OWENS CORNING (a Delaware corporation) 7,000,000 Shares of Common Stock PURCHASE AGREEMENT

EX-1.1 2 dex11.htm PURCHASE AGREEEMENT, DATED AS OF MAY 2, 2011 Purchase Agreeement, dated as of May 2, 2011

Exhibit 1.1

 

 

 

OWENS CORNING

(a Delaware corporation)

7,000,000 Shares of Common Stock

PURCHASE AGREEMENT

Dated: May 2, 2011

 

 

 


OWENS CORNING

(a Delaware corporation)

7,000,000 Shares of Common Stock

PURCHASE AGREEMENT

May 2, 2011

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith

Incorporated

One Bryant Park

New York, New York 10036

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

383 Madison Avenue

New York, New York 10179

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Owens Corning, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and Owens Corning/Fibreboard Asbestos Personal Injury Trust, a Delaware statutory trust (the “Selling Stockholder”), confirm their respective agreements with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC (together, the “Underwriters”) with respect to the sale by the Selling Stockholder, and the purchase by the Underwriters, of an aggregate of 7,000,000 shares of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Common Stock”), of the Company. The aforesaid 7,000,000 shares of Common Stock to be purchased by the Underwriters are herein called the “Securities.”

The Company and the Selling Stockholder understand that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of the Securities after this Agreement has been executed and delivered.

The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) an automatic shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-165008) covering the public offering and sale of certain securities, including the Securities, by the Selling Stockholder, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “1933 Act Regulations”), which automatic shelf registration statement became effective under Rule 462(e) under the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 462(e)”). Such registration statement, as of any time, means such registration statement as amended by any post-effective amendments thereto to such time, including the exhibits and any schedules thereto at such time, the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein at such time pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act and the documents otherwise deemed to be a part thereof as of such time pursuant to Rule 430B under the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 430B”), and is referred to herein as the “Registration Statement;” provided, however, that the “Registration Statement” without reference to a time means such registration statement as amended by any post-effective amendments thereto as of the time of the first contract of sale


for the Securities, which time shall be considered the “new effective date” of such registration statement with respect to the Securities within the meaning of paragraph (f)(2) of Rule 430B, including the exhibits and schedules thereto as of such time, the documents incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference therein at such time pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act and the documents otherwise deemed to be a part thereof as of such time pursuant to Rule 430B. Each preliminary prospectus used in connection with the offering of the Securities, if any, including the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act, is referred to herein as a “preliminary prospectus.” Promptly after execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will prepare and file a final prospectus relating to the Securities in accordance with the provisions of Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 424(b)”). The final prospectus, in the form first furnished or made available to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offering of the Securities, including the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act, is referred to herein as the “Prospectus.” For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (“EDGAR”) or its Interactive Data Electronic Applications system (“IDEA”).

As used in this Agreement:

“Applicable Time” means 6:00 p.m., New York City time, on May 2, 2011 or such other time as agreed by the Company and the Underwriters.

“General Disclosure Package” means any Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectuses issued at or prior to the Applicable Time, the prospectus (including any documents incorporated therein by reference) that is included in the Registration Statement as of the Applicable Time and the information included on Schedule B-1 hereto, all considered together.

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

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

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

“Material Adverse Effect” means 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.

 

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“Person” means an individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, association, joint stock company, trust, unincorporated organization, governmental body, regulatory body, administrative agency or other entity of whatever nature.

“Subsidiary” means, with respect to any specified person:

(1) any corporation, association or other business entity of which more than 50% of the total voting power of shares of capital stock entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency and after giving effect to any voting agreement or stockholders’ agreement that effectively transfers voting power) to vote in the election of directors, managers or trustees of the corporation, association or other business entity is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by that Person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that Person (or a combination thereof); and

(2) any partnership (a) the sole general partner or the managing general partner of which is such Person or a Subsidiary of such Person or (b) the only general partners of which are that Person or one or more Subsidiaries of that Person (or any combination thereof).

All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is “contained,” “included” or “stated” (or other references of like import) in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to include all such financial statements and schedules and other information incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, prior to the date and time that this Agreement is executed and delivered by the parties hereto (the “Execution Time”); and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to include the filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “1934 Act Regulations”), incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, at or after the Execution Time.

SECTION 1. Representations and Warranties.

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

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

Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time of its effectiveness and at each deemed effective date with respect to the Underwriters pursuant to Rule

 

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430B(f)(2) under the 1933 Act Regulations, complied in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations. Each preliminary prospectus (including the prospectus filed as part of the Registration Statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto), at the time it was filed, complied in all material respects with the 1933 Act Regulations and each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with this offering was identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR or IDEA, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, when they became effective or at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1934 Act and 1934 Act Regulations.

(ii) Accurate Disclosure. Neither the Registration Statement nor any amendment thereto, at its effective time or at the Closing Time, contained, contains or will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. At of the Applicable Time, neither (A) the General Disclosure Package nor (B) any individual Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. Neither the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto (including any prospectus wrapper), as of its issue date, at the time of any filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) or at the Closing Time, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

The representations and warranties in this subsection shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter expressly for use therein. For purposes of this Agreement, the only information so furnished shall be the information in the first paragraph under the heading “Underwriting–Commissions and Discounts,” the information in the second, third and fourth paragraphs under the heading “Underwriting–Price Stabilization, Short Positions” in the Prospectus and the information under the heading “Underwriting–Electronic Offer, Sale and Distribution of Shares” (collectively, the “Underwriter Information”).

(iii) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. No Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein, and any preliminary or other prospectus deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified.

(iv) Well-Known Seasoned Issuer. (A) At the original effectiveness of the Registration Statement, (B) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the 1933 Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act or form of prospectus), (C) at the time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c) under the 1933 Act) made any offer relating to the Securities

 

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in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163 under the 1933 Act, and (D) as of the Execution Time, the Company was and is a “well-known seasoned issuer” (as defined in Rule 405).

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

(vi) Capitalization. The authorized, issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are as set forth in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus in the column entitled “Actual” under the caption “Capitalization” (except for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to reservations, agreements or employee benefit plans referred to in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or pursuant to the exercise of convertible securities or options referred to in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus).

(vii) No Material Adverse Change in Business. Except as otherwise stated therein, since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, (A) there has been no Material Adverse Effect, (B) there have been no transactions entered into by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, other than those in the ordinary course of business, which are material with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise and (C) there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its capital stock.

(viii) Incorporation. Each of the Company and its Subsidiaries has been duly incorporated, formed or otherwise organized and is validly existing as a corporation, limited liability company, partnership or other company form in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction in which it is chartered, formed or organized, with full corporate, limited liability company, partnership or other company power and authority to own or lease, as the case may be, and to operate its properties and conduct its business as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation, limited liability company, partnership or other company form and is in good standing under the laws of each jurisdiction which requires such qualification except where the failure to have such power, be so qualified or in good standing has not had or could not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.

(ix) Capital Stock. All the outstanding capital stock of the Company (including the Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Selling Stockholder) and each of its Subsidiaries which is a corporation have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and nonassessable and, except as otherwise set forth in the General Disclosure Package and each preliminary prospectus, all of the capital stock, limited liability company interests or partnership interests, as applicable, of the Company’s Subsidiaries, to the extent owned by the Company either directly or through its Subsidiaries, is owned by the Company free and clear of any security interests, claims, liens or encumbrances. None of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company (including the Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Selling Stockholder) or any shares of capital stock, limited liability company interests or partnership interests, as applicable, of any of its Subsidiaries was issued in violation of the preemptive or similar rights of any securityholder of the Company or such Subsidiary.

 

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(x) Common Stock and Tax Disclosure. The statements (A) in each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus under the headings “Summary,” “Material United States Federal Tax Considerations for Non-United States Holders” and “Description of the Capital Stock,” (B) in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for its fiscal year ended December 31, 2010 under the headings “Risk Factors,” “Legal Proceedings” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation—Environmental Matters,” and (C) in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2011 under the headings “Legal Proceedings” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation—Environmental Matters,” fairly and accurately summarize the matters described therein (insofar as they purport to describe the provisions of laws and documents referred to therein); and the Common Stock conforms to all statements relating thereto contained in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and such description conforms to the rights set forth in the instruments defining the same.

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

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

(xiii) Consents. No consent, approval, authorization, filing with or order of any court or governmental agency or body is required in connection with the transactions contemplated herein, except those consents, approvals, authorizations, filings or orders that (A) have been obtained under the 1933 Act, (B) may be required 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 herein, (C) as have been described in the General Disclosure Package or (D) the absence of which could not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s ability to consummate the transactions contemplated herein.

(xiv) No Violation. None of the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the sale of the Securities by the Selling Stockholder, the consummation of any other of the transactions herein contemplated, or the fulfillment of the terms hereof will 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, (A) the charter or by-laws or comparable constituting documents of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, (B) 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 (C) any statute, law, rule, regulation, 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, which violation, default or imposition would, in the case of clauses (B) and (C) above, have a Material Adverse Effect.

(xv) Registration Rights. No holders of securities of the Company have rights to the registration of such securities under the Registration Statement, except the Selling Stockholder.

 

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(xvi) Financial Statements. The consolidated historical financial statements and schedules of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries included or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package, 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 Regulation S-X under the 1933 Act and have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States 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 Information” included in or incorporated by reference in any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus and Registration Statement fairly present, on the basis stated in or incorporated by reference in each preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus and the Registration Statement, the information included therein.

(xvii) No Action. 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 best knowledge of the Company, threatened that (A) could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the performance of this Agreement or the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated hereby or (B) could, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto).

(xviii) Properties. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries owns or leases all such properties as are necessary to the conduct of its operations as presently conducted.

(xix) Conflict. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is in violation or default of (A) any provision of its charter or bylaws or comparable constituting documents, (B) 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, except for such violations or defaults that would not have a Material Adverse Effect or (C) any statute, law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree applicable to the Company or its Subsidiaries 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, with respect to (C) above, for such violations or defaults that would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

(xx) Independent Public Accountants. PricewaterhouseCoopers 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 or incorporated by reference in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are independent public accountants with respect to the Company in accordance with the rules of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and within the meaning of the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations.

(xxi) Taxes and Duties. There are no stamp or other transfer taxes or duties or other similar fees or charges required to be paid in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the sale of the Securities by the Selling Stockholder.

(xxii) Tax Matters. 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 to so file or so request an extension would not have a Material Adverse Effect) and has paid all taxes required to

 

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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 have a Material Adverse Effect.

(xxiii) Labor. No labor problem or dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries exists or 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 have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto).

(xxiv) Insurance. (A) The Company and each of its Significant Subsidiaries (as defined under Item 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X) have insurance covering their respective material properties, material operations, personnel and businesses, including business interruption insurance, which insurance is in amounts and insures against such losses and risks as are customary for companies whose businesses are similar to the Company and each of its Subsidiaries, respectively, and (B) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has (i) received written notice from any insurer or agent of such insurer that capital improvements or other expenditures are required or necessary to be made in order to continue such insurance or (ii) 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 substantially similar coverage at reasonable cost from substantially similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business, except, in the case of (i) and (ii), as would not have a Material Adverse Effect or except as set forth in or contemplated in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto).

(xxv) Dividend Restrictions. None of the Company’s wholly owned U.S. domestic Subsidiaries is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Company or a Subsidiary of 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 General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto) or as set forth in the Intercompany Subordination Agreement, dated as of October 31, 2006, among the Company, Owens Corning Sales, Inc., Exterior Systems Inc., Soltech Inc., IPM Inc., CDC Corporation, Owens Corning Remodeling Systems LLC, Integrex, Owens Corning Fiberglas Technology and Citibank N.A. as administrative agent, as amended or supplemented.

(xxvi) Licenses. The Company and its Significant Subsidiaries possess all licenses, certificates, permits and other authorizations issued by all applicable authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses, 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 General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto).

(xxvii) Internal Controls. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries maintain effective internal control over financial reporting (as defined under Rule 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the 1934 Act Regulations) and a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general

 

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or specific authorizations, (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability, (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization and (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (1) no material weakness in the Company’s or any of its Subsidiaries internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (2) no change in the Company’s or any of its Subsidiaries internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s or any of its Subsidiaries internal control over financial reporting. The Company and its Subsidiaries maintain “disclosure controls and procedures” (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the 1934 Act); such disclosure controls and procedures are effective; and the Company and its Subsidiaries’ internal controls over financial reporting are effective and the Company and its Subsidiaries are not aware of any material weakness in their internal controls over financial reporting.

(xxviii) Absence of Manipulation. 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 1934 Act or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.

(xxix) Compliance with Environmental Laws. The Company and its Subsidiaries are (A) in compliance with any and all applicable foreign, federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, including any laws or regulations relating to the storage, release, disposal or other handing or management of asbestos or asbestos-related products (“Environmental Laws”), (B) 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 (C) have not received notice of any actual or potential liability under any environmental law, except where such non-compliance with Environmental Laws, failure to receive required permits, licenses or other approvals, or liability would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto). Except as set forth in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has been named as a “potentially responsible party” under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended.

(xxx) Review of Effect of Environmental Laws. In the ordinary course of its business, the Company periodically reviews the effect of Environmental Laws on the business, operations and properties of the Company and its Subsidiaries, in the course of which it identifies and evaluates associated costs and liabilities (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure of properties or compliance with Environmental Laws, or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties). On the basis of such review, the Company has reasonably concluded that such associated costs and liabilities would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto).

 

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(xxxi) ERISA. Except as set forth in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto), each employee benefit plan, within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), that is maintained, administered or contributed to by the Company or by any trade or business (whether or not incorporated) which, together with the Company or any Subsidiary, would be treated as a single employer under Section 414 of the Code or Section 4001 of ERISA (an “ERISA Affiliate”) for employees or former employees of the Company and its ERISA Affiliates (a “Plan”) has been maintained in compliance with its terms and the requirements of any applicable statutes, orders, rules and regulations, including but not limited to ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), except where the failure to comply with such applicable statutes, orders, rules and regulations would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; as of the date hereof, no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred with respect to any such Plan excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption and except such transactions that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; each such Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code has received a favorable determination letter, or is based on a form which has received a favorable opinion letter, on which the Company or its applicable ERISA Affiliate is entitled to rely from the Internal Revenue Service covering all tax law changes prior to the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (or has submitted, or is within the remedial amendment period for submitting, an application for such a determination letter and is awaiting a response from the Internal Revenue Service), and, as of the date hereof, the Company has no knowledge of any event or condition that would result in the revocation or failure to issue any such determination letter or opinion letter; for each such Plan that is subject to the funding rules of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, there has been no failure to satisfy the minimum funding standards of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA; and no “reportable event” (within the meaning of Section 4043 of ERISA) has occurred with respect to any such Plan that is subject to Title IV of ERISA, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and as of the date hereof, the fair market value of the assets of each such plan (excluding for these purposes accrued but unpaid contributions) exceeds the present value of all benefits accrued under such plan determined using reasonable actuarial assumptions.

(xxxii) Sarbanes-Oxley. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply 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.

(xxxiii) Foreign Corrupt Practices. 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”); 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.

(xxxiv) Money Laundering. The operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with (A) to the knowledge of the

 

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Company, applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, and (B) 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”) 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 best knowledge of the Company, threatened.

(xxxv) Office of Foreign Assets Control. 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 currently subject to any sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department.

(xxxvi) Intellectual Property. The Company and its Subsidiaries possess adequate rights to use all material patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, trade names, trademark registrations, service mark registrations, copyrights, licenses and know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or patentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures) necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses; and the conduct of their respective businesses will not conflict in any material respect with any such rights of others, except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and the Company and its Subsidiaries have not received any written notice of any claim of infringement of, or written notice of any conflict with, any such rights of others.

(xxxvii) Affiliation With Underwriters. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company does not have any material lending or other relationship with any bank or lending affiliate of any of the Underwriters.

(xxxviii) Immunity. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries nor any of its or their properties or assets has any immunity from the jurisdiction of any court or from any legal process (whether through service or notice, attachment prior to judgment, attachment in aid of execution or otherwise) under the laws of the State of New York.

(xxxix) Certificates. Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company and delivered to the Underwriters 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.

(b) Representations and Warranties by the Selling Stockholder. The Selling Stockholder represents and warrants to each Underwriter as of the date hereof, as of the Applicable Time and as of the Closing Time, and agrees with each Underwriter, as follows:

(i) Accurate Disclosure. Neither the General Disclosure Package nor the Prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto includes any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the foregoing applies only to statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to the Selling Stockholder furnished in writing by or on behalf of the Selling Stockholder expressly for use in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (the “Provided Information”). The Selling Stockholder is not prompted to sell the Securities to be sold by the

 

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Selling Stockholder hereunder by any information concerning the Company or any subsidiary of the Company which is not set forth in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus.

(ii) Existence; Authorization of this Agreement. The Selling Stockholder is a trust duly formed and validly existing pursuant to the laws of Delaware, and each trustee thereof is a duly appointed and incumbent trustee of the Selling Stockholder, having the requisite authority to authorize, execute and deliver this Agreement. Such trustees have duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the sale of the Securities being sold to the Underwriters by the Selling Stockholder. All consents, approvals, authorizations and orders necessary for the execution and delivery by the Selling Stockholder of this Agreement and for the sale and delivery of the Securities to be sold by the Selling Stockholder hereunder, have been obtained; and the Selling Stockholder has the full right, power and authority under the Owens Corning/Fibreboard Asbestos Personal Injury Trust Agreement, dated as of October 31, 2006, as amended, forming the Selling Stockholder (the “Trust Agreement”) and its certificate of trust to enter into this Agreement and to sell, assign, transfer and deliver the Securities to be sold by the Selling Stockholder hereunder.

(iii) No Termination of Obligations. The obligations of the Selling Stockholder hereunder shall not be terminated by any act of the Selling Stockholder or by operation of law, whether by the death or incapacity of any trustee of the Selling Stockholder or termination, dissolution or liquidation of the Selling Stockholder, and if any such event should occur before the delivery of the Securities hereunder, the Securities shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Selling Stockholder in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

(iv) Noncontravention. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the sale and delivery of the Securities to be sold by the Selling Stockholder and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and compliance by the Selling Stockholder with its obligations hereunder do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any tax, lien, charge or encumbrance upon the Securities to be sold by the Selling Stockholder or any property or assets of the Selling Stockholder pursuant to any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, license, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Selling Stockholder is a party or by which the Selling Stockholder may be bound, or to which any of the property or assets of the Selling Stockholder is subject, nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the Trust Agreement, the Selling Stockholder’s certificate of trust or other organizational instrument of the Selling Stockholder, if applicable, or any applicable treaty, law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any government, government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Selling Stockholder or any of its properties.

(v) Valid Title. The Selling Stockholder has, and at the Closing Time will have, valid title to the Securities to be sold by the Selling Stockholder free and clear of all security interests, claims, liens, equities or other encumbrances and the legal right and power, and all authorization and approval required by law, to enter into this Agreement and to sell, transfer and deliver the Securities to be sold by such Selling Stockholder or a valid security entitlement in respect of such Securities.

(vi) Delivery of Securities. Upon payment of the purchase price for the Securities to be sold by the Selling Stockholder pursuant to this Agreement, delivery of such Securities, as directed by the Underwriters, to Cede & Co. (“Cede”) or such other nominee as may be designated by The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) (unless delivery of such Securities is

 

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unnecessary because such Securities are already in possession of Cede or such nominee), registration of such Securities in the name of Cede or such other nominee (unless registration of such Securities is unnecessary because such Securities are already registered in the name of Cede or such nominee), and the crediting of such Securities on the books of DTC to securities accounts (within the meaning of Section 8-501(a) of the Uniform Commercial Code then in effect in the State of New York (“UCC”)) of the Underwriters (assuming that neither DTC nor any such Underwriter has notice of any “adverse claim,” within the meaning of Section 8-105 of the UCC, to such Securities), (A) under Section 8-501 of the UCC, the Underwriters will acquire a valid “security entitlement” in respect of such Securities and (B) no action (whether framed in conversion, replevin, constructive trust, equitable lien, or other theory) based on any “adverse claim,” within the meaning of Section 8-102 of the UCC, to such Securities may be asserted against the Underwriters with respect to such security entitlement; for purposes of this representation, the Selling Stockholder may assume that when such payment, delivery (if necessary) and crediting occur, (I) such Securities will have been registered in the name of Cede or another nominee designated by DTC, in each case on the Company’s share registry in accordance with its certificate of incorporation, bylaws and applicable law, (II) DTC will be registered as a “clearing corporation,” within the meaning of Section 8-102 of the UCC, (III) appropriate entries to the accounts of the several Underwriters on the records of DTC will have been made pursuant to the UCC, (IV) to the extent DTC, or any other securities intermediary which acts as “clearing corporation” with respect to the Securities, maintains any “financial asset” (as defined in Section 8-102(a)(9) of the UCC in a clearing corporation pursuant to Section 8-111 of the UCC, the rules of such clearing corporation may affect the rights of DTC or such securities intermediaries and the ownership interest of the Underwriters, (V) claims of creditors of DTC or any other securities intermediary or clearing corporation may be given priority to the extent set forth in Section 8-511(b) and 8-511(c) of the UCC and (VI) if at any time DTC or other securities intermediary does not have sufficient Securities to satisfy claims of all of its entitlement holders with respect thereto then all holders will share pro rata in the Securities then held by DTC or such securities intermediary.

(vii) Absence of Manipulation. The Selling Stockholder has not taken, and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed to or which has constituted or would be expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.

(viii) Absence of Further Requirements. No filing with, or consent, approval, authorization, order, registration, qualification or decree of any arbitrator, court, governmental body, regulatory body, administrative agency or other authority, body or agency, domestic or foreign, is necessary or required for the performance by the Selling Stockholder of its obligations hereunder, or in connection with the sale and delivery of the Securities hereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except such as have been already obtained or as may be required under the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the rules of the New York Stock Exchange, state securities laws or the rules of Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) and except for the filing of a Form 4 and amendment to the Selling Stockholder’s Schedule 13D filing to reflect the sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement.

(ix) No Registration or Other Similar Rights. Except as set forth in the Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of July 7, 2006, and the First Amendment thereto, dated as of October 27, 2006, by and among the Company, Owens Corning Sales, LLC and the Selling Stockholder, the Selling Stockholder does not have any registration or other similar rights to have any equity or debt securities registered for sale by the Company under the Registration Statement or included in the offering contemplated by this Agreement.

 

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(x) No Free Writing Prospectuses. The Selling Stockholder has not prepared or had prepared on its behalf or used or referred to, any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405), and has not distributed any written materials in connection with the offer or sale of the Securities.

(xi) No Association with FINRA. Neither the Selling Stockholder nor any of its affiliates directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with any member firm of FINRA or is a person associated with a member (within the meaning of the FINRA By-Laws) of FINRA.

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

SECTION 2. Sale and Delivery to Underwriters; Closing.

(a) Securities. On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Selling Stockholder agrees to sell to each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Selling Stockholder, at the price per share set forth in Schedule A, the number of Securities set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter, plus any additional number of Securities which such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 10 hereof.

(b) Public Offer. The Company and the Selling Stockholder are advised by the Underwriters that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of the Securities as soon after this Agreement has been executed and delivered as in the Underwriters’ judgment is advisable. The Company and the Selling Stockholder are further advised by the Underwriters that the Securities are to be offered to the public, in one or more transactions, (i) at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed; (ii) at market prices prevailing at the Applicable Time; (iii) at prices related to prevailing market prices; or (iv) at negotiated prices, as the case may be (the “Public Offering Price”).

(c) Payment. Payment of the purchase price for the Securities shall be made at the offices of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Stockholder, at 9:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the third (fourth, if the pricing occurs after 4:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any given day) business day after the date hereof (unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10), or such other time not later than ten business days after such date as shall be agreed upon by the Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Stockholder (such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called “Closing Time”). Payment shall be made to the Selling Stockholder by wire transfer of immediately available funds to a bank account designated by the Selling Stockholder against delivery to the Underwriters of the Securities.

(d) Denominations; Registration. The Securities shall be in such denominations and registered in such names as the Underwriters may request in writing at least one full business day before the Closing Time.

 

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SECTION 3. Covenants of the Company and the Selling Stockholders. (A) The Company agrees with each Underwriter that:

(a) Prior to the termination of the offering of the Securities, the Company will not file any amendment of the Registration Statement or supplement (including the Prospectus or any preliminary prospectus) to the base prospectus contained in the Registration Statement unless the Company has furnished to the Underwriters a copy for their review prior to filing and will not file any such proposed amendment or supplement without the prior written consent of the Underwriters, which consent shall not be withheld unreasonably, unless the Company is required by law to make such filing before consent can be given.

(b) The Company will cause the Prospectus, properly completed, and any supplement thereto to be filed in a form approved by the Underwriters with the Commission pursuant to the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) within the time period prescribed (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)) and will provide evidence satisfactory to the Underwriters of such timely filing. The Company will promptly advise the Underwriters (i) when the Prospectus, and any supplement thereto, shall have been filed (if required) with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b), (ii) when, prior to termination of the offering of the Securities, subject to this Section 3(b), 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, (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 or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(e) of the 1933 Act concerning the Registration Statement and (vi) if the Company or the Selling Stockholder becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the 1933 Act in connection with the offering of the Securities. The Company will use its 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 best efforts to have such amendment or new registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable.

(c) 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 General 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 or the circumstances then prevailing not misleading, the Company will (i) notify promptly the Underwriters so that any use of the General Disclosure Package may cease until it is amended or supplemented, (ii) amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package to correct such statement or omission and (iii) supply any amendment or supplement to the Underwriters in such quantities as the Underwriters may reasonably request.

(d) The Company will comply with the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Securities as contemplated in this Agreement and in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. If, at any time when a prospectus relating to the Securities is required to be delivered under the 1933 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

 

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the circumstances under which they were made at such time not misleading, or if it shall be necessary to amend the Registration Statement, file a new registration statement or supplement the Prospectus to comply with the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act or the respective rules thereunder, including in connection with use or delivery of the Prospectus, the Company promptly will (i) notify the Underwriters of any such event, (ii) prepare and file with the Commission, subject to the second sentence of Section 3(b), an amendment or supplement or new registration statement which will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance, (iii) use its best efforts to have any amendment to the Registration Statement or new registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable in order to avoid any disruption in use of the Prospectus and (iv) supply any supplemented Prospectus to the several Underwriters and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, in such quantities as the Underwriters may reasonably request; provided that the Company shall not file or use any such amendment, supplement or new registration statement to which the Underwriters or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object on a timely basis; but provided further that the Company may file such amendment, supplement or registration statement, if, in the reasonable judgment of the Company, upon advice of counsel, such filing is necessary in order to comply with applicable law. The Company has given the Underwriters notice of any filings made pursuant to the 1934 Act or 1934 Act Regulations within 48 hours prior to the Applicable Time; the Company will give the Underwriters notice of its intention to make any such filing from the Applicable Time to the Closing Time and will furnish the Underwriters with copies of any such documents a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing, as the case may be, and will not file or use any such document to which the Underwriters or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object.

(e) The Company will, for a period of twelve months following the Execution Time, furnish to the Underwriters (i) all reports or other communications (financial or other) generally made available to the stockholders of the Company, and deliver such reports and communications to the Underwriters as soon as they are available, unless such documents are furnished to or filed with the Commission or any securities exchange on which any class of securities of the Company is listed and generally made available to the public and (ii) such additional information concerning the business and financial condition of the Company, including 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, as the Underwriters may from time to time reasonably request (such statements to be on a consolidated basis to the extent the accounts of the Company and its Subsidiaries are consolidated in reports furnished to their stockholders).

(f) The Company will furnish to the Underwriters and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, copies of the signed Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto) and, so long as delivery of a prospectus by an Underwriter or dealer may be required by the 1933 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 Underwriters may reasonably request. The Company will pay the expenses of printing or other production of all documents relating to the offering.

(g) The Company will use reasonable best efforts to arrange, if necessary, for the qualification of the Securities for sale under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Underwriters 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. The Company will promptly advise the Underwriters 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 initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose.

 

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(h) The Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Underwriters, (A) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant for the sale of, or otherwise dispose of or transfer (or enter into any transaction which is designed to, or might reasonably be expected to, result in the disposition or transfer by the Company, 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 1934 Act in respect of, any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock (other than the Securities) or publicly announce an intention to effect any such transaction or (B) enter into any swap or any other agreement or any transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such swap or transaction described in clause (A) or (B) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise, until 90 days from the date of the Prospectus. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (w) any shares of Common Stock issued by the Company upon the exercise of an option or warrant or the conversion of a security outstanding on the date hereof and referred to in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (x) any shares of Common Stock issued or options to purchase Common Stock granted pursuant to existing employee benefit plans of the Company referred to in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or (y) any shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to any non-employee director stock plan or dividend reinvestment plan referred to in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or (z) any registration statement on Form S-8 under the 1933 Act with respect to the foregoing clauses (w), (x) or (y) or any equity incentive plan approved by the Company’s stockholders subsequent to the date of this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if (1) during the last 17 days of the 90-day restricted period the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs or (2) prior to the expiration of the 90-day restricted period, the Company announces that it will issue an earnings release or becomes aware that material news or a material event will occur during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the 90-day restricted period, the restrictions imposed in this Section 3(h) shall continue to apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event.

(i) The Company will cooperate with the Underwriters and use its reasonable best efforts to effect and maintain the listing of the Securities on the New York Stock Exchange.

(j) 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 1934 Act or otherwise, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.

(B) Covenant of the Company and the Selling Stockholder. Each of the Company and the Selling Stockholder agrees with each Underwriter that, unless it has or shall have obtained the prior written consent of the Underwriters, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees with the Company and the Selling Stockholder that, unless it has or shall have obtained 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 B-2 hereto and any electronic road show. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Underwriters or the Company and the Selling Stockholder is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company and the Selling Stockholder each agrees, severally and not jointly,

 

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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.

(C) Covenant of the Selling Stockholder. The Selling Stockholder agrees with each Underwriter that it will promptly advise the Company and the Underwriters if the Selling Stockholder or, to the knowledge of the Selling Stockholder, the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the 1933 Act in connection with the offering of the Securities.

SECTION 4. Payment of Expenses.

(a) Expenses. The Company and the Selling Stockholder will pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of their obligations under this Agreement, including (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and each amendment thereto, (ii) the preparation and delivery of the certificates for the Securities to the Underwriters, including any stock or other transfer taxes and any stamp or other duties payable upon the sale or delivery of the Securities to the Underwriters, (iii) the fees and disbursements of the Company’s counsel, accountants and other advisors, (iv) the qualification of the Securities under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(g), including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection therewith, (v) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of each preliminary prospectus, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, (vi) the fees and expenses of any transfer agent or registrar for the Securities, (vii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Securities, including without limitation, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company and any such consultants, and the cost of aircraft and other transportation chartered in connection with the road show, (viii) the filing fees required to be made with FINRA, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters in connection therewith, and (ix) any fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Securities on the New York Stock Exchange.

(b) Expenses of the Selling Stockholders. The Selling Stockholder will pay all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by, this Agreement, including (i) any stamp and other duties and stock and other transfer taxes, if any, payable upon the sale of the Securities to the Underwriters and their transfer between the Underwriters pursuant to an agreement between such Underwriters, and (ii) the fees and disbursements of its counsel and other advisors.

(c) Termination of Agreement. If this Agreement is terminated by the Underwriters in accordance with the provisions of Section 5, Section 9(a)(i) or (iii), Section 10 (other than with respect to any defaulting Underwriter) or Section 11, the Company and the Selling Stockholder shall reimburse the Underwriters for all of their out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters.

(d) Allocation of Expenses. The provisions of this Section shall not affect any agreement that the Company and the Selling Stockholder may make for the sharing of such costs and expenses.

 

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SECTION 5. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase the Securities shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company and the Selling Stockholder contained herein as of the Execution Time and the Closing Time, to the accuracy of the statements of the Company and the Selling Stockholder made in any certificates pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company and the Selling Stockholder of their respective obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:

(a) Effectiveness of Registration Statement. At Closing Time no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued under the 1933 Act, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened; and the Company has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information. The Company shall have paid the required Commission filing fees relating to the Securities within the time period required by Rule 456(1)(i) under the 1933 Act Regulations without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the 1933 Act Regulations and, if applicable, shall have updated the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in accordance with Rule 456(b)(1)(ii) either in a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or on the cover page of a prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b).

(b) Prospectus. The Prospectus, and any supplement thereto, have been filed in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b); and any other material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the 1933 Act, shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time periods prescribed for such filings by Rule 433.

(c) Opinion of Counsel for Company. The Company shall have requested and caused Sidley Austin LLP, counsel for the Company, to have furnished to the Underwriters its opinion, dated the Closing Time and addressed to the Underwriters and satisfactory in the form of Exhibit A.

(d) Company Opinion. John W. Christy, Vice President, Interim General Counsel and Secretary of the Company, shall have furnished to the Underwriters his opinion, dated the Closing Time and addressed to the Underwriters and satisfactory in the form of Exhibit B.

(e) Opinion of Counsel for the Selling Stockholder. At the Closing Time, the Underwriters shall have received the opinion, dated the Closing Time, of Kaplan, Strangis and Kaplan, P.A., counsel for the Selling Stockholder, in the form of Exhibit C.

(f) Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters. At Closing Time, the Underwriters shall have received an opinion and negative assurance letter, dated the Closing Time, of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, relating to matters as the Underwriters may reasonably require.

(g) Officers’ Certificate. The Company shall have furnished to the Underwriters a certificate of the Company, signed by (x) the Chairman of the Board or the President and (y) the principal financial or accounting officer of the Company, dated the Closing Time, to the effect that the signers of such certificate have carefully examined the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus and any supplements or amendments thereto, as well as each electronic road show used in connection with the offering of the Securities, and this Agreement and that:

 

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

(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 General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto), there has been no Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto).

(h) Chief Financial Officer’s Certificate. The Company shall have furnished to the Underwriters, at the Execution Time and at the Closing Time, a certificate of the Company, signed by the Chief Financial Officer, in each case in the form attached as Exhibit E hereto.

(i) Certificate of Selling Stockholder. At the Closing Time, the Underwriters shall have received a certificate of the managing trustee on behalf of the Selling Stockholder, dated the Closing Time, to the effect that (i) the representations and warranties of the Selling Stockholder in this Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of the Closing Time and (ii) the Selling Stockholder has complied with all agreements and all conditions on its part to be performed under this Agreement at or prior to the Closing Time.

(j) Listing. At the Closing Time, the Securities shall have been approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange.

(k) Comfort Letters. The Company shall have requested and caused PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP to have furnished to the Underwriters, at the Execution Time and at the Closing Time, letters, (which may refer to letters previously delivered to one or more of the Underwriters), dated respectively as of the Execution Time and as of the Closing Time, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters.

(l) Material Changes. Subsequent to the Execution Time or, if earlier, the dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto), there shall not have been (i) any change or decrease specified in the letter or letters referred to in paragraph (k) of this Section 5 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 General 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 Underwriters, 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, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto).

(m) Ratings. Subsequent to the Execution Time, there shall not have been any decrease in the rating of any of the Company’s debt securities by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., Moody’s Investors Service, Inc., Fitch Inc. or any of their respective

 

20


successors, 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.

(n) Certificates. Prior to the Closing Time, the Company shall have furnished to the Underwriters such further information, certificates and documents as the Underwriters may reasonably request.

(o) Lock-up Agreement. At the date of this Agreement, the Underwriters shall have received an agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit D hereto signed by the Selling Stockholder.

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

(q) Termination of Agreement. If any condition specified in this Section shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement may be terminated by the Underwriters by notice to the Company and the Selling Stockholder at any time at or prior to the Closing Time and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 and except that Sections 1, 6, 7, 8, 15 and 16 shall survive any such termination and remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 6. Indemnification.

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

(i) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

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

 

21


(iii) against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by the Underwriters), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) above;

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

(b) Indemnification of Underwriters by Selling Stockholder. The Selling Stockholder agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its Affiliates and selling agents and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act to the extent and in the manner set forth in clauses (a)(i), (ii) and (iii) above; provided, however, that the aggregate indemnification liability of the Selling Stockholder shall not exceed the gross proceeds received by the Selling Stockholder from the sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement; and provided further that the Selling Stockholder shall be liable only to the extent that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission has been made in the Registration Statement in reliance upon and in conformity with Provided Information.

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

(d) Actions against Parties; Notification. Each indemnified party shall give notice as promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability hereunder to the extent it is not materially prejudiced as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement. In the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(a) and 6(b) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Underwriters, and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(c) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Company. An indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in the defense of any such action; provided, however, that counsel to the indemnifying party shall not (except with the consent of the indemnified party) also be counsel to the indemnified party. In no event shall the indemnifying parties be liable for fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for all indemnified parties in connection with any one action or separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified

 

22


parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 6 or Section 7 hereof (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

(e) Settlement without Consent if Failure to Reimburse. If at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 6(a)(ii) effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 90 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 45 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.

(f) Other Agreements with Respect to Indemnification. The provisions of this Section shall not affect any agreement among the Company and the Selling Stockholder with respect to indemnification.

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

The relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Stockholder, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the Selling Stockholder, on the one hand, and the total underwriting discount received by the Underwriters, on the other hand bear to the aggregate Public Offering Price of the Securities.

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

The Company, the Selling Stockholder and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the

 

23


Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 7. The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 7 shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.

Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.

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

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

The provisions of this Section shall not affect any agreement among the Company and the Selling Stockholder with respect to contribution.

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

SECTION 9. Termination of Agreement.

(a) Termination. The Underwriters may terminate this Agreement by notice to the Company and the Selling Stockholder, at any time at or prior to the Closing Time (i) if there has been, since the time of execution of this Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, any material adverse change in 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, in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the reasonable judgment of the Underwriters, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the completion of the offering or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities, (ii) if there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States or the international financial markets, any outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof or other

 

24


calamity or crisis or any change or development involving a prospective change in national or international political, financial or economic conditions, in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Underwriters, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the completion of the offering or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities, (iii) if trading in any securities of the Company has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or the New York Stock Exchange, (iv) if trading generally on the New York Stock Exchange or in the Nasdaq Global Market has been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by any of said exchanges or by order of the Commission, FINRA or any other governmental authority, (v) a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States or (vi) if a banking moratorium has been declared by either Federal or New York authorities.

(b) Liabilities. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section, such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4, and provided further that Sections 1, 6, 7, 8, 15 and 16 shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 10. Default by an Underwriter. If one of the Underwriters shall fail at Closing Time to purchase the Securities which it is obligated to purchase under this Agreement (the “Defaulted Securities”), the other Underwriter (the “non-defaulting Underwriter”) shall have the right, within 24 hours thereafter, to purchase all, but not less than all, of the Defaulted Securities in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms herein set forth; if, however, the non-defaulting Underwriter shall not have completed such purchase within such 24-hour period, then:

(i) if the number of Defaulted Securities does not exceed 10% of the number of Securities to be purchased on such date, the non-defaulting Underwriter shall be obligated to purchase the full amount thereof, or

(ii) if the number of Defaulted Securities exceeds 10% of the number of Securities to be purchased on such date, this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of the non-defaulting Underwriter.

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

In the event of any such default which does not result in a termination of this Agreement, either the (i) non-defaulting Underwriter or (ii) the Company and the Selling Stockholder shall have the right to postpone the Closing Time for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements. As used herein, the term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section 10.

SECTION 11. Default by the Selling Stockholder. If the Selling Stockholder shall fail at the Closing Time to sell and deliver the number of Securities which the Selling Stockholder is obligated to sell hereunder, then this Agreement shall terminate without any liability on the part of any non-defaulting party except that the provisions of Sections 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 15 and 16 shall remain in full force and effect. No action taken pursuant to this Section 11 shall relieve the Selling Stockholder from liability, if any, in respect of such default.

SECTION 12. Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of

 

25


telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be directed to (a) Merrill Lynch at One Bryant Park, New York, NY 10036, Facsimile: (646)  ###-###-####, Attention: Syndicate Department, with a copy to Facsimile: (212)  ###-###-####, Attention: ECM Legal, and (b) J.P. Morgan at 383 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10179, Facsimile: (212)  ###-###-####, Attention: Equity Syndicate Desk; notices to the Company shall be directed to One Owens Corning Parkway, Toledo, Ohio 43659, Facsimile: (419)  ###-###-####, Attention: General Counsel, with a copy to Sidley Austin LLP, One South Dearborn, Chicago, Illinois 60603, Facsimile: (312)  ###-###-####, Attention: Lisa J. Reategui; and notices to the Selling Stockholder shall be directed to Kaplan, Strangis and Kaplan, P.A. at 5500 Wells Fargo Center, 90 South 7th Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402, Facsimile: (612)  ###-###-####, Attention: James C. Melville.

SECTION 13. No Advisory or Fiduciary Relationship. Each of the Company and the Selling Stockholder acknowledges and agrees that (a) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the Public Offering Price of the Securities and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company and the Selling Stockholder, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other hand, (b) in connection with the offering of the Securities and the process leading thereto, each Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, any of its subsidiaries or the Selling Stockholder, or their respective stockholders, creditors, employees, beneficiaries, trustees or any other party, (c) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company or the Selling Stockholder with respect to the offering of the Securities or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company, any of its subsidiaries or the Selling Stockholder on other matters) and no Underwriter has any obligation to the Company or the Selling Stockholder with respect to the offering of the Securities except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (d) the Underwriters and their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of each of the Company and the Selling Stockholder and (e) the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering of the Securities and the Company and the Selling Stockholder has consulted its own respective legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.

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

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

SECTION 16. GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT AND ANY CLAIM, CONTROVERSY OR DISPUTE ARISING UNDER OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT SHALL

 

26


BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF, THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO ITS CHOICE OF LAW PROVISIONS.

SECTION 17. TIME. TIME SHALL BE OF THE ESSENCE OF THIS AGREEMENT. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SET FORTH HEREIN, SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME.

SECTION 18. Partial Unenforceability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other Section, paragraph or provision hereof. If any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.

SECTION 19. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same Agreement.

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

 

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

 

Very truly yours,
OWENS CORNING
By  

/s/ John W. Christy

  Name:   John W. Christy
  Title:  

Vice President, Interim General Counsel

and Secretary

Signature Page – Purchase Agreement


OWENS CORNING/FIBREBOARD ASBESTOS

PERSONAL INJURY TRUST

By  

/s/ Dean M. Trafelet

  Dean M. Trafelet, Managing Trustee

Signature Page – Purchase Agreement


CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED,

as of the date first above written:

MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH

INCORPORATED

By  

/s/ Jon Ewing

  Name:   Jon Ewing
  Title:   Managing Director
J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC
By  

/s/ Alice Takhtajan

  Name:   Alice Takhtajan
  Title:   Vice President

Signature Page – Purchase Agreement


SCHEDULE A

The purchase price per share for the Securities to be paid by the Underwriters shall be $36.90.

 

Name of Underwriter

   Number of
Securities
 

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated

     3,500,000   

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

     3,500,000   
        

Total

     7,000,000   
        

 

Sch A – 1


SCHEDULE B-1

Pricing Terms

 

1. The Selling Stockholder is selling 7,000,000 shares of Common Stock.

 

2. Price to the Underwriters: $36.90.

SCHEDULE B-2

Free Writing Prospectuses

None.

 

Sch B – 1