Underwriting Agreement, dated May 5, 2023, by and among Equifax Inc. and BofA Securities, Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Truist Securities, Inc. and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, as the representatives of the underwriters named therein

Contract Categories: Business Finance - Underwriting Agreements
EX-1.1 2 d485505dex11.htm EX-1.1 EX-1.1

Exhibit 1.1

Underwriting Agreement

May 5, 2023

BofA Securities, Inc.

One Bryant Park

New York, New York 10036

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

383 Madison Avenue

New York, New York 10179

Truist Securities, Inc.

3333 Peachtree Road NE

Atlanta, Georgia 30326

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

550 South Tryon Street

Charlotte, North Carolina 28202

As Representatives of the several Underwriters

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Introductory. Equifax Inc., a Georgia corporation (the “Company”), proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to issue and sell to the several underwriters named in Schedule A hereto (the “Underwriters”), acting severally and not jointly, the respective amounts set forth in such Schedule A of $700,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 5.100% Senior Notes due 2028 (the “Securities”). BofA Securities, Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Truist Securities, Inc., and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, have agreed to act as representatives of the several Underwriters (in such capacity, the “Representatives”) in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities.

The Securities will be issued pursuant to, and will form a separate series of senior debt securities under, the indenture, dated as of May 12, 2016 (the “Base Indenture”), between the Company and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association (successor in interest to U.S. Bank National Association), as indenture trustee (the “Trustee”). Certain terms of the Securities will be established pursuant to a supplemental indenture (the “Supplemental Indenture”) to the Base Indenture (together with the Base Indenture, the “Indenture”). The Securities will be issued in book-entry form in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee of The Depository Trust Company (the “Depositary”).

The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-266290), which contains a base prospectus (the “Base Prospectus”), to be used in connection with the public offering and sale of senior debt securities, including the Securities, of the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Securities Act Regulations”), and the offering thereof from time to time in accordance with Rule 415 under the Securities Act. Such registration statement, including the financial statements, exhibits and schedules thereto, in the form in which it became effective under the Securities Act, including any required information deemed to be a part


thereof at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430B under the Securities Act, is called the “Registration Statement.” The term “Prospectus” shall mean the final prospectus supplement relating to the Securities, together with the Base Prospectus, that is first filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) after the date and time that this Agreement is executed (the “Execution Time”) by the parties hereto. The term “Preliminary Prospectus” shall mean any preliminary prospectus supplement relating to the Securities, together with the Base Prospectus, that is first filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b). Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents that are or are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act prior to 3.00 p.m. on May 5, 2023 (the “Initial Sale Time”). All references in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing, shall include any copy thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System (“EDGAR”).

All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is “contained,” “included,” “described,” or “stated” in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Preliminary Prospectus (or other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information which are or are deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Preliminary Prospectus, as the case may be, prior to the Initial Sale Time; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Preliminary Prospectus shall be deemed to mean and include the filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”), which is incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Preliminary Prospectus, as the case may be, after the Initial Sale Time.

The Company hereby confirms its agreements with the Underwriters as follows:

SECTION 1. Representations and Warranties. The Company hereby represents, warrants and covenants to each Underwriter as of the date hereof, as of the Initial Sale Time and as of the Closing Date (in each case, a “Representation Date”) and agrees with each of the Underwriters as follows:

(a) Compliance with Registration Requirements. The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the Securities Act. The Registration Statement has become effective under the Securities Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued under the Securities Act and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, are threatened by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information has been complied with. In addition, the Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Trust Indenture Act”).

At the respective times the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendments thereto became effective and at each Representation Date, the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto (i) complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Trust Indenture Act, and (ii) did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; provided, however, that, with respect to clause (ii) hereof, the Company makes no representations or warranties as to those parts of the Registration Statement which shall constitute Statements of Eligibility and Qualification on Form T-1 (the “Form T-1”) under the Trust Indenture Act. At the date of the Prospectus and at the Closing Date, neither the Prospectus nor any amendments or supplements thereto included or will

 

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include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the representations and warranties in this subsection shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment or the Prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Company in writing by any of the Underwriters through the Representatives expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter through the Representatives consists of the information described as such in Section 8(b) hereof.

The Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, at the time each was filed with the Commission, complied in all material respects with the Securities Act, and the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offering of the Securities will, at the time of such delivery, be identical to any electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission through EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

(b) Disclosure Package. The term “Disclosure Package” shall mean (i) the Preliminary Prospectus dated May 5, 2023, (ii) the issuer free writing prospectuses as defined in Rule 433 of the Securities Act (each an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”), if any, identified in Annex I hereto and (iii) any other free writing prospectus that the parties hereto shall hereafter expressly agree in writing to treat as part of the Disclosure Package and identified in Annex II hereto. As of the Initial Sale Time, the Disclosure Package did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from the Disclosure Package based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter through the Representatives consists of the information described as such in Section 8(b) hereof.

(c) Incorporated Documents. The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus (collectively, the “Incorporated Documents”) (i) at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission complied and will comply, as the case may be, as of their respective dates of filing, in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (the “Exchange Act Regulations”) and (ii) when read together with the other information in the Disclosure Package, at the Initial Sale Time, and when read together with the other information in the Prospectus, at the date of the Prospectus and at the Closing Date, did not or will not include an 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.

(d) Company is a Well-Known Seasoned Issuer. (i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement, (ii) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or form of prospectus), (iii) at the time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c) of the Securities Act) made any offer relating to the Securities in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163 of the Securities Act, and (iv) as of the Execution Time, the Company was and is a “well known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405

 

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of the Securities Act. The Registration Statement is an “automatic shelf registration statement,” as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act, that automatically became effective not more than three years prior to the Execution Time; the Company has not received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) of the Securities Act objecting to use of the automatic shelf registration statement form and the Company has not otherwise ceased to be eligible to use the automatic shelf registration form.

(e) Company is not an Ineligible Issuer. (i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement and (ii) as of the Execution Time (with such date being used as the determination date for purposes of this clause (ii)), the Company was not and is not an Ineligible Issuer (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act), without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 of the Securities Act that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an Ineligible Issuer.

(f) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and any electronic roadshow, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the offering of Securities under this Agreement or until any earlier date that the Company notified or notifies the Representatives as described in the next sentence, did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or an electronic roadshow there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or such electronic roadshow conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus the Company has promptly notified or will promptly notify the Representatives and has promptly amended or supplemented or will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or such electronic roadshow to eliminate or correct such conflict. The foregoing two sentences do not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any electronic roadshow based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter through the Representatives consists of the information described as such in Section 8(b) hereof.

(g) Distribution of Offering Material By the Company. The Company has not distributed and will not distribute, prior to the later of the Closing Date and the completion of the Underwriters’ distribution of the Securities, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities other than the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus reviewed and consented to by the Representatives and included in Annex I or Annex II hereto or the Registration Statement.

(h) The Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

(i) Authorization of the Securities. The Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Company have been duly authorized by the Company and, when duly executed, authenticated, issued and delivered as provided in the Indenture and paid for as provided herein, will be duly and validly issued and outstanding and will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by general equitable principles, and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.

 

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(j) Authorization of the Base Indenture. The Base Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company, and assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the Trustee, constitutes a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by general equitable principles.

(k) Authorization of the Supplemental Indenture. The Supplemental Indenture has been duly authorized by the Company and, at the Closing Date, will have been duly executed and delivered by the Company, and assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the Trustee will constitute a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by general equitable principles.

(l) Description of the Securities and the Indenture. The Securities and the Indenture conform in all material respects to the respective descriptions thereof contained in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

(m) No Material Adverse Change. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Disclosure Package, subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Disclosure Package: (i) there has been no material adverse change, or any development that would be reasonably likely to have a material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business, or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one entity (any such change is called a “Material Adverse Change”); and (ii) none of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has entered into any transaction or agreement, in each case, outside the ordinary course of business, that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or incurred any liability or obligation, indirect, direct or contingent, that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one entity.

(n) Independent Accountants for the Company. Ernst & Young LLP, who have expressed their opinion with respect to the audited financial statements of the Company for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022 and supporting schedules filed with the Commission and incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, are independent public or certified public accountants with respect to the Company within the meaning of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and are a registered public accounting firm with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.

(o) Preparation of the Financial Statements. The financial statements, together with the related schedules and notes of the Company, included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus present fairly the consolidated financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries, as of and at the dates indicated and the results of their operations and cash flows for the periods specified. Such financial statements comply as to form with the accounting requirements of the Securities Act and have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles as applied in the United States (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved, except as may be expressly stated in the related notes thereto. The pro forma financial information and the related notes thereto included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidance with respect to pro forma financial information, and the assumptions underlying such pro

 

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forma financial information are, reasonable and are set forth in each of the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.

(p) Incorporation and Good Standing of the Company and its Subsidiaries. The Company has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under each of this Agreement, the Securities, and the Indenture. Each significant subsidiary of the Company has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business in all material respects as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. Each of the Company and each significant subsidiary is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except for such jurisdictions where the failure to so qualify or to be in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the condition, financial or otherwise, or on the earnings, business, or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the performance by the Company of its obligations under the Securities or the Indenture (a “Material Adverse Effect”). All of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of each significant subsidiary of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance or claim. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “significant subsidiary” shall have the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act.

(q) Capitalization and Other Capital Stock Matters. The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company is as set forth in the column entitled “Actual” under the caption “Capitalization” in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus as of the date set forth therein (other than for subsequent issuances of capital stock, if any, pursuant to existing reservations, agreements or employee benefit plans or upon exercise of outstanding options). All of the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable.

(r) Non-Contravention of Existing Instruments; No Further Authorizations or Approvals Required. Neither the Company nor any of its significant subsidiaries is in violation of its charter or by-laws or is in default (or, with the giving of notice or lapse of time, would be in default) (“Default”) under any indenture, mortgage, loan or credit agreement, note, contract, franchise, lease or other instrument to which the Company or any of its significant subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound (including, without limitation, the Company’s Credit Agreement dated as of September 27, 2018, Credit Agreement dated as of August 25, 2021, as amended, Term Loan Credit Agreement, dated as of August 25, 2021, as amended, and the agreements governing the Company’s 3.95% Senior Notes due 2023, 2.60% Senior Notes due 2024, 2.60% Senior Notes due 2025, 3.25% Senior Notes due 2026, 5.10% Senior Notes due 2027, 6.90% Debentures due 2028, 3.10% Senior Notes due 2030, 2.35% Senior Notes due 2031 and 7.00% Senior Notes due 2037), or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its significant subsidiaries is subject (each, an “Existing Instrument”), except for such Defaults as

 

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would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the Base Indenture and the Supplemental Indenture, and the issuance and delivery of the Securities, and consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby and by the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and (i) will not result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws of the Company or any significant subsidiary, (ii) will not conflict with or constitute a breach of, or Default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its significant subsidiaries pursuant to, or require the consent of any other party to, any Existing Instrument, and (iii) will not result in any violation of any law, administrative regulation or administrative or court decree applicable to the Company or any significant subsidiary, except, in each case, for such violations, conflicts, breaches, Defaults, liens, charges or encumbrances as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, and except for such consents the failure of which to obtain would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. No consent, approval, authorization or other order of, or registration or filing with, any court or other governmental or regulatory authority or agency, is required for the Company’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the Base Indenture or the Supplemental Indenture, and the issuance and delivery of the Securities, or consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby and by the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except such as may be required under applicable state securities or blue sky laws and from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) in connection with the purchase and resale of the Securities by the Underwriters.

(s) No Material Actions or Proceedings. Except as described or incorporated by reference in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental actions, suits or proceedings pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened (i) against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or (ii) which has as the subject thereof any property owned by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, where in any such case there is a reasonable possibility that such action, suit or proceeding might be determined adversely to the Company or such subsidiary and any such action, suit or proceeding, if so determined adversely, would be reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect. No material labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the Company’s knowledge, is threatened or imminent, that, individually or in the aggregate, would have a Material Adverse Effect.

(t) Intellectual Property Rights. The Company and its subsidiaries own, license, or possess the trademarks, trade names, patent rights, copyrights, licenses, approvals, trade secrets and other similar rights (collectively, “Intellectual Property Rights”) reasonably necessary to conduct their businesses as now conducted by them, except such as to which the failure to so own, license, or possess would not have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any written notice of infringement or conflict with asserted Intellectual Property Rights of others, which infringement or conflict, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, finding or ruling, would have a Material Adverse Effect.

(u) All Necessary Permits, Etc. The Company and each subsidiary possess such valid certificates, authorizations or permits issued by the appropriate state, federal or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies necessary to conduct their respective businesses, except those the failure of which to possess would not have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any subsidiary has received any written notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of, or non-compliance with, any such certificate, authorization or permit which, individually or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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(v) Tax Law Compliance. All material federal, state and foreign income and franchise tax returns required to be filed by the Company and any of its subsidiaries have been filed, other than those filings for which an extension has been requested, and all material taxes required to be paid by any of them and, if due and payable, any related or similar assessment, fine or penalty levied against any of them, have been paid, other than those taxes which are being contested in good faith and with respect to which adequate reserves have been established or the nonpayment of which could not have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has made adequate charges, accruals and reserves in the applicable financial statements referred to in Section 1(o) above in respect of all federal, state and foreign income and franchise taxes for all periods as to which the tax liability of the Company or any of its consolidated subsidiaries has not been finally determined.

(w) Company Not an Investment Company. The Company is not, and after receipt of payment for the Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof as described under the caption “Use of Proceeds” in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus will not be, an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Investment Company Act”).

(x) No Price Stabilization or Manipulation. The Company has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would be reasonably likely to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Securities.

(y) Companys Accounting System. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain effective internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act.

(z) Internal Controls and Procedures. The Company maintains a system of accounting controls sufficient 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 GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences; and (v) interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package is prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.

(aa) No Material Weaknesses in Internal Controls. Since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (i) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) identified and (ii) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

(bb) Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company and, to the Company’s knowledge, any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”), including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.

 

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(cc) No Unlawful Contributions or Other Payments. None of the Company, any of its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, employee, agent, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has (i) used any funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made or taken an act in furtherance of an offer, promise or authorization of any direct or indirect unlawful payment or benefit to any foreign or domestic government or regulatory official or employee, including of any government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or any applicable law or regulation implementing the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, or committed an offence under the Bribery Act 2010 of the United Kingdom, or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption laws; or (iv) made, offered, agreed, requested or taken an act in furtherance of any unlawful bribe or other unlawful benefit, including, without limitation, any rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful or improper payment or benefit. The Company and its subsidiaries have instituted, maintain and enforce, and will continue to maintain and enforce policies and procedures designed to promote and ensure compliance with all applicable anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws.

(dd) Compliance with Anti-Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including those of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the applicable money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions where the Company or any of its subsidiaries conducts business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental or regulatory agency (collectively, the “Anti-Money Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental or regulatory agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.

(ee) No Conflict with OFAC Laws. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, employee, agent, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently the subject or the target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. government (including, without limitation, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of Treasury (“OFAC”) or the U.S. Department of State and including, without limitation, the designation as a “specially designated national” or “blocked person”), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, His Majesty’s Treasury or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor is the Company or any of its subsidiaries located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject or target of Sanctions, including, without limitation, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, the Crimea, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic and the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic regions of Ukraine (each, a “Sanctioned Country”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Securities, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity (i) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business with any person that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject or target of Sanctions, (ii) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business in any Sanctioned Country or (iii) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions. For the past five years, the Company and its subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in and are not now knowingly engaged in any dealings or transactions in violation of Sanctions with any person that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject or the target of Sanctions or with any Sanctioned Country.

 

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(ff) Compliance with Environmental Laws. Except as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company (i) is in compliance with all laws and permits relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environmental or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), and (ii) has received all permits required of it under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses, except where such noncompliance or such failure to receive required permits would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

(gg) ERISA Compliance. The Company and its subsidiaries and any “employee benefit plan” (as defined in Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (collectively, “ERISA”)) established or maintained by the Company, its subsidiaries or their “ERISA Affiliates” (as defined below) are in compliance in all material respects with ERISA. “ERISA Affiliate” means, with respect to the Company or a subsidiary, any member of any group of organizations described in Section 414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (the “Code”) of which the Company or such subsidiary is a member. No “reportable event” (as defined in Section 4043 of ERISA) for which advance notice is required to be made to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation under the regulations under ERISA has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur with respect to any “employee pension benefit plan” (as defined in Section 3(2) of ERISA) established or maintained by the Company, its subsidiaries or any of their ERISA Affiliates. No “employee pension benefit plan” subject to Title IV of ERISA established or maintained by the Company, its subsidiaries or any of their ERISA Affiliates, if such “employee pension benefit plan” were terminated, would have any “amount of unfunded benefit liabilities” (as defined in Section 4001(a)(18) of ERISA), except for the amount of unfunded benefit liabilities, if any, as would not, in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company, its subsidiaries nor any of their ERISA Affiliates has incurred or reasonably expects to incur any liability under (i) Title IV of ERISA with respect to termination of, or withdrawal from, any “employee pension benefit plan” or (ii) Sections 412, 4971, 4975 or 4980B of the Code that would, in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. Each “employee pension benefit plan” established or maintained by the Company, its subsidiaries or any of their ERISA Affiliates that is intended to be qualified under Section 401 of the Code is so qualified and the Company is not aware of any circumstances likely to cause the loss of such qualification.

(hh) IT Systems and Data Compliance. (i) (x) Except as described or incorporated by reference in each of the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus the Company is not aware of any material security breach or other compromise of or relating to any of the information technology and computer systems, networks, websites, applications, hardware, software, data (including the data of customers, employees, suppliers, vendors and any other third party data), equipment or technology (collectively, “IT Systems and Data”) used in the Company’s and its subsidiaries’ business and (y) the Company and its subsidiaries have not been notified of, and have no knowledge of, any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in, any material security breach or other compromise to their IT Systems and Data; (ii) the Company and its subsidiaries are presently in compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification; and (iii) the Company and its

 

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subsidiaries believe they have implemented commercially reasonable privacy policies and security, backup and disaster recovery technology for all IT Systems and Data used in its business, including with respect to enabling the Company to fulfill relevant applicable contractual obligations, except as such would not, in the case of clause (ii) above, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

Any certificate signed by an officer of the Company and delivered to the Representatives or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriter as to the matters set forth therein.

SECTION 2. Purchase, Sale and Delivery of the Securities.

(a) The Securities. The Company agrees to issue and sell to the several Underwriters, severally and not jointly, all of the Securities upon the terms but subject to the conditions herein set forth. On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, and upon the terms but subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Underwriters agree, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company the aggregate principal amount of Securities set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter, plus any additional principal amount of Securities which such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 18 hereof, at a purchase price of 99.103% of the principal amount of the Securities, plus accrued interest, if any, from May 16, 2023 to the Closing Date (as defined below), payable on the Closing Date.

(b) The Closing Date. Delivery of certificates for the Securities in global form to be purchased by the Underwriters and payment of the purchase price therefor shall be made at the offices of Simpson Thacher and Bartlett LLP, 425 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10017 (or such other place as may be agreed to by the Company and the Representatives) at 9:00 a.m. New York City time, on May 16, 2023 (unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 18), or such other time and date as the Underwriters shall designate by notice to the Company (the time and date of such closing are called the “Closing Date”).

(c) Public Offering of the Securities. The Representatives hereby advise the Company that the Underwriters intend to offer for sale to the public, as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, their respective portions of the Securities as soon after the Execution Time as the Representatives, in their sole judgment, have determined is advisable and practicable.

(d) Payment for the Securities. Payment for the Securities shall be made at the Closing Date by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the order of the Company.

It is understood that the Representatives have been authorized, for their own accounts and for the accounts of the several Underwriters, to accept delivery of and receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Securities that the Underwriters have agreed to purchase. The Representatives may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment for any Securities to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds shall not have been received by the Representatives by the Closing Date for the account of such Underwriter, but any such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from any of its obligations under this Agreement.

(e) Delivery of the Securities. The Company shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Representatives for the accounts of the several Underwriters certificates for the Securities at the Closing Date against the irrevocable release of a wire transfer of immediately available funds for the amount of the purchase price therefor. The certificates for the Securities shall be in such denominations specified by the Representatives in writing at least one business day preceding the Closing Date and registered in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee of the Depositary, and shall be made available for inspection on the business day preceding the Closing Date. Time shall be of the essence, and delivery at the time and place specified in this Agreement is a further condition to the obligations of the Underwriters.

 

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SECTION 3. Additional Covenants. The Company further covenants and agrees with each Underwriter as follows:

(a) Compliance with Securities Regulations and Commission Requests. The Company, subject to Section 3(b), will comply with the requirements of Rule 430B of the Securities Act Regulations, and will promptly notify the Representatives, and confirm the notice in writing, of (i) the effectiveness during the Prospectus Delivery Period (as defined below) of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or the filing of any supplement or amendment to the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, (ii) the receipt of any comments from the Commission during the Prospectus Delivery Period, (iii) any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or for additional information, and (iv) the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any order preventing or suspending the use of the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes. The Company will promptly effect the filings necessary pursuant to Rule 424 and will take such steps as it deems necessary to ascertain promptly whether the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 424 was received for filing by the Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly file such document. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order and, if any stop order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment.

(b) Filing of Amendments. During such period beginning on the date of this Agreement and ending on the later of the Closing Date or such date as, in the reasonable opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, the Prospectus is no longer required by law to be delivered in connection with sales of the Securities by an Underwriter or dealer, including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 of the Securities Act Regulations (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”), the Company will give the Representatives notice of its intention to file or prepare any amendment to the Registration Statement (including any filing under Rule 462(b) of the Securities Act Regulations), or any amendment, supplement or revision to the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, whether pursuant to the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, the Company shall furnish to the Representatives for review a copy of each such document a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing or use, and the Company shall not file or use any such document to which the Representatives or counsel to the Underwriters reasonably object.

(c) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. The Company will comply with the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations and the Exchange Act and the Exchange Act Regulations so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Securities as contemplated in this Agreement and in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. If at any time during the Prospectus Delivery Period, any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel to the Underwriters or for the Company, to amend the Registration Statement in order that the Registration Statement will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or to amend or supplement the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order that the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at the Initial Sale Time or at the time it is delivered or conveyed to a purchaser, not misleading, or if it shall be necessary, in the opinion of either such counsel, at any such time to amend the Registration

 

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Statement or amend or supplement the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order to comply with the requirements of any law, the Company will (1) promptly notify the Representatives of any such event, development or condition and (2) will promptly prepare and file with the Commission, subject to Section 3(b) hereof, such amendments or supplements as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus comply with such law, and the Company will furnish to the Underwriters, without charge, such number of copies of such amendments or supplements as the Underwriters may reasonably request.

(d) Delivery of Registration Statements. If requested by the Representatives, the Company will deliver to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed therewith or incorporated by reference therein and documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein) and signed copies of all consents and certificates of experts. The Registration Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to any electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission through EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

(e) Delivery of Prospectuses. The Company will deliver to each Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of the Preliminary Prospectus as such Underwriter may reasonably request, and the Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the Securities Act. The Company will furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, during the Prospectus Delivery Period, such number of copies of the Prospectus as such Underwriter may reasonably request. The Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to any electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission through EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

(f) Blue Sky Compliance. The Company shall cooperate with the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters to qualify the Securities for offer and sale under (or obtain exemptions from the application of) the Blue Sky or state securities laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives shall reasonably request, shall comply with such laws and shall maintain such qualifications and exemptions in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Securities. The Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or a dealer in securities or to take any action that would subject it to general service of process in any such jurisdiction where it is not presently qualified or where it would be subject to taxation in respect of doing business in a jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject. The Company will advise the Representatives promptly of the suspension of the qualification of (or any such exemption relating to) the Securities for offering, sale or trading in any jurisdiction or any initiation or threat of any proceeding for any such purpose, and in the event of the issuance of any order suspending such qualification or exemption, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to obtain the withdrawal thereof as promptly as possible.

(g) Use of Proceeds. The Company shall use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Securities sold by it in the manner described under the caption “Use of Proceeds” in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus.

(h) The Depositary. The Company will cooperate with the Underwriters and use its reasonable best efforts to permit the Securities to be eligible for clearance and settlement through the facilities of the Depositary.

(i) Periodic Reporting Obligations. During the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company shall file, on a timely basis, with the Commission and the New York Stock Exchange all reports and documents required to be filed under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.

 

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(j) Agreement Not to Offer or Sell Additional Securities. During the period commencing on the date hereof and ending on the Closing Date, the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Representatives (which consent may be withheld at the sole discretion of the Representatives), directly or indirectly, sell, offer, contract or grant any option to sell, pledge, transfer or establish an open “put equivalent position” within the meaning of Rule 16a-1(h) under the Exchange Act, or otherwise dispose of or transfer, or announce the offering of, or file any registration statement under the Securities Act in respect of, any debt securities of the Company similar to the Securities or securities exchangeable for or convertible into debt securities similar to the Securities (other than as contemplated by this Agreement with respect to the Securities).

(k) Final Term Sheet. The Company will prepare a final term sheet containing only a description of the Securities, and will file such term sheet pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act within the time required by such rule (such term sheet, the “Final Term Sheet”). Any such Final Term Sheet is an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus for purposes of this Agreement. A form of the Final Term Sheet for the Securities is attached hereto as Exhibit B.

(l) Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company represents that it has not made, and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Representatives, and each Underwriter represents that it has not made, and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Company and the Representatives, it will not make, any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act) required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433 of the Securities Act; provided that the prior written consent of the Representatives shall be deemed to have been given in respect of any Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses included in Annex I to this Agreement. Any such free writing prospectus consented to or deemed to be consented to by the Representatives and the Company is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company agrees that (i) it has treated and will treat, as the case may be, each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and (ii) has complied and will comply, as the case may be, with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 of the Securities Act applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including in respect of timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping. The Company consents to the use by any Underwriter of a free writing prospectus that (a) is not an “issuer free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 433, and (b) contains only (i) information describing the preliminary terms of the Securities or their offering, (ii) information permitted by Rule 134 under the Securities Act or (iii) information that describes the final terms of the Securities or their offering and that is included in the Final Term Sheet of the Company contemplated in Section 3(k).

(m) Notice of Inability to Use Automatic Shelf Registration Statement Form. If at any time during the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company receives from the Commission a notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) or otherwise ceases to be eligible to use the automatic shelf registration statement form, the Company will (i) promptly notify the Representatives, (ii) promptly file a new registration statement or post-effective amendment on the proper form relating to the Securities, in a form satisfactory to the Representatives, (iii) use its reasonable best efforts to cause such registration statement of post-effective amendment to be declared effective and (iv) promptly notify the Representatives of such effectiveness. The Company will take all other action necessary or appropriate to permit the public offering and sale of the Securities to continue as contemplated in the registration statement that was the subject of the Rule 401(g)(2) notice or for which the Company has otherwise become ineligible. References herein to the Registration Statement shall include such new registration statement or post-effective amendment, as the case may be.

 

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(n) Filing Fees. The Company agrees to pay the required Commission filing fees relating to the Securities within the time required by and in accordance with Rule 456(b)(1) and 457(r) of the Securities Act.

(o) Compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley Act. During the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company will comply with all applicable securities laws, rules and regulations, including, without limitation, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and use its reasonable best efforts to cause the Company’s directors and officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with such laws, rules and regulations, including, without limitation, the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

(p) No Manipulation of Price. The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in, or that has constituted or might reasonably be expected to constitute, under the Exchange Act or otherwise, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.

The Representatives, on behalf of the several Underwriters, may, in their sole discretion, waive in writing the performance by the Company of any one or more of the foregoing covenants or extend the time for their performance.

SECTION 4. Payment of Expenses. The Company agrees to pay all costs, fees and expenses incurred in connection with the performance of its obligations hereunder, including, (i) all expenses incident to the issuance and delivery of the Securities (including all printing and engraving costs), (ii) all necessary issue, transfer and other stamp taxes in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities, (iii) all fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel, independent public or certified public accountants and other advisors, (iv) all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation, printing, filing, shipping and distribution of the Registration Statement (including financial statements, exhibits, schedules, consents and certificates of experts), each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, and all amendments and supplements thereto, this Agreement, the Indenture and the Securities, (v) all filing fees incident to, attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred by the Company or the Underwriters in connection with qualifying (or obtaining exemptions from the qualification of) all or any part of the Securities in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(f) hereof, including any filing fees and any reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with a “Blue Sky Survey” or memorandum, and any supplements thereto, and the review by FINRA, if any, of the terms of the sale of the Securities (but in no event shall the Company pay more than $10,000 for attorneys’ fees and expenses pursuant to this Section 4(v)), (vi) the fees and expenses of the Trustee, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Trustee in connection with the Indenture and the Securities, (vii) any fees payable in connection with the rating of the Securities with the ratings agencies, (viii) all fees and expenses (including reasonable fees and expenses of counsel) of the Company in connection with approval of the Securities by the Depositary for “book-entry” transfer, (ix) all other fees, costs and expenses referred to in Item 14 of Part II of the Registration Statement, and (x) all other costs, fees and expenses incurred in connection with the performance of its obligations hereunder for which provision is not otherwise made in this Section 4. Except as provided in this Section 4, Section 6, Section 8 and Section 9 hereof, the Underwriters shall pay their own expenses, including the fees and disbursements of their counsel.

 

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SECTION 5. Conditions of the Obligations of the Underwriters. The obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Securities as provided herein on the Closing Date shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company set forth in Section 1 hereof as of the date hereof, as of the Initial Sale Time, and as of the Closing Date as though then made and to the timely performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to each of the following additional conditions:

(a) Effectiveness of Registration Statement. The Registration Statement shall have become effective under the Securities Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued under the Securities Act and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or be pending or threatened by the Commission, any request on the part of the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of counsel to the Underwriters and the Company shall not have received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) of the Securities Act objecting to use of the automatic shelf registration statement form. The Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission in accordance with Rule 424(b) (or any required post-effective amendment providing such information shall have been filed and declared effective in accordance with the requirements of Rule 430A).

(b) Accountants Comfort Letter. On the date hereof, the Representatives shall have received from Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm for the Company, a letter dated the date hereof addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountant’s “comfort letters” to an underwriter, delivered according to Statement of Auditing Standards Nos. 72 and 76 (or any successor bulletins), with respect to the audited and unaudited financial statements and certain other financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus.

(c) No Objection. If the Registration Statement and/or the offering of the Securities has been filed with FINRA for review, FINRA shall not have raised any objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements.

(d) No Material Adverse Change or Ratings Agency Change. For the period from and after the date of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date:

(i) there shall not have occurred any Material Adverse Change that, in the judgment of the Representatives, makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the completion of the offering or the sale of and payment for the Securities; and

(ii) there shall not have occurred any downgrading, nor shall any notice have been given of any intended or potential downgrading or of any review for a possible change that does not indicate the direction of the possible change, in the rating accorded any securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” as such term is defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act.

(e) Opinion of Counsel for the Company. On the Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received the opinion of Hogan Lovells US LLP, counsel for the Company, dated as of such Closing Date, the form of which is attached as Exhibit A-1. Such opinion shall be rendered to the Underwriters at the request of the Company and shall so state therein.

(f) Opinion of Chief Legal Officer. On the Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received the opinion of John J. Kelley III, Esq., Chief Legal Officer for the Company, dated as of such Closing Date, the form of which is attached as Exhibit A-2. Such opinion shall be rendered to the Underwriters at the request of the Company and shall so state therein.

(g) Opinion of Counsel for the Underwriters. On the Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received the opinion of Simpson Thacher and Bartlett LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated as of such Closing Date, with respect to such matters as may be reasonably requested by the Underwriters.

 

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(h) Officers Certificate. On the Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received a written certificate executed by the Chief Financial Officer or Chief Accounting Officer of the Company and another executive officer of the Company, on behalf of the Company, dated as of the Closing Date, to the effect set forth in subsection (d)(ii) of this Section 5, and further to the effect that:

(i) the Company has received no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or threatened by the Commission;

(ii) the Company has not received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) of the Securities Act objecting to use of the automatic shelf registration statement;

(iii) for the period from and after the date of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date there has not occurred any Material Adverse Change;

(iv) the representations and warranties of the Company set forth in Section 1 of this Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made on and as of the Closing Date; and

(v) 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 the Closing Date.

(i) Bring-down Comfort Letters. On the Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received from Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm for the Company, a letter dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect that it reaffirms the statements made in the letter furnished by it pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section 5, except that the specified date referred to therein for the carrying out of procedures shall be no more than three business days prior to the Closing Date.

(j) Additional Documents. On or before the Closing Date, the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters shall have received such information, documents and opinions as they may reasonably require for the purposes of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as contemplated herein, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations and warranties, or the satisfaction of any of the conditions or agreements, herein contained.

If any condition specified in this Section 5 is not satisfied when and as required to be satisfied, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representatives by notice to the Company at any time on or prior to the Closing Date, which termination shall be without liability on the part of any party to any other party, except that Section 4, Section 6, Section 8, Section 9 and Section 11 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.

SECTION 6. Reimbursement of Underwriters Expenses. If this Agreement is terminated by the Representatives pursuant to Section 5, or if the sale to the Underwriters of the Securities on the Closing Date is not consummated because of any refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company to perform any agreement herein or to comply with any provision hereof (other than solely because of the termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 18, or the occurrence of an event specified in clause (ii), (iii), (iv) or (vii) of Section 10), the Company agrees to reimburse the Representatives and the other Underwriters (or such Underwriters as have terminated this Agreement with respect to themselves), severally, upon demand for all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses that shall have been reasonably incurred by the Representatives and the Underwriters in connection with the proposed purchase and the offering and sale of the Securities, including but not limited to fees and disbursements of counsel, printing expenses, travel expenses, postage, facsimile and telephone charges.

 

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SECTION 7. Effectiveness of this Agreement. This Agreement shall not become effective until the execution of this Agreement by the parties thereto.

SECTION 8. Indemnification.

(a) Indemnification of the Underwriters. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its directors, officers, employees and agents, and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which such Underwriter or such director, officer, employee, agent or controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, or at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation, if such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company), insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based (i) upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, or any amendment thereto, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; or (ii) upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or any “road show” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act) (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and to reimburse each Underwriter and each such director, officer, employee, agent and controlling person for any and all expenses (including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by the Representatives) as such expenses are reasonably incurred by such Underwriter or such director, officer, employee, agent or controlling person in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action; provided, however, that the foregoing indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense to the extent, but only to the extent, arising out of or based upon any 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 any Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto). The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 8 shall be in addition to any liabilities that the Company may otherwise have.

(b) Indemnification of the Company, its Directors and Officers. Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company and each of its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which the Company or any such director, officer or controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, or at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation, if such settlement is effected with the written consent of such Underwriter), insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based (i) upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, or any amendment thereto, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; or (ii) upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or the omission or alleged omission

 

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therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in the Registration Statement, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein; and to reimburse the Company, or any such director, officer or controlling person for any legal and other expenses as such expenses are reasonably incurred by the Company, or any such director, officer or controlling person in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action. The Company hereby acknowledges that the only information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) are the statements set forth in (i) the last paragraph on the front cover of the Preliminary Prospectus and Prospectus regarding delivery of the Securities, (ii) the fourth full paragraph under the caption “Underwriting” in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, and (iii) the eighth full paragraph under the caption “Underwriting” in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus; and the Underwriters confirm that such statements are correct. The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 8 shall be in addition to any liabilities that each Underwriter may otherwise have.

(c) Notifications and Other Indemnification Procedures. Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 8 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against an indemnifying party under this Section 8, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof, but the omission so to notify the indemnifying party will not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party for contribution or otherwise than under the indemnity agreement contained in this Section 8 or to the extent it is not prejudiced as a proximate result of such failure. In case any such action is brought against any indemnified party and such indemnified party seeks or intends to seek indemnity from an indemnifying party, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate in and, to the extent that it shall elect, jointly with all other indemnifying parties similarly notified, by written notice delivered to the indemnified party promptly after receiving the aforesaid notice from such indemnified party, to assume the defense thereof with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party; provided, however, if the defendants in any such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that a conflict may arise between the positions of the indemnifying party and the indemnified party in conducting the defense of any such action or that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, the indemnified party or parties shall have the right to select separate counsel to assume such legal defenses and to otherwise participate in the defense of such action on behalf of such indemnified party or parties. Upon receipt of notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of such indemnifying party’s election so to assume the defense of such action and approval by the indemnified party of counsel, the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party under this Section 8 for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof unless (i) the indemnified party shall have employed separate counsel in accordance with the proviso to the immediately preceding sentence (it being understood, however, that the indemnifying party shall not be liable for the expenses of more than one separate counsel (together with local counsel), approved by the indemnifying party (the Representatives in the case of Section 8(b) and Section 9), representing the indemnified parties who are parties to such action) or (ii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party within a reasonable time after notice of commencement of the action, in each of which cases the fees and expenses of counsel shall be at the expense of the indemnifying party.

 

19


(d) Settlements. The indemnifying party under this Section 8 shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by Section 8 hereof, the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding 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 the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement, compromise or consent to the entry of judgment in any pending or threatened action, suit or proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity was or could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement, compromise or consent (x) includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such action, suit or proceeding and (y) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

SECTION 9. Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in Section 8 is for any reason held to be unavailable to or otherwise insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount paid or payable by such indemnified party, as incurred, as a result of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein (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 hand, from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement 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 hand, in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses, 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 hand, in connection with the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company, and the total underwriting discount received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate initial offering price of the Securities as set forth on such cover. The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company, on the one hand, or the Underwriters, on the other hand, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses referred to above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth in Section 8, any legal or other fees or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with investigating or defending any action or claim. The provisions set forth in Section 8 with respect to notice of commencement of any action shall apply if a claim for contribution is to be made under this Section 9; provided, however, that no additional notice shall be required with respect to any action for which notice has been given under Section 8 for purposes of indemnification.

The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 9 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this Section 9.

 

20


Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 9, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting commissions received by such Underwriter in connection with the Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public.

No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 9 are several, not joint, in proportion to their respective underwriting commitments set forth opposite their names in Schedule A. For purposes of this Section 9, each director, officer, employee or agent of an Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company with the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company.

SECTION 10. Termination of this Agreement. Prior to the Closing Date, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representatives by notice given to the Company if at any time (i) trading or quotation in any of the Company’s securities shall have been suspended or limited by the Commission or by the New York Stock Exchange; (ii) trading in securities generally on either the Nasdaq Stock Market or the New York Stock Exchange shall have been suspended or limited, or minimum or maximum prices shall have been generally established on any of such stock exchanges by the Commission or FINRA; (iii) a general banking moratorium shall have been declared by any federal, New York or Georgia authorities; (iv) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of national or international hostilities or any crisis or calamity, or any change in the United States or international financial markets, or any substantial change or development involving a prospective substantial change in United States’ or international political, financial or economic conditions, as in the judgment of the Representatives is material and adverse and makes it impracticable or inadvisable to market the Securities in the manner and on the terms described in the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities; (v) since the execution of this Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Disclosure Package, there shall have occurred any Material Adverse Change the effect of which, in the judgment of the Representatives, makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the completion of the offer or the sale of and payment for the Securities; (vi) the Company shall have sustained a loss by strike, fire, flood, earthquake, accident or other calamity of such character as in the judgment of the Representatives may interfere materially with the conduct of the business and operations of the Company regardless of whether or not such loss shall have been insured; or (vii) there shall have occurred a material disruption in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States. Any termination pursuant to this Section 10 shall be without liability on the part of the Company to any Underwriter, except that the Company shall be obligated to reimburse the expenses of the Underwriters pursuant to Sections 4 and 6 hereof, any Underwriter to the Company, or of any party hereto to any other party except that the provisions of Section 8 and Section 9 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.

SECTION 11. Representations and Indemnities to Survive Delivery. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company, of its officers and of the several Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or the Company or any of its or their partners, officers, directors, employees or any controlling person, as the case may be, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Securities sold hereunder and any termination of this Agreement.

 

21


SECTION 12. Selling Restrictions. Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, represents, warrants and agrees with the Company that it will comply with the selling restrictions listed in Annex III hereto in respect of the offering, sale and delivery of the Securities.

SECTION 13. Notices. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be mailed, hand delivered or telecopied and confirmed to the parties hereto as follows:

If to the Underwriters:

BofA Securities, Inc.

114 West 47th Street

NY8-114-07-01

New York, NY 10036

Attention: High Grade Transaction Management/Legal

Facsimile: (212)-901-7881

Email: ***@***

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

383 Madison Avenue

New York, New York 10179

Facsimile: (212) 834-6081

Attention: High Grade Syndicate Desk – 3rd Floor

Truist Securities, Inc.

3333 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30326

Facsimile: (404) 926-5027

Attention: Investment Grade Debt Capital Markets

And

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

550 South Tryon Street

Charlotte, North Carolina 28202

Facsimile: (704)-410-0326

Attention: Transaction Management

with a copy to:

Simpson Thacher and Bartlett LLP

425 Lexington Avenue

New York, New York 10017

Facsimile: (212) 455-2502

Attention: Mark Brod, Esq.

If to the Company:

Equifax Inc.

1550 Peachtree Street, N.W.

Atlanta, Georgia 30309

Facsimile: (404) 885-8988

Attention: John W. Gamble, Jr., Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operations Officer, and John J. Kelley III, Esq., Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary

 

22


with a copy to:

Hogan Lovells US LLP

Columbia Square

555 Thirteenth Street, NW

Washington, D.C. 20004

Facsimile: (202) 637-5910

Attention: Eve N. Howard, Esq.

Any party hereto may change the address for receipt of communications by giving written notice to the others.

SECTION 14. Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto, including any substitute Underwriters pursuant to Section 18 hereof, and to the benefit of the agents, employees, officers and directors and controlling persons referred to in Section 8 and Section 9, and in each case their respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors and the controlling person referred to in Sections 8 and 9 and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors, and the controlling persons and officers and directors and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm, corporation or employees. The term “successors” shall not include any purchaser of the Securities from any of the Underwriters merely by reason of such purchase.

SECTION 15. Partial Unenforceability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other Section, paragraph or provision hereof. If any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.

SECTION 16. Governing Law Provisions. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INTERNAL LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK APPLICABLE TO AGREEMENTS MADE AND TO BE PERFORMED IN SUCH STATE.

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

 

23


SECTION 18. Default of One or More of the Several Underwriters. If any one or more of the several Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Securities that it or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on the Closing Date, and the aggregate number of Securities which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase does not exceed 10% of the aggregate number of the Securities to be purchased on such date, the other non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated, severally, in the proportions that the number of Securities set forth opposite their respective names on Schedule A bears to the aggregate number of Securities set forth opposite the names of all such non-defaulting Underwriters, or in such other proportions as may be specified by the Underwriters with the consent of the non-defaulting Underwriters, to purchase all of the Securities which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase on such date. If any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Securities and the aggregate number of Securities with respect to which such default occurs exceeds 10% of the aggregate number of Securities to be purchased on the Closing Date, and arrangements satisfactory to the Representatives and the Company for the purchase of such Securities are not made within 48 hours after such default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability of the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company except that the provisions of Section 4, Section 6, Section 8 and Section 9 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination. In any such case either the Representatives or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date, as the case may be, but in no event for longer than seven days in order that the required changes, if any, to the Registration Statement, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or any other documents or arrangements may be effected.

As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” shall be deemed to include any person substituted for a defaulting Underwriter under this Section 18. Any action taken under this Section 18 shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.

SECTION 19. No Fiduciary Duty. The Company acknowledges and agrees that: (i) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price of the Securities and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other hand, and the Company is capable of evaluating and understanding and understands and accepts the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; (ii) in connection with each transaction contemplated hereby and the process leading to such transaction each Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the financial advisor, agent or fiduciary of the Company or its affiliates, stockholders, creditors or employees or any other party; (iii) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an advisory, agency or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to any of the transactions contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) and no Underwriter has any obligation to the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement; (iv) the several Underwriters and their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company and that the several Underwriters have no obligation to disclose any of such interests by virtue of any advisory, agency or fiduciary relationship; and (v) the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering contemplated hereby and the Company has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.

This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company and the several Underwriters with respect to the subject matter hereof. The Company hereby waives and releases, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that the Company may have against the several Underwriters with respect to any breach or alleged breach of agency or fiduciary duty.

 

24


SECTION 20. 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 be executed in two or more counterparts, each one of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument. The words “execution,” “signed,” “signature,” “delivery,” and words of like import in or relating to this Agreement or any document to be signed in connection with this Agreement shall be deemed to include electronic signatures, deliveries or the keeping of records in electronic form, each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature, physical delivery thereof or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case may be, and the parties hereto consent to conduct the transactions contemplated hereunder by electronic means. 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.

SECTION 21. Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes. In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer from such Underwriter of this Agreement, and any interest and obligation in or under this Agreement, will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement, and any such interest and obligation, were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States. In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity or a BHC Act Affiliate of such Underwriter becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under this Agreement that may be exercised against such Underwriter are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.

For the purposes of this Section 21:

“BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k).

“Covered Entity” means any of the following:

i. a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b);

ii. a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or

iii. a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b).

“Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable.

“U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

25


If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, kindly sign and return the enclosed copies hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts hereof, shall become a binding agreement among the Underwriters and the Company in accordance with its terms.

 

Very truly yours,
EQUIFAX INC.
By:   /s/ John W. Gamble, Jr.
Name:   John W. Gamble, Jr.
Title:   Executive Vice President, Chief Financial
  Officer and Chief Operations Officer

 

 

 

[Equifax Inc. – Underwriting Agreement – Company Signature Page]


The foregoing Underwriting Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted by the Representatives as of the date first above written.

 

BOFA SECURITIES, INC.
J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC
TRUIST SECURITIES, INC.
WELLS FARGO SECURITIES, LLC
  Acting as Representatives of the
several Underwriters named in
the attached Schedule A
By: BOFA SECURITIES, INC.
By:   /s/ Laurie Campbell
  Name: Laurie Campbell
  Title:   Managing Director

 

By: J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC
By:   /s/ Robert Bottamedi
  Name: Robert Bottamedi
  Title:   Executive Director

 

By: TRUIST SECURITIES, INC.
By:   /s/ Robert Nordlinger
  Name: Robert Nordlinger
  Title:   Director

 

By: WELLS FARGO SECURITIES, LLC
By:   /s/ Carolyn Hurley
  Name: Carolyn Hurley
  Title:   Managing Director

 

 

 

[Equifax Inc. – Underwriting Agreement – Signature Page]


SCHEDULE A

 

Underwriters

   Aggregate Principal
Amount of Notes
to be Purchased
 

BofA Securities, Inc.

   $ 98,000,000  

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

     98,000,000  

Truist Securities, Inc.

     98,000,000  

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

     98,000,000  

Mizuho Securities USA, LLC

     70,875,000  

HSBC Securities (USA) Inc.

     42,000,000  

PNC Capital Markets LLC

     42,000,000  

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

     28,000,000  

Citizens Capital Markets, Inc.

     28,000,000  

Fifth Third Securities, Inc.

     28,000,000  

Regions Securities LLC

     28,000,000  

U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.

     28,000,000  

Bancroft Capital, LLC

     4,375,000  

Independence Point Securities LLC

     4,375,000  

Westpac Capital Markets LLC

     4,375,000  
  

 

 

 

Total

   $ 700,000,000  
  

 

 

 

 

Schedule A-1


ANNEX I

Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses

Final Term Sheet dated May 5, 2023

 

I-1


ANNEX II

Other Free Writing Prospectuses Forming Part of the Disclosure Package

None.

 

II-1


ANNEX III

Selling Restrictions

European Economic Area

The notes are not intended to be offered, sold or otherwise made available to and should not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to any retail investor in the European Economic Area (“EEA”). For these purposes, a retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of Directive 2014/65/EU (as amended, “MiFID II”); or (ii) a customer within the meaning of Directive 2016/97 (as amended, the “Insurance Distribution Directive”), where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II; or (iii) not a qualified investor as defined in Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (as amended, the “Prospectus Regulation”). Consequently no key information document required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014 (as amended, the “PRIIPs Regulation”) for offering or selling the notes or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the EEA has been prepared and therefore offering or selling the notes or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the EEA may be unlawful under the PRIIPs Regulation. The prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus have been prepared on the basis that any offer of notes in any Member State of the EEA will be made pursuant to an exemption under the Prospectus Regulation from the requirement to publish a prospectus for offers of notes. The prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are not a prospectus for the purposes of the Prospectus Regulation.

United Kingdom

The notes are not intended to be offered, sold or otherwise made available to and should not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to any retail investor in the United Kingdom (“UK”). For these purposes, a retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client, as defined in point (8) of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) No 2017/565 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (“EUWA”); (ii) a customer within the meaning of the provisions of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (as amended, “FSMA”) and any rules or regulations made under the FSMA to implement Directive (EU) 2016/97, where that customer would not qualify as a professional client, as defined in point (8) of Article 2(1) of Regulation (EU) No 600/2014 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA; or (iii) not a qualified investor as defined in Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA (the “UK Prospectus Regulation”). Consequently no key information document required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA (the “UK PRIIPs Regulation”) for offering or selling the notes or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the UK has been prepared and therefore offering or selling the notes or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the UK may be unlawful under the UK PRIIPs Regulation. The prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus have been prepared on the basis that any offer of notes in the UK will be made pursuant to an exemption under the UK Prospectus Regulation from the requirement to publish a prospectus for offers of notes. The prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are not a prospectus for the purposes of the UK Prospectus Regulation.

Canada

The notes may be sold only to purchasers purchasing, or deemed to be purchasing, as principals that are accredited investors, as defined in National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions or subsection 73.3(1) of the Securities Act (Ontario), and are permitted clients, as defined in National Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations. Any resale of the notes must be made in accordance with an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the prospectus requirements of applicable securities laws.

 

III-1


Securities legislation in certain provinces or territories of Canada may provide a purchaser with remedies for rescission or damages if this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus (including any amendment thereto) contains a misrepresentation, provided that the remedies for rescission or damages are exercised by the purchaser within the time limit prescribed by the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory. The purchaser should refer to any applicable provisions of the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory for particulars of these rights or consult with a legal advisor.

Pursuant to section 3A.3 of National Instrument 33-105 Underwriting Conflicts (“NI 33-105”), the underwriters are not required to comply with the disclosure requirements of NI 33-105 regarding underwriter conflicts of interest in connection with this offering.

Hong Kong

Each underwriter represents, warrants and agrees that:

 

  (i)

it has not offered or sold and will not offer or sell in Hong Kong, by means of any document, any notes other than (a) to “professional investors” as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571 of the Laws of Hong Kong) (the “SFO”) and any rules made under the SFO; or (b) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” as defined in the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Cap. 32 of the Laws of Hong Kong) (the “C(WUMP)O”) or which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of the C(WUMP)O; and

 

  (ii)

it has not issued or had in its possession for the purposes of issue, and will not issue or have in its possession for the purposes of issue, whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere, any advertisement, invitation or document relating to the notes, which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public of Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the securities laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to the notes which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” as defined in the SFO and any rules made under the SFO.

Japan

The notes have not been and will not be registered pursuant to Article 4, Paragraph 1 of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act. Accordingly, none of the notes nor any interest therein may be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to, or for the benefit of, any “resident” of Japan (which term as used herein means any person resident in Japan, including any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan), or to others for re-offering or resale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to or for the benefit of a resident of Japan, except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of, and otherwise in compliance with, the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act and any other applicable laws, regulations and ministerial guidelines of Japan in effect at the relevant time.

Singapore

Each underwriter acknowledges that this prospectus supplement has not been registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, each underwriter represents, warrants and agrees that it has not offered or sold any notes or caused such notes to be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase and will not offer or sell such notes or cause such notes to be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, and has not circulated or distributed, nor will it circulate or distribute, this prospectus supplement or any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of such notes, whether directly or indirectly, to persons in Singapore other than:

 

  (a)

to an institutional investor (as defined in Section 4A of the Securities and Futures Act (Chapter 289) of Singapore, as modified or amended from time to time (the “SFA”)) pursuant to Section 274 of the SFA;

 

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  (b)

to a relevant person (as defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA) pursuant to Section 275(1) of the SFA, or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A) of the SFA, and in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275 of the SFA; or

 

  (c)

otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the SFA.

Where the notes are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant person which is:

 

  (a)

a corporation (which is not an accredited investor (as defined in Section 4A of the SFA)) the sole business of which is to hold investments and the entire share capital of which is owned by one or more individuals, each of whom is an accredited investor; or

 

  (b)

a trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor) whose sole purpose is to hold investments and each beneficiary of the trust is an individual who is an accredited investor,

securities or securities based derivatives contracts (each term as defined in Section 239(1) of the SFA) of that corporation or the beneficiaries’ rights and interest (howsoever described) in that trust shall not be transferred within six months after that corporation or that trust has acquired the notes pursuant to an offer made under Section 275 of the SFA, except:

 

  (i)

to an institutional investor or to a relevant person, or to any person arising from an offer referred to in Section 275(1A), or Section 276(4)(i)(B) of the SFA;

 

  (ii)

where no consideration is or will be given for the transfer;

 

  (iii)

where the transfer is by operation of law;

 

  (iv)

as specified in Section 276(7) of the SFA; or

 

  (v)

as specified in Regulation 37A of the Securities and Futures (Offers of Investments) (Securities and Securities-Based Derivatives Contracts) Regulations 2018.

Singapore Securities and Futures Act Product Classification – Solely for the purposes of its obligations pursuant to sections 309B(1)(a) and 309B(1)(c) of the SFA and the Securities and Futures (Capital Markets Products) Regulations 2018, the Company has determined, and hereby notifies all relevant persons (as defined in Section 309A of the SFA) that the notes are “prescribed capital markets products” (as defined in the Securities and Futures (Capital Markets Products) Regulations 2018) and Excluded Investment Products (as defined in MAS Notice SFA 04-N12: Notice on the Sale of Investment Products and MAS Notice FAA-N16: Notice on Recommendations on Investment Products).

 

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Switzerland

The prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus is not intended to constitute an offer or solicitation to purchase or invest in the notes. The notes may not be publicly offered, directly or indirectly, in Switzerland within the meaning of the Swiss Financial Services Act (“FinSA”) and no application has or will be made to admit the notes to trading on any trading venue (exchange or multilateral trading facility) in Switzerland. Neither this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the notes constitutes a prospectus pursuant to the FinSA, and neither this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the notes may be publicly distributed or otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland.

 

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EXHIBIT B

EQUIFAX INC.

Final Term Sheet

Summary of Terms

 

Issuer:    Equifax Inc. (the “Company”)
Trade Date:    May 5, 2023
Settlement Date (T+7)**:    May 16, 2023
Security:    5.100% Senior Notes due 2028 (the “Notes”)
Aggregate Principal Amount:    $700,000,000
Maturity Date:    June 1, 2028
Benchmark Treasury:    UST 3.500% due April 30, 2028
Benchmark Treasury Price / Yield:    100-12 / 3.417%
Spread to Benchmark Treasury:    T+ 175 bps
Yield to Maturity:    5.167%
Price to Public:    99.703% of the aggregate principal amount, plus accrued interest, if any, from May 16, 2023
Coupon (Interest Rate):    5.100%
Interest Payment Dates:    June 1 and December 1 of each year, beginning on December 1, 2023
Optional Redemption:   

Prior to May 1, 2028 (one month prior to their maturity date), the Company may redeem the notes at its option, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, at a redemption price (expressed as a percentage of the principal amount and rounded to three decimal places) equal to the greater of: (1)(a) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest thereon discounted to the redemption date (assuming the notes matured on May 1, 2028) on a semi-annual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Treasury Rate (as defined below) plus 30 basis points, less (b) interest accrued to the redemption date, and (2) 100% of the principal amount of the notes to be redeemed, plus, in either case, accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but excluding, the redemption date.

 

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On or after May 1, 2028 (one month prior to their maturity date), the Company may redeem the notes, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the notes being redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but excluding, the redemption date.

Expected Ratings (Moody’s/S&P)*:    [Intentionally omitted]
CUSIP/ISIN Numbers:    294429 AW5 / US294429AW53
Denominations:    $2,000 x $1,000
Joint Book-Running Managers:   

BofA Securities, Inc.

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

Truist Securities, Inc.

Mizuho Securities USA, LLC

Co-Managers:   

Bancroft Capital

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

Citizens Capital Markets, Inc.

Fifth Third Securities, Inc.

HSBC Securities (USA) Inc.

Independence Point Securities LLC

PNC Capital Markets LLC

Regions Securities LLC

U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.

Westpac Capital Markets LLC

* Note: A securities rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities and may be subject to revision or withdrawal at any time.

** It is expected that delivery of the notes will be made against payment therefor on or about May 16, 2023, which will be the seventh business day following the date of pricing of the notes (such settlement cycle being herein referred to as T+7). Under Rule 15c6-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, trades in the secondary market generally are required to settle in two business days unless the parties to any such trade expressly agree otherwise. Accordingly, purchasers who wish to trade the notes prior to the second business day before settlement will be required to specify an alternative settlement cycle at the time of any such trade to prevent a failed settlement. Purchasers of notes who wish to trade the notes prior to the second business day before settlement should consult their own advisors.

The issuer has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with the SEC for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement and other documents the issuer has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the issuer and this offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC Web site at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, the Joint Book-Running Managers in this offering can arrange to send you a copy of the preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus if you request it by calling BofA Securities, Inc. at ###-###-####, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC at ###-###-####, Truist Securities, Inc. at ###-###-#### or Wells Fargo Securities, LLC at ###-###-####.

 

B-2