Form of Underwriting Agreement

Contract Categories: Business Finance - Underwriting Agreements
EX-1.1 2 ny20000051x9_ex1-1.htm EXHIBIT 1.1

Exhibit 1.1

[●] Shares of Class A Common Stock

EXCELERATE ENERGY, INC.

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

[●], 2022

Barclays Capital Inc.
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC
As representatives of the several
  Underwriters named in Schedule I attached hereto

c/o Barclays Capital Inc.
745 Seventh Avenue
New York, New York 10019

c/o J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
383 Madison Avenue
New York, New York 10179

c/o Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC
1585 Broadway
New York, New York 10036

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Excelerate Energy, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to sell [●] shares (the “Firm Stock”) of the Company’s Class A common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Class A Common Stock”).  In addition, the Company proposes to grant to the underwriters named in Schedule I (the “Underwriters”) attached to this agreement (this “Agreement”) an option to purchase up to an aggregate of [●] additional shares of the Class A Common Stock on the terms set forth in Section 2 (the “Option Stock”).  The Firm Stock and the Option Stock, if purchased, are hereinafter collectively called the “Stock.”  This Agreement is to confirm the agreement concerning the purchase of the Stock from the Company by the Underwriters.

In connection with the offering contemplated by this Agreement, the “Reorganization” (as such term is defined in the Registration Statement and the Pricing Disclosure Package (each as defined below) in the section titled “Organizational Structure”) were or will be effected prior to the Initial Delivery Date (as defined below), pursuant to which the Company will become the general partner of Excelerate Energy, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (“Excelerate LP”).

The shares of the Class A Common Stock to be outstanding after giving effect to the sales contemplated hereby, together with the shares of the Company’s Class B common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Class B Common Stock”), are hereinafter referred to as the “Common Stock.”


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This Agreement, Excelerate LP’s amended and restated limited partnership agreement to become effective on or prior to the Initial Delivery Date (as so amended and restated, the “Excelerate LP Amended and Restated Limited Partnership Agreement”), the tax receivable agreement (the “Tax Receivable Agreement”) between the Company, Excelerate LP and certain other holders of limited partnership interests in Excelerate LP (“Interests”), the registration rights agreement (the “Registration Rights Agreement”) between the Company and certain stockholders of the Company party thereto and the stockholder’s agreement (the “Stockholder’s Agreement”) between the Company and a certain stockholder of the Company party thereto are collectively referred to herein as the “Transaction Documents.”

1.          Representations, Warranties and Agreements of the Company and Excelerate LP.  Each of the Company and Excelerate LP (each, an “Excelerate Party” and collectively, the “Excelerate Parties”), jointly and severally represents, warrants and agrees that:

(a)          A registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-262065) relating to the Stock has (i)  been prepared by the Company in conformity with the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) thereunder; (ii)  been filed with the Commission under the Securities Act; and (iii)  become effective under the Securities Act.  Copies of such registration statement and any amendment thereto have been delivered by the Company (or made available through the Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering Analysis Retrieval System (“EDGAR”)) to you as the representatives (the “Representatives”) of the Underwriters.  As used in this Agreement:

(i)          “Applicable Time” means [●] [A.M.][P.M.] (New York City time) on [●], 2022;

(ii)          “Effective Date” means the date and time as of which the Registration Statement was declared effective by the Commission;

(iii)          “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means each “issuer free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act) relating to the Stock;

(iv)          “Preliminary Prospectus” means any preliminary prospectus relating to the Stock included in such registration statement or filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act;

(v)          “Pricing Disclosure Package” means, as of the Applicable Time, the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, together with the information included in Schedule III hereto, if any, and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus filed or used by the Company at or before the Applicable Time, other than a road show, that is an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus but is not required to be filed under Rule 433 under the Securities Act;


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(vi)          “Prospectus” means the final prospectus relating to the Stock, as filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act;

(vii)          “Registration Statement” means, collectively, the various parts of such registration statement, each as amended as of the Effective Date for such part, including any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, all exhibits to such registration statement and including the information deemed by virtue of Rule 430A under the Securities Act to be part of such registration statement as of the Effective Date;

(viii)          “Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any oral or written communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Securities Act or Rule 163B under the Securities Act; and

(ix)          “Written Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any Testing-the-Waters Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act.

Any reference to the “most recent Preliminary Prospectus” shall be deemed to refer to the latest Preliminary Prospectus included in the Registration Statement or filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act prior to or on the date hereof.  The Commission has not issued any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, and no proceeding or examination for such purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act has been instituted or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened by the Commission.

(b)          From the time of initial confidential submission of the Registration Statement to the Commission (or, if earlier, the first date on which the Company engaged directly or through any person authorized to act on its behalf in any Testing-the-Waters Communication) through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act (an “Emerging Growth Company”).

(c)          The Company (i) has not engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communication other than Testing-the-Waters Communications with the consent of the Representatives, with entities that are, or are reasonably believed to be, qualified institutional buyers within the meaning of Rule 144A under the Securities Act, or with institutions that the Company reasonably believes are accredited investors within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Securities Act and (ii) has not authorized anyone other than the Representatives to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications.  The Company reconfirms that the Representatives have been authorized to act on its behalf in undertaking Testing-the-Waters Communications.  The Company has not distributed or approved for distribution any Written Testing-the-Waters Communications other than those listed on Schedule VI hereto.

(d)          The Company was not at the time of the initial filing of the Registration Statement, and at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) under the Securities Act) of the Stock, is not on the date hereof and will not be on the applicable Delivery Date (as defined below), an “ineligible issuer” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act).


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(e)          The Registration Statement conformed and will conform in all material respects on the Effective Date and on the applicable Delivery Date, and any amendment to the Registration Statement filed after the date hereof will conform in all material respects when filed, to the requirements of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.  The most recent Preliminary Prospectus conformed, and the Prospectus will conform, in all material respects when filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act and on the applicable Delivery Date to the requirements of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.

(f)          The Registration Statement did not, as of the Effective Date, contain, and as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not contain, an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; provided that no representation or warranty is made as to information contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company through the Representatives by or on behalf of any Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information is specified in Section 8(e).

(g)          The Prospectus will not, as of its date or as of the applicable Delivery Date, contain, and as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not contain, 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; provided that no representation or warranty is made as to information contained in or omitted from the Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company through the Representatives by or on behalf of any Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information is specified in Section 8(e).

(h)          The Pricing Disclosure Package did not, as of the Applicable Time, contain 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; provided that no representation or warranty is made as to information contained in or omitted from the Pricing Disclosure Package made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company through the Representatives by or on behalf of any Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information is specified in Section 8(e).

(i)          Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus listed in Schedule IV hereto, when taken together with the Pricing Disclosure Package, did not, as of the Applicable Time, contain 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; provided that no representation or warranty is made as to information contained in or omitted from such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus listed in Schedule IV hereto in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company through the Representatives by or on behalf of any Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information is specified in Section 8(e).


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(j)          No Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, as of the Applicable Time, when taken together with the Pricing Disclosure Package, contained 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; provided that no representation or warranty is made as to information contained in or omitted from such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication listed on Schedule VI hereto in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company through the Representatives by or on behalf of any Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information is specified in Section 8(e); and the Company has filed publicly on EDGAR at least 15 calendar days prior to any “road show” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act), any confidentially submitted registration statement and registration statement amendments relating to the offer and sale of the Stock.  Each Written Testing-the-Waters Communication did not include any information that in any material respect conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus.

(k)          Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conformed or will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder on the date of first use, and the Company has complied with all prospectus delivery and any filing requirements applicable to such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus pursuant to the Securities Act and rules and regulations thereunder.  The Company has not made any offer relating to the Stock that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus without the prior written consent of the Representatives, except as set forth on Schedule V hereto.  The Company has retained in accordance with the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder all Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses that were not required to be filed pursuant to the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.  The Company has taken all actions necessary so that any “road show” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act) in connection with the offering of the Stock will not be required to be filed pursuant to the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.

(l)          Each Excelerate Party and each of its subsidiaries have been duly organized, are validly existing and in good standing (to the extent such concept is recognized in such jurisdictions) as a corporation or other business entity under the laws of their jurisdiction of organization and are duly qualified to do business and in good standing as a foreign corporation or other business entity in each jurisdiction in which their ownership or lease of property or the conduct of their businesses requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, stockholders’ equity, properties, business or prospects of such Excelerate Party and its subsidiaries taken as a whole (a “Material Adverse Effect”).  Each Excelerate Party and each of its subsidiaries have all corporate or similar organizational power and authority necessary to own or hold their properties and to conduct the businesses in which they are engaged, as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus.  None of the Excelerate Parties owns or controls, directly or indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity other than the subsidiaries listed on Schedule VII hereto.


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(m)          After giving effect to  the Reorganization, the Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth under the heading “Capitalization” in each of the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus as of the date or dates set forth therein, and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable, conform in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and were issued in compliance with federal and state securities laws and not in violation of any preemptive right, resale right, right of first refusal or similar right. All of the Company’s options, warrants and other rights to purchase or exchange any securities for shares of the Company’s capital stock, if any, have been duly authorized and validly issued, conform in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and were issued in compliance with federal and state securities laws.  Upon the effectiveness of the Excelerate LP Amended and Restated Limited Partnership Agreement and after giving effect to the Reorganization, all of the issued equity interests of Excelerate LP and each of its subsidiaries will have been, as applicable, duly authorized and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and, except as set forth in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims, except for liens arising under the Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement, to be entered into after the Initial Delivery Date, by and between Excelerate LP, as Borrower, the Company, as Parent, the lenders party thereto, the issuing banks party thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent (the “Credit Agreement”), and except for such liens, encumbrances, equities or claims as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(n)          The shares of the Stock to be issued and sold by the Company to the Underwriters hereunder have been duly authorized and, upon payment and delivery in accordance with this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, will conform in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, will be issued in compliance with federal and state securities laws and will be free of statutory and contractual preemptive rights, rights of first refusal and similar rights; the shares of Class B Common Stock to be issued by the Company pursuant to the Reorganization Transactions have been duly authorized and, when issued and delivered as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, will conform in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, will be issued in compliance with federal and state securities laws and will be free of statutory and contractual preemptive rights, rights of first refusal and similar rights..

(o)          Each Excelerate Party has all requisite corporate power or limited partnership power, as applicable, and authority to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under this Agreement.  This Agreement has been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered by each Excelerate Party; each of the other Transaction Documents has been duly and validly authorized by each Excelerate Party party thereto and, when duly executed and delivered in accordance with its terms by each of the parties thereto, will constitute a valid and legally binding obligation of each such Excelerate Party enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, except, in the case of each Transaction Document, as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally or by equitable principles relating to enforceability; and each such Transaction Document conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus.


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(p)          The issuance and sale of the Stock by the Company, the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Excelerate Parties, the consummation of the Reorganization and the transactions contemplated hereby and the application of the proceeds from the sale of the Stock as described under “Use of Proceeds” in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, impose any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of any Excelerate Party or its subsidiaries, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, license, lease or other agreement or instrument to which any Excelerate Party or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which any Excelerate Party or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of any Excelerate Party or any of its subsidiaries is subject; (ii) after giving effect to the Reorganization, result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws (or similar organizational documents) of any Excelerate Party or any of its subsidiaries; or (iii) result in any violation of any statute or any judgment, order, decree, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over any Excelerate Party or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties or assets, except, with respect to clauses (i) and (iii), conflicts, defaults, breaches, liens, charges, encumbrances or violations that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(q)          No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing, registration or qualification with, any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over any Excelerate Party or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties or assets is required for the issuance and sale of the Stock by the Company, the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Excelerate Parties, the consummation by the Excelerate Parties of the Reorganization and the transactions contemplated hereby and the application of the proceeds from the sale of the Stock as described under “Use of Proceeds” in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, except for the registration of the Stock under the Securities Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, filings, registrations or qualifications as may be required under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and applicable state securities laws and/or the bylaws and rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) in connection with the purchase and sale of the Stock by the Underwriters.

(r)          The historical financial statements (including the related notes and supporting schedules) of the Company and Excelerate LP included in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus comply as to form in all material respects with the requirements of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act and present fairly in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the entities purported to be shown thereby at the dates and for the periods indicated and have been prepared  in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved, except in the case of unaudited financial statements, which are subject to normal period-end adjustments. The supporting schedules, if any, present fairly in all material respects in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated therein. The summary financial information included in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus presents fairly in all material respects the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements included therein. All disclosures contained in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply in all material respects with Regulation G of the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K of the Securities Act, to the extent applicable.


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(s)          The pro forma financial statements included in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus include assumptions that provide a reasonable basis for presenting the significant effects directly attributable to the transactions and events described therein, the related pro forma adjustments give appropriate effect to those assumptions and the pro forma adjustments reflect the proper application of those adjustments to the historical financial statement amounts in the pro forma financial statements included in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus. The pro forma financial statements included in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable requirements of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act.

(t)          PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, who have certified certain financial statements of the Excelerate Parties and their consolidated subsidiaries, whose report appears in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and who have delivered the initial letter referred to in Section 7(f) hereof, are independent public accountants as required by the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.

(u)          Except as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, the Company maintains internal accounting controls (applicable to its consolidated subsidiaries) sufficient to provide reasonable assurances regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP, including, but not limited to, internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of the Company’s financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for its assets, (iii) access to the Company’s assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization and (iv) the recorded accountability for the Company’s assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.  Except as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, as of the date of the most recent balance sheet of Excelerate LP and its consolidated subsidiaries reviewed or audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and the board of directors of the general partner of Excelerate LP, there were no material weaknesses in Excelerate LP’s internal controls. Nothing in this Section 1(u) shall require the Company to comply with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) as of an earlier date than it would otherwise be required to do so under applicable law.

(v)          (i) Except as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, the Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act and as applicable to its consolidated subsidiaries), (ii) such disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that  information relating to the Company, Excelerate LP and their subsidiaries is accumulated and communicated to management of the Company and its subsidiaries, including their respective principal executive officers and principal financial officers, as appropriate and (iii) such disclosure controls and procedures are effective in all material respects to perform the functions for which they were established.


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(w)          Since the date of the most recent balance sheet of Excelerate LP and its consolidated subsidiaries reviewed or audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and the board of directors of the general partner of Excelerate LP: (i) the Excelerate Parties have not been advised of or become aware of (A) any significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal controls that could adversely affect the ability of the Company, Excelerate LP or any of their subsidiaries to record, process, summarize and report financial data or any material weaknesses in internal controls, except as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, or (B) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the internal controls of the Company, Excelerate LP and each of their subsidiaries; and (ii) there have been no significant changes in internal controls or in other factors that would significantly affect internal controls other than corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses that are consistent with the disclosure related to remediation of existing material weaknesses included in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus.

(x)          The section entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Critical accounting policies” set forth in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus accurately and fully describes: (i) the accounting policies that the Company believes are the most important in the portrayal of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations and that require management’s most difficult, subjective or complex judgments (“Critical Accounting Policies”); (ii) the judgments and uncertainties affecting the application of Critical Accounting Policies; and (iii) that different results would be reported due changes in facts and circumstances or additional information.

(y)          There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company, or to the knowledge of the Company, any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with the applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith.

(z)          Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, (x) none of the Company, Excelerate LP nor any of their respective subsidiaries have (i) sustained any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree (whether domestic or foreign), (ii) issued or granted any securities, (iii) incurred any material liability or obligation, direct or contingent, other than liabilities and obligations that were incurred in the ordinary course of business, (iv) entered into any material transaction not in the ordinary course of business or (v) declared or paid any dividend on its capital stock, and (y) there has not been any change in the capital stock, partnership or limited liability interests, as applicable, or long-term debt of the Company, Excelerate LP or any of their subsidiaries or any adverse change, or any development involving a prospective adverse change, in or affecting the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, stockholders’ equity, properties, management, business or prospects of the Company, Excelerate LP or any of their subsidiaries taken as a whole, except, in each case, as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus or, in the case of (y) above, as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.


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(aa)          Each Excelerate Party and each of its subsidiaries (i) have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property and good and marketable title to all personal property owned by them, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects, except for liens arising under the Credit Agreement, and except such liens, encumbrances and defects as are described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus or such as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by such Excelerate Party and its subsidiaries or as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect and (ii) hold the interest set forth opposite their respective names on Schedule VIII hereto with respect to the vessels listed on Schedule VIII hereto (collectively, the “Vessels”), as applicable.  All assets held under lease by the Excelerate Parties and their subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases, with such exceptions as do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such assets by the Excelerate Parties and their subsidiaries or as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(bb)          Each Excelerate Party and each of its subsidiaries have such consents, easements, rights-of-way or licenses from any person (“rights-of-way”) as are necessary to conduct their businesses in the manner described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, subject to such qualifications as may be set forth in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and except for such rights-of-way the failure of which to have obtained would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; each Excelerate Party and each of its subsidiaries have fulfilled and performed in all material respects all their respective obligations with respect to such rights-of-way and no event has occurred that allows, or after notice or lapse of time would allow, revocation or termination thereof or would result in any impairment of the rights of the holder of any such rights-of-way, except for such revocations, termination and impairments that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and except as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, none of such rights-of-way contains any restriction that is materially burdensome to the Excelerate Parties and their subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

(cc)          Each Excelerate Party and each of its subsidiaries have, and are operating in compliance with, such permits, licenses, patents, franchises, certificates of need and other approvals or authorizations of governmental or regulatory authorities (“Permits”) as are necessary under applicable law to own their properties and conduct their businesses in the manner described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, except for any of the foregoing that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  Each Excelerate Party and each of its subsidiaries have fulfilled and performed in all material respects all of their respective obligations with respect to the Permits, and no event has occurred that allows, or after notice or lapse of time would allow, revocation or termination thereof or results in any other impairment of the rights of the holder or any such Permits, except for any of the foregoing that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  None of the Excelerate Parties nor any of their subsidiaries have received notice of any revocation or modification of any such Permits or has any reason to believe that any such Permits will not be renewed in the ordinary course.

(dd)          Each Vessel is duly registered under the laws of the jurisdiction set forth on Schedule VIII in the name of the Company and/or Excelerate LP.


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(ee)          Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (i) each Excelerate Party and each of its subsidiaries own or possess adequate rights to use all patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, trade names, trademark registrations, service mark registrations, copyrights, licenses, know-how, inventions, domain names, software, social media identifiers and accounts systems and technology (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures) and all other worldwide intellectual property rights (including all goodwill associated with any of the foregoing) (collectively, “Intellectual Property Rights”) used or held for use in, or otherwise necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses in the manner described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the most recent Preliminary Prospectus; (ii) the Intellectual Property Rights owned by the Excelerate Parties and each of their subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Excelerate Parties, the Intellectual Property Rights licensed to the Excelerate Parties and their subsidiaries, are valid, subsisting, enforceable, and there is no pending or threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the ownership, validity, scope or enforceability of, or any rights of the Excelerate Parties or any of their subsidiaries in, any such Intellectual Property Rights; (iii) during the past five years, none of the Excelerate Parties nor any of their subsidiaries has received any notice alleging any infringement, misappropriation or other violation of any Intellectual Property Rights of others; (iv) to the knowledge of the Excelerate Parties, no person or entity is infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating, or during the past five years has infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated, any Intellectual Property Rights owned or controlled by the Excelerate Parties or any of their subsidiaries; (v) none of the Excelerate Parties nor any of their subsidiaries has infringed, misappropriated, or otherwise violated any valid Intellectual Property Rights of others; and (vi) the Excelerate Parties and their subsidiaries use, or have used, reasonable efforts in accordance with normal industry practice to appropriately maintain the confidentiality of such Intellectual Property Rights of the Excelerate Parties and their subsidiaries the value of which the Excelerate Parties or any of their subsidiaries is contingent upon maintaining the confidentiality thereof, and no such Intellectual Property Rights have been disclosed other than to persons or entities who are bound by written confidentiality agreements.

(ff)          There are no legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Excelerate Parties or any of their subsidiaries is a party or of which any property or assets of the Excelerate Parties or any of their subsidiaries is the subject that would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the performance of this Agreement by the Excelerate Parties or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby; and to the knowledge of the Excelerate Parties, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or others.

(gg)          There are no contracts or other documents required to be described in the Registration Statement or the most recent Preliminary Prospectus or filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not described and filed as required.  The statements made in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, insofar as they purport to constitute summaries of the terms of the contracts and other documents described and filed, constitute accurate summaries of the terms of such contracts and documents in all material respects.


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(hh)          The statements made in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and Prospectus under the captions “Business—Government Regulation,” insofar as they purport to constitute summaries of the terms of statutes, rules or regulations, legal or governmental proceedings or contracts and other documents, constitute accurate summaries of the terms of such statutes, rules and regulations, legal and governmental proceedings and contracts and other documents in all material respects.

(ii)          The Excelerate Parties and each of their subsidiaries carry, or are covered by, insurance from insurers of recognized financial responsibility in such amounts and covering such risks as is reasonable for the conduct of their respective businesses in the manner described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and the value of their respective properties and as is customary for companies engaged in similar businesses in similar industries.  All policies of insurance of the Excelerate Parties and their subsidiaries are in full force and effect; the Excelerate Parties and each of their subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms of such policies in all material respects; and none of the Excelerate Parties nor any of their subsidiaries has received written notice from any insurer or agent of such insurer that capital improvements or other expenditures are required or necessary to be made in order to continue such insurance; there are no material claims by the Excelerate Parties or any of their subsidiaries under any such policy or instrument as to which any insurance company is denying liability or defending under a reservation of rights clause; and none of the Excelerate Parties nor any such subsidiary has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(jj)          No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Excelerate Parties, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders, customers or suppliers of the Excelerate Parties, on the other hand, that is required to be described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus which is not so described.

(kk)          No labor disturbance by or dispute with the employees of any of the Excelerate Parties or any of their subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Excelerate Parties, is imminent that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(ll)          None of the Excelerate Parties nor any of their subsidiaries (i) is in violation of its charter or by‑laws (or similar organizational documents), (ii) is in default, and no event has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a default, in the due performance or observance of any term, covenant, condition or other obligation contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, license or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it is bound or to which any of its properties or assets is subject, (iii) is in violation of any law, statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over it or its property or assets or its own privacy policies or (iv) has failed to obtain any license, permit, certificate, franchise or other governmental authorization or permit necessary to the ownership of its property or to the conduct of its business, except in the case of clauses (ii), (iii) and (iv), to the extent any such conflict, breach, violation or default would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.


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(mm)          Each Excelerate Party and each of its subsidiaries (i) are, and at all relevant times prior hereto were, in compliance with all laws, regulations, ordinances, rules, orders, judgments, decrees, permits or other legal requirements of any governmental authority, including without limitation any international, foreign, national, state, provincial, regional, or local authority, relating to pollution, the protection of human health or safety, the environment, or natural resources, or to the use, handling, storage, manufacturing, transportation, treatment, discharge, disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (“Environmental Laws”) applicable to such entity, which compliance includes, without limitation, obtaining, maintaining and complying with all permits and authorizations and approvals required by Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses, and (ii) have not received written notice or otherwise have knowledge of any actual or alleged violation of Environmental Laws, or of any actual or potential liability for or other obligation concerning the presence, disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, except in the case of clause (i) or (ii) where such non-compliance, violation, liability, or other obligation would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  Except as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, (x) there are no proceedings that are pending, or known to be contemplated, against any of the Excelerate Parties or any of their subsidiaries under Environmental Laws in which a governmental authority is also a party, other than such proceedings regarding which it is reasonably believed no monetary sanctions, exclusive of interest and costs, of $300,000 or more will be imposed, (y) the Excelerate Parties and their subsidiaries are not aware of any issues regarding compliance with Environmental Laws, including any pending or proposed Environmental Laws, or liabilities or other obligations under Environmental Laws or concerning hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, that would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the capital expenditures, earnings or competitive position of the Excelerate Parties and their subsidiaries, and (z) none of the Excelerate Parties nor any of their subsidiaries anticipate material capital expenditures relating to Environmental Laws.

(nn)          Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, each Excelerate Party and each of its subsidiaries have filed all federal, state, local and foreign tax returns required to be filed through the date hereof, subject to permitted extensions, and have paid all taxes which have become due and payable by each Excelerate Party or its subsidiaries, except for taxes, if any, as are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which an appropriate reserve has been established in accordance with GAAP, and no tax deficiency has been determined adversely to any Excelerate Party or any of its subsidiaries, nor do the Excelerate Parties have any knowledge of any tax deficiencies that have been, or would reasonably be expected to be asserted against any Excelerate Party, that would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.


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(oo)          Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect: (i)  each “employee benefit plan” (within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”)) for which the Excelerate Parties or any member of their “Controlled Group” (defined as any organization which is a member of a controlled group of corporations within the meaning of Section 414 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”)) would have any liability (each a “Plan”) has been maintained in material compliance with its terms and with the requirements of all applicable statutes, rules and regulations including ERISA and the Code; (ii) no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred with respect to any Plan excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption; (iii) with respect to each Plan subject to Title IV of ERISA (A) no “reportable event” (within the meaning of Section 4043(c) of ERISA) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur, (B) no failure to meet the minimum funding standard set forth in Sections 412 of the Code and 303 of ERISA, whether or not waived, has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur, (C) no Plan is or is reasonably expected to be in “at risk” status (within the meaning of Section 430 of the Code or Section 303 of ERISA), (D) there has been no filing pursuant to Section 412(c) of the Code or Section 302(c) of ERISA of an application for a waiver of the minimum funding standard with respect to any Plan or the receipt by the Excelerate Parties or any member of their Controlled Group from the PBGC or the Plan administrator of the notice relating to the intention to terminate any Plan or Plans or to appoint a trustee to administer any Plan, (E) no conditions contained in Section 303(k)(1)(A) of ERISA for the imposition of a lien shall have been met with respect to any Plan, (F) the fair market value of the assets under each Plan exceeds the present value of all benefits accrued under such Plan (determined based on those assumptions used to fund such Plan) and (G) none of the Excelerate Parties or any member of their Controlled Group has incurred, or reasonably expects to incur, any liability under Title IV of ERISA (other than contributions to the Plan or premiums to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation in the ordinary course and without default) in respect of a Plan (including a “multiemployer plan,” within the meaning of Section 4001(c)(3) of ERISA) (“Multiemployer Plan”); (iv) no Multiemployer Plan is, or is expected to be, “insolvent” (within the meaning of Section 4245 of ERISA), or in “endangered” or “critical” status (within the meaning of Section 432 of the Code or Section 304 of ERISA); and (v) each Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code has received a favorable determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service that it is so qualified and nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which would cause the loss of such qualification.

(pp)          The statistical and market-related data included in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and “road show” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act) are based on or derived from sources that the Excelerate Parties believe to be reliable in all material respects.

(qq)          Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is, and as of the applicable Delivery Date and, after giving effect to the offer and sale of the Stock and the application of the proceeds therefrom as described under “Use of Proceeds” in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, none of them will be, (i) an “investment company” or a company “controlled” by an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”), and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, or (ii) a “business development company” (as defined in Section 2(a)(48) of the Investment Company Act).

(rr)          The statements set forth in each of the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus under the captions “Description of Capital Stock,” “Material U.S. Federal Tax Considerations for Non-U.S. Holders of Class A Common Stock” and “Underwriting,” insofar as they purport to summarize the provisions of the laws and documents referred to therein, are accurate summaries of the matters described therein in all material respects.


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(ss)          Except as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between any Excelerate Party and any person granting such person the right to require any Excelerate Party to file a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to any securities of any Excelerate Party owned or to be owned by such person or, except as duly and validly waived with respect to the registration of the Stock on the Registration Statement, to require any Excelerate Party to include such securities in the securities registered pursuant to the Registration Statement or in any securities being registered pursuant to any other registration statement filed by the Company under the Securities Act.

(tt)          None of the Excelerate Parties nor any of their subsidiaries is a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any person (other than this Agreement) that would give rise to a valid claim against any of them or the Underwriters for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with the offering and sale of the Stock.

(uu)          None of the Excelerate Parties has sold or issued any securities that would be integrated with the offering of the Stock contemplated by this Agreement pursuant to the Securities Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or the interpretations thereof by the Commission.

(vv)          None of the Excelerate Parties or their affiliates have taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to constitute, or that has constituted, or that would reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company in connection with the offering of the shares of the Stock.

(ww)          The Stock has been approved for listing, subject to official notice of issuance and evidence of satisfactory distribution on the New York Stock Exchange (the “Exchange”).

(xx)          The Company has not distributed and, prior to the later to occur of any Delivery Date and completion of the distribution of the Stock, will not distribute any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Stock other than any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to which the Representatives have consented in accordance with Section 1(i) or 5(a)(vi) and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus set forth on Schedule V hereto and, in connection with the Directed Share Program described in Section 3, the enrollment materials prepared by Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC on behalf of the Company.

(yy)          None of the Excelerate Parties nor any of their subsidiaries is in violation of or has received written notice of any violation with respect to any federal or state law relating to discrimination in the hiring, promotion or pay of employees, nor any applicable federal or state wage and hour laws, nor any state law precluding the denial of credit due to the neighborhood in which a property is situated, the violation of any of which would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.


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(zz)          None of the Excelerate Parties nor any of their subsidiaries, directors or officers nor, to the knowledge of the Excelerate Parties, any of their affiliates, employees, agents or other persons acting on behalf of any Excelerate Party or any of its subsidiaries, has: (i) made any unlawful contribution, gift, or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made any direct or indirect bribe, kickback, rebate, payoff, influence payment, or otherwise unlawfully provided anything of value, to any “foreign official” (as defined in the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended (collectively, the “FCPA”)) or domestic government official (including any officer or employee of a government or 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); or (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the FCPA, the Bribery Act 2010 of the United Kingdom, as amended (the “Bribery Act 2010”), or any other applicable anti-corruption or anti-bribery statute or regulation.  The Excelerate Parties and their subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Excelerate Parties, the affiliates of any Excelerate Party, have conducted their respective businesses in compliance with the FCPA, Bribery Act 2010 and all other applicable anti-corruption and anti-bribery statutes or regulations, and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to ensure, continued compliance therewith. The Excelerate Parties and their subsidiaries will not directly use, or knowingly indirectly use, the proceeds of the offering in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization of the payment or giving of money, or anything else of value, to any person in violation of any applicable anti-corruption laws.

(aaa)          The operations of each Excelerate Party and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in material compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions in which the Excelerate Parties or their subsidiaries conduct business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, that have been issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency having jurisdiction over the Company or such subsidiary (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator or non-governmental authority involving the Company, Excelerate LP or any of their subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Excelerate Parties, threatened.

(bbb)          None of the Excelerate Parties nor any of their subsidiaries, directors or officers nor, to the knowledge of the Excelerate Parties, any of their affiliates, employees, agents or other persons acting on behalf of any Excelerate Party or any of its subsidiaries, is: (i) currently the subject or target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department, the U.S. Department of State, the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury or other relevant sanctions authority having jurisdiction over the Excelerate Parties or any of their subsidiaries (collectively, “Sanctions”); or (ii) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject or target of Sanctions (including, without limitation, the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic or any other Covered Region of Ukraine identified pursuant to Executive Order 14065, the Crimea Region of Ukraine, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Syria). None of the Excelerate Parties will directly use or knowingly indirectly use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing or facilitating the activities of any person, or in any country or territory, that at the time of such financing or facilitation and currently is the subject or target of Sanctions or in any other manner that will knowingly result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction whether as an underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions. The Excelerate Parties and their subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in for the past five years, are not now knowingly engaged in, and will not knowingly engage in, any dealings or transactions with any individual or entity, or in any country or territory, that at the time of the dealing or transaction, is or was the subject or target of Sanctions.


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(ccc)          The Registration Statement, each Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus comply, and any further amendments or supplements thereto will comply, with any applicable laws or regulations of foreign jurisdictions in which such Registration Statement, Preliminary Prospectus, Prospectus or such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, are distributed in connection with the Directed Share Program (as defined in Section 3). No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing, registration or qualification with, any court or governmental agency or body, other than such as have been obtained, is required under the securities laws and regulations of any foreign jurisdiction in which the Directed Shares (as defined in Section 3) distributed in connection with the Directed Share Program are offered or sold outside of the United States.

(ddd)          The Company has not offered, or caused Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC or any Morgan Stanley Entity (as defined below) to offer, Stock to any person pursuant to the Directed Share Program with the specific intent to unlawfully influence (i) a customer or supplier of the Company to alter the customer’s or supplier’s level or type of business with the Company or (ii) a trade journalist or publication to write or publish favorable information about the Company, its business or its products.

(eee)          The Excelerate Parties and their subsidiaries’ respective information technology assets and equipment, computer systems, networks, hardware, software, websites, applications, data (including the data of their respective users, customers, employees, suppliers, vendors and any third party data maintained by or on behalf them) and “personal data” as defined by the EU General Data Protection Regulations (“GDPR”) (EU 2016 679) and any personal, personally identifiable or other regulated data relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (together, “Personal Data”), and databases (collectively, “IT Systems and Data”) are adequate for and operate and perform in all material respects as required in connection with the operation of the business of the Excelerate Parties and their subsidiaries as currently conducted, free and clear, to the knowledge of the Company, of all material bugs, errors, defects, Trojan horses, time bombs, malware and other corruptants. The Excelerate Parties and their subsidiaries have taken all technical and organizational measures reasonably necessary to protect the IT Systems and Data, and without limiting the foregoing, the Excelerate Parties and their subsidiaries have used reasonable efforts to establish and maintain, and have established, implemented, maintained and complied with, reasonable information technology, information security, cyber security and data protection controls, policies and procedures, including oversight, access controls, encryption, technological and physical safeguards and backup and disaster recovery procedures, consistent with industry standards and practices, that are designed to maintain and to protect their confidential information and the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems and Data  used in connection with their businesses, and prevent breach, destruction, loss, unauthorized distribution, use, access, disablement, misappropriation or modification, or other compromise or misuse of or relating to any IT Systems and Data (“Breach”). There has been no such Breach of any IT System and Data used in connection with the operation of the Excelerate Parties and their subsidiaries’ businesses, except for those that have been remedied without material cost or liability or the duty to notify any other person and those that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. None of the Excelerate Parties nor any of their subsidiaries have been notified of, or have knowledge of, any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in, a Breach to their IT Systems and Data.


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(fff)          Each Excelerate Party and each of its subsidiaries are, and at all times during the past five years were, in material compliance with all applicable laws, statutes, judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or any other governmental or regulatory authority, internal and external privacy policies, binding industry standards, contractual obligations and any other binding legal obligations in each case, relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Data, or the collection, use, transfer, export, storage, protection, disposal or disclosure by or on behalf of the Excelerate Parties and their subsidiaries of Personal Data (collectively, the “Privacy Laws”). Each of the Excelerate Parties and its subsidiaries (i) have in place, and are in material compliance with its privacy policies, and all third-party obligations and industry standards regarding Personal Data (collectively, the “Policies”); and (ii) take appropriate steps reasonably designed reasonably protect the security and confidentiality of all Personal Data. To the knowledge of the Company, the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement or any other agreement referred to in this Agreement will not result in a breach of violation of any Privacy Laws or Policies. None of the Excelerate Parties nor any of their subsidiaries has received any written notification of or complaint regarding any actual or potential material liability under or relating to, or actual or potential violation of, any of the Privacy Laws or has knowledge of any other facts that, individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably indicate non-compliance with any Privacy Laws or Policies by the Excelerate Parties or any of their subsidiaries. There is no action, suit, investigation or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, alleging non-compliance with any Privacy Laws or Policies by any Excelerate Party or any of its subsidiaries.

(ggg)          No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) included in any of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any “road show” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act) has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.

(hhh)          There are no affiliations or associations between (i) any member of FINRA and (ii) the Company, Excelerate LP or, to the knowledge of the Company or Excelerate LP, any of their respective officers, directors or 10% or greater security holders or any beneficial owner of the  unregistered equity securities of the Excelerate Parties that were acquired at any time on or after the 180th day immediately preceding the date the Registration Statement was initially filed with the Commission, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement (excluding the exhibits thereto), the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or as otherwise disclosed to the Underwriters.

Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or Excelerate LP and delivered to the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the offering of the Stock shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company or Excelerate LP, as applicable, as to matters covered thereby, to each Underwriter.


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2.          Purchase of the Stock by the Underwriters.  On the basis of the representations, warranties and covenants contained in, and subject to the terms and conditions of, this Agreement, the Company agrees to issue and sell [●] shares of the Firm Stock to the several Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase the number of shares of the Firm Stock set forth opposite that Underwriter’s name in Schedule I hereto.  The respective purchase obligations of the Underwriters with respect to the Firm Stock shall be rounded among the Underwriters to avoid fractional shares, as the Representatives may determine.

In addition, the Company grants to the Underwriters an option to purchase up to [●] additional shares of Option Stock. Such option is exercisable in the event that the Underwriters sell more shares of Class A Common Stock than the number of shares of Firm Stock in the offering and as set forth in Section 2 hereof.  Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase the number of shares of Option Stock (subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as the Representatives may determine) that bears the same proportion to the total number of shares of Option Stock to be sold on such Delivery Date as the number of shares of Firm Stock set forth in Schedule I hereto opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of shares of Firm Stock.

The purchase price payable by the Underwriters for the Firm Stock is $[●] per share. The purchase price payable by the Underwriters for any Option Stock is equal to the Purchase Price less an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Firm Stock, but not payable on the Option Stock. The purchase price payable by the Underwriters is referred herein as “Purchase Price.”

The Company is not obligated to deliver any of the Firm Stock or Option Stock to be delivered on the applicable Delivery Date, except upon payment for all such Stock to be purchased on such Delivery Date as provided herein.

3.          Offering of Stock by the Underwriters.  Upon authorization by the Representatives of the release of the Firm Stock, the several Underwriters propose to offer the Firm Stock for sale upon the terms and conditions to be set forth in the Prospectus.

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC has agreed to reserve a portion of the shares to be purchased by it under this Agreement for sale to the Company’s directors, officers, employees and business associates and other parties related to the Company (collectively, “Participants”), as set forth in each Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus under the heading “Underwriting (Conflicts of Interest)” (the “Directed Share Program”). The shares to be sold by Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and its affiliates pursuant to the Directed Share Program, at the direction of the Company, are referred to hereinafter as the “Directed Shares”. Any Directed Shares not orally confirmed for purchase by any Participant by the end of the business day on which this Agreement is executed will be offered to the public by the Underwriters as set forth in the Prospectus.


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The Company agrees to pay all fees and disbursements incurred by the Underwriters in connection with the Directed Share Program and any stamp duties or other taxes incurred by the Underwriters in connection with the Directed Share Program.

4.          Delivery of and Payment for the Stock.  Delivery of and payment for the Firm Stock shall be made at 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on [●], 2022 or at such other date or place as shall be determined by agreement between the Representatives and the Company.  This date and time are sometimes referred to as the “Initial Delivery Date.”  Delivery of the Firm Stock shall be made to the Representatives for the account of each Underwriter against payment by the several Underwriters through the Representatives and of the respective aggregate purchase prices of the Firm Stock being sold by the Company to or upon the order of the Company of the purchase price by wire transfer in immediately available funds to the accounts specified by the Company. Time shall be of the essence, and delivery at the time and place specified pursuant to this Agreement is a further condition of the obligation of each Underwriter hereunder.  The Company shall deliver the Firm Stock through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) unless the Representatives shall otherwise instruct.

The option granted in Section 2 will expire 30 days after the date of this Agreement and may be exercised in whole or from time to time in part by written notice being given to the Company by the Representatives; provided that if such date falls on a day that is not a business day, the option granted in Section 2 will expire on the next succeeding business day.  Such notice shall set forth the aggregate number of shares of Option Stock as to which the option is being exercised, the names in which the shares of Option Stock are to be registered, the denominations in which the shares of Option Stock are to be issued and the date and time, as determined by the Representatives, when the shares of Option Stock are to be delivered; provided, however, that this date and time shall not be earlier than the Initial Delivery Date nor earlier than the second business day after the date on which the option shall have been exercised nor later than the fifth business day after the date on which the option shall have been exercised.  Each date and time the shares of Option Stock are delivered is sometimes referred to as an “Option Stock Delivery Date,”, and the Initial Delivery Date and any Option Stock Delivery Date are sometimes each referred to as a “Delivery Date.”

Delivery of the Option Stock by the Company and payment for the Option Stock by the several Underwriters through the Representatives shall be made at 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the date specified in the corresponding notice described in the preceding paragraph or at such other date or place as shall be determined by agreement between the Representatives and the Company.  On each Option Stock Delivery Date, the Company shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, the Option Stock, to the Representatives for the account of each Underwriter, against payment by the several Underwriters through the Representatives and of the respective aggregate purchase prices of the Option Stock being sold by the Company to or upon the order of the Company of the purchase price by wire transfer in immediately available funds to the accounts specified by the Company. Time shall be of the essence, and delivery at the time and place specified pursuant to this Agreement is a further condition of the obligation of each Underwriter hereunder.  The Company shall deliver the Option Stock through the facilities of DTC unless the Representatives shall otherwise instruct.


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5.          Further Agreements of the Company and the Underwriters.  (a) Each of the Excelerate Parties jointly and severally agrees:

(i)          To prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by the Representatives and to file such Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act not later than the Commission’s close of business on the second business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement; to make no further amendment or any supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus prior to the last Delivery Date except as provided herein; to advise the Representatives, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus has been filed and to furnish the Representatives with copies thereof in accordance with the Representatives’ request; to advise the Representatives, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, of the suspension of the qualification of the Stock for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding or examination for any such purpose, or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act or any notice from the Commission objecting to the use of the form of Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or for additional information; and, in the event of the issuance of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or suspending any such qualification, to use promptly its reasonable best efforts to obtain its withdrawal.

(ii)          Upon written request, to furnish promptly to the Representatives and to counsel for the Underwriters a signed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed with the Commission, and each amendment thereto filed with the Commission, including conformed copies of all consents and exhibits filed therewith.

(iii)          To deliver promptly to the Representatives such number of the following documents as the Representatives shall reasonably request: (A) conformed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed with the Commission and each amendment thereto (in each case excluding exhibits other than this Agreement); (B) each Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and any amended or supplemented Prospectus; and (C) each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus; and, if the delivery of a prospectus is required at any time after the date hereof in connection with the offering or sale of the Stock or any other securities relating thereto and if at such time any events shall have occurred as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made when such Prospectus is delivered, not misleading, or, if for any other reason it shall be necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to comply with the Securities Act, to notify the Representatives and, upon its request, to file such document and to prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter and to any dealer in securities as many copies as the Representatives may from time to time reasonably request of an amended or supplemented Prospectus that will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance.


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(iv)          To file as promptly as practicable with the Commission any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus that may, in the judgment of the Company or the Representatives, be required by the Securities Act or requested by the Commission.

(v)          Prior to filing with the Commission any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, to furnish a copy thereof to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters and obtain the consent of the Representatives to the filing (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed).

(vi)          Not to make any offer relating to the Stock that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus without the prior written consent of the Representatives.

(vii)          To comply with all applicable requirements of Rule 433 under the Securities Act with respect to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.  If at any time after the date hereof any events shall have occurred as a result of which any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented, would conflict with the information in the Registration Statement, the most recent Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or, if for any other reason it shall be necessary to amend or supplement any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, to notify the Representatives and, upon their request, to file such document and to prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter as many copies as the Representatives may from time to time reasonably request of an amended or supplemented Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that will correct such conflict, statement or omission or effect such compliance.

(viii)          As soon as practicable after the Effective Date (it being understood that the Excelerate Parties shall have until at least 410 days or, if the fourth quarter following the fiscal quarter that includes the Effective Date is the last fiscal quarter of the Company’s fiscal year, 455 days after the end of the Company’s current fiscal quarter), to make generally available to its security holders (including by making available on EDGAR) and to deliver to the Representatives (or make available on EDGAR) an earnings statement of the Excelerate Parties and their subsidiaries (which need not be audited) complying with Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder (including, at the option of the Company, Rule 158).


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(ix)          Promptly from time to time to take such action as the Representatives may reasonably request to qualify the Stock for offering and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives may request and to comply with such laws so as to permit the continuance of sales and dealings therein in such jurisdictions for as long as may be necessary to complete the distribution of the Stock; provided, that in connection therewith the Company shall not be required to (A) qualify as a foreign corporation in any jurisdiction in which it would not otherwise be required to so qualify, (B) file a general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction, or (C) subject itself to taxation in any jurisdiction in which it would not otherwise be subject.

(x)          For a period commencing on the date hereof and ending on the 180th day after the date of the Prospectus (the “Lock-Up Period”), not to, directly or indirectly, (A) offer for sale, sell, pledge, or otherwise dispose of (or enter into any transaction or device that is designed to, or would be expected to, result in the disposition by any person at any time in the future of) any shares of Class A Common Stock (including shares of the Class A Common Stock issuable upon exchange of Interests), Class B Common Stock or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, including the Interests (other than the Stock, securities issued, transferred, redeemed or exchanged in connection with the Reorganization and shares issued pursuant to employee benefit plans, qualified stock option plans or other employee compensation plans existing on the date hereof and described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus or pursuant to currently outstanding options, warrants or rights not issued under one of those plans), or sell or grant options, rights or warrants with respect to any shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock (other than the grant of options pursuant to option plans existing on the date hereof and securities issued, transferred, redeemed or exchanged in connection with the Reorganization), (B) enter into any swap or other derivatives transaction that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic benefits or risks of ownership of such shares of Common Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (A) or (B) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise, (C) publicly file or cause to be publicly filed a registration statement, including any amendments thereto, with respect to the registration of any shares of Common Stock or securities convertible, exercisable or exchangeable into Common Stock or any other securities of the Company (other than any registration statement on Form S-8), provided that the Company shall notify the Representatives of any confidential submission of a registration statement at least two business days before such submission, or (D) publicly disclose the intention to do any of the foregoing, in each case without the prior written consent of Barclays Capital Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC on behalf of the Underwriters, and to cause each officer, director and stockholder of the Company set forth on Schedule II hereto to furnish to the Representatives, prior to the Initial Delivery Date, a letter or letters, substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto (the “Lock-Up Agreements”).


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(xi)          If Barclays Capital Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC in their sole discretion, agree to release or waive the restrictions set forth in a Lock-Up Agreement for an officer or director of the Company and provides the Company with notice of the impending release or waiver at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver, the Company agrees to announce the impending release or waiver in accordance with FINRA Rule 5131 (which may include by issuing a press release substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto), and containing such other information as Barclays Capital Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC may reasonably require with respect to the circumstances of the release or waiver and/or the identity of the officer(s) and/or director(s) with respect to which the release or waiver applies, in accordance with FINRA Rule 5131.

(xii)          To apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Stock being sold by the Company substantially in accordance with the description as set forth in the Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds.”

(xiii)          To file with the Commission such information on Form 10-Q or Form 10-K as may be required by Rule 463 under the Securities Act.

(xiv)          If the Company elects to rely upon Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, the Company shall file a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement with the Commission in compliance with Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act by 10:00 P.M., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this Agreement, and the Company shall at the time of filing pay the Commission the filing fee for the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement.

(xv)          In connection with the Directed Share Program, to ensure that the Directed Shares will be restricted from sale, transfer, assignment, pledge or hypothecation to the same extent as sales and dispositions of Class A Common Stock by the Company are restricted pursuant to Section 5(a)(x), and the Representatives will notify the Company as to which Directed Share Program Participants will need to be so restricted. At the request of the Representatives, the Company will direct the transfer agent to place stop transfer restrictions upon such securities for such period of time as is consistent with Section 5(a)(x).

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


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(xvii)          The Company will promptly notify the Representatives if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the later of (A) the time when a prospectus relating to the offering or sale of the Stock or any other securities relating thereto is not required by the Securities Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule) and (B) completion of the Lock-Up Period.

(xviii)          If at any time following the distribution of any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication to eliminate or correct such  untrue statement or omission. The Company will promptly notify the Representatives of (A) any distribution by the Company of Written Testing-the-Waters Communications and (B) any request by the Commission for information concerning the Written Testing-the-Waters Communications.

(xix)          None of the Excelerate Parties nor their affiliates will take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that has constituted or that reasonably would be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company in connection with the offering of the Stock.

(xx)          Each Excelerate Party will do and perform all things required or necessary to be done and performed under this Agreement by it prior to each Delivery Date, and to satisfy all conditions precedent to the Underwriters’ obligations hereunder to purchase the Stock.

(xxi)          The Company will deliver to each Underwriter (or its agent), on or prior to the date of execution of this Agreement, a properly completed and executed Certification Regarding Beneficial Owners of Legal Entity Customers or applicable exemption certificate (the “FinCEN Certification”), together with copies of identifying documentation, of the Company and the Company undertakes to provide such additional supporting documentation as each Underwriter may reasonably request in connection with the verification of the FinCEN Certification.

(b)          Each Underwriter severally agrees that such Underwriter shall not include any “issuer information” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act) in any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) used or referred to by such Underwriter without the prior written consent of the Company (any such issuer information with respect to whose use the Company has given its consent, “Permitted Issuer Information”); provided that (i) no such consent shall be required with respect to any such issuer information contained in any document filed by the Company with the Commission prior to the use of such free writing prospectus, and (ii) “issuer information,” as used in this Section 5(b), shall not be deemed to include information prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter on the basis of or derived from issuer information.


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6.          Expenses.  The Excelerate Parties agree, whether or not the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, to pay all expenses, costs, fees and taxes incident to and in connection with (a) the authorization, issuance, sale and delivery of the Stock and any stamp duties or other taxes payable in that connection, and the preparation and printing of certificates for the Stock; (b) the preparation, printing and filing under the Securities Act of the Registration Statement (including any exhibits thereto), any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, and any amendment or supplement thereto; (c) the distribution of the Registration Statement (including any exhibits thereto), any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, and any amendment or supplement thereto, all as provided in this Agreement; (d) the production and distribution of this Agreement, any supplemental agreement among Underwriters, and any other related documents in connection with the offering, purchase, sale and delivery of the Stock; (e) any required review by FINRA of the terms of sale of the Stock (including related reasonable and documented fees and expenses of counsel to the Underwriters); (f) the listing of the Stock on the Exchange and/or any other exchange; (g) the qualification of the Stock under the securities laws of the several jurisdictions as provided in Section 5(a)(xi) and the preparation, printing and distribution of a Blue Sky Memorandum (including reasonable and documented related fees and expenses of counsel to the Underwriters); (h) the preparation, printing and distribution of one or more versions of the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus for distribution in Canada, including in the form of a Canadian “wrapper” (including related reasonable and documented fees and expenses of Canadian counsel to the Underwriters, provided that the Excelerate Parties shall only be required to pay such fees and expenses of counsel to the Underwriters incurred in relation to subsections (e), (g) and (h) in an amount that is not greater than $40,000 in the aggregate); (i) the offer and sale of shares of the Stock by the Underwriters in connection with the Directed Share Program, including the fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters related thereto, the costs and expenses of preparation, printing and distribution of the Directed Share Program material and all stamp duties or other taxes incurred by the Underwriters in connection with the Directed Share Program; (j) the investor presentations on any “road show” or any Testing-the-Waters Communication, undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Stock, including, without limitation, expenses associated with any electronic road show, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company and the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the “road show”; and (k) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Excelerate Parties under this Agreement; provided that, except as provided in this Section 6 and in Section 11, the Underwriters shall pay their own costs and expenses, including the costs and expenses of their counsel, any transfer taxes on the Stock which they may sell and the expenses of advertising any offering of the Stock made by the Underwriters and travel (provided that the Underwriters are responsible for 50% of the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the “road show”), lodging and other expenses of the Underwriters or any of their employees or representatives incurred by them in connection with any “road show” or any Testing-the-Waters Communications.


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7.          Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations.  The respective obligations of the Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy, when made and on each Delivery Date, of the representations and warranties of the Excelerate Parties contained herein, to the performance by the Excelerate Parties of their respective obligations hereunder in all material respects, and to each of the following additional terms and conditions:

(a)          The Prospectus shall have been timely filed with the Commission in accordance with Section 5(a)(i).  The Company shall have complied with all filing requirements applicable to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus used or referred to after the date hereof; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or preventing or suspending the use of the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been issued and no proceeding or examination for such purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act shall have been initiated or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission; and any request of the Commission for inclusion of additional information in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or otherwise shall have been complied with.  If the Company has elected to rely upon Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement shall have become effective by 10:00 P.M., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this Agreement.

(b)          All corporate proceedings and other legal matters incident to the authorization, form and validity of this Agreement, the Stock, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and all other legal matters relating to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby shall be reasonably satisfactory in all material respects to counsel for the Underwriters, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel all documents and information that they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.

(c)          Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP shall have furnished to the Representatives its written opinion and negative assurance letter, as counsel to the Company, addressed to the Underwriters and dated such Delivery Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.

(d)          The Representatives shall have received from Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, such opinion and negative assurance letter, dated such Delivery Date, with respect to the issuance and sale of the Stock, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Pricing Disclosure Package and other related matters as the Representatives may reasonably require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they reasonably request for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters.

(e)          At the time of execution of this Agreement, the Representatives shall have received from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP a letter, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, addressed to the Underwriters and dated the date hereof (i) confirming that they are independent public accountants within the meaning of the Securities Act and are in compliance with the applicable requirements relating to the qualification of accountants under Rule 2-01 of Regulation S‑X of the Commission, and (ii) stating, as of the date hereof (or, with respect to matters involving changes or developments since the respective dates as of which specified financial information is given in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, as of a date not more than three business days prior to the date hereof), the conclusions and findings of such firm with respect to the financial information and other matters ordinarily covered by accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters in connection with registered public offerings.


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(f)          With respect to the letter of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP referred to in the preceding paragraph and delivered to the Representatives concurrently with the execution of this Agreement (the “initial letter”), the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives a letter (the “bring-down letter”) of such accountants, addressed to the Underwriters and dated such Delivery Date (i) confirming that they are independent public accountants within the meaning of the Securities Act and are in compliance with the applicable requirements relating to the qualification of accountants under Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X of the Commission, (ii) stating, as of the date of the bring-down letter (or, with respect to matters involving changes or developments since the respective dates as of which specified financial information is given in the Prospectus, as of a date not more than three business days prior to the date of the bring-down letter), the conclusions and findings of such firm with respect to the financial information and other matters covered by the initial letter, and (iii) confirming in all material respects the conclusions and findings set forth in the initial letter.

(g)          The Excelerate Parties shall have furnished to the Representatives a certificate, dated such Delivery Date, of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company and Excelerate LP, as applicable, respectively, as to such matters as the Representatives may reasonably request, including, without limitation, a statement:

(i)          That the representations, warranties and agreements of the Excelerate Parties, respectively, in Section 1 are true and correct on and as of such Delivery Date, and the Excelerate Parties have complied with all their respective agreements contained herein and satisfied all the conditions on their respective parts to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such Delivery Date;

(ii)          That no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued; and no proceedings or examination for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act have been instituted or, to the knowledge of such officers, threatened;

(iii)          That they have examined the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Pricing Disclosure Package, and, in their opinion, (A) (1) the Registration Statement, as of the Effective Date, (2) the Prospectus, as of its date and on the applicable Delivery Date, and (3) the Pricing Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, did not and do not contain any untrue statement of a material fact and did not and do not omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (except in the case of the Registration Statement, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, and (B) since the Effective Date, no event has occurred that should have been set forth in a supplement or amendment to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that has not been so set forth; and

(iv)          To the effect of Section 7(h) (provided that no representation with respect to the judgment of the Representatives need be made and (B) such representation with respect to 7(h)(i) may be qualified by materiality) and Section 7(i).


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(h)          Except as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, (i) none of the Company, Excelerate LP nor any of their subsidiaries shall have sustained, since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, any loss or interference with the business of the Company, Excelerate LP and any of their subsidiaries from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, or (ii) since such date there shall not have been any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company, Excelerate LP or any of their subsidiaries or any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, stockholders’ equity, properties, management, business or prospects of the Company, Excelerate LP and their subsidiaries taken as a whole, the effect of which, in any such case described in clause (i) or (ii), is, individually or in the aggregate, in the judgment of the Representatives, so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Stock being delivered on such Delivery Date on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus.

(i)          Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded any Excelerate Party’s securities by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as defined by the Commission in Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act), and (ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, with possible negative implications, its rating of any of the Excelerate Parties’ securities.

(j)          Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement there shall not have occurred any of the following: (i) (A) trading in securities generally on any securities exchange that has registered with the Commission under Section 6 of the Exchange Act (including the New York Stock Exchange, The Nasdaq Global Select Market, The Nasdaq Global Market or The Nasdaq Capital Market), or (B) trading in any securities of the Company on any exchange or in the over-the-counter market, shall have been suspended or materially limited or the settlement of such trading generally shall have been materially disrupted or minimum prices shall have been established on any such exchange or such market by the Commission, by such exchange or by any other regulatory body or governmental authority having jurisdiction, (ii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by federal or state authorities, (iii) the United States shall have become engaged in hostilities, there shall have been an escalation in hostilities involving the United States or there shall have been a declaration of a national emergency or war by the United States, or (iv) there shall have occurred such a material adverse change in general economic, political or financial conditions, including, without limitation, as a result of terrorist activities after the date hereof (or the effect of international conditions on the financial markets in the United States shall be such) or any other calamity or crisis, either within or outside the United States, if the effect of any such event in clauses (iii) or (iv) makes it, in the judgment of the Representatives, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or delivery of the Stock being delivered on such Delivery Date on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus.


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(k)          The Exchange shall have approved the Stock for listing, subject only to official notice of issuance and evidence of satisfactory distribution.

(l)          The Lock-Up Agreements between the Representatives and the officers, directors and stockholders of the Company set forth on Schedule II, delivered to the Representatives on or before the date of this Agreement, shall be in full force and effect on such Delivery Date.

(m)          On the date hereof and on each Delivery Date, the Company shall have delivered to the Representatives a certificate of the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives.

(n)          Prior to or concurrent with the Initial Delivery Date, the Reorganization shall have been consummated in a manner consistent in all material respects with the description thereof in the Registration Statement, Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus (except those Reorganization that are ongoing or recurring in nature).

(o)          On or prior to each Delivery Date, the Excelerate Parties shall have furnished to the Underwriters such further certificates and documents as the Representatives may reasonably request.

(p)          FINRA shall not have raised any objection with respect to the fairness or reasonableness of the underwriting, or other arrangements of the transactions, contemplated hereby.

All opinions, letters, evidence and certificates mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall be deemed to be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters.


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8.          Indemnification and Contribution.

(a)          Each Excelerate Party, jointly and severally, hereby agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, directors, officers and employees and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any loss, claim, damage or liability, joint or several, or any action in respect thereof (including, but not limited to, any loss, claim, damage, liability or action relating to purchases and sales of Stock), to which that Underwriter, affiliate, director, officer, employee or controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or action arises out of, or is based upon, (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in (A) any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto, (B) any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto, (C) any Permitted Issuer Information used or referred to in any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) used or referred to by any Underwriter, or (D) any materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Stock, including any “road show” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act) not constituting an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication (“Marketing Materials”), or (ii) the omission or alleged omission to state in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto or in any Permitted Issuer Information, any Marketing Materials, any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and shall reimburse each Underwriter and each such affiliate, director, officer, employee or controlling person promptly upon demand for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by that Underwriter, affiliate, director, officer, employee or controlling person in connection with investigating or defending or preparing to defend against any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the Excelerate Parties shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action arises out of, or is based upon, any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or in any such amendment or supplement thereto or in any Permitted Issuer Information, any Marketing Materials, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information concerning such Underwriter furnished to the Company through the Representatives by or on behalf of any Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information consists solely of the information specified in Section 8(e).  The foregoing indemnity agreement is in addition to any liability which the Excelerate Parties may otherwise have to any Underwriter or to any affiliate, director, officer, employee or controlling person of that Underwriter.

(b)          Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, shall indemnify and hold harmless each Excelerate Party and its affiliates, its directors, officers and employees, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any loss, claim, damage or liability, joint or several, or any action in respect thereof, to which such Excelerate Party or any such director, officer, employee or controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or action arises out of, or is based upon, (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto or in any Marketing Materials, or (ii) the omission or alleged omission to state in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto or in any Marketing Materials, any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, but in each case only to the extent that the untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information concerning such Underwriter furnished to the Company through the Representatives by or on behalf of that Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information is limited to the information set forth in Section 8(e).  The foregoing indemnity agreement is in addition to any liability that any Underwriter may otherwise have to the Excelerate Parties or any such director, officer, employee or controlling person.


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(c)          Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 8 of notice of any claim or the commencement of any action, the indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under this Section 8, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the claim or the commencement of that action; provided, however, that the failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have under this Section 8 except to the extent it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights and defenses) by such failure and, provided, further, that the failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have to an indemnified party otherwise than under this Section 8.  Upon request of the indemnified party, the indemnifying party shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party and any others the indemnifying party may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and disbursements of such counsel related to such proceeding.  In any such proceeding, any indemnified party shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the indemnified party and the indemnifying party shall have so mutually agreed; (ii) the indemnifying party has failed within a reasonable time to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party; (iii) the indemnified party and its directors, officers, employees and controlling persons shall have reasonably concluded based on the advice of counsel that there may be legal defenses available to them that are different from or in addition to those available to the indemnifying party; or (iv) the named parties in any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the indemnified parties or their respective directors, officers, employees or controlling persons, on the one hand, and the indemnifying party, on the other hand, and, based on the advice of counsel, representation of both sets of parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them, and in any such event the reasonable and documented fees and expenses of such separate counsel shall be paid by the indemnifying party. It is understood and agreed that the indemnifying party shall not, in connection with any action or claim or related action or claim in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all indemnified parties. No indemnifying party shall (x) without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any pending or threatened claim, action, suit or proceeding in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties to such claim or action) unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such claim, action, suit or proceeding and does not include a statement as to, or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party, or (y) be liable for any settlement of any such action effected without its written consent (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), but if settled with the consent of the indemnifying party or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff in any such action, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify and hold harmless any indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment in accordance with this Agreement. 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(a) 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 30 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, and more than 30 days after receipt of the proposed terms of such settlement, and (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request or disputed in good faith the indemnified party’s entitlement to such reimbursement prior to the date of such settlement.


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(d)          If the indemnification provided for in this Section 8 shall for any reason be unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under Section 8(a), 8(b) or 8(f) in respect of any loss, claim, damage or liability, or any action in respect thereof, referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party, contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such loss, claim, damage or liability, or action in respect thereof, (i) in such proportion as shall be appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Excelerate Parties, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, from the offering of the Stock, 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 Excelerate Parties, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, with respect to the statements or omissions that resulted in such loss, claim, damage or liability, or action in respect thereof, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Excelerate Parties, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, with respect to such offering shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Stock purchased under this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Excelerate Parties, as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus, on the one hand, and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters with respect to the shares of the Stock purchased under this Agreement as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus, on the other hand.  The relative fault shall be determined by reference to whether the 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 Excelerate Parties or the Underwriters, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.  The Excelerate Parties and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this Section 8(d) were to be determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to herein.  The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the loss, claim, damage or liability, or action in respect thereof, referred to above in this Section 8(d) shall be deemed to include, for purposes of this Section 8(d), any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim.  Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 8(d), in no event shall an Underwriter be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriter with respect to the offering of the Stock exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.  No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.  The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute as provided in this Section 8(d) are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.


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(e)          The Underwriters severally confirm and the Excelerate Parties acknowledge and agree that the statements regarding the delivery of shares by the Underwriters set forth on the cover page of, and the concession figure and the paragraph relating to stabilization by the Underwriters (other than the first and second sentences of the second bullet) appearing under the caption “Underwriting (Conflicts of Interest)” in, the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus are correct and constitute the only information concerning such Underwriters furnished in writing to the Excelerate Parties by or on behalf of the Underwriters specifically for inclusion in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto or in any Marketing Materials.

(f)          The Excelerate Parties, jointly and severally, shall indemnify and hold harmless Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC (including its affiliates, directors, officers and employees) and each person, if any, who controls Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (“Morgan Stanley Entities”), from and against any loss, claim, damage or liability or any action in respect thereof to which any of the Morgan Stanley  Entities may become subject, under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or action (i) arises out of, or is based upon, any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any material prepared by or with the approval of the Company for distribution to Directed Share Program Participants in connection with the Directed Share Program or any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) arises out of, or is based upon, the failure of the Directed Share Program Participant to pay for and accept delivery of Directed Shares that the Directed Share Program Participant agreed to purchase, or (iii) is otherwise related to the Directed Share Program; provided that the Excelerate Parties shall not be liable under this clause (iii) for any loss, claim, damage, liability or action that is determined in a final judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of the Morgan Stanley  Entities. The Excelerate Parties shall reimburse the Morgan Stanley Entities promptly upon demand for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending or preparing to defend against any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action as such expenses are incurred.

9.          Defaulting Underwriters.

(a)          If, on any Delivery Date, any Underwriter defaults in its obligations to purchase the Stock that it has agreed to purchase under this Agreement, the remaining non-defaulting Underwriters may in their discretion arrange for the purchase of such Stock by the non-defaulting Underwriters or other persons satisfactory to the Company on the terms contained in this Agreement.  If, within 36 hours after any such default by any Underwriter, the non-defaulting Underwriters do not arrange for the purchase of such Stock, then the Company shall be entitled to a further period of 36 hours within which to procure other persons satisfactory to the non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase such Stock on such terms.  In the event that within the respective prescribed periods, the non-defaulting Underwriters notify the Company that they have so arranged for the purchase of such Stock, or the Company notifies the non-defaulting Underwriters that it has so arranged for the purchase of such Stock, either the non-defaulting Underwriters or the Company may postpone such Delivery Date for up to seven full business days in order to effect any changes that in the opinion of counsel for the Company or counsel for the Underwriters may be necessary in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or in any other document or arrangement, and the Company agrees to promptly prepare any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or in any such other document or arrangement that effects any such changes.  As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter,” unless the context requires otherwise, includes any party not listed in Schedule I hereto that, pursuant to this Section 9, purchases Stock that a defaulting Underwriter agreed but failed to purchase.


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(b)          If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Stock of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters or the Company as provided in paragraph (a) above, the total number of shares of the Stock that remains unpurchased does not exceed one-eleventh of the total number of shares of all the Stock, then the Company shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the total number of shares of Stock that such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder plus such Underwriter’s pro rata share (based on the total number of shares of Stock that such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder) of the Stock of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made; provided that the non-defaulting Underwriters shall not be obligated to purchase more than 110% of the total number of shares of Stock that it agreed to purchase on such Delivery Date pursuant to the terms of Section 2.

(c)          If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Stock of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company as provided in paragraph (a) above, the total number of shares of Stock that remains unpurchased exceeds one-eleventh of the total number of shares of all the Stock, or if the Company shall not exercise the right described in paragraph (b) above, then this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of the non-defaulting Underwriters.  Any termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section 9 shall be without liability on the part of the Excelerate Parties, except that the Excelerate Parties will continue to be liable for the payment of expenses as set forth in Sections 6 and 11 and except that the provisions of Section 8 shall not terminate and shall remain in effect.

(d)          Nothing contained herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter of any liability it may have to the Excelerate Parties or any non-defaulting Underwriter for damages caused by its default.

10.          Termination.  The obligations of the Underwriters hereunder may be terminated by the Representatives by notice given to and received by the Company prior to delivery of and payment for the Firm Stock if, prior to that time, any of the events described in Sections 7(i), 7(j) and 7(k) shall have occurred or if the Underwriters shall decline to purchase the Stock for any reason permitted under this Agreement.

11.          Reimbursement of Underwriters’ Expenses.  Except as set forth in the next sentence, if (a) the Company shall fail to tender the Stock for delivery to the Underwriters for any reason, or (b) the Underwriters shall decline to purchase the Stock for any reason permitted under this Agreement (except as a result of the occurrence of any of the events described in Section 7(j) (excluding clause (i)(B) thereof)), the Excelerate Parties, jointly and severally, will reimburse the Underwriters for all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses (including the reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters) incurred by the Underwriters in connection with this Agreement and the proposed purchase of the Stock, and upon demand the Excelerate Parties shall pay the full amount thereof to the Representatives.  If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 9 by (a) reason of the default of one or more Underwriters or (b) as a result of the occurrence of any of the events described in Section 7(j) (excluding clause (i)(B) thereof), the Excelerate Parties shall not be obligated to reimburse (i) any defaulting Underwriter, in the case of clause (a) of this sentence, or (ii) any Underwriter, in the case of clause (b) of this sentence, for any expenses except as provided in Sections 6 and 9 hereof.


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12.          Research Analyst Independence. The Excelerate Parties acknowledge that the Underwriters’ research analysts and research departments are required to be independent from their respective investment banking divisions and are subject to certain regulations and internal policies, and that such Underwriters’ research analysts may hold views and make statements or investment recommendations and/or publish research reports with respect to the Excelerate Parties and/or the offering that differ from the views of their respective investment banking divisions.  The Excelerate Parties hereby waive and release, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that the Excelerate Parties may have against the Underwriters with respect to any conflict of interest that may arise from the fact that the views expressed by their independent research analysts and research departments may be different from or inconsistent with the views or advice communicated to the Excelerate Parties by such Underwriters’ investment banking divisions.  The Excelerate Parties acknowledge that each of the Underwriters is a full service securities firm and as such from time to time, subject to applicable securities laws, may effect transactions for its own account or the account of its customers and hold long or short positions in debt or equity securities of the companies that may be the subject of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

13.          No Fiduciary Duty.  Each Excelerate Party acknowledges and agrees that in connection with this offering, sale of the Stock or any other services the Underwriters may be deemed to be providing hereunder, notwithstanding any preexisting relationship, advisory or otherwise, between the parties or any oral representations or assurances previously or subsequently made by the Underwriters:  (a) no fiduciary or agency relationship between the Excelerate Parties and any other person, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, exists; (b) the Underwriters are not acting as advisors, expert or otherwise and are not providing a recommendation or investment advice, to the Excelerate Parties, including, without limitation, with respect to the determination of the public offering price of the Stock, and such relationship between the Excelerate Parties, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, is entirely and solely commercial, based on arms-length negotiations and, as such, not intended for use by any individual for personal, family or household purposes; (c) any duties and obligations that the Underwriters may have to the Excelerate Parties shall be limited to those duties and obligations specifically stated herein; (d) the Underwriters and their respective affiliates may have interests that differ from those of the Excelerate Parties; and (e) does not constitute a solicitation of any action by the Underwriters.  Each Excelerate Party hereby (x) waives any claims that such Excelerate Party may have against the Underwriters with respect to any breach of fiduciary duty in connection with this offering and (y) agrees that none of the activities of the Underwriters in connection with the transactions contemplated herein constitutes a recommendation, investment advice or solicitation of any action by the Underwriters with respect to any entity or natural person. Each Excelerate Party has consulted its own legal, accounting, financial, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent deemed appropriate.


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14.          Notices, etc.  All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in writing, and:

(a)          if to the Underwriters, shall be delivered or sent by mail or facsimile transmission to Barclays Capital Inc., 745 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10019, Attention: Syndicate Registration (Fax: (646) 834-8133), with a copy, in the case of any notice pursuant to Section 8(c), to the Director of Litigation, Office of the General Counsel, Barclays Capital Inc., 745 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10019, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, 383 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10179, fax: (212) 622-8358, Attention: Equity Syndicate Desk, and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, 1585 Broadway, 29th Floor, New York, New York 10036, Attention: Investment Banking Division (Fax: (212) 507-8999), with a copy to the Legal Department; and

(b)          if to the Company, shall be delivered or sent by mail or email transmission to the address of the Company set forth in the Registration Statement, Attention: Alisa Newman Hood, General Counsel (Email: ***@***).

Any such statements, requests, notices or agreements shall take effect at the time of receipt thereof.  The Company shall be entitled to act and rely upon any request, consent, notice or agreement given or made on behalf of the Underwriters by the Representatives.

15.          Persons Entitled to Benefit of Agreement.  This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters, the Excelerate Parties, and their respective successors.  This Agreement and the terms and provisions hereof are for the sole benefit of only those persons, except that (a) the representations, warranties, indemnities and agreements of the Excelerate Parties contained in this Agreement shall also be deemed to be for the benefit of the directors, officers and employees of the Underwriters and each person or persons, if any, who control any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, and (b) the indemnity agreement of the Underwriters contained in Section 8(b) of this Agreement shall be deemed to be for the benefit of the directors of the Company, the officers of the Company who have signed the Registration Statement and any person controlling any of the Excelerate Parties within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act.  Nothing in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, other than the persons referred to in this Section 15, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision contained herein.

16.          Survival.  The respective indemnities, rights of contributions, representations, warranties and agreements of the Excelerate Parties and the Underwriters contained in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them, respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall survive the delivery of and payment for the Stock and shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any of them or any person controlling any of them.

17.          Definition of the Terms “Business Day,” “Affiliate” and “Subsidiary.  For purposes of this Agreement, (a) “business day” means each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday that is not a day on which banking institutions in New York are generally authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close, and (b) “affiliate” and “subsidiary” have the meanings set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act.


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18.          Governing LawThis Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York without regard to conflict of laws principles that would result in the application of any other law than the laws of the State of New York (other than Section 5-1401 of the General Obligations Law).

19.          Waiver of Jury Trial.  Each of the Excelerate Parties 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 this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

20.          Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts and, if executed in more than one counterpart, the executed counterparts shall each be deemed to be an original but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument. Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including any electronic signature covered by the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, the Electronic Signatures and Records Act or other applicable law, e.g., www.docusign.com) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.

21.          Headings.  The headings herein are inserted for convenience of reference only and are not intended to be part of, or to affect the meaning or interpretation of, this Agreement.

22.          Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes.

(a)          In the event that any of the Underwriters 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.

(b)          In the event that any of the Underwriters 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.

(c)          For the purposes of this Section 22, a “BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. Sec. 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. Sec. 252.82(b); (ii) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. Sec. 47.3(b); or (iii) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. Sec. 382.2(b). “Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. Sec.Sec. 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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If the foregoing correctly sets forth the agreement between the Company, Excelerate LP and the Underwriters, please indicate your acceptance in the space provided for that purpose below.

 
Very truly yours,
       
 
EXCELERATE ENERGY, INC.
       
 
By:
 
   
Name:
 
   
Title:
 
       
 
EXCELERATE ENERGY, L.P.
       
 
By:
 
   
Name:
 
   
Title:
 


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Accepted:

Barclays Capital Inc.

For themselves and as Representatives
of the several Underwriters named
in Schedule I hereto

By Barclays Capital Inc.

By:
   
 
Name:
   
 
Title:
   

By J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

By:
   
 
Name:
   
 
Title:
   

By Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

By:
   
 
Name:
   
 
Title:
   


SCHEDULE I

 
 
Underwriters
Number of Shares of Firm Stock
Number of Shares of Option Stock
Barclays Capital Inc.
   
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
   
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC
   
Total
   


SCHEDULE II

PERSONS DELIVERING LOCK-UP AGREEMENTS


SCHEDULE III

ORALLY CONVEYED PRICING INFORMATION

1. The public offering price for the Stock is $[●] per share.

2. [●] shares of Firm Stock.

3. [●] shares of Option Stock.


SCHEDULE IV

ISSUER FREE WRITING PROSPECTUSES – ROAD SHOW MATERIALS


SCHEDULE V

ISSUER FREE WRITING PROSPECTUS


SCHEDULE VI

WRITTEN TESTING-THE-WATERS COMMUNICATIONS



SCHEDULE VII

SUBSIDIARIES



SCHEDULE VIII

VESSELS


EXHIBIT A

Form of Lockup Agreement

Ladies and Gentlemen:

The undersigned understands that you and certain other firms (the “Underwriters”) propose to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Excelerate Energy, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”) and Excelerate Energy, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (the “Excelerate LP”), providing for the purchase by the Underwriters of shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Class A Common Stock”), of the Company and that the Underwriters propose to reoffer the Class A Common Stock to the public (the “Offering”). Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the respective meanings ascribed to such terms in the Underwriting Agreement.

In consideration of the execution of the Underwriting Agreement by the Underwriters, and for other good and valuable consideration, the undersigned hereby irrevocably agrees that, without the prior written consent of Barclays Capital Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. on behalf of the Underwriters, the undersigned will not, directly or indirectly, (1) offer for sale, sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of (or enter into any transaction or device that is designed to, or could be expected to, result in the disposition by any person at any time in the future of) any shares of Class A Common Stock (including shares of the Class A Common Stock issuable upon exchange of limited partnership interests in Excelerate LP (the “Interests”)), Class B common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Class B Common Stock” and, together with the Class A Common Stock, the “Common Stock”) (including, without limitation, shares of Common Stock that may be deemed to be beneficially owned by the undersigned in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and shares of Common Stock that may be issued upon exercise of any options or warrants) or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock (including the Interests), (2) enter into any swap or other derivatives transaction that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic benefits or risks of ownership of shares of Common Stock or Interests, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock, Interests or other securities, in cash or otherwise, (3) make any demand for or exercise any right or cause to be publicly filed a registration statement, including any amendments thereto, with respect to the registration of any shares of Common Stock, Interests or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or any other securities of the Company or (4) publicly disclose the intention to do any of the foregoing for a period commencing on the date hereof and ending on the 180th day after the date of the Prospectus relating to the Offering (such 180-day period, the “Lock-Up Period”).

The foregoing restrictions are expressly agreed to preclude the undersigned from engaging in any hedging or other transaction which is designed to or which reasonably could be expected to lead to or result in a sale or disposition of Common Stock or any other securities of the Company even if such Common Stock or other securities of the Company would be disposed of by someone other than the undersigned, including, without limitation, any short sale or any purchase, sale or grant of any right (including without limitation any put or call option, forward, swap or any other derivative transaction or instrument) with respect to any Common Stock, or any other security of the Company that includes, relates to or derives any significant part of its value from Common Stock or other securities of the Company.

Exhibit A-1


The foregoing restrictions, including without limitation the immediately preceding sentence, shall not apply to: (a) transactions relating to shares of Common Stock or other securities acquired in the open market after the completion of the Offering; (b) transfers of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into Common Stock as a bona fide gift or gifts; (c) sales or other dispositions of shares of any class of the Company’s capital stock, in each case that are made exclusively between and among the undersigned or members of the undersigned’s family (including to any trust, limited partnership, limited liability company or other entity for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or any members of the undersigned’s family), or affiliates of the undersigned, including its subsidiaries, partners (if a partnership) or members (if a limited liability company), stockholders (if a corporation) or any investment fund or other entity controlling, controlled by, managing or managed by or under common control with the undersigned or affiliates of the undersigned; (d) transfers of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into Common Stock by will, testamentary document or intestate succession upon the death of the undersigned, provided that it shall be a condition to any transfer, (i) pursuant to clauses (b)-(d), that the transferee/donee agrees to be bound by the terms of this Lock-Up Letter Agreement (including, without limitation, the restrictions set forth in the preceding sentence) to the same extent as if the transferee/donee were a party hereto, (ii) pursuant to clauses (b)-(d), that each party (donor, donee, transferor or transferee) shall not be required by law (including without limitation the disclosure requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act”), and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) to make, and shall agree to not voluntarily make, any filing or public announcement of the transfer or disposition prior to the expiration of the 180-day period referred to above, and (iii) pursuant to clauses (b) and (c), that the undersigned notifies Barclays Capital Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. at least two business days prior to the proposed transfer or disposition; (e) the exercise (including cashless exercise) of warrants or the exercise of stock options granted pursuant to the Company’s stock option/incentive plans or otherwise outstanding on the date hereof, provided that the restrictions shall apply to shares of Common Stock issued upon such exercise or conversion; (f) the establishment of any contract, instruction or plan that satisfies all of the requirements of Rule 10b5-1 (a “Rule 10b5-1 Plan”) under the Exchange Act, provided, however, that no sales of Common Stock or securities convertible into, or exchangeable or exercisable for, Common Stock, shall be made pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 Plan prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period (as the same may be extended pursuant to the provisions hereof), provided further that the Company is not required to report the establishment of such Rule 10b5-1 Plan in any public report or filing with the Commission under the Exchange Act during the Lock-Up Period and does not otherwise voluntarily effect any such public filing or report regarding such Rule 10b5-1 Plan; (g) any demands or requests for, exercises of any right with respect to, or taking of any action in preparation of, the registration by the Company under the Securities Act of the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock, provided that no transfer of the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock registered pursuant to the exercise of any such right and no registration statement shall be publicly filed under the Securities Act with respect to any of the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock during the Lock-Up Period; (h) any transfer pursuant to a bona fide third party tender or exchange offer made to all holders of the Common Stock, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction involving a change of control (as defined below) of the Company, including voting in favor of any such transaction or taking any other action in connection with such transaction, (provided that in the event that such tender offer, merger, consolidation or other such transaction is not completed, the undersigned shall remain subject to the restrictions contained in this Lock-Up Letter Agreement); (i) transfers to the Company for the purpose of satisfying any tax withholding obligations (including estimated taxes) due as a result of the exercise of options or as a result of the vesting of or upon the receipt of equity awards held by the undersigned; (j) the repurchase of Common Stock or securities convertible into Common Stock by the Company pursuant to equity award agreements or other contractual arrangements providing for the right of said repurchase in connection with the termination of the undersigned’s employment or service with the Company; (k) the exchange of the Interests into or for shares of Class A Common Stock in a manner consistent with the provisions set forth in the Prospectus, provided that (i) such shares of Class A Common Stock received upon exchange remain subject to the terms of this Lock-Up Letter Agreement, and (ii) to the extent a public announcement or filing under the Exchange Act, if any, is required of or voluntarily made by or on behalf of the undersigned or the Company regarding the exchange, such announcement or filing shall include a statement to the effect that such exchange occurred pursuant to the exchange agreement by and among the Company and Excelerate LP and, except as permitted by this Lock-Up Letter Agreement, no transfer of the shares of Class A Common Stock received upon exchange may be made during the Lock-Up Period; (l) transfers of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into Common Stock by operation of law or pursuant to an order of a court or regulatory agency; and (m) any exchange, transfer or sale in connection with, and as contemplated by, the Reorganization  (as such term is defined in the Pricing Disclosure Package), provided, however, that for purposes of clauses (i) through (l), if the undersigned is legally required during the Lock-Up Period to file a report under the Exchange Act reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of shares of Common Stock to the Company, the undersigned shall include a statement in such report clearly indicating the nature and conditions of such transfer. For purposes of clause (h) above, “change of control” shall mean the consummation of any bona fide third party tender or exchange offer, merger, purchase, consolidation or other similar transaction the result of which is that any “person” (as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), or group of persons, becomes the beneficial owner (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 of the Exchange Act) of a majority of total voting power of the voting stock of the Company.

Exhibit A-2


If the undersigned is an officer or director of the Company, (i) the undersigned agrees that the foregoing provisions shall be equally applicable to any issuer-directed Class A Common Stock, as referred to in FINRA Rule 5131(d)(2)(A) that the undersigned may purchase in the Offering pursuant to an allocation of Class A Common Stock that is directed in writing by the Company, (ii) Barclays Capital Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. agree that, at least two business days before the effective date of any release or waiver of the foregoing restrictions in connection with a transfer of shares of Common Stock, Barclays Capital Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. will notify the Company of the impending release or waiver and (iii) the Company has agreed in the Underwriting Agreement to announce the impending release or waiver by issuing a press release through a major news service (as referred to in FINRA Rule 5131(d)(2)(B)) or any other method permitted by FINRA Rule 5131 at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver.  Any release or waiver granted by Barclays Capital Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. hereunder to any such officer or director shall only be effective two business days after the publication date of such press release.  The provisions of this paragraph will not apply if both (a) the release or waiver is effected solely to permit a transfer not for consideration and (b) the transferee has agreed in writing to be bound by the same terms described in this letter that are applicable to the transferor, to the extent and for the duration that such terms remain in effect at the time of the transfer.

In furtherance of the foregoing, the Company and its transfer agent are hereby authorized to decline to make any transfer of securities if such transfer would constitute a violation or breach of this Lock-Up Letter Agreement.

It is understood that, if the Company notifies the Underwriters prior to the execution of the Underwriting Agreement that it does not intend to proceed with the Offering through the Representatives, if the Underwriters notify the Company that they do not intend to proceed with the Offering, if the Underwriting Agreement does not become effective, or if the Underwriting Agreement (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination) shall terminate or be terminated prior to payment for and delivery of the Class A Common Stock, the undersigned will be released from its obligations under this Lock-Up Letter Agreement.

The undersigned understands that the Company and the Underwriters will proceed with the Offering in reliance on this Lock-Up Letter Agreement.

Whether or not the Offering actually occurs depends on a number of factors, including, without limitation, market conditions.  Any Offering will only be made pursuant to an Underwriting Agreement, the terms of which are subject to negotiation between the Company and the Underwriters.

This Lock-Up Letter Agreement may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including any electronic signature covered by the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, the Electronic Signatures and Records Act or other applicable law, e.g., www.docusign.com) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.

The undersigned acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters have not provided any recommendation or investment advice nor have the Underwriters solicited any action from the undersigned with respect to the Offering and the undersigned has consulted their own legal, accounting, financial, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent deemed appropriate.

This Lock-Up Letter Agreement and any transaction contemplated by this Lock-Up Letter Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York without regard to conflict of laws principles that would result in the application of any other law than the laws of the State of New York (other than Section 5-1401 of the General Obligations Law).

 This Lock-Up Letter Agreement shall automatically terminate upon the earlier to occur, if any, of (1) the termination of the Underwriting Agreement before the sale of any Class A Common Stock to the Underwriters, (2) May 15, 2022, in the event that the Underwriting Agreement has not been executed by that date or (3) the filing by the Company of an application to withdraw the registration statement related to the Offering.

Exhibit A-3

EXHIBIT B

Form of Press Release

Excelerate Energy, Inc.
[●]

Excelerate Energy, Inc., (the “Company”) announced today that Barclays Capital Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, the lead book-running managers in the Company’s recent public sale of [●] shares of common stock, are [waiving] [releasing] a lock-up restriction with respect to [●] shares of the Company’s common stock held by [certain officers or directors] [an officer or director] of the Company.  The [waiver] [release] will take effect on [●], and the shares may be sold or otherwise disposed of on or after such date.

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


Exhibit B-1