Underwriting Agreement by and among the Company and the Representatives, dated as of April 17, 2024

Contract Categories: Business Finance - Underwriting Agreements
EX-1.1 2 d803571dex11.htm EX-1.1 EX-1.1

Exhibit 1.1

Execution version

 

 

 

MONTROSE ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP, INC.

(a Delaware corporation)

3,000,000 Shares of Common Stock

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

Dated: April 17, 2024

 

 

 


MONTROSE ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP, INC.

(a Delaware corporation)

3,000,000 Shares of Common Stock

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

April 17, 2024

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

William Blair & Company, L.L.C.

Evercore Group L.L.C.

as Representatives of the several Underwriters

 

c/o

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

383 Madison Avenue

New York, New York 10179

 

c/o

William Blair & Company, L.L.C.

150 N. Riverside Plaza, Suite 4600

Chicago, Illinois 60606

 

c/o

Evercore Group L.L.C.

55 East 52nd Street

New York, New York 10055

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Montrose Environmental Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), confirms its agreement with J.P. Morgan Securities LLC (“JPM”), William Blair & Company, L.L.C. (“William Blair”) and Evercore Group L.L.C. (“Evercore”) and each of the other Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto (collectively, the “Underwriters,” which term shall also include any underwriter substituted as hereinafter provided in Section 10 hereof), for whom JPM, William Blair and Evercore are acting as representatives (in such capacity, the “Representatives”), with respect to (i) the sale by the Company and the purchase by the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the respective numbers of shares of Common Stock, par value $0.000004 per share, of the Company (“Common Stock”) set forth in Schedule A hereto and (ii) the grant by the Company to the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the option described in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any part of 450,000 additional shares of Common Stock. The aforesaid 3,000,000 shares of Common Stock (the “Initial Securities”) to be purchased by the Underwriters and all or any part of the 450,000 shares of Common Stock subject to the option described in Section 2(b) hereof (the “Option Securities”) are herein called, collectively, the “Securities.”

The Company understands that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of the Securities as soon as the Representatives deem advisable after this Agreement has been executed and delivered.

The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) an automatic shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-278725), including a prospectus, covering the registration of the sale of the Securities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “1933 Act Regulations”), which automatic shelf registration


statement became effective under Rule 462(e) under the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 462(e)”). Such registration statement, as of any time, means such registration statement as amended by any post-effective amendments thereto to such time, including the exhibits and any schedules thereto at such time, the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein at such time pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act and the documents otherwise deemed to be a part thereof as of such time pursuant to Rule 430B under the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 430B”), is referred to herein as the “Registration Statement;” provided, however, that the “Registration Statement” without reference to a time means such registration statement as amended by any post-effective amendments thereto as of the time of the first contract of sale for the Securities, which time shall be considered the “new effective date” of such registration statement with respect to the Securities within the meaning of paragraph (f)(2) of Rule 430B, including the exhibits and schedules thereto as of such time, the documents incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference therein at such time pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act and the documents otherwise deemed to be a part thereof as of such time pursuant to Rule 430B. Each preliminary prospectus used in connection with the offering of the Securities, including the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act, are collectively referred to herein as a “preliminary prospectus.” Promptly after execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will prepare and file a final prospectus relating to the Securities in accordance with the provisions of Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 424(b)”). The final prospectus, in the form first furnished or made available to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offering of the Securities, including the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act, are collectively referred to herein as the “Prospectus.” For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (or any successor system) (“EDGAR”).

As used in this Agreement:

“Applicable Time” means 6:30 P.M., New York City time, on April 17, 2024 or such other time as agreed by the Company and the Representatives.

“General Disclosure Package” means any Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectuses issued at or prior to the Applicable Time, the most recent preliminary prospectus that is distributed to investors prior to the Applicable Time and the information included on Schedule B-1 hereto, all considered together.

“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 433”), including without limitation any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 405”)) relating to the Securities that is (i) required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) a “road show for an offering that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i), whether or not required to be filed with the Commission, or (iii) exempt from filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Securities or of the offering that does not reflect the final terms, in each case, in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).

“Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors (other than a “bona fide electronic road show,” as defined in Rule 433) (the “Bona Fide Electronic Road Show”), as evidenced by its being specified in Schedule B-2 hereto.

 

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“Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not an Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus.

“Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any oral or written communication with potential investors in connection with the offer and sale of the Securities undertaken in reliance on Rule 163B under the 1933 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 1933 Act.

All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is “contained,” “included” or “stated” (or other references of like import) in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to include all such financial statements and schedules and other information incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to include the filing (but not furnishing) of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “1934 Act Regulations”), incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, such preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, at or after the execution and delivery of this Agreement.

SECTION 1. Representations and Warranties.

(a) Representations and Warranties by the Company. The Company represents and warrants to each Underwriter as of the date hereof, the Applicable Time, the Closing Time (as defined below) and any Date of Delivery (as defined below), and agrees with each Underwriter, as follows:

(i) Registration Statement and Prospectuses. The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act. The Registration Statement is an “automatic shelf registration statement” (as defined in Rule 405) and the Securities have been and remain eligible for registration by the Company on such automatic shelf registration statement. Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto has become effective under the 1933 Act. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued by the Commission under the 1933 Act, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued by the Commission and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened by the Commission. The Company has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information.

Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time of its effectiveness, each deemed effective date with respect to the Underwriters pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(2) under the 1933 Act Regulations, the Applicable Time, the Closing Time and any Date of Delivery complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations. Each preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, at the time each was filed with the Commission, and, in each case, at the Applicable Time, the Closing Time and any Date of Delivery complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations. Each preliminary prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with this offering was, and the Prospectus will be, identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed or to be filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

 

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(ii) Accurate Disclosure. Neither the Registration Statement nor any amendment thereto, when considered together with the Registration Statement, at its effective time, on the date hereof, at the Closing Time or at any Date of Delivery, contained, contains or will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. At the Applicable Time and any Date of Delivery, none of (A) the General Disclosure Package, (B) any individual Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package and (C) any individual Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, as supplemented by and when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. Neither the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto, when considered together with the Registration Statement, as of its issue date, at the time of any filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b), at the Closing Time or at any Date of Delivery, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

The representations and warranties in this subsection shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), the General Disclosure Package, any Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) made in reliance upon and in conformity with either written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein. For purposes of this Agreement, the only information so furnished by or on behalf of any Underwriter shall be the following information in the Prospectus furnished on behalf of each Underwriter: the concession figures appearing in the third paragraph under the caption “Underwriting” and the information contained in the fifteenth and sixteenth paragraphs under the caption “Underwriting” relating to price stabilization, short positions and penalty bids (collectively, the “Underwriter Information”).

(iii) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. No Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and any preliminary or other prospectus deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified. The foregoing sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information. The Company has made available a Bona Fide Electronic Road Show in compliance with Rule 433(d)(8)(ii) such that no filing of any “road show” (as defined in Rule 433(h)) is required in connection with the offering of the Securities.

(iv) Well-Known Seasoned Issuer. (A) At the time of filing the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, (B) at the time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c) under the 1933 Act) made any offer relating to the Securities in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163 under the 1933 Act, and (C) as of the Applicable Time, the Company was and is a “well-known seasoned issuer” (as defined in Rule 405).

(v) Experienced Issuer. The Company is an “experienced issuer” as defined in FINRA Rule 5110(j)(6).

 

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(vi) Testing-the-Waters Materials. The Company (A) has not engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communication other than Testing-the-Waters Communications with the consent of the Representatives with entities that are qualified institutional buyers within the meaning of Rule 144A under the 1933 Act or institutions that are accredited investors within the meaning of Rule 501 under the 1933 Act and (B) has not authorized anyone other than the Representatives to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company reconfirms that the Representatives have been authorized to act on its behalf in undertaking Testing-the-Waters Communications with respect to those Testing-the-Waters Communications listed on Schedule B-3 hereto. The Company has not distributed any Written Testing-the-Waters Communications other than those listed on Schedule B-3 hereto.

(vii) Company Not Ineligible Issuer. At the time of filing the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations) of the Securities and at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405, without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an ineligible issuer.

(viii) Independent Accountants. Deloitte & Touche LLP, who have certified certain financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company as required by the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.

(ix) Financial Statements; Non-GAAP Financial Measures. The financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, together with the related notes, present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the applicable entity to which they relate and its consolidated subsidiaries at the dates indicated and the statement of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows of the applicable entity to which they relate and its consolidated subsidiaries for the periods specified; said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved. The selected financial data included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly, in all material respects, the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent, in all material respects, with that of the financial statements included therein. Except as included therein, no historical or pro forma financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus under the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations, including Rule 3-05 and Article 11 of Regulation S-X. All disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply, in all material respects, with Regulation G of the 1934 Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K of the 1933 Act, to the extent applicable. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.

(x) No Material Adverse Change in Business. Except as otherwise stated therein, since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, (A) there has been no material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business (a “Material Adverse Effect”), (B) there have been no transactions entered into by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, other than those in the ordinary course of business, which are material with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, and (C) there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its capital stock.

 

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(xi) Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware and has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement; and the Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required (and where such concept exists), whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to so qualify or to be in good standing would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(xii) Good Standing of Subsidiaries. Each “significant subsidiary” of the Company (as such term is defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X) (each, a “Subsidiary” and, collectively, the “Subsidiaries”) has been duly organized and is validly existing in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization (where such concept exists), has corporate or similar power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required (and where such concept exists), whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to so qualify or to be in good standing would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of each Subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and non-assessable (or such equivalent concept to the extent it exists under the laws of such jurisdiction) and is owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance or claim. None of the outstanding equity interests of any Subsidiary were issued in violation of the preemptive or similar rights of any securityholder of such Subsidiary. The only subsidiaries of the Company are (A) the subsidiaries listed on Exhibit 21.1 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 and (B) certain other subsidiaries which, when considered in the aggregate as a single subsidiary, would not constitute a “significant subsidiary” as defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X.

(xiii) Capitalization. The authorized, issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption “Capitalization” (except for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to reservations, agreements or employee benefit or equity incentive plans referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, pursuant to the exercise of convertible securities, warrants or options referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus). The outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable. None of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company were issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company.

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

(xv) Authorization and Description of Securities. The Common Stock conforms in all material respects to all statements relating thereto contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and such description conforms in all material respects to the rights set forth in the instruments defining the same.

 

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(xvi) Registration Rights. There are no persons or entities with registration rights or other similar rights to have any securities registered for sale pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise registered for sale or sold by the Company under the 1933 Act pursuant to this Agreement, other than those rights that have been disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and have been or will be satisfied, waived or complied with.

(xvii) Absence of Violations, Defaults and Conflicts. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is in violation of its charter, bylaws or similar organizational document. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (A) in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound or to which any of the properties or assets of the Company or any subsidiary is subject (collectively, “Agreements and Instruments”), except for such defaults that would not reasonably be expected to, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, or (B) in violation of any law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any arbitrator, court, governmental body, regulatory body, administrative agency or other authority, body or agency having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective properties, assets or operations (each, a “Governmental Entity”), except for such violations that would not reasonably be expected to, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and compliance by the Company with its obligations hereunder have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company and do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any properties or assets of the Company or any subsidiary pursuant to, the Agreements and Instruments (except for such conflicts, breaches, defaults or Repayment Events or liens, charges or encumbrances that would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect), nor will such action result in (x) any violation of the provisions of the charter, bylaws or similar organizational document of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or (y) any violation by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries of any law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any Governmental Entity, except with respect to clause (y), such violations as would not reasonably be expected to, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. As used herein, a “Repayment Event” means any event or condition which gives the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

(xviii) Absence of Labor Dispute. No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is threatened, and to the Company’s knowledge, there are no existing or threatened labor disturbances by the employees of any of its or any subsidiary’s principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or contractors, which, in each case, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(xix) Absence of Proceedings. There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any Governmental Entity now pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against the Company or any of its subsidiaries, which, if determined adversely to the Company or its subsidiaries would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or which would reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement or the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder.

 

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(xx) Accuracy of Exhibits. There are no contracts or documents which are required under the 1933 Act to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement which have not been so described or filed, including through incorporation by reference, as required.

(xxi) Absence of Further Requirements. No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any Governmental Entity is necessary or required for the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, in connection with the offering or sale of the Securities hereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except such as have been obtained or as may be required under the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the rules of the New York Stock Exchange, state securities laws or the rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”).

(xxii) Possession of Licenses and Permits. The Company and its subsidiaries possess such permits, licenses, approvals, consents and other authorizations (collectively, “Governmental Licenses”) issued by the appropriate Governmental Entities necessary to conduct the business now operated by them, including, without limitation, all such Governmental Licenses required by the United States Environmental Protection Agency or any component thereof and/or by any other U.S., state, local or foreign government or environmental regulatory agency, except where the failure so to possess would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has fulfilled and performed all of its obligations with respect to the Governmental Licenses and no event has occurred which allows, or after notice or lapse of time would allow, revocation or termination thereof or results in any other impairment of the rights of the Company as a holder of any permit, except where the failure to so fulfill or perform, or the occurrence of such event, would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms and conditions of all Governmental Licenses, except where the failure so to comply would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. All of the Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect, except where the invalidity of such Governmental Licenses or the failure of such Governmental Licenses to be in full force and effect would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Governmental Licenses which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(xxiii) Title to Property. The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property and have good title to all personal properties owned by them, in each case, free and clear of all mortgages, pledges, liens, security interests, claims, restrictions or encumbrances of any kind except such as (A) are described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or (B) would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; and all of the leases and subleases of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, and under which the Company or any of its subsidiaries holds properties described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, are in full force and effect, and neither the Company nor any such subsidiary has any notice of any claim that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the Company or any subsidiary under any of the leases or subleases mentioned above, except to the extent that any such failure to be in full force and effect or such claim would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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(xxiv) Possession of Intellectual Property. Except as would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (A) the Company and its subsidiaries own or possess, or can acquire on reasonable terms, adequate patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions, copyrights, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks, trade names or other intellectual property (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) necessary to carry on the business now operated by them, and (B) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice or otherwise has knowledge of any infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any Intellectual Property or of any facts or circumstances which would render any Intellectual Property invalid or inadequate to protect the interest of the Company or any of its subsidiaries therein.

(xxv) Environmental Laws. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (A) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is or, to the Company’s knowledge has been, in violation of any applicable federal, state, local or foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code or rule of common law or any binding judicial or administrative interpretation thereof, including any binding judicial or administrative order, consent, decree or judgment, relating to pollution or protection of human health, the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including, without limitation, laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened release of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, hazardous wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products or asbestos-containing materials (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (B) the Company and its subsidiaries have obtained all permits, authorizations and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and are each in compliance with their requirements, (C) there are no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, claims, liens, notices of noncompliance or violation, investigations or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the Company or any of its subsidiaries and (D) to the Company’s knowledge, there are no events or circumstances caused by the Company or its subsidiaries that would reasonably be expected to form the basis of an order for clean-up or remediation, or an action, suit or proceeding by any private party or Governmental Entity, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental Laws.

(xxvi) Accounting Controls and Disclosure Controls. The Company and each of its subsidiaries maintain effective internal control over financial reporting (as defined under Rule 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the 1934 Act Regulations) and a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (1) no material weakness (as defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X) in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (2) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially and adversely affected, or is reasonably likely to materially and adversely affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. The Company and each of its subsidiaries maintain a system of disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15 and Rule 15d-15 under the 1934 Act Regulations) that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in

 

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the reports that it files or submits under the 1934 Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, and is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including its principal executive officer or officers and principal financial officer or officers, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding disclosure, and such system of disclosure controls and procedures is effective at the reasonable assurance level.

(xxvii) Compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply in all material respects with all provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or implementing the provisions thereof (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”), that are in effect and with which the Company is required to comply, including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.

(xxviii) Payment of Taxes. All United States federal income tax returns of the Company and its subsidiaries required by law to be filed by them have been filed or a timely extension has been requested thereof, in each case as of the date hereof, and all taxes shown by such returns or otherwise assessed, which are due and payable, have been paid, except assessments against which appeals have been or will be promptly taken and as to which adequate reserves have been provided in accordance with GAAP. No assessment has been made against the Company with respect to the United States federal income tax returns of the Company through the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 that has not been settled. The Company and its subsidiaries have filed all other tax returns that are required to have been filed by them pursuant to applicable foreign, state, local or other law except insofar as the failure to file such returns would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, and have paid all taxes due pursuant to such returns or pursuant to any assessment received by the Company and its subsidiaries, except for such taxes or assessments, if any, as are being contested in good faith and as to which adequate reserves have been established by the Company in accordance with GAAP. The charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the Company in respect of any income and corporation tax liability for any taxable years not finally determined are adequate to meet any assessments or re-assessments for additional income tax for any taxable years not yet closed by the applicable statute of limitations, except to the extent of any inadequacy that would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(xxix) Insurance. The Company and its subsidiaries carry or are entitled to the benefits of insurance, with financially sound and reputable insurers, in such amounts and covering such risks as the Company reasonably believes is adequate to conduct its business and the business of the subsidiaries as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The Company has no reason to believe that it or any of its subsidiaries will not be able (A) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (B) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(xxx) Investment Company Act. The Company is not required, and upon the sale of the Securities as herein contemplated will not be required, to register as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

(xxxi) Absence of Manipulation. Neither the Company nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any affiliate of the Company has taken, nor will the Company take or cause any affiliate to take, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed, or would reasonably be expected, to cause or result in, or which constitutes, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities or to result in a violation of Regulation M under the 1934 Act.

 

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(xxxii) Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. None of the Company, any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective directors, officers, employees, or, to the knowledge of the Company, agents or any other person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended (the “FCPA”), including, without limitation, making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any “foreign official” (as such term is defined in the FCPA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, and the Company and its controlled affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance.

(xxxiii) Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries 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, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any Governmental Entity (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”); and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any Governmental Entity involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.

(xxxiv) OFAC. None of the Company, any of its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or representative of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is an individual or entity (“Person”) currently the subject or target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the United States Government, including, without limitation, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, His Majesty’s Treasury, or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor is the Company located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of comprehensive country- or territory-wide Sanctions, currently including, without limitation, the Crimea Region of Ukraine, the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria.

(xxxv) Statistical and Market-Related Data. Any statistical and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes, after reasonable inquiry, to be reliable and accurate in all material respects and, to the extent required, the Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources.

(xxxvi) Finder’s Fees. Except as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or other like payment in connection with this offering.

(xxxvii) Forward-Looking Statements. No forward-looking statement contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus has been made by the Company without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed by the Company other than in good faith.

 

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(xxxviii) Compliance with ERISA. (i) 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 the Company or any member of its “Controlled Group” (defined as any organization which is a member of a controlled group of corporations within the meaning of Section 414 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”)) would have any liability (each, an “ERISA Plan”) has been maintained in compliance with its terms and the requirements of any applicable statutes, orders, rules and regulations, including but not limited to ERISA and the Code, except for noncompliance that could not reasonably be expected to result in material liability to the Company or its subsidiaries; (ii) no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred with respect to any ERISA Plan, excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption, that could reasonably be expected to result in a material liability to the Company or its subsidiaries; (iii) for each ERISA Plan that is subject to the funding rules of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, the minimum funding standard of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, as applicable, has been satisfied (without taking into account any waiver thereof or extension of any amortization period) and is reasonably expected to be satisfied in the future (without taking into account any waiver thereof or extension of any amortization period); (iv) the fair market value of the assets of each ERISA Plan that is a defined benefit plan within the meaning of Section 3(35) of ERISA (“Pension Plan”) exceeds the present value of all benefits accrued under such Pension Plan (determined based on those assumptions used to fund such ERISA Plan); (v) no “reportable event” (within the meaning of Section 4043(c) of ERISA) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur that either has resulted, or could reasonably be expected to result, in material liability to the Company or its subsidiaries; (vi) neither the Company nor any member of the Controlled Group has incurred, nor reasonably expects to incur, any liability under Title IV of ERISA (other than contributions to the ERISA Plan or premiums to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, in the ordinary course and without default) in respect of an ERISA Plan (including a “multiemployer plan”, within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA); and (vii) there is no pending audit or investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Department of Labor, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation or any other governmental agency or any foreign regulatory agency with respect to any ERISA Plan that could reasonably be expected to result in material liability to the Company or its subsidiaries.

(xxxix) Stock Options. With respect to any stock options (the “Stock Options”) granted pursuant to the stock-based compensation plans of the Company and its subsidiaries (the “Company Stock Plans”), (i) each Stock Option intended to qualify as an “incentive stock option” under Section 422 of the Code so qualifies, (ii) each grant of a Stock Option was duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and (iii) each such grant was made in all material respects in accordance with the terms of the Company Stock Plans.

(xl) Cybersecurity. Except where the impact of which would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (A) there has been no security breach or attack, unauthorized access or other compromise of or relating to the Company’s or its subsidiaries’ information technology and computer systems, networks, hardware, software, data (including, without limitation, the data of their respective customers, employees, suppliers, vendors and any third party data maintained by or on behalf of them) (“Data”), equipment or technology (collectively, “IT Systems and Data”), (B) neither the Company nor its subsidiaries have been notified of, and none of them have any knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in, any security breach or attack, unauthorized access or other compromise to their IT Systems and Data and (C) the Company and its subsidiaries have implemented appropriate controls, policies, procedures, and technological safeguards reasonably likely to maintain and protect the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of their IT Systems and Data reasonably consistent with the standards and practices of their industry or as required by applicable regulatory standards. Since January 1, 2021, the Company and its subsidiaries have had all material rights, consents and authorizations to process Data as processed by or for the Company. The Company and its subsidiaries are presently in compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or

 

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regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the processing of Data, the privacy and security of IT Systems and Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification, except as would not be reasonably expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(b) Officer’s Certificates. Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries delivered to the Representatives or to counsel for the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.

(c) Representations and Warranties by the Underwriters. Each Underwriter represents and warrants to the Company as of the date hereof, the Applicable Time, the Closing Time and any Date of Delivery, and agrees with the Company, as follows:

(i) It has not used and will not use, authorize use of, refer to or participate in the planning for use of, any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405) which term, for purposes of this Section 1(c)(i) includes use of any written information furnished to the Commission by the Company and not included in the Registration Statement and any press release issued by the Company other than (i) a free writing prospectus that contains no “issuer information” (as defined in Rule 433(h)(2) under the 1933 Act) that was not included in the Preliminary Prospectus or a previously filed Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, (ii) any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus listed on Schedule B-2 or prepared pursuant to Section 1(a)(iii) above or Section 3(j) below (including any electronic road show approved in advance by the Company), or (iii) any free writing prospectus prepared by such underwriter and approved by the Company in advance in writing.

(ii) It has not used and will not, without the prior written consent of the Company, use any free writing prospectus that contains the final terms of the Securities unless such terms have previously been included in a free writing prospectus filed with the Commission; provided, however, that Underwriters may use a term sheet substantially in the form of Schedule B-1 hereto without the consent of the Company; provided further, that a Representative shall notify the Company, and provide a copy of such term sheet to the Company, prior to, or substantially concurrently with, the first use of such term sheet by any Underwriter

(iii) It is not subject to any pending proceeding under Section 8A of the 1933 Act with respect to the offering (and will promptly notify the Company if any such proceeding against it is initiated during the period in which when a prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172 under the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 172”), would be) required by the 1933 Act).

(iv) It has not engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communications or distributed any Written Testing-the-Waters Communications other than those listed on Schedule B-3 hereto.

SECTION 2. Sale and Delivery to Underwriters; Closing.

(a) Initial Securities. On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company, at the price per share set forth in Schedule A, that number of Initial Securities set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter, plus any additional number of Initial Securities which such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 10 hereof, subject, in each case, to such adjustments among the Underwriters as the Representatives in their sole discretion shall make to eliminate any sales or purchases of fractional shares.

 

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(b) Option Securities. In addition, on the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company hereby grants an option to the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, to purchase up to an additional 450,000 shares of Common Stock at the price per share set forth in Schedule A, less an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Initial Securities but not payable on the Option Securities. The option hereby granted may be exercised for 30 days after the date hereof and may be exercised in whole or in part at any time from time to time within the 30-day period upon written notice by the Representatives to the Company setting forth the number of Option Securities as to which the several Underwriters are then exercising the option and the time and date of payment and delivery for such Option Securities. Any such time and date of delivery (a “Date of Delivery”) shall be determined by the Representatives, but shall not be later than seven full business days after the exercise of said option, nor in any event prior to the date that is two full business days after such notice is provided (except in the event the Representatives determine a Date of Delivery will occur at the Closing Time, in which case such notice must be provided on or before the business day immediately preceding the Closing Time). If the option is exercised as to all or any portion of the Option Securities, each of the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, will purchase that proportion of the total number of Option Securities then being purchased which the number of Initial Securities set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Initial Securities, subject, in each case, to such adjustments as the Representatives in their sole discretion shall make to eliminate any sales or purchases of fractional shares.

(c) Payment. Payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of certificates or security entitlements for, the Initial Securities shall be made at the offices of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C., 650 Page Mill Road, Palo Alto, California 94304, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company, at 9:00 A.M. (New York City time) on the second (third, if the Applicable Time is after 4:30 P.M. (New York City time) on any given day) business day after the date hereof (unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10), or such other time not later than ten business days after such date as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company (such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called “Closing Time”).

In addition, in the event that any or all of the Option Securities are purchased by the Underwriters, payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of certificates or security entitlements for, such Option Securities shall be made at the above-mentioned offices, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company, on each Date of Delivery as specified in the notice from the Representatives to the Company.

Payment shall be made to the Company by wire transfer of immediately available funds to a bank account designated by the Company against delivery to the Representatives for the respective accounts of the Underwriters of certificates or security entitlements for the Securities to be purchased by them. It is understood that each Underwriter has authorized the Representatives, for its account, to accept delivery of, receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Initial Securities and the Option Securities, if any, which it has agreed to purchase. Each of the Representatives, individually and not as representative of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment of the purchase price for the Initial Securities or the Option Securities, if any, to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds have not been received by the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, but such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from its obligations hereunder.

 

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SECTION 3. Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants with each Underwriter as follows:

(a) Compliance with Securities Regulations and Commission Requests. The Company, subject to Section 3(b), will comply with the requirements of Rule 430B, and will promptly notify the Representatives, and confirm the notice in writing (which may be by electronic mail), (i) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement shall become effective or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus shall have been filed, (ii) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission regarding the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the offering or sale of the Securities, (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus, or for additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatening, of any proceedings for any of such purposes or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the 1933 Act concerning the Registration Statement and (v) if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the 1933 Act in connection with the offering of the Securities. The Company will effect all filings required under Rule 424(b), in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)), and will take such steps as it deems necessary to ascertain promptly whether the form of prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 424(b) was received for filing by the Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly file such prospectus. The Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order or suspension of the Registration Statement and, if any such order is issued, use commercially reasonable efforts to promptly obtain the lifting thereof.

(b) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. The Company will comply with the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Securities as contemplated in this Agreement and in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. If at any time when a prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) required by the 1933 Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Securities, any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the reasonable opinion of counsel for the Underwriters or for the Company, to (i) amend the Registration Statement in order that the Registration Statement will not include 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, (ii) amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order that the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing at the time it is delivered to a purchaser or (iii) amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, in order to comply with the requirements of the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations, the Company will promptly (A) give the Representatives notice of such event, (B) prepare any amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus comply with such requirements and, a reasonable amount of time prior to any proposed filing or use, furnish the Representatives with copies of any such amendment or supplement and (C) file with the Commission any such amendment or supplement; provided that the Company shall not file or use any such amendment or supplement to which the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object. The Company will furnish to the Underwriters such number of copies of such amendment or supplement as the Underwriters may reasonably request. The Company has given the Representatives notice of any filings made pursuant to the 1934 Act or 1934 Act Regulations within 48 hours prior to the Applicable Time; the Company will give the Representatives notice of its intention to make any filing pursuant to the 1934 Act or 1934 Act Regulations from the Applicable Time to the Closing Time and will furnish the Representatives with copies of any such documents a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing, as the case may be, and will not file or use any such document to which the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object in a timely manner.

 

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(c) Delivery of Registration Statements. To the extent requested, the Company has furnished or, upon reasonable request, will deliver to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, conformed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed therewith or incorporated by reference therein and documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein) and conformed copies of all consents and certificates of experts. The copies of the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

(d) Delivery of Prospectuses. The Company has delivered to each Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of each preliminary prospectus as such Underwriter reasonably requested, and the Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the 1933 Act. The Company will furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) required to be delivered under the 1933 Act, such number of copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as such Underwriter may reasonably request. The Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

(e) Blue Sky Qualifications. If required by applicable law, the Company will use commercially reasonable efforts, in cooperation with the Underwriters, to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions (domestic or foreign) as the Representatives may reasonably designate in advance and to maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required to complete the distribution of the Securities; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject.

(f) Rule 158. The Company will timely file such reports pursuant to the 1934 Act as are necessary in order to make generally available to its securityholders (which shall be deemed to have been satisfied by filing with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR) as soon as practicable an earnings statement (which need not be audited) for the purposes of, and to provide to the Underwriters the benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act.

(g) Listing. The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to maintain the listing of the Common Stock (including the Securities) on the New York Stock Exchange.

(h) Restriction on Sale of Securities. During a period of 60 days from the date of the Prospectus, the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, (i) directly or indirectly, offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend or otherwise transfer or dispose of any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or file or confidentially submit any registration statement under the 1933 Act with respect to any of the foregoing or (ii) enter into any swap or any other agreement or transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such swap or transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (A) any shares of Common Stock issued by the Company upon the exercise (including any net exercise or exercise by delivery of already-owned shares of Common Stock) of an option or warrant or the conversion of a security outstanding on the date hereof and referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (B) any shares of Common Stock (restricted or otherwise), options to purchase Common Stock, restricted stock units covering shares of Common Stock or other equity incentive awards granted pursuant to existing employee benefit, non-employee director compensation or other equity incentive plans of the Company referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (C) the filing by the Company of a registration statement with

 

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the Commission on Form S-8 or a successor form thereto with respect to the registration of securities to be offered under any plans or programs referred to in clause (B) above, or (D) the sale or issuance of or entry into an agreement to sell or issue shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock in connection with any (i) merger, (ii) acquisition of securities, businesses, property or other assets, (iii) joint venture, (iv) commercial relationship or (v) other strategic alliance or relationship, provided, that the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock, or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock (on an as-converted, as-exercised or as-exchanged basis, as the case may be), that the Company may sell or issue or agree to sell or issue pursuant to this clause (D), shall not exceed 7.5% of the total number of shares of the Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately following the completion of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and provided further, that to the extent any recipient of shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock pursuant to clause (D) during the 60-day restricted period provided for in this Section 3(h) is or shall become as a result of such issuance, a greater than 5% beneficial owner of Common Stock, such recipient(s) (I) shall enter into an agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto for the remainder of such 60-day restricted period to the extent such recipient did not previously enter into such an agreement with the Representatives and (II) the Company shall impose stop-transfer instructions as set forth in Exhibit A with respect to the shares of Common Stock or other securities of the Company that are subject to such agreement(s) during such 60-day restricted period.

(i) Reporting Requirements. The Company, during the period when a Prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) required to be delivered under the 1933 Act, will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the 1934 Act within the time periods required by the 1934 Act and 1934 Act Regulations.

(j) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Representatives, which will not be unreasonably conditioned, withheld or delayed, it will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405, or a portion thereof, required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433; provided that the Representatives will be deemed to have consented to the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses listed on Schedule B-2 hereto and any “road show for an offering that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i) that has been reviewed by the Representatives. The Company represents that it has treated or agrees that it will treat each such free writing prospectus consented to, or deemed consented to, by the Representatives as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and that it has complied and will comply with the applicable requirements of Rule 433 with respect thereto, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.

(k) Certification Regarding Beneficial Owners. The Company will deliver to the Representatives, on or before the date of execution of this Agreement, a properly completed and executed Certification Regarding Beneficial Owners of Legal Entity Customers, together with copies of identifying documentation, and the Company undertakes to provide such additional supporting documentation as the Representatives have reasonably requested at least two business days prior to the date hereof in connection with the verification of the foregoing certification.

 

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(l) Testing-the-Waters Materials. If at any time following the distribution of any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at the time at which such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication was made, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication to eliminate or correct such untrue statement or omission.

SECTION 4. Payment of Expenses.

(a) Company and Underwriter Expenses. The Company will pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and each amendment thereto, (ii) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of each preliminary prospectus, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto and any costs associated with electronic delivery of any of the foregoing by the Underwriters to investors, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificates or security entitlements for the Securities to the Underwriters, including any stock or other transfer taxes and any stamp or other duties payable upon the sale or delivery of the Securities to the Underwriters, (iv) the fees and disbursements of the Company’s counsel, accountants and other advisors (excluding the Underwriters), provided that the Company shall only be responsible for the fees and disbursements of any such advisor engaged by the Underwriters on behalf of the Company to the extent the Company consented in writing to such engagement on its behalf and the payment of such fees and disbursements, (v) subject to the limitation set forth in clause (viii) below, the qualification of the Securities under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(e) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection therewith and in connection with the preparation of the Blue Sky Survey and any supplement thereto, (vi) the fees and expenses of any transfer agent or registrar for the Securities, (vii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Securities, including without limitation, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged by the Company in connection with the road show presentations, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company and any such consultants (it being understood that the Underwriters will pay or cause to be paid the travel and lodging expenses of their representatives), and 50% of the cost of aircraft and other transportation chartered with the Company’s prior written consent in connection with the road show (it being understood that the Underwriters will pay or cause to be paid the other 50% of the cost of such aircraft or other transportation), (viii) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters in connection with, the review by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Securities, provided that the amount payable by the Company pursuant to this clause (viii) and clause (v) above shall not exceed $15,000 in the aggregate, and (ix) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Securities on the New York Stock Exchange. Except as provided in this Section 4, the Underwriters will pay all of their own costs and expenses, including the fees and disbursements of their counsel, stock transfer taxes payable on the resale of any of the Securities by them and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may make.

(b) Termination of Agreement. If this Agreement is terminated by the Representatives in accordance with the provisions of Section 5 or Section 9(a)(i) or (iii) hereof, the Company shall reimburse the Underwriters for all of their reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses actually incurred, including the reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of one counsel for the Underwriters incurred in connection with investigating, marketing and proposing to market the Securities or in contemplation of performing their obligations hereunder; but the Company 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 Securities.

 

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SECTION 5. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligations of the several Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein or in certificates of any officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to the following further conditions:

(a) Effectiveness of Registration Statement. The Registration Statement has become effective and, at the Closing Time, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued under the 1933 Act, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened by the Commission; and the Company has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information.

(b) Opinion and Negative Assurance Letter of Counsel for Company. At the Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received the opinion and negative assurance letter, dated the Closing Time, of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, counsel for the Company, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters.

(c) Opinion and Negative Assurance Letter of Counsel for Underwriters. At the Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received the opinion and negative assurance letter, dated the Closing Time, of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C., counsel for the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters.

(d) Officers’ Certificate. At the Closing Time, there shall not have been, since the date hereof or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, any Material Adverse Effect, and the Representatives shall have received a certificate of the Chief Executive Officer or the President of the Company and of the chief financial or chief accounting officer of the Company, dated the Closing Time, to the effect that (i) there has been no such Material Adverse Effect, (ii) the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct in all material respects with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of the Closing Time, (iii) the Company has complied in all material respects with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the Closing Time, and (iv) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement under the 1933 Act has been issued, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to their knowledge, threatened by the Commission.

(e) CFO Certificate. At the time of the execution of this Agreement, the chief financial officer of the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives a certificate as to the accuracy of certain financial and other specified information included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, providing “management comfort” with respect to such information, dated such Date of Delivery, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, and at the Closing Time, a letter, dated as of the Closing Time, to the effect that such officer reaffirms the statements made in the certificate furnished at the time of the execution of this Agreement.

(f) Accountant’s Comfort Letter. At the time of the execution of this Agreement, the Representatives shall have received from Deloitte & Touche LLP, a letter, dated such date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

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(g) Bring-down Comfort Letter. At the Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received from Deloitte & Touche LLP, a letter, dated as of the Closing Time, to the effect that it reaffirms the statements made in its letter furnished pursuant to subsection (f) of this Section, except that the specified date referred to shall be a date not more than three business days prior to the Closing Time.

(h) No Objection. If a filing has been made with FINRA, FINRA has confirmed that it has not raised any objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements relating to the offering of the Securities.

(i) Lock-up Agreements. At the date of this Agreement, the Representatives shall have received an agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto signed by (i) each member of the Company’s board of directors and (ii) each “officer” of the Company as such term is defined in Rule 16a-1 of the 1934 Act.

(j) Maintenance of Rating. Neither the Company nor its subsidiaries have any debt securities or preferred stock that are rated by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the 1934 Act).

(k) Conditions to Purchase of Option Securities. In the event that the Underwriters exercise their option provided in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any portion of the Option Securities, the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein and the statements in any certificates furnished by the Company and any of its subsidiaries hereunder shall be true and correct in all respects as of each Date of Delivery and, at the relevant Date of Delivery, the Representatives shall have received:

(i) Officers’ Certificate. A certificate, dated such Date of Delivery, of the Chief Executive Officer, President or a Vice President of the Company and of the chief financial or chief accounting officer of the Company confirming that the certificate delivered at the Closing Time pursuant to Section 5(d) hereof remains true and correct as of such Date of Delivery.

(ii) Opinion and Negative Assurance Letter of Counsel for Company. If requested by the Representatives, the opinion and negative assurance letter of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, counsel for the Company, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as required by Section 5(b) hereof.

(iii) Opinion and Negative Assurance Letter of Counsel for Underwriters. If requested by the Representatives, the opinion and negative assurance letter of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C., counsel for the Underwriters, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as required by Section 5(c) hereof.

(iv) Bring-down Comfort Letter. If requested by the Representatives, a letter from Deloitte & Touche LLP, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives and dated such Date of Delivery, substantially in the same form and substance as the letter furnished by it to the Representatives pursuant to Section 5(f) hereof, except that the “specified date” in the letter furnished pursuant to this paragraph shall be a date not more than three business days prior to such Date of Delivery.

(v) Bring-down CFO Certificate. If requested by the Representatives, a certificate, dated such Date of Delivery, of the chief financial officer of the Company confirming that the certificate delivered pursuant to Section 5(e) hereof remains true and correct as of such Date of Delivery.

 

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(l) Additional Documents. At the Closing Time and at each Date of Delivery (if any) counsel for the Underwriters shall have been furnished with such documents and certificates as they may reasonably require for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon the sale of the Securities as herein contemplated, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the sale of the Securities as herein contemplated shall be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters.

(m) Termination of Agreement. If any condition specified in this Section 5 shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, unless such failure is due to or the result of a breach of this Agreement by any of the Underwriters, this Agreement, or, in the case of any condition to the purchase of Option Securities on a Date of Delivery which is after the Closing Time, the obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase the relevant Option Securities, may be terminated by the Representatives by notice to the Company at any time at or prior to Closing Time or such Date of Delivery, as the case may be, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 and except that Sections 6, 7, 8, 14, 15 and 16 shall survive any such termination and remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 6. Indemnification.

(a) Indemnification of Underwriters. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates (as such term is defined in Rule 501(b) under the 1933 Act (each, an “Affiliate”)), its selling agents and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act as follows:

(i) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and reasonable and documented expense arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including any information deemed to be part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, any road show as defined in Rule 433(h) under the 1933 Act (a “Road Show”), the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or the omission or alleged omission in any preliminary prospectus, Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, any Road Show or the Prospectus of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

(ii) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and reasonable and documented expense to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever arising out of or based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that (subject to Section 6(d) below) any such settlement is effected with the prior written consent of the Company;

(iii) against any and all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with any suit, action or proceeding or any claim asserted, as incurred (including the reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by the Representatives; provided however, that the Company shall not be liable for the expenses of more than one separate counsel in the aggregate for all Underwriters, in addition to any local counsel), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever arising out of or based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) above;

 

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provided, however, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including any information deemed to be part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B, any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, any Road Show, the General Disclosure Package, or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.

(b) Indemnification of Company, Directors and Officers. Each Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act and Section 20 of the 1934 Act, against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in subsection (a) of this Section 7, and with respect to such expenses, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including any information deemed to be part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B, any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, any Road Show, the General Disclosure Package, or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.

(c) Actions against Parties; Notification. Each indemnified party shall give written notice (email to suffice) as promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability under Section 6(a) or 6(b) to the extent it is not materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement. In the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(a) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Representatives, and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(b) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Company. An indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in the defense of any such action; provided, however, that counsel to the indemnifying party shall not (except with the consent of the indemnified party) also be counsel to the indemnified party. In case any such action 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 reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall not, except with the consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party), and, after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified party under such subsection for any legal expenses of other counsel or any other expenses, in each case subsequently incurred by such indemnified party, in connection with the defense thereof (other than reasonable and documented costs of investigation). Without limiting the foregoing, in any such action or proceeding where the indemnifying party has notified the indemnified party of its election to assume the defense thereof, an indemnified party shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to the contrary; (ii) the indemnifying party has failed within a reasonable time to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party; or (iii) if based on the advice of counsel (which may include in-house counsel), (x) there may be legal defenses available to it that are different from or in addition to those available to the indemnifying party; or (y) representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. In no event shall the indemnifying parties, in connection with any proceeding or related proceeding in the same jurisdiction, be liable

 

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for fees and expenses of more than one separate counsel (in addition to any local counsel) for all indemnified parties. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or consent on behalf of an indemnified party to the entry of any judgment with respect to any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in respect of which an indemnified party is or could have been a party thereto and indemnification or contribution is being sought or could have been sought in respect thereof under this Section 6 or Section 7 hereof, unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of or based upon such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

(d) Settlement without Consent if Failure to Reimburse. 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 each indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for the reasonable and documented out-of-pocket fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 60 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 45 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement, unless such failure to reimburse the indemnified parties is based on a dispute in good faith as to either the obligation of the indemnifying party arising under this Section 6 to indemnify the indemnified parties or the amount of such obligation and the indemnifying parties shall have notified the indemnified parties of such good faith dispute prior to the date of such settlement.

(e) Remedies. The remedies provided for in this Section 6 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any indemnified party at law or in equity.

SECTION 7. Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in Section 6 hereof is for any reason unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under Section 6 in respect of any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount of such losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by such indemnified party, as incurred, (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and of the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions.

The relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company, on the one hand, and the total underwriting discount received by the Underwriters (before deducting expenses), on the other hand, in each case as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate public offering price of the Securities as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus.

The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

 

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The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 7. The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 7 shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in investigating or defending against any such indemnifiable action or claim.

Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting commissions received by such Underwriter in connection with the Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public.

No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

For purposes of this Section 7, each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act and each Underwriter’s Affiliates and selling agents shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company. The Underwriters’ respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are several in proportion to the number of Initial Securities set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule A hereto and not joint.

SECTION 8. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive. All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or its Affiliates or selling agents, any person controlling any Underwriter, its officers or directors or any person controlling the Company and (ii) delivery of and payment for the Securities.

SECTION 9. Termination of Agreement.

(a) Termination. The Representatives may terminate this Agreement, by notice to the Company, at any time after the execution of this Agreement and at or prior to the Closing Time (i) if there has been, in the judgment of the Representatives, since the time of execution of this Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, there has occurred a Material Adverse Effect, that is not described in the General Disclosure Package, such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representatives impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the completion of the offering contemplated hereby, or (ii) if there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States or the international financial markets such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representatives impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the completion of the offering contemplated hereby, or (iii) any outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof or other calamity or crisis or any change or development involving national or international political, financial or economic conditions, in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representatives, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the completion of the offering or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities, or (iv) if trading in any securities of the Company has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or the New York Stock Exchange, or (v) if trading generally on the New York Stock Exchange has been suspended or materially limited (other

 

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than limitations on hours of trading), or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by the New York Stock Exchange or by order of the Commission, FINRA or any other governmental authority, or (vi) a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States, or (vii) if a banking moratorium has been declared by either Federal or New York authorities.

(b) Liabilities. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section 9, such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 hereof, and provided further that Sections 6, 7, 8, 14, 15, 16 and 17 shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 10. Default by One or More of the Underwriters. If one or more of the Underwriters shall fail at the Closing Time or a Date of Delivery to purchase the Securities which it or they are obligated to purchase under this Agreement (the “Defaulted Securities”), the Representatives shall have the right, within 24 hours thereafter, to make arrangements for one or more of the non-defaulting Underwriters, or any other underwriters, to purchase all, but not less than all, of the Defaulted Securities in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms herein set forth; if, however, the Representatives shall not have completed such arrangements within such 24-hour period, then:

(i) if the number of Defaulted Securities does not exceed 10% of the number of Securities to be purchased on such date, each of the non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated, severally and not jointly, to purchase the full amount thereof in the proportions that their respective underwriting obligations hereunder bear to the underwriting obligations of all non-defaulting Underwriters, or

(ii) if the number of Defaulted Securities exceeds 10% of the number of Securities to be purchased on such date, this Agreement or, with respect to any Date of Delivery which occurs after the Closing Time, the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase, and the Company to sell, the Option Securities to be purchased and sold on such Date of Delivery shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company, except that the parties will continue to be liable for the payment of expenses as set forth in Section 4 hereof and the provisions of Sections 6, 7, 14, 15, 16 and 17 hereof shall not terminate and shall remain in effect. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.

No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of its default.

In the event of any such default which does not result in a termination of this Agreement or, in the case of a Date of Delivery which is after the Closing Time, which does not result in a termination of the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase and the Company to sell the relevant Option Securities, as the case may be, either the (i) Representatives or (ii) the Company shall have the right to postpone Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements. As used herein, the term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section 10.

SECTION 11. Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be directed to the Representatives at J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, 383 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10179 (fax: (212) 622-8358); Attention Equity Syndicate Desk; William Blair, 150 N. Riverside Plaza, Chicago, Illinois 60606 (facsimile: 312 ###-###-####; Attention: General Counsel); and Evercore Group L.L.C., 55 East 52nd Street, 35th Floor, New York, New York 10055, Attention: Equity Capital Markets (telephone: (888) 474-0200 or email: ***@***); notices to the Company shall be directed to it at 5120 Northshore Drive North Little Rock, Arkansas 72118, attention: Chief Executive Officer.

 

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SECTION 12. No Advisory or Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (a) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price of the Securities and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other hand, and does not constitute a recommendation, investment advice, or solicitation of any action by the Underwriters, (b) in connection with the offering of the Securities and the process leading thereto, each Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, stockholders, creditors, employees or any other party, (c) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the offering of the Securities or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company or any of its subsidiaries on other matters) and no Underwriter has any obligation to the Company with respect to the offering of the Securities except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (d) the Underwriters and their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company, (e) the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory, investment or tax advice with respect to the offering of the Securities and the Company has consulted its own legal, accounting, financial, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate, (f) the information and transactions contemplated in this Agreement do not constitute an offer or a solicitation of an offer to transact in any securities or other financial instrument with any natural person, and (g) none of the activities of the Underwriters in connection with the transactions contemplated herein constitutes a recommendation, investment advice or solicitation of any action by the Underwriters with respect to any entity or natural person. The Company further acknowledges and agrees that, although the Underwriters may provide the Company with certain Regulation Best Interest and Form CRS disclosures or other related documentation in connection with the Public Offering, the Underwriters are not making a recommendation to the Company to participate in the Public Offering or sell any Securities at the purchase price for the Securities, and nothing set forth in such disclosures or documentation is intended to suggest that any Underwriter is making such a recommendation.

SECTION 13. Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes.

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

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

For purposes of this Section 13, a “BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k). “Covered Entity” means any of the following: (i) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b); (ii) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or (iii) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b). “Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable. “U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

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SECTION 14. Parties. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors and the controlling persons and officers and directors referred to in Sections 6 and 7 and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors, and said controlling persons and officers and directors and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.

SECTION 15. Trial by Jury. The Company (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its stockholders and affiliates) and each of the Underwriters hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

SECTION 16. GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT AND ANY CLAIM, CONTROVERSY OR DISPUTE ARISING UNDER OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF, THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO ITS CHOICE OF LAW PROVISIONS.

SECTION 17. Consent to Jurisdiction; Waiver of Immunity. Any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby shall be instituted in (i) the federal courts of the United States of America located in the City and County of New York, Borough of Manhattan or (ii) the courts of the State of New York located in the City and County of New York, Borough of Manhattan (collectively, the “Specified Courts”), and each party irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction (except for proceedings instituted in regard to the enforcement of a judgment of any such court, as to which such jurisdiction is non-exclusive) of such courts in any such suit, action or proceeding. Service of any process, summons, notice or document by mail to such party’s address set forth above shall be effective service of process for any suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court. The parties irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or other proceeding in the Specified Courts and irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim in any such court that any such suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.

SECTION 18. TIME. TIME SHALL BE OF THE ESSENCE OF THIS AGREEMENT. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SET FORTH HEREIN, SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME.

SECTION 19. Counterparts and Electronic Signatures. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same Agreement. Electronic signatures complying with the New York Electronic Signatures and Records Act (N.Y. State Tech. §§ 301-309), as amended from time to time, or other applicable law will be deemed original signatures for purposes of this Agreement. Transmission by telecopy, electronic mail or other transmission method of an executed counterpart of this Agreement will constitute due and sufficient delivery of such counterpart.

 

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SECTION 20. Effect of Headings. The Section headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

[Signature Page Follows]

 

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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the Company a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement among the Underwriters and the Company in accordance with its terms.

 

Very truly yours,
MONTROSE ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP, INC.
By   /s/ Allan Dicks
Name:   Allan Dicks
Title:   Chief Financial Officer

 

CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED,

as of the date first above written:

J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC

WILLIAM BLAIR & COMPANY, L.L.C.

EVERCORE GROUP L.L.C.

By: J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC

By   /s/ Dana Weinstein
  Authorized Signatory
By: WILLIAM BLAIR & COMPANY, L.L.C.
By   /s/ Steve Maletzky
  Authorized Signatory
By: EVERCORE GROUP L.L.C.
By   /s/ George Ibrahim
  Authorized Signatory

For themselves and as Representatives of the other Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto.

 

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SCHEDULE A

The public offering price per share for the Securities shall be $37.15.

The purchase price per share for the Securities to be paid by the several Underwriters shall be $35.47825, being an amount equal to the public offering price set forth above less $1.67175 per share, subject to adjustment in accordance with Section 2(b) for dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Initial Securities but not payable on the Option Securities.

 

Name of Underwriter    Number of
Initial Securities
 

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

     912,500  

William Blair & Company, L.L.C.

     912,500  

Evercore Group L.L.C.

     608,333  

BofA Securities, Inc.

     212,500  

Stifel, Nicolaus & Company

     141,667  

Needham & Company, LLC

     141,667  

Capital One Securities, Inc.

     70,833  

Total

     3,000,000  

SCHEDULE B-1

Pricing Terms

1. The Company is selling 3,000,000 shares of Common Stock.

2. The Company has granted an option to the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, to purchase up to an additional 450,000 shares of Common Stock.

3. The public offering price per share for the Securities shall be $37.15.


SCHEDULE B-2

Free Writing Prospectuses

None.


SCHEDULE B-3

Testing-the-Waters-Communications

None.


Exhibit A

FORM OF LOCK-UP AGREEMENT

   , 2024

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

William Blair & Company, L.L.C.

Evercore Group L.L.C.

as Representatives of the several Underwriters

 

c/o

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

383 Madison Avenue

New York, New York 10179

 

c/o

William Blair & Company, L.L.C.

150 N. Riverside Plaza, Suite 4600

Chicago, Illinois 60606

 

c/o

Evercore Group L.L.C.

55 East 52nd Street

New York, New York 10055

 

  Re:

Proposed Public Offering by Montrose Environmental Group, Inc.

Dear Sirs and Madams:

The undersigned, a stockholder, officer and/or director of Montrose Environmental Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), understands that J.P. Morgan Securities LLC (“JPM”), William Blair & Company, L.L.C. (“William Blair”) and Evercore Group L.L.C. (together with JPM and William Blair, the “Representatives”) propose to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with the Company providing for the public offering (the “Public Offering”) of shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.000004 per share (the “Common Stock”). Capitalized terms not defined herein shall have the meaning ascribed to such terms in the Underwriting Agreement.

In recognition of the benefit that the Public Offering will confer upon the undersigned as a stockholder, officer and/or director of the Company, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the undersigned agrees that, during the period beginning on the date hereof and ending on the date that is 60 days after the date of the Underwriting Agreement (the “Lock-Up Period”), the undersigned will not, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, (i) directly or indirectly, offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend or otherwise transfer or dispose of any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock, whether now owned or hereafter acquired by the undersigned or with respect to which the undersigned has on the date hereof or hereafter acquires the power of disposition (collectively, the “Lock-Up Securities”), or exercise any right with respect to the registration of any of the Lock-Up Securities, or file, cause to be filed or cause to be confidentially submitted any registration statement in connection therewith under the Securities

 

1


Act of 1933, as amended, or (ii) enter into any swap, loan or any other agreement or transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence of ownership of the Lock-Up Securities, whether any such swap, loan or transaction is to be settled by delivery of shares of Common Stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise. The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that, as of the date hereof, except with respect to agreements described in clause (xi) below, the undersigned is not a party to any transaction described in subclauses (i) or (ii) above with respect to the Lock-Up Securities that would cause one or more of the events described in subclauses (i) or (ii) above to occur during the Lock-Up Period.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, and subject to the conditions below, as applicable, the undersigned may transfer the Lock-Up Securities without the prior written consent of the Representatives:

 

  1.

as a bona fide gift or gifts or charitable contribution; provided that if the undersigned is legally required to file a report under Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) during the Lock-Up Period to report such transfer, the undersigned shall clearly indicate in the footnotes thereto that such report relates to the circumstances described in clause (i), that the transfer is not for value and that the Lock-Up Securities so transferred remain subject to the restrictions in this Lock-Up Agreement;

 

  2.

to trust, partnership, limited liability company or other entity for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or a member of the undersigned’s immediate family or to a member of the undersigned’s immediate family (for purposes of this letter, “immediate family” shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage or adoption, not more remote than first cousin) or, in the case of a trust, to any beneficiaries any of the trust or to the estate of such trust;

 

  3.

upon death or by will, other testamentary document or intestate succession;

 

  4.

for bona fide tax or estate planning purposes;

 

  5.

as a distribution to limited partners, partners, stockholders, limited liability company members, or other equityholders of the undersigned;

 

  6.

to the undersigned’s affiliates or to any investment fund or other entity controlled or managed by the undersigned;

 

  7.

pursuant to an order of a court or regulatory agency (for purposes of this letter, a “court or regulatory agency” means any domestic or foreign, federal, state or local government, including any political subdivision thereof, any governmental or quasi-governmental authority, department, agency or official, any court or administrative body or any national securities exchange or similar self-regulatory body or organization, in each case of competent jurisdiction) or pursuant to a qualified domestic order or in connection with a divorce settlement; provided that any filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act in connection with such transfer shall indicate that such transfer is in connection with one or more of the foregoing;

 

2


  8.

to a nominee or custodian of a person or entity to whom a disposition or transfer would be permissible under clauses (i)-(vii) above; provided that any filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act with respect to a disposition or transfer otherwise permissible under clause (vii) above shall be subject to the proviso in clause (vii);

 

  9.

after the completion of the proposed Public Offering, pursuant to a bona-fide third-party tender offer, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction made to all holders of the Common Stock involving a “change of control” (as defined below) of the Company that has been approved by the board of directors of the Company; provided that in the event that the change of control is not consummated, such Common Stock shall remain subject to the terms of this letter for any remaining term hereof; for purposes of this clause (ix), “change of control” means the consummation of any bona fide third party tender offer, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction the result of which is that any “person” (as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), or group of persons, other than the Company, becomes the beneficial owner (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 of the Exchange Act) of more than 50% of total voting power of the voting stock of the Company;

 

  10.

to the Company or its subsidiaries (A) in connection with the repurchase of the undersigned’s Common Stock upon death, disability or termination of employment of the undersigned pursuant to an employment agreement, a shareholders’ agreement (or equivalent) or equity award in existence on the date hereof, (B) pursuant to arrangements under which the Company has the option to repurchase such shares or a right of first refusal with respect to transfers of such securities or (C) in the exercise of outstanding options, warrants, restricted stock units or other equity interests, including transfers deemed to occur upon the “net” or “cashless” exercise of options or for the sole purpose of paying the exercise price of such options, warrants, restricted stock units or other equity interests or for paying taxes (including estimated taxes) due as a result of the exercise of such options, warrants, restricted stock units or other equity interests or as a result of the vesting of Common Stock under restricted stock awards, in each case pursuant to the Company’s equity incentive plans or other arrangement disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the General Disclosure Package; provided that any filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act with respect to a transaction described in this clause (x) shall clearly indicate in the footnotes thereto that (I) the filing relates to the circumstances described in subclause (A), (B) or (C), as the case may be, (II) the reason for the disposition and (III) the disposition was solely to the Company; provided, further, that any Common Stock received upon such exercise or other event described in subclause (C) shall be subject to the terms of this letter; or

 

  11.

as a sale of Common Stock under a trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act that is existing as of the date hereof and has been disclosed to the Representatives; provided that any filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act with respect to a transaction described in this clause (xi) shall clearly indicate in the footnotes thereto that such sales have been executed pursuant to such trading plan;

 

3


provided that (1) with respect to each of clauses (i) through (viii) above, the Representatives receive a signed lock-up agreement or other written agreement to be bound by the terms hereof for the balance of the Lock-Up Period from each donee, trustee, distributee, or transferee, as the case may be, (2) with respect to clauses (ii), (iv), (v), (vi) and (viii) (with respect to clause (viii), solely regarding dispositions or transfers otherwise permissible under clauses (ii), (iv), (v) and (vi)) above, such transfer is not for value and does not require the reporting to the Securities and Exchange Commission on Form 4 in accordance with Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act of a reduction in beneficial ownership of Common Stock, and (3) the undersigned does not otherwise voluntarily effect any public filing or report regarding such transfers.

Furthermore, the undersigned may sell shares of Common Stock of the Company purchased by the undersigned on the open market following the Public Offering if and only if (i) such sales are not required to be reported in accordance with Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act and (ii) the undersigned does not otherwise voluntarily effect any public filing or report regarding such sales.

In addition, the undersigned may establish or amend a trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act for the transfer of shares of Common Stock if and only if (i) such new plan or, if existing, the proposed amendments to such plan, does not provide for the transfer of shares of Common Stock during the Lock-Up Period and (ii) to the extent a public announcement or filing under the Exchange Act, if any, is required of or voluntarily made by or on behalf of the undersigned or the Company regarding the establishment or amendment of such plan, such announcement or filing shall include a statement to the effect that no transfer of shares of Common Stock may be made under such plan during the Lock-Up Period.

The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power and authority to enter into this letter. This letter shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the state of New York. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, this letter will automatically terminate and the undersigned will be released from all obligations hereunder upon the earliest to occur, if any, of (i) the Company advises the Representatives or the Representatives advise the Company in writing that it has or they have, as applicable, determined not to proceed with the Public Offering, (ii) the Underwriting Agreement is executed but is terminated (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination) prior to payment for and delivery of the shares to be sold thereunder or (iii) May 13, 2024, if the payment for and delivery of the shares to be sold pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement is not completed by such date; provided, however, that the Company may, by written notice to the undersigned prior to such date, extend such date for a period of up to three additional months. This letter shall not be amended without the prior written consent of the undersigned.

The undersigned hereby consents to receipt of this letter in electronic form and understands and agrees that this letter may be signed electronically. In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission, electronic mail, or otherwise by electronic transmission evidencing an intent to sign this letter, such facsimile transmission, electronic mail or other electronic transmission shall create a valid and binding obligation of the undersigned with the same force and effect as if such signature were an original. Execution and delivery of this letter by facsimile transmission, electronic mail or other electronic transmission is legal, valid and binding for all purposes.

 

4


The undersigned acknowledges and agrees that (i) the underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory, investment or tax advice with respect to the offering of the securities and the undersigned has consulted its own respective legal, accounting, financial, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate, (ii) the information and transactions contemplated in this letter do not constitute an offer or a solicitation of an offer to transact in any securities or other financial instrument with any natural person, and (iii) nothing herein constitutes a recommendation, investment advice or solicitation of any action by the underwriters with respect to any entity or natural person.

The undersigned acknowledges that the Company will implement customary stop transfer instructions with the transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of the Lock-Up Securities except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.

[Signature Page Follows]

 

5


Very truly yours,

Signature:

   

Print Name:

   

 

[Signature Page to Lock-Up Agreement]