, percentages and financial information with the accounting records of the Company and its subsidiaries and have found them to be in agreement.
ANNEX I - 3
Annex II
Form of Opinion of Baker Botts L.L.P.
(Firm Securities)
014239.0222
June 25, 2008
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
As Representatives of the several
Underwriters named in Schedule I
of the Underwriting Agreement
referenced below
c/o Goldman, Sachs & Co.
85 Broad Street
New York, New York 10004
Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation
4,350,000 Shares of Common Stock
Ladies and Gentlemen:
This opinion is being furnished to you at the request of Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the Company), pursuant to Section 8(c) of the Underwriting Agreement dated June 20, 2008 (the Underwriting Agreement) between the Company and the several underwriters named in Schedule I thereto (the Underwriters) providing for the issuance and sale by the Company to the Underwriters of an aggregate of 4,350,000 shares (the Shares) of the Companys common stock, par value $0.10 per share (the Common Stock). Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meaning assigned to such terms in the Underwriting Agreement.
The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission) an automatic shelf registration statement, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-151725), including a prospectus, relating to the registration of the offer and sale of shares of Common Stock, including the Shares. For purposes hereof, Effective Date means the latest date as of which such registration statement relating to the Shares became, or is deemed to have become, effective under the Securities Act in accordance with the rules and regulations thereunder. Such registration statement, as amended as of the Effective Date, including the base prospectus dated June 18, 2008 included in such registration statement (the Base Prospectus) and the documents incorporated by reference therein, is herein referred to as the Registration Statement. The prospectus supplement dated June 20, 2008, relating to the Shares, in the form filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, together with the Base Prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference therein, is herein referred to as the Prospectus. The preliminary prospectus supplement subject to completion, dated June 18, 2008, relating to the Shares, in the form filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, together with the Base Prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference therein, is
ANNEX II
herein referred to as the Preliminary Prospectus. The Preliminary Prospectus, together with the information set forth on Schedule II(c) to the Underwriting Agreement, is herein referred to as the Pricing Disclosure Package. The Applicable Time means 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on June 20, 2008.
We have examined the originals, or copies certified or otherwise identified, of the Companys certificate of incorporation and bylaws, each as amended to date (the Charter Documents), the Underwriting Agreement, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package, corporate records of the Company, including minute books of the Company furnished to us by it, and certificates of public officials and of representatives of the Company, statutes and other instruments and documents as a basis for the opinions hereinafter expressed. For purposes of this letter, we have relied upon certificates and representations of officers and other representatives of the Company and of governmental and public officials with respect to the accuracy and completeness of the material factual matters contained therein or covered thereby. In making our examination, we have assumed that the signatures on all documents examined by us are genuine, all documents submitted to us as originals are authentic and complete, all documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies conformed with the originals thereof and such original copies are authentic and complete.
On the basis of the foregoing, and subject to the limitations and qualifications hereinafter set forth, we are of the opinion that:
1. The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, with corporate power and authority to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Prospectus.
2. The Company has authorized capital stock as set forth in the first sentence under the caption Description of Capital Stock in the Prospectus. All of the Shares have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company and, when issued and delivered against payment of the purchase price therefor in accordance with the Underwriting Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
3. The Underwriting Agreement has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company and has been duly executed and delivered by the Company.
4. The issue and sale of the Shares and the compliance by the Company with the Underwriting Agreement and the consummation of the transactions therein contemplated will not result in a breach or violation of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default under, (A) Applicable Law, (B) any agreement or instrument filed as an exhibit to the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007 or the Companys Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2008 or any agreement or instrument known to us related to indebtedness of the Company for borrowed money in excess of $10 million in the aggregate under such agreement or instrument, or (C) the Charter Documents, except, in the case of clauses (A) and (B), for such breaches, violations or defaults which, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
ANNEX II - 2
Effect or materially impair the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under the Underwriting Agreement. Applicable Law means the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the DGCL), the laws of the State of Texas, the laws of the State of New York and the federal laws of the United States of America, in each case other than United States federal securities laws, state securities or blue sky laws, antifraud laws and the rules and regulations of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.
5. No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing with, any governmental agency or body or any court is required to be obtained or made by the Company under Applicable Law for the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Underwriting Agreement in connection with the sale of the Shares.
6. The statements contained in the Prospectus under the caption Description of Capital Stock, insofar as they purport to constitute a summary of the Shares, accurately summarize in all material respects the terms of the Shares.
7. The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Shares, will not be an investment company as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
In addition, we have participated in conferences with officers and other representatives of the Company, with representatives of the independent registered public accounting firm of the Company, with representatives of the independent petroleum engineers of the Company, and with your representatives and counsel, at which the contents of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and related matters were discussed. Although we have not independently verified, and are not passing upon and do not assume any responsibility for, the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (except to the extent set forth in paragraph 6 above), we advise you that, on the basis of the foregoing (relying as to materiality to a certain extent upon officers and other representatives of the Company), (A) each of the Registration Statement, as of the Effective Date, and the Prospectus, as of its date (in each case other than the financial statements and schedules, the notes thereto and the auditors reports thereon, the information pertaining to oil and gas reserves and reserve engineering data and the other financial and accounting data included therein or omitted therefrom, as to which we have not been asked to comment), appeared on its face to comply as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder; and (B) no facts have come to our attention that lead us to believe that (i) any part of the Registration Statement (other than the financial statements and schedules, the notes thereto and the auditors reports thereon, the information pertaining to oil and gas reserves and reserve engineering data, and the other financial and accounting data included therein or omitted therefrom, as to which we have not been asked to comment), as of the Effective Date, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; (ii) the Pricing Disclosure Package (other than the financial statements and schedules, the notes thereto and the auditors reports thereon, the information pertaining to oil and gas reserves and reserve
ANNEX II - 3
engineering data and the other financial and accounting data included therein or omitted therefrom, as to which we have not been asked to comment), as of the Applicable Time, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted 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; or (iii) the Prospectus (other than the financial statements and schedules, the notes thereto and the auditors reports thereon, the information pertaining to oil and gas reserves and reserve engineering data and the other financial and accounting data included therein or omitted therefrom, as to which we have not been asked to comment), as of its date or as of the date hereof, contained or contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
Our knowledge with respect to the matters in the preceding paragraph is limited to the knowledge of the lawyers of this firm who have prepared this opinion, signed this opinion or been actively involved in assisting or advising the Company in connection with the preparation of the Prospectus or related documents.
The foregoing opinions are limited in all respects to applicable federal laws of the United States of America, the DGCL and the laws of the State of Texas and the State of New York, in each case as in effect on the date hereof. This opinion letter is being furnished to you solely for your use in connection with the issuance and sale of the Shares and may not be relied upon by any other person or for any other purpose without our prior written consent. This opinion letter speaks as of the date hereof, and we disclaim any obligation to update this opinion.
Very truly yours,
ANNEX II - 4
Annex III
Form of Opinion of Lisa A. Machesney
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
As Representatives of the several
Underwriters named in Schedule I
of the Underwriting Agreement
referenced below
c/o Goldman, Sachs & Co.
85 Broad Street
New York, New York 10004
Ladies and Gentlemen:
This opinion is being furnished to you pursuant to Section 8(c) of the Underwriting Agreement dated June 20, 2008 (the Underwriting Agreement) between Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the Company), and the several underwriters named in Schedule I thereto (the Underwriters) providing for the issuance and sale by the Company to the Underwriters of an aggregate of 4,350,000 shares (the Shares) of the Companys common stock, par value $0.10 per share. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meaning assigned to such terms in the Underwriting Agreement.
I am the Vice President and Managing Counsel of the Company. In such capacity, I, or other persons under my supervision, have examined the originals, or copies certified or otherwise identified, of (i) the certificate of incorporation and bylaws, each as amended to date, of each of the Company, Cabot Oil & Gas Marketing Corporation, a Delaware corporation (Marketing), and Cranberry Pipeline Corporation, a Delaware corporation (Cranberry and, together with Marketing, the Subsidiaries), (ii) the Underwriting Agreement, (iii) the Registration Statement, (iv) the Prospectus, (v) the Pricing Prospectus, (vi) corporate records of the Company and the Subsidiaries, including minute books, and (vii) certificates of public officials and of representatives of the Company, statutes and other instruments and documents as a basis for the opinions hereinafter expressed. In giving such opinions, I have relied upon certificates and representations of officers and other representatives of the Company and of governmental and public officials and of other individuals whom I consider reliable with respect to the accuracy and completeness of the material factual matters contained therein or covered thereby. In making my examination, I have assumed that the signatures on all documents examined by me are genuine, all documents submitted to me as originals are authentic and complete, all documents submitted to me as certified or photostatic copies conformed with the originals thereof and such original copies are authentic and complete.
On the basis of the foregoing, and subject to the limitations and qualifications hereinafter set forth, I am of the opinion that:
1. Each of Company and the Subsidiaries has been duly qualified as a foreign corporation for the transaction of business and is in good standing under the laws of each jurisdiction in which it owns or leases properties or conducts any business so as to require such qualification, except where the failure to so qualify would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
ANNEX III
2. To my knowledge and other than as set forth in the Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is the subject which, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect; and, to my knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or threatened by others.
3. Each Subsidiary has been duly incorporated and is validly existing in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation. All of the issued shares of capital stock of each Subsidiary have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable, and (except as otherwise set forth in the Prospectus) are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims known to me, without independent investigation.
I am licensed to practice law in the State of Texas. The foregoing opinions are limited in all respects to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and the laws of the State of Texas, in each case as in effect on the date hereof. This opinion is provided in my capacity as Vice President and Managing Counsel of the Company and not in my individual capacity as an attorney. This opinion is being furnished to you solely for your use in connection with the issuance of the Shares and may not be relied upon by any other person or for any other purpose without my prior written consent. This opinion speaks as of the date hereof, and I disclaim any obligation to update this opinion.
Yours truly, |
Lisa A. Machesney |
Vice President and Managing Counsel |
ANNEX III - 2
Annex IV
Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation
Lock-Up Agreement
, 2008
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
85 Broad Street
New York, NY 10004
Re: Cabot Oil & Gas CorporationLock-Up Agreement
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned understands that you, as representative (the Representative), propose to enter into an Underwriting Agreement on behalf of the several Underwriters named in Schedule I to such agreement (collectively, the Underwriters), with Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the Company), providing for a public offering (the Offering) of the Common Stock of the Company (the Shares) pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-3 to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC).
In consideration of the agreement by the Underwriters to offer and sell the Shares, and of other good and valuable consideration the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the undersigned agrees that, during the period beginning from the date hereof and continuing to and including the date 75 days after the date of the final Prospectus covering the public offering of the Shares (the Lock-Up Period), the undersigned will not offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, grant any option to purchase, make any short sale or otherwise dispose of any shares of Common Stock of the Company, or any options or warrants to purchase any shares of Common Stock of the Company, or any securities convertible into, exchangeable for or that represent the right to receive shares of Common Stock of the Company, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, owned directly by the undersigned (including holding as a custodian) or with respect to which the undersigned has beneficial ownership within the rules and regulations of the SEC (collectively the Undersigneds Shares).
The foregoing restriction is expressly agreed to preclude the undersigned from engaging in any hedging or other transaction which is designed to or which reasonably could be expected to lead to or result in a sale or disposition of the Undersigneds Shares even if such Shares would be disposed of by someone other than the undersigned. Such prohibited hedging or other transactions would include without limitation any short sale or any purchase, sale or grant of any right (including without limitation any put or call option) with respect to any of the Undersigneds Shares or with respect to any security that includes, relates to, or derives any significant part of its value from such Shares.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the undersigned may transfer the Undersigneds Shares (i) as a bona fide gift or gifts, provided that the donee or donees thereof agree to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth herein, (ii) to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the
ANNEX IV
undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned, provided that the trustee of the trust agrees to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth herein, and provided further that any such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value, (iii) pursuant to a plan entered into after the date hereof designed to comply with Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, under which none of the Undersigneds Shares may be transferred or disposed of during the Lock-Up Period, or (iv) with the prior written consent of Goldman, Sachs & Co. on behalf of the Underwriters. For purposes of this Lock-Up Agreement, immediate family shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage or adoption, not more remote than first cousin. The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Companys transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of the Undersigneds Shares except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.
Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the obligations of the undersigned under this Lock-Up Agreement shall terminate if either (i) the First Time of Delivery (as defined in the Underwriting Agreement) does not occur on or prior to ninety days after the date of this Lock-Up Agreement or (ii) the Company notifies the Underwriters that it does not intend to proceed with the Offering.
[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]
ANNEX IV - 2
The undersigned understands that the Company and the Underwriters are relying upon this Lock-Up Agreement in proceeding toward consummation of the offering. The undersigned further understands that this Lock-Up Agreement is irrevocable and shall be binding upon the undersigneds heirs, legal representatives, successors, and assigns.
Very truly yours, |
Name: |
Title: |
ANNEX IV - 3