Standard Underwriting Provisions dated September 9, 2024
Exhibit 1.2
ERP OPERATING LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
(an Illinois limited partnership)
Debt Securities
STANDARD UNDERWRITING PROVISIONS
September 9, 2024
ERP Operating Limited Partnership, a limited partnership organized under the laws of the State of Illinois (“ERP”), may issue and sell various aggregate principal amounts of its senior debt securities (the “Securities”), from time to time, in one or more offerings on terms to be determined at the time of sale. The Securities will be issued under an indenture, dated as of October 1, 1994 (the “Base Indenture”), between ERP and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. (formerly known as The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A.), as successor to J.P. Morgan Trust Company, National Association, as successor to Bank One Trust Company, NA, as successor to The First National Bank of Chicago, as trustee (the “Trustee”), as supplemented by the First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of September 9, 2004, between ERP and the Trustee (the “First Supplemental Indenture”), as supplemented by the Second Supplemental Indenture, dated as of August 23, 2006, between ERP and the Trustee (the “Second Supplemental Indenture”), as supplemented by the Third Supplemental Indenture, dated as of June 4, 2007, between ERP and the Trustee (the “Third Supplemental Indenture”), as supplemented by the Fourth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of December 12, 2011, between ERP and the Trustee (the “Fourth Supplemental Indenture”) and as supplemented by the Fifth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of February 1, 2016, between ERP and the Trustee (the “Fifth Supplemental Indenture” and together with the Base Indenture, the First Supplemental Indenture, the Second Supplemental Indenture, the Third Supplemental Indenture and the Fourth Supplemental Indenture, the “Indenture”). Each series of Securities may vary, as applicable, as to aggregate principal amount, maturity date, interest rate or formula and timing of payments thereof, redemption or repayment provisions, and any other variable terms which the Indenture contemplates may be set forth in the Securities as issued from time to time. As used herein, “you” and “your,” unless the context otherwise requires, shall mean the parties named as Representatives in the applicable Terms Agreement (as hereinafter defined), together with the other parties, if any, identified as co‑managers, with respect to Underwritten Securities (as hereinafter defined) purchased pursuant thereto.
Whenever ERP determines to make an offering of Securities through you or through an underwriting syndicate managed by you, ERP will enter into an agreement (the “Terms Agreement”) providing for the sale of such Securities (the “Underwritten Securities”) to, and the purchase and offering thereof by, you and such other underwriters, if any, mutually agreed by ERP and you and having authorized you to enter into such Terms Agreement on their behalf (the “Underwriters,” which term shall include you whether acting alone in the sale of the Underwritten Securities or as a member or members of an underwriting syndicate and any Underwriter substituted pursuant to Section 11 hereof). The applicable Terms Agreement relating to the offering of Underwritten Securities shall specify the principal amount of
Underwritten Securities to be issued, the names of the Underwriters participating in such offering (subject to substitution as provided in Section 11 hereof), the principal amount of Underwritten Securities which each such Underwriter severally agrees to purchase, the names of Underwriters acting as co‑managers, if any, in connection with such offering, the price at which the Underwritten Securities are to be purchased by the Underwriters from ERP, the public offering price of the Underwritten Securities, the time and place of delivery and payment, any delayed delivery arrangements and any other variable terms of the Underwritten Securities (including, but not limited to, current ratings, designations, denominations, interest rates or formulas, interest payment dates, maturity dates and redemption or repayment provisions applicable to the Underwritten Securities). The Terms Agreement, which shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto, may take the form of an exchange of any standard form of written telecommunication between you and ERP. Each offering of Underwritten Securities through you or through an underwriting syndicate managed by you will be governed by these Standard Underwriting Provisions as incorporated by reference into, and as supplemented by, the applicable Terms Agreement and such Terms Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon each Underwriter participating in the offering of such Underwritten Securities.
ERP has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S‑3 ASR (No. 333-265017-01) for the registration of the Securities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), and the offering thereof from time to time in accordance with Rule 430A or Rule 415 of the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1933 Act (the “1933 Act Regulations”) and ERP has filed such amendments thereto as may have been required prior to the execution of the applicable Terms Agreement. Such registration statement (as amended, if applicable) has heretofore become effective upon filing with the Commission and the Indenture has been qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “1939 Act”). Such registration statement and the base prospectus constituting a part thereof (including in each case the information, if any, deemed to be part thereof pursuant to Rule 430A, Rule 430B or Rule 430C of the 1933 Act Regulations) (the “Base Prospectus”), any preliminary prospectus supplement (a “Preliminary Prospectus Supplement”), and the final prospectus supplement (a “Prospectus Supplement”) relating to the offering of Underwritten Securities pursuant to Rule 415 of the 1933 Act Regulations, including all documents incorporated therein by reference, as from time to time amended or supplemented pursuant to the 1933 Act, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”) or otherwise, are collectively referred to herein as the “Registration Statement.” The term “Preliminary Prospectus” means the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement relating to a particular offering of Underwritten Securities and filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the 1933 Act together with the Base Prospectus. The term “Prospectus” means the Prospectus Supplement relating to a particular offering of Underwritten Securities and filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the 1933 Act together with the Base Prospectus; provided, that if any revised prospectus shall be provided to you by ERP for use in connection with the offering of Underwritten Securities which differs from the Prospectus on file at the Commission at the time the Registration Statement became effective (whether or not such revised prospectus is required to be filed by ERP pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations), the term “Prospectus” shall refer to each such revised prospectus from and after the time it is first provided to you for such use; provided, further, that a Prospectus Supplement shall be deemed to have supplemented the Prospectus only with respect to the offering of Underwritten Securities to which it relates. If ERP files a registration statement with the
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Commission pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations (the “Rule 462 Registration Statement”), then, after such filing, all references to “Registration Statement” shall also be deemed to include the Rule 462 Registration Statement. Any prospectus included in the Rule 462 Registration Statement shall be deemed to be part of the Prospectus. All references in these Standard Underwriting Provisions to financial statements and schedules and other information which is “contained,” “included” or “stated” in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Preliminary Prospectus (and all other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information which is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Preliminary Prospectus, as the case may be; and all references in these Standard Underwriting Provisions to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Preliminary Prospectus shall be deemed to mean and include the filing of any document under the 1934 Act which is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Preliminary Prospectus, as the case may be.
For purposes hereof, all references to the Registration Statement, Prospectus, Prospectus Supplement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus Supplement, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (as defined herein) or to any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include any copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (“EDGAR”).
The term “subsidiary” or “subsidiaries,” when used with respect to ERP, shall include (i) each consolidated subsidiary of ERP, (ii) any entity the operations of which are included in the consolidated financial statements for ERP for the most recent fiscal period included in the Prospectus, (iii) any subsidiary (other than ERP) of Equity Residential, a Maryland real estate investment trust and ERP’s sole general partner (“EQR”), which owns an interest in any entity described in clause (i) above, and (iv) any limited liability company which is jointly owned and controlled by subsidiaries of ERP.
At or prior to the time specified in the applicable Terms Agreement as the “Time of Sale,” the information designated in the applicable Terms Agreement as the “Time of Sale Information” (collectively, the “Time of Sale Information”) will have been prepared.
Section 1. Representations and Warranties.
(a) ERP represents and warrants to you and each other Underwriter named in the applicable Terms Agreement, as of the date thereof (in each case, a “Representation Date”), as follows:
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(b) Any certificate signed by any officer of ERP (or any officer of EQR) or of any subsidiary and delivered to you or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed a representation and warranty by ERP or such subsidiary to each Underwriter participating in such offering as to the matters covered thereby on the date of such certificate.
Section 2. Purchase and Sale.
(a) The several commitments of the Underwriters to purchase the Underwritten Securities pursuant to the applicable Terms Agreement shall be deemed to have been made on the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and shall be subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein or in the applicable Terms Agreement.
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(b) Payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of, the Underwritten Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters shall be made at such place as shall be agreed upon by you and ERP, at 10:00 A.M., New York City time, no later than the second (third, if the pricing occurs after 4:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any given business day) business day (unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 11 hereof) following the date of the applicable Terms Agreement or at such other time as shall be agreed upon by you and ERP (each such time and date being referred to as a “Closing Time”). Unless otherwise specified in the applicable Terms Agreement, payment shall be made to ERP by wire transfer to accounts designated by ERP of immediately available funds payable to the order of ERP against delivery to you for the respective accounts of the Underwriters of the Underwritten Securities to be purchased by them. The Underwritten Securities shall be in such authorized denominations and registered in such names as you may request in writing at least two business days prior to the applicable Closing Time, except that Underwritten Securities represented by a global note for book-entry securities shall be made through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company. The Underwritten Securities, which may be in temporary form, will be made available for examination and packaging by you on or before the first business day prior to the applicable Closing Time.
If authorized by the applicable Terms Agreement, the Underwriters named therein may solicit offers to purchase Underwritten Securities from ERP pursuant to delayed delivery contracts (“Delayed Delivery Contracts”) substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto with such changes therein as ERP may approve. As compensation for arranging Delayed Delivery Contracts, ERP will pay to you at Closing Time, for the respective accounts of the Underwriters, a fee specified in the applicable Terms Agreement for each of the Underwritten Securities for which Delayed Delivery Contracts are made at the applicable Closing Time as is specified in the applicable Terms Agreement. Any Delayed Delivery Contracts are to be with institutional investors of the types described in the Prospectus. At the applicable Closing Time, ERP will enter into Delayed Delivery Contracts (for not less than the minimum principal amount of Underwritten Securities per Delayed Delivery Contract specified in the applicable Terms Agreement) with all purchasers proposed by the Underwriters and previously approved by ERP as provided below, but not for an aggregate principal amount of Underwritten Securities in excess of that specified in the applicable Terms Agreement. The Underwriters will not have any responsibility for the validity or performance of Delayed Delivery Contracts.
You shall submit to ERP, at least three business days prior to the applicable Closing Time, the names of any institutional investors with which it is proposed that ERP will enter into Delayed Delivery Contracts and the principal amount of Underwritten Securities to be purchased by each of them, and ERP will advise you, at least two business days prior to the applicable Closing Time, of the names of the institutions with which the making of Delayed Delivery Contracts is approved by ERP and the principal amount of Underwritten Securities to be covered by each such Delayed Delivery Contract.
The principal amount of Underwritten Securities agreed to be purchased by the several Underwriters pursuant to the applicable Terms Agreement shall be reduced by the principal amount of Underwritten Securities covered by Delayed Delivery Contracts, as to each Underwriter as set forth in a written notice delivered by you to ERP; provided, however, that the total principal amount of Underwritten Securities to be purchased by all Underwriters shall be
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the total amount of Underwritten Securities covered by the applicable Terms Agreement, less the principal amount of Underwritten Securities covered by Delayed Delivery Contracts.
Section 3. Covenants.
ERP covenants with you, and with each Underwriter participating in the offering of Underwritten Securities, as follows.
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Section 4. Payment of Expenses.
ERP will pay all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under the applicable Terms Agreement, including (i) the printing and filing of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto, (ii) the printing and filing of these Standard Underwriting Provisions and the applicable Terms Agreement, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the Underwritten Securities to the Underwriters, (iv) to the extent applicable, the fees and disbursements of ERP’s counsel and accountants, (v) the qualification of the Underwritten Securities under securities laws and real estate syndication laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(k), including filing fees and the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection therewith and in connection with the preparation of a blue sky survey with respect thereto, (vi) the printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto, of any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and any Time of Sale Information, and of the Prospectus and any Preliminary Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, (vii) the printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of the Indenture, (viii) any fees charged by nationally recognized statistical rating organizations for the rating of the Underwritten Securities, (ix) the fees and expenses, if any, incurred with respect to the listing of the Underwritten Securities on any national securities exchange or quotation system, (x) the fees and expenses, if any, incurred with respect to any filing with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) (including fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection therewith), (xi) the fees and expenses of the Trustee and (xii) the preparation, issuance and delivery to the Depository Trust Company for credit to your account of any global note registered in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee for the Depository Trust Company.
If the applicable Terms Agreement is terminated by you in accordance with the provisions of Section 10(a)(i) or 10(a)(v), ERP shall reimburse the Underwriters named in such Terms Agreement for all of their out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters.
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Section 5. Certain Agreements of the Underwriters.
Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees with ERP that, unless it has or shall have obtained, as the case may be, the prior written consent of ERP, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Underwritten Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405) required to be filed by ERP with the Commission or retained by ERP under Rule 433, other than a free writing prospectus listed on an annex to the applicable Terms Agreement; provided that the prior written consent of the parties hereto shall be deemed to have been given in respect of the free writing prospectus listed on an annex to the applicable Terms Agreement and any electronic road show. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by ERP is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” ERP agrees that (x) it has treated and will treat, as the case may be, each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and (y) it has complied and will comply, as the case may be, with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including in respect of timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping.
Section 6. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations.
The several obligations of the Underwriters to purchase Underwritten Securities pursuant to the applicable Terms Agreement are subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of ERP herein contained, to the accuracy of the statements of officers of ERP and EQR made in any certificate pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by ERP of all of its covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to the following further conditions:
(a) At the applicable Closing Time, (i) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued under the 1933 Act or proceedings therefor or pursuant to Section 8A of the 1933 Act initiated or threatened by the Commission, (ii) any request on the part of the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of counsel for the Underwriters, (iii) the rating assigned by any nationally recognized statistical rating organization to any long-term debt securities of ERP as of the date of the applicable Terms Agreement shall not have been lowered since such date nor shall any such rating organization have publicly announced that it has placed any long-term debt securities of ERP on what is commonly termed a “watch list” for possible downgrading, (iv) there shall not have come to your attention any facts that would cause you to believe that the Time of Sale Information as of the Time of Sale or at Closing Time, or that the Prospectus, together with the applicable Prospectus Supplement, at the time it was required to be delivered to purchasers of the Underwritten Securities, included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances existing at such time, not misleading, and (v) each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been timely filed with the Commission under Rule 433 or 164 of the 1933 Act Regulations to the extent required by Rule 433 of the 1933 Act Regulations. A prospectus containing information relating to the description of the Underwritten Securities, the specific method of distribution and similar matters shall have been filed with the Commission in accordance with Rule 424 (or any required post-effective amendment providing such information shall have been filed and declared effective in accordance with the requirements of Rule 430A).
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(b) At the applicable Closing Time, you shall have received:
(1) The favorable opinions of (A) DLA Piper LLP (US), counsel for ERP, dated as of the applicable Closing Time, in the forms attached as Exhibit C-1 and Exhibit C-2 hereto, and (B) Scott J. Fenster, the general counsel of EQR, dated as of the applicable Closing Time, in the form attached as Exhibit C-3 hereto.
(2) The favorable opinions, dated as of the applicable Closing Time, of counsel for the Underwriters, substantially to the effect specified in paragraphs 1 (first clause only), 2, 3, 5 (excluding the first clause of the second sentence), 6, 7 (first clause only) and 10 of the opinions attached as Exhibit C-1 hereto.
(3) In rendering their respective opinions required by subsection (b)(1) and subsection (b)(2) of this Section 6, counsel shall each additionally state (which shall not constitute an opinion) that no facts have come to the attention of such counsel which cause them to believe that the Registration Statement (except for financial statements and related notes, financial statement schedules or financial or accounting data included therein or omitted therefrom, or the Statement of Eligibility, as to which such counsel need not express any view), at the time the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto (including, if later, the filing of ERP’s Annual Report on Form 10-K with the Commission) became effective, or at the date of the applicable Terms Agreement, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, that the Time of Sale Information, at the Time of Sale, included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted 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 or that the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto (except as aforesaid) as of its date or at the applicable Closing Time, included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
In giving their opinions required by this Section 6(b), such counsel, (A) may rely as to all matters of fact, upon certificates and written statements of officers and employees of and accountants for EQR and ERP and (B) may rely as to the qualification and good standing of each of EQR, ERP or any of their subsidiaries to do business in any state or jurisdiction, upon certificates of appropriate government officials or opinions of counsel in such jurisdictions, which opinions shall be in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters. In giving their belief required in Section 6(b)(3), such counsel may state that their belief is based upon their participation in the preparation of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information and any amendments and supplements thereto and review and discussion of the contents thereof, but are without independent check or verification except as specified.
(c) At the applicable Closing Time, there shall not have been, since the date of the applicable Terms Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information, a Material Adverse Change; and you shall have received a certificate of the Chief Executive Officer, the President or the chief financial or chief accounting officer of EQR, as the general partner of ERP, dated as of such Closing Time,
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on behalf of ERP, to the effect that (i) there has been no such Material Adverse Change, (ii) the representations and warranties in Section 1 are true and correct with the same force and effect as though such Closing Time were a Representation Date, (iii) ERP has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to Closing Time and (iv) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been initiated or, to ERP’s knowledge, threatened by the Commission.
(d) At the time of execution of the applicable Terms Agreement, you shall have received from Ernst & Young LLP, a “comfort” letter dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to you, addressing such matters as you may request with respect to the consolidated financial statements and supporting schedules, including any Rule 3-14, 3-05, pro forma or other financial information, if any, included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus.
(e) At the applicable Closing Time, you shall have received from Ernst & Young LLP a letter dated as of the applicable Closing Time similar to the letter furnished pursuant to subsection (d) of this Section but with respect to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, except that the “specified date” referred to shall be a date not more than five days prior to the applicable Closing Time.
(f) At the applicable Closing Time, counsel for the Underwriters shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as they may reasonably require for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Underwritten Securities as herein contemplated and related proceedings, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein contained; and all proceedings taken by ERP in connection with the issuance and sale of the Underwritten Securities as herein contemplated shall be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to you and counsel for the Underwriters.
(g) At the Closing Time, the Underwritten Securities shall have the ratings accorded by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization”, within the meaning of Section 3(a)(62) under the 1934 Act, if and as specified in the applicable Terms Agreement, and ERP shall have delivered to you a letter, dated as of such date, from each such rating organization, or other evidence satisfactory to you, confirming that the Underwritten Securities have such ratings. Since the time of execution of such Terms Agreement, there shall not have occurred a downgrading, nor shall any notice have been given of the intended or potential downgrading, in the rating assigned to the Underwritten Securities or any of ERP’s other securities by any such rating organization, and no such rating organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review its rating of the Underwritten Securities or any of ERP’s other securities that does not indicate the direction of such change.
(h) At the time of execution of the applicable Terms Agreement and at the applicable Closing Time, you shall have received a certificate of the chief financial officer of EQR, dated as of such time of execution and such Closing Time, respectively, related to certain Company information regarding the year ended December 31, 2023 and the three and six months ended June 30, 2024 in the form delivered to the Underwriters on the date hereof.
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If any condition specified in this Section shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, the applicable Terms Agreement may be terminated by you by notice to ERP at any time at or prior to the applicable Closing Time, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 hereof and except that Sections 1, 7, 8 and 9 shall survive any such termination and remain in full force and effect.
Section 7. Indemnification.
(a) ERP hereby agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act, and any director, officer, employee or affiliate thereof, as follows:
(i) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Time of Sale Information, 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;
(ii) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation or of any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, provided that (subject to Section 7(d) below), any such settlement is effected with the written consent of ERP; and
(iii) against any and all expense whatsoever as incurred (including, without limitation, the fees and other charges of counsel chosen by you) reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) above;
provided, however, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent such loss, liability, claim, damage or expense arises out of any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to ERP by any Underwriter through you expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), the Prospectus (or
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any amendment or supplement thereto), any Preliminary Prospectus and any Time of Sale Information.
(b) Each Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless ERP, and each person, if any, who controls ERP within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act, and any trustee, director, officer, employee or affiliate thereof, against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in subsection (a) of this Section 7, as incurred; but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Preliminary Prospectus or any Time of Sale Information in reliance upon, and in conformity with, written information furnished to ERP by any Underwriter through you expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Preliminary Prospectus or any Time of Sale Information.
(c) Each indemnified party shall give notice as promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability hereunder to the extent it is not materially prejudiced as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement. In the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 7(a) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by you, and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 7(b) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by ERP. An indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in the defense of any such action provided, however, that counsel to the indemnifying party shall not (except with the consent of the indemnified party) also be counsel to the indemnified party. In no event shall the indemnifying parties be liable for fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for all indemnified parties in connection with any one action or separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 7 or Section 8 hereof (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.
(d) If at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 7(a)(ii) effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such
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settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.
Section 8. Contribution.
If the indemnification provided for in Section 7 hereof is for any reason unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount of such losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by such indemnified party, as incurred, (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect benefits received by ERP, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, from the offering of the Underwritten Securities pursuant to the applicable Terms Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of ERP, on the one hand, and of the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.
The relative benefits received by ERP, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Underwritten Securities pursuant to the applicable Terms Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of such Underwritten Securities (before deducting expenses) received by ERP and the total underwriting discount received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus or in the Time of Sale Information, bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of such Underwritten Securities as set forth on such cover.
The relative fault of ERP, 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 ERP or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
ERP and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 8 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 8. The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 8 shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 8, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Underwritten Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public
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exceeds the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.
No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.
For purposes of this Section 8, each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each trustee, each officer of ERP who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls ERP within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as EQR. The Underwriters’ respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 8 are several in proportion to the principal amount of Underwritten Securities set forth opposite their respective names in the applicable Terms Agreement, and not joint.
Section 9. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive Delivery.
All representations, warranties and agreements included in the applicable Terms Agreement, or included in certificates of officers of ERP or EQR submitted pursuant thereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of any termination of the applicable Terms Agreement or investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any controlling person, or by or on behalf of ERP, and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Underwritten Securities until the obligations relating to all Underwritten Securities have been fully satisfied in accordance with their terms.
Section 10. Termination of Terms Agreement.
(a) You may terminate the applicable Terms Agreement, by notice to ERP, at any time at or prior to the applicable Closing Time if (i) there has been, since the date of such Terms Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information, any Material Adverse Change, or (ii) there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States or any outbreak of hostilities or other calamity or crisis or escalation of any existing hostilities or any change or development involving a prospective change in national or international political, financial or economic conditions, in each case, the effect of which is such as to make it, in your judgment, impracticable to market the Underwritten Securities or enforce contracts for the sale of the Underwritten Securities, or (iii) trading in any of the securities of ERP or EQR has been suspended by the Commission or any exchange or any over-the-counter market, or if trading generally on either the New York Stock Exchange, the Pacific Stock Exchange or The Nasdaq Stock Market has been suspended or limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices for securities have been required, by either of said exchanges or by such system or by order of the Commission, FINRA, or any other governmental authority, or a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States or (iv) a banking moratorium has been declared by
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Federal, Illinois or New York authorities, or (v) the rating assigned by any nationally recognized statistical rating organization to any long-term debt securities of ERP as of the date of the applicable Terms Agreement shall have been lowered since such date or if any such rating organization shall have publicly announced that it has placed any long-term debt securities of ERP on what is commonly termed a “watch list” for possible downgrading.
(b) In the event of any such termination, (x) the covenants set forth in Section 3 with respect to any offering of Underwritten Securities shall remain in effect so long as any Underwriter owns any such Underwritten Securities purchased from ERP pursuant to the applicable Terms Agreement and (y) the covenant set forth in Section 3(h) hereof, the provisions of Section 4 hereof, the indemnity and contribution agreements set forth in Section 7 and 8 hereof, and the provisions of Sections 9 and 15 hereof shall remain in effect.
Section 11. Default by One or More of the Underwriters.
If one or more of the Underwriters shall fail at the applicable Closing Time to purchase the Underwritten Securities which it or they are obligated to purchase under the applicable Terms Agreement (the “Defaulted Securities”), then you shall have the right, within 24 hours thereafter, to make arrangements for one or more of the non-defaulting Underwriters, or any other underwriters, to purchase all, but not less than all, of the Defaulted Securities in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms herein set forth; if, however, you shall not have completed such arrangements within such 24-hour period, then:
(a) If the aggregate principal amount of Defaulted Securities does not exceed 10% of the aggregate principal amount of Underwritten Securities to be purchased pursuant to such Terms Agreement, the non-defaulting Underwriters named in such Terms Agreement shall be obligated to purchase the full amount thereof in the proportions that their respective underwriting obligations hereunder bear to the underwriting obligations of all non-defaulting Underwriters, or
(b) If the aggregate principal amount of Defaulted Securities exceeds 10% of the aggregate principal amount of Underwritten Securities to be purchased pursuant to such Terms Agreement, the applicable Terms Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter.
No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of its default under these Standard Underwriting Provisions and the applicable Terms Agreement.
In the event of any such default which does not result in a termination of the applicable Terms Agreement, either you or ERP shall have the right to postpone the applicable Closing Time for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements.
Section 12. No Fiduciary Duty.
ERP acknowledges and agrees that: (i) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to these Standard Underwriting Provisions and the applicable Terms Agreement,
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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 ERP, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other hand, and ERP is capable of evaluating and understanding, and understands and accepts, the terms, risks and conditions of the offer and sale of the Underwritten Securities pursuant to these Standard Underwriting Provisions and the applicable Terms Agreement; (ii) in connection with the offer and sale of the Underwritten Securities and the process leading to such offer and sale of the Underwritten Securities, each Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the financial advisor, agent or fiduciary of ERP or its affiliates, trustees, officers, directors, partners, stockholders, creditors or employees; (iii) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an advisory, agency or fiduciary responsibility in favor of ERP with respect to any of the offer and sale of the Underwritten Securities or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising ERP on other matters); (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 ERP 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 offer and sale of the Underwritten Securities and ERP has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate. ERP agrees that it will not claim that the Underwriters have rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owe an agency, fiduciary or similar duty to ERP or its subsidiaries, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.
Section 13. Notices.
All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be directed as set forth in the applicable Terms Agreement; notices to ERP shall be directed to it at Two North Riverside Plaza, Chicago, Illinois 60606, attention of Robert Garechana, Chief Financial Officer.
Section 14. Parties.
The applicable Terms Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon you and ERP and any Underwriter who becomes a party to such Terms Agreement, and their respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in the applicable Terms Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than those referred to in Sections 7 and 8 and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of such Terms Agreement or any provision therein contained. The applicable Terms Agreement and all conditions and provisions thereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the parties hereto and thereto and their respective successors and said controlling persons and officers and directors and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of Underwritten Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.
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Section 15. Governing Law and Time.
The applicable Terms Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made and to be performed in said State. Specified times of day refer to New York City time.
Section 16. Waiver OF JURY TRIAL.
ERP AND THE UNDERWRITERS HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVE, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE STANDARD UNDERWRITING PROVISIONS, THE APPLICABLE TERMS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY AND THEREBY.
Section 17. Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes.
(a) In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity (as defined below) becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime (as defined below), the transfer from such Underwriter of these Standard Underwriting Provisions and the applicable Terms Agreement, and any interest and obligation in or under these Standard Underwriting Provisions and the applicable Terms Agreement, will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if these Standard Underwriting Provisions and the applicable Terms Agreement, and any such interest and obligation, were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.
(b) In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity or a BHC Act Affiliate (as defined below) of such Underwriter becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights (as defined below) under these Standard Underwriting Provisions and the applicable Terms 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 these Standard Underwriting Provisions and the applicable Terms Agreement were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.
(c) For purposes of this Section a “BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k). “Covered Entity” means any of the following: (i) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b); (ii) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or (iii) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b). “Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable. “U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
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Section 18. Counterparts.
The applicable Terms Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts (which may include counterparts delivered by any standard form of telecommunication), and if executed in more than one counterpart the executed counterparts shall constitute a single instrument. Further, for the avoidance of doubt, electronic, scanned or physical signature pages exchanged among counsel to be held in legal escrow pending release shall not be deemed signed or exchanged unless and until released by the deliverer or their counsel, and the applicable Terms Agreement shall not be deemed signed and executed until all necessary signatures thereto have been exchanged and released from legal escrow.
* * * * *
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Exhibit A
ERP OPERATING LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
(an Illinois limited partnership)
[Title of Securities]
FORM OF TERMS AGREEMENT
Dated: __________ ___, 20__
To: ERP Operating Limited Partnership
Two North Riverside Plaza
Chicago, Illinois 60606
Attention:
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We (the “Representative[s]”) understand that ERP Operating Limited Partnership, an Illinois limited partnership (“ERP”), proposes to issue and sell $___________ aggregate principal amount of its [Title of Debt Securities] (the “Underwritten Securities”). Subject to the terms and conditions set forth or incorporated by reference herein, the underwriters named below (the “Underwriters”) offer to purchase, severally and not jointly, the respective amounts of Underwritten Securities set forth below opposite their respective names, at the purchase price set forth below.
Principal Amount of
Underwriter Underwritten Securities
Total __________
$__________
The Underwritten Securities shall have the following terms:
Title of Securities:
Currency:
Principal amount to be issued:
Current ratings: Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. ________;
Standard & Poor’s Corporation ________.
Interest rate or formula:
Interest payments dates:
Stated maturity date:
Redemption or repayment provisions:
Delayed Delivery Contracts: [authorized][not authorized]
[Date of Delivery:
Minimum contract:
Maximum aggregate principal amount:
Fee: ____%]
[Initial public offering price: ____%, plus accrued interest, if any, or amortized original issue discount, if any, from 20__.]
Purchase price: ____%, plus accrued interest, if any, or amortized original issue discount, if any, from __________, 20__ (payable in [same] [next] day funds).
Other terms:
Closing date and location:
All the provisions contained in the document attached as Annex A hereto entitled “ERP Operating Limited Partnership—Debt Securities—Standard Underwriting Provisions” are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety herein and shall be deemed to be a part of this Terms Agreement to the same extent as if such provisions had been set forth in full herein. Terms defined in such document are used herein as therein defined.
For purposes of this transaction, the term “Time of Sale” as used in the Standard Underwriting Provisions and this Terms Agreement shall mean _:__ on the date hereof.
The Time of Sale Information for this transaction shall constitute the following: (1) any scheduled Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses attached as exhibits hereto [note: to include Bloomberg pricing sheet], (2) the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement dated _________, 20__ together with the Base Prospectus and (3) any filing under the 1934 Act which is deemed incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement and the Base Prospectus.
A-2
Please accept this offer no later than ________ o’clock P.M. (New York City time) on ___________ ___, 20__ by signing a copy of this Terms Agreement in the space set forth below and returning the signed copy to us.
Very truly yours
[NAME OF REPRESENTATIVE]
By: _________________________________
Acting on behalf of itself and the other named Underwriters.
Accepted:
ERP OPERATING LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
By: Equity Residential,
General Partner
By:____________________________
Name:
Title:
A-3
Exhibit B
ERP OPERATING LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
(an Illinois limited partnership)
[Title of Securities]
DELAYED DELIVERY CONTRACT
_______________ ___, 20__
ERP Operating Limited Partnership
Two North Riverside Plaza
Chicago, Illinois 60606
Attention:
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned hereby agrees to purchase from ERP Operating Limited Partnership (“ERP”), and ERP agrees to sell to the undersigned on _______________, 20__ (the “Delivery Date”), ___________________ principal amount of ERP’s [insert title of security] (the “Securities”), offered by ERP’s Prospectus dated ______________, 20__, as supplemented by its Prospectus Supplement dated ________________, 20__, receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, at a purchase price [____% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued interest from ______________, 20__,] to the Delivery Date, and on the further terms and conditions set forth in this contract.
Payment for the Securities which the undersigned has agreed to purchase on the Delivery Date shall be made to ERP or its order by [certified or official bank check in New York Clearing House] [same day] funds at the office of _______________________________, on the Delivery Date, upon delivery to the undersigned of the Securities to be purchased by the undersigned in definitive form and in such denominations and registered in such names as the undersigned may designate by written or telegraphic communication addressed to ERP not less than five full business days prior to the Delivery Date.
The obligation of the undersigned to take delivery of and make payment for Securities on the Delivery Date shall be subject only to the conditions that (1) the purchase of Securities to be made by the undersigned shall not on the Delivery Date be prohibited under the laws of the jurisdiction to which the undersigned is subject and (2) ERP, on or before __________, 20__, shall have sold to the Underwriters of the Securities (the “Underwriters”) such principal amount of the Securities as is to be sold to them pursuant to the Terms Agreement dated _____________, 20__ between ERP and the Underwriters. The obligation of the undersigned to take delivery of and make payment for Securities shall not be affected by the failure of any purchaser to take delivery of and make payments for Securities pursuant to other contracts similar to this contract. The undersigned represents and warrants to you that its investment in the
Securities is not, as of the date hereof, prohibited under the laws of any jurisdiction to which the undersigned is subject and which govern such investment.
Promptly after completion of the sale to the Underwriters, ERP will mail or deliver to the undersigned at its address set forth below notice to such effect, accompanied by a copy of the opinions of counsel for ERP delivered to the Underwriters in connection therewith.
By the execution hereof, the undersigned represents and warrants to ERP that all necessary corporate action for the due execution and delivery of this contract and the payment for and purchase of the Securities has been taken by it and no further authorization or approval of any governmental or other regulatory authority is required for such execution, delivery, payment or purchase, and that, upon acceptance hereof by ERP and mailing or delivery of a copy as provided below, this contract will constitute a valid and binding agreement of the undersigned in accordance with its terms.
This contract will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors, but will not be assignable by either party hereto without the written consent of the other.
It is understood that ERP will not accept Delayed Delivery Contracts for an aggregate principal amount of Securities in excess of $______ and that the acceptance of any Delayed Delivery Contract is in ERP’s sole discretion and, without limiting the foregoing, need not be on a first-come, first-served basis. If this contract is acceptable to ERP, it is requested that ERP sign the form of acceptance on a copy hereof and mail or deliver a signed copy hereof to the undersigned at its address set forth below. This will become a binding contract between ERP and the undersigned when such copy is so mailed or delivered.
B-2
This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of New York.
Yours very truly,
__________________________________________
(Name of Purchaser)
By:_______________________________________
(Title)
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
(Address)
Accepted as of the date first above written.
ERP OPERATING LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
By: Equity Residential,
General Partner
By:_______________________________
Name:
Title:
PURCHASER-PLEASE COMPLETE AT TIME OF SIGNING
The name and telephone number of the representative of the Purchaser with whom details of delivery on the Delivery Date may be discussed are as follows: (Please print.)
| Telephone No. |
Name | (including Area Code) |
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