MID-CON ENERGYPARTNERS, LP 5,800,000 Common Units Representing Limited Partner Interests UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
Exhibit 1.1
EXECUTION VERSION
MID-CON ENERGY PARTNERS, LP
5,800,000 Common Units
Representing Limited Partner Interests
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
November 11, 2014
RBC Capital Markets, LLC
Raymond James & Associates, Inc.
UBS Securities LLC
Wells Fargo Securities, LLC
As the Representatives of the several underwriters
named in Schedule I hereto
c/o RBC Capital Markets, LLC
Three World Financial Center, 8th Floor, 200 Vesey Street
New York, NY 10281-8098
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Mid-Con Energy Partners, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (the Partnership) proposes to sell to the several underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the Underwriters, which term shall also include any underwriter substituted as hereinafter provided in Section 9 hereof) for whom you are acting as representatives (the Representatives) 5,800,000 common units (the Firm Units) representing limited partner interests in the Partnership (Common Units). The respective amounts of the Firm Units to be so purchased by the several Underwriters are set forth opposite their names in Schedule I. The Partnership also proposes to grant to the Underwriters an option to purchase up to 870,000 additional Common Units (the Option Units).
As the Representatives, you have advised the Partnership Parties (as defined below) (a) that you are authorized to enter into this Agreement on behalf of the several Underwriters, and (b) that the several Underwriters are willing, acting severally and not jointly, to purchase the numbers of Firm Units set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule I, plus their pro rata portion of the Option Units if the Underwriters elect to exercise the option in whole or in part for the accounts of the several Underwriters. The Firm Units and the Option Units (to the extent the aforementioned option is exercised) are herein collectively called the Units.
Mid-Con Energy GP, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the General Partner), serves as the sole general partner of the Partnership. Mid-Con Energy Properties, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the Operating Subsidiary), and Mid-Con Energy Finance Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the Finance Subsidiary), are wholly owned and direct subsidiaries of the Partnership. Each of the General Partner, the Partnership and the Operating Subsidiary is sometimes referred to herein as a Partnership Party, and they are sometimes collectively referred to herein as the Partnership Parties.
The Partnership has prepared a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-195669) with respect to the Units, including a related base prospectus (the Base Prospectus), pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), and the rules and regulations (the Rules and Regulations) of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission) thereunder. Registration Statement means such registration statement, as amended at the Effective Time (as defined below), including all information deemed to be a part of the registration statement as of the Effective Time pursuant to Rule 430A or 430B of the Rules and Regulations. If the Partnership has filed an abbreviated registration statement to register additional Common Units pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act (the Rule 462 Registration Statement), then any reference herein to the term Registration Statement shall be deemed to include such Rule 462 Registration Statement. As used in this Agreement, Execution Time means the date and time that this Agreement is executed and delivered by the parties hereto. Effective Time means the date and time as of which the Registration Statement, or the most recent post-effective amendment thereto, if any, was declared effective by the Commission. Effective Date means the date of the Effective Time. Issuer Free Writing Prospectus means any issuer free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act relating to the Units. The preliminary prospectus supplement dated November 10, 2014 describing the Units and the offering thereof (the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement), together with the Base Prospectus, is called the Preliminary Prospectus, and the Preliminary Prospectus and any other prospectus supplement to the Base Prospectus in preliminary form that describes the Units and the offering thereof and is used prior to the filing of the Prospectus (as defined below), together with the Base Prospectus, is called a preliminary prospectus. As used herein, the term Prospectus shall mean the final prospectus supplement to the Base Prospectus that describes the Units and the offering thereof (the Final Prospectus Supplement), together with the Base Prospectus, in the form first used by the Underwriters to confirm sales of the Units or in the form first made available to the Underwriters by the Partnership to meet requests of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act. References herein to the Preliminary Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus shall refer to both the prospectus supplement and the Base Prospectus components of such prospectus. Pricing Prospectus means the Preliminary Prospectus that was included in the Registration Statement immediately prior to the Applicable Time (as defined below). Free Writing Prospectus means any free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act relating to the Units. For the purposes of this Agreement, the Applicable Time is 8:45 a.m. (New York City time) on the date of this Agreement.
Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 which were filed under the Exchange Act (as defined below) prior to the Effective Date or the issue date of the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus, as the case may be; and any reference herein to the terms amend, amendment or supplement with respect to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus Supplement or the
2
Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing of any document under the Exchange Act after the Effective Date or the issue date of the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus Supplement, the Prospectus Supplement or the Prospectus, as the case may be, deemed to be incorporated therein by reference.
In consideration of the mutual agreements contained herein and of the interests of the parties in the transactions contemplated hereby, the parties hereto agree as follows:
1. Representations and Warranties of the Partnership Parties.
Each of the Partnership Parties, jointly and severally, represents and warrants to each of the Underwriters as follows:
(a) Registration. The Partnership has prepared and filed with the Commission a registration statement (File No: 333-195669) on Form S-3, including a related Preliminary Prospectus, for registration under the Securities Act of the offering and sale of the Units. Such Registration Statement, including any amendments thereto filed prior to the Execution Time, has become effective. The Partnership has filed one or more amendments thereto, including the related Preliminary Prospectus, each of which has previously been furnished to the Representatives. Copies of such registration statement and each of the amendments thereto have been delivered by the Partnership to you.
(b) No Stop Order. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, any post-effective amendment thereto or the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, is in effect, and no proceedings for such purpose are pending before or, to the knowledge of the Partnership Parties, threatened by the Commission. The Commission has not issued any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or, to the knowledge of the Partnership Parties, threatened by the Commission.
(c) Registration Statement, Pricing Prospectus and Prospectus Conform to the Requirements of the Securities Act. On the Effective Date, the date hereof, the Closing Date and Option Closing Date (as defined below), if any, the Registration Statement conformed, and any further amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement will conform, in all material respects, to the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations. As of the Applicable Time, the Pricing Prospectus conformed, in all material respects, to the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations. When the Prospectus is first filed in accordance with Rule 424(b) and on the Closing Date and Option Closing Date, if any, the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will conform, in all material respects to the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations and, except to the extent the Representatives shall agree in writing to a modification, shall be in all substantive respects in the form furnished to you prior to the Execution Time or, to the extent not completed at the Execution Time, shall contain only such specific additional information and other changes (beyond that contained in the Pricing Prospectus) as the Partnership has advised you, prior to the Execution Time, will be included or made therein. The Partnership meets, and at the time the Registration Statement was originally declared effective the Partnership met, the applicable requirements of Form S-3 under the Securities Act. The Partnership is an emerging growth company, as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act.
3
(d) Issuer Free Writing Prospectus Conform to the Requirements of the Securities Act. Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conformed or will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations on the date of first use, and the Partnership has complied with all prospectus delivery and filing requirements applicable to such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus pursuant to the Rules and Regulations. The Partnership has not made any offer relating to the Units that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus without the prior written consent of the Representatives. The Partnership has retained, in accordance with the Rules and Regulations, all Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses that were not required to be filed pursuant to the Rules and Regulations.
(e) No Material Misstatements or Omissions. As of its date and the date hereof, the Registration Statement did not, and any further amendments to the Registration Statement will not, when they become effective, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; as of its date and the date hereof, the Prospectus does not, and as it may be amended or supplemented on the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, will not, contain an 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; the Pricing Prospectus, together with the information included in Schedule II(a) hereto and the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, identified on Schedule II(b) hereto (collectively, the Disclosure Package), as of the Applicable Time, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus listed on Schedule II(b), if any, hereto does not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, and each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as supplemented by and taken together with the Disclosure Package as of the Applicable Time, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the representations and warranties set forth in this Section 1(e) do not apply to statements or omissions in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any such amendment or supplement thereto in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Partnership by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by or on behalf of any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 13 hereof.
(f) Partnership Not an Ineligible Issuer. The Partnership was not at the time of initial filing of the Registration Statement and at the earliest time thereafter that the Partnership or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the Rules and Regulations) of the Units, is not on the date hereof and will not be on the Closing Date and Option Closing Date, if any, an ineligible issuer (as defined in Rule 405).
4
(g) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus does not include any information that conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus. The foregoing sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Partnership by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by or on behalf of any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 13 hereof. Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus was preceded or accompanied by the most recent Preliminary Prospectus satisfying the requirements of Section 10 under the Securities Act, which Preliminary Prospectus included an estimated price per unit.
(h) Electronic Road Show. The Partnership has made available a bona fide electronic road show (as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act) such that no filing of any road show (as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act) is required in connection with the offering of the Units.
(i) Formation and Qualification. Each of the Partnership Parties has been duly formed and is validly existing and is in good standing as a limited partnership or limited liability company, as applicable, under the laws of its jurisdiction of formation with full limited partnership or limited liability company, as applicable, power and authority to own or lease, as the case may be, and operate its properties and conduct its business as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. Each of the Partnership Parties is, and at the Closing Date and Option Closing Date, if any, will be, duly registered or qualified to transact business as a foreign limited partnership or limited liability company, as applicable, and is in good standing in all jurisdictions in which the conduct of its business requires such registration or qualification, all of such jurisdictions being listed on Schedule III hereto; except where the failure to be so registered or qualified or to be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), properties, assets, liabilities, results of operations, earnings, business or prospects of the Partnership Parties taken as a whole, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business (a Material Adverse Effect).
(j) Power and Authority. Each of the Partnership Parties has all requisite limited partnership or limited liability company, as applicable, power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and perform its respective obligations hereunder. The Partnership has all requisite limited partnership power and authority to issue, sell and deliver the Units, in accordance with and upon the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and the First Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of the Partnership (the Partnership Agreement). On the Closing Date, all limited partnership, limited liability company or other action, as the case may be, required to be taken by any of the Partnership Parties or any of their respective members or partners for the authorization, issuance, sale and delivery of the Units and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement shall have been validly taken.
(k) Power and Authority to Act as a General Partner. The General Partner has, and as of the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, will have, full limited liability company power and authority to act as the general partner of the Partnership, in all material respects as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
5
(l) Authorization, Execution and Delivery of this Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by each of the Partnership Parties.
(m) Authorization, Execution and Delivery of Certain Agreements.
(i) the limited liability company agreement of the General Partner (the GP LLC Agreement) has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by each of S. Craig George, Charles R. Olmstead and Jeffrey Olmstead (collectively, the Founders) and is a valid and legally binding agreement of each of the Founders, enforceable against each of the Founders in accordance with its terms;
(ii) the Partnership Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the General Partner and S. Craig George (the Organizational Limited Partner) and is a valid and legally binding agreement among the General Partner, the Organizational Limited Partner and the limited partners of the Partnership, enforceable against the General Partner, the Organizational Limited Partner and the limited partners of the Partnership in accordance with its terms; and
(iii) the limited liability company agreement of the Operating Subsidiary (the Operating Subsidiary LLC Agreement) has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Partnership and is a valid and legally binding agreement of the Partnership, enforceable against the Partnership in accordance with its terms.
provided, that with respect to each such agreement described in this Section 1(m), the enforceability thereof may be limited by (i) bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws relating to or affecting creditors rights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) and (ii) public policy, applicable law relating to fiduciary duties and indemnification and an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. The certificate of incorporation and bylaws of the Finance Subsidiary (the Finance Subsidiary Certificate and Bylaws) together with the GP LLC Agreement, the Partnership Agreement and the Operating Subsidiary LLC Agreement are referred to as the Organizational Documents.
(n) Ownership of the General Partner. The Founders own, and at the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, will own 100% of the membership interests in the General Partner. Such membership interests have been duly authorized and validly issued in accordance with the GP LLC Agreement and are fully paid (to the extent required by the GP LLC Agreement) and nonassessable (except as such nonassessability may be affected by matters described in Sections 18-607 and 18-804 of the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act (the Delaware LLC Act); and the Founders own such membership interests free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, security interests, charges or other claims (Liens), other than those created or arising under the Delaware LLC Act.
6
(o) Ownership of the General Partner Interest in the Partnership. The General Partner is the sole general partner of the Partnership and owns an approximate 2% interest in the Partnership (the GP Interest), and at the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, will be the sole general partner of the Partnership and will own the GP Interest; such GP Interest has been duly authorized and validly issued in accordance with the Partnership Agreement, and the General Partner owns such GP Interest free and clear of all Liens (except restrictions on transferability as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus), other than those created by or arising under the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act (the Delaware LP Act).
(p) Ownership of the Operating Subsidiary. The Partnership owns 100% of the issued and outstanding membership interests in the Operating Subsidiary, and at the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, will own 100% of the issued and outstanding membership interests in the Operating Subsidiary; such membership interests have been duly authorized and validly issued in accordance with the Operating Subsidiary LLC Agreement and are fully paid (to the extent required under the Operating Subsidiary LLC Agreement) and nonassessable (except as such nonassessability may be affected by Sections 18-607 and 18-804 of the Delaware LLC Act); and the Partnership owns such membership interests free and clear of all Liens, other than Liens created by or arising under the Delaware LLC Act or Liens securing obligations under the credit agreement dated December 20, 2011, among the Operating Subsidiary, as borrower, Royal Bank of Canada, as administrative agent, and the other lenders party thereto (as amended to date, the Credit Agreement).
(q) Ownership of the Finance Subsidiary. The Partnership owns 100% of the issued and outstanding capital stock in the Finance Subsidiary and at the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, will own 100% of the issued and outstanding capital stock in the Finance Subsidiary; such capital stock has been duly authorized and validly issued in accordance with the Finance Subsidiary Certificate and Bylaws and is fully paid and nonassessable; and the Partnership owns such capital stock free and clear of all Liens.
(r) No Other Subsidiaries. Other than the GP Interest and its indirect ownership interests in the Operating Subsidiary and the Finance Subsidiary, the General Partner does not own, and at the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, will not own, directly or indirectly, any equity or long-term debt securities of any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, association or other entity. Other than the Partnerships ownership of the Operating Subsidiary and the Finance Subsidiary, none of the Partnership, the Operating Subsidiary or the Finance Subsidiary owns, and at the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, none will own, directly or indirectly, any equity or long-term debt securities of any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, association or other entity.
(s) Valid Issuance of the Units. On the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, the Firm Units or the Option Units, as the case may be, and the limited partner interests represented thereby, will be duly authorized for sale and issuance to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement, and when issued and delivered by the Partnership pursuant to this Agreement against payment of the consideration set forth herein, will be validly issued, fully paid (to the extent required under the Partnership Agreement) and nonassessable (except as such nonassessability may be affected by matters described in Sections 17-303, 17-607 and 17-804 of the Delaware LP Act).
7
(t) No Preemptive Rights, Options or Registration Rights. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no preemptive rights, preferential purchase rights or other rights to subscribe for or to purchase, nor any restriction upon the voting or transfer of, any equity securities of or any partnership interest in, any of the Partnership Parties. Except as described in the Registration Statement, Disclosure Package and the Prospectus there are no outstanding options or warrants to purchase any securities of the Partnership Parties. Except for such rights that have been waived or as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the filing of the Registration Statement nor the offering or sale of the Units as contemplated by this Agreement gives rise to any rights for or relating to the registration of any Units or other securities of the Partnership.
(u) Capitalization. As of the date hereof, and immediately prior to the issuance of the Firm Units, the issued and outstanding partnership interests of the Partnership will consist of 23,336,578 Common Units and 360,000 notional general partner units. All outstanding Common Units and the limited partner interests represented thereby have been duly authorized and validly issued in accordance with the Partnership Agreement and are fully paid (to the extent required under the Partnership Agreement) and nonassessable (except as such nonassessability may be affected by Sections 17-303, 17-607 and 17-804 of the Delaware LP Act).
(v) Absence of Loans. There are no outstanding loans, advances (except normal advances for business expenses in the ordinary course of business) or guarantees of indebtedness by any of the Partnership Parties to or for the benefit of any of the officers or directors of any of the Partnership Parties or any of their respective family members, except as disclosed in the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package. Since the date the Registration Statement was initially filed with the Commission, none of the Partnership Parties have directly or indirectly extended or maintained credit, arranged for the extension of credit, or renewed an extension of credit, in the form of a personal loan to or for any director or executive officer of the Partnership Parties, except as disclosed in the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package.
(w) Financial Statements. The historical combined and consolidated financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules (if any) and notes, present fairly in all material respects the financial position, results of operations and cash flows of the entities purported to be shown thereby on the basis stated therein, at the indicated dates and for the indicated periods. Such financial statements and related schedules have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (GAAP), consistently applied throughout the periods involved, except as disclosed therein. The summary financial and statistical data included in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption SummarySummary Historical Financial Data and the selected historical financial data set forth under the caption Selected Historical Financial Data present fairly the information shown therein and such data has been compiled on a basis consistent with the financial statements presented therein and the books and records of the Partnership.
8
(x) Internal Accounting Controls; Books and Records. Each Partnership Party (i) makes and keeps books, records and accounts, which, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of its assets and (ii) maintains systems of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with managements general or specific authorization; (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of its financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for its assets; (C) access to its assets is permitted only in accordance with managements general or specific authorization; and (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.
(y) No Changes in Internal Controls. Since the date of the most recent balance sheet of the Partnership Parties reviewed or audited by Grant Thornton LLP (Grant Thornton), except in each case as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (i) none of the Partnership Parties is aware of (A) any significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting that are reasonably likely to adversely affect the ability of any of the Partnership Parties to record, process, summarize and report financial information in any material respect, or any material weaknesses in internal controls over financial reporting or (B) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the internal controls over financial reporting of any of the Partnership Parties, and (ii) there have been no significant changes in internal controls over financial reporting that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect internal controls over financial reporting.
(z) Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. The Partnership Parties and, to the knowledge of the Partnership Parties, the officers and directors of the General Partner, in their capacities as such are in compliance in all material respects with all applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the Sarbanes-Oxley Act), the rules and regulations promulgated therewith and the rules of the NASDAQ that are effective and applicable to the Partnership.
(aa) Disclosure Controls. The Partnership Parties have established and maintain disclosure controls and procedures (to the extent required by and as defined in Rule 13a-15); the Partnership Parties disclosure controls and procedures are reasonably designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Partnership in the reports that it will file or furnish under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and regulations of the Commission, and that all such information is accumulated and communicated to the Partnerships management, including its principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure; and such disclosure controls and procedures are effective in all material respects to perform the functions for which they were established to the extent required by Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act.
(bb) Independent Public Accountants. Grant Thornton, who has certified certain financial statements of the Partnership Parties and delivered its reports with respect to the audited financial statements and schedules included in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Partnership within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations.
9
(cc) Independent Reserve Engineer. Cawley, Gillespie & Associates, Inc. (Cawley Gillespie), who has delivered the letter referred to in Section 6(f) hereof, was, as of the date of such report, and is, as of the date hereof, an independent petroleum engineer with respect to the Partnership Parties.
(dd) No Conflicts. None of the (i) offering, issuance or sale by the Partnership of the Units, (ii) the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Partnership Parties that are party hereto, or (iii) the application of the net proceeds as described under the caption Use of Proceeds in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (A) constitutes or will constitute a violation of the Organizational Documents, (B) constitutes or will constitute a breach or violation of, or a default (or an event that, with notice or lapse or time or both, would constitute such a default) under any indenture, mortgage, contract, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to which any of the Partnership Parties is a party or by which any of them or any of their respective properties may be bound, (C) violates or will violate any statute, law or regulation or any order, judgment, decree or injunction of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over any of the Partnership Parties or any of their properties in a proceeding to which any of them or their property is a party or (D) results or will result in the creation or imposition of any Lien upon any property or assets of any of the Partnership Parties (other than Liens created pursuant to the Credit Agreement), except in the case of clauses (B), (C) or (D) for such breaches, violations, defaults or Liens, that, individually or in the aggregate, would not have a Material Adverse Effect or materially impair the ability of the Partnership Parties to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(ee) No Defaults. None of the Partnership Parties is (i) in violation of any of its Organizational Documents; (ii) in violation of any statute, law, rule or regulation or any judgment, order, injunction or decree of any court, governmental agency or body or arbitrator having jurisdiction over any of the Partnership Parties or any of their properties or assets; or (iii) in breach, default (or an event that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute a breach or default) or violation in the performance of any obligation, agreement or condition contained in any loan agreement, lease, indenture, mortgage, contract, deed of trust or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it, or any of its properties, may be bound, except in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) for such breaches, defaults or violations that would not have a Material Adverse Effect or materially impair the ability of any of the Partnership Parties to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(ff) Consents. Each approval, consent, order, authorization, designation, declaration or filing by or with any regulatory, administrative or other governmental body necessary in connection with the execution and delivery by the Partnership Parties of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement has been obtained or made and is in full force and effect, except (i) for applicable state securities or Blue Sky laws and the rules and regulations of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA), (ii) for such consents that have been, or prior to the Closing Date will be, obtained or made, (iii) for any such consents the absence or omission of which would not reasonably be expected to materially impair the ability of any of the Partnership Parties to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and (iv) as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
10
(gg) Reserve Estimates. The historical information underlying the estimates of reserves of the Partnership Parties, which were supplied by the Partnership Parties to Cawley Gillespie for purposes of auditing the reserve information included in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, including, without limitation, production, costs of operation and development, current prices for production, agreements relating to current and future operations and sales of production, was true and correct in all material respects on the dates of such reserve reports and was prepared in all material respects in accordance with customary industry practices; other than normal production of the reserves, intervening market commodity price fluctuations, fluctuations in demand for such products, adverse weather conditions, unavailability or increased costs of rigs, equipment, supplies or personnel, the timing of third party operations and other factors, in each case as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Partnership Parties are not aware of any facts or circumstances that would result in a material adverse change in the aggregate net reserves, or the present value of future net cash flows therefrom, as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. Estimates of such reserves and present values as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of Regulation S-X and Subpart 1200 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act.
(hh) Title to Properties. The Operating Subsidiary has, and at the Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, if any, will have (A) valid and defensible title to the interests in the oil and gas properties supporting the estimates of its net proved reserves contained in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (B) good and indefeasible title to all real property owned by it, other than the oil and gas properties covered by clause (A), and (C) good title to all personal property described in the Registration Statement and the Disclosure Package as being owned by it, in each case free and clear of all Liens except (i) such as are described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (ii) such as arise in connection with the Credit Agreement, or (iii) such as do not (individually or in the aggregate) materially interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such properties by the Partnership and the Operating Subsidiary as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and the working interests derived from oil, gas and mineral leases or mineral interests, which constitute a portion of the real property held or leased by the Operating Subsidiary, reflect in all material respects the right of the Operating Subsidiary to explore, develop or produce hydrocarbons from such real property, and the care taken by the Operating Subsidiary and any of its predecessors in interest who are or were affiliates of the Partnership Parties with respect to acquiring or otherwise procuring such leases or mineral interests was generally consistent with standard industry practices in the areas in which the Operating Subsidiary and any of its predecessors who are or were affiliates of the Partnership Parties operates for acquiring or procuring leases and interests therein to explore, develop or produce hydrocarbons. All real property and buildings held under lease or sublease by the Operating Subsidiary, except the oil and gas properties covered by clause (A) above (the Leased and Subleased Properties), are held by it under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases or subleases, as the case may be, subject to exceptions that do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such Leased and Subleased Properties by the Operating Subsidiary as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and all such leases and subleases are in full force and effect. The Operating Subsidiary has not received any notice of any claim that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the Operating Subsidiary under any of the leases or subleases mentioned in the prior sentence above or affecting or questioning the rights of the Operating Subsidiary to the continued possession of the Leased and Subleased Properties under any such lease or sublease except for such claims that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
11
(ii) Permits. The Operating Subsidiary has such material licenses, certifications, permits, consents, franchises, approvals, clearances and authorizations of governmental or other regulatory authorizations (Permits) as are necessary to conduct its business as currently conducted and to own, lease and operate its properties in the manner described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The Operating Subsidiary is in compliance with the terms and conditions of such Permits except where the failure to so comply would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and the Partnership Parties have not received notice of any claims or proceedings relating to the revocation, termination or modification of any such Permit which, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. None of the Permits contains any restriction that is materially burdensome on the Operating Subsidiary.
(jj) Rights of Way. The Operating Subsidiary has such consents, easements, rights-of-way or licenses from any person (collectively, rights-of-way) as are necessary to conduct its business in the manner described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, subject to such qualifications as may be set forth in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, except for such rights-of-way the failure of which to have obtained would not have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect; and the Operating Subsidiary has fulfilled and performed all of its material obligations with respect to such rights-of-way and no event shall have occurred that allows, or after notice or lapse of time would allow, revocation or termination thereof or would result in any impairment of the rights of the holder of any such rights-of-way, except for such failures to perform, revocations, termination and impairments that would not have a material adverse effect upon the ability of the Operating Subsidiary to conduct its business in all material respects as currently conducted and as contemplated in the Disclosure Package, subject in each case to such qualifications as may be set forth in the Disclosure Package.
(kk) Conduct of Business. Except as disclosed in or contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, none of the Partnership Parties or their respective subsidiaries has (i) incurred any liabilities or obligations, indirect, direct or contingent (including any volumetric production payments), that are material to the Partnership Parties, taken as a whole, other than liabilities and obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business or (ii) entered into any transaction that is not in the ordinary course of business that is material to the Partnership Parties, taken as a whole.
(ll) No Material Adverse Change. (i) None of the Partnership Parties, directly or indirectly, has sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, investigation, order or decree and (ii) since such date there has not been any change in the capitalization or material increase in long-term debt of the
12
Partnership Parties, or any adverse change in or affecting the condition (financial or otherwise), properties, assets, liabilities, results of operations, earnings, business or prospects of the Partnership Parties, taken as a whole, in each case except as set forth or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(mm) Insurance. The Partnership Parties maintain, or are entitled to the benefits of, insurance covering their properties, operations, personnel and businesses against such losses and risks as is reasonably adequate to protect them and their businesses in a manner consistent with other businesses similarly situated in similar industries. All policies of insurance insuring the Partnership Parties or any of their respective businesses, assets, employees, officers and directors are in full force and effect as of the Closing Date; and the Partnership Parties are in compliance with the terms of such policies in all material respects.
(nn) Litigation. Except as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation by or before any court or governmental or other regulatory or administrative agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving any of the Partnership Parties or their property is pending, or to the knowledge of any of the Partnership Parties, threatened that (i) would individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect or prevent the performance by the Partnership Parties of this Agreement or any of the Organizational Documents or the consummation by the Partnership Parties of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; (ii) would individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect or (iii) are required to be described in the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus but are not described as required.
(oo) No Labor Dispute. No labor problem or dispute with the employees of Mid-Con Energy Operating, Inc. exists or, to the knowledge of the Partnership Parties, is threatened or imminent, and the Partnership Parties are not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of the principal suppliers, contractors or customers of the Partnership Parties that would, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(pp) Intellectual Property. The Partnership Parties own, possess, license or have adequate rights to use, on reasonable terms, all material patents, patent rights, patent applications, licenses, inventions, copyrights, inventions, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks, trade and service mark registrations, trade names, service names, software, internet addresses, domain names and other intellectual property that is described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or that is necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses as currently conducted or as proposed to be conducted and as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(qq) Tax Returns. The Partnership Parties have filed all tax returns that are required to be filed or have requested extensions thereof, except (i) in any case in which the failure to so file would not have a Material Adverse Effect or (ii) as set forth in or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto); and have paid all taxes (including, without limitation, any estimated taxes) required to be paid by them and any other
13
assessment, fine or penalty levied against them, to the extent that any of the foregoing is due and payable, except for any such assessment, fine or penalty that is currently being contested in good faith by appropriate actions or which would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect).
(rr) ERISA. Each employee benefit plan (within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA)) for which any of the Partnership Parties or any ERISA Affiliate (as defined below) would have any liability (each a Plan) has been maintained in material compliance with its terms and with the material requirements of all applicable statutes, rules and regulations, including ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), and, to the knowledge of the Partnership Parties, each multiemployer plan (as defined in Section 4001 of ERISA) to which the Partnership Parties or any ERISA Affiliate contributes (a Multiemployer Plan) is in material compliance with all applicable statutes, rules and regulations, including ERISA and the Code. ERISA Affiliate means, with respect to Partnership Parties, any trade or business (whether or not incorporated) under common control with Partnership Parties within the meaning of Section 414(b) or (c) of the Code and Sections 414(m) and (o) of the Code for purposes of provisions relating to Section 412 of the Code. With respect to any employee benefit plan which is subject to Title IV of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA and established or maintained by the Partnership Parties or any ERISA Affiliate, (i) no reportable event (as defined under Section 4043(c) of ERISA and the regulations issued thereunder) (other than those events as to which the 30-day notice period is waived under applicable regulations) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur, (ii) no failure to meet the minimum funding requirements of Sections 412 and 430 of the Code or Sections 302 and 303 of ERISA, whether or not waived, or to make by its due date a required installment under Section 430(j) of the Code or Section 303(j) of ERISA by the Partnership Parties or any ERISA Affiliate has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur, and (iii) no such employee benefit plan, if terminated, would have any amount of unfunded benefit liabilities (as defined under Section 4001(a)(18) of ERISA). None of the Partnership Parties or any ERISA Affiliate has incurred or reasonably expects to incur any material liability under (i) Title IV of ERISA with respect to termination of, or withdrawal from, any employee benefit plan or (ii) Sections 412, 4971 or 4975 of the Code. No employee benefit plan established or maintained by the Partnership Parties or any ERISA Affiliate provides health or welfare benefits for any retired or former employee of the Partnership Parties or any ERISA Affiliate, except to the extent required under Section 4980B of the Code or similar state laws. Except where noncompliance would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, each employee benefit plan established or maintained by the Partnership Parties or any ERISA Affiliate that is intended to be qualified under Section 401 of the Code is so qualified and nothing has occurred, whether by action or failure to act, which would be reasonably likely to cause the loss of such qualification.
(ss) Environmental Compliance. The Partnership Parties (i) are, and at all times prior hereto were, in compliance with all laws, regulations, ordinances, rules, orders, judgments, decrees, permits or other legal requirements of any governmental authority, including without limitation any international, foreign, national, state, provincial, regional, or local authority, relating to pollution, the protection of human health or safety, the environment, or natural resources, or to use, handling, storage, manufacturing, transportation, treatment, discharge, disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants and
14
radioactive or biologic materials (Environmental Laws) applicable to such entity, which compliance includes, without limitation, obtaining, maintaining and complying with all permits and authorizations and approvals required by Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses, except where such non-compliance with Environmental Laws or failure to receive required permits, authorizations or other approvals, would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, (ii) have not received notice or otherwise have knowledge of any actual or alleged violation of Environmental Laws, or of any actual or potential liability for or other obligation concerning the presence, disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants and radioactive or biologic materials. Except as described in the Disclosure Package, (x) there are no proceedings that are pending, or known to be contemplated, against the Partnership Parties under Environmental Laws in which a governmental authority is also a party, other than such proceedings regarding which it is reasonably believed no monetary sanctions of $100,000 or more will be imposed, (y) the Partnership Parties are not aware of any issues regarding compliance with Environmental Laws, including any pending or proposed Environmental Laws, or liabilities or other obligations under Environmental Laws or concerning hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, that could reasonably be expected to have a material effect on the capital expenditures, earnings or competitive position of the Partnership Parties, and (z) none of the Partnership Parties anticipates material capital expenditures relating to Environmental Laws.
(tt) Environmental Review. The Partnership Parties have reviewed the effect of Environmental Laws in effect on the date hereof on the business, operations and properties of the Partnership Parties, in the course of which they identified and evaluated associated costs and liabilities (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). On the basis of such review, the Partnership Parties have concluded that such associated costs and liabilities would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto).
(uu) Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. No payments or inducements have been made or given, directly or indirectly, to any federal or local official or candidate for any federal or state office in the United States or foreign countries by any of the Partnership Parties or, to the knowledge of the Partnership Parties, by any of their officers, directors, employees or agents or any other person in connection with any opportunity, contract, permit, certificate, consent, order, approval, waiver or other authorization relating to the business of any of the Partnership Parties, except for such payments or inducements as were lawful under applicable laws, rules and regulations. None of the Partnership Parties, nor, to the knowledge of the Partnership Parties, any director, officer, agent, employee of, or other person acting on behalf of, the Partnership Parties, (i) has used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made any direct or indirect unlawful payment to any government official or employee from corporate funds; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977; or (iv) made any bribe, unlawful rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment in connection with the business of the Partnership Parties.
15
(vv) Money Laundering. The operations of the Partnership Parties are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all applicable jurisdictions, and the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the Money Laundering Laws) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving any of the Partnership Parties with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Partnership Parties, threatened.
(ww) OFAC. None of the Partnership Parties nor, to the knowledge of the Partnership Parties, any director, officer, agent or employee of the Partnership Parties (in their capacity as a director, officer, agent or employee), has received notice that it is subject to any sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (OFAC); and the General Partner and the Partnership 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 or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.
(xx) Investment Company. None of the Partnership Parties is an investment company within the meaning of such term under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the 1940 Act).
(yy) Conformity of Units to Description in the Prospectus and Disclosure Package. The information set forth under the caption Capitalization in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus is true and correct in all material respects. All of the Units and any limited partner interests issued pursuant to the Partnerships long-term incentive plan conform to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus in all material respects.
(zz) Description of Contracts; Filing of Exhibits. There is no franchise, contract or other document of a character (including, without limitation, any voting agreement) required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement that is not described or filed as required. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, none of the Partnership Parties has sent or received any notice indicating the termination of or intention to terminate any of the contracts or agreements referred to or described in the Registration Statement, Prospectus or the Disclosure Package, or filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.
(aaa) Related Party Transactions. No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among any Partnership Party on the one hand, and the directors, managers, officers, members, partners, stockholders, customers or suppliers of any Partnership Party, on the other hand, that is required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, or the Prospectus and is not so described.
16
(bbb) Lending Relationship. Except as disclosed in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no Partnership Party (i) has any material lending or other material relationship with any bank or lending affiliate of the Underwriters or (ii) intends to use any of the proceeds from the sale of the Units hereunder to repay any outstanding debt owed to any affiliate of the Underwriters.
(ccc) FINRA Affiliation. To the Partnership Parties knowledge, no officer, director or nominee for director of the General Partner or 5% or greater security holders has a direct or indirect affiliation or association with any member of FINRA, except as set forth in the Registration Statement.
(ddd) Stabilization. None of the Partnership Parties has taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under the Exchange Act or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Common Units to facilitate the sale or resale of the Units.
(eee) Statistical and Market-Related Data. The statistical, industry-related and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources which the Partnership Parties reasonably and in good faith believe are reliable and accurate.
(fff) No Restrictions on Distributions. None of the Partnership Parties is a party to or otherwise bound by any instrument or agreement that limits or prohibits or could limit or prohibit, directly or indirectly, the Partnership from making any distributions or paying dividends on its Common Units, and, after giving effect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, no subsidiary of the Partnership will be prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Partnership, from making any other distribution on such subsidiarys equity interests, from repaying to the Partnership any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Partnership or from transferring any of such subsidiarys property or assets to the Partnership or any other subsidiary of the Partnership, except in each case (i) pursuant to the Credit Agreement, (ii) for prohibitions mandated by the laws of the jurisdiction of formation of such subsidiary and (iii) as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(ggg) Brokers Fees. Other than as contemplated by this Agreement, the Partnership Parties have not incurred any liability for any finders or brokers fee, or agents commission in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(hhh) Testing-the-Waters Materials. The Partnership (i) has not alone engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communications and (ii) has not authorized anyone other than the Representatives to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Partnership has not distributed any Written Testing-the-Waters Communications. Testing-the-Waters Communication means any oral or written communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Securities Act. Written Testing-the-Waters Communication means any Testing-the-Waters Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
17
(iii) XBRL. The interactive data in the eXstensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) included as an exhibit to the Registration Statement fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commissions rules and guidelines applicable thereto.
Any certificate signed by any officer of any of the Partnership Parties and delivered to the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the offering of the Units contemplated hereby shall be deemed a representation and warranty by such Partnership Party to each Underwriter.
2. Purchase, Sale and Delivery of the Units.
(a) On the basis of the representations, warranties and covenants herein contained, and subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Partnership agrees to sell to the Underwriters and each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Partnership, at a price of $16.622375 per common unit, the number of Firm Units set forth opposite the name of each Underwriter in Schedule I hereof, subject to adjustments, if any, in accordance with Section 9 hereof.
(b) Payment by the several Underwriters through the Representatives for the Firm Units to be sold hereunder is to be made to or upon the order of the Partnership by wire transfer payable in same-day funds to accounts specified by the Partnership against delivery of Firm Units therefor to the Representatives for the several accounts of the Underwriters. Such payment and delivery are to be made at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on November 14, 2014, or at such time on such later date not more than three business days thereafter as you and the Partnership shall agree upon (which date and time may be postponed by agreement between the Representatives and the Partnership or as provided in Section 9 hereof), such time and date being herein referred to as the Closing Date. As used herein, business day means a day on which the NASDAQ Global Market (NASDAQ) is open for trading and on which banks in New York are open for business and are not permitted by law or executive order to be closed. Delivery of the Firm Units is to be made through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company, New York, New York.
(c) In addition, on the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Partnership hereby grants an option to the several Underwriters to purchase the Option Units at the price per common unit as set forth in Section 2(a). The option granted hereby may be exercised in whole or in part by giving written notice (i) at any time on or before the business day immediately preceding the Closing Date and (ii) only once thereafter within 30 days after the date of this Agreement, by you, as the Representatives of the several Underwriters, to the Partnership setting forth the number of Option Units as to which the several Underwriters are exercising the option, the names and denominations in which the Option Units are to be registered and the time and date at which such Common Units are to be delivered. The time and date at which Option Units are to be delivered shall be determined by the Representatives but shall not be earlier than two nor later than five full business days after the exercise of such option, nor in any event prior to the Closing Date (such time and date being herein referred to as the Option Closing Date). If the date of exercise of the option is three or more business days before the Closing Date, the notice of
18
exercise shall set the Closing Date as the Option Closing Date. The number of Option Units to be purchased by each Underwriter shall be in the same proportion to the total number of Option Units being purchased as the number of Firm Units being purchased by such Underwriter bears to the total number of Firm Units, adjusted by you in such manner as to avoid fractional shares. You, as the Representatives of the several Underwriters, may cancel such option at any time prior to its expiration by giving written notice of such cancellation to the Partnership. To the extent, if any, that the option is exercised, payment for the Option Units shall be made on the Option Closing Date by wire transfer payable in same-day funds to an account specified by the Partnership against delivery of the Option Units to the Representatives for the several accounts of the Underwriters through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company in New York, New York.
3. Offering by the Underwriters.
It is understood that the several Underwriters propose to offer the Units for sale to the public as set forth in the Prospectus.
It is further understood that you will act as the Representatives for the Underwriters in the offering and sale of the Units in accordance with a Master Agreement Among Underwriters entered into by you and the several other Underwriters.
4. Covenants.
(a) Preparation of Prospectus. The Partnership covenants and agrees with the several Underwriters that it will (i) prepare and timely file with the Commission under Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations a Prospectus in a form approved by the Representatives containing information previously omitted at the time of effectiveness of the Registration Statement in reliance on Rule 430A of the Rules and Regulations; (ii) not file any amendment to the Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or Written Testing-the-Waters Communication of which RBC Capital Markets, LLC shall not previously have been advised and furnished with a copy or to which the Representatives shall have reasonably objected in writing or which is not in compliance with the Rules and Regulations; and (iii) file on a timely basis all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Partnership with the Commission subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and prior to the termination of the offering of the Units by the Underwriters.
(b) Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. The Partnership agrees that, without the prior consent of RBC Capital Markets, LLC, it will not make any offer relating to the Units that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. Each Underwriter represents and agrees that it has not made and, without the prior consent of the Partnership and RBC Capital Markets, LLC, it will not make, any offer relating to the Units that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. Any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus the use of which has been consented to by the Partnership and RBC Capital Markets, LLC is listed on Schedule II(b) hereto. The Partnership has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 under the Securities Act applicable to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission or retention where required and legending. The Partnership represents that it has
19
satisfied and agrees that it will satisfy the conditions under Rule 433 under the Securities Act to avoid a requirement to file with the Commission any electronic road show. The Partnership agrees that if at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus any event occurred or occurs as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus would conflict with the information in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus or, when taken together with the Disclosure Package, would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances then prevailing, not misleading, the Partnership will give prompt notice thereof to RBC Capital Markets, LLC and, if requested by RBC Capital Markets, LLC, will prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or other document which will correct such conflict, statement or omission.
(c) Stabilization. The Partnership Parties will not take, directly or indirectly, any action that would constitute, or that is designed to or might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities of the Partnership to facilitate the sale or resale of the Units.
(d) Effectiveness of the Registration Statement. The Partnership Parties will advise the Representatives promptly (i) when the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto shall have become effective; (ii) of receipt of any comments from the Commission on the Registration Statement; (iii) of any request of the Commission for amendment of the Registration Statement or for supplement to the Prospectus or for any additional information; and (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any notice objecting to the use of the Prospectus or of the institution of any proceedings for that purpose. Each of the Partnership Parties will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order preventing or suspending the use of the Prospectus and to obtain as soon as possible the lifting thereof, if issued.
(e) Qualification of Units. The Partnership Parties will cooperate with the Representatives in endeavoring to qualify the Units for sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives may reasonably have designated in writing and will make such applications, file such documents, and furnish such information as may be reasonably required for that purpose, provided the Partnership Parties shall not be required to qualify to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified or to file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified or required to file such a consent. The Partnership will, from time to time, prepare and file such statements, reports, and other documents, as are or may be required to continue such qualifications in effect for so long a period as the Representatives may reasonably request for distribution of the Units.
(f) Signed Copies of the Registration Statement and Copies of the Prospectus. The Partnership will deliver to, or upon the order of, the Representatives during the period when delivery of a Prospectus is required under the Securities Act, as many copies of any Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus in final form, or as thereafter amended or supplemented, as the Representatives may reasonably request. The Partnership will deliver to the Representatives at or before the Closing Date, signed copies of the Registration Statement and all amendments thereto including all exhibits filed therewith, and will deliver to the Representatives such number of copies of the Registration Statement and of all amendments thereto (excluding exhibits), as the Representatives may reasonably request.
20
(g) Amendment of Registration Statement or Supplement of Prospectus. The Partnership will comply with the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations, and the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Units as contemplated in this Agreement and the Prospectus. If during the period in which a prospectus is required by law to be delivered by an Underwriter or dealer, any event shall occur as a result of which, in the judgment of the Partnership or in the reasonable opinion of the Underwriters, it becomes necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at the time the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or, if it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with any law, the Partnership promptly will prepare and file with the Commission an appropriate amendment to the Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus so that the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when it is so delivered, be misleading, or so that the Prospectus will comply with the applicable law.
(h) Earnings Statement. The Partnership will make generally available to its unitholders, as soon as it is practicable to do so, but in any event not later than 15 months after the Effective Date, an earnings statement (which need not be audited) in reasonable detail, covering a period of at least 12 consecutive months beginning after the Effective Date, which earnings statement shall satisfy the requirements of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 of the Rules and Regulations.
(i) Lockup Period. Each of the Partnership and the General Partner covenants and agrees that it will not, directly or indirectly, make any offering, sale, short sale, contract to sell, pledge or other disposition of any Common Units or other securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for, or establish or increase a put equivalent position or liquidate or decrease a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder with respect to Common Units, for a period of 45 days (the Lockup Period) after the date of this Agreement, other than as provided herein or with the prior written consent of RBC Capital Markets, LLC; provided, that this provision will not restrict the Partnership from (i) issuing and selling Common Units pursuant to the Partnerships long-term incentive program described in the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package, (ii) issuing Common Units and other securities pursuant to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or (iii) issuing and selling up to 5% of the total outstanding Common Units in connection with an acquisition, provided, however, that the recipient of such Common Units agrees to be locked up for the remaining balance of such Lockup Period.
(j) Lockup Agreements. The Partnership Parties have caused each officer and director of the Partnership and General Partner and each other individual or entity set forth on Schedule V to furnish to you, on or prior to the date of this agreement, a letter or letters, substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto (Lockup Agreements).
(k) Listing. The Partnership will use its best efforts to list, subject to notice of issuance, the Units on the NASDAQ.
21
(l) Use of Proceeds. The Partnership Parties shall apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Firm Units as described under the heading Use of Proceeds in the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package.
(m) No Other Prospectus. The Partnership agrees not, at any time at or after the execution of this Agreement, to, directly or indirectly, offer or sell any Common Units by means of any prospectus (within the meaning of the Securities Act), or use any prospectus (within the meaning of the Securities Act) in connection with the offer or sale of the Units, in each case other than the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(n) Undertakings. The Partnership will comply with all provisions of any undertakings contained in the Registration Statement.
(o) Written Testing-the-Water Communications. If at any time following the distribution of any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, any event occurs as a result of which such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein in the light of the circumstances under which they were made at such time not misleading, the Partnership will (i) notify promptly the Representatives so that use of the Written Testing-the-Waters Communication may cease until it is amended or supplemented; (ii) amend or supplement the Written Testing-the-Waters Communication to correct such supplement or omission; and (iii) supply any amendment or supplement to the Representatives in such quantities as may reasonably be requested.
5. Costs and Expenses.
The Partnership Parties will pay all costs, expenses and fees incident to the performance of the obligations of the Partnership Parties under this Agreement, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the following: the preparation of the certificates for the Units and the issuance and delivery of the Units to the Underwriters, including any stock or other transfer taxes and any stamp or other taxes or duties payable in connection with the sale, issuance or delivery of the Units to the Underwriters; accounting fees of the Partnership; the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Partnership Parties; the cost of printing and delivering to, or as requested by, the Underwriters copies of the Registration Statement, Preliminary Prospectuses, the Pricing Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and any supplements or amendments thereto; the filing fees of the Commission; the filing fees and expenses (including reasonable legal fees of and disbursements to counsel to the Underwriters) in connection with the review by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Units, up to a maximum amount of $15,000; the Listing Fee of the NASDAQ; and the expenses, incurred in connection with the qualification of the Units under state securities or Blue Sky laws and the preparation, printing and distribution of any Blue Sky survey, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection therewith up to a maximum amount of $15,000.
22
The Partnership Parties shall not, however, be required to pay for any of the Underwriters expenses (other than those related to qualification under FINRA regulations and state securities or Blue Sky laws as set forth in the preceding paragraph) except that, if this Agreement shall not be consummated because the conditions in Section 6 hereof are not satisfied, or because this Agreement is terminated by the Representatives pursuant to Section 11(a)(i) and (v) hereof, or by reason of any failure, refusal or inability on the part of the Partnership Parties to perform any undertaking or satisfy any condition of this Agreement or to comply with any of the terms hereof on its part to be performed, unless such failure to satisfy said condition or to comply with said terms be due to the default or omission of any Underwriter, then the Partnership Parties shall reimburse the several Underwriters for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, including all fees and disbursements of counsel, reasonably incurred in connection with investigating, marketing and proposing to market the Units or in contemplation of performing their obligations hereunder; but the Partnership Parties shall not in any event be liable to any of the several Underwriters for damages on account of loss of anticipated profits from the sale by them of the Units.
6. Conditions of Obligations of the Underwriters.
The several obligations of the Underwriters to purchase the Firm Units on the Closing Date and the Option Units, if any, on the Option Closing Date are subject to the accuracy, as of the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, of the representations and warranties of the Partnership Parties contained herein, and to the performance by the Partnership Parties of their covenants and obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:
(a) Effectiveness of the Registration Statement. The Registration Statement and all post-effective amendments thereto shall have become effective and any and all filings required by Rule 424 and Rule 430A of the Rules and Regulations shall have been made, and any request of the Commission for additional information (to be included in the Registration Statement or otherwise) shall have been disclosed to the Representatives and complied with to its reasonable satisfaction. All material required to be filed by the Partnership pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by Rule 433 under the Securities Act; if the Partnership has elected to rely upon Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement shall have become effective by 10:00 P.M., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this Agreement. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, or any notice objecting to the use of the Pricing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or, to the knowledge of the Partnership Parties, shall be threatened by the Commission; all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission shall have been complied with to your reasonable satisfaction; and no injunction, restraining order, or order of any nature by a federal or state court of competent jurisdiction shall have been issued as of the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, if any, which would prevent the issuance of the Units.
(b) Opinion of Counsel for Partnership. The Representatives shall have received on the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, the opinion of Andrews Kurth LLP, counsel for the Partnership, dated the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, if any, addressed to the Underwriters to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto.
(c) Opinion of Delaware Counsel. The Representatives shall have received on the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, the opinion of Delaware counsel, dated the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, if any, addressed to the Underwriters to the effect set forth in Exhibit C hereto.
23
(d) Opinion of General Counsel of the General Partner. The Representatives shall have received on the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, the opinion of Nathan P. Pekar, Vice President of Business Development and General Counsel of the General Partner, dated the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, if any, addressed to the Underwriters to the effect set forth in Exhibit D hereto.
(e) Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters. The Representatives shall have received on the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, the opinion of Latham & Watkins LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, if any, with respect to formation of the Partnership and other matters as the Representatives may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received such papers and information as they reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.
(f) Accountants Comfort Letter. You shall have received, on each of the dates hereof, the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, a letter dated the date hereof, the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, if any, in form and substance satisfactory to you, of Grant Thornton confirming that they are independent registered public accountants within the meaning of the Securities Act and the applicable published Rules and Regulations thereunder and stating that in their opinion the financial statements and schedules examined by them and included in the Registration Statement comply in form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Securities Act and the related published Rules and Regulations; and containing such other statements and information as is ordinarily included in accountants comfort letters to Underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
(g) Reserve Engineer Letter. You shall have received on each of the dates hereof, the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, a letter dated the date hereof, the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, if any, in form and substance satisfactory to you, of Cawley Gillespie.
(h) Officers Certificate. The Representatives shall have received on the Closing Date and the Option Closing Date, if any, a certificate or certificates signed on behalf of each of the Partnership Parties by the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the applicable Partnership Party to the effect that, as of the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, if any:
(i) The Registration Statement has become effective under the Securities Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued, and no proceedings for such purpose have been commenced or are, to his knowledge, threatened by the Commission;
(ii) The representations and warranties of the Partnership Parties contained in Section 1 hereof are true and correct as of the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, if any;
24
(iii) They have carefully examined the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and, in their opinion, (1) the Registration Statement, as of the Effective Date, did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading and (2) the Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, and the Prospectus, as of its date and on the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, if any, did not and do not contain any untrue statement of a material fact and did not and do not omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and
(iv) Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there has not been any material adverse change or any development involving a prospective material adverse change which has had or would be reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(i) Additional Documents. The Partnership Parties shall have furnished to the Representatives such further certificates and documents confirming the representations and warranties, covenants and conditions contained herein and related matters as the Representatives may reasonably have requested.
(j) Approval of Listing. The Firm Units and Option Units, if any, shall have been approved for listing on the NASDAQ, subject to official notice of issuance.
(k) Lockup Agreements. The Lockup Agreements described in Section 4(j) shall be in full force and effect.
(l) No Objection. Prior to the date of this Agreement, FINRA shall have confirmed in writing that it has no objection with respect to fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements.
The opinions and certificates mentioned in this Agreement shall be deemed to be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives and to Latham & Watkins, LLP, counsel for the Underwriters.
If any of the conditions hereinabove provided for in this Section shall not have been fulfilled when and as required by this Agreement to be fulfilled, the obligations of the Underwriters hereunder may be terminated by the Representatives.
In such event, the Partnership Parties and the Underwriters shall not be under any obligation to each other (except to the extent provided in Sections 5 and 7 hereof).
7. Conditions of the Obligations of the Partnership Parties.
The obligations of the Partnership Parties to sell and deliver the portion of the Units required to be delivered as and when specified in this Agreement are subject to the conditions that at the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, if any, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued and in effect or proceedings therefor initiated or threatened.
25
8. Indemnification.
(a) The Partnership Parties agree to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, the directors, officers, employees and agents of each Underwriter, its affiliates (as such term is defined in Rule 501(b) under the Securities Act), its selling agent and each person who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, who has, or who is alleged to have, participated in the distribution of the Units, against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as incurred, to which such Underwriter or any such entity or person may become subject under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in (A) the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, (B) any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, Written Testing-the-Waters Communication or any issuer information filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act and (C) in any materials or information that does not constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and that is provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Partnership in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Units, including any road show or bona fide electronic road show (each as defined in Rule 433), not constituting an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (Marketing Materials) or (ii) the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading (except with respect to the Registration Statement, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made); provided, however, that the Partnership Parties will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement, or omission or alleged omission made in the Registration Statement, Pricing Prospectus, the Prospectus, or such amendment or supplement, in any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any issuer information filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act or in any Marketing Materials in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Partnership by or through the Representatives specifically for use in the preparation thereof, such information being listed in Section 11 below.
(b) Each Underwriter severally and not jointly will indemnify and hold harmless each of the Partnership Parties, each of their directors and officers who have signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls any Partnership Party within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, or Section 20 of the Exchange Act and any affiliate (within the meaning of Rule 405 of the Securities Act) of such Partnership Party who has, or who is alleged to have, participated in the distribution of the Units, against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as incurred, to which any of the Partnership Parties or any such respective director, officer or controlling person may become subject under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in (A) the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, (B) any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any issuer information filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the
26
Securities Act and (C) Marketing Materials (ii) the omission or the alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances under which they were made; and will reimburse any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Partnership Parties or any such respective director, officer or controlling person in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability, action or proceeding; provided, however, that each Underwriter will be liable in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission has been made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or in any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Partnership Parties by or through the Representatives specifically for use in the preparation thereof, such information being listed in Section 13 below.
(c) In case any proceeding (including any governmental investigation) shall be instituted involving any person in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to this Section 8, such person (the indemnified party) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnity may be sought (the indemnifying party) in writing. No indemnification provided for in Section 8(a) or (b) shall be available to any party who shall fail to give notice as provided in this Subsection if the party to whom notice was not given was materially prejudiced by the failure to give such notice, but the failure to give such notice shall not relieve the indemnifying party or parties from any liability which it or they may have to the indemnified party for contribution or otherwise than on account of the provisions of Section 8(a) or (b). In case any such proceeding shall be brought against any indemnified party and it shall notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party and shall pay as incurred the fees and disbursements of such counsel related to such proceeding. In any such proceeding, any indemnified party shall have the right to retain its own counsel at its own expense. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the indemnifying party shall pay as incurred (or within 30 days of presentation) the fees and expenses of the counsel retained by the indemnified party in the event (i) the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel, (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 or (iii) the indemnifying party shall have failed to assume the defense and employ counsel acceptable to the indemnified party within a reasonable period of time after notice of commencement of the action.
It is understood that the indemnifying party shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the reasonable fees and expenses of more than one separate firm for all such indemnified parties. Such firm shall be designated in writing by you in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 8(a) and by the Partnership Parties in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 8(b). The indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent but if settled with such consent, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement. In addition, the indemnifying party will not, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, settle or compromise or
27
consent to the entry of any judgment in any pending or threatened claim, action or proceeding of which indemnification may be sought hereunder (whether or not any indemnified party is an actual or potential party to such claim, action or proceeding) unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such claim, action or proceeding.
(d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 8 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under Section 8(a) or (b) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Partnership Parties and the Underwriters from the offering of the Units. If, however, the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by applicable law then each indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount paid or payable by such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Partnership Parties and the Underwriters in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Partnership Parties and the Underwriters shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Partnership Parties bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault 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 Partnership Parties or the Underwriters and the parties relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
The Partnership Parties and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this Subsection were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Subsection. The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions or proceedings in respect thereof) referred to above in this Subsection shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Subsection, (i) no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting discounts and commissions applicable to the Units purchased by such Underwriter and (ii) no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters obligations in this Subsection to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.
28
(e) In any proceeding relating to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus, the Prospectus or any supplement or amendment thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, each party against whom contribution may be sought under this Section 8 hereby consents to the jurisdiction of any court having jurisdiction over any other contributing party, agrees that process issuing from such court may be served upon him or it by any other contributing party and consents to the service of such process and agrees that any other contributing party may join him or it as an additional defendant in any such proceeding in which such other contributing party is a party.
(f) The indemnifying party will reimburse the indemnified party upon demand for any legal or other out-of-pocket expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage or liability, action or proceeding or in responding to a subpoena or governmental inquiry related to the offering of the Units, in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to Section 8(a) or (b) above whether or not such indemnified party is a party to any action or proceeding. In the event that it is finally judicially determined that the indemnified party was not entitled to receive payments for legal and other expenses pursuant to this subparagraph, the indemnified party will promptly return all sums that had been advanced pursuant hereto.
9. Default by Underwriters.
If on the Closing Date or the Option Closing Date, if any, any Underwriter shall fail to purchase and pay for the portion of the Firm Units or Option Units, as the case may be, which such Underwriter has agreed to purchase and pay for on such date (otherwise than by reason of any default on the part of the Partnership Parties), you, as the Representatives of the Underwriters, shall use your reasonable efforts to procure within 36 hours thereafter one or more of the other Underwriters, or any others, to purchase from the Partnership such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms set forth herein, the Firm Units or Option Units, as the case may be, which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters failed to purchase. If during such 36 hours you, as such Representatives, shall not have procured such other Underwriters, or any others, to purchase the Firm Units or Option Units, as the case may be, agreed to be purchased by the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, and if the aggregate number of shares with respect to which such default shall occur does not exceed 10% of the Firm Units or Option Units, as the case may be, covered hereby, the other Underwriters shall be obligated, severally, in proportion to the respective numbers of Firm Units or Option Units, as the case may be, which they are obligated to purchase hereunder, to purchase the Firm Units or Option Units, as the case may be, which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters failed to purchase. If the aggregate number of Firm Units or Option Units, as the case may be, with respect to which such default shall occur exceeds 10% of the Firm Units or Option Units, as the case may be, covered hereby, the remaining Underwriters shall have the right to purchase all, but shall not be under any obligation to purchase any, of the Firm Units or Option Units, as the case may be, and, if such remaining Underwriters do not purchase all of the Firm Units or Option Units, as the case may be, you as the Representatives of the Underwriters will have the right to terminate this Agreement without liability on the part of the non-defaulting Underwriters or of the Partnership Parties except to the extent provided in Section 8 hereof. In the event of a default by any Underwriter or Underwriters, as set forth in this Section, the Closing Date or Option Closing Date, if any, may be postponed for such period, not exceeding seven days, as you, as Representatives, may determine in order that the required changes in the Registration Statement or in the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected. The term Underwriter includes any person substituted for a defaulting Underwriter. Any action taken under this Section shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.
29
10. Notices.
All communications hereunder shall be in writing and, except as otherwise provided herein, will be mailed, delivered, or faxed and confirmed as follows:
if to the Underwriters, to: | RBC Capital Markets, LLC Three World Financial Center, 8th Floor 200 Vesey Street, New York, New York 10281-8098 Attention: Michael Goldberg Syndicate Director Fax: (212)  ###-###-#### | |
if to the Partnership Parties, to: | Mid-Con Energy GP, LLC 2501 North Harwood, Suite 2410 Dallas, Texas 75201 Attention: Nathan Pekar Fax: (469)  ###-###-#### |
11. Termination.
This Agreement may be terminated by you at any time prior to the Closing Date:
(a) if any of the following has occurred: (i) since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, any material adverse change or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, which in the absolute discretion of the Representatives, has had or is reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect, (ii) any outbreak, attack or escalation of hostilities or declaration of war, national emergency, act of terrorism or other national or international calamity or crisis or change in economic, financial or political conditions (including as a result of the taking of any action by any governmental body or agency in respect of its monetary or fiscal affairs which in your reasonable opinion has a material adverse effect on the securities markets in the United States) if the effect of such outbreak, escalation, declaration, emergency, calamity, crisis or change on the financial markets of the United States would, in the absolute discretion of the Representatives, make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering and delivery of the Units as contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (iii) suspension of trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange or the NASDAQ or limitation on prices (other than limitations on hours or numbers of days of trading) for securities on either such Exchange, (iv) declaration of a banking moratorium by United States or New York state authorities, or (v) the suspension of trading of the Partnerships common units by the NASDAQ, the Commission, or any other governmental authority; or
30
(b) if the Underwriters shall decline to purchase the Units for any reason permitted under this Agreement.
12. Successors.
This Agreement has been and is made solely for the benefit of the Partnership Parties and the Underwriters and their respective successors, executors, administrators, heirs and assigns, and the officers, directors and controlling persons referred to herein, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder. No purchaser of any of the Units from any Underwriter shall be deemed a successor or assign merely because of such purchase.
13. Information Provided by Underwriters.
The Partnership Parties and the Underwriters acknowledge and agree that the only information furnished or to be furnished by any Underwriter to the Partnership Parties for inclusion in any Preliminary Prospectus, Prospectus, Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Registration Statement consists of the information contained (i) in the last paragraph of the cover page regarding delivery of the Units and, under the heading Underwriting, (ii) the list of Underwriters and their respective participation in the sale of the Units, (iii) the sentences related to concessions and reallowances and (iv) the paragraphs related to stabilization, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids and the information regarding the limitations on sales to discretionary accounts and delivery of the prospectus in electronic form in the Preliminary Prospectus, the Disclosure Package, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus in the Prospectus.
14. Research Analyst Independence.
In addition, the Partnership Parties acknowledge that the Underwriters research analysts and research departments are required to be independent from their respective investment banking divisions and are subject to certain regulations and internal policies, and that such Underwriters research analysts may hold and make statements or investment recommendations and/or publish research reports with respect to the Partnership and/or the offering that differ from the views of its investment banking divisions. The Partnership Parties hereby waive and release, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that the Partnership Parties may have against the Underwriters with respect to any conflict of interest that may arise from the fact that the views expressed by their independent research analysts and research departments may be different from or inconsistent with the views or advice communicated to the Partnership Parties by such Underwriters investment banking divisions. The Partnership Parties acknowledge that each of the Underwriters is a full service securities firm and as such from time to time, subject to applicable securities laws, may effect transactions for its own account or the account of its customers and hold long or short position in debt or equity securities of the companies which may be the subject to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
31
15. No Fiduciary Duty.
Notwithstanding any preexisting relationship, advisory or otherwise, between the parties or any oral representations or assurances previously or subsequently made by the Underwriters, each of the Partnership Parties acknowledges and agrees that:
(a) nothing herein shall create a fiduciary or agency relationship between the Partnership Parties and the Underwriters;
(b) the Underwriters are not acting as advisors, experts or otherwise, to the Partnership Parties in connection with this offering, sale of the Units or any other services the Underwriters may be deemed to be providing hereunder, including, without limitation, with respect to the public offering price of the Units;
(c) the relationship between the Partnership Parties and the Underwriters in connection with this offering, sale of the Units or any other services the Underwriters may be deemed to be providing hereunder is entirely and solely commercial, based on arms-length negotiations;
(d) any duties and obligations that the Underwriters may have to the Partnership Parties in connection with this offering, sale of the Units or any other services the Underwriters may be deemed to be providing hereunder shall be limited to those duties and obligations specifically stated herein; and
(e) notwithstanding anything in this Underwriting Agreement to the contrary, each of the Partnership Parties acknowledges that the Underwriters may have financial interests in the success of the offering that are not limited to the difference between the price to the public and the purchase price paid to the Partnership by the Underwriters for the common units and the Underwriters have no obligation to disclose, or account to the Partnership for, any of such additional financial interests.
Each of the Partnership Parties hereby waives and releases, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that it may have against the Underwriters with respect to any breach or alleged breach of fiduciary duty.
16. Miscellaneous.
The reimbursement, indemnification and contribution agreements contained in this Agreement and the representations, warranties and covenants in this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect regardless of (a) any termination of this Agreement, (b) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or controlling person thereof, or by or on behalf of the Partnership Parties or any of their directors, officers, employees, agents, affiliates or controlling persons referred to in Section 8 hereof and (c) delivery of and payment for the Units under this Agreement.
This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.
This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all prior written or oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations with respect to the subject matter hereof.
32
This Agreement may only be amended or modified in writing, signed by all of the parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit.
[remainder of page intentionally blank]
33
If the foregoing letter is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to us the enclosed duplicates hereof, whereupon it will become a binding agreement among the Partnership Parties and the several Underwriters in accordance with its terms.
Very truly yours, | ||
MID-CON ENERGY PARTNERS, LP | ||
By Mid-Con Energy GP, LLC, its general partner | ||
By | /s/ Jeffrey R. Olmstead | |
Jeffrey R. Olmstead | ||
Chief Executive Officer | ||
MID-CON ENERGY GP, LLC | ||
By | /s/ Jeffrey R. Olmstead | |
Jeffrey R. Olmstead | ||
Chief Executive Officer | ||
MID-CON ENERGY PROPERTIES, LLC | ||
By | /s/ Jeffrey R. Olmstead | |
Jeffrey R. Olmstead | ||
Chief Executive Officer |
The foregoing Underwriting Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted as of the date first above written. | ||
RBC CAPITAL MARKETS, LLC | ||
RAYMOND JAMES & ASSOCIATES, INC. | ||
UBS SECURITIES LLC | ||
WELLS FARGO SECURITIES, LLC | ||
As the Representatives of the several | ||
Underwriters listed on Schedule I | ||
By: | RBC CAPITAL MARKETS, LLC | |
By: | /s/ Kevin Hays | |
Name: Kevin Hays | ||
Title: Managing Director | ||
By: | RAYMOND JAMES & ASSOCIATES, INC. | |
By: | /s/ W. Bryant Patrick | |
Name: W. Bryant Patrick | ||
Title: Vice President | ||
By: | UBS SECURITIES LLC | |
By: | /s/ Steve Escaler | |
Name: Steve Escaler | ||
Title: Executive Director | ||
By: | /s/ Shail Sapra | |
Name: Shail Sapra | ||
Title: Director | ||
By: | WELLS FARGO SECURITIES, LLC | |
By: | /s/ Elizabeth A. Dichiaro | |
Name: Elizabeth A. Dichiaro | ||
Title: Managing Director |
SCHEDULE I
Schedule of Underwriters
Name | Number of Firm Units | |||
RBC Capital Markets, LLC | 904,800 | |||
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated | 904,800 | |||
Raymond James & Associates, Inc. | 904,800 | |||
UBS Securities LLC | 904,800 | |||
Wells Fargo Securities, LLC | 904,800 | |||
Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated | 580,000 | |||
Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. | 232,000 | |||
Comerica Securities, Inc. | 116,000 | |||
Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. | 116,000 | |||
MLV & Co. LLC | 116,000 | |||
Wunderlich Securities, Inc. | 116,000 | |||
|
| |||
Total: | 5,800,000 | |||
|
|
SCHEDULE II(a)
Public offering price: $17.27 per common unit
Number of common units: 5,800,000 Firm Units plus 870,000 Option Units
Net proceeds, before expenses, to the Partnership: $96,409,775
SCHEDULE II(b)
Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses
| None |
SCHEDULE III
Foreign Qualifications of the Partnership Parties
ENTITY | JURISDICTIONS OF FOREIGN QUALIFICATION | |
Mid-Con Energy Partners, LP | Oklahoma, Colorado, Texas | |
Mid-Con Energy GP, LLC | Oklahoma, Colorado, Texas | |
Mid-Con Energy Properties, LLC | Oklahoma, Colorado, Texas |
SCHEDULE IV
Parties to Lockup Agreements
| S. Craig George |
| Charles R. Olmstead |
| Jeffrey R. Olmstead |
| Michael D. Peterson |
| Michael L. Wiggins |
| David A. Culbertson |
| Peter A. Leidel |
| Peter Adamson, III |
| Robert W. Berry |
| Cameron O. Smith |
| Nathan Pekar |
| Mid-Con Energy III, LLC |
Exhibit A
[Letterhead of officer or director]
Mid-Con Energy Partners, LP
Public Offering of Common Units
November 11, 2014
RBC Capital Markets, LLC
Raymond James & Associates, Inc.
UBS Securities LLC
Wells Fargo Securities, LLC
As the Representatives of the several underwriters
named in Schedule I hereto
c/o RBC Capital Markets
One Liberty Plaza, 165 Broadway
New York, NY 10006-1404
Ladies and Gentlemen:
This letter is being delivered to you in connection with the proposed Underwriting Agreement (the Underwriting Agreement) among Mid-Con Energy Partners, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (the Partnership), Mid-Con Energy GP, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, Mid-Con Energy Properties, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and each of you as representatives (the Representatives) of a group of Underwriters named therein, relating to an underwritten public offering (the Offering) of common units representing limited partner interests in the Partnership (the Common Units).
In order to induce you and the other Underwriters to enter into the Underwriting Agreement, the undersigned will not, directly or indirectly, without the prior written consent of RBC Capital Markets, LLC, offer, sell, short sell, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose, (or enter into any transaction which is designed to, or might reasonably be expected to, result in the disposition (whether by actual disposition or effective economic disposition due to cash settlement or otherwise) by the undersigned or any affiliate of the undersigned or any person in privity with the undersigned or any affiliate of the undersigned), including the filing (or participation in the filing) of a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission in respect of, or establish or increase a put equivalent position or liquidate or decrease a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission promulgated thereunder with respect to, any Common Units of the Partnership or any securities convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for such Common Units, or publicly announce an intention to effect any such transaction, for a period of 45 days (the Lockup Period) after the date of the Underwriting Agreement, other than Common Units transferred (i) to an affiliate or (ii) as bona fide gifts; provided that in the case of any such transfer (A) each transferee or donee shall sign and deliver to the Representatives a lock-up letter substantially in the form of this letter and (B) no filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of Common Units, shall be required or voluntarily made during the restricted period referred to above.
If for any reason the Underwriting Agreement shall be terminated prior to the Closing Date (as defined in the Underwriting Agreement), the agreement set forth above shall likewise be terminated.
Yours very truly, |
[Signature of officer, director or major stockholder] |
[Name and address of officer, director or major stockholder] |
Exhibit C
Form of Opinion of Delaware Counsel
1. | The GP LLC Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the General Partner and is a valid and legally binding agreement of the General Partner, enforceable against the General Partner in accordance with its terms; and |
2. | The Partnership Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the General Partner and the Organizational Limited Partner and is a valid and legally binding agreement of the General Partner and the Organizational Limited Partner, enforceable against the General Partner and the Organizational Partner in accordance with its terms. |
provided that, with respect to each such agreement, the enforceability thereof may be limited by (x) applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws relating to or affecting creditors rights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding at law or in equity), and (y) public policy, applicable law relating to fiduciary duties and indemnification and an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.
Exhibit D
Form of Opinion of General Counsel
of the General Partner
1. | I am not aware of any documents that are required to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement and are not so filed or of any documents that are required to be described in the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, and are not so described. |