Fortress Investment Group LLC Class A Shares

EX-1.1 2 dex11.htm UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT, DATED MAY 14, 2009 Underwriting Agreement, dated May 14, 2009

Exhibit 1.1

Fortress Investment Group LLC

Class A Shares

 

 

Underwriting Agreement

May 14, 2009

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith

    Incorporated

Nomura Securities International, Inc.

As Representatives of the several Underwriters

c/o Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

388 Greenwich Street

New York, NY 10013

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Fortress Investment Group LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Company”), proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to issue and sell to Citigroup Global Markets Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and Nomura Securities International, Inc. as representatives (the “Representatives”) of the several underwriters listed in Schedule I hereto (the “Underwriters”), an aggregate of 40,000,000 shares, consisting of 30,600,000 shares being sold to the public (the “Public Shares”) and an aggregate of 9,400,000 shares being sold to Peter L. Briger, Jr., Wesley R. Edens, Robert I. Kauffman, Adam Levinson, Randal A. Nardone, Michael E. Novogratz and Nomura Holdings, Inc. (the “Principal Shares”, and together with the Public Shares the “Firm Shares”) and, at the election of the Underwriters, up to 6,000,000 additional shares (the “Optional Shares”) of Class A shares representing Class A limited liability company interests (“Class A Shares”) of the Company (the Firm Shares and the Optional Shares that the Underwriters elect to purchase pursuant to Section 2 hereof being collectively called the “Shares”).

The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-153689), including the related base prospectus, covering the registration of the offer and sale of certain securities, including the Shares, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”). Promptly after execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will prepare and file a prospectus supplement in accordance with the provisions of


Rule 430B (“Rule 430B”) of the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1933 Act (the “1933 Act Regulations”) and paragraph (b) of Rule 424 (“Rule 424(b)”) of the 1933 Act Regulations. Any information included in such prospectus supplement that was omitted from such registration statement at the time it originally became effective but that is deemed to be part of and included in such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430B is referred to as “Rule 430B Information.” Each base prospectus and prospectus supplement used in connection with the offering of the Shares that omitted Rule 430B Information is herein collectively called a “preliminary prospectus.” Such registration statement, at any given time, including the amendments thereto to such time, the exhibits and any schedules thereto at such time, the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act at such time and the documents otherwise deemed to be a part thereof or included therein by the 1933 Act Regulations, is herein called the “Registration Statement”; provided, however, that “Registration Statement” without reference to a time means the Registration Statement as of the time of the first contract of sale for the Shares, which time shall be considered the “new effective date” of the Registration Statement with respect to the Underwriters and the Shares (within the meaning of Rule 430B(f)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 430B(f)(2)”)); and provided, further, that if the Company files a registration statement with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations relating to the Shares (the “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement”), then, after such filing, all references to “Registration Statement” shall also be deemed to include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. The Registration Statement at the time it originally became effective is herein called the “Original Registration Statement.” The base prospectus and the final prospectus supplement, in the form first furnished to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offering of the Shares, including the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act at the time of the execution of this Agreement, is herein collectively called the “Prospectus.” For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (“EDGAR”).

All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is “contained,” “included” or “stated” in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or other references of like import) shall be deemed to include all such financial statements and schedules and other information which is incorporated by reference in or otherwise deemed by the 1933 Act Regulations to be a part of or included in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, at the time of execution of this Agreement; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to include the filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), which is incorporated by reference in or otherwise deemed by the 1933 Act Regulations to be a part of or included in the Registration Statement, such preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, after the execution of this Agreement.

 

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1. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each of the Underwriters at the date hereof, the Applicable Time (as defined below) and each Time of Delivery, as follows:

(a) The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 in connection with the issuance of its securities, including the Shares. The Registration Statement was declared effective by the Commission under the 1933 Act, and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued under the 1933 Act and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, are contemplated by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information has been complied with.

At the respective times the Original Registration Statement and any amendment thereto became effective, at each deemed effective date with respect to the Underwriters and the Shares pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(2) and at each Time of Delivery, the Registration Statement complied, complies and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations, and did not, does not and will not contain an untrue statement of material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.

The Prospectus (including any Prospectus wrapper) and each amendment or supplement thereto, if any, at the time the Prospectus or any such amendment or supplement is issued and at each Time of Delivery, complied, complies and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations, and neither the Prospectus nor any amendments or supplements thereto, at the time the Prospectus or any such amendment or supplement was issued or at any Time of Delivery, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

As of the Applicable Time, the Statutory Prospectus (as defined below), any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below) identified on Schedule III hereto and the information to be conveyed by the Underwriters to purchasers of the Shares at the Applicable Time as set forth in Schedule III(b) hereto, all considered together (collectively, the “Disclosure Package”), did not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

The representations and warranties in the preceding three paragraphs shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto, the Prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto or the Disclosure Package, in each case made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to the Underwriters furnished to the Company in writing by the Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto, the Prospectus or any amendments or supplements

 

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thereto and the Disclosure Package, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Representatives consists of the information described as such in Section 5(k) hereof.

Each preliminary prospectus (including the base prospectus or prospectuses filed as part of the Original Registration Statement or any amendment thereto) complied when so filed in all material respects with the 1933 Act Regulations. Each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offering of the Shares was identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

As used in this subsection and elsewhere in this Agreement:

“Applicable Time” means 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on May 14, 2009 or such other time as agreed by the Company and the Representatives.

“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 433”), relating to the Shares that (i) is required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) is a “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i), whether or not required to be filed with the Commission or (iii) is exempt from filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Shares or of the offering that does not reflect the final terms, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).

“Statutory Prospectus” as of any time means the base prospectus that is included in the Registration Statement and the preliminary prospectus supplement relating to the Shares immediately prior to that time, including any document incorporated by reference therein at such time.

(b) At the earliest time that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations) of the Shares and at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 405”).

(c) The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied, complies and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1934 Act (the “1934 Act Regulations”) and, when read together with the other information in the Registration Statement, such preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, (a) at the time the Original Registration Statement became effective, (b) at the earlier of the time the Prospectus was first used and the date and time of the first contract of sale of the Shares and (c) at each Time of Delivery, did not and will not include an untrue statement of a material fact

 

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or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

(d) Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Shares or until any earlier date of which the Company notified or notifies the Representatives as described in Section 5(e), did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein and any preliminary or other prospectus deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified. The foregoing sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Representatives consists of the information described as such in Section 5(k) hereof.

(e) Neither the Company nor any of its direct or indirect subsidiaries, including, without limitation, each of the Operating Group entities set forth on Schedule II hereto (collectively, the “Fortress Operating Group”) but not including funds managed by subsidiaries of the Company or entities controlled by the funds of the Company (the “Subsidiaries”) has sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, Disclosure Package and the Prospectus 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, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Registration Statement, Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there has not been any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change in, or affect on, the general affairs, management, current or future financial position, members’ equity or results of operations, as applicable, of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole (a “Material Adverse Effect”), otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus;

(f) The Company and its Subsidiaries 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 such as are described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or such as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its Subsidiaries, respectively; and any real property and buildings held under lease by the Company and its Subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases, except where the failure to do so would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;

 

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(g) The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a limited liability company in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, with power and authority (corporate and other) to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and has been duly qualified as a foreign limited liability company for the transaction of business and is in good standing as a foreign limited liability company under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which it owns or leases properties or conducts any business so as to require such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect; each of the Subsidiaries and the Fortress Funds has been duly organized and is validly existing in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization, with power and authority (corporate and other) to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and has been duly qualified for the transaction of business and is in good standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which it owns or leases properties or conducts any business so as to require such qualification except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. “Fortress Funds” means, collectively, all Funds (i) sponsored or promoted by any of the Company’s Subsidiaries, (ii) for which any of the Company’s Subsidiaries acts as a general partner or managing member (or in a similar capacity) or (iii) for which any of the Company’s Subsidiaries acts as an investment adviser or investment manager (other than (x) any Fund that is sub-advised by the Company’s Subsidiaries (or for which the Company’s Subsidiaries have primary investment responsibility over only a minority of the investment portfolio and/or are not primarily responsible for periodic reporting and filings) and for which an unaffiliated third-party acts as the promoter and sponsor, (y) any entity which is a subsidiary of a Fortress Fund (other than the Fortress Capital Finance Subsidiaries) and (z) any securitization vehicle used by a Fortress Fund for financing purposes, such as a collateralized debt obligation entity, for which a Company’s Subsidiary acts in either of the capacities identified in clauses (i) or (ii) above or this clause (iii)); and “Fund” means any collective investment vehicle (whether open-ended or closed-ended) including, without limitation, an investment company, a general and limited partnership, a trust and a company organized in any jurisdiction. “Fortress Capital Finance Subsidiaries” means Fortress Capital Finance LLC, Fortress Capital Finance II LLC, Fortress Capital Finance III (A) LLC, Fortress Capital Finance III (B) LLC, Fortress Capital Finance III (C) LLC, Fortress Capital Finance III (D) LLC, Fortress Capital Finance III (E) LLC, Fortress Capital Finance III (CIF-A) LLC, Fortress Capital Finance III (CIF-B) LLC, Fortress Capital Finance III (CIF-C) LLC and Fortress Capital Finance III (CIF-D) LLC;

(h) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and all of the issued shares of the Company, including the Shares, have been or will have been duly and validly authorized and issued and upon payment in full of the consideration payable with respect to such shares, as determined by the Board of Directors of the Company,

 

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the holders of such shares shall not be liable to the Company to make any additional capital contributions with respect to such shares (except as otherwise required by Sections 18-607 and 18-804 of the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act); upon issuance, the Shares will conform to the description of the Shares contained in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; all of the issued capital stock or other equity interest of each of the Company’s subsidiaries that is a “significant subsidiary” (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act) (collectively, the “Significant Subsidiaries”) have been duly and validly authorized and issued and, in the case of any entities that are organized as corporations, are fully paid and non-assessable and, in the case of any entities that are organized as limited liability companies, the Company is not liable to such entity to make any additional capital contributions with respect to its equity interest in such entity (except as otherwise required by Sections 18-607 and 18-804 of the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act), and except for interests held by employees and former employees in entities which function as investment managers or general partners of particular Fortress Funds and which, with respect to the percentage of such interests held by employees and former employees as of the date of any historical balance sheet contained in the financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are reflected in non-controlling interests in consolidated subsidiaries on such balance sheets, are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims (other than those disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus); and all of the interests in each Significant Subsidiary organized as a partnership have been duly and validly created and except for interests held by employees and former employees in entities which function as investment managers or general partners of particular Fortress Funds and which, with respect to the percentage of such interests held by employees and former employees as of the date of any historical balance sheet contained in the financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are reflected in non-controlling interests in consolidated subsidiaries on such balance sheets, are owned directly or indirectly by the Company;

(i) The issue and sale of the Shares and the compliance by the Company with this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions herein contemplated will not conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, (x) any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any of the Fortress Funds is a party or by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any of the Fortress Funds is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any of the Fortress Funds is subject, nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of (y) the Certificate of Formation, as amended (“Certificate of Formation”) or the Third Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement (“LLC Agreement”) of the Company or the organizational documents of any of its Subsidiaries or (z) any statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or its Subsidiaries or any of their properties, except in the case of clauses (x) and (z) for such conflicts, breaches, defaults or violations that would not, individually or

 

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in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect; and no consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any such court or governmental agency or body is required for the issue and sale of the Shares or the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except the registration under the 1933 Act of the Shares and such consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares by the Underwriters;

(j) None of the Company, the Subsidiaries or the Fortress Funds is (x) in violation of its certificate of incorporation, bylaws, limited liability company agreement or partnership agreement, as applicable, or (y) in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties may be bound, except in the case of clause (y) for such violations or defaults that would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect;

(k) The statements set forth in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption “Description of Shares”, insofar as they purport to constitute a summary of the terms of the Class A Shares and under the captions “Certain U.S. Federal Tax Considerations” and “Underwriting”, insofar as they purport to describe the provisions of the laws and documents referred to therein, are accurate, complete and fair in all material respects;

(l) Other than as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any of the Fortress Funds is a party or of which any property of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or any of the Fortress Funds is the subject which, if determined adversely to the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or any of the Fortress Funds, would individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and, to the knowledge of the Company, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or threatened by others;

(m) The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Shares and the application of the proceeds thereof, will not be an “investment company”, as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”);

(n) Ernst & Young LLP, who have certified certain financial statements and supporting schedules incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus of the Company and its subsidiaries, is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries within the applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Commission and the Public Accounting Oversight Board (United States) and as required by the 1933 Act;

 

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(o) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company (individually and on a consolidated basis) and its subsidiaries maintain systems of “internal control over financial reporting” (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the 1934 Act) sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that: (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.

(p) Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there has been no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially adversely affect the Company’s internal control over financial reporting;

(q) All tax returns required to be filed by the Company, the Subsidiaries and the Fortress Funds in all jurisdictions have been timely and duly filed, other than those filings being contested in good faith and except where the failure to file would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. There are no tax returns of the Company, the Subsidiaries and the Fortress Funds that are currently being audited by state, local or federal taxing authorities or agencies (and with respect to which the Company, the Subsidiaries or the Fortress Funds has received notice), where the findings of such audit would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. All taxes, including withholding taxes, penalties and interest, assessments, fees and other charges due or claimed to be due from such entities, have been paid, other than those being contested in good faith and for which adequate reserves have been provided or those currently payable without penalty or interest or those that would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;

(r) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, each of the Company and its Subsidiaries maintains insurance covering its properties, operations, personnel and businesses which insures against such losses and risks as are adequate in accordance with its reasonable business judgment to protect the Company and its Subsidiaries and their businesses;

(s) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no material business relationships or related party transactions which would be required to be disclosed therein by Item 404 of Regulation S-K of the Commission and such business relationship or related party transaction described therein is a fair and accurate description in all material respects of the relationships and transactions so described;

 

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(t) Each employee benefit plan, within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), that is maintained, administered or contributed to by the Company or any of its affiliates, that together with the Company would be deemed a “single employer” within the meaning of Section 4001(b)(1) of ERISA (“ERISA Affiliates”) for employees or former employees of the Company and its ERISA Affiliates has been maintained in compliance in all material respects with its terms and the requirements of any applicable statutes, orders, rules and regulations, including but not limited to ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”); no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, for which the Company or any of its ERISA Affiliates would have any material liability has occurred with respect to any such plan excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption; for each such plan that is subject to the funding rules of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, no “accumulated funding deficiency” as defined in Section 412 of the Code has been incurred, whether or not waived, and the fair market value of the assets of each such plan (excluding for these purposes accrued but unpaid contributions) exceeds the present value of all benefits accrued under such plan determined using reasonable actuarial assumptions; no “reportable event” (as defined in ERISA) has occurred with respect to any “pension plan” (as defined in ERISA) for which the Company or any of its ERISA Affiliates would have any material liability; and neither the Company nor any of its ERISA Affiliates has incurred or reasonably expects to incur any material liability under Title IV of ERISA with respect to termination of, or withdrawal from, any “pension plan”;

(u) The Company is not required to be registered, licensed or qualified as an investment adviser or a broker-dealer or as a commodity trading advisor, a commodity pool operator or a futures commission merchant or any or all of the foregoing, as applicable; each of the Subsidiaries that is required to be registered, licensed or qualified as an investment adviser or a broker-dealer or as a commodity trading advisor, a commodity pool operator or a futures commission merchant or any or all of the foregoing, as applicable, is so registered, licensed or qualified in each jurisdiction where the conduct of its business requires such registration, license or qualification (and such registration, license or qualification is in full force and effect), and is in compliance with all applicable laws requiring any such registration, licensing or qualification, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and where the failure to be so registered, licensed or qualified would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect; each of the Subsidiaries that is required to be registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”) has adopted a written compliance program reasonably designed to ensure compliance with the Advisers Act and has appointed a chief compliance officer, except where the failure to do so would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;

(v) The Company is not a party to any investment advisory agreement; each investment advisory agreement to which any of the Subsidiaries is a party is a valid and legally binding obligation of the Subsidiaries and in compliance with the

 

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applicable provisions of the Advisers Act, except as have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, and none of the Subsidiaries is in breach or violation of or in default under any such agreement which breach, violation, default or invalidity has not had and would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus;

(w) The Company does not advise any of the Fortress Funds; (i) each of the Fortress Funds which is required to be registered with the Commission as an investment company under the Investment Company Act is duly registered with the Commission as an investment company under the Investment Company Act, and (ii) each such Fortress Fund has adopted a written compliance program reasonably designed to ensure compliance with Federal Securities Laws (as defined below), including policies and procedures that provide for the oversight of compliance by each investment adviser, principal underwriter, administrator and transfer agent of the Fortress Fund, and has appointed a chief compliance officer except, with respect to each of (i) and (ii), for such failure to be so registered or to have adopted such programs as would not have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect. “Federal Securities Laws” shall mean the Investment Company Act, the Advisers Act, the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, Title V of the Gramm-Leach Bliley Act and the rules adopted by the Commission thereunder, as well as certain applicable provisions under the Bank Secrecy Act and any rules adopted thereunder by the Commission or the Department of the Treasury;

(x) Consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement will not constitute an “assignment” within the meaning of such term under the Investment Company Act (and the rules and regulations thereunder) or the Advisers Act (and the rules and regulations thereunder) of any of the investment advisory contracts to which any of the Subsidiaries is a party; nor will consummation of such transactions adversely affect in any material respect the ability of the Company and its Subsidiaries to conduct their respective businesses in compliance with applicable law as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, including, but not limited to, providing investment advisory services to clients and funds, whether or not such funds are registered under the Investment Company Act;

(y) None of the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or the Fortress Funds, or, to the knowledge of the Company, no director, officer, agent, employee or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or the Fortress Funds, has violated or is in violation of any provision of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977; or made any unlawful bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment;

(z) The operations of the Company, the Subsidiaries and the Fortress Funds are and have been conducted at all times in 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,

 

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the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (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 involving the Company, the Subsidiaries or the Fortress Funds with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;

(aa) To the Company’s knowledge, none of the Company, the Subsidiaries, the Fortress Funds or any of their respective affiliates does business with any court, administrative agency, regulatory body, commission or other governmental authority, board, bureau or instrumentality, domestic or foreign and any subdivision thereof, or with any individual, corporation, firm, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, estate, trust, business association, organization or other entity located in, any country targeted by any of the economic sanctions, programs or similar sanctions-related measures of the United States as administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to the Subsidiaries, the Fortress Funds or any joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC;

(bb) None of the Subsidiaries which act as a general partner or managing member (or in a similar capacity) or as an investment adviser or investment manager of any Fortress Fund has performed any act or otherwise engaged in any conduct that would prevent such Subsidiary from benefiting from any exculpation clause or other limitation of liability available to it under the terms of the management agreement or advisory agreement, as applicable, between such Subsidiary and Fortress Fund except, in each case, as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;

(cc) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or as have been waived, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company, the Subsidiaries, the Fortress Funds or any of their respective affiliates and any person granting such person the right to require the Company to file a registration statement under the 1933 Act with respect to any securities of the Company owned or to be owned by such person or to require the Company 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 1933 Act;

(dd) The Company and any of the officers, trustees and directors of the Company, in their capacities as such, are in compliance in all material respects with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder; and

 

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(ee) The Registration Statement is not the subject of a pending proceeding or examination under Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the 1933 Act, and the Company is not the subject of a pending proceeding under Section 8A of the 1933 Act in connection with the offering of the Shares.

2. Subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, (a) the Company agrees to issue and sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto at a purchase price per share of $4.75 for each Public Share and at a purchase price per share of $5.00 for each Principal Share and (b) in the event and to the extent that the Underwriters shall exercise the election to purchase Optional Shares as provided below, the Company agrees to issue and sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at the purchase price per share set forth in clause (a) of this Section 2, that portion of the number of Optional Shares as to which such election shall have been exercised (to be adjusted by you so as to eliminate fractional shares provided that the total number of shares subject to such election shall not be reduced by such adjustment) determined by multiplying such number of Optional Shares by a fraction, the numerator of which is the maximum number of Optional Shares which such Underwriter is entitled to purchase as set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto and the denominator of which is the maximum number of Optional Shares that all of the Underwriters are entitled to purchase hereunder.

The Company hereby grants to the Underwriters the right to purchase at their election up to 6,000,000 Optional Shares, at the purchase price per share for each Public Share as set forth in the paragraph above, for the sole purpose of covering sales of shares in excess of the number of Firm Shares, provided that the purchase price per Optional Share shall be reduced by an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Firm Shares but not payable on the Optional Shares. Any such election to purchase Optional Shares may be exercised only by written notice from you to the Company, given within a period of 30 calendar days after the date of this Agreement, setting forth the aggregate number of Optional Shares to be purchased and the date on which such Optional Shares are to be delivered, as determined by you but in no event earlier than the First Time of Delivery (as defined in Section 4 hereof) or, unless you and the Company otherwise agree in writing, earlier than two or later than ten New York Business Days (as defined below) after the date of such notice.

3. Upon the authorization by you of the release of the Firm Shares, the several Underwriters propose to offer the Firm Shares for sale upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

4. (a) The Shares to be purchased by each Underwriter hereunder, in definitive form, and in such authorized denominations and registered in such names as the Representatives may request upon at least forty-eight hours’ prior notice to the

 

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Company shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Company to the Representatives, through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), for the account of such Underwriter, against payment by or on behalf of such Underwriter of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer of Federal (same-day) funds to the account specified by the Company to the Representatives at least twenty-four hours in advance. The Company will cause the certificates representing the Shares to be made available for checking and packaging prior to the Time of Delivery (as defined below) with respect thereto at the office of DTC or its designated custodian (the “Designated Office”). The time and date of such delivery and payment shall be, with respect to the Firm Shares, 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on May 20, 2009 or such other time and date as the Representatives and the Company may agree upon in writing, and, with respect to the Optional Shares, 10:00 a.m., New York time, on the date specified by the Representatives in the written notice given by the Representatives of the Underwriters’ election to purchase such Optional Shares, or such other time and date as the Representatives and the Company may agree upon in writing. Such time and date for delivery of the Firm Shares is herein called the “First Time of Delivery”, such time and date for delivery of the Optional Shares, if not the First Time of Delivery, is herein called the “Second Time of Delivery”, and each such time and date for delivery is herein called a “Time of Delivery”.

(b) The documents to be delivered at each Time of Delivery by or on behalf of the parties hereto pursuant to Section 8 hereof, including the cross receipt for the Shares and any additional documents requested by the Underwriters pursuant to Section 8(k) hereof, will be delivered at the offices of Sidley Austin LLP, 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10019 (the “Closing Location”), and the Shares will be delivered at the Designated Office, all at such Time of Delivery. A meeting will be held at the Closing Location at 4:00 p.m., New York City time, on the New York Business Day (as defined below) next preceding such Time of Delivery, at which meeting the final drafts of the documents to be delivered pursuant to the preceding sentence will be available for review by the parties hereto. For the purposes of this Section 4, “New York Business Day” shall mean each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is not a day on which banking institutions in New York City are generally authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

5. The Company agrees with each of the Underwriters:

(a) The Company, subject to Section 5(c), will comply with the requirements of Rule 430B and will notify the Representatives immediately, and confirm the notice in writing, (i) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or new registration statement relating to the Shares shall become effective, or any supplement to the Prospectus or any amended Prospectus shall have been filed, (ii) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission, (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or the filing of a new registration statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or any document incorporated by reference therein or otherwise deemed to be a part thereof or for additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or such new registration

 

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statement or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the 1933 Act concerning the Registration Statement and (v) if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the 1933 Act in connection with the offering of the Shares. The Company will effect the filings required under Rule 424(b), in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)), and will take such steps as it deems necessary to ascertain promptly whether the form of prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 424(b) was received for filing by the Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly file such prospectus. The Company will make every reasonable effort to prevent the issuance of any stop, prevention or suspension order and, if any such order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment.

(b) Promptly from time to time to take such action as you may reasonably request to qualify the Shares for offering and sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as you may reasonably 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 Shares, provided that in connection therewith the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign limited liability company or to file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction.

(c) Until the distribution of the Shares by the Underwriters is complete, the Company will give the Representatives notice of its intention to file or prepare any amendment to the Registration Statement or new registration statement relating to the Shares or any amendment or supplement to any preliminary prospectus (including the base prospectus included in the Original Registration Statement or amendment thereto at the time it became effective) or to the Prospectus, whether pursuant to the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act or otherwise, and the Company will furnish the Representatives with copies of any such documents a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing or use, as the case may be, and will not file or use any such document to which the Representatives shall reasonably object. The Company agrees, during the period when a prospectus is required to be delivered under the 1933 Act (or but for the exception afforded by Rule 172 of the 1933 Act Regulations would be required to be delivered), to file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the 1934 Act within the time periods required by the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations. The Company has given the Representatives notice of any filings made pursuant to the 1934 Act or 1934 Act Regulations within 48 hours prior to the Applicable Time.

(d) The Company has delivered to the Underwriters, without charge, as many copies of each preliminary prospectus as the Underwriters reasonably requested, and the Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the 1933 Act. The Company will furnish to the Underwriters, without charge, during the period when a prospectus is required to be delivered under the 1933 Act (or but for the exception afforded by Rule 172 of the 1933 Act Regulations would be required to be delivered), such number of copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as

 

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the Underwriters may reasonably request. Each preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

(e) The Company will comply with the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Shares as contemplated in this Agreement, the Disclosure Package and in the Prospectus. If at any time when a prospectus is required by the 1933 Act to be delivered (or but for the exception afforded by Rule 172 of the 1933 Act Regulations would be required to be delivered) in connection with sales of the Shares by the Underwriters or a dealer, any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters or for the Company, to amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order that the same will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading (in the case of the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, in the light of the circumstances existing at the time it is delivered to a purchaser), or if it shall be necessary, in the opinion of such counsel, at any such time to amend the Registration Statement or to file a new registration statement or amend or supplement the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order to comply with the requirements of the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations, the Company will promptly prepare and file with the Commission, subject to Section 5(c), such amendment, supplement or new registration statement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to comply with such requirements, the Company will use its reasonable best efforts to have such amendment or new registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable (if it is not an automatic shelf registration statement with respect to the Shares) and the Company will furnish to the Representatives such number of copies of such amendment, supplement or new registration statement as the Representatives may reasonably request. If, prior to the completion of the distribution of the Shares, at any time following the issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement (or any other registration statement relating to the Shares) or the Prospectus or if any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.

(f) During the period beginning from the date hereof and continuing to and including the date 60 days after the date of this Agreement (the “Lock-Up Period”), the Company shall not, and shall not permit its Subsidiaries or the Fortress Funds, to offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, grant any option to purchase, make any short sale or otherwise dispose, except as provided hereunder, of any securities of the Company that are substantially similar to the Shares, including but not limited to any options or

 

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warrants to purchase Class A Shares or any securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for, or that represent the right to receive, Class A Shares or any such substantially similar securities without the prior written consent of each of the Representatives (other than (A) the grant of awards pursuant to employee benefit plans or arrangements described in the Registration Statement, Disclosure Package and Prospectus or approved by the Company’s shareholders after the date hereof, including in connection with the settlement of restricted share units, (B) upon the exercise of an option or upon conversion or exchange of convertible or exchangeable securities disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (C) the issuance of securities to be registered pursuant to any registration statement on Form S-8 pursuant to any benefit plans or arrangements disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or approved by the Company’s shareholders after the date hereof, (D) the issuance of Class A Shares in connection with the acquisition of the assets of, or a significant portion of the equity of, or a joint venture with, another entity, provided, however that (i) the aggregate number of shares so issued shall not exceed 20% of the number of shares or any securities of the Company that are substantially similar to the shares, included but not limited to any securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for, or that represent the right to receive Class A Shares, outstanding immediately following the offering and sale of the Shares in accordance with this Agreement and (ii) prior to the issuance of such shares, each recipient of such shares shall agree in writing with you, in an agreement in the form to be agreed to by each of the Representatives, not to sell, offer, dispose or otherwise transfer any such shares or options during the Lock-Up Period and (E) the issuance of securities by means of a private placement to one institutional investor, provided that, prior to the issuance of such securities, such institutional investor shall agree in writing with you, in an agreement in the form to be agreed to by each of the Representatives, not to sell offer, dispose or otherwise transfer any such securities during the Lock-Up Period); provided, however, that if (1) during the last 17 days of the initial Lock-Up Period, the Company releases earnings results or announces material news or a material event or (2) prior to the expiration of the initial Lock-Up Period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 15-day period following the last day of the initial Lock-Up Period, then in each case the Lock-Up Period will be automatically extended until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the date of release of the earnings results or the announcement of the material news or material event, as applicable, unless each of the Representatives waives, in writing, such extension; the Company will provide each of the Representatives and each person subject to the Lock-Up Period pursuant to the lockup letters described in Section 8(j) with prior notice of any such announcement that gives rise to an extension of the Lock-Up Period;

(g) During a period of three years from the date of this Agreement, the Company will furnish to you copies of all reports or other communications (financial or other) furnished to shareholders, and to deliver to you (i) as soon as they are available, copies of any reports and financial statements furnished to or filed with the Commission or any national securities exchange on which any class of securities of the Company is listed, other than such reports and financial statements that are publicly available on the Commission’s EDGAR system and (ii) such additional information concerning the

 

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business and financial condition of the Company as you may from time to time reasonably request (such financial statements to be on a consolidated basis to the extent the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries are consolidated in reports furnished to its shareholders generally or to the Commission, unless otherwise publicly available in electronic format on the website of the Company or the Commission);

(h) The Company will timely file such reports pursuant to the 1934 Act as are necessary in order to make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable an earnings statement for the purposes of, and to provide the benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act.

(i) The Company will use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement in the manner specified in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds”;

(j) The Company will use its best efforts to list, subject to notice of issuance, the Shares on the New York Stock Exchange (the “Exchange”);

(k) The Company acknowledges that the information in (i) the third paragraph under the caption “Underwriting” in the Prospectus relating to concessions and reallowances, (ii) the eleventh and twelfth paragraphs under the caption “Underwriting” in the Prospectus relating to stabilization and (iii) the twenty-sixth paragraph under the caption “Underwriting” in the Prospectus relating to electronic distribution of the Prospectus constitute the only information furnished by the Representatives as such information is referred to in Sections 1(a), 9(a) and 9(b) hereof.

(l) The date of this Agreement is not more than three years subsequent to the initial effective date of the Registration Statement (the “Renewal Date”). If, immediately prior to the third anniversary of the Renewal Date, any Shares remain unsold by the applicable Underwriter(s) and a prospectus is required to be delivered or made available by such Underwriter(s) under the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act in connection with the sale of such Shares, the Company will, prior to the Renewal Date and subject to Section 5(c), file, if it has not already done so, a new shelf registration statement or, if applicable, an automatic shelf registration statement relating to such Shares, and, if such registration statement is not an automatic shelf registration statement, will use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to be declared effective within 180 days after the Renewal Date, and will take all other reasonable actions necessary or appropriate to permit the public offer and sale of such Shares to continue as contemplated in the expired registration statement relating to such Shares. References herein to the “Registration Statement” shall include such new shelf registration statement or automatic shelf registration statement, as the case may be.

(m) Upon request of any Underwriter, the Company will furnish, or cause to be furnished, to such Underwriter an electronic version of the Company’s trademarks, servicemarks and corporate logo for use on the website, if any, operated by such Underwriter for the purpose of facilitating the on-line offering of the Shares (the “License”); provided, however, that the License shall be used solely for the purpose described above, is granted without any fee and may not be assigned or transferred;

 

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(n) The Company and its subsidiaries will use their respective best efforts to implement and maintain an effective system of “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the 1934 Act) that is designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports that it will file or submit under the 1934 Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, including controls and procedures designed to ensure that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Subsequent to implementation, the Company and its subsidiaries will carry out evaluations of the effectiveness of such disclosure controls and procedures as required by Rule 13a-15 under the 1934 Act; and

(o) The Company will not approve or effect any amendment or waiver to the Expense Allocation Agreement that would, in any manner, remove or limit the responsibility of the Fortress Operating Group for any expenses incurred or other amounts payable by the Company under or in connection with this Agreement, including indemnification, reimbursement and contribution liabilities.

6. (a) The Company represents and agrees that, without the prior consent of each of the Representatives, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405; each Underwriter represents and agrees that, without the prior consent of the Company and the Representatives, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute a free writing prospectus that is required to be filed with the Commission under Rule 433; and any such free writing prospectus the use of which has been consented to by the Company, and the Representatives is listed on Schedule III hereto;

(b) The Company has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 under the 1933 Act applicable to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission or retention where required and legending; and the Company represents that it has satisfied and agrees that it will satisfy the conditions under Rule 433 under the 1933 Act to avoid a requirement to file with the Commission any electronic road show;

(c) The Company agrees that if at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus any event occurred or occurs as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus would conflict with the information in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances then prevailing, not misleading, the Company will give prompt notice thereof to the Representatives and, if requested by the Representatives, will prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or other document which will correct such conflict,

 

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statement or omission; provided, however, that this Section 6(c) shall not apply to any statements or omissions in an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein.

7. The Company covenants and agrees with the several Underwriters that the Company will pay or cause to be paid the following: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Company’s counsel and accountants in connection with the registration of the Shares under the 1933 Act and all other expenses in connection with the preparation, printing, reproduction and filing of the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and amendments and supplements thereto and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers; (ii) the cost of printing or producing any Agreement among Underwriters, this Agreement, the Blue Sky Memorandum, closing documents (including any compilations thereof) and any other documents in connection with the offering, purchase, sale and delivery of the Shares; (iii) all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Shares for offering and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section 5(c) hereof, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with such qualification and in connection with any Blue Sky survey, (iv) all fees and expenses in connection with listing the Shares on the Exchange; (v) the filing fees incident to, and the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with, any required review by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) of the terms of the sale of the Shares; (vi) the cost of preparing stock certificates; (vii) the cost and charges of any transfer agent or registrar; and (viii) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder which are not otherwise specifically provided for in this Section. It is understood, however, that, except as provided in this Section, and Sections 9 and 12 hereof, the Underwriters will pay all of their own costs and expenses, including the fees of their counsel, stock transfer taxes on resale of any of the Shares by them, and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may make.

8. The obligations of the Underwriters hereunder, as to the Shares to be delivered at each Time of Delivery, shall be subject, in their discretion, to the condition that all representations and warranties and other statements of the Company herein are, at and as of such Time of Delivery, true and correct, the condition that the Company shall have performed all of its obligations hereunder theretofore to be performed, and the following additional conditions:

(a) The Registration Statement has been declared effective by the Commission under the 1933 Act and at the Time of Delivery no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued under the 1933 Act or proceedings therefor initiated or threatened by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the satisfaction of the Representatives. Each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus containing the Rule 430B Information shall have been filed with the Commission in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8) (or a post-effective amendment providing such information

 

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shall have been filed and become effective in accordance with the requirements of Rule 430B) and no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall have been issued;

(b) Sidley Austin LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, shall have furnished to you their written opinion (a draft of such opinion is attached as Annex I(a) hereto), dated such Time of Delivery, with respect to such matters as you may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received such papers and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters; such counsel may state that, insofar as such opinion involves factual matters, they have relied, to the extent they deem proper, upon certificates of officers of the Company and the subsidiaries and certificates of public officials;

(c) (i) Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to you (x) their written opinion as counsel for the Company (a draft of such opinion is attached as Annex I(b)(i)); (y) the tax opinion as special tax counsel for the Company (a draft of such opinion is attached as Annex I(b)(ii)), and (z) the negative assurance letter as counsel for the Company (a draft of such letter is attached as Annex I(b)(iii)), and (ii) David Brooks, General Counsel of the Company, shall have furnished to you his written opinion as counsel for the Company (a draft of such opinion is attached as Annex 1(b)(iv), in each case dated such Time of Delivery, in form and substance satisfactory to you;

(d) At the time of execution of this Agreement, Ernst & Young LLP shall have furnished to you a letter dated such date with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information set forth in or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, substantially in the form attached as Annex II(a);

(e) At the Time of Delivery, the Underwriters shall have received from Ernst & Young LLP a letter, dated the Time of Delivery, to the effect that they reaffirm statements made in their letter furnished pursuant to Section 8(d), except that the “specified date” referred to shall be a date not more than three days prior to the Time of Delivery;

(f) (i) Neither the Company nor the Subsidiaries shall have sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and (ii) since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus there shall not have been any change in the capital stock or long term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the general affairs, management, financial position, members’ equity or results of operations of the

 

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Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the effect of which, in any such case described in clause (i) or (ii), is in your judgment so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Shares being delivered at such Time of Delivery on the terms and in the manner contemplated in Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus;

(g) On or after the Applicable Time (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded the Company’s debt securities by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization”, as that term is defined by the Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the 1933 Act, and (ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, with possible negative implications, its rating of any of the Company’s debt securities;

(h) On or after the Applicable Time there shall not have occurred any of the following: (i) a suspension or material limitation in trading in securities generally on the Exchange; (ii) a suspension or material limitation in trading in the Company’s securities on the Exchange; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities declared by either Federal or New York State authorities or a material disruption in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States; (iv) the outbreak or escalation of hostilities involving the United States or the declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war; or (v) the occurrence of any other calamity or crisis or any change in financial, political or economic conditions in the United States or elsewhere, if the effect of any such event specified in clause (iv) or (v), in the judgment of the Representatives, makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Shares being delivered at such Time of Delivery on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus;

(i) The Shares to be sold at such Time of Delivery shall have been duly listed, subject to notice of issuance, on the Exchange;

(j) The Company shall have obtained and delivered to the Underwriters executed copies of an agreement from Nomura Investment Managers U.S.A., Inc., each director of the Company and each executive officer who is upon consummation of the offering, will be a “reporting person” within the meaning of Section 16 of the 1933 Act, substantially to the effect set forth in Section 5(f) hereof in form and substance satisfactory to you; and

(k) The Company shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to you at such Time of Delivery certificates of officers of the Company satisfactory to you as to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company herein at and as of such Time of Delivery, as to the performance by the Company of all of its obligations hereunder to be performed at or prior to such Time of Delivery, as to the matters set forth in subsections (a) and (e) of this Section and as to such other matters as you may reasonably request.

 

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9. (a) The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Underwriter may become subject, under the 1933 Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or any prospectus wrapper material distributed in connection with foreign sales or any amendment or supplement thereto, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the 1933 Act, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and will reimburse each Underwriter for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Underwriter in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the Company shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein.

(b) Each Underwriter will indemnify and hold harmless the Company against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Company may become subject, under the 1933 Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein; and will reimburse the Company for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred.

(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under such subsection, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the omission so to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party other than under such subsection. In case any such action shall be brought against any indemnified party and it shall notify the

 

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indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall not, except with the consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party), and, after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified party under such subsection for any legal expenses of other counsel or any other expenses, in each case subsequently incurred by such indemnified party, in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation. The indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld), but if settled with such consent, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify each indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement. No indemnifying party shall, without the written consent of the indemnified party, effect the settlement or compromise of, or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to, any pending or threatened action or claim in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified party is an actual or potential party to such action or claim) unless such settlement, compromise or judgment (i) includes an unconditional release of the indemnified party from all liability arising out of such action or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

(d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 9 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Shares. If, however, the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by applicable law or if the indemnified party failed to give the notice required under subsection (c) above, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount paid or payable by such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters on the other shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company

 

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on the one hand or by the Underwriters on the other and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this subsection (d) were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this subsection (d). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to above in this subsection (d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (d), no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Shares underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations in this subsection (d) to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.

(e) The obligations of the Company under this Section 9 shall be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the 1933 Act and each broker-dealer affiliate of any Underwriter; and the obligations of the Underwriters under this Section 9 shall be in addition to any liability which the respective Underwriters may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each officer and director the Company (including any person who, with his or her consent, is named in the Registration Statement as about to become a director of the Company) and to each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the 1933 Act.

10. (a) If any Underwriter shall default in its obligation to purchase the Shares which it has agreed to purchase hereunder at a Time of Delivery, you may in your discretion arrange for you or another party or other parties to purchase such Shares on the terms contained herein. If within thirty six hours after such default by any Underwriter you do not arrange for the purchase of such Shares, then the Company shall be entitled to a further period of thirty six hours within which to procure another party or other parties satisfactory to you to purchase such Shares on such terms. In the event that, within the respective prescribed periods, you notify the Company that you have so arranged for the purchase of such Shares, or the Company notifies you that it has so arranged for the purchase of such Shares, you or the Company shall have the right to postpone such Time of Delivery for a period of not more than seven days, in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be made necessary in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or in any other documents or arrangements, and the Company agrees to file promptly any amendments or

 

25


supplements to the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus which in your opinion may thereby be made necessary. The term “Underwriter” as used in this Agreement shall include any person substituted under this Section with like effect as if such person had originally been a party to this Agreement with respect to such Shares.

(b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and the Company as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate number of such Shares which remains unpurchased does not exceed one eleventh of the aggregate number of all the Shares to be purchased at such Time of Delivery, then the Company shall have the right to require each non defaulting Underwriter to purchase the number of shares which such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder at such Time of Delivery and, in addition, to require each non defaulting Underwriter to purchase its pro rata share (based on the number of Shares which such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder) of the Shares of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.

(c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and the Company as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate number of such Shares which remains unpurchased exceeds one eleventh of the aggregate number of all the Shares to be purchased at such Time of Delivery, or if the Company shall not exercise the right described in subsection (b) above to require non defaulting Underwriters to purchase Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then this Agreement (or, with respect to the Second Time of Delivery, the obligations of the Underwriters to purchase and of the Company to sell the Optional Shares) shall thereupon terminate, without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company, except for the expenses to be borne by the Company and the Underwriters as provided in Section 7 hereof and the indemnity and contribution agreements in Section 9 hereof; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.

11. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company and the several Underwriters, as set forth in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them, respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation (or any statement as to the results thereof) made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any controlling person of any Underwriter, or the Company, or any officer or director or controlling person of the Company, and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Shares.

12. If this Agreement shall be terminated pursuant to Section 10 hereof, the Company shall not be under any liability to any Underwriter except as provided in Sections 7 and 9 hereof; but, if for any other reason, any Shares are not delivered by or on behalf of the Company as provided herein, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters through you for all out of pocket expenses approved in writing by you, including fees and disbursements of counsel, reasonably incurred by the Underwriters

 

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in making preparations for the purchase, sale and delivery of the Shares not so delivered, but the Company shall then be under no further liability to any Underwriter except as provided in Sections 7 and 9 hereof.

13. Except as otherwise provided herein, in all dealings hereunder, you shall act on behalf of each of the Underwriters, and the parties hereto shall be entitled to act and rely upon any statement, request, notice or agreement on behalf of any Underwriter made or given by you jointly or by any of Citigroup Global Markets Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated or Nomura Securities International, Inc. on behalf of you as the Representatives.

All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in writing, and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to you as the representatives in care of (i) Citigroup Global Markets Inc. at 388 Greenwich Street, New York, New York, 10013, Attention: General Counsel (facsimile: (212)  ###-###-####); (ii) J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. at 383 Madison Avenue, 4th Floor, New York, New York 10179, Attention: Equity Syndicate Desk (facsimile: (212)  ###-###-####); (iii) Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, at One Bryant Park, New York, New York 10036, Attention: ECM Legal (facsimile: (212)  ###-###-####) and (iv) Nomura Securities International, Inc., 2 World Financial Center, Building B, New York, NY 10281, Attention: Equity Capital Markets; and if to the Company shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to the address of the Company set forth in the Registration Statement, Attention: Secretary; provided, however, that any notice to an Underwriter pursuant to Section 9(c) hereof shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to such underwriter at its address set forth in its Underwriters’ Questionnaire, or telex constituting such Questionnaire, which address will be supplied to the Company by you upon request; provided, however, that notices under subsection 5(e) shall be in writing, and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to you as the representatives in care of (i) Citigroup Global Markets Inc. at 388 Greenwich Street, New York, New York, 10013, Attention: General Counsel (facsimile: (212)  ###-###-####); (ii) J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. at 383 Madison Avenue, 4th Floor, New York, New York 10179, Attention: Equity Syndicate Desk (facsimile: (212)  ###-###-####); (iii) Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, at One Bryant Park, New York, New York 10036, Attention: ECM Legal (facsimile: (212)  ###-###-####); and (iv) Nomura Securities International, Inc., 2 World Financial Center, Building B, New York, NY 10281, Attention: Equity Capital Markets; provided, however, that any notice to a signatory of an agreement described in Section 5(f) shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to the address of the signatory set forth in Schedule IV hereto. Any such statements, requests, notices or agreements shall take effect upon receipt thereof.

14. This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure solely to the benefit of, the Underwriters and the Company and, to the extent provided in Sections 9 and 11 hereof, the officers and directors of the Company and each person who controls the Company or any Underwriter, and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement. No purchaser of any of the Shares from any Underwriter shall be deemed a successor or assign by reason merely of such purchase.

 

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15. Time shall be of the essence of this Agreement.

16. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) the purchase and sale of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other, (ii) in connection therewith and with the process leading to such transaction each Underwriter is acting solely as a principal and not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, (iii) no Underwriter has assumed an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) or any other obligation to the Company except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement and (iv) the Company has consulted its own legal and financial advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate. The Company agrees that it will not claim that the Underwriters, or any of them, has rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owes a fiduciary or similar duty to the Company, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.

17. This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company and the Underwriters, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof.

18. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

19. The Company and each of the Underwriters hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

20. This Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties hereto in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument.

 

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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign and return to us eight counterparts hereof, and upon the acceptance hereof by you, on behalf of each of the Underwriters, this letter and such acceptance hereof shall constitute a binding agreement between each of the Underwriters and the Company. It is understood that your acceptance of this letter on behalf of each of the Underwriters is pursuant to the authority set forth in a form of Agreement among Underwriters, the form of which shall be submitted to the Company for examination upon request, but without warranty on your part as to the authority of the signers thereof.

 

Very truly yours,
Fortress Investment Group LLC
By:  

/s/ David N. Brooks

Name:   David N. Brooks
Title:   Secretary

 

Accepted as of the date hereof:
CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC.
By:  

/s/ Shawn Munday

Name:   Shawn Munday
Title:   Vice President
J.P.MORGAN SECURITIES INC.
By:  

/s/ Ray Craig

Name:   Ray Craig
Title:   Executive Director
MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH                         INCORPORATED
By:  

/s/ Simon Western

Name:   Simon Western
Title:   Managing Director
NOMURA SECURITIES INTERNATIONAL, INC.
By:  

/s/ Tomoko Iino

Name:   Tomoko Iino
Title:   Head of Investment Banking

 

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