[ ] Shares Duluth Holdings Inc. Class B Common Stock UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

EX-1.1 2 d70652dex11.htm EX-1.1 EX-1.1

Exhibit 1.1

[ • ] Shares

Duluth Holdings Inc.

Class B Common Stock

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

[ • ], 2015

WILLIAM BLAIR & COMPANY, L.L.C.

As Representative of the several

Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto

c/o William Blair & Company, L.L.C.

222 West Adams Street

Chicago, Illinois 60606

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Duluth Holdings Inc., a Wisconsin corporation (the Company”), proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to issue and sell to the several underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the “Underwriters”) for whom William Blair and Company, L.L.C. is acting as representative (the “Representative” or “you”) an aggregate of [ • ] shares (the “Firm Shares”) and, at the election of the Underwriters, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, the Company shall issue and sell up to [ • ] additional shares (the “Option Shares”) of Class B common stock, no par value per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Company. The Firm Shares and any Option Shares purchased pursuant Section 3 hereof are herein collectively called the “Securities.”

William Blair & Company, L.L.C. (the “Directed Share Underwriter”) agrees that up to [ • ] shares of the Firm Shares to be purchased by it (the “Directed Shares”) shall be reserved for sale to certain eligible directors, officers, and certain employees and other parties related to the Company (collectively, the “Participants”), as set forth in the Prospectus (as hereinafter defined) under the heading “Underwriting” (the “Directed Share Program”), subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, the applicable rules, regulations and interpretations of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) and all other applicable laws, rules and regulations. To the extent that Directed Shares are not orally confirmed for purchase by the Participants by the end of the first business day after the date of this Agreement, such Directed Shares may be offered to the public by the Underwriters as part of the public offering contemplated hereby.

1. Registration Statement and Prospectus. A registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-207300) with respect to the Securities, including a preliminary form of prospectus, has been prepared by the Company in conformity with the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), and the rules and regulations (“Rules and


Regulations”) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) thereunder and has been filed with the Commission. Such registration statement, including the amendments, exhibits and schedules thereto, as of the time it became effective, including the Rule 430A Information (as defined below), is referred to herein at the “Registration Statement”. The Company will prepare and file a prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations that discloses the information previously omitted from the prospectus in the Registration Statement in reliance upon Rule 430A of the Rules and Regulations, which information will be deemed retroactively to be a part of the Registration Statement in accordance with Rule 430A of the Rules and Regulations (“Rule 430A Information”). If the Company has elected to rely upon Rule 462(b) of the Rules and Regulations to increase the size of the offering registered under the Act, the Company will prepare and file with the Commission a registration statement with respect to such increase pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the Rules and Regulations (such registration statement, including the contents of the Registration Statement incorporated by reference therein is the “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement”). References herein to the “Registration Statement” will be deemed to include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement at and after the time of filing of the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. “Preliminary Prospectus” means any prospectus included in the Registration Statement prior to the effective time of the Registration Statement, any prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(a) under the Rules and Regulations and each prospectus that omits Rule 430A Information used after the effective time of the Registration Statement. “Prospectus” means the prospectus that discloses the public offering price and other final terms of the Securities and the offering and otherwise satisfies Section 10(a) of the Act. All references in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing, is deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System or any successor system thereto (“EDGAR”).

2. Representations and Warranties of the Company.

Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the several Underwriters as follows:

(i) Registration Statement and Prospectuses. The Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto has become effective under the Act. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened by the Commission. No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any supplement thereto) has been issued by the Commission and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened by the Commission. As of the time each part of the Registration Statement (or any post-effective amendment thereto) became or becomes effective, such part conformed or will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations. Upon the filing or first use within the meaning of the Rules and Regulations, each Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus (or any supplement to either) conformed or will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations.

 

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(ii) Accurate Disclosure. Each Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof or the time of first use within the meaning of the Rules and Regulations, 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. Neither the Registration Statement nor any amendment thereto, at the effective time of each part thereof, at the First Closing Date (as defined below) or at the Second Closing Date (as defined below), contained, contains or will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. As of the Time of Sale (as defined below), neither (A) the Time of Sale Disclosure Package (as defined below) nor (B) any issuer free writing prospectus (as defined below), when considered together with the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. Neither the Prospectus nor any supplement thereto, as of its issue date, at the time of any filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations, at the First Closing Date or at the Second Closing, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The representations and warranties in this Section 2(a)(ii) shall not apply to statements in or omissions from any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), the Time of Sale Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any supplement thereto) made in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to the Company by you, or by any Underwriter through you, specifically for use in the preparation of such document, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 6(f).

Each reference to an “issuer free writing prospectus” herein means an issuer free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 433 of the Rules and Regulations.

“Time of Sale Disclosure Package” means the Preliminary Prospectus dated [ • ], any free writing prospectus set forth on Schedule III and the information on Schedule IV, all considered together.

Each reference to a “free writing prospectus” herein means a free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations.

“Time of Sale” means [ • ]:00 **[a/p]m (Eastern time) on the date of this Agreement.

 

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(iii) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses.

(A) Each issuer free writing prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offering and sale of the Securities or until any earlier date that the Company notified or notifies the Representative as described in Section 4(iii)(B), did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus. The foregoing sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any issuer free writing prospectus based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by you or by any Underwriter through you specifically for use therein; it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 6(f).

(B) At the time of filing the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, and at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations, without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an ineligible issuer.

(C) Each issuer free writing prospectus satisfied, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Securities, all other conditions to use thereof as set forth in Rules 164 and 433 under the Act.

(iv) Emerging Growth Company. From the time of initial confidential submission of the Registration Statement to the Commission (or, if earlier, the first date on which the Company engaged directly or through any person authorized to act on its behalf in any Testing-the-Waters Communication (as defined below)) through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Act (an “Emerging Growth Company”). “Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any oral or written communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Act.

(v) Testing-the-Waters Materials. The Company (i) has not alone engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communications, other than Testing-the-Waters Communications with the prior consent of the Representative with entities that are qualified institutional buyers within the meaning of Rule 144A under the Act or institutions that are accredited investors within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Act and (ii) has not authorized anyone other than the Representative to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company reconfirms that the Representative has been authorized to act on its behalf in undertaking Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company has not distributed any Written Testing-the-Waters Communications (as defined below) other than those listed on Schedule V hereto. “Written Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any Testing-the-Waters Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Act. Any individual Written Testing-the-Waters Communication

 

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does not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, complied in all material respects with the Act, and when taken together with the Time of Sale Disclosure Package as of the Time of Sale, did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

(vi) No Other Offering Materials. The Company has not distributed and will not distribute any prospectus or other offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities other than any Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or other materials permitted by the Act to be distributed by the Company; provided, however, that, except as set forth on Schedule III, the Company has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute a free writing prospectus, except in accordance with the provisions of Section 4(xiii) of this Agreement and, except as set forth on Schedule V, the Company has not made and will not make any communication relating to the Securities that would constitute a Testing-the-Waters Communication, except in accordance with the provisions of Section 2(a)(v) of this Agreement.

(vii) Financial Statements. The financial statements of the Company, together with the related notes, set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and Prospectus comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Act and fairly present in all material respects the financial condition of the Company and its consolidated subsidiary as of the dates indicated and the results of operations and changes in cash flows for the periods therein specified in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States consistently applied throughout the periods involved; the supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement present fairly the information required to be stated therein; all non-GAAP financial information included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus complies with the requirements of Regulation G and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the Act; and, except as disclosed in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no material off-balance sheet arrangements (as defined in Regulation S-K under the Act, Item 303(a)(4)(ii)) or any other relationships with unconsolidated entities or other persons, that may have a material current or, to the Company’s knowledge, material future effect on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures, capital resources or significant components of revenue or expenses. No other financial statements or schedules are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package or the Prospectus. Grant Thornton LLP who has expressed its opinion with respect to the financial statements and schedules filed as a part of the Registration Statement and included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, is (A) an independent registered public accounting firm within the meaning of the Act and the Rules and Regulations, (B) a registered public accounting firm (as defined in Section 2(a)(12) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”)) and (C) with respect to the Company not in violation of the auditor independence requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

 

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(viii) Organization and Good Standing. Each of the Company and its subsidiary has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation. Each of the Company and its subsidiary has full corporate or limited liability company power and authority, as the case may be, to own its properties and conduct its business as currently being carried on and as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and Prospectus, and is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation in good standing in each jurisdiction in which it owns or leases real property or in which the conduct of its business makes such qualification necessary and in which the failure to so qualify would have a material adverse effect upon the business, prospects, management, properties, operations, condition (financial or otherwise), shareholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiary, taken as a whole (“Material Adverse Effect”).

(ix) Absence of Certain Events. Except as contemplated in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus, subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, neither the Company nor its subsidiary has incurred any material liability or obligation, direct or contingent, or entered into any material transaction, or declared or paid any dividends or made any distribution of any kind with respect to its capital stock; and there has not been any change in the capital stock (other than a change in the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock due to the issuance of shares upon the exercise of outstanding options or warrants or conversion of convertible securities), or any material change in the short-term or long-term debt (other than as a result of the conversion of convertible securities), or any issuance of options, warrants, convertible securities or other rights to purchase the capital stock, of the Company or its subsidiary, or any material adverse change, any development involving a prospective material adverse change or any development that would reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse change in the general affairs, prospects, management, properties, operations, condition (financial or otherwise), stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiary, taken as a whole.

(x) Absence of Proceedings. Except as set forth in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus, there is not pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened or contemplated, any action, suit or proceeding (a) to which the Company or its subsidiary is a party or (b) which has as the subject thereof any officer or director of the Company or its subsidiary, any employee benefit plan sponsored by the Company or its subsidiary or any property or assets owned or leased by the Company or its subsidiary before or by any court or Governmental Authority (as defined below), or any arbitrator, which, individually or in the aggregate, if determined adversely to the Company or its subsidiary, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, or would materially and adversely affect the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement. There are no current or, to the knowledge of the Company, pending, legal, governmental or regulatory actions, suits or proceedings (x) to which the Company or its subsidiary is subject or (y) which has as the subject thereof any officer or director of the Company or any subsidiary, any employee plan sponsored by the Company or its subsidiary or any property or assets owned or leased by the Company or its subsidiary, that are required to be described in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Disclosure Package and Prospectus by the Act or by the Rules and Regulations and that have not been so described.

 

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(xi) Authorization; No Conflicts; Authority. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company, and constitutes a valid, legal and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as rights to indemnity hereunder may be limited by federal or state securities laws and except as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting the rights of creditors generally and subject to general principles of equity. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated will not (A) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or its subsidiary pursuant to any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or its subsidiary is a party or by which the Company or its subsidiary is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or its subsidiary is subject, (B) result in any violation of the provisions of the Company’s charter or by-laws or (C) result in the violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule, regulation or decree of any court or arbitrator or federal, state, local or foreign governmental agency or regulatory authority having jurisdiction over the Company or its subsidiary or any of their properties or assets (each, a “Governmental Authority”), except in the case of clauses (A) and (C) as would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or registration or filing with any Governmental Authority is required for the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement or for the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, including the issuance or sale of the Securities by the Company, except such as may be required under the Act, the rules of FINRA, the Exchange Rules (as defined below) or state securities or blue sky laws; and the Company has full power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby, including the authorization, issuance and sale of the Securities as contemplated by this Agreement.

(xii) Capitalization; the Securities; Registration Rights. All of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company, including the outstanding shares of Common Stock, are duly authorized and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, have been issued in compliance with all federal and state and foreign securities laws, were not issued in violation of or subject to any preemptive rights or other rights to subscribe for or purchase securities that have not been waived in writing (a copy of which has been delivered to counsel to the Representative), and the holders thereof are not personally liable for the acts or debts of the Company by reason of being such holders; the Securities which may be sold hereunder by the Company have been duly authorized and, when issued, delivered and paid for in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will have been validly issued and will be fully paid and nonassessable, and the holders thereof will not be personally liable for the acts or debts of the Company by reason of being such holders; and the capital stock of the Company, including the Common Stock (including the Securities), conforms to the description thereof in the Registration Statement, in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus. Except as otherwise stated in the

 

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Registration Statement, in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus, (A) there are no preemptive rights or other rights to subscribe for or to purchase, or any restriction upon the voting or transfer of, any shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Company’s articles of incorporation, by-laws or any agreement or other instrument to which the Company or its subsidiary is a party or by which the Company or its subsidiary is bound, except for such rights and restrictions that will terminate on or prior to the First Closing Date, (B) neither the filing of the Registration Statement nor the offering or sale of the Securities as contemplated by this Agreement gives rise to any rights for or relating to the registration of any shares of Common Stock or other securities of the Company (collectively “Registration Rights”) and (C) any person to whom the Company has granted Registration Rights has agreed not to exercise such rights until after expiration of the Lock-Up Period (as defined below). All of the issued and outstanding membership interests of the Company’s subsidiary have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and nonassessable, and, except as otherwise described in the Registration Statement, in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus, the Company owns of record and beneficially, free and clear of any security interests, claims, liens, proxies, equities or other encumbrances, all of the issued and outstanding membership interests of such subsidiary. The Company has an authorized and outstanding capitalization as set forth in the Registration Statement, in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus under the caption “Capitalization.” The Common Stock (including the Securities) conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

(xiii) Stock Options. Except as described in the Registration Statement, in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus, there are no options, warrants, agreements, contracts or other rights in existence to purchase or acquire from the Company or any subsidiary of the Company any shares of the capital stock of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company. The description of the Company’s stock option, stock bonus and other stock plans or arrangements (the “Company Stock Plans”), and the options (the “Options”) or other rights granted thereunder, set forth in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus accurately and fairly presents the information required to be shown with respect to such plans, arrangements, options and rights. The Company has not granted any Options prior to the Time of Sale.

(xiv) Permits; Compliance with Laws. The Company and its subsidiary holds, and is operating in compliance in all material respects with, all franchises, grants, authorizations, licenses, permits, easements, consents, certificates, exemptions, approvals, clearances and orders of any Governmental Authority or self-regulatory body required for the conduct of its business (collectively, “Permits”) and all such Permits are valid and in full force and effect, except where the failure to hold or operate in compliance with or the invalidity of such Permits, would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and neither the Company nor its subsidiary has received written notice of any revocation or modification of any such Permit or has reason to believe that any such Permit will not be renewed in the ordinary course; and the Company and its subsidiary is in compliance in all material respects with all applicable federal, state, local and foreign laws, regulations, orders and decrees, except for any such failure to comply as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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(xv) Ownership of Assets. The Company and its subsidiary have good and marketable title to all property (whether real or personal) described in the Registration Statement, in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus as being owned by them, in each case free and clear of all liens, claims, security interests, other encumbrances or defects except such as (i) are described in the Registration Statement, in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus or (ii) do not materially interfere with the use made of such property by the Company and its subsidiary. The property held under lease by the Company and its subsidiary is held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with only such exceptions with respect to any particular lease as do not interfere in any material respect with the conduct of the business of the Company or its subsidiary.

(xvi) Intellectual Property. The Company and its subsidiary own, possess, license or can acquire on reasonable terms, all patents, trade and service marks, trade names, copyrights, domain names (in each case including all registrations and applications to register same), inventions, trade secrets, technology, know-how, confidential information and other intellectual property (collectively, “intellectual property rights”) necessary to conduct the business now operated by them, or presently employed by them, except where the failure to own, possess or so acquire such intellectual property rights would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor its subsidiary has received any written notice of infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any intellectual property rights that, if determined adversely to the Company or its subsidiary, would, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect (and, to the Company’s knowledge, there is no such infringement or conflict).

(xvii) No Violations or Defaults. Neither the Company nor its subsidiary is in violation of its respective charter, by-laws or other organizational documents, or in breach of or otherwise in default, and no event has occurred which, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a default in the performance of any material obligation, agreement or condition contained in any bond, debenture, note, indenture, loan agreement or any other material contract, lease or other instrument to which it is subject or by which any of them may be bound, or to which any of the material property or assets of the Company or its subsidiary is subject.

(xviii) Taxes. Except as (i) described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or (ii) would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (A) the Company and its subsidiary have filed all United States federal, state, local and foreign income tax returns required by law to be filed through the date hereof and all taxes shown by such returns or otherwise assessed, which are due and payable, have been paid; and (y) there is no deficiency that has been, or could reasonably be expected to be, asserted against the Company or its subsidiary or any of their respective properties or assets other than tax deficiencies that the Company or its subsidiary are contesting in good faith and as to which adequate reserves have been established in accordance with GAAP.

 

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(xix) Exchange Listing and Exchange Act Registration. The Securities have been approved for listing on the NASDAQ Global Select Market upon official notice of issuance and, on the date the Registration Statement became effective, the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 8-A or other applicable form under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), became effective. Except as previously disclosed to counsel for the Underwriters or as set forth in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus there are no affiliations with members of FINRA among the Company’s officers, directors or, to the knowledge of the Company, any five percent or greater shareholders of the Company or any beneficial owner of the Company’s unregistered equity securities that were acquired during the 180-day period immediately preceding the initial filing date of the Registration Statement.

(xx) Ownership of Other Entities. Other than the subsidiary of the Company listed in Exhibit 21 to the Registration Statement and the variable interest entities described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company, directly or indirectly, owns no capital stock or other equity or ownership or proprietary interest in any corporation, partnership, association, trust or other entity.

(xxi) Internal Controls. The Company and its subsidiary maintain a system of internal accounting controls that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act and have been designed to provide reasonable assurances that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting is effective and none of the Company, its board of directors and audit committee is aware of any “significant deficiencies” or “material weaknesses” (each as defined by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board) in its internal control over financial reporting, or any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees of the Company or its subsidiary who have a significant role in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting; and since the end of the latest audited fiscal year, there has been no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. The Company’s board of directors has, subject to the exceptions, cure periods and the phase-in periods specified in the applicable stock exchange rules (“Exchange Rules”), validly appointed an audit committee to oversee internal accounting controls whose composition satisfies the applicable requirements of the Exchange Rules and the Company’s board of directors and/or the audit committee has adopted a charter that satisfies the requirements of the Exchange Rules.

 

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(xxii) No Brokers or Finders. Other than as contemplated by this Agreement, the Company has not incurred and will not incur any liability for any finder’s or broker’s fee or agent’s commission in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.

(xxiii) Insurance. The Company and its subsidiary carries, or is covered by, insurance from reputable insurers in such amounts and covering such risks as is reasonably adequate for the conduct of its business and the value of its properties and the properties of its subsidiary and as is customary for companies engaged in similar businesses in similar industries; all policies of insurance and any fidelity or surety bonds insuring the Company or its subsidiary or its business, assets, employees, officers and directors are in full force and effect; the Company and its subsidiary are in compliance with the terms of such policies and instruments in all material respects; there are no claims by the Company or its subsidiary under any such policy or instrument as to which any insurance company is denying liability or defending under a reservation of rights clause; to the knowledge of the Company, neither the Company nor its subsidiary has been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied for; and neither the Company nor its subsidiary has reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

(xxiv) Investment Company Act. The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities, will not be an “investment company,” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

(xxv) Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Company is in compliance with all applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

(xxvi) Disclosure Controls. The Company has designed a system of disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14 under the Exchange Act) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act applicable to the Company and such controls and procedures are effective at the reasonable assurance level in ensuring that material information relating to the Company, including its subsidiary, is made known to the principal executive officer and the principal financial officer.

(xxvii) Anti-Bribery and Anti-Money Laundering Laws. Each of the Company and its subsidiary, their respective affiliates and, to the knowledge of the Company, any of their respective officers, directors, supervisors, managers, agents, or employees, are and have at all times been in compliance with, its participation in the offering will not violate, and the Company and its subsidiary has instituted and maintains policies and procedures designed to ensure continued compliance with, each of the

 

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following laws to the extent applicable: (A) anti-bribery laws, including but not limited to, any applicable law, rule, or regulation of any locality, including but not limited to any law, rule, or regulation promulgated to implement the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, signed December 17, 1997, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, the U.K. Bribery Act 2010, or any other law, rule or regulation of similar purposes and scope or (B) anti-money laundering laws, including but not limited to, applicable federal, state, international, foreign or other laws, regulations or government guidance regarding anti-money laundering, including, without limitation, Title 18 US. Code section 1956 and 1957, the Patriot Act, the Bank Secrecy Act, and international anti-money laundering principles or procedures by an intergovernmental group or organization, such as the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering, of which the United States is a member and with which designation the United States representative to the group or organization continues to concur, all as amended, and any Executive order, directive, or regulation pursuant to the authority of any of the foregoing, or any orders or licenses issued thereunder.

(xxviii) OFAC.

(A) Neither the Company nor its subsidiary, nor any of their directors, officers or employees, nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any agent affiliate or representative of the Company or its subsidiary, is an individual or entity that is, or is owned or controlled by an individual or entity that is:

(1) the subject of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor

(2) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of Sanctions (including, without limitation, Burma/Myanmar, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Sudan, Syria or the Crimean region of Ukraine).

(B) Neither the Company nor its subsidiary will, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other individual or entity:

(1) to fund or facilitate any activities or business of or with any individual or entity or in any country or territory that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject of Sanctions; or

(2) in any other manner that will result in a violation of Sanctions by any individual or entity (including any individual or entity participating in the offering, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise).

 

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(C) For the past five years, neither the Company nor its subsidiary has knowingly engaged in, and is not now knowingly engaged in, any dealings or transactions with any individual or entity, or in any country or territory, that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject of Sanctions.

(xxix) Compliance with Environmental Laws. Except as disclosed in the Time of Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor its subsidiary is in violation of any statute, any rule, regulation, decision or order of any Governmental Authority or any court, domestic or foreign, relating to the use, disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or relating to the protection or restoration of the environment or human exposure to hazardous or toxic substances (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), owns or operates any real property contaminated with any substance that is subject to any Environmental Laws, is liable for any off-site disposal or contamination pursuant to any Environmental Laws, or is subject to any claim relating to any Environmental Laws, which violation, contamination, liability or claim would individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and the Company is not aware of any pending investigation which might lead to such a claim.

(xxx) Compliance with Occupational Laws. The Company and its subsidiary (A) is in compliance, in all material respects, with any and all applicable foreign, federal, state and local laws, rules, regulations, treaties, statutes and codes promulgated by any and all Governmental Authorities (including pursuant to the Occupational Health and Safety Act) relating to the protection of human health and safety in the workplace (“Occupational Laws”); (B) has received all material permits, licenses or other approvals required of it under applicable Occupational Laws to conduct its business as currently conducted; and (C) is in compliance, in all material respects, with all terms and conditions of such permit, license or approval. No action, proceeding, revocation proceeding, writ, injunction or claim is pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened against the Company or its subsidiary relating to Occupational Laws which would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, and the Company does not have knowledge of any facts, circumstances or developments relating to its operations or cost accounting practices that could reasonably be expected to form the basis for or give rise to such actions, suits, investigations or proceedings.

(xxxi) ERISA and Employee Benefits Matters. Except (i) as set forth or described in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, none of the following events has occurred or exists: (A) a failure to fulfill the obligations, if any, under the minimum funding standards of Section 302 of the United States Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder with respect to a Plan, determined without regard to any waiver of such obligations or extension of any amortization period; or (B) an audit or investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Department of Labor, the Pension

 

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Benefit Guaranty Corporation or any other federal or state governmental agency or any foreign regulatory agency with respect to the employment or compensation of employees by any of the Company or its subsidiary. Except (i) as set forth or described in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package or (ii) as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, none of the following events has occurred or is reasonably likely to occur: (A) an increase in the aggregate amount of contributions required to be made to all Plans in the current fiscal year of the Company and its subsidiary compared to the amount of such contributions made in the most recently completed fiscal year of the Company and its subsidiary; (B) an increase in the “accumulated post-retirement benefit obligations” (within the meaning of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards 106) of the Company and its subsidiary compared to the amount of such obligations in the most recently completed fiscal year of the Company and its subsidiary; (C) any event or condition giving rise to a liability under Title IV of ERISA; (D) the filing of a material claim by one or more employees or former employees of the Company or its subsidiary related to their employment or (E) any breach of any contractual obligation, or any violation of law or applicable qualification standards, with respect to the employment or compensation of employees by the Company or its subsidiary. For purposes of this paragraph, the term “Plan” means a plan (within the meaning of Section 3(3) of ERISA) with respect to which the Company or its subsidiary may have any liability.

(xxxii) Business Arrangements. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor its subsidiary has granted rights to develop, manufacture, produce, assemble, distribute, license, market or sell its products to any other person and is not bound by any agreement that affects the exclusive right of the Company or such subsidiary to develop, manufacture, produce, assemble, distribute, license, market or sell its products.

(xxxiii) Labor Matters. No labor problem or dispute with the employees of the Company or its subsidiary exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is threatened or imminent, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of its or its subsidiary’s principal suppliers, contractors or customers, that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(xxxiv) Restrictions on Subsidiary Payments to the Company. No subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s property or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company, except as described in or contemplated by the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

(xxxv) Disclosure of Legal Matters. There are no statutes, regulations, legal or governmental proceedings or contracts or other documents required to be described in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package or in the Prospectus or included as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not described or included as required.

 

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(xxxvi) Statistical Information. Any third-party statistical and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate in all material respects.

(xxxvii) Forward-looking Statements. No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package or the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.

(xxxviii) No Undisclosed Relationship: No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or its subsidiary, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, shareholders, customers or suppliers of the Company or its subsidiary, on the other, that is required by the Act to be described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and that is not so described in such documents and in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package. As of the date of the initial filing of the Registration Statement, there were no outstanding personal loans made, directly or indirectly, by the Company to any director or executive officer of the Company.

(xxxix) Directed Share Program: The Company represents and warrants that (i) the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus and any issuer free writing prospectuses comply in all material respects, and any further amendments or supplements thereto will comply in all material respects, with any applicable laws or regulations of any jurisdiction in which the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, are distributed in connection with the Directed Share Program, and that (ii) no authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration or qualification of or with any Governmental Authority, other than such as have been obtained, is necessary under the securities laws and regulations in any jurisdiction in which the Directed Shares are offered. The Company has not offered, or caused the Underwriters to offer, Securities to any person pursuant to the Directed Share Program with the specific intent to unlawfully influence (i) a customer or supplier of the Company to alter the customer or supplier’s level or type of business with the Company or (ii) a trade journalist or publication to write or publish favorable information about the Company or its products.

(b) Effect of Certificates. Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company and delivered to you or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.

 

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3. Purchase, Sale and Delivery of Securities.

(a) Firm Shares. On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, but subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to issue and sell [ • ] Firm Shares to the several Underwriters, and each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto. The purchase price for each Firm Share shall be $[ • ] per share. The obligation of each Underwriter to the Company shall be to purchase from the Company that number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto. In making this Agreement, each Underwriter is contracting severally and not jointly; except as provided in paragraph (d) of this Section 3 and in Section 8 hereof, the agreement of each Underwriter is to purchase only the respective number of Firm Shares specified in Schedule I.

(b) Option Shares. On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, but subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company, hereby grants to the several Underwriters an option to purchase all or any portion of the Option Shares at the same purchase price as the Firm Shares. The option granted hereunder may be exercised in whole or in part at any time within 30 days after the effective date of this Agreement upon notice (confirmed in writing) by the Representative to the Company setting forth the aggregate number of Option Shares as to which the several Underwriters are exercising the option and the date and time, as determined by you, when the Option Shares are to be delivered, but in no event earlier than the First Closing Date (as defined below) nor earlier than the second business day or later than the tenth business day after the date on which the option shall have been exercised. The number of Option Shares to be purchased by each Underwriter shall be the same percentage of the total number of Option Shares to be purchased by the several Underwriters as the number of Firm Shares to be purchased by such Underwriter is of the total number of Firm Shares to be purchased by the several Underwriters, as adjusted by the Representative in such manner as the Representative deems advisable to avoid fractional shares. No Option Shares shall be sold and delivered unless the Firm Shares previously have been, or simultaneously are, sold and delivered.

(c) Payment and Delivery.

(i) The Securities to be purchased by each Underwriter hereunder, in book-entry form in such authorized denominations and registered in such names as the Representative may request upon at least forty-eight hours’ prior notice to the Company, shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Company to the Representative, through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), for the account of such Underwriter, with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the transfer of the Securities to the Underwriters duly paid, 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 the Representative at least forty-eight hours in advance. The time and date of such delivery and payment shall be, with respect to the Firm Shares, [9:30 a.m.], New York City time, on [ • ], 2015 or such other time and date as the Representative and the Company may agree upon in writing, and, with respect to the Option Shares, [9:30 a.m.], New York City time, on the date specified by the Representative in each written notice

 

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given by the Representative of the Underwriters’ election to purchase such Option Shares, or such other time and date as the Representative and the Company may agree upon in writing. Such time and date for delivery of the Firm Shares is herein called the “First Closing Date”, each such time and date for delivery of the Option Shares, if not the First Closing Date, is herein called a “Second Closing Date”, and each such time and date for delivery is herein called a “Closing”.

(ii) The documents to be delivered at each Closing by or on behalf of the parties hereto pursuant to Section 5 hereof, including the cross receipt for the Securities and any additional documents requested by the Underwriters pursuant to Section 5(j) hereof, will be delivered at the offices of Latham & Watkins LLP located at 330 North Wabash Avenue, Suite 2800, Chicago, Illinois 60611 (the “Closing Location”), and the Securities will be delivered to the Representative, through the facilities of the DTC, for the account of such Underwriter, all at such Closing. A meeting will be held at the Closing Location at [ • ] [a.m./p.m.], New York City time, on the New York Business Day next preceding such Closing, 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 3, “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.

(d) Purchase by Representative on Behalf of Underwriters. It is understood that you, individually and not as Representative of the several Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment to the Company on behalf of any Underwriter for the Securities to be purchased by such Underwriter. Any such payment by you shall not relieve any such Underwriter of any of its obligations hereunder.

4. Covenants.

Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants and agrees with the several Underwriters as follows:

(i) Required Filings. The Company will prepare and file a Prospectus with the Commission containing the Rule 430A Information omitted from the Preliminary Prospectus within the time period required by, and otherwise in accordance with the provisions of, Rules 424(b) and 430A of the Rules and Regulations. If the Company has elected to rely upon Rule 462(b) of the Rules and Regulations to increase the size of the offering registered under the Act and the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement has not yet been filed and become effective, the Company will prepare and file the Rule 462 Registration Statement with the Commission within the time period required by, and otherwise in accordance with the provisions of, Rule 462(b) and the Act. The Company will prepare and file with the Commission, promptly upon your request, any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or Prospectus that, in your opinion, may be necessary or advisable in connection with the distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters; and the Company will furnish the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters a copy of any proposed amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus and will not file any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus to which you shall reasonably object by notice to the Company after having been furnished a copy a reasonable time prior to the filing.

 

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(ii) Notification of Certain Commission Actions. The Company will advise you, promptly after it shall receive notice or obtain knowledge thereof, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, or any post-effective amendment thereto or preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any issuer free writing prospectus, of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such purpose; and the Company will promptly use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order or to obtain its withdrawal if such a stop order should be issued.

(iii) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws.

(A) Within the time during which a prospectus (assuming the absence of Rule 172) relating to the Securities is required to be delivered under the Act by any Underwriter or dealer, the Company will comply with all requirements imposed upon it by the Act, as now and hereafter amended, and by the Rules and Regulations, as from time to time in force, so far as necessary to permit the continuance of sales of or dealings in the Securities as contemplated by the provisions hereof, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. If during such period any event occurs as a result of which the Prospectus (or if the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package) would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances then existing, not misleading, or if during such period it is necessary to amend the Registration Statement or supplement the Prospectus (or if the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective investors, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package) to comply with the Act, the Company promptly will (x) notify you of such untrue statement or omission, (y) amend the Registration Statement or supplement the Prospectus (or, if the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package) (at the expense of the Company) so as to correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance and (z) notify you when any amendment to the Registration Statement is filed or becomes effective or when any supplement to the Prospectus (or, if the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package) is filed.

(B) If at any time following issuance of an issuer free writing prospectus or Written Testing-the-Waters Communication there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such issuer free writing prospectus or Written Testing-the-Waters Communication conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or

 

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the Prospectus relating to the Securities or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company (x) has promptly notified or promptly will notify the Representative of such conflict, untrue statement or omission, (y) has promptly amended or will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such issuer free writing prospectus or Written Testing-the-Waters Communication to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission and (z) has notified or promptly will notify you when such amendment or supplement was or is filed with the Commission to the extent required to be filed by the Rules and Regulations.

(iv) Blue Sky Qualifications. The Company shall take or cause to be taken all necessary action to qualify the Securities for sale under the securities laws of such domestic United States or foreign jurisdictions as you reasonably designate and to continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Securities, except that the Company shall not be required in connection therewith to qualify as a foreign corporation, to execute a general consent to service of process in any state or to subject itself to taxation in any such jurisdiction if it is not otherwise so subject.

(v) Provision of Documents. The Company will furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and counsel for the Underwriters copies of the Registration Statement (three of which will be signed and will include all consents and exhibits filed therewith), and to the Underwriters and any dealer each Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus and all amendments and supplements to such documents, in each case as soon as available and in such quantities as you may from time to time reasonably request.

(vi) Rule 158. The Company will make generally available to its security holders as soon as practicable (which may be satisfied by filing its annual report on Form 10-K with the Commission’s EDGAR system) an earnings statement (which need not be audited) covering a 12-month period beginning after the effective date of the Registration Statement (which, for purposes of this paragraph, will be deemed to be the effective date of the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if applicable) that shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158 of the Rules and Regulations.

(vii) Payment and Reimbursement of Expenses. The Company, whether or not the transactions contemplated hereunder are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, will pay or cause to be paid (A) all expenses (including transfer taxes allocated to the respective transferees) incurred in connection with the delivery to the Underwriters of the Securities, (B) all expenses and fees (including, without limitation, fees and expenses of the Company’s accountants and counsel but, except as otherwise provided below, not including fees and expenses of the Underwriters’ counsel) in connection with the preparation, printing, filing, delivery and shipping of the Registration Statement (including the financial statements therein and all amendments, schedules and exhibits thereto), the

 

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Securities, each Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus and any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, and the printing, delivery, and shipping of this Agreement and other underwriting documents, including Blue Sky Memoranda (covering the states and other applicable jurisdictions), (C) all filing fees and fees and disbursements of the Underwriters’ counsel (not to exceed $10,000) incurred in connection with the qualification of the Securities for offering and sale by the Underwriters or by dealers under the securities or blue sky laws of the states and other jurisdictions which you shall reasonably designate, (D) the fees and expenses of any transfer agent or registrar, (E) the filing fees and fees and disbursements of Underwriters’ counsel incident to any required review and approval by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Securities (not to exceed $25,000), (F) listing fees, if any, (G) the cost and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations or any “road show” undertaken in connection with marketing of the Securities, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the preparation or dissemination of any electronic road show, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations with the prior approval of the Company, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company and any such consultants, and 50% of the cost of any chartered aircraft in connection with the roadshow, (H) all costs and expenses of the Underwriters in connection with the Directed Share Program, including the reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters and stamp duties, similar taxes or duties or other taxes, if any, incurred by the Underwriters, in each case, in connection with the Directed Share Program and (I) all other costs and expenses of the Company incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder that are not otherwise specifically provided for herein. If this Agreement is terminated by the Representative pursuant to Section 9 hereof or if the sale of the Securities provided for herein is not consummated by reason of any failure, refusal or inability on the part of the Company to perform any agreement on its part to be performed, or because any other condition of the Underwriters’ obligations hereunder required to be fulfilled by the Company is not fulfilled, the Company will reimburse the several Underwriters for all out-of-pocket accountable disbursements (including but not limited to documented fees and disbursements of counsel, printing expenses, travel expenses, postage, facsimile and telephone charges) incurred by the Underwriters in connection with their investigation, preparing to market and marketing the Securities or in contemplation of performing their obligations hereunder.

(viii) Use of Proceeds. The Company will apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities to be sold by it hereunder for the purposes set forth in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus and will file such reports with the Commission with respect to the sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds therefrom as may be required in accordance with Rule 463 of the Rules and Regulations.

(ix) Company Lock Up. The Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Representative, from the date of execution of this Agreement and continuing to and including the date 180 days after the date of the Prospectus (the “Lock-Up Period”), (A) file with the Commission a registration statement under the Act relating to any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or

 

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exchangeable for Common Stock, (B) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, make any short sale or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, (C) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (B) or (C) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise or (D) publicly disclose or announce an intention to effect any transaction specified in clause (A), (B) or (C) above. The restrictions contained in the preceding sentence shall not apply to (X) the shares of Common Stock to be sold hereunder, (Y) the issuance of shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into shares of Common Stock pursuant to any equity incentive plan of the Company (or the filing of a registration statement on Form S-8 to register shares of Common Stock issuable under such plans) under the terms of such plan in effect on the date hereof (subject to the closing of the offering) and disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, provided such securities are granted at fair market value, or (Z) shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Company Class A common stock, no par value, provided such shares are subject to a Lock-Up Agreement. The Company agrees not to accelerate the vesting of any option or warrant or the lapse of any repurchase right prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period.

(x) Shareholder Lock-Ups. The Company has caused to be delivered to you prior to the date of this Agreement a letter, in the form of Exhibit A hereto (the “Lock-Up Agreement”), from each individual listed or entity listed on Schedule II. The Company will enforce the terms of each Lock-Up Agreement and issue stop-transfer instructions to its transfer agent and registrar for the Common Stock with respect to any transaction or contemplated transaction that would constitute a breach of or default under the applicable Lock-Up Agreement. If the Representative, in its sole discretion, agrees to release or waive the restrictions of any Lock-Up Agreement between an officer or director of the Company and the Representative and provides the Company with notice of the impending release or waiver at least three business days before the effective date of such release or waiver, the Company agrees to announce the impending release or waiver by means of a press release substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto, issued through a major news service, at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver.

(xi) No Market Stabilization or Manipulation. The Company has not taken and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or which might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, or which has constituted, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities, and has not effected any sales of Common Stock that are required to be disclosed in response to Item 701 of Regulation S-K under the Act and that have not been so disclosed in the Registration Statement.

 

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(xii) Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Representative, and each Underwriter severally represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Company and the Representative, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an issuer free writing prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a free writing prospectus required to be filed with the Commission; provided that the prior written consent of the parties hereto shall be deemed to have been given in respect of the free writing prospectuses included in Schedule III. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Company and the Representative is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus”. The Company represents that it has treated or agrees that it will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an issuer free writing prospectus and that the Company has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 of the Rules and Regulations applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus. The Company represents that it has satisfied and agrees that it will satisfy the conditions in Rule 433 to avoid a requirement to file with the Commission any electronic road show. Each Underwriter severally represents and agrees that (A) unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Company and the Representative, it has not distributed and will not distribute any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication other than those listed on Schedule V; and (B) any Testing-the-Waters Communication undertaken by it was with entities that are qualified institutional buyers with the meaning of Rule 144A under the Act or institutions that are accredited investors within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Act.

(xiii) Emerging Growth Company. The Company will promptly notify the Representative if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the later of (A) completion of the distribution of Securities within the meaning of the Act and (B) completion of the 180-day restricted period referenced to in Section 4(ix) hereof.

(xiv) Directed Share Restriction. To cause the Directed Shares to be restricted from sale, transfer, assignment, pledge or hypothecation to such extent as may be required by FINRA and its rules.

(xv) Directed Share Compliance. To comply with all applicable securities and other laws, rules and regulations in each jurisdiction in which the Directed Shares are offered in connection with the Directed Share Program.

5. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligations of the several Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy, as of the date hereof and at each of the First Closing Date and each Second Closing Date (as if made at such Closing Date), of and compliance with all representations, warranties and agreements of the Company contained herein, to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:

(a) Required Filings; Absence of Certain Commission Actions. All filings required by Rules 424, 430A and 433 of the Rules and Regulations shall have been timely made (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8) or Rule 164(b)); no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof or any amendment thereof, nor

 

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suspending or preventing the use of the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any issuer free writing prospectus shall have been issued; no proceedings for the issuance of such an order shall have been initiated or threatened; and any request of the Commission for additional information (to be included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus or otherwise) shall have been complied with to your reasonable satisfaction.

(b) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. No Underwriter shall have advised the Company that (i) the Registration Statement or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto contains an untrue statement of fact which, in your opinion, is material or omits to state a material fact which, in your opinion, is required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or (ii) the Time of Sale Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or any issuer free writing prospectus contains an untrue statement of fact which, in your opinion, is material, or omits to state a fact which, in your opinion, is material and is required to be stated therein, or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading.

(c) Absence of Certain Events. Except as contemplated in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus, subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor its subsidiary shall have incurred any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent, or entered into any material transactions, or declared or paid any dividends or made any distribution of any kind with respect to its capital stock; and there shall not have been any change in the capital stock (other than a change in the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock due to the issuance of shares upon the exercise of outstanding options or warrants or conversion of convertible securities), or any material change in the short-term or long-term debt of the Company (other than as a result of the conversion of convertible securities or borrowings under the Company’s revolving line of credit in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice), or any issuance of options, warrants, convertible securities or other rights to purchase the capital stock of the Company or its subsidiary, or any development or prospective development that would be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect (whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business), that, in your judgment, makes it impractical or inadvisable to offer or deliver the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus.

(d) No Downgrade. On and after the Time of Sale (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded the Company’s debt securities or preferred stock by any “nationally recognized statistical organization,” as that term is defined by the Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Act and (ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, with possible negative implications, its rating of any of the Company’s debt securities or preferred stock.

(e) Opinion of Company Counsel. On each Closing Date, there shall have been furnished to you, as Representative of the several Underwriters, the opinion and negative assurance letter of Godfrey & Kahn, S.C., counsel for the Company, dated such Closing Date and addressed to you in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit B.

 

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(f) Opinion of Underwriters’ Counsel. On each Closing Date, there shall have been furnished to you, as Representative of the several Underwriters, the opinion and negative assurance letter of Latham & Watkins LLP, counsel for the several Underwriters, dated such Closing Date and addressed to you in form satisfactory to you, and such counsel shall have received such papers and information as they request to enable them to pass upon such matters.

(g) Comfort Letter. On the date hereof, on the effective date of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement filed after the date hereof and on each Closing Date you, as Representative of the several Underwriters, shall have received a letter of Grant Thornton LLP, dated such date and addressed to you, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to you.

(h) Officers’ Certificate. On each Closing Date, there shall have been furnished to you, as Representative of the Underwriters, a certificate, dated such Closing Date and addressed to you, signed by the chief executive officer and by the chief financial officer of the Company, to the effect that:

(i) The representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct as if made at and as of such Closing Date, and the Company has complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to such Closing Date; and

(ii) No stop order or other order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof or any amendment thereof or the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale, nor suspending or preventing the use of the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any issuer free writing prospectus, has been issued, and no proceeding for that purpose has been instituted or, to the best of their knowledge, is contemplated by the Commission or any state or regulatory body.

(i) Lock-Up Agreement. The Underwriters shall have received each Lock-Up Agreement referenced in Section 4 and such Lock-Up Agreements shall remain in full force and effect.

(j) Other Documents. The Company shall have furnished to you and counsel for the Underwriters such additional documents, certificates and evidence as you or they may have reasonably requested.

(k) FINRA No Objections. FINRA shall have raised no objection to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements.

(l) Exchange Listing. The Securities to be delivered on such Closing Date will have been approved for listing on the NASDAQ Global Select Market, subject to official notice of issuance.

 

24


(m) Chief Financial Officer’s Certificate. On the date hereof and on each Closing Date the Company shall have furnished to you a certificate of the Chief Financial Officer, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof, with respect to certain financial data contained in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and Prospectus in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to you.

All such opinions, certificates, letters and other documents will be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to you and counsel for the Underwriters. The Company will furnish you with such conformed copies of such opinions, certificates, letters and other documents as you shall reasonably request.

6. Indemnification and Contribution.

(a) Indemnification by the Company. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (an “Underwriter Control Person”), from and against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Underwriter and/or such Underwriters’ affiliates, directors and officers and each Underwriter Control Person may become subject, under the Act or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation if such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company), insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) (i) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, including the 430A Information and any other information deemed to be a part of the Registration Statement at the time of effectiveness and at any subsequent time pursuant to the Rules and Regulations, if applicable, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, any issuer free writing prospectus, any prospectus wrapper material distributed in connection with the Directed Share Program, any issuer information that the Company has filed or is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Rules and Regulations, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication or any road show as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Act (a “road show”) or (ii) 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 and each Underwriters’ affiliates, directors and officers and each Underwriter Control Person for any documented legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by it in connection with investigating or defending against such loss, claim, damage, liability or action as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the Company will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by you, or by any Underwriter through you, specifically for use in the preparation thereof; it being understood and agreed that the only information furnished by an Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 6(f).

(b) Indemnification by the Underwriters. Each Underwriter will, severally and not jointly, indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its affiliates, directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act and Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Company may become subject, under the Act or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation, if such settlement is effected with the written consent of such Underwriter), insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) (i) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, or any

 

25


amendment or supplement thereto, any issuer free writing prospectus, any issuer information that the Company has filed or is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Rules and Regulations, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication or any road show, or (ii) 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 conformity with written information furnished to the Company by you, or by such Underwriter through you, specifically for use in the preparation thereof (it being understood and agreed that the only information furnished by an Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 6(f)), and will reimburse the Company for any documented legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company in connection with investigating or defending against any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action as such expenses are incurred.

(c) Directed Share Program Indemnification. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Directed Share Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls the Directed Share Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (each a “Directed Share Underwriter Entity”) from and against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which any such Directed Share Underwriter Entity may become subject, under the Act or otherwise (including, without limitation, any documented legal fees and other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending or investigating any suit, action or proceeding or any claim asserted, as such fees and expenses are incurred) in each case (i) that arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any material prepared by or with the consent of the Company for distribution to Participants in connection with the Directed Share Program or arise out of or are based upon an omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; (ii) caused by the failure of any Participant to pay for and accept delivery of Directed Shares that the Participant agreed to purchase; or (iii) related to, arising out of, or in connection with the Directed Share Program, provided, however, that the Company will not be liable to the extent any such losses claims, damages or liabilities (or expenses relating thereto) are finally judicially determined to have resulted from the willful misconduct or gross negligence of the Directed Share Underwriter Entities.

(d) Notice and Procedures. Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under subsection (a), (b) or (c) 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 to so notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve the indemnifying party from any liability that it may have to any indemnified party except to the extent such indemnifying party has been materially and actually prejudiced by such failure (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses). In the case that any such action shall be brought against any indemnified party and such indemnified party shall notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate in, and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party, and after notice from the indemnifying party to

 

26


such indemnified party of the indemnifying party’s election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified party under such subsection for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof; provided, however, that if, in the sole judgment of the Representative, it is advisable for the Underwriters to be represented as a group by separate counsel, the Representative or Directed Share Underwriter, as applicable, shall have the right to employ a single counsel (in addition to local counsel) to represent the Representative or the Directed Share Underwriter, as applicable, and all Underwriters or Directed Share Underwriter Entities, as applicable, that may be subject to liability arising from any claim in respect of which indemnity may be sought by the Underwriters under subsection (a) of this Section 6 or by the Directed Share Underwriter Entities under subsection (c) of this Section 6, in which event the reasonable fees and expenses of such separate counsel shall be borne by the indemnifying party or parties and reimbursed to the Underwriters or Directed Share Underwriter Entities, as applicable, as incurred. An indemnifying party shall not be obligated under any settlement agreement relating to any action under this Section 6 to which it has not agreed in writing. In addition, no indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed) effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party for all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding and does not include a statement as to, or an admission of, fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of an indemnified party. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel pursuant to this Section 6(d), such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request and (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.

(e) Contribution; Limitations on Liability; Non-Exclusive Remedy. If the indemnification provided for in this Section 6 is unavailable or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to in subsection (a) or (b) above, (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Securities or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same 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 or the Underwriters and the parties’ relevant intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue

 

27


statement or omission. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this subsection (e) were to be 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 in the first sentence of this subsection (e). The amount paid by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to in the first sentence of this subsection (e) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending against any action or claim which is the subject of this subsection (e). Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (e), no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriter with respect to the Securities exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations in this subsection (e) to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint. The remedies provided for in this Section 6 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies that might otherwise be available to any indemnified party at law or in equity.

(f) Information Provided by the Underwriters. The Underwriters severally confirm and the Company acknowledges that the information set forth in the [            ] paragraphs under the caption “Underwriting” in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus are correct and constitute the only information concerning such Underwriters furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf of the Underwriters specifically for inclusion in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any issuer free writing prospectus.

(g) To the extent the indemnification provided for in subsection (c) above is unavailable to a Directed Share Underwriter Entity or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein (other than as a result of the limitations imposed on indemnification described in subsection (c) above), then the Company in lieu of indemnifying the Directed Share Underwriter Entity thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by the Directed Share Underwriter Entity as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Directed Share Underwriter Entities on the other hand from the offering of the Directed Shares or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause 6(g)(i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause 6(g)(i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Directed Share Underwriter Entities on the other hand in connection with any statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Directed Share Underwriter Entities on the other hand in connection with the offering of the Directed Shares shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds from the offering of the Directed Shares (before deducting expenses) and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the

 

28


Directed Share Underwriter Entities for the Directed Shares, bear to the aggregate public offering price of the Directed Shares. If the loss, claim, damage or liability is caused by an untrue or alleged untrue statement of material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact, the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Directed Share Underwriter Entities on the other hand shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement or the omission or alleged omission relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Directed Share Underwriter Entities and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

(h) The Company and the Directed Share Underwriter Entities agree that it would be not just or equitable if contribution pursuant to subsection (g) above were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Directed Share Underwriter Entities were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in subsection (g) above. The amount paid or payable by the Directed Share Underwriter Entities as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Directed Share Underwriter Entities in connection with investigating or defending such any action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (d) above, no Directed Share Underwriter Entity shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Directed Shares distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages that such Directed Share Underwriter Entity has otherwise been required to pay. 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 remedies provided for in subsections (c), (d) and (g) and this subsection (h) are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any indemnified party at law or in equity.

(i) The indemnity and contribution provisions contained in subsections (c), (g) and (h) shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any termination of this Agreement, (ii) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Directed Share Underwriter Entity or the Company, its officers or directors or any person controlling the Company and (iii) acceptance of and payment for any of the Directed Shares.

7. Representations and Agreements to Survive Delivery. All representations, warranties and agreements of the Company herein or in certificates delivered pursuant hereto, and the agreements of the several Underwriters and the Company contained in Section 6 hereof, shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any controlling person thereof, or the Company or any of its officers, directors or controlling persons, and shall survive delivery of, and payment for, the Securities to and by the Underwriters hereunder and any termination of this Agreement.

 

29


8. Substitution of Underwriters.

(a) Obligation to Purchase Under Certain Circumstances. If any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail to take up and pay for the amount of Firm Shares agreed by such Underwriter or Underwriters to be purchased hereunder, upon tender of such Firm Shares in accordance with the terms hereof and so long as the amount of Firm Shares not purchased does not aggregate more than 10% of the total amount of Firm Shares set forth in Schedule I hereto, the remaining Underwriters shall be obligated to take up and pay for (in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations hereunder as set forth in Schedule I hereto except as may otherwise be determined by you) the Firm Shares that the withdrawing or defaulting Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase.

(b) Termination Under Certain Circumstances. If any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail to take up and pay for the amount of Firm Shares agreed by such Underwriter or Underwriters to be purchased hereunder, upon tender of such Firm Shares in accordance with the terms hereof if the amount of Firm Shares not purchased aggregates to more than 10% of the total amount of Firm Shares set forth in Schedule I hereto, and arrangements satisfactory to you for the purchase of such Firm Shares by other persons are not made within 36 hours thereafter, this Agreement shall terminate. In the event of any such termination the Company shall not be under any liability to any Underwriter (except to the extent provided in Section 4(vii) and Section 6 hereof) nor shall any Underwriter (other than an Underwriter who shall have failed, other than for some reason permitted under this Agreement, to purchase the amount of Firm Shares agreed by such Underwriter to be purchased hereunder) be under any liability to the Company (except to the extent provided in Section 6 hereof).

(c) Postponement of Closing. If Firm Shares to which a default relates are to be purchased by the non-defaulting Underwriters or by any other party or parties, the Representative and the Company shall each have the right to postpone the First Closing Date for not more than seven business days in order that the necessary changes in the Registration Statement, in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, in the Prospectus or in any other documents, as well as any other arrangements, may be effected. As used herein, the term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section 8.

(d) No Relief from Liability. No action taken pursuant to this Section 8 shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability, if any, in respect of such default.

9. Termination.

(a) Right to Terminate. You, as Representative of the several Underwriters, shall have the right to terminate this Agreement by giving notice as hereinafter specified at any time at or prior to the First Closing Date, and the option referred to in Section 3(b), if exercised, may be cancelled at any time prior to the applicable Second Closing Date, if (i) the Company shall have failed, refused or been unable, at or prior to such Closing Date, to perform any agreement on its part to be performed hereunder, (ii) any other condition of the Underwriters’ obligations hereunder is not fulfilled, (iii) trading on the NASDAQ Stock Market or New York Stock Exchange shall have been wholly suspended, (iv) minimum or maximum prices for trading shall have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices for securities shall have been required, on the NASDAQ Stock Market or New York Stock Exchange, by such Exchange or by order of the Commission or any other Governmental Authority, (v) a banking moratorium shall have been declared by federal or state authorities or (vi) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of

 

30


hostilities or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis that, in your judgment, is material and adverse and makes it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the completion of the sale of and payment for the Securities. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Section 4(vii) and Section 6 hereof shall at all times be effective.

(b) Notice of Termination. If you elect to terminate this Agreement as provided in this Section, the Company shall be notified promptly by you by telephone and confirmed in writing.

10. Default by the Company.

(a) Default by the Company. If the Company shall fail at the First Closing Date to sell and deliver the number of Securities that it is obligated to sell hereunder, then this Agreement shall terminate without any liability on the part of any Underwriter.

(b) No Relief from Liability. No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve the Company from liability, if any, in respect of such default.

11. Notices. Except as otherwise provided herein, all communications hereunder shall be in writing and, if to the Underwriters, shall be mailed via overnight delivery service or hand delivered via courier, to the Representative c/o William Blair & Company, L.L.C., 222 West Adams, Chicago, Illinois 60606, to the attention of Equity Capital Markets and separately, General Counsel; and (ii) if to the Company, shall be mailed or delivered to it at 170 Countryside Drive, P.O. Box 409, Belleville, Wisconsin 53508, Attention: Chief Financial Officer. Any party to this Agreement may change such address for notices by sending to the parties to this Agreement written notice of a new address for such purpose.

12. Persons Entitled to Benefit of Agreement. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns and the controlling persons, officers and directors referred to in Section 6. Nothing in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give to any other person, firm or corporation any legal or equitable remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. The term “successors and assigns” as herein used shall not include any purchaser, as such purchaser, of any of the Securities from any of the several Underwriters.

13. Absence of Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that: (a) the Underwriters have been retained solely to act as an underwriter in connection with the sale of the Securities and that no fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship between the Company and the Underwriters has been created in respect of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, irrespective of whether the Underwriters have advised or are advising the Company on other matters; (b) the price and other terms of the Securities set forth in this Agreement were established by the Company following discussions and arms-length negotiations with the Underwriters and the Company is capable of evaluating and understanding and understands and accepts the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; (c) it has been advised that the Underwriters and their affiliates are engaged in a

 

31


broad range of transactions that may involve interests that differ from those of the Company and that the Underwriters have no obligation to disclose such interest and transactions to the Company by virtue of any fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship; (d) it has been advised that the Underwriters are acting, in respect of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, solely for the benefit of the Underwriters, and not on behalf of the Company; and (e) it waives to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims it may have against the Underwriters for breach of fiduciary duty or alleged breach of fiduciary duty in respect of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and agrees that the Underwriters shall have no liability (whether direct or indirect) to the Company in respect of such a fiduciary duty claim on behalf of or in right of the Company, including shareholders, employees or creditors of the Company.

14. Governing Law; Waiver of Jury Trial. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York. The Company (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its stockholders and affiliates), and each of the Underwriters hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

15. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts and, if executed in more than one counterpart, the executed counterparts shall each be deemed to be an original and all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument.

16. General Provisions. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all prior written or oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit. The section headings herein are for the convenience of the parties only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.

[Signature Page Follows]

 

32


Please sign and return to the Company the enclosed duplicates of this Agreement whereupon this Agreement will become a binding agreement between the Company and the several Underwriters in accordance with its terms.

 

Very truly yours,

 

DULUTH HOLDINGS INC.

By    
Title:  

Confirmed as of the date first

above mentioned, on behalf of

themselves and the other several

Underwriters named in Schedule I

hereto.

 

WILLIAM BLAIR & COMPANY, L.L.C.
By    
Title:  


SCHEDULE I

 

Underwriter

   Total Number of
Firm Shares to
be Purchased
   Number of
Option
Shares to be
Purchased if
Maximum
Option
Exercised

William Blair & Company, L.L.C

     

Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated

     

Raymond James Financial, Inc.

     

BMO Capital Markets Corp.

     
  

 

  

 

Total

     
  

 

  

 

 


SCHEDULE II

List of Individuals and Entities Executing Lock-Up Agreements


SCHEDULE III

Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses


SCHEDULE IV

Pricing Information

Initial public offering price per share for the Securities is $[        ]

The number of Firm Shares purchased by the Underwriters is [            ]


SCHEDULE V

Written Testing-the-Waters Communications

None.


EXHIBIT A

Form of Lock-Up Agreement

[To be provided under separate cover]

 

A-1


EXHIBIT B

Form of Company Counsel Opinion

(i) Each of the Company and its subsidiary is validly existing as a corporation and limited liability company, respectively, in active status under the laws of the State of Wisconsin. Each of the Company and its subsidiary has full corporate power and authority and limited liability company power and authority, respectively, to own its properties and conduct its business as currently being carried on and as described in the Registration Statement, in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus, and is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation or limited liability company, as the case may be, and is in good standing in each jurisdiction listed in a schedule to such counsel’s opinion.

(ii) The capital stock of the Company conforms as to legal matters to the description thereof contained in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus under the caption “Description of Capital Stock.”

(iii) All the issued and outstanding shares of the capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and nonassessable, and the holders thereof are not personally liable for the acts or debts of the Company by reason of being such holders. The authorized capital stock of the Company consists of [            ] shares of Class A Common Stock, [            ] shares of Class B Common Stock and [            ] shares of Preferred Stock. At the date hereof, [            ] shares of Class A Common Stock, [            ] shares of Class B Common Stock and [            ] shares of Preferred Stock were issued and outstanding.

(iv) The Securities to be issued and sold by the Company hereunder have been duly authorized and, when issued, delivered and paid for in accordance with the terms of the Agreement, will have been validly issued and will be fully paid and nonassessable, and the holders thereof will not be personally liable for the acts or debts of the Company by reason of being such holders. Except as otherwise stated in the Registration Statement, in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus or for such rights and restrictions that will terminate on or prior to the First Closing Date, there are no preemptive rights or other rights to subscribe for or to purchase, or any restriction upon the voting or transfer of, any shares of Class A or Class B Common Stock pursuant to the Company’s charter, bylaws or any agreement or other instrument known to such counsel to which the Company is a party or by which the Company is bound. To such counsel’s knowledge, neither the filing of the Registration Statement nor the offering or sale of the Securities as contemplated by the Agreement gives rise to any rights for or relating to the registration of any shares of Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock or other securities of the Company.

(v) All of the issued and outstanding membership interests of the Company’s subsidiary have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and nonassessable, and, to such counsel’s knowledge, except as otherwise described in the Registration Statement, in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus, the Company owns of record and beneficially, free and clear of any security interests, claims, liens,

 

B-1


proxies, equities or other encumbrances, all of the issued and outstanding membership interests of such subsidiary. To such counsel’s knowledge, except as described in the Registration Statement, in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus, there are no options, warrants, agreements, contracts or other rights in existence to purchase or acquire from the Company or any subsidiary any shares of the capital stock of the Company or any membership interests of the subsidiary of the Company.

(vi) The Registration Statement has become effective under the Act and, to such counsel’s knowledge, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose has been instituted or, to the knowledge of such counsel, threatened by the Commission.

(vii) The descriptions in the Registration Statement, in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus of statutes, regulations, legal and governmental proceedings, contracts and other documents are accurate and fairly present the information required to be shown; and such counsel does not know of any statutes, regulations, legal or governmental proceedings or contracts or other documents required to be described in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package or in the Prospectus or included as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not described or included as required.

(viii) The Company has full corporate power and authority to enter into the Agreement, and the Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

(ix) The execution, delivery and performance of the 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) any statute, rule or regulation of the State of Wisconsin or any federal statute, rule or regulation of the United States applicable to the Company, (B) any agreement or instrument known to such counsel to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound or to which any of its property is subject which has been identified to such counsel by the Company as one of such agreements or instruments that is material to the Company and its subsidiary, taken as a whole, (C) the Company’s articles of incorporation or by-laws, or (D) any order or decree known to such counsel of any court or Governmental Agency having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its respective properties.

(x) No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing with, any court or Governmental Agency or body is required for the execution, delivery and performance of the Agreement or for the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby, including the issuance or sale of the Securities by the Company, except such as may be required under the Act or state securities laws.

(xi) The Registration Statement, the Statutory Prospectus included in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, comply, and as of their respective effective or issue dates (including without limitation each deemed effective date with respect to the Underwriters pursuant to the Rules and Regulations) complied, as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations.

 

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(xii) To the best of such counsel’s knowledge, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person granting such person registration rights, other than such registration rights as do not require the inclusion of any securities in the Registration Statement or otherwise require the Company to file a registration statement under the Act.

(xiii) The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, will not be an “investment company” as defined in the Investment Company Act.

In addition, such counsel shall provide a letter to the effect that on the basis of conferences with officers and other representatives of the Company, representatives of the Underwriters and representatives of the independent accountants for the Company, examination of documents referred to in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and such other procedures as such counsel deemed appropriate, but without independent review or verification and without assuming responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (except as otherwise set forth in its opinion), nothing has come to the attention of such counsel that causes such counsel to believe that (a) any part of the Registration Statement or any amendment thereof (including any 430A Information omitted from the Registration Statement at the time the Registration Statement became effective but that is deemed to be part of and included in the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430A), when such part became effective (including each deemed effective date with respect to the Underwriters pursuant to the Rules and Regulations) and as of such Closing Date, contained or contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (b) that the documents specified in a schedule to such counsel’s letter, consisting of those included in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package as of the Time of Sale and as of such Closing Date, included or includes any untrue statement of material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; or (c) that the Prospectus (as of its issue date and as of such Closing Date), as amended or supplemented, included or includes any untrue statement of material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; it being understood that such counsel need express no belief as to the financial statements or other financial data included in any of the documents mentioned in this paragraph.

 

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EXHIBIT C

Form of Company Press Release for Waivers or Releases

of Officer/Director Lock-Up Agreements

Duluth Holdings Inc.

[Date]

Duluth Holdings Inc. (the “Company”) announced today that William Blair & Company, L.L.C., as the representative of the underwriters, is [waiving] [releasing] [a] lock-up restriction[s] with respect to an aggregate of [# of common shares] held by certain [officers] [directors] of the Company. These [officers] [directors] entered into lock-up agreements with the representative in connection with the Company’s initial public offering.

This [waiver] [release] will take effect on [date that is at least 2 business days following date of this press release].

This press release is not an offer for sale of the securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction where such offer is prohibited, and such securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

14780183.2

 

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