THE NEW HOME COMPANY INC. Shares1 Common Stock ($0.01 par value) UnderwritingAgreement

EX-1.1 2 d570159dex11.htm EX-1.1 EX-1.1

Exhibit 1.1

THE NEW HOME COMPANY INC.

                     Shares1

Common Stock

($0.01 par value)

Underwriting Agreement

New York, New York

, 2014

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC

As Representatives of the several Underwriters,

c/o Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

388 Greenwich Street

New York, New York 10013

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

383 Madison Avenue

New York, New York 10179

and

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC

Eleven Madison Avenue

New York, New York 10010-3629

Ladies and Gentlemen:

The New Home Company Inc., a corporation organized under the laws of Delaware (the “Company,” which term shall be deemed to include The New Home Company LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and predecessor of The New Home Company Inc. (the “Predecessor”)), proposes to sell to the several underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the “Underwriters”), for whom you (the “Representatives”) are acting as representatives,                      shares of common stock, $0.01 par value (“Common Stock”) of the Company (said shares to be issued and sold by the Company being hereinafter called the “Underwritten Securities”). The Company also proposes to grant to the Underwriters an option to purchase up to additional shares of Common Stock to cover over-allotments, if any (the “Option Securities”; the Option Securities, together with the Underwritten Securities, being hereinafter called the “Securities”). To the extent there are no additional Underwriters listed on Schedule I other than you, the term Representatives as used herein shall mean you, as Underwriters, and the terms Representatives and Underwriters shall mean either the singular or plural as the context requires. The use of the neuter in this Agreement shall include the feminine and masculine wherever appropriate. Certain terms used herein are defined in Section 20 hereof.

 

 

1  Plus an option to purchase from the Company up to                      additional Securities to cover over-allotments.

 

-1-


As part of the offering contemplated by this Agreement, Citigroup Global Markets Inc. has agreed to reserve out of the Securities set forth opposite its name on the Schedule I to this Agreement, up to shares, for sale to the Company’s employees, officers, and directors and other parties associated with the Company (collectively, “Participants”), as set forth in the Prospectus under the heading “Underwriting” (the “Directed Share Program”). The Securities to be sold by Citigroup Global Markets Inc. pursuant to the Directed Share Program (the “Directed Shares”) will be sold by Citigroup Global Markets Inc. pursuant to this Agreement at the public offering price. Any Directed Shares not orally confirmed for purchase by any Participants by 7:30 A.M. New York City time on the Business Day following the date on which this Agreement is executed will be offered to the public by Citigroup Global Markets Inc. as set forth in the Prospectus.

1. Representations and Warranties. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each Underwriter as set forth below in this Section 1.

(a) The Company has prepared and filed with the Commission a registration statement (file number 333-189366) on Form S-1, including a related preliminary prospectus, for registration under the Act of the offering and sale of the Securities. Such Registration Statement, including any amendments thereto filed prior to the Execution Time, has become effective. The Company may have filed one or more amendments thereto, including a related preliminary prospectus, each of which has previously been furnished to you. The Company will file with the Commission a final prospectus in accordance with Rule 424(b). As filed, such final prospectus shall contain all information required by the Act and the rules thereunder and, except to the extent the Representatives shall agree in writing to a modification, shall be in all substantive respects in the form furnished to you prior to the Execution Time or, to the extent not completed at the Execution Time, shall contain only such specific additional information and other changes (beyond that contained in the latest Preliminary Prospectus) as the Company has advised you, prior to the Execution Time, will be included or made therein.

(b) On the Effective Date, the Registration Statement did, and when the Prospectus is first filed in accordance with Rule 424(b) and on the Closing Date and on any date on which Option Securities are purchased, if such date is not the Closing Date (a “settlement date”), the Prospectus (and any supplement thereto) will, comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Act and the rules thereunder; on the Effective Date and at the Execution Time, the Registration Statement did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading; and on the date of any filing pursuant to Rule 424(b) and on the Closing Date and any settlement date, the Prospectus (together with any supplement thereto) 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, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to the information contained in or omitted from the

 

-2-


Registration Statement, or the Prospectus (or any supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for inclusion in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (or any supplement thereto), it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 8 hereof.

(c) (i) The Disclosure Package and the price to the public, the number of Underwritten Securities and the number of Option Securities to be included on the cover page of the Prospectus, when taken together as a whole, as of the Applicable Time, (ii) each electronic road show when taken together as a whole with the Disclosure Package and the price to the public, the number of Underwritten Securities and the number of Option Securities to be included on the cover page of the Prospectus, and (iii) any individual Written Testing-the-Waters Communication (as defined below), when taken together as a whole with the Disclosure Package and the price to the public, the number of Underwritten Securities and the number of Option Securities to be included on the cover page of the Prospectus, do not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from the Disclosure Package or any individual Written Testing-the-Waters Communication based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by or on behalf of any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 8 hereof.

(d) (i) At the time of filing the Registration Statement and (ii) as of the Execution Time (with such date being used as the determination date for purposes of this clause (ii)), 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.

(e) From the time of initial confidential submission of the Registration Statement to the Commission (or, if earlier, the first date on which the Company engaged directly or through any person or entity authorized to act on its behalf in any Testing-the-Waters Communication) through the Execution Time, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Act (an “Emerging Growth Company”). “Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any oral communication or written communication (within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Act) with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Act.

(f) The Company (i) has not alone 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 Act or institutions that are accredited investors within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Act and (ii) has not authorized anyone other than the Representatives to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company

 

-3-


reconfirms that the Representatives have been authorized to act on its behalf in undertaking Testing-the-Waters Communications. The Company has not distributed any Written Testing-the-Waters Communications. “Written Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any Testing-the-Waters Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Act.

(g) Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus does not include any information that conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement. The foregoing sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by or on behalf of any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 8 hereof.

(h) Prior to the Execution Time, the Predecessor has (i) duly converted its form of organization from a Delaware limited liability company to a Delaware corporation pursuant to (x) that certain plan of conversion (the “Plan of Conversion”), dated as of , 2014, of the Predecessor, which was duly adopted and approved by the Predecessor’s members and board of managers in accordance with the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act and the Predecessor’s Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement, as amended, and (y) that certain Certification of Conversion of the Predecessor, which was duly filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on , 2014; and (ii) in connection therewith, (x) exchanged all of its outstanding membership interests into shares of Common Stock in the manner set forth in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and pursuant to the Plan of Conversion; and (y) caused the due adoption of the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Company in the forms filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement in accordance with the Delaware General Corporation Law (such conversion, exchange and adoption, together with all related ancillary transactions, as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the “Formation Transactions,” and the documents and instruments pursuant to which the Formation Transactions were effected, including, without limitation, such Plan of Conversion, Certificate of Conversion, Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws, the “Formation Documents”). Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has been duly incorporated or formed, as applicable, and is validly existing as a corporation, limited liability company or limited partnership, as applicable, in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction in which it is chartered or organized, as applicable, with full corporate, limited liability company or limited partnership power and authority, as applicable, to own or lease, as the case may be, and to operate its properties and conduct its business as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and, to the extent applicable, to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under the Formation Documents to which it is a party, and is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing under the laws of each jurisdiction which requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), prospects, earnings, business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business (a “Material Adverse Effect”).

 

-4-


(i) The Company has the full corporate power and authority to execute, deliver, and perform its obligations under, and has duly authorized, executed and delivered, this Agreement.

(j) On January 17, 2014, the Predecessor and the Non-Management Institutional Investors (as defined below) entered into a Purchase Agreement (the “Stock Purchase Agreement”) pursuant to which, as described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, upon any sale of Option Securities by the Company to the Underwriters pursuant hereto, the Company will repurchase from the Non-Management Institutional Investors, and the Non-Management Institutional Investors, on a pro rata basis, will sell, an equivalent number of shares of Common Stock, at a cash purchase price per share of Common Stock equal to the price per share of the Option Securities so sold by the Company to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement. The Predecessor had the full limited liability company power and authority to execute and deliver, and had duly authorized, executed and delivered, and the Company has assumed by operation of law, and has the full corporate power and authority to perform its obligations under, the Stock Purchase Agreement, and the Stock Purchase Agreement constitutes a legal, valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and general principles of equity. As used herein, the term “Non-Management Institutional Investors” means IHP Capital Partners VI, LLC, WATT/TNHC LLC and TCN/TNHC LP.

(k) All the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and, when issued in connection with the Plan of Conversion, will be duly and validly issued and fully paid and nonassessable. All the outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity interests of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and nonassessable, and, except as otherwise set forth in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, all outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity interests of the subsidiaries of the Company are owned by the Company either directly or through wholly owned subsidiaries free and clear of any perfected security interest or any other security interests, claims, liens or encumbrances. Except as set forth in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no options, warrants or other rights to purchase, agreements or other obligations to issue, or rights to convert any obligations into or exchange any securities for, shares of capital stock of or ownership interests in the Company are outstanding.

(l) The Securities have been duly and validly authorized and, when issued and delivered against payment therefor as provided herein, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free (and not issued or sold in violation) of statutory and contractual preemptive rights, resale rights, rights of first refusal and similar rights.

 

-5-


(m) There is no franchise, contract or other document of a character required to be described in the Registration Statement or Prospectus, or to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, which is not described or filed as required (and the Preliminary Prospectus contains in all material respects the same description of the foregoing matters contained in the Prospectus); and the statements in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus under the headings “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Organization and Structure—Certain anti-takeover defenses and applicable law may limit the ability of a third-party to acquire control of us,” “—Selected provisions of our charter and bylaws,” “—Selected provisions of Delaware law,” “Description of Capital Stock” and “Our Business—Joint Ventures,” insofar as such statements summarize legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings discussed therein, are accurate and fair summaries of such legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings, and the statements included in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus under the heading “Certain Material Federal Income Tax Considerations,” to the extent that such statements purport to describe matters of U.S. federal income tax law or legal conclusions with respect thereto, accurately describe such matters and conclusions in all material respects.

(n) The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, will not be an “investment company” as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

(o) No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing with, any court or governmental agency or body is required in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby or by the Formation Documents or the Stock Purchase Agreement, except (i) the registration of the offer and sale of the Securities under the Act, which has been effected; (ii) any necessary qualification under the blue sky laws of any jurisdiction in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters in the manner contemplated hereby and by the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; (iii) any necessary qualification under the rules and regulations of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”); (iv) any consents, approvals, authorizations, orders or filings that have been, or prior to the Closing Date will be, obtained or made; and (v) consents, approvals, authorizations, qualifications or filings the failure to obtain or make would not have material adverse effect on the performance of this Agreement, the Formation Documents or the Stock Purchase Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby.

(p) Neither the issue and sale of the Securities nor the consummation of any other of the transactions contemplated hereby or by the Formation Documents or the Stock Purchase Agreement nor the fulfillment of the terms hereof or thereof will conflict with, result in a breach or violation of, or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, (i) the charter or by-laws, or the other organizational documents, as applicable, of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, (ii) the terms of any indenture, contract, lease, mortgage, deed of trust, note agreement, loan agreement or other agreement, obligation, condition, covenant or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or bound or to which its or their property is subject, or (iii) any statute, law, rule, regulation,

 

-6-


judgment, order or decree applicable to the Company or any of its subsidiaries of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body, arbitrator or other authority having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of its or their properties, except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), as would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect or a material adverse effect on the performance of this Agreement, the Formation Documents or the Stock Purchase Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby.

(q) Except as disclosed in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no holders of securities of the Company have rights to the registration of such securities under the Registration Statement.

(r) The consolidated historical financial statements and schedules of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries included in the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and the Registration Statement present fairly the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Company as of the dates and for the periods indicated, comply as to form with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved (except as otherwise noted therein). The consolidated historical financial statements of LR8 Investors, LLC (“LR8”) and its consolidated subsidiaries included in the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and the Registration Statement present fairly the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of LR8 as of the dates and for the periods indicated, comply as to form with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved (except as otherwise noted therein). The selected financial data set forth under the caption “Selected Financial Data” in the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and Registration Statement fairly present, on the basis stated in the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and the Registration Statement, the information included therein. The pro forma financial statements included in the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and the Registration Statement include assumptions that provide a reasonable basis for presenting the significant effects directly attributable to the transactions and events described therein, the related pro forma adjustments give appropriate effect to those assumptions, and the pro forma adjustments reflect the proper application of those adjustments to the historical financial statement amounts in the pro forma financial statements included in the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and the Registration Statement. The pro forma financial statements included in the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and the Registration Statement comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of Regulation S-X under the Act, and the pro forma adjustments have been properly applied to the historical amounts in the compilation of those statements.

(s) No action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries or its or their property is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened that could, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or a material adverse effect on the performance of this Agreement, the Formation Documents or the Stock Purchase Agreement or the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby.

 

-7-


(t) Each of the Company and each of its subsidiaries owns or leases all such properties as are necessary to the conduct of its operations in all material respects as presently conducted.

(u) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation or default of (i) any provision of its charter or bylaws or other organizational documents, as applicable, (ii) the terms of any indenture, contract, lease, mortgage, deed of trust, note agreement, loan agreement or other agreement, obligation, condition, covenant or instrument to which it is a party or bound or to which its property is subject, or (iii) any statute, law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body, arbitrator or other authority having jurisdiction over the Company or such subsidiary or any of its properties, as applicable, except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), as would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(v) Ernst & Young LLP, who have certified certain financial statements of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries and delivered their report with respect to the audited consolidated financial statements and schedules included in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are independent public accountants with respect to the Company and with respect to LR8 within the meaning of the Act and the applicable published rules and regulations thereunder.

(w) The Company has filed all tax returns that are required to be filed or has requested extensions thereof (except in any case in which the failure so to file would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto)) and has paid all taxes required to be paid by it and any other assessment, fine or penalty levied against it, to the extent that any of the foregoing is due and payable, except for any such assessment, fine or penalty that is currently being contested in good faith or as would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto).

(x) No labor problem or dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the Company’s knowledge, is threatened or imminent, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its or its subsidiaries’ principal suppliers, contractors or customers, that could, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto).

(y) The Company and each of its subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which they are engaged; all policies of

 

-8-


insurance, and fidelity or surety bonds, if any, insuring the Company or any of its subsidiaries or their respective businesses, assets, employees, officers and directors are in full force and effect; the Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms of such policies and instruments in all material respects; and there are no claims by the Company or any of its subsidiaries under any such policy or instrument as to which any insurance company is denying liability or defending under a reservation of rights clause; neither the Company nor any such subsidiary has been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied for; and neither the Company nor any such subsidiary has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto).

(z) No subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on such subsidiary’s capital stock, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s property or assets to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company, except as described in or contemplated by the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto).

(aa) The Company and its subsidiaries possess all licenses, certificates, permits and other authorizations issued by all applicable authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses, except where the failure to so possess the same would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, and neither the Company nor any such subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such certificate, authorization or permit which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto).

(bb) The Company has established a system of internal accounting controls over the Company and its subsidiaries sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. The Company’s internal controls over financial reporting over the Company and its subsidiaries are effective, and the Company and its subsidiaries are not aware of any material weakness in their internal controls over financial reporting.

 

-9-


(cc) The Company has established “disclosure controls and procedures” (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act) over the Company and its subsidiaries; such disclosure controls and procedures are effective.

(dd) The Company has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under the Exchange Act or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.

(ee) Except as would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its subsidiaries are (i) in compliance with any and all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (“Environmental Laws”), (ii) have received and are in compliance with all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses and (iii) have not received notice of any actual or potential liability under any environmental law, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto). Except as set forth in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and except as would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received written notice, or is otherwise aware, that it has been named as a “potentially responsible party” under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended.

(ff) In the ordinary course of its business, the Company periodically reviews the potential costs and liabilities under Environmental Laws. On the basis of such review, the Company has reasonably concluded that such costs and liabilities would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto).

(gg) None of the following events has occurred or exists: (i) a failure to fulfill the obligations, if any, under the minimum funding standards of Section 302 of the United States Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder with respect to a Plan, determined without regard to any waiver of such obligations or extension of any amortization period, except for any such failure as could not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (ii) an audit or investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Department of Labor, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation or any other federal or state governmental agency or any foreign regulatory agency with respect to the employment or compensation of employees by any of the Company or any of its subsidiaries that could, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto); (iii) any breach of any contractual obligation, or any violation of law or applicable qualification standards, with respect to the employment or compensation of employees by the Company or any of its subsidiaries that could, singly or in the

 

-10-


aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto). None of the following events has occurred or is reasonably likely to occur: (i) a material increase in the aggregate amount of contributions required to be made to all Plans in the current fiscal year of the Company and its subsidiaries compared to the amount of such contributions made in the most recently completed fiscal year of the Company and its subsidiaries; (ii) a material increase in the “accumulated post-retirement benefit obligations” (within the meaning of FASB Accounting Standards Codification Topic 715) of the Company and its subsidiaries compared to the amount of such obligations in the most recently completed fiscal year of the Company and its subsidiaries; (iii) any event or condition giving rise to a liability under Title IV of ERISA that could, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto); or (iv) the filing of a claim by one or more employees or former employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries related to their employment that could, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto). For purposes of this paragraph, the term “Plan” means a plan (within the meaning of Section 3(3) of ERISA) subject to Title IV of ERISA with respect to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries may have any liability.

(hh) There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company and any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith, including Section 402 relating to loans and Sections 302 and 906 relating to certifications.

(ii) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate 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 by such persons of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (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, in contravention of the FCPA; and the Company, its subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company, its 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 therewith.

(jj) 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 and the money laundering statutes and the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”),

 

-11-


and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.

(kk) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, nor any of their respective directors or officers, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently subject to any sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.

Furthermore, the Company represents and warrants to Citigroup Global Markets Inc. that (i) the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses comply, and any further amendments or supplements thereto will comply, with any applicable laws or regulations of foreign jurisdictions in which the Prospectus or any preliminary prospectus and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, are distributed in connection with the Directed Share Program, and that (ii) no authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration or qualification of or with any government, governmental instrumentality or court, other than such as have been obtained, is necessary under the securities laws and regulations of foreign jurisdictions in which the Directed Shares are offered outside the United States. The Company has not offered, or caused the Underwriters to offer, Securities to any person pursuant to the Directed Share Program with the specific intent to unlawfully influence (i) a customer or supplier of the Company to alter the customer’s or supplier’s level or type of business with the Company, or (ii) a trade journalist or publication to write or publish favorable information about the Company or its products.

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

2. Purchase and Sale. (a) Subject to the terms and conditions and in reliance upon the representations and warranties herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter, and each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at a purchase price of $                     per share, the amount of the Underwritten Securities set forth opposite such Underwriter’s name in Schedule I hereto.

(b) Subject to the terms and conditions and in reliance upon the representations and warranties herein set forth, the Company hereby grants an option to the several Underwriters to purchase, severally and not jointly, up to                      Option Securities at the same purchase price per share as the Underwriters shall pay for the Underwritten Securities, less an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Underwritten Securities but not payable on the Option Securities. Said option may be exercised only to cover over-allotments in the

 

-12-


sale of the Underwritten Securities by the Underwriters. Said option may be exercised in whole or in part at any time on or before the 30th day after the date of the Prospectus upon written or telegraphic notice by the Representatives to the Company setting forth the number of shares of the Option Securities as to which the several Underwriters are exercising the option and the settlement date. The number of Option Securities to be purchased by each Underwriter shall be the same percentage of the total number of shares of the Option Securities to be purchased by the several Underwriters as such Underwriter is purchasing of the Underwritten Securities, subject to such adjustments as you in your absolute discretion shall make to eliminate any fractional shares.

3. Delivery and Payment. Delivery of and payment for the Underwritten Securities and the Option Securities (if the option provided for in Section 2(b) hereof shall have been exercised on or before the third Business Day immediately preceding the Closing Date) shall be made at 10:00 AM, New York City time, on                     , 2014, or at such time on such later date not more than three Business Days after the foregoing date as the Representatives shall designate, which date and time may be postponed by agreement between the Representatives and the Company or as provided in Section 9 hereof (such date and time of delivery and payment for the Securities being herein called the “Closing Date”). Delivery of the Securities shall be made to the Representatives for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters against payment by the several Underwriters through the Representatives of the respective aggregate purchase prices of the Securities being sold by the Company to or upon the order of the Company by wire transfer payable in same-day funds to the accounts specified by the Company. Delivery of the Underwritten Securities and the Option Securities shall be made through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company unless the Representatives shall otherwise instruct.

If the option provided for in Section 2(b) hereof is exercised after the third Business Day immediately preceding the Closing Date, the Company will deliver the Option Securities (at the expense of the Company) to the Representatives, at 388 Greenwich Street, New York, New York, on the date specified by the Representatives (which shall be within three Business Days after exercise of said option) for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters, against payment by the several Underwriters through the Representatives of the purchase price thereof to or upon the order of the Company by wire transfer payable in same-day funds to the accounts specified by the Company. If settlement for the Option Securities occurs after the Closing Date, the Company will deliver to the Representatives on the settlement date for the Option Securities, and the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase the Option Securities shall be conditioned upon receipt of, supplemental opinions, certificates and letters confirming as of such date the opinions, certificates and letters delivered on the Closing Date pursuant to Section 6 hereof.

4. Offering by Underwriters. It is understood that the several Underwriters propose to offer the Securities for sale to the public as set forth in the Prospectus.

5. Agreements.

(i) The Company agrees with the several Underwriters that:

 

-13-


(a) Prior to the termination of the offering of the Securities, the Company will not file any amendment of the Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement unless the Company has furnished you a copy for your review prior to filing and will not file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which you reasonably object. The Company will cause the Prospectus, properly completed, and any supplement thereto to be filed in a form approved by the Representatives with the Commission pursuant to the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) within the time period prescribed and will provide evidence satisfactory to the Representatives of such timely filing. The Company will promptly advise the Representatives (i) when the Prospectus, and any supplement thereto, shall have been filed (if required) with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) or when any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement shall have been filed with the Commission, (ii) when, prior to termination of the offering of the Securities, any amendment to the Registration Statement shall have been filed or become effective, (iii) of any request by the Commission or its staff for any amendment of the Registration Statement, or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, or for any supplement to the Prospectus or for any additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or of any notice objecting to its use or the institution or threatening of any proceeding for that purpose and (v) of the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for sale in any jurisdiction or the institution or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order or the occurrence of any such suspension or objection to the use of the Registration Statement and, upon such issuance, occurrence or notice of objection, to obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal of such stop order or relief from such occurrence or objection, including, if necessary, by filing an amendment to the Registration Statement or a new registration statement and using its reasonable best efforts to have such amendment or new registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable.

(b) If, at any time prior to the filing of the Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b), any event occurs as a result of which the Disclosure Package would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein in the light of the circumstances under which they were made at such time not misleading, the Company will (i) notify promptly the Representatives so that any use of the Disclosure Package may cease until it is amended or supplemented; (ii) amend or supplement the Disclosure Package to correct such statement or omission; and (iii) supply any amendment or supplement to you in such quantities as you may reasonably request.

(c) If, at any time when a prospectus relating to the Securities is required to be delivered under the Act (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172), any event occurs as a result of which the Prospectus as then supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein in the light of the circumstances under which they were made at such time not misleading, or if it shall be necessary to amend the Registration Statement or supplement the Prospectus to comply

 

-14-


with the Act or the rules thereunder, the Company promptly will (i) notify the Representatives of any such event; (ii) prepare and file with the Commission, subject (for the avoidance of doubt) to the first and second sentences of paragraph (a) of this Section 5(i), an amendment or supplement which will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance; and (iii) supply any supplemented Prospectus to you in such quantities as you may reasonably request.

(d) As soon as practicable, the Company will make generally available to its security holders and to the Representatives an earnings statement or statements of the Company and its subsidiaries which will satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158.

(e) The Company will furnish to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto) and to each other Underwriter a copy of the Registration Statement (without exhibits thereto) and, so long as delivery of a prospectus by an Underwriter or dealer may be required by the Act (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172), as many copies of each Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and any supplement thereto as the Representatives may reasonably request. The Company will pay the expenses of printing or other production of all documents relating to the offering.

(f) The Company will arrange, if necessary, for the qualification of the Securities for sale under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives may designate and will maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Securities; provided that in no event shall the Company be obligated to qualify to do business in any jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified or to take any action that would subject it to service of process in suits, other than those arising out of the offering or sale of the Securities, in any jurisdiction where it is not now so subject.

(g) The Company will not, without the prior written consent of Citigroup Global Markets Inc., offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, or otherwise dispose of (or enter into any transaction which is designed to, or might reasonably be expected to, result in the disposition (whether by actual disposition or effective economic disposition due to cash settlement or otherwise) by the Company or any affiliate of the Company or any person in privity with the Company or any affiliate of the Company) directly or indirectly, including the filing (or participation in the filing) of a registration statement with the Commission in respect of, or establish or increase a put equivalent position or liquidate or decrease a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act, any other shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, shares of Common Stock; or publicly announce an intention to effect any such transaction, for a period (the “Lock-Up Period”) of 180 days after the date of the Underwriting Agreement, provided, however, that the Company may: (i) issue and sell Securities pursuant hereto; (ii) issue the shares of Common Stock to be issued in connection with the Formation Transactions pursuant to the Formation Documents; (iii) issue and sell shares of Common Stock, or any securities convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, shares of Common Stock, pursuant to any

 

-15-


employee stock option plan, stock incentive plan, stock ownership plan or dividend reinvestment plan of the Company in effect at the Execution Time and described in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; (iv) issue shares of Common Stock issuable upon the conversion of securities, or the exercise of warrants, outstanding at the Execution Time; (v) file one or more registration statements on Form S-8 in the manner disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and (vi) issue and sell shares of Common Stock in connection with bona fide mergers or acquisitions, joint ventures, commercial relationships or other strategic transactions, provided that (x) the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock that may be issued pursuant to this clause (vi) shall in no event exceed 10% of the total number of shares of Common Stock outstanding as of the Closing Date and (y) each recipient of such shares shall execute and deliver to the Representatives a letter substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto with respect to the remainder of the Lock-Up Period.

(h) If Citigroup Global Markets Inc., in its sole discretion, agrees to release or waive the restrictions set forth in a lock-up letter described in Section 6(j) hereof for an officer or director of the Company and provides the Company with notice of the impending release or waiver at least three Business Days before the effective date of the release or waiver, the Company agrees to announce the impending release or waiver by a press release substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto through a major news service at least two Business Days before the effective date of the release or waiver.

(i) The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under the Exchange Act or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.

(j) The Company agrees to pay the costs and expenses relating to the following matters: (i) the preparation, printing or reproduction and filing with the Commission of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits thereto), each Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and each amendment or supplement to any of them; (ii) the printing (or reproduction) and delivery (including postage, air freight charges and charges for counting and packaging) of such copies of the Registration Statement, each Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and all amendments or supplements to any of them, as may, in each case, be reasonably requested for use in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities; (iii) the preparation, printing, authentication, issuance and delivery of certificates for the Securities, including any stamp or transfer taxes in connection with the original issuance and sale of the Securities; (iv) the printing (or reproduction) and delivery of this Agreement, any blue sky memorandum and all other agreements or documents printed (or reproduced) and delivered in connection with the offering of the Securities; (v) the registration of the Securities under the Exchange Act and the listing of the Securities on the New York Stock Exchange; (vi) any registration or qualification of the Securities for offer and sale under the securities or blue sky laws of the several states (including filing fees and the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters relating to such registration

 

-16-


and qualification); provided, however, that the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters referred to in this clause (vi) shall not exceed $5,000; (vii) any filings required to be made with FINRA (including filing fees and the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters relating to such filings); provided, however, that the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters referred to in this clause (vii) shall not exceed $30,000; (viii) the transportation and other expenses incurred by or on behalf of Company representatives in connection with presentations to prospective purchasers of the Securities; (ix) the fees and expenses of the Company’s accountants and the fees and expenses of counsel (including local and special counsel) for the Company; and (x) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder.

(k) The Company agrees to pay (1) all fees and disbursements of counsel incurred by the Underwriters in connection with the Directed Share Program, (2) all costs and expenses incurred by the Underwriters in connection with the printing (or reproduction) and delivery (including postage, air freight charges and charges for counting and packaging) of copies of the Directed Share Program material and (3) all stamp duties, similar taxes or duties or other taxes, if any, incurred by the Underwriters in connection with the Directed Share Program.

(l) The Company agrees that, unless it has or shall have obtained the prior written consent of the Representatives, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees with the Company that, unless it has or shall have obtained, as the case may be, the prior written consent of the Company, it has not made and 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) required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433; provided that the prior written consent of the parties hereto shall be deemed to have been given in respect of the Free Writing Prospectuses included in Schedule II hereto and any electronic road show. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Representatives or the Company is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company agrees that (x) it has treated and will treat, as the case may be, each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and (y) it has complied and will comply, as the case may be, with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including in respect of timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping.

(m) The Company will promptly notify the Representatives if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the later of (a) completion of the distribution of the Securities within the meaning of the Act and (b) completion of the 180-day restricted period referred to in Section 5(i)(g) hereof.

(n) If at any time following the distribution of any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, any event occurs as a result of which such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein in the light of the circumstances under which they were made at such time not misleading, the Company will (i) notify

 

-17-


promptly the Representatives so that use of the Written Testing-the-Waters Communication may cease until it is amended or supplemented; (ii) amend or supplement the Written Testing-the-Waters Communication to correct such statement or omission; and (iii) supply any amendment or supplement to the Representatives in such quantities as may be reasonably requested.

Furthermore, the Company covenants with Citigroup Global Markets Inc. that the Company will comply with all applicable securities and other applicable laws, rules and regulations in each foreign jurisdiction in which the Directed Shares are offered in connection with the Directed Share Program.

6. Conditions to the Obligations of the Underwriters. The obligations of the Underwriters to purchase the Underwritten Securities and the Option Securities, as the case may be, shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company contained herein as of the Execution Time, the Closing Date and any settlement date pursuant to Section 3 hereof, to the accuracy of the statements of the Company made in any certificates pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:

(a) The Prospectus, and any supplement thereto, have been filed in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b); any material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time periods prescribed for such filings by Rule 433; and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any notice objecting to its use shall have been issued, and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or threatened.

(b) The Company shall have requested and caused Sidley Austin LLP, counsel for the Company, to have furnished to the Representatives their opinion, dated the Closing Date or the relevant settlement date, as applicable, and addressed to the Representatives, substantially to the effect set forth in Exhibit C hereto.

In rendering such opinion, such counsel may rely (A) as to matters involving the application of laws of any jurisdiction other than the States of New York and California, the Delaware General Corporation Law or the federal laws of the United States, to the extent they deem proper and specified in such opinion, upon the opinion of other counsel of good standing whom they believe to be reliable and who are satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters and (B) as to matters of fact, to the extent they deem proper, on certificates of responsible officers of the Company and public officials. References to the Prospectus in this paragraph (b) shall also include any supplements thereto at the Closing Date or the relevant settlement date, as applicable.

(c) The Representatives shall have received from Latham & Watkins LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, such opinion or opinions, dated the Closing Date or the relevant settlement date, as applicable, and addressed to the Representatives, with respect to the issuance and sale of the Securities, the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus (together with any supplement thereto) and other related matters as the Representatives may reasonably require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they reasonably request for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters.

 

-18-


(d) The Company shall have furnished to the Representatives a certificate of the Company, signed by the Chief Executive Officer and by the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, dated the Closing Date or the relevant settlement date, as applicable, to the effect that the signers of such certificate have carefully examined the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, as well as each electronic road show used in connection with the offering of the Securities, and this Agreement and that:

(i) the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct on and as of the Closing Date or such settlement date, as applicable, with the same effect as if made on the such date and the Company has complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to such date;

(ii) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any notice objecting to its use has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened; and

(iii) since the date of the most recent financial statements included in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto), there has been no Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto).

(e) The Company shall have requested and caused Ernst & Young LLP to have furnished to the Representatives at the Execution Time, at the Closing Date and, if applicable, each settlement date, letters, dated respectively as of the Execution Time and as of the Closing Date and, if applicable, each settlement date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, confirming that they are independent accountants within the meaning of the Act and the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Commission thereunder and that they have performed a review of the unaudited interim financial information of the Company for the three- and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 and as of September 30, 2013, in accordance with Statement on Auditing Standards No. 100 and stating in effect that:

(i) in their opinion, the audited financial statements and financial statement schedules included in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus and reported on by them comply as to form with the applicable accounting requirements of the Act and the related rules and regulations adopted by the Commission;

 

-19-


(ii) on the basis of a reading of the latest unaudited financial statements made available by the Company and its subsidiaries; their limited review, in accordance with standards established under Statement on Auditing Standards No. 100, of the unaudited interim financial information for the three- and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 and as of September 30, 2013; carrying out certain specified procedures (but not an examination in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards) which would not necessarily reveal matters of significance with respect to the comments set forth in such letter; a reading of the minutes of the meetings of the stockholders, the board of directors or board of members (including committees thereof) of the Company and its subsidiaries; and inquiries of certain officials of the Company who have responsibility for financial and accounting matters of the Company and its subsidiaries as to transactions and events subsequent to December 31, 2012, nothing came to their attention which caused them to believe that:

(1) any unaudited financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus do not comply as to form with applicable accounting requirements of the Act and with the related rules and regulations adopted by the Commission with respect to registration statements on Form S-1; and said unaudited financial statements are not in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles applied on a basis substantially consistent with that of the audited financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus; and

(2) with respect to the period subsequent to September 30, 2013, there were, at a specified date not more than five days prior to the date of the letter, any increases in the long-term debt of the Company and its subsidiaries, any changes in the capital stock of the Company or decreases in the net current assets or stockholders’ equity of the Company as compared with the amounts shown on the September 30, 2013 consolidated balance sheet included in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, and the Prospectus, or for the period from October 1, 2013 to such specified date there were any decreases, as compared with the corresponding period in the preceding year in net revenues or income before extraordinary items or in total or per share amounts of net income of the Company and its subsidiaries, except in all instances for changes or decreases set forth in such letter, in which case the letter shall be accompanied by an explanation by the Company as to the significance thereof unless said explanation is not deemed necessary by the Representatives;

(iii) on the basis of a reading of the unaudited pro forma financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus (the “Pro Forma Financial Statements”); carrying out certain specified procedures; inquiries of certain officials of the Company who have responsibility for financial and accounting matters; and proving the arithmetic

 

-20-


accuracy of the application of the pro forma adjustments to the historical amounts in the pro forma financial statements, nothing came to their attention which caused them to believe that the pro forma financial statements do not comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of Rule 11-02 of Regulation S-X or that the pro forma adjustments have not been properly applied to the historical amounts in the compilation of such statements; and

(iv) they have performed certain other specified procedures as a result of which they determined that certain information of an accounting, financial or statistical nature (which is limited to accounting, financial or statistical information derived from the general accounting records of the Company and its subsidiaries) set forth in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, and the Prospectus, including the information set forth under the captions “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Selected Financial Data” in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, agrees with the accounting records of the Company and its subsidiaries, excluding any questions of legal interpretation.

References to the Prospectus in this paragraph (e) include any supplement thereto at the date of the letter. Any letter delivered pursuant to this paragraph (e) dated as of the closing date or a settlement date may be in the form of a “bring down” letter of the type contemplated by Example C of Statements of Auditing Standards No. 72 (as amended) of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

(f) Subsequent to the Execution Time or, if earlier, the dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement (exclusive of any amendment thereof) and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto), there shall not have been (i) any change, increase or decrease specified in the letter or letters referred to in paragraph (e) of this Section 6 or (ii) any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the condition (financial or otherwise), earnings, business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto) the effect of which, in any case referred to in clause (i) or (ii) above, is, in the sole judgment of the Representatives, so material and adverse as to make it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or delivery of the Securities as contemplated by the Registration Statement (exclusive of any amendment thereof), the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto).

(g) Subsequent to the Execution Time, there shall not have been any decrease in the rating of any of the Company’s debt securities by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act) or any notice given of any intended or potential decrease in any such rating or of a possible change in any such rating that does not indicate the direction of the possible change.

 

-21-


(h) Prior to the Closing Date or the relevant settlement date, as applicable, the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives such further information, certificates and documents as the Representatives may reasonably request.

(i) The Securities shall have been listed and admitted and authorized for trading on the New York Stock Exchange, and satisfactory evidence of such actions shall have been provided to the Representatives.

(j) At the Execution Time, the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives a letter substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto from each person or entity listed on Schedule III hereto, addressed to the Representatives.

(k) The Stock Purchase Agreement shall be in full force and effect.

If any of the conditions specified in this Section 6 shall not have been fulfilled when and as provided in this Agreement, or if any of the opinions and certificates mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall not be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters, this Agreement and all obligations of the Underwriters hereunder may be canceled at, or at any time prior to, the Closing Date by the Representatives. Notice of such cancellation shall be given to the Company in writing or by telephone or facsimile confirmed in writing.

The documents required to be delivered by this Section 6 shall be delivered at the office of Latham & Watkins LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, at 355 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90071, on the Closing Date or the relevant settlement date, as applicable.

7. Reimbursement of Underwriters’ Expenses. If the sale of the Securities provided for herein is not consummated because any condition to the obligations of the Underwriters set forth in Section 6 hereof is not satisfied, because of any termination pursuant to Section 10 hereof or because of any refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company to perform any agreement herein or comply with any provision hereof other than by reason of a default by any of the Underwriters, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters severally through Citigroup Global Markets Inc. on demand for all expenses (including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel) that shall have been incurred by them in connection with the proposed purchase and sale of the Securities.

8. Indemnification and Contribution. (a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, the directors, officers, employees, agents of each Underwriter, each person who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act against, and each affiliate of any Underwriter that is actively engaged in the offering of the Securities, any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which they or any of them may become subject under the Act, the Exchange Act or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement as originally filed or in any amendment thereof, or in any Preliminary Prospectus, or the Prospectus, any Issuer Free

 

-22-


Writing Prospectus or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication or in any amendment thereof or supplement thereto, or in any “road show” as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Act, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and agrees to reimburse each such indemnified party, as incurred, for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action; provided, however, that the Company will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon any such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made therein in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for inclusion therein. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have.

(b) Each Underwriter severally and not jointly agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signs the Registration Statement, and each person who controls the Company within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act, to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity to each Underwriter pursuant to Section 8(a), but only with reference to written information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company by or on behalf of such Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for inclusion in the documents referred to in Section 8(a). This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which any Underwriter may otherwise have. The Company acknowledges that the statements set forth (i) in the last paragraph of the cover page of the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus regarding delivery of the Securities and (ii) in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus under the heading “Underwriting,” (a) the list of Underwriters in the first paragraph and their respective participation in the sale of the Securities, (b) the second, third and fourth sentences in the third paragraph related to discounts and the selling terms of the Securities, (c) the eleventh paragraph relating to stabilization, and (d) the third and fourth sentences of the twelfth paragraph related to covering short positions, constitute the only information furnished in writing by or on behalf of the several Underwriters for inclusion in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication.

(c) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Citigroup Global Markets Inc., the directors, officers, employees, agents and affiliates of Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and each person who controls Citigroup Global Markets Inc. within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act (the “Citigroup Entities”), from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities, joint or several, to which they or any of them may become subject under the Act, the Exchange Act or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, at common law or otherwise (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending or investigating any such action or claim), insofar as such losses, claims damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) (i) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the prospectus

 

-23-


wrapper material prepared by or with the consent of the Company for distribution in foreign jurisdictions in connection with the Directed Share Program attached to the Prospectus, any preliminary prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statement therein, when considered in conjunction with the Prospectus or any applicable preliminary prospectus or Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, not misleading; (ii) are caused by the failure of any Participant to pay for and accept delivery of the securities which immediately following the Effective Date of the Registration Statement, were subject to a properly confirmed agreement to purchase; or (iii) relate to, arise out of, or are in connection with the Directed Share Program, except that this clause (iii) shall not apply to the extent that such loss, claim, damage or liability is finally judicially determined to have resulted primarily from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of the Citigroup Entities.

(d) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 8 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under this Section 8, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the failure so to notify the indemnifying party (i) will not relieve it from liability under paragraph (a), (b) or (c) above unless and to the extent it did not otherwise learn of such action and such failure results in the forfeiture by the indemnifying party of substantial rights and defenses and (ii) will not, in any event, relieve the indemnifying party from any obligations to any indemnified party other than the indemnification obligation provided in paragraph (a), (b) or (c) above. The indemnifying party shall be entitled to appoint counsel of the indemnifying party’s choice at the indemnifying party’s expense to represent the indemnified party in any action for which indemnification is sought (in which case the indemnifying party shall not thereafter be responsible for the fees and expenses of any separate counsel retained by the indemnified party or parties except as set forth below); provided, however, that such counsel shall be reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party. Notwithstanding the indemnifying party’s election to appoint counsel to represent the indemnified party in an action, the indemnified party shall have the right to employ separate counsel (including local counsel), and the indemnifying party shall bear the reasonable fees, costs and expenses of such separate counsel if (i) the use of counsel chosen by the indemnifying party to represent the indemnified party would present such counsel with a conflict of interest, (ii) the actual or potential defendants in, or targets of, any such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, (iii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party within a reasonable time after notice of the institution of such action or (iv) the indemnifying party shall authorize the indemnified party to employ separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party. An indemnifying party will not, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any pending or threatened claim, action, suit or proceeding in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties to

 

-24-


such claim or action) unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such claim, action, suit or proceeding. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, if indemnity may be sought pursuant to Section 8(c) hereof in respect of such action or proceeding, then in addition to such separate firm for the indemnified parties, the indemnifying party shall be liable for the reasonable fees and expenses of not more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for Citigroup Global Markets Inc., the directors, officers, employees, agents and affiliates of Citigroup Global Markets Inc., and all persons, if any, who control Citigroup Global Markets Inc. within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act for the defense of any losses, claims, damages and liabilities arising out of the Directed Share Program.

(e) In the event that the indemnity provided in paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of this Section 8 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party for any reason, the Company and the Underwriters, severally, agree to contribute to the aggregate losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with investigating or defending the same) (collectively “Losses”) to which the Company and one or more of the Underwriters may be subject in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and by the Underwriters, on the other, from the offering of the Securities; provided, however, that in no case shall any Underwriter (except as may be provided in any agreement among underwriters relating to the offering of the Securities) be responsible for any amount in excess of the underwriting discount or commission applicable to the Securities purchased by such Underwriter hereunder. If the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is unavailable for any reason, the Company and the Underwriters, severally, shall contribute in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and of the Underwriters, on the other, in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such Losses as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. Benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, shall be deemed to be equal to the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by it, and benefits received by the Underwriters, on the other hand, shall be deemed to be equal to the total underwriting discounts and commissions, in each case as set forth on the cover page of the Prospectus. Relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any untrue or any alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information provided by the Company, on the one hand, or the Underwriters, on the other, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement or omission. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution were determined by pro rata allocation or any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above. Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph (e), no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 8, each person who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act, each director, officer, employee or agent of an Underwriter, and each

 

-25-


affiliate of any Underwriter that is actively engaged in the offering of the Securities, shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each person who controls the Company within the meaning of either the Act or the Exchange Act, each officer of the Company who shall have signed the Registration Statement and each director of the Company shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company, subject in each case to the applicable terms and conditions of this paragraph (e).

9. Default by an Underwriter. If any one or more Underwriters shall fail to purchase and pay for any of the Securities agreed to be purchased by such Underwriter or Underwriters hereunder and such failure to purchase shall constitute a default in the performance of its or their obligations under this Agreement, the remaining Underwriters shall be obligated severally to take up and pay for (in the respective proportions which the amount of Securities set forth opposite their names in Schedule I hereto bears to the aggregate amount of Securities set forth opposite the names of all the remaining Underwriters) the Securities which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase; provided, however, that in the event that the aggregate amount of Securities which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase shall exceed 10% of the aggregate amount of Securities set forth in Schedule I hereto, the remaining Underwriters shall have the right to purchase all, but shall not be under any obligation to purchase any, of the Securities, and if such nondefaulting Underwriters do not purchase all the Securities, this Agreement will terminate without liability to any nondefaulting Underwriter or the Company. In the event of a default by any Underwriter as set forth in this Section 9, the Closing Date shall be postponed for such period, not exceeding five Business Days, as the Representatives shall determine in order that the required changes in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter of its liability, if any, to the Company and any nondefaulting Underwriter for damages occasioned by its default hereunder.

10. Termination. This Agreement shall be subject to termination in the absolute discretion of the Representatives, by notice given to the Company prior to delivery of and payment for the Securities, if at any time prior to such delivery and payment (i)(a) trading in the Company’s Common Stock shall have been suspended by the Commission or the New York Stock Exchange or (b) trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange shall have been suspended or limited or minimum prices shall have been established on such exchange, (ii) a banking moratorium shall have been declared either by federal or New York State authorities or (iii) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities, declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war, or other calamity or crisis the effect of which on financial markets is such as to make it, in the sole judgment of the Representatives, impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or delivery of the Securities as contemplated by the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto).

11. Representations and Indemnities to Survive. The respective agreements, representations, warranties, indemnities and other statements of the Company or its officers and of the Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or the Company or any of the officers, directors, employees, agents, affiliates or controlling persons referred to in Section 8 hereof, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Securities. The provisions of Sections 7 and 8 hereof shall survive the termination or cancellation of this Agreement.

 

-26-


12. Notices. All communications hereunder will be in writing and effective only on receipt, and, if sent to the Representatives, will be mailed, delivered or telefaxed to Citigroup Global Markets Inc. General Counsel (fax no.: (212)  ###-###-####) and confirmed to the General Counsel, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., at 388 Greenwich Street, New York, New York, 10013, Attention: General Counsel, and to J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, 383 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10179, Attention: Equity Syndicate Desk (fax no: (212)  ###-###-####), and to Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Eleven Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10010, Attention: LCD-IBD (fax no.: (212)  ###-###-####); or, if sent to the Company, will be mailed, delivered or telefaxed to 95 Enterprise, Suite 325, Aliso Viejo, California 92656, Attention: Wayne Stelmar (fax no.                         ), with a copy to Sidley Austin LLP, 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10019, Attention: J. Gerard Cummins (fax no.: (212)  ###-###-####).

13. Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers, directors, employees, agents, affiliates and controlling persons referred to in Section 8 hereof, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder.

14. No fiduciary duty. The Company hereby acknowledges that (a) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters and any affiliate through which it may be acting, on the other, (b) the Underwriters are acting as principal and not as an agent or fiduciary of the Company and (c) the Company’s engagement of the Underwriters in connection with the offering and the process leading up to the offering is as independent contractors and not in any other capacity. Furthermore, the Company agrees that it is solely responsible for making its own judgments in connection with the offering (irrespective of whether any of the Underwriters has advised or is currently advising the Company on related or other matters). The Company agrees that it will not claim that the Underwriters have rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owe an agency, fiduciary or similar duty to the Company, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.

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

16. Applicable Law. This Agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to contracts made and to be performed within the State of New York.

17. Waiver of Jury Trial. The Company 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.

 

-27-


18. Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same agreement.

19. Headings. The section headings used herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

20. Definitions. The terms that follow, when used in this Agreement, shall have the meanings indicated.

Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.

Applicable Time” means                 [AM/PM], New York City time, on                     , 2014.

Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a legal holiday or a day on which banking institutions or trust companies are authorized or obligated by law to close in New York City, New York, or in Los Angeles, California.

Commission” shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Disclosure Package” shall mean (i) the Preliminary Prospectus that is generally distributed to investors and used to offer the Securities, (ii) the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses, if any, identified in Schedule II hereto, and (iii) any other Free Writing Prospectus that the parties hereto shall hereafter expressly agree in writing to treat as part of the Disclosure Package.

Effective Date” shall mean each date and time that the Registration Statement, any post-effective amendment or amendments thereto and any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement became or becomes effective.

Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.

Execution Time” shall mean the date and time that this Agreement is executed and delivered by the parties hereto.

Free Writing Prospectus” shall mean a free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 405.

Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” shall mean an issuer free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 433.

Preliminary Prospectus” shall mean any preliminary prospectus referred to in paragraph 1(a) above and any preliminary prospectus included in the Registration Statement at the Effective Date that omits Rule 430A Information.

 

-28-


Prospectus” shall mean the prospectus relating to the Securities that is first filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) after the Execution Time.

Registration Statement” shall mean the registration statement referred to in Section 1(a) above, including exhibits and financial statements and any prospectus supplement relating to the Securities that is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) and deemed part of such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430A, as amended at the Execution Time and, in the event any post-effective amendment thereto or any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement becomes effective prior to the Closing Date, shall also mean such registration statement as so amended or such Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, as the case may be.

Rule 158”, “Rule 164”, “Rule 172”, “Rule 405”, “Rule 424”, “Rule 430A” and “Rule 433” refer to such rules under the Act.

Rule 430A Information” shall mean information with respect to the Securities and the offering thereof permitted to be omitted from the Registration Statement when it becomes effective pursuant to Rule 430A.

Rule 462(b) Registration Statement” shall mean a registration statement and any amendments thereto filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) relating to the offering covered by the registration statement referred to in Section 1(a) hereof.

 

-29-


If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to us the enclosed duplicate hereof, whereupon this letter and your acceptance shall represent a binding agreement between the Company and the several Underwriters.

 

Very truly yours,
THE NEW HOME COMPANY INC.
By:    
  Name:
  Title

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]


The foregoing Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted as of the date first above written.

CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC.

J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC

CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) LLC

CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC.
By:    
  Name:
  Title:
J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC
By:    
  Name:
  Title:
CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) LLC
By:    
  Name:
  Title:
For themselves and the other several Underwriters named in Schedule I to the foregoing Agreement.

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]


SCHEDULE I

 

Underwriters

   Number of
Underwritten
Securities to
be Purchased

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

  

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

  

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC

  

Zelman Partners LLC

  

[__]

  
  
  

 

Total

  
  

 

 

SI-1


SCHEDULE II

Schedule of Free Writing Prospectuses included in the Disclosure Package

[None]

 

SII-1


SCHEDULE III

Schedule of Persons and Entities Executing a Lock-Up Agreement

H. Lawrence Webb

Wayne Stelmar

Joseph D. Davis

Tom Redwitz

Kevin Carson

Andrew J. Jarvis

David Berman

Douglas C. Neff

Michael Berchtold

Nadine Watt

Sam Bakhshandehpour

Gregory P. Lindstrom

William A. Witte

Cathey S. Lowe

Paul Heeschen

TNHC Partners LLC

IHP Capital Partners VI, LLC

WATT/TNHC LLC

TCN/TNHC LP

 

SIII-1


EXHIBIT A

[Letterhead of officer, director or security holder of

The New Home Company Inc.]

The New Home Company Inc.

Public Offering of Common Stock

, 2014

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC

As Representatives of the several Underwriters,

c/o Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

388 Greenwich Street

New York, New York 10013

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

383 Madison Avenue

New York, New York 10179

and

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC

Eleven Madison Avenue

New York, New York 10010-3629

Ladies and Gentlemen:

This letter is being delivered to you in connection with the proposed Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”), between The New Home Company Inc. (the “Company”), a Delaware corporation (as successor to The New Home Company LLC (the “Predecessor”), a Delaware limited liability company), and each of you as representatives (the “Representatives”) of a group of Underwriters named therein, relating to an underwritten public offering of Common Stock (the “Common Stock”), of the Company (the “Offering”). Prior to the execution and delivery of the Underwriting Agreement, the Predecessor will convert its form of organization from a Delaware limited liability company to a Delaware corporation (the “Corporate Conversion”).

In order to induce you and the other Underwriters to enter into the Underwriting Agreement, the undersigned will not, without the prior written consent of Citigroup Global Markets Inc., offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of (or enter into any transaction which is designed to, or might reasonably be expected to, result in the disposition (whether by actual disposition or effective economic disposition due to cash settlement or otherwise) by the undersigned or any affiliate of the undersigned or any person in privity with

 

EA-1


the undersigned or any affiliate of the undersigned), directly or indirectly, including the filing (or participation in the filing) of a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission in respect of, or establish or increase a put equivalent position or liquidate or decrease a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission promulgated thereunder with respect to, any shares of capital stock of the Company or any securities convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for such capital stock, or publicly announce an intention to effect any such transaction, for a period (the “Lock-Up Period”) from the date hereof until 180 days after the date of the Underwriting Agreement, other than (i) [Insert for lock-up to be executed by any Non-Management Institutional Investors: “shares of Common Stock to be sold by the undersigned to the Company pursuant to the Stock Purchase Agreement (as defined in the Underwriting Agreement);”] [(ii)] shares of Common Stock disposed of as bona fide gifts, to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned, by intestacy laws or upon death by will or by distribution to the partners, members, stockholders or affiliates of the undersigned, provided that (x) each recipient of any shares so disposed of [pursuant to this clause (ii)] (and, in the case of a disposition to a trust, the trustee thereof) shall agree in writing to be bound by the same restrictions in place for the undersigned pursuant to this letter for the duration of the Lock-Up Period and (y) no public announcement or filing reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of shares of Common Stock shall be made, voluntarily or otherwise, during the Lock-Up Period by or on behalf of the undersigned or such recipient (including, without limitation, pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act). If the undersigned is an officer or director of the Company, the undersigned further agrees that the foregoing restrictions shall be equally applicable to any issuer-directed shares of Common Stock the undersigned may purchase in the Offering. As used herein, the term Common Stock shall, for purposes of any period preceding the consummation of the Corporate Conversion, be deemed to refer to the membership interests of, and other equity interests in, the Predecessor. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, this agreement shall not restrict, and Citigroup Global Markets Inc. hereby consents to the exchange of such membership interests or other equity interests, if any, held by the undersigned into shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Corporate Conversion.

If the undersigned is an officer or director of the Company, (i) Citigroup Global Markets Inc. agrees that, at least three business days before the effective date of any release or waiver of the foregoing restrictions in connection with a transfer of shares of Common Stock, Citigroup Global Markets Inc. will notify the Company of the impending release or waiver, and (ii) the Company will agree in the Underwriting Agreement to announce the impending release or waiver by press release through a major news service at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver. Any release or waiver granted by the Representatives hereunder to any such officer or director shall only be effective two business days after the publication date of such press release. The provisions of this paragraph will not apply if (a) the release or waiver is effected solely to permit a transfer not for consideration and (b) the transferee has agreed in writing to be bound by the same terms described in this letter to the extent and for the duration that such terms remain in effect at the time of the transfer.

This agreement shall automatically terminate upon the earlier to occur, if any, of (a) the date that the Company or the Representatives have determined not to proceed with the Offering and either of them has advised the undersigned in writing of the same prior to the

 

EA-2


execution of the Underwriting Agreement, (b) the date that the Company withdraws the Registration Statement relating to the Offering prior to the Closing Date (as defined in the Underwriting Agreement) or the execution of the Underwriting Agreement or, (c) if prior to the Closing Date, the date that the Underwriting Agreement has been terminated. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that the Offering has not priced before March 1, 2014, this agreement shall automatically terminate and its provisions shall be of no further force and effect.

Yours very truly,

[Signature of officer, director or security holder]

[Name and address of officer, director or security holder]

 

EA-3


EXHIBIT B

The New Home Company Inc.

[Date]

The New Home Company Inc. (the “Company”) announced today that Citigroup Global Markets Inc., the lead book-running manager in the Company’s recent public sale of shares of common stock, is [waiving] [releasing] a lock-up restriction with respect to [            ] shares of the Company’s common stock held by [certain officers or directors] [an officer or director] of the Company. The [waiver] [release] will take effect on [            ], and the shares may be sold on or after such date.

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

 

EB-1


ADDENDUM

Form of Waiver of Lock-Up for Officers and Directors

The New Home Company Inc.

Public Offering of Common Stock

, 2014

[Name and Address of Officer

or Director Requesting Waiver]

Dear Mr./Ms. [Name]:

This letter is being delivered to you in connection with the offering by The New Home Company Inc. (the “Company”) of shares of common stock (the “Common Stock”) of the Company and the lock-up letter dated [            ] (the “Lock-up Letter”), executed by you in connection with such offering, and your request for a [waiver] [release] dated [            ] with respect to [            ] shares of Common Stock (the “Shares”).

The undersigned hereby agrees to [waive] [release] the transfer restrictions set forth in the Lock-up Letter, but only with respect to the Shares, effective [            ]; provided, however, that such [waiver] [release] is conditioned on the Company announcing the impending [waiver] [release] by press release through a major news service at least two business days before effectiveness of such [waiver] [release]. This letter will serve as notice to the Company of the impending [waiver] [release].

Except as expressly [waived] [released] hereby, the Lock-up Letter shall remain in full force and effect.

 

Yours very truly,
CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC.
By:    
  Name:
 

Title:

 

cc: Company

 

Addendum-1