Form of Underwriting Agreement

Contract Categories: Business Finance - Underwriting Agreements
EX-1.1 2 d869363dex11.htm EX-1.1 EX-1.1

Exhibit 1.1

[•] Shares

LOAR HOLDINGS INC.

COMMON STOCK, PAR VALUE $0.01 PER SHARE

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

December [•], 2024


December [•], 2024

Jefferies LLC

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

Moelis & Company LLC

c/o Jefferies LLC

520 Madison Avenue

New York, New York 10022

c/o Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

1585 Broadway

New York, New York 10036

and

c/o Moelis & Company LLC

399 Park Avenue

New York, New York 10022

As representatives (the “Representatives”) of the several

Underwriters named in Schedule 1 hereto.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Loar Holdings Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the several Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the “Underwriters”), and certain shareholders of the Company (the “Selling Shareholders”) named in Schedule II hereto severally propose to sell to the several Underwriters, an aggregate of [•] shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Firm Shares”), of which [•] shares are to be issued and sold by the Company and [•] shares are to be sold by the Selling Shareholders, each Selling Shareholder selling the amount set forth opposite such Selling Shareholder’s name in Schedule II hereto. The Selling Shareholders also severally propose to sell to the several Underwriters not more than an additional [•] shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Additional Shares”) if and to the extent that Jefferies LLC (“Jefferies”), Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC (“Morgan Stanley”) and Moelis & Company LLC (“Moelis”), as representatives of the offering, shall have determined to exercise, on behalf of the Underwriters, the right to purchase such shares of common stock granted to the Underwriters in Section 3 hereof. The Firm Shares and the Additional Shares are hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Shares.” The shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share of the Company to be outstanding after giving effect to the sales contemplated hereby are hereinafter referred to as the “Common Stock.” The Company and the Selling Shareholders are hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to as the “Sellers.”


The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-[•]), including a preliminary prospectus, relating to the Shares. The registration statement as amended at the time it becomes effective, including the information (if any) deemed to be part of the registration statement at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), is hereinafter referred to as the “Registration Statement”; the prospectus in the form first used to confirm sales of Shares (or in the form first made available to the Underwriters by the Company to meet requests of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act) is hereinafter referred to as the “Prospectus.” If the Company has filed an abbreviated registration statement to register additional shares of Common Stock pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act (a “Rule 462 Registration Statement”), then any reference herein to the term “Registration Statement” shall be deemed to include such Rule 462 Registration Statement.

For purposes of this Agreement, “free writing prospectus” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, “preliminary prospectus” shall mean each prospectus used prior to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, and each prospectus that omitted information pursuant to Rule 430A under the Securities Act that was used after such effectiveness and prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, “Time of Sale Prospectus” means the preliminary prospectus contained in the Registration Statement at the time of its effectiveness together with the documents and pricing information set forth in Schedule III hereto, and “broadly available road show” means a “bona fide electronic road show” as defined in Rule 433(h)(5) under the Securities Act that has been made available without restriction to any person. As used herein, the terms “Registration Statement,” “preliminary prospectus,” “Time of Sale Prospectus” and “Prospectus” shall include the documents, if any, incorporated by reference therein as of the date hereof.

1. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to and agrees with each of the Underwriters that:

(a) The Registration Statement has become effective; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement is in effect, and no proceedings for such purpose or pursuant to Section 8A under the Securities Act are pending before or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened by the Commission.

(b) (i) The Registration Statement, when it became effective, did not contain and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, when such amendment or supplement becomes effective, will not contain, any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) the Registration Statement and the Prospectus comply and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, as of the date of such amendment or supplement, will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, (iii) the Time of Sale Prospectus does not, and at the time of each sale of the Shares in connection with the offering when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and at the Closing Date (as defined in Section 5), the Time of Sale Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented by the Company, if applicable, as of the date of such amendment or

 

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supplement, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, (iv) each broadly available road show, if any, when considered together with the Time of Sale Prospectus, does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading and (v) the Prospectus, as of its date, does not contain and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, as of the date of such amendment or supplement or as of the Closing Date, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that the representations and warranties set forth in this paragraph do not apply to statements or omissions in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus based upon any Underwriter Furnished Information (as defined in Section 11(c) below).

(c) The Company is not an “ineligible issuer” in connection with the offering pursuant to Rules 164, 405 and 433 under the Securities Act. Any free writing prospectus that the Company is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act has been, or will be, filed with the Commission in accordance with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. Each free writing prospectus, if any, that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act or that was prepared by or on behalf of or used or referred to by the Company complies or, if filed after the date of this Agreement, will comply as of the date of such filing, in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. Except for the free writing prospectuses, if any, identified in Schedule III hereto, and electronic road shows, if any, each furnished to the Representatives before first use, the Company has not prepared, used or referred to, and will not, without the Representatives’ prior consent, prepare, use or refer to, any free writing prospectus.

(d) The Company has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, has the corporate power and authority necessary to own or lease its property and to conduct its business as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction (to the extent such concept of good standing or equivalent concept is applicable in such jurisdiction) in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

 

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(e) Each subsidiary of the Company has been duly incorporated, organized or formed, as applicable, is validly existing as a corporation or other business entity in good standing (to the extent such concept of good standing or equivalent concept is applicable in such jurisdiction) under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, organization or formation, as applicable, has the corporate or other business entity power and authority, as applicable, to own or lease its property and to conduct its business as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing (to the extent such concept of good standing or equivalent concept is applicable in such jurisdiction) in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing (to the extent that such concepts or equivalent concepts are applicable in such jurisdiction) would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole; all of the issued shares of capital stock or other equity interests of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable (to the extent such concepts or equivalent concepts are applicable in such jurisdiction) and are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims.

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

(g) The authorized capital stock of the Company conforms as to legal matters to the description thereof contained in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.

(h) The shares of Common Stock (including the Shares to be sold by the Selling Shareholders) outstanding prior to the issuance of the Shares to be sold by the Company have been duly authorized and are validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

(i) The Shares to be sold by the Company have been duly authorized and, when issued, delivered and paid for in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, and the issuance of the Shares will not be subject to any preemptive or similar rights.

(j) The execution and delivery by the Company of, and the performance by the Company of its obligations under, this Agreement will not contravene (i) any provision of applicable law, (ii) the certificate of incorporation or by-laws of the Company,(iii) any agreement or other instrument binding upon the Company or any of its subsidiaries that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (iv) any judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary, except that in the case of clauses (i), (iii), and (iv) as would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, and no consent, approval, authorization or order of, or qualification with, any governmental body, agency or court is required for the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement, except such as have been obtained or waived or as may be required by the securities or Blue Sky laws of the various states or the rules and regulations of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares.

 

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(k) There has not occurred any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus.

(l) There are no legal or governmental proceedings pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened, to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or to which any of the properties of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject (i) other than proceedings accurately described in all material respects in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and proceedings that would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or on the power or ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement or to consummate the transactions contemplated by each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus or (ii) that are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus and are not so described; and there are no statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents that are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not described in all material respects or filed as required.

(m) Each preliminary prospectus filed as part of the Registration Statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto, or filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act, complied when so filed in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

(n) The Company is not, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Shares and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus will not be, required to register as an “investment company” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

(o) The Company and each of its subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with any and all applicable foreign, federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (“Environmental Laws”), (ii) have received all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses, and (iii) are in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval, except where such noncompliance with Environmental Laws, failure to receive required permits, licenses or other approvals, or failure to comply with the terms and conditions of such permits, licenses or approvals would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

 

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(p) There are no costs or liabilities associated with Environmental Laws (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure of properties or compliance with Environmental Laws or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties) which would, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

(q) There are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person granting such person the right to require the Company to file a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to any securities of the Company or to require the Company to include such securities with the Shares registered pursuant to the Registration Statement.

(r) (i) None of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or controlled affiliates, or any director, officer, or employee thereof, or, to the Company’s knowledge, any agent, non-controlled affiliate or representative of the Company or of any of its subsidiaries or affiliates, has taken or will take any action in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization or approval of the payment, giving or receipt of money, property, gifts or anything else of value, directly or indirectly, to any person to improperly influence official action by that person for the benefit of the Company or its subsidiaries or affiliates, or to otherwise secure any improper advantage, or to any person in violation of (a) the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, (b) the UK Bribery Act 2010, and (c) any other applicable law, regulation, order, decree or directive having the force of law and relating to bribery or corruption (collectively, the “Anti-Corruption Laws”).

(s) The operations of the Company and each of its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in material compliance with all applicable anti-money laundering laws, rules, and regulations, including the financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements contained therein, and including the Bank Secrecy Act of 1970, applicable provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, the Money Laundering Control Act of 1986, and the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020, (collectively, the “Anti-Money Laundering Laws”).

(t) (i) None of the Company, any of its subsidiaries, or any director, officer or employee thereof, or, to the Company’s knowledge, any agent, affiliate, or representative of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, is an individual or entity (“Person”) that is, or is owned or controlled by one or more Persons that are:

(A) the subject of any sanctions administered or enforced by the United States Government (including the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control and the U.S. Department of State), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, His Majesty’s Treasury, or any other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), or

(B) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of comprehensive territorial Sanctions (including, without limitation, the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic, or any other Covered Region of Ukraine identified pursuant to Executive Order 14065, Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria) (“Sanctioned Countries”).

 

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(ii) The Company and each of its subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in, are not now knowingly engaged in, and will not engage in, any dealings or transactions with any Person, or in any country or territory, that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was, or whose government is or was, the subject of Sanctions.

(u) The Company will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other Person:

(i) to fund or facilitate any activities or business of or with any Person or in any country or territory that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is, or whose government is, the subject of Sanctions or is located, organized or resident in a Sanctioned Country;

(ii) to fund or facilitate any money laundering or terrorist financing activities; or

(iii) in any other manner that would cause or result in a violation of any Anti-Corruption Laws, Anti-Money Laundering Laws, or Sanctions by any Person (including any Person participating in the offering, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise).

(v) The Company and its subsidiaries have conducted and will conduct their businesses in compliance with the Anti-Corruption Laws, the Anti-Money Laundering Laws, and Sanctions, and no investigation, inquiry, action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Anti-Corruption Laws, the Anti-Money Laundering Laws or Sanctions is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened. The Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates have instituted and maintained and will continue to maintain policies and procedures reasonably designed to promote and achieve compliance with the Anti-Corruption Laws, the Anti-Money Laundering Laws, Sanctions, and with the representations and warranties contained herein.

(w) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, (i) the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, have not incurred any material liability or obligation, direct or contingent, nor entered into any material transaction; (ii) the Company has not purchased any of its outstanding capital stock, nor declared, paid or otherwise made any dividend or distribution of any kind on its capital stock other than ordinary and customary dividends; and (iii) there has not been any material change in the capital stock, short-term debt or long-term debt of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

 

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(x) The Company and each of 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 which is material to the business of the Company and its subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects, except such as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its subsidiaries; 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 with such exceptions as are not material and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company and its subsidiaries.

(y) (i) The Company and its subsidiaries own or have a valid license to use or possess all material patents, inventions, copyrights, know how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks and trade names (collectively, “Intellectual Property Rights”) used in or reasonably necessary to the conduct of their businesses; (ii) the Intellectual Property Rights owned by the Company and its subsidiaries and, to the Company’s knowledge, the Intellectual Property Rights licensed to the Company and its subsidiaries, are valid, subsisting and enforceable, and there is no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the validity, scope or enforceability of any such Intellectual Property Rights; (iii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice alleging any infringement, misappropriation or other violation of Intellectual Property Rights which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole; (iv) to the Company’s knowledge, no third party is infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating, or has infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated, any Intellectual Property Rights owned by the Company; (v) to the Company’s knowledge, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries infringes, misappropriates or otherwise violates, or has infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated, any Intellectual Property Rights; (vi) all employees or contractors engaged in the development of Intellectual Property Rights on behalf of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company have executed an invention assignment agreement whereby such employees or contractors presently assign all of their right, title and interest in and to such Intellectual Property Rights to the Company or the applicable subsidiary, and to the Company’s knowledge, no such agreement has been breached or violated; and (vii) the Company and its subsidiaries use, and have used, commercially reasonable efforts to appropriately maintain all information intended to be maintained as a trade secret.

(z) Except as would not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, (i) the Company and its subsidiaries use and have used any and all software and other materials distributed under a “free,” “open source,” or similar licensing model (including but not limited to the MIT License, Apache License, GNU General Public License, GNU Lesser General Public License and GNU Affero General Public License) (“Open Source Software”) in compliance with all license terms applicable to such Open Source Software; and (ii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries uses or distributes or has used or distributed any Open Source

 

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Software in any manner that requires or has required (A) the Company or any of its subsidiaries to permit reverse engineering of any software code or other technology owned by the Company or any of its subsidiaries or (B) any software code or other technology owned by the Company or any of its subsidiaries to be (1) disclosed or distributed in source code form, (2) licensed for the purpose of making derivative works or (3) redistributed at no charge.

(aa) (i) The Company and each of its subsidiaries have complied and are presently in compliance, each in all material respects, with all internal and external privacy policies, contractual obligations, industry standards, applicable laws, statutes, judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or other governmental or regulatory authority and any other legal obligations, in each case, relating to the collection, use, transfer, import, export, storage, protection, disposal and disclosure by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of personal, personally identifiable, household, sensitive, confidential or regulated data or information (“Data Security Obligations”, and such data, “Data”); (ii) the Company has not received any notification of or complaint regarding, and is unaware of any other facts that, individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably indicate, non-compliance with any Data Security Obligation; and (iii) there is no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body pending or to the Company’s knowledge, threatened alleging non-compliance with any Data Security Obligation.

(bb) The Company and each of its subsidiaries have implemented and maintained commercially reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect the Company’s information technology systems and Data used in connection with the operation of the Company’s and its subsidiaries’ businesses. Without limiting the foregoing, the Company and its subsidiaries have used reasonable efforts to establish and maintain, and have established, maintained, implemented and complied with, reasonable information technology, information security, cyber security and data protection controls, policies and procedures, including oversight, access controls, encryption, technological and physical safeguards and business continuity/disaster recovery and security plans that are designed to protect against and prevent breach, destruction, loss, unauthorized distribution, use, access, disablement, misappropriation or modification, or other compromise or misuse of or relating to any information technology system or Data used in connection with the operation of the Company’s and its subsidiaries’ businesses (“Breach”). To the Company’s knowledge, there has been no such Breach, and the Company and its subsidiaries have not been notified of and have no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in, any such Breach.

(cc) No material labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists, or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent; and the Company is not aware of any existing, threatened or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its principal suppliers, manufacturers or contractors that would, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries.

 

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(dd) The Company and each of its subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as, in the reasonable judgment of the Company, are prudent and customary in the businesses in which they are engaged; neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied for; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain comparable coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

(ee) The Company and each of its subsidiaries possess all certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate federal, state or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses, as currently conducted, except where the failure to obtain such certificates, authorizations and permits would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such certificate, authorization or permit which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

(ff) The financial statements included or incorporated by reference in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes thereto, comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Securities Act and present fairly in all material respects the consolidated financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries as of the dates shown and its results of operations and cash flows for the periods shown, and such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered thereby except for any normal year-end adjustments in the Company’s quarterly financial statements. The other financial information included in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus has been derived from the accounting records of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries and presents fairly in all material respects the information shown thereby. The pro forma financial statements and the related notes thereto incorporated by reference in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus present fairly in all material respects the information shown therein, have been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines with respect to pro forma financial statements and have been properly compiled on the bases described therein, and the assumptions used in the preparation thereof are reasonable and the adjustments used therein are appropriate to give effect to the transactions and circumstances referred to therein. The statistical, industry-related and market-related data included in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources which the Company reasonably and in good faith believes are reliable and accurate and such data is consistent with the sources from which they are derived, in each case in all material respects.

 

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(gg) Ernst & Young LLP, who has certified certain financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries and delivered its report with respect to the audited consolidated financial statements and schedules filed with the Commission as part of the Registration Statement and included in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations thereunder adopted by the Commission and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Whitley Penn LLP, who has certified certain financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries and delivered its report with respect to the audited consolidated financial statements and schedules filed with the Commission as part of the Registration Statement and included in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to Applied Avionics Inc. within the meaning of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations thereunder adopted by the Commission and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States).

(hh) The Company and each of its subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls 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. GAAP and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences; and (v) the interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement is accurate. Since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (i) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (ii) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

(ii) Other than as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company has not sold, issued or distributed any shares of Common Stock during the six-month period preceding the date hereof, including any sales pursuant to Rule 144A under, or Regulation D or S of, the Securities Act, other than shares issued pursuant to employee benefit plans, qualified stock option plans or other employee compensation plans or pursuant to outstanding options, rights or warrants.

 

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(jj) The Company and each of its subsidiaries have filed all federal, state, local and foreign tax returns required to be filed by them through the date of this Agreement or have requested extensions thereof (except where the failure to file would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries) and have paid all taxes required to be paid thereon (except for cases in which the failure to file or pay would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, or, except as currently being contested in good faith and for which reserves required by U.S. GAAP have been created in the financial statements of the Company), and no tax deficiency has been determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries which, singly or in the aggregate, has had (nor does the Company nor any of its subsidiaries have any notice or knowledge of any tax deficiency which could reasonably be expected to be determined adversely to the Company or its subsidiaries and which could reasonably be expected to have) a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries.

(kk) The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.

(ll) From the time of initial confidential submission of the Registration Statement to the Commission through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act (an “Emerging Growth Company”).

(mm) The Company (i) has not engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communication with any person other than Testing-the-Waters Communications with the consent of the Representatives with entities that are reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers within the meaning of Rule 144A under the Securities Act or institutions that are reasonably believed to be accredited investors within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Securities Act and (ii) has not authorized anyone else to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company has not distributed any Testing-the-Waters Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act. “Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Section 5(d) or Rule 163B of the Securities Act.

(nn) As of the time of each sale of the Shares in connection with the offering when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers, none of (A) the Time of Sale Prospectus, (B) any free writing prospectus, when considered together with the Time of Sale Prospectus, and (C) any individual Testing-the-Waters Communication, when considered together with the Time of Sale Prospectus, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions in the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus or any Testing-the-Waters Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act based upon the Underwriter Furnished Information.

 

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2. Representations and Warranties of the Selling Shareholders. Each Selling Shareholder represents and warrants to and agrees with each of the Underwriters that:

(a) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by or on behalf of such Selling Shareholder.

(b) The execution and delivery by such Selling Shareholder of, and the performance by such Selling Shareholder of its obligations under, this Agreement will not contravene any provision of applicable law, or the certificate of incorporation, bylaws or similar organizational documents of such Selling Shareholder, or, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to materially impact such Selling Shareholder’s ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement, any agreement or other instrument binding upon such Selling Shareholder or any judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having jurisdiction over such Selling Shareholder, and no consent, approval, authorization or order of, or qualification with, any governmental body, agency or court is required for the performance by such Selling Shareholder of its obligations under this Agreement, except such as will have been obtained on or prior to the Closing Date, as may be required by the securities or Blue Sky laws of the various states or by FINRA rules or regulations in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares, or as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to materially impact such Selling Shareholder’s ability to perform its obligations under this Agreement.

(c) Such Selling Shareholder has, and on the Closing Date will have, valid title to, or a valid “security entitlement” within the meaning of Section 8-501 of the New York Uniform Commercial Code in respect of, the Shares to be sold by such Selling Shareholder free and clear of all security interests, claims, liens, equities or other encumbrances and the legal right and power, and all authorization and approval required by law, to enter into this Agreement and to sell, transfer and deliver the Shares to be sold by such Selling Shareholder or a security entitlement in respect of such Shares.

(d) Upon payment for the Shares to be sold by such Selling Shareholder pursuant to this Agreement, delivery of such Shares, as directed by the Underwriters, to Cede & Co. (“Cede”) or such other nominee as may be designated by the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), registration of such Shares in the name of Cede or such other nominee and the crediting of such Shares on the books of DTC to securities accounts of the Underwriters (assuming that neither DTC nor any such Underwriter has notice of any adverse claim (within the meaning of Section 8-105 of the New York Uniform Commercial Code (the “UCC”)) to such Shares), (A) DTC shall be a “protected purchaser” of such Shares within the meaning of Section 8-303 of the UCC, (B) under Section 8-501 of the UCC, the Underwriters will acquire a valid security entitlement in respect of such Shares and (C) no action based on any “adverse claim”, within the meaning of Section 8-102 of the UCC, to such Shares may be asserted against the Underwriters with respect to such security entitlement; for purposes of this representation, such Selling Shareholder may assume that when such payment, delivery and crediting occur, (x) such Shares will have been registered in the name of Cede or another nominee designated by DTC, in each case on the Company’s share registry in accordance with its certificate of incorporation, bylaws and applicable law, (y) DTC will be registered as a “clearing corporation” within the meaning of Section 8-102 of the UCC and (z) appropriate entries to the accounts of the several Underwriters on the records of DTC will have been made pursuant to the UCC.

 

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(e) Such Selling Shareholder has delivered to the Representatives an executed lock-up agreement in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Lock-up Agreement”).

(f) Such Selling Shareholder has not taken and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action that is designed to or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in unlawful stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.

(g) Such Selling Shareholder is not prompted by any material non-public information concerning the Company or its subsidiaries which is not set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus to sell its Shares pursuant to this Agreement.

(h) To the extent that any statements or omissions made in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any broadly available road show, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, if applicable, are made in reliance upon and in conformity with the Selling Shareholder Information (as defined below), such Registration Statement, Time of Sale Prospectus, broadly available road show, if any, did not and any further amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus will not, when they become effective or are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. “Selling Shareholder Information” consists solely of the information with respect to such Selling Shareholder under the caption “Principal and Selling Stockholders” in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.

(i) Such Selling Shareholder will not, directly or knowingly indirectly, use the proceeds of the offering contemplated by this Agreement, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other individual or entity in any manner that will result in a violation of any Sanctions by, or could result in the imposition of Sanctions against, any person (including any person participating in the offering contemplated by this Agreement, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise).

(j) The obligations of such Selling Shareholder hereunder shall not be terminated by operation of law, whether by the dissolution of such Selling Shareholder or by the occurrence of any other event; if such Selling Shareholder shall be dissolved, or if any other such event should occur, before the delivery of the Shares to be sold by such Selling Shareholder hereunder, such Shares shall be delivered by or on behalf of such Selling Shareholder in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

 

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(k) No stamp, documentary, issuance, registration, transfer, withholding, capital gains, income or other taxes or duties are payable by or on behalf of the Underwriters, the Company or any of its subsidiaries in Luxembourg or the Cayman Islands or to any taxing authority thereof or therein in connection with (i) the execution, delivery or consummation of this Agreement, provided that nominal Cayman Islands stamp duty will be payable on this Agreement by the Company if it is executed in or brought to the Cayman Islands, or produced before a Cayman Islands Court, (ii) the sale and delivery of the Shares to the Underwriters or purchasers procured by the Underwriters, or (iii) the resale and delivery of the Shares by the Underwriters in the manner contemplated herein.

(l) Such Selling Shareholder has the power to submit, and pursuant to Section 17(a) has, to the extent permitted by law, legally, validly, effectively and irrevocably submitted, to the jurisdiction of the Specified Courts (as defined in Section 17(a)).

(m) Each of Great Hollow International, L.P., GSO Capital Opportunities Fund III LP, and GSO Barre des Ecrins Master Fund SCSp (together, the “Non-U.S. Selling Shareholders”) has the power to designate, appoint and empower, and pursuant to Section 17(b), has legally, validly and effectively designated, appointed and empowered an agent for service of process in any suit or proceeding based on or arising under this Agreement in any of the Specified Courts.

3. Agreements to Sell and Purchase. Each Seller, severally and not jointly, hereby agrees to sell to the several Underwriters, and each Underwriter, upon the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained, but subject to the terms and conditions hereinafter stated, agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from such Seller at $[•] a share (the “Purchase Price”) the number of Firm Shares (subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as the Representatives may determine) that bears the same proportion to the number of Firm Shares to be sold by such Seller as the number of Firm Shares set forth in Schedule II hereto opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Firm Shares.

On the basis of the representations and warranties contained in this Agreement, and subject to its terms and conditions, the Selling Shareholders, severally and not jointly, agree to sell to the Underwriters the Additional Shares, and the Underwriters shall have the right to purchase, severally and not jointly, up to [•] Additional Shares at the Purchase Price, provided, however, that the amount paid by the Underwriters for any Additional Shares shall be reduced by an amount per share equal to any dividends declared by the Company and payable on the Firm Shares but not payable on such Additional Shares. The Representatives may exercise this right on behalf of the Underwriters in whole or from time to time in part by giving written notice not later than 30 days after the date of this Agreement. Any exercise notice shall specify the number of Additional Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters and the date on which such shares are to be purchased. Each purchase date must be at least one business day after the written notice is given and may not be earlier than the closing date for the Firm Shares or later than ten business days after the date of such notice. Additional Shares may be purchased as provided in Section 5 hereof solely for the purpose of covering sales of shares in excess of the number of the Firm

 

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Shares. On each day, if any, that Additional Shares are to be purchased (an “Option Closing Date”), each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase the number of Additional Shares (subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as the Representatives may determine) that bears the same proportion to the total number of Additional Shares to be purchased on such Option Closing Date as the number of Firm Shares set forth in Schedule I hereto opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Firm Shares.

4. Terms of Public Offering. The Sellers are advised by the Representatives that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of their respective portions of the Shares as soon after the Registration Statement and this Agreement have become effective as in the Representatives’ judgment is advisable. The Sellers are further advised by the Representatives that the Shares are to be offered to the public initially at $[•] a share (the “Public Offering Price”) and to certain dealers selected by the Representatives at a price that represents a concession not in excess of $[•] a share under the Public Offering Price.

5. Payment and Delivery. Payment for the Firm Shares to be sold by each Seller shall be made to such Seller in Federal or other funds immediately available in New York City against delivery of such Firm Shares for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on [•], 2024, or at such other time on the same or such other date, not later than [•], 2024, as shall be designated in writing by the Representatives. The time and date of such payment are hereinafter referred to as the “Closing Date.”

Payment for any Additional Shares shall be made to the Selling Shareholders in Federal or other funds immediately available in New York City against delivery of such Additional Shares for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the date specified in the corresponding notice described in Section 3 or at such other time on the same or on such other date, in any event not later than [•], 2024, as shall be designated in writing by the Representatives.

The Firm Shares and Additional Shares shall be registered in such names and in such denominations as the Representatives shall request in writing not later than one full business day prior to the Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be. The Firm Shares and Additional Shares shall be delivered to the Representatives on the Closing Date or an Option Closing Date, as the case may be, for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters, with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the transfer of the Shares to the Underwriters duly paid, against payment of the Purchase Price therefor.

6. Conditions to the Underwriters Obligations. The obligations of the Sellers to sell the Shares to the Underwriters and the several obligations of the Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Shares on the Closing Date are subject to the condition that the Registration Statement shall have become effective not later than 4:01 p.m. (New York City time) on the date hereof.

 

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The several obligations of the Underwriters are subject to the following further conditions:

(a) Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date:

(i) no order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be in effect, and no proceeding for such purpose or pursuant to Section 8A under the Securities Act shall be pending before or threatened by the Commission;

(ii) there shall not have occurred any downgrading, nor shall any notice have been given of any intended or potential downgrading or of any review for a possible change that does not indicate the direction of the possible change, in the rating accorded any of the securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization,” as such term is defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”); and

(iii) there shall not have occurred any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus that, in the Representatives’ judgment, is material and adverse and that makes it, in the Representatives’ judgment, impracticable to market the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospectus.

(b) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date a certificate, dated the Closing Date and signed by an executive officer of the Company, to the effect set forth in Sections 6(a)(i) and 6(a)(ii) above and to the effect that the representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement are true and correct as of the Closing Date and that the Company has complied with all of the agreements and satisfied all of the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder on or before the Closing Date.

The officer signing and delivering such certificate may rely upon the best of his or her knowledge as to proceedings threatened.

(c) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion and negative assurance letter of Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP, outside counsel for the Company, dated the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.

(d) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion letter of Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP, outside counsel for the Company, dated the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.

(e) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion letter of Squire Patton Boggs (UK) LLP, outside counsel for the Company, dated the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.

 

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(f) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion letter of Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP, outside counsel for Abrams Capital Partners I, L.P., Abrams Capital Partners II, L.P., Riva Capital Partners IV, L.P., Riva Capital Partners V, L.P., Whitecrest Partners, LP, Great Hollow International, L.P., GPV Loar LLC, Charles Family Trust 13, Brett Milgrim, Glenn D’Alessandro and Michael J. Manella (the “Non-BX Selling Shareholders”), dated the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.

(g) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion letter of Maples and Calder (Cayman) LLP, outside counsel for Great Hollow International, L.P., dated the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.

(h) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, outside counsel for GSO Capital Opportunities Fund III LP, GSO Barre Des Ecrins Master Fund SCSP, BCRED Twin Peaks LLC, GSO Orchid Fund LP and Blackstone Private Credit Fund (the “BX Selling Shareholders”), dated the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.

(i) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of Richards Layton & Finger, PA, Delaware counsel for Blackstone Private Credit Fund, dated the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.

(j) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of Walkers (Cayman) LLP, Cayman counsel for GSO Orchid Fund LP, dated the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.

(k) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of Elvinger Hoss Prussen, société anonyme, Luxembourg counsel for GSO Barre des Ecrins Master Fund SCSp., dated the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.

(l) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion and negative assurance letter of Ropes & Gray LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.

With respect to the negative assurance letters to be delivered pursuant to Sections 6(c) and 6(l) above, each of Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP and Ropes & Gray LLP may state that their opinions and beliefs are based upon their participation in the preparation of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto and review and discussion of the contents thereof, but are without independent check or verification, except as specified. With respect to Section 6(h) above, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP may rely upon an opinion or opinions of counsel for any BX Selling Shareholders and, with respect to factual matters and to the extent such counsel deems appropriate, upon the representations of each BX Selling Shareholder contained herein and in

 

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other documents and instruments; provided that (A) each such counsel for the BX Selling Shareholders is satisfactory to the Representatives’ counsel, (B) a copy of each opinion so relied upon is delivered to the Representatives and is in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives’ counsel, and (C) copies of any such other documents and instruments shall be delivered to the Representatives and shall be in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives’ counsel and (D) Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP shall state in their opinion that they are justified in relying on each such other opinion.

The opinion of each of Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP, Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP, Squire Patton Boggs (UK) LLP, Maples and Calder (Cayman) LLP, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, Richards Layton & Finger, PA, Walkers (Cayman) LLP and Elvinger Hoss Prussen, société anonyme described in Sections 6(c), 6(d), 6(e), 6(f), 6(g), 6(h), 6(i), 6(j) and 6(k) above (and any opinions of counsel for any Selling Shareholder referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph) shall be rendered to the Underwriters at the request of the Company or one or more of the Selling Shareholders, as the case may be, and shall so state therein.

(m) The Underwriters shall have received, on each of the date hereof and the Closing Date, a letter dated the date hereof or the Closing Date, as the case may be, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, from Ernst & Young LLP, independent public accountants, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to certain financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus; provided that the letter delivered on the Closing Date shall use a “cut-off date” not earlier than the date hereof.

(n) The Underwriters shall have received, on each of the date hereof and the Closing Date, a letter dated the date hereof or the Closing Date, as the case may be, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, from Whitley Penn LLP, independent public accountants, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to certain financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus; provided that the letter delivered on the Closing Date shall use a “cut-off date” not earlier than the date hereof.

(o) The Underwriters shall have received, on the date hereof and the Closing Date, a certificate, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof and addressed to the Underwriters, of the Company’s chief financial officer with respect to certain financial data contained in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, providing “management comfort” with respect to such information, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.

(p) The Lock-Up Agreements, between the Representatives and certain shareholders, officers and directors of the Company relating to restrictions on sales and certain other dispositions of shares of Common Stock or certain other securities, delivered to the Representatives on or before the date hereof, shall be in full force and effect on the Closing Date.

 

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(q) The several obligations of the Underwriters to purchase Additional Shares hereunder are subject to the delivery to the Representatives on the applicable Option Closing Date of the following:

(i) a certificate, dated the Option Closing Date and signed by an executive officer of the Company, confirming that the certificate delivered on the Closing Date pursuant to Section 6(b) hereof remains true and correct as of such Option Closing Date;

(ii) an opinion and negative assurance letter of Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP, outside counsel for the Company, dated the Option Closing Date, relating to the Additional Shares to be purchased on such Option Closing Date and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 6(c) hereof;

(iii) an opinion of Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP, outside counsel for the Company, dated the Option Closing Date, relating to the Additional Shares to be purchased on such Option Closing Date and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 6(d) hereof;

(iv) an opinion of Squire Patton Boggs (UK) LLP, outside counsel for the Company, dated the Option Closing Date, relating to the Additional Shares to be purchased on such Option Closing Date and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 6(e) hereof;

(v) an opinion letter of Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP, outside counsel for the Non-BX Selling Shareholders, dated the Option Closing Date, and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 6(f) hereof;

(vi) an opinion letter of Maples and Calder (Cayman) LLP, outside counsel for Great Hollow International, L.P., dated the Option Closing Date, and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 6(g) hereof;

(vii) an opinion of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, outside counsel for the BX Selling Shareholders, dated the Option Closing Date, relating to the Additional Shares to be purchased on such Option Closing Date and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 6(h) hereof;

(viii) an opinion of Richards Layton & Finger, PA, Delaware counsel for Blackstone Private Credit Fund, dated the Option Closing Date, relating to the Additional Shares to be purchased on such Option Closing Date and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 6(i) hereof;

 

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(ix) an opinion of Walkers (Cayman) LLP, Cayman counsel for GSO Orchid Fund LP, dated the Option Closing Date, relating to the Additional Shares to be purchased on such Option Closing Date and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 6(j) hereof;

(x) an opinion of Elvinger Hoss Prussen, société anonyme, Luxembourg counsel for GSO Barre des Ecrins Master Fund SCSp., dated the Option Closing Date, relating to the Additional Shares to be purchased on such Option Closing Date and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 6(k) hereof;

(xi) an opinion and negative assurance letter of Ropes & Gray LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated the Option Closing Date, relating to the Additional Shares to be purchased on such Option Closing Date and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 6(l) hereof;

(xii) a letter dated the Option Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, from Ernst & Young LLP, independent public accountants, substantially in the same form and substance as the letter furnished to the Underwriters pursuant to Section 6(m) hereof; provided that the letter delivered on the Option Closing Date shall use a “cut-off date” not earlier than two business days prior to such Option Closing Date;

(xiii) a letter dated the Option Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, from Whitley Penn LLP, independent public accountants, substantially in the same form and substance as the letter furnished to the Underwriters pursuant to Section 6(n) hereof; provided that the letter delivered on the Option Closing Date shall use a “cut-off date” not earlier than two business days prior to such Option Closing Date;

(xiv) a certificate of the Company’s chief financial officer, dated the Option Closing Date, substantially in the same form and substance as the certificate furnished to the Underwriters pursuant to Section 6(o) hereof, and

(xv) such other documents as the Representatives may reasonably request with respect to the good standing of the Company, the due authorization and issuance of the Additional Shares to be sold on such Option Closing Date and other matters related to the issuance of such Additional Shares.

7. Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants with each Underwriter as follows:

(a) To furnish to the Representatives, without charge, six (6) signed copies of the Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto) and for delivery to each other Underwriter a conformed copy of the Registration Statement (without exhibits thereto) and to furnish to the Representatives in New York City, without charge, prior to 10:00 a.m. New York City time on the business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement and during the period mentioned in Section 7(e) or 7(f) below, as many copies of the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus and any supplements and amendments thereto or to the Registration Statement as the Representatives may reasonably request.

 

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(b) Before amending or supplementing the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, to furnish to the Representatives a copy of each such proposed amendment or supplement and not to file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which the Representatives reasonably object, and to file with the Commission within the applicable period specified in Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act any prospectus required to be filed pursuant to such Rule.

(c) To furnish to the Representatives a copy of each proposed free writing prospectus to be prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company and not to use or refer to any proposed free writing prospectus to which the Representatives reasonably object.

(d) Not to take any action that would result in an Underwriter or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of the Underwriter that the Underwriter otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder.

(e) If the Time of Sale Prospectus is being used to solicit offers to buy the Shares at a time when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances, not misleading, or if any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which the Time of Sale Prospectus conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement then on file, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus to comply with applicable law, forthwith to prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to any dealer upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Time of Sale Prospectus so that the statements in the Time of Sale Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when the Time of Sale Prospectus is delivered to a prospective purchaser, be misleading or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will no longer conflict with the Registration Statement, or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.

(f) If, during such period after the first date of the public offering of the Shares as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Securities Act) is required by law to be delivered in connection with sales by an Underwriter or dealer, any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Securities Act) is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with

 

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applicable law, forthwith to prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to the dealers (whose names and addresses the Representatives will furnish to the Company) to which Shares may have been sold by the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters and to any other dealers upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Prospectus so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Securities Act) is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.

(g) To endeavor to qualify the Shares for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives shall reasonably request.

(h) To make generally available to the Company’s security holders and to the Representatives as soon as practicable an earnings statement covering a period of at least twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company occurring after the date of this Agreement which shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (including, at the Company’s option, Rule 158 of the Securities Act).

(i) If any Seller is not a U.S. person for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the Company will deliver to each Underwriter (or its agent), on or before the Closing Date, (i) a certificate with respect to the Company’s status as a “United States real property holding corporation,” dated not more than thirty (30) days prior to the Closing Date, as described in Treasury Regulations Sections 1.897-2(h) and 1.1445-2(c)(3), and (ii) proof of delivery to the IRS of the required notice, as described in Treasury Regulations 1.897-2(h)(2).

(j) The Company will promptly notify the Representatives if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the later of (i) completion of the distribution of the Shares within the meaning of the Securities Act and (ii) completion of the Restricted Period (as defined in this Section 7).

(k) If at any time following the distribution of any Testing-the-Waters Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Testing-the-Waters Communication included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Testing-the-Waters Communication to eliminate or correct such untrue statement or omission.

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

 

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The Company also covenants with each Underwriter that, without the prior written consent of the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters, it will not, and will not publicly disclose an intention to, during the period ending 90 days after the date of the Prospectus (the “Restricted Period”), (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or (2) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise or (3) file any registration statement with the Commission relating to the offering of any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock.

The restrictions contained in the preceding paragraph shall not apply to (A) the Shares to be sold hereunder, (B) the issuance by the Company of shares of Common Stock upon the exercise of an option or warrant or the conversion of a security outstanding on the date hereof as described in each of the Time of Sale Prospectus and Prospectus, (C) any stock-based awards granted under an employee benefit or stock-based compensation plan or agreement described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, or pursuant to any qualifying inducement award under the rules of the NYSE, provided that the holder of any such inducement award agrees in writing with the Underwriters not to sell, offer, dispose of or otherwise transfer any such inducement award or any shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to such inducement award during the Restricted Period, (D) the filing of a registration statement on Form S-8 to register Common Stock issuable pursuant to any employee benefit plans, qualified stock option plans, or other employee compensation plans, described in the Time of Sale Prospectus, (E) facilitating the establishment of a trading plan on behalf of a shareholder, officer or director of the Company pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act for the transfer of shares of Common Stock, provided that (i) such plan does not provide for the transfer of Common Stock during the Restricted Period and (ii) to the extent a public announcement or filing under the Exchange Act, if any, is required of or voluntarily made by the Company regarding the establishment of such plan, such announcement or filing shall include a statement to the effect that no transfer of Common Stock may be made under such plan during the Restricted Period, or (F) the issuance by the Company of shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, Common Stock, in connection with any merger, joint venture, strategic alliances, commercial or other collaborative transaction or the acquisition or license of the business, property, technology or other assets of another individual or entity or the assumption of an employee benefit plan in connection with a merger or acquisition; provided that the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, Common Stock that the Company may issue or agree to issue pursuant to this clause (F) shall not exceed five percent (5%) of the total number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately following the issuance of the Shares hereunder; and provided further, that, the recipients thereof provide to the Representatives an agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto if such recipient has not already delivered one.

 

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8. Covenants of the Sellers. Each Seller (as applicable), severally and not jointly, covenants with each Underwriter as follows:

(a) Each Selling Shareholder will deliver to each Underwriter (or its agent), prior to or at the Closing Date, a properly completed and executed Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) Form W-9 or an IRS Form W-8, as appropriate, together with all required attachments to such form.

(b) Each Selling Shareholder will deliver to each Underwriter (or its agent), on the date of execution of this Agreement, a properly completed and executed Certification Regarding Beneficial Owners of Legal Entity Customers, together with copies of identifying documentation, and each Seller undertakes to provide such additional supporting documentation as each Underwriter may reasonably request in connection with the verification of the foregoing Certification.

(c) All sums payable by the Company or the Selling Shareholder under this Agreement shall be paid free and clear of and without deductions or withholdings of any present or future taxes or duties, unless the deduction or withholding is required by law, in which case the Company or the Selling Shareholder, as the case may be, shall pay such additional amount as will result in the receipt by each Underwriter of the full amount that would have been received had no deduction or withholding been made.

(d) All sums payable to an Underwriter shall be considered exclusive of any value added or similar taxes. Where the Company or, as the case may be, a Selling Shareholder is obliged to pay value added or similar tax on any amount payable hereunder to an Underwriter, the Company or the Selling Shareholder, as the case may be, shall in addition to the sum payable hereunder pay an amount equal to any applicable value added or similar tax.

9. Expenses. Whether or not the transactions contemplated in this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, the Sellers agree to pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of their obligations under this Agreement, including: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Company’s counsel, the Company’s accountants and counsel for the Selling Shareholders in connection with the registration and delivery of the Shares under the Securities Act and all other fees or expenses in connection with the preparation and filing of the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company and amendments and supplements to any of the foregoing, including all printing costs associated therewith, and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers, in the quantities hereinabove specified, (ii) all costs and expenses related to the transfer and delivery of the Shares to the Underwriters, including any transfer or other taxes payable thereon, (iii) the cost of printing or producing any Blue Sky or Legal Investment memorandum in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares under state securities laws and all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Shares for offer and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section 7(g) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky or Legal Investment memorandum, (iv) all

 

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filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters incurred in connection with the review and qualification of the offering of the Shares by FINRA (provided that the amount payable by the Company with respect to fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters pursuant to subsection (iii) and (iv) shall not exceed $40,000), (v) all costs and expenses incident to listing the Shares on the NYSE, (vi) the cost of printing certificates representing the Shares, (vii) the costs and charges of any transfer agent, registrar or depositary, (viii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Shares, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the preparation or dissemination of any electronic road show, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations with the prior approval of the Company, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company and any such consultants, and one-half of the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the road show, (ix) the document production charges and expenses associated with printing this Agreement, and (x) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company hereunder for which provision is not otherwise made in this Section. It is understood, however, that except as provided in this Section, Section 11 entitled “Indemnity and Contribution” and the last paragraph of Section 13 below, the Underwriters will pay all of their costs and expenses, including fees and disbursements of their counsel, stock transfer taxes payable on resale of any of the Shares by them and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may make.

(b) The provisions of this Section shall not supersede or otherwise affect any agreement that the Sellers may otherwise have for the allocation of such expense among themselves.

10. Covenants of the Underwriters. Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, covenants with the Company not to take any action that would result in the Company being required to file with the Commission under Rule 433(d) a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter that otherwise would not be required to be filed by the Company thereunder, but for the action of the Underwriter.

11. Indemnity and Contribution. (a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act and each affiliate of any Underwriter within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act, and each Selling Shareholder, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending or investigating any such action or claim) that arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or any amendment thereof, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, any issuer free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act, any Company information that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, any road show, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any Testing-the-Waters Communication, or arise out of, or are based upon, any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading;

 

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provided that the Company shall not be liable in any 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 or any amendment thereof, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, any issuer free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act, any Company information that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, any road show, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any Testing-the-Waters Communication, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists solely of the information described as such in subsection (c) hereof, or by the Selling Shareholders expressly for use therein that constitutes Selling Shareholder Information.

(b) Each of the Selling Shareholders, severally and not jointly, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act and each affiliate of any Underwriter within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending or investigating any such action or claim) that arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or any amendment thereof, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, any issuer free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act, any Company information that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, any road show as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act (a “road show”), the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any Testing-the-Waters Communication, or arise out of, or are based upon, any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, 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 or any amendment thereof, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, any issuer free writing prospectus, any Company information that the Company has filed, or is required to file, any road show, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any Testing-the-Waters Communication in reliance upon and in conformity with the Selling Shareholder Information; provided that the liability of the Selling Shareholder pursuant to this subsection (a) shall not exceed the product of the number of Shares sold by such Selling Shareholder and the price per Share referenced in Section 4 hereof as set forth in the Prospectus (such product, the “Selling Shareholder Proceeds”).

 

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(c) Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, the Selling Shareholders, the directors of the Company, the officers of the Company who sign the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company or any Selling Shareholder within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending or investigating any such action or claim) that arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or any amendment thereof, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, any issuer free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act, any Company information that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, any road show or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or arise out of, or are based upon, any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, but only with reference to information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus, road show or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto (the “Underwriter Furnished Information”), which information consists of the following information in the Prospectus furnished on behalf of each Underwriter: the second sentence of the third paragraph under the caption “Underwriting,” the concession amount, if any, in the first paragraph under the caption “Underwriting—Commission and Expenses,” and the first sentence under the caption “Underwriting—Stabilization,” in the Preliminary Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.

(d) In case any proceeding (including any governmental investigation) shall be instituted involving any person in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to Section 11(a) or 11(b), such person (the “indemnified party”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnity may be sought (the “indemnifying party”) in writing and the indemnifying party, upon request of the indemnified party, shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party and any others the indemnifying party may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the reasonably incurred and reasonably documented fees and disbursements of such counsel related to such proceeding. In any such proceeding, any indemnified party shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the reasonably incurred and reasonably documented fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel or (ii) the named parties to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the indemnifying party and the indemnified party and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. It is understood that the indemnifying party shall not, in respect of the legal expenses of any indemnified party in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for (i) the reasonably incurred and reasonably documented fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all Underwriters and all persons, if any, who control any Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act or who are affiliates of any Underwriter within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act, (ii) the fees and

 

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expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for the Company, its directors, its officers who sign the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of either such Section and (iii) the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all Selling Shareholders and all persons, if any, who control any Selling Shareholder within the meaning of either such Section, and that all such fees and expenses shall be reimbursed as they are incurred. In the case of any such separate firm for the Underwriters and such control persons and affiliates of any Underwriters, such firm shall be designated in writing by the Representatives. In the case of any such separate firm for the Company, and such directors, officers and control persons of the Company, such firm shall be designated in writing by the Company. In the case of any such separate firm for the Selling Shareholders and such control persons of any Selling Shareholders, such firm shall be designated in writing by the Selling Shareholders. The indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for reasonably incurred and reasonably documented fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by the second and third sentences of this paragraph, the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request and (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding.

(e) To the extent the indemnification provided for in Section 11(a), 11(b) or 11(c) is unavailable to an indemnified party or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each indemnifying party under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the indemnifying party or parties on the one hand and the indemnified party or parties on the other hand from the offering of the Shares or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause 11(d)(i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause 11(d)(i) above but also the relative fault of the indemnifying party or parties on the one hand and of the indemnified party or parties on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Sellers on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the offering of the Shares shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net

 

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proceeds from the offering of the Shares (before deducting expenses) received by each Seller and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate Public Offering Price of the Shares. The relative fault of the Sellers on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand 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 Sellers or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Underwriters’ respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 11 are several in proportion to the respective number of Shares they have purchased hereunder, and not joint.

(f) The Sellers and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just or equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 11 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 that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in Section 11(e). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in Section 11(e) shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 11, (i) 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 that such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission and (ii) each Selling Shareholder’s obligation to contribute any amount under this Section 11(f) is limited in the manner and to the extent set forth in Section 11(b) and such Selling Shareholder shall not be required to contribute any amount in excess of the applicable Selling Shareholder Proceeds. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The remedies provided for in this Section 11 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any indemnified party at law or in equity.

(g) The indemnity and contribution provisions contained in this Section 11 and the representations, warranties and other statements of the Company and the Selling Shareholders contained in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any termination of this Agreement, (ii) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, any person controlling any Underwriter or any affiliate of any Underwriter, by or on behalf of any Selling Shareholder or any person controlling any Selling Shareholder, or by or on behalf of the Company, its officers or directors or any person controlling the Company and (iii) acceptance of and payment for any of the Shares.

 

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12. Termination. The Underwriters may terminate this Agreement by notice given by the Representatives to the Company, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to or on the Closing Date or any Option Closing Date, as the case may be, (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on, or by, as the case may be, any of the New York Stock Exchange, the NYSE American, the NASDAQ Global Market, the Chicago Board of Options Exchange, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange or the Chicago Board of Trade, (ii) trading of any securities of the Company shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market, (iii) a material disruption in securities settlement, payment or clearance services in the United States shall have occurred, (iv) any moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by Federal or New York State authorities or (v) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities, or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis that, in the Representatives’ judgment, is material and adverse and which, singly or together with any other event specified in this clause (v), makes it, in the Representatives’ judgment, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offer, sale or delivery of the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus.

13. Effectiveness; Defaulting Underwriters. This Agreement shall become effective upon the execution and delivery hereof by the parties hereto.

If, on the Closing Date or an Option Closing Date, as the case may be, any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Shares that it has or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, and the aggregate number of Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase is not more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of the Shares to be purchased on such date, the other Underwriters shall be obligated severally in the proportions that the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule I bears to the aggregate number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the names of all such non-defaulting Underwriters, or in such other proportions as the Representatives may specify, to purchase the Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase on such date; provided that in no event shall the number of Shares that any Underwriter has agreed to purchase pursuant to this Agreement be increased pursuant to this Section 13 by an amount in excess of one-ninth of such number of Shares without the written consent of such Underwriter. If, on the Closing Date, any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Firm Shares and the aggregate number of Firm Shares with respect to which such default occurs is more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of Firm Shares to be purchased on such date, and arrangements satisfactory to the Representatives and the Company for the purchase of such Firm Shares are not made within 36 hours after such default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company. In any such case either the Representatives or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date, but in no event for longer than seven days, in order that the required changes, if any, in the Registration Statement, in the Time of Sale Prospectus, in the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected. If, on an Option Closing Date, any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Additional Shares and the aggregate number of Additional Shares with respect to which such default occurs is more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of Additional Shares to be purchased on such Option Closing Date, the non-defaulting Underwriters shall have the option to (i) terminate their obligation hereunder to purchase the Additional Shares to be sold on such Option Closing Date or (ii) purchase not less than the number of Additional Shares that such non-defaulting Underwriters would have been obligated to purchase in the absence of such default. Any action taken under this paragraph shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.

 

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If this Agreement shall be terminated by the Underwriters, or any of them, because of any failure or refusal on the part of the any Seller to comply with the terms or to fulfill any of the conditions of this Agreement, or if for any reason any Seller shall be unable to perform its obligations under this Agreement, the Sellers will reimburse the Underwriters or such Underwriters as have so terminated this Agreement with respect to themselves, severally, for all out-of-pocket expenses (including the fees and disbursements of their counsel) reasonably incurred by such Underwriters in connection with this Agreement or the offering contemplated hereunder.

14. Entire Agreement. (a) This Agreement, together with any contemporaneous written agreements and any prior written agreements (to the extent not superseded by this Agreement) that relate to the offering of the Shares, represents the entire agreement between the Company and the Selling Shareholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other with respect to the preparation of any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, the conduct of the offering, and the purchase and sale of the Shares.

(b) The Company and each Selling Shareholder acknowledge that in connection with the offering of the Shares: (i) the Underwriters have acted at arm’s length, are not agents of, and owe no fiduciary duties to, the Company, any of the Selling Shareholders or any other person, (ii) the Underwriters owe the Company and each Selling Shareholder only those duties and obligations set forth in this Agreement, any contemporaneous written agreements and prior written agreements (to the extent not superseded by this Agreement), if any, (iii) the Underwriters may have interests that differ from those of the Company and each Selling Shareholder, and (iv) none of the activities of the Underwriters in connection with the transactions contemplated herein constitutes a recommendation, investment advice, or solicitation of any action by the Underwriters with respect to any entity or natural person. The Company and each Selling Shareholder waive to the full extent permitted by applicable law any claims it may have against the Underwriters arising from an alleged breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the offering of the Shares.

(c) Each Selling Shareholder further acknowledges and agrees that, although the Underwriters may provide certain Selling Shareholders with certain Regulation Best Interest and Form CRS disclosures or other related documentation in connection with the offering, the Underwriters are not making a recommendation to any Selling Shareholder to participate in the offering or sell any Shares at the Purchase Price, and nothing set forth in such disclosures or documentation is intended to suggest that any Underwriter is making such a recommendation.

 

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15. Sales to Affiliated Underwriters. Without limiting the applicability of Section 3 hereof or any other provision of this Agreement, with respect to any Underwriter who is affiliated with any person or entity engaged to act as an investment adviser on behalf of a Selling Shareholder and/or on behalf of a client that has a direct or indirect interest in Shares being sold by any such Selling Shareholder, the Shares being sold to such Underwriter shall not include any shares of Common Stock attributable to such Selling Shareholder or any such advisory client, as the case may be, unless such Selling Shareholder or such advisory client has consented thereto. Accordingly, the fees or other amounts received by such Underwriter in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby shall not include any fees or other amounts attributable to any such advisory client unless that client has consented to the Underwriter’s participation in the transaction. To that end, the Shares being sold to such Underwriter shall not include any shares of Common Stock attributable to any such advisory client that has not provided consent, with any such Shares instead being allocated and sold to the other Underwriters.

16. Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes. (a) In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer from such Underwriter of this Agreement, and any interest and obligation in or under this Agreement, will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement, and any such interest and obligation, were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United State.

(b) In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity or a BHC Act Affiliate of such Underwriter becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under this Agreement that may be exercised against such Underwriter are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.

For purposes of this Section 16, a “BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k). “Covered Entity” means any of the following: (i) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b); (ii) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or (iii) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b). “Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable. “U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

17. Submission to Jurisdiction; Appointment of Agents for Service. (a) The Company and each of the Selling Shareholders irrevocably submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of any New York State or United States Federal court sitting in The City of New York (the “Specified Courts”) over any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the offering of the Shares (each, a “Related Proceeding”). The Company and each of the Selling Shareholders irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any Related Proceeding brought in such a court and any claim that any such Related Proceeding brought in such a court has been brought in an inconvenient forum. To the extent that the Company and each of the Selling Shareholders has or hereafter may acquire any immunity (on the grounds of sovereignty or otherwise) from the jurisdiction of any court or from any legal process with respect to itself or its property, the Company and each of the Selling Shareholders irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, such immunity in respect of any such suit, action or proceeding.

 

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(b) Each of the Non-U.S. Selling Shareholders hereby irrevocably appoints [•], with offices at [•] as its agent for service of process in any Related Proceeding and agrees that service of process in any such Related Proceeding may be made upon it at the office of such agent. Each of the Non-U.S. Selling Shareholders waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any other requirements of or objections to personal jurisdiction with respect thereto. Each of the Non-U.S. Selling Shareholders represents and warrants that such agent has agreed to act as the Non-U.S. Selling Shareholders’ agent for service of process, and each of the Non-U.S. Selling Shareholders agrees to take any and all action, including the filing of any and all documents and instruments, that may be necessary to continue such appointment in full force and effect.

18. Judgment Currency. If for the purposes of obtaining judgment in any court it is necessary to convert a sum due hereunder into any currency other than United States dollars, the parties hereto agree, to the fullest extent permitted by law, that the rate of exchange used shall be the rate at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the Underwriters could purchase United States dollars with such other currency in The City of New York on the business day preceding that on which final judgment is given. The obligation of any Selling Shareholder with respect to any sum due from it to any Underwriter or any person controlling any Underwriter shall, notwithstanding any judgment in a currency other than United States dollars, not be discharged until the first business day following receipt by such Underwriter or controlling person of any sum in such other currency, and only to the extent that such Underwriter or controlling person may in accordance with normal banking procedures purchase United States dollars with such other currency. If the United States dollars so purchased are less than the sum originally due to such Underwriter or controlling person hereunder, each of the Selling Shareholders agrees as a separate obligation and notwithstanding any such judgment, to indemnify such Underwriter or controlling person against such loss. If the United States dollars so purchased are greater than the sum originally due to such Underwriter or controlling person hereunder, such Underwriter or controlling person agrees to pay to the relevant Selling Shareholder(s), as applicable, an amount equal to the excess of the dollars so purchased over the sum originally due to such Underwriter or controlling person hereunder.

19. Taxes. If any sum payable by a Selling Shareholder under this Agreement is subject to tax in the hands of an Underwriter or taken into account as a receipt in computing the taxable income of that Underwriter (excluding net income taxes on underwriting commissions payable hereunder), the sum payable to the Underwriter under this Agreement shall be increased to such sum as will ensure that the Underwriter shall be left with the sum it would have had in the absence of such tax.

 

34


20. Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument. The words “execution,” “signed,” “signature,” and words of like import in this Agreement or in any instruments, agreements, certificates, officers’ certificates, Company orders, legal opinions, negative assurance letters or other documents entered into or delivered pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement shall include images of manually executed signatures transmitted by facsimile or other electronic format (including, without limitation, “pdf,” “tif” or “jpg”) and electronic signatures (including, without limitation, DocuSign and AdobeSign), and this Agreement and any instruments, agreements, certificates, officers’ certificates, legal opinions, Company orders, negative assurance letters or other documents entered into or delivered pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement may be executed, attested and transmitted by any of the foregoing electronic means and formats. The use of electronic signatures and electronic records (including, without limitation, any contract or other record created, generated, sent, communicated, received, or stored by electronic means) shall be of the same legal effect, validity and enforceability as a manually executed signature or use of a paper-based record-keeping system to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures and Records Act and any other applicable law, including, without limitation, any state law based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act or the Uniform Commercial Code.

21. Applicable Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York.

22. Headings. The headings of the sections of this Agreement have been inserted for convenience of reference only and shall not be deemed a part of this Agreement.

23. Notices. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and effective only upon receipt and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered, mailed or sent to Jefferies in care of Jefferies LLC, 520 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10022, Attention: General Counsel, Morgan Stanley in care of Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, 1585 Broadway, New York, New York 10036, Attention: Equity Syndicate Desk, with a copy to the Legal Department, and Moelis in care of Moelis & Company LLC, 399 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10022, Attention: Tiffany Lundquist, Senior Associate General Counsel; if to the Company shall be delivered, mailed, emailed or sent to Loar Holdings Inc., 20 New King Street, White Plains, New York 10604, Attn: Michael J. Manella, Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, email: ***@***; with a copy to: Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP, 1155 Avenue of the Americas, Floor 26, New York, New York 10036, Attn: Aslam A. Rawoof, email: and ***@***; if to the Non-BX Selling Shareholders shall be delivered, mailed or sent to Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP, 1155 Avenue of the Americas, Floor 26, New York, New York 10036, Attn: Aslam A. Rawoof, email: and ***@***; and if to the BX Selling Shareholders shall be delivered, mailed to: c/o Blackstone Alternative Credit Advisors LP, 345 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10154, Attn: Louis Salvatore, email: ***@*** with a copy to: Blackstone Credit Private Asset Servicing Department, email: ***@*** and Sophie Chen at ***@***.

 

35


Very truly yours,

 

Loar Holdings Inc.

By:  

 

  Name: Dirkson R. Charles
  Title: President, Chief Executive Officer, and Executive Co-Chairman

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]


CHARLES FAMILY TRUST 13
By:                   
Name: Dirkson Charles
Title: Trustee

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]


 

Brett Milgrim

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]


 

Glenn D’Alessandro

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]


 

Michael J. Manella

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]


GPV LOAR LLC
By:  

 

Name: Paul S. Levy
Title: Manager

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]


ABRAMS CAPITAL PARTNERS I, L.P.
BY:   Abrams Capital Management, L.P., its investment advisor
BY:   Abrams Capital Management, LLC, its general partner
By:  

 

Name: David Abrams
Title: Managing Member

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]


ABRAMS CAPITAL PARTNERS II, L.P.
BY:   Abrams Capital Management, L.P., its investment advisor
BY:   Abrams Capital Management, LLC, its general partner
By:  

 

Name: David Abrams
Title: Managing Member

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]


WHITECREST PARTNERS, LP
BY:   Abrams Capital Management, L.P. its investment advisor
BY:   Abrams Capital Management, LLC, its general partner
By:  

 

Name: David Abrams
Title: Managing Member

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]


GREAT HOLLOW INTERNATIONAL, L.P.
BY:   Abrams Capital Management, L.P., its investment advisor
BY:   Abrams Capital Management, LLC, its general partner
By:  

 

Name: David Abrams
Title: Managing Member

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]


RIVA CAPITAL PARTNERS IV, L.P.
BY:   Abrams Capital Management, L.P., its investment advisor
BY:   Abrams Capital Management, LLC, its general partner
By:  

 

Name: David Abrams
Title: Managing Member

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]


RIVA CAPITAL PARTNERS V, L.P.
BY:   Abrams Capital Management, L.P., its investment advisor
BY:   Abrams Capital Management, LLC, its general partner
By:  

 

Name: David Abrams
Title: Managing Member

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]


GSO Capital Opportunities Fund III LP
By:   GSO Capital Opportunities Associates III LLC, its general partner
By:  

 

  Name: Marisa Beeney
  Title: Authorized Signatory
Blackstone Private Credit Fund
By:   Blackstone Credit BDC Advisors LLC, its adviser
By:  

 

  Name: Marisa Beeney
  Title: Authorized Signatory
BCRED Twin Peaks LLC
By:   Blackstone Private Credit Fund, its sole common member and special member
By:   Blackstone Credit BDC Advisors LLC, its investment advisor
By:  

 

  Name: Marisa Beeney
  Title: Authorized Signatory
GSO Barre des Ecrins Master Fund SCSp.
By:   GSO Barre des Ecrins Associates GP S.à r.l., its general partner
By:  

 

  Name: Marisa Beeney
  Title: Authorized Signatory

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]


GSO Orchid Fund LP
By:   GSO Orchid Associates LLC, its general partner
By:  

 

  Name: Marisa Beeney
  Title: Authorized Signatory

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]


Accepted as of the date hereof

 

Jefferies LLC

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

Moelis & Company LLC

Acting severally on behalf of themselves and the several Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto.
By:   Jefferies LLC
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:
By:   Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:
By:   Moelis & Company LLC
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:

 

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]


SCHEDULE I

 

Underwriter

   Number of Firm Shares To Be
Purchased
 

Jefferies LLC

  

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

  

Moelis & Company LLC

  

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

  

RBC Capital Markets, LLC

  

Blackstone Securities Partners L.P.

  
  

 

 

 

Total:

  
  

 

 

 

 

I-1


SCHEDULE II

 

Selling Shareholder

   Number of Firm Shares To Be
Sold
 

Charles Family Trust 13

  

Brett Milgrim

  

Glenn D’Alessandro

  

Michael J. Manella

  

GPV Loar LLC

  

Abrams Capital Partners I, L.P.

  

Abrams Capital Partners II, L.P.

  

Riva Capital Partners IV, L.P.

  

Riva Capital Partners V, L.P.

  

Whitecrest Partners, LP

  

Great Hollow International, L.P.

  

GSO Capital Opportunities Fund III LP

  

GSO Barre Des Ecrins Master Fund SCSP

  

BCRED Twin Peaks LLC

  

GSO Orchid Fund LP

  

Blackstone Private Credit Fund

  
  

 

 

 

Total:

  
  

 

 

 

 

II-1


SCHEDULE III

Time of Sale Prospectus

 

1.

Preliminary Prospectus issued [•], 2024

 

2.

Orally communicated pricing information:

 

   

The initial public offering price per share for the Shares is $[•]

 

   

The number of Firm Shares is [•]

 

   

The number of Additional Shares is [•]

 

   

The Closing Date is [•], 2024

 

III-1


EXHIBIT A

FORM OF LOCK-UP AGREEMENT

Lock-Up Agreement

December [•], 2024

Jefferies LLC

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

Moelis & Company LLC

As Representatives of the Several Underwriters

c/o Jefferies LLC

520 Madison Avenue

New York, New York 10022

c/o Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

1585 Broadway

New York, New York 10036

and

c/o Moelis & Company LLC

399 Park Avenue

New York, New York 10022

 

RE:

Proposed Public Offering by Loar Holdings Inc.

Ladies & Gentlemen:

The undersigned is a director or officer of Loar Holdings Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and/or a holder of shares (“Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Common Stock”). The Company proposes to conduct a public offering of shares of Common Stock (the “Offering”) for which Jefferies LLC (“Jefferies”), Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC (“Morgan Stanley”) and Moelis & Company LLC will act as representatives of the underwriters. The undersigned recognizes that the Offering will benefit each of the Company and the undersigned. The undersigned acknowledges that the underwriters are relying on the representations and agreements of the undersigned contained in this letter agreement in conducting the Offering and, at a subsequent date, in entering into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) and other underwriting arrangements with the Company with respect to the Offering.

Annex A sets forth definitions for capitalized terms used in this letter agreement that are not defined in the body of this agreement. Those definitions are a part of this agreement.

In consideration of the foregoing, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the undersigned hereby agrees that, during the Lock-up Period, the undersigned will not (and, if the undersigned is a natural person, will cause any Family Member not to), subject to the exceptions set forth in this agreement, without the prior written consent of Jefferies and Morgan Stanley, which may withhold their consent in their sole discretion:

 

A-1


   

Sell or Offer to Sell any Shares or Related Securities currently or hereafter owned either of record or beneficially (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) by the undersigned or such Family Member,

 

   

enter into any Swap,

 

   

make any demand for, or exercise any right with respect to, the registration under the Securities Act of the offer and sale of any Shares or Related Securities, or cause to be filed a registration statement, prospectus or prospectus supplement (or an amendment or supplement thereto) with respect to any such registration; provided that the undersigned may make a demand for and exercise its rights under any registration rights agreement with respect to the registration after the expiration of the Lock-Up Period of Shares that does not require the filing of any registration statement or any public announcement or public activity regarding such registration during the Lock-Up Period (and no such public announcement or public activity shall be made or taken by the undersigned during the Lock-Up Period); provided that any such registration rights agreement with the Company is described in the prospectus for the Public Offering, or

 

   

publicly announce any intention to do any of the foregoing.

The foregoing will not apply to the registration of the offer and sale of the Shares, and the sale of the Shares to the underwriters, in each case as contemplated by the Underwriting Agreement. In addition, the foregoing restrictions shall not apply to the transfer of Shares or Related Securities:

i) as a bona fide gift or to a charitable organization or educational institution;

ii) by will, other testamentary document or intestate succession to the legal representative, heir, beneficiary or any immediate family member of the undersigned;

iii) to a trust whose beneficiaries consist exclusively of one or more of the undersigned and/or an immediate family member;

iv) by operation of law pursuant to a qualified domestic order, divorce settlement, divorce decree or separation agreement, or related court order related to the distribution of assets in connection with the dissolution of a marriage or civil union;

v) to a corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity of which the undersigned or any immediate family member is the legal and beneficial owner of all of the outstanding equity securities or similar interests;

vi) if the undersigned is a trust, to a trustor, trustee or beneficiary of the trust or to the estate of a beneficiary of such trust;

vii) if the undersigned is a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other business entity, to any shareholder, partner, or member of, or owner of a similar equity interest in, the undersigned, as the case may be;

viii) if the undersigned is a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other business entity, (A) to another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other business entity so long as the transferee is an affiliate of the undersigned (including where the undersigned is a partnership, to its general partner or a successor partnership or fund, or any other funds managed by such partnership) or (B) as part of a distribution or other transfer or distribution to general or limited partners, members or shareholders of, or other holders of equity interest in, the undersigned;

 

A-2


ix) that the undersigned may purchase (A) from the underwriters in the Offering (if the undersigned is not an officer or director of the Company) or (B) in open market transactions after the completion of the Offering; provided that no public disclosure or filing under the Exchange Act shall be required or shall be voluntarily made reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership in connection with subsequent sales of Shares or other securities acquired in the Offering or in such open market transactions;

x) in connection with the exercise, vesting or settlement of options, restricted stock units, warrants or other rights to purchase Shares or Related Securities (including, in each case, by way of “net” or “cashless” exercise), including for the payment of exercise price and tax and remittance payments due as a result of the exercise, vesting or settlement of such options, restricted stock units, warrants or rights; provided that any Shares or Related Securities received as a result of such exercise, vesting or settlement shall remain subject to the terms of this agreement; and provided further that any such options, restricted stock units, warrants or rights are held by the undersigned pursuant to an agreement or equity award granted under a stock incentive plan or other equity award plan, each such agreement or plan which is described in the registration statement filed in connection with the Offering;

xi) [the pledge, hypothecation or other grant of a security interest in any Shares or Related Securities to one or more lending institutions as collateral or security for any loan, advance or extension of credit and any transfer upon foreclosure upon such Shares or Related Securities; provided that the undersigned shall provide Jefferies and Morgan Stanley prior written notice informing them of any public filing, report or announcement with respect to such pledge, hypothecation or other grant of a security interest]1;

xii) pursuant to a bona fide third-party tender offer, merger, amalgamation, consolidation or other similar transaction that is approved by the Board of Directors of the Company and made to all holders of the Company’s capital stock after the Offering involving a Change of Control of the Company (including, without limitation, the entering into any lock-up, voting or similar agreement pursuant to which the undersigned may agree to transfer, sell, tender or otherwise dispose of Shares or Related Securities or other such securities in connection with such transaction, or vote any Shares or Related Securities or other such securities in favor of any such transaction), provided that in the event that such tender offer, merger, amalgamation, consolidation or other similar transaction is not completed, the undersigned’s Shares and Related Securities shall remain subject to the provisions of this agreement; or

xiii) to the Company in connection with (A) the termination of the undersigned’s employment with the Company, (B) the undersigned’s death or disability or (C) pursuant to agreements under which the Company has the option to repurchase such Shares or Related Securities.

Provided, however, that in any such case, it shall be a condition to such transfer that:

 

   

in the case of any transfer pursuant to clauses (i) through (viii) above, each transferee executes and delivers to Jefferies and Morgan Stanley an agreement in form and substance satisfactory to Jefferies and Morgan Stanley stating that such transferee is receiving and holding such Shares and/or Related Securities subject to the provisions of this letter agreement and agrees not to Sell or Offer to Sell such Shares and/or Related Securities, engage in any Swap or engage in any other activities restricted under this letter agreement except in accordance with this letter agreement (as if such transferee had been an original signatory hereto); and

 

   

in the case of any transfer pursuant to clauses (i) through (viii) above, such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value; and

 

1 

NTD: To be included with lockup agreements for Blackstone entities.

 

A-3


   

in the case of any transfer pursuant to clauses (i) through (xi) and (xiii) above, prior to the expiration of the Lock-up Period, it shall be a condition to such transfer that no public disclosure or filing under the Exchange Act by any party to the transfer (donor, donee, transferor or transferee) shall be made voluntarily during the Lock-up Period, and if the undersigned is required to file a report under the Exchange Act reporting a change in beneficial ownership of Shares or Related Securities during the Lock-up Period, the undersigned shall include a statement in such report indicating the circumstances of such transfer and, in the case of a transfer pursuant to clauses (i) through (viii), that the transferee has agreed to be bound by the terms of this letter.

Furthermore, notwithstanding the restrictions imposed by this agreement, the undersigned may establish or amend a written trading plan meeting the requirements of Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act relating to the transfer of Shares or Related Securities, provided that such plan does not provide for any transfers of Shares or Related Securities during the Lock-up Period and any required public disclosure, announcement or filing under the Exchange Act made by the Company or any person regarding the establishment or amendment of such plan during the Lock-Up Period shall include a statement that the undersigned is not permitted to transfer, sell or otherwise dispose of securities under such plan during the Lock-Up Period in contravention of this Lock-Up Agreement, and no public announcement, report or filing under the Exchange Act, or any other public filing, report or announcement, shall be voluntarily made regarding the establishment or amendment of such plan during the Lock-Up Period.

The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of Shares or Related Securities held by the undersigned and the undersigned’s Family Members, if any, except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.

The undersigned acknowledges and agrees that the underwriters have not provided any recommendation or investment advice nor have the underwriters solicited any action from the undersigned with respect to the Offering and the undersigned has consulted their own legal, accounting, financial, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent deemed appropriate. The undersigned further acknowledges and agrees that, although the underwriters may provide certain Regulation Best Interest and Form CRS disclosures or other related documentation to you in connection with the Offering, the underwriters are not making a recommendation to you to participate in the Offering or sell any Shares at the price determined in the Offering, and nothing set forth in such disclosures or documentation is intended to suggest that any underwriter is making such a recommendation.

Whether or not the Offering occurs as currently contemplated or at all depends on market conditions and other factors. The Offering will only be made pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, the terms of which are subject to negotiation between the Company and the underwriters.

The undersigned acknowledges and agrees that the foregoing precludes the undersigned from engaging in any hedging or other transaction designed or intended, or which could reasonably be expected to lead to or result in, a sale or disposition of any Shares and/or Related Securities, even if any such sale or disposition transaction or transactions would be made or executed by or on behalf of someone other than the undersigned.

If (i)(a) prior to the execution of the Underwriting Agreement, the Company notifies Jefferies and Morgan Stanley in writing that it does not intend to proceed with the Offering or (b) prior to the execution of the Underwriting Agreement, Jefferies and Morgan Stanley notify the Company in writing that the underwriters do not intend to proceed with the Offering, (ii) the Underwriting Agreement is not executed by February 28, 2025, (iii) the Underwriting Agreement (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination) shall terminate or be terminated for any reason prior to payment for and delivery of any Shares to be sold thereunder, or (iv) the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the Offering is withdrawn, then this agreement shall immediately be terminated and the undersigned shall automatically be released from all of his, her or its obligations under this agreement.

 

A-4


The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power, capacity and authority to enter into this letter agreement. This letter agreement is irrevocable and will be binding on the undersigned and the successors, heirs, personal representatives and assigns of the undersigned.

This letter agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

 

A-5


 

Signature

 

Printed Name of Person Signing

(Indicate capacity of person signing if signing as custodian or trustee, or on behalf of an entity)

 

A-6


Certain Defined Terms

Used in Lock-up Agreement

For purposes of the letter agreement to which this Annex A is attached and of which it is made a part:

 

   

Call Equivalent Position shall have the meaning set forth in Rule 16a-1(b) under the Exchange Act.

 

   

Change of Control” means any bona fide third party tender offer, merger, amalgamation, consolidation or other similar transaction, in one transaction or a series of related transactions, the result of which is that any “person” (as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), or group of persons, other than the Company or its subsidiaries, becomes the beneficial owner (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 of the Exchange Act) of 50% or more of the total voting power of the voting stock of the Company (or the surviving entity).

 

   

Exchange Act shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

   

Family Member” shall mean the spouse of the undersigned, an immediate family member of the undersigned or an immediate family member of the undersigned’s spouse, in each case living in the undersigned’s household or whose principal residence is the undersigned’s household (regardless of whether such spouse or family member may at the time be living elsewhere due to educational activities, health care treatment, military service, temporary internship or employment or otherwise). “Immediate family member” as used herein shall have the meaning set forth in Rule 16a-1(e) under the Exchange Act.

 

   

Lock-up Period” shall mean the period beginning on the date hereof and continuing through the close of trading on the date that is 90 days after the date of the Prospectus (as defined in the Underwriting Agreement).

 

   

Put Equivalent Position” shall have the meaning set forth in Rule 16a-1(h) under the Exchange Act.

 

   

Related Securities” shall mean options or warrants or other rights to acquire Shares or any securities exchangeable or exercisable for or convertible into Shares, or to acquire other securities or rights ultimately exchangeable or exercisable for or convertible into Shares.

 

   

Securities Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

   

“Sell or Offer to Sell” shall mean to:

 

   

sell, offer to sell, contract to sell or lend,

 

   

effect any short sale or establish or increase a Put Equivalent Position or liquidate or decrease any Call Equivalent Position

 

   

pledge, hypothecate or grant any security interest in, or

 

   

in any other way transfer or dispose of,

in each case whether effected directly or indirectly.

 

A-7


   

Swap” shall mean any swap, hedge or similar arrangement or agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, the economic risk of ownership of Shares or Related Securities, regardless of whether any such transaction is to be settled in securities, in cash or otherwise.

Capitalized terms not defined in this Annex A shall have the meanings given to them in the body of this lock-up agreement.

 

A-8