Underwriting Agreement, dated April 24, 2007, among Regions Financial Corporation, Regions Financing Trust II and Goldman, Sachs & Co., as representatives of the several Underwriters named therein
Contract Categories:
Business Finance
- Underwriting Agreements
EX-1.1 2 g06949exv1w1.htm EX-1.1 UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT EX-1.1 UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
EXHIBIT 1.1
EXECUTION COPY
REGIONS FINANCING TRUST II
6.625% Trust Preferred Securities
(liquidation amount $1,000 per security)
fully and unconditionally guaranteed by
(liquidation amount $1,000 per security)
fully and unconditionally guaranteed by
REGIONS FINANCIAL CORPORATION
Underwriting Agreement
April 24, 2007
Goldman, Sachs & Co.,
As representative of the Several Underwriters,
85 Broad Street,
New York, New York 10004.
As representative of the Several Underwriters,
85 Broad Street,
New York, New York 10004.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Regions Financing Trust II, a statutory trust created under the laws of the State of Delaware (the Trust), and Regions Financial Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the Guarantor), as depositor of the Trust and as Guarantor under the Guarantee referred to herein, propose, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to sell to the underwriters named in Schedule I (the Underwriters), for which Goldman, Sachs & Co. is acting as the representative (the Representative), 700,000 of the Trusts 6.625% Trust Preferred Securities, liquidation amount $1,000 per security, referred to in Schedule II (the Trust Preferred Securities). The proceeds of the sale of the Trust Preferred Securities and of the common securities of the Trust (the Trust Common Securities) to be sold by the Trust to the Guarantor are to be invested in $700,010,000 principal amount of the Guarantors 6.625% Junior Subordinated Notes due 2077 (the Junior Subordinated Notes), to be issued pursuant to the Junior Subordinated Indenture between the Guarantor and Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas (the Indenture Trustee, and such Junior Subordinated Indenture, the Base Indenture), as amended and supplemented by a second supplemental indenture between the Guarantor and the Indenture Trustee (the Supplemental Indenture and, together with the Base Indenture, the Indenture), each to be entered into at or before the Closing Date.
Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined but that are defined in the Declaration of Trust (as defined in Section 1(A)(g)) have the meanings specified in the Declaration of Trust.
1. Representations and Warranties. (A) Each of the Guarantor and the Trust jointly and severally represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each Underwriter as follows (except that the representation, warranty and agreement in paragraph (d) of this Section 1(A) is given only by the Guarantor and not by the Trust):
(a) Two registration statements on Form S-3 (File Nos. 333-124337 and 333-126797) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), in respect of the Trust Preferred Securities and the Junior Subordinated Notes have been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission) and have been declared effective by the Commission and any post-effective amendment thereto became effective on filing or has been declared effective by the Commission; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of such registration statements or any part thereof has been issued, no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or, to the Guarantors knowledge, threatened by the Commission and no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of such registration statements has been received by the Guarantor or the Trust (the base prospectus filed as part of such later registration statement, in the form in which it has most recently been filed with the Commission on or prior to the date of this Agreement, is hereinafter called the Basic Prospectus; any preliminary prospectus (including any preliminary prospectus supplement) relating to the Trust Preferred Securities filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act is hereinafter called a Preliminary Prospectus; the various parts of such later registration statement, including all exhibits thereto but excluding any Trustees Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 (each a Form T-1), and including any prospectus supplement relating to the Trust Preferred Securities that is filed with the Commission and deemed by virtue of Rule 430B to be part of such later registration statement, each as amended at the time such part of the later registration statement became effective, are hereinafter collectively called the Registration Statement; the Basic Prospectus, as amended and supplemented immediately prior to the Applicable Time (as defined in Section 1(A)(c) hereof), is hereinafter called the Pricing Prospectus; the form of the final prospectus relating to the Trust Preferred Securities filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act in accordance with Section 5(A)(a) is hereinafter called the Prospectus; any reference herein to the Basic Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act, as of the date of such prospectus; any reference to any amendment or supplement to the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, any prospectus supplement relating to the Trust Preferred Securities filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act and any documents filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), and incorporated therein, in each case after the date of the Basic Prospectus, such Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be;
-2-
any reference to any amendment to the Registration Statement shall be deemed to refer to and include any annual report of the Guarantor filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the effective date of the Registration Statement that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement; and any issuer free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act relating to the Trust Preferred Securities is hereinafter called an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus).
(b) No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and each Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the Trust Indenture Act), and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and did not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Guarantor by an Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use therein.
(c) For the purposes of this Agreement, the Applicable Time is 4:50 P.M. (New York City time) on the date of this Agreement; the Pricing Prospectus as supplemented by the final term sheet prepared and filed pursuant to Section 5(A)(a), taken together (collectively, the Pricing Disclosure Package) as of the Applicable Time, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus listed on Schedule II does not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus and each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as supplemented by and taken together with the Pricing Disclosure Package as of the Applicable Time, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to statements or omissions made in an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Guarantor by an Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use therein.
(d) The documents incorporated by reference in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, when they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the
-3-
rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and none of such documents contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement thereto, when such documents become effective or are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Guarantor by an Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use therein; and no such documents were filed with the Commission since the Commissions close of business on the business day immediately prior to the date of this Agreement and prior to the execution of this Agreement, except as set forth on Schedule III.
(e) The Registration Statement conforms, and the Prospectus and any further amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus will conform, in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and the Trust Indenture Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and do not and will not, as of the applicable effective date as to each part of the Registration Statement and as of the applicable filing date as to the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Guarantor by an Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use therein.
(f) The Trust has been duly created and is validly existing as a statutory trust in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware and, at the Closing Date, will have the power and authority (trust and other) to own its property and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and to execute and deliver and perform its obligations under the Expense Agreement.
(g) The Trust has conducted and will conduct no business other than the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust in substantially the form previously provided to you and to be entered into at or before the Closing Date among the Guarantor, as Depositor, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, as Property Trustee, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Delaware, as Delaware Trustee, and the individuals named
-4-
therein, as Administrative Trustees (collectively, the Trustees, and such Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust, the Declaration of Trust) and described in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus; the Trust is not, and at the Closing Date will not be, a party to or bound by any agreement or instrument other than this Agreement, the Declaration of Trust and the Expense Agreement; and the Trust has no liabilities or obligations other than those arising out of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Expense Agreement and described in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus.
(h) At the Closing Date, the Trust Preferred Securities will have been duly authorized and, when issued, delivered and paid for pursuant to this Agreement, will have been duly and validly issued and will be fully paid and non-assessable beneficial interests in the Trust entitled to the benefits of the Declaration of Trust and the Trust Preferred Securities will conform in all material respects to the description thereof in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(i) At the Closing Date, the Trust Common Securities will have been duly authorized and will have been duly and validly issued and will be fully paid and non-assessable (subject to the qualifications described in the proviso to Section 6(d)(vi)) beneficial interests in the Trust entitled to the benefits of the Declaration of Trust and will conform in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; the issuance of the Trust Common Securities is not subject to preemptive or other similar rights; at the Closing Date, all of the issued and outstanding Trust Common Securities will be directly owned by the Guarantor, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims; and the Trust Common Securities and the Trust Preferred Securities are the only beneficial interests in the Trust authorized to be issued by the Trust.
(j) The holders of the Trust Preferred Securities will be entitled to the same limitation on personal liability that is extended to stockholders of private corporations for profit organized under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.
(k) At the Closing Date, the Expense Agreement (collectively with this Agreement, the Trust Transaction Agreements) will have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Trust and will constitute a valid and legally binding instrument of the Trust, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject, as to enforcement, to bankruptcy, insolvency (including, without limitation, all laws relating to fraudulent transfer and conveyance), reorganization and other laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors rights and to general equity principles (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding at law or equity); and the Trust Transaction Agreements will conform in all material
-5-
respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(l) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Trust.
(m) At the Closing Date, the Trust will have all power and authority necessary to execute and deliver this Agreement, the Trust Preferred Securities, the Trust Common Securities and the Expense Agreement, and to perform its obligations hereunder and thereunder; the issuance by the Trust of the Trust Preferred Securities and the Trust Common Securities in accordance with the Declaration of Trust, the purchase by the Trust of the Junior Subordinated Notes, and the execution and delivery by the Trust of the Trust Transaction Agreements and the performance by it of its obligations thereunder will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Guarantor or any of its subsidiaries or the Trust is a party or by which the Guarantor or any of its subsidiaries or the Trust is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Guarantor or any of its subsidiaries or the Trust is subject; (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the Declaration of Trust, the Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, or By-laws of the Guarantor or (iii) result in any violation of any statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Guarantor or any of its Significant Subsidiaries (as defined herein) or the Trust or any of their properties, which conflict, violation, breach or default would, in the case of clauses (i) and (iii) above, either individually or in the aggregate along with all other violations and defaults referred to in this paragraph (m), reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse effect on the general affairs, management, financial position, stockholders equity, or results of operations or prospects of the Guarantor 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 by the Pricing Prospectus (a Material Adverse Effect) or a material adverse effect on the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby; and no consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any such court or governmental agency or body is required for the execution, delivery and performance by the issue and sale of the Trust Preferred Securities and the Trust Common Securities by the Trust in accordance with the terms of the Declaration of Trust, the purchase by the Trust of the Junior Subordinated Notes, or the execution, delivery or performance by the Trust of the Expense Agreement or the consummation by the Trust of the transactions contemplated thereby, except such as have been obtained under the Securities Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Trust Preferred Securities by the Underwriters.
-6-
(n) The Trust is not, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Trust Preferred Securities will not be, an investment company or an entity controlled by an investment company, as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the Investment Company Act).
(B) The Guarantor represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each Underwriter that:
(a) The Guarantor and each of its significant subsidiaries (as such term is defined in Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act; each a Significant Subsidiary and, collectively, the Significant Subsidiaries) has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation or a bank, as applicable, in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction in which it is chartered or organized with full corporate 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 Pricing Prospectus, and is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing under the laws of each jurisdiction which requires such qualification (except in any case in which the failure to so qualify would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect).
(b) The Guarantor is duly registered as a bank holding company and a financial holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the BHC Act).
(c) Regions Bank is a duly organized and validly existing Alabama state chartered bank and continues to hold a valid certificate to do business as such.
(d) Neither the Guarantor nor any of its Significant Subsidiaries has sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Pricing Prospectus any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus; since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Pricing Prospectus, there has not been (x) any change in the capital stock of the Guarantor or any of its Significant Subsidiaries (other than issuances or other transfers of capital stock in the ordinary course of business pursuant to the Guarantors employee benefit plans or stock repurchases made in connection with stock repurchase plans), (y) any increase in the long-term debt of the Guarantor and its subsidiaries, or (z) any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the general affairs, management, financial position, stockholders equity or results of operations of the Guarantor and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the
-7-
Pricing Prospectus; and Regions Bank is a Significant Subsidiary, and no other subsidiary of the Guarantor is a Significant Subsidiary.
(e) The outstanding shares of capital stock of the Guarantor are as set forth in the Pricing Prospectus (as of the date set forth therein) in the column entitled Actual under the caption Capitalization. Such shares of capital stock have been duly authorized and validly issued by the Guarantor and are fully paid and non-assessable, and none of such shares of capital stock were issued in violation of preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder or the Guarantor.
(f) All the outstanding shares of capital stock of each subsidiary of the Guarantor have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable (except as provided in statutes pursuant to which depository institution subsidiaries are subject), and, except as otherwise set forth in the Pricing Prospectus, the Guarantor owns (i) all of the voting capital stock of Regions Bank (except for directors qualifying shares, if any), and (ii) a controlling majority of the outstanding shares of voting capital stock of each of its other Significant Subsidiaries are owned by the Guarantor, in each case either directly or through wholly owned subsidiaries, free and clear of any perfected security interest or any other security interests, claims, liens or encumbrances.
(g) Each of the Administrative Trustees is an employee of or affiliated with the Guarantor and, at the Closing Date, the Declaration of Trust will have been duly executed and delivered by each Administrative Trustee and will constitute a valid and legally binding instrument of each Administrative Trustee, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject, as to enforcement, to bankruptcy, insolvency (including, without limitation, all laws relating to fraudulent transfer and conveyance), reorganization and other laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors rights and to general equity principles (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding at law or equity).
(h) The Junior Subordinated Notes have been duly authorized, and, when issued, delivered, authenticated and paid for at the Closing Date as contemplated by the Pricing Prospectus, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Guarantor entitled to the benefits provided by the Indenture, subject, as to enforcement, to bankruptcy, insolvency (including, without limitation, all laws relating to fraudulent transfer and conveyance), reorganization and other laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors rights and to general equity principles (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding at law or equity).
(i) The Indenture has been duly authorized and, at the Closing Date, the Indenture, the Guarantee Agreement and the Declaration of Trust each will be
-8-
duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the Guarantee Trustee, Property Trustee and Delaware Trustee, as applicable, will constitute a valid and legally binding instrument, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject, as to enforcement, to bankruptcy, insolvency (including, without limitation, all laws relating to fraudulent transfer and conveyance), reorganization and other laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors rights and to general equity principles (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding at law or equity); and the Junior Subordinated Notes and the Indenture will conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(j) Each of the Declaration of Trust and the Guarantee Agreement (collectively, the Other Guarantor Transaction Agreements and, together with this Agreement, the Indenture and the Junior Subordinated Notes, the Guarantor Transaction Agreements) has been duly authorized by the Guarantor and, when executed and delivered at the Closing Date, will constitute a valid and legally binding instrument of the Guarantor, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject, as to enforcement, to bankruptcy, insolvency (including, without limitation, all laws relating to fraudulent transfer and conveyance), reorganization and other laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors rights and to general equity principles (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding at law or equity).
(k) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Guarantor.
(l) The statements set forth in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus under the captions The Trust, Description of the Trust Preferred Securities, Description of the Junior Subordinated Notes, Replacement Capital Covenant, Regions Trusts, Description of Preferred Securities of the Trusts, Description of Trust Guarantees, and Effect of Obligations under the Subordinated Debt Securities and the Trust Guarantees, insofar as they are descriptions of contracts, agreements or other legal documents or describe Federal statutes, rules and regulations, and under the caption Underwriting, insofar as they purport to describe the provisions of the documents referred to therein, constitute an accurate summary of the matters set forth therein in all material respects; the statements set forth in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus under the caption Certain United States Federal Income Tax Consequences and ERISA Considerations, insofar as they purport to constitute a summary of matters of U.S. federal income tax law or the U.S. Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and regulations or legal conclusions with respect thereto, constitute an accurate summary of the matters set forth therein in all material respects.
-9-
(m) The Guarantor is not, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Trust Preferred Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof will not be, an investment company, as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act.
(n) 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 such as have been obtained under the Securities Act and the Trust Indenture Act and such as 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 and in the Final Prospectus.
(o) Neither the execution, delivery and performance of the Guarantor Transaction Agreements nor the consummation of any other of the transactions herein or therein contemplated nor the fulfillment of the terms hereof or thereof will conflict with, result in a breach or violation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Guarantor or any of its Significant Subsidiaries pursuant to, (i) the certificate of incorporation or other charter document or by-laws of the Guarantor or any of its Significant Subsidiaries, (ii) the terms of any indenture, contract, lease, mortgage, deed of trust, note agreement, loan agreement or other agreement, obligation, condition, covenant or instrument to which the Guarantor or any of its Significant Subsidiaries is party or bound or to which its or their property is subject, or (iii) any statute, law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree applicable to the Guarantor or any of its Significant Subsidiaries of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body, arbitrator or other authority having jurisdiction over the Guarantor or any of its Significant Subsidiaries or any of its or their properties which violation or default would, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, either individually or in the aggregate with all other violations and defaults referred to in this paragraph (o), reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(p) The consolidated historical financial statements and schedules of the Guarantor and its consolidated subsidiaries incorporated by reference in the Pricing Prospectus and the Registration Statement present fairly in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Guarantor and its consolidated subsidiaries as of the dates and for the periods indicated, comply as to form with the applicable accounting requirements of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and have been prepared in conformity with United States generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved (except as otherwise noted therein). The selected financial data set forth under the caption Summary InformationSelected Financial Data in the Pricing
-10-
Prospectus fairly present, on the basis stated in the Pricing Prospectus, the information included therein.
(q) Except as disclosed in the Pricing Prospectus, no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Guarantor or any of its Significant Subsidiaries or its or their property is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Guarantor, threatened that (i) would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the performance of the Guarantor Transaction Agreements or the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated thereby or (ii) would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(r) Neither the Guarantor nor any subsidiary is in violation or default of (i) any provision of its charter or by-laws, (ii) the terms of any indenture, contract, lease, mortgage, deed of trust, note agreement, loan agreement or other agreement, obligation, condition, covenant or instrument to which it is a party or bound or to which its property is subject or (iii) any statute, law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body, arbitrator or other authority having jurisdiction over the Guarantor or such subsidiary or any of its properties, as applicable, which violation or default would, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, either individually or in the aggregate with all other violations and defaults referred to in this paragraph (r), reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(s) The Guarantor has filed all foreign, federal, state and local tax returns that are required to be filed or has requested extensions thereof (except in any case in which the failure so to file would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect) and has paid all taxes required to be paid by it and any other assessment, fine or penalty to the extent that any of the foregoing is due and payable, except for any that is currently being contested in good faith or as would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(t) The Guarantor and each of its Significant Subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which they are engaged; all policies of insurance and fidelity or surety bonds insuring the Guarantor or any of its Significant Subsidiaries or their respective businesses, assets, employees, officers and directors are in full force and effect; the Guarantor and its Significant Subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms of such policies and instruments in all material respects; and there are no claims by the Guarantor or any of its Significant Subsidiaries under any such policy or instrument as to which any insurance company is denying liability; neither the Guarantor nor any such subsidiary has been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied for; and neither the Guarantor nor any such subsidiary has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such
-11-
coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(u) No subsidiary of the Guarantor is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Guarantor, from making any other distribution on such subsidiarys capital stock, from repaying to the Guarantor any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Guarantor or from transferring any of such subsidiarys property or assets to the Guarantor or any other subsidiary of the Guarantor except as described in or contemplated by the Pricing Prospectus and applicable banking laws and regulations.
(v) The Guarantor and its Significant Subsidiaries possess all licenses, certificates, permits and other authorizations issued by the appropriate federal, state or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses except those the failure of which to possess would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, and neither the Guarantor 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 reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(w) Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, who have audited consolidated financial statements of the Guarantor and its consolidated subsidiaries, and delivered their report with respect to audited consolidated financial statements included in the Prospectus, is an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
(x) The Guarantor maintains a system of internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act) that complies with the requirements of the Exchange Act and has been designed by the Guarantors principal executive officer and principal financial officer, or under their supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. The Guarantors internal control over financial reporting is effective and the Guarantor is not aware of any material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting.
(y) Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Pricing Prospectus, there has been no change in the Guarantors internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Guarantors internal control over financial reporting.
-12-
(z) The Guarantor maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act; such disclosure controls and procedures have been designed to ensure that material information relating to the Guarantor and its subsidiaries is made known to the Guarantors principal executive officer and principal financial officer by others within those entities; and such disclosure controls and procedures are effective.
(aa) The Guarantor and its Significant Subsidiaries are to their knowledge (i) in substantial compliance with applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (Environmental Laws), (ii) have received and are in substantial compliance with all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses and (iii) have not received any unresolved notice of any actual or potential liability for the investigation or remediation of any unpermitted disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, 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, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(bb) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Pricing Prospectus, the Guarantor does not have any material lending or other material relationship with any bank or lending affiliate of any of the Underwriters.
(cc) The Guarantor and each of its subsidiaries are in compliance with all laws administered by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the Federal Reserve Board), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Alabama Department of Banking (the Department) and any other federal or state bank regulatory authorities (together with the Federal Reserve Board, the FDIC and the Department, the Bank Regulatory Authorities) with jurisdiction over the Guarantor and its subsidiaries, except for such failures to be in compliance as would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The deposit accounts of each bank subsidiary of the Guarantor are insured up to applicable limits by the FDIC and no proceedings for the termination or revocation of such insurance are pending or, to the knowledge of the Guarantor, threatened. Neither the Guarantor nor any of its Significant Subsidiaries is a party to or otherwise subject to any consent decree, memorandum of understanding, written commitment or other supervisory agreement with any of the Bank Regulatory Authorities or any other governmental agency or authority, nor have the Guarantor or any of its Significant Subsidiaries been advised by any of the Bank Regulatory Authorities or any other governmental agency or authority that it is contemplating issuing or requesting any of the foregoing.
-13-
(dd) To the Guarantors knowledge, the operations of the Guarantor and its subsidiaries are currently in compliance with applicable financial record keeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all United States jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency in the United States (collectively, the Money Laundering Laws), except where the failure to so comply would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect; and no formal action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Guarantor or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Guarantor, threatened that would reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.
(ee) Except as previously disclosed to the Representative, neither the Guarantor nor any of its affiliates does business with the government of, or any person located in, any country, or with any other person, targeted by any of the economic sanctions of the United States administered by the United States Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets Control; the Guarantor is not controlled (within the meaning of the regulations promulgating such sanctions or the laws authorizing such promulgation) by any such government or person; and the proceeds from the offering will not be used to fund any operations in, finance any investments or activities in or make any payments to, any country, or to make any payments to any person, targeted by any of such sanctions.
2. Purchase and Sale. Subject to the terms and conditions and in reliance upon the representations and warranties herein set forth, the Guarantor and the Trust agree that the Trust will sell to each Underwriter, and each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Trust, at the purchase price set forth in Schedule II, the number of Trust Preferred Securities set forth opposite such Underwriters name in Schedule I.
As compensation to the Underwriters for their commitments hereunder, and in view of the fact that the proceeds from the sale of the Trust Preferred Securities will be used by the Trust to purchase the Junior Subordinated Notes, the Guarantor on the Closing Date will pay by wire transfer of immediately available funds to Goldman, Sachs & Co., for the accounts of the several Underwriters, the amount per Trust Preferred Security set forth in Schedule II in respect of the Trust Preferred Securities to be delivered by the Trust hereunder on the Closing Date.
3. Delivery and Payment. Delivery of and payment for the Trust Preferred Securities shall be made at the office, on the date and at the time specified in Schedule II (such time and date are herein called the Time of Delivery), which date and time may be postponed by agreement between the Underwriters, the Trust and the
-14-
Guarantor (such date and time of delivery of and payment for the Trust Preferred Securities being herein called the Closing Date). The Trust Preferred Securities to be purchased by each Underwriter hereunder will be represented by one or more global certificates representing the Trust Preferred Securities that will be deposited by or on behalf of the Trust with The Depository Trust Company (DTC) or its designated custodian. Delivery of the Trust Preferred Securities shall be made by causing DTC to credit the Trust Preferred Securities to the account of Goldman, Sachs & Co. at DTC, for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters at DTC, against payment by the several Underwriters through Goldman, Sachs & Co. of the purchase price thereof to or upon the order of the Trust in the manner and type of funds specified in Schedule II.
The Trust and the Guarantor agree to have the certificates representing the Trust Preferred Securities available for checking in New York City at the Closing Location specified in Schedule II, on the business day prior to the Closing Date.
4. Offering by Underwriters. It is understood that the several Underwriters propose to offer the Trust Preferred Securities for sale as set forth in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
5. Agreements. (A) General. The Trust and the Guarantor jointly and severally agree with the several Underwriters as follows (except that the agreements in paragraphs (e), (g), (h) and (i) of this Section 5(A) are made only by the Guarantor and not by the Trust):
(a) To prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by you and to file such Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act not later than the Commissions close of business on the second business day following the date of this Agreement; to make no further amendment or any supplement to the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus or the Prospectus prior to the Time of Delivery that shall be disapproved by you promptly after reasonable notice thereof; to advise you, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the time when, prior to the date that is 91 days following the date hereof, any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus has been filed and to furnish you with copies thereof; to prepare a final term sheet, containing solely a description of the Trust Preferred Securities and the Junior Subordinated Notes, in a form set forth in Schedule III hereto and to file such term sheet pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act within the time required by such Rule; to file promptly all other material required to be filed by the Trust or the Guarantor with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act; to file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Guarantor and (to the extent not exempt under Rule 12h-5 under the Exchange Act) the Trust with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act and for so long as the delivery of a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Securities Act) is required
-15-
in connection with the offering and sale of the Trust Preferred Securities; to advise you, promptly after either the Trust or the Guarantor receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any supplement to the Prospectus or any amended Prospectus has been filed with the Commission, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof or any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or other prospectus in respect of the Trust Preferred Securities, of the suspension of the qualification of the Trust Preferred Securities or the Junior Subordinated Notes for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or for additional information; and, in the event of the issuance of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or other prospectus in respect of the Trust Preferred Securities or suspending any such qualification, to promptly use their best efforts to obtain the withdrawal of such order; and in the event of any such issuance of a notice of objection, promptly to take such steps including, without limitation, amending the Registration Statement or filing a new registration statement, at the Guarantors own expense, as may be necessary to permit offers and sales of the Trust Preferred Securities by the Underwriters (references herein to the Registration Statement shall include any such amendment or new registration statement).
(b) If required by Rule 430B(h) under the Securities Act, to prepare a form of prospectus in a form approved by you and to file such form of prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act not later than may be required by Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act; and to make no further amendment or supplement to such form of prospectus which shall be disapproved by you promptly after reasonable notice thereof.
(c) Promptly from time to time to take such action as the Underwriters may reasonably request to qualify the Trust Preferred Securities and the Junior Subordinated Notes for offering and sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as the Underwriters may request and to comply with such laws so as to permit the continuance of sales and dealings therein in such jurisdictions for as long as may be necessary to complete the distribution of the Trust Preferred Securities and the Junior Subordinated Notes, provided that in connection therewith the Guarantor shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation where it is not now so qualified or to file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction where it is not now so subject.
(d) Prior to 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the New York business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement and from time to time, to furnish the Underwriters with written and electronic copies of the Prospectus in
-16-
New York City in such quantities as they may reasonably request, and, if the delivery of a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Securities Act) is required at any time prior to the expiration of nine months after the time of issue of the Prospectus in connection with the offering or sale of the Trust Preferred Securities or Junior Subordinated Notes and if at such time any event shall have occurred as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made when such Prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Securities Act) is delivered, not misleading, or, if for any other reason it shall be necessary during such same period to amend or supplement the Prospectus or to file under the Exchange Act any document incorporated by reference in the Prospectus in order to comply with the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or the Trust Indenture Act, to notify you and upon your request to file such document and to prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter and to any dealer in securities as many written and electronic copies as you may from time to time reasonably request of an amended Prospectus or a supplement to the Prospectus that will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance; and in case any Underwriter is required to deliver a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Securities Act) in connection with sales of any of the Trust Preferred Securities or Junior Subordinated Notes at any time nine months or more after the time of issue of the Prospectus, upon your request but at the expense of such Underwriter, to prepare and deliver to such Underwriter as many written and electronic copies as you may request of an amended or supplemented Prospectus complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act.
(e) To make generally available to its securityholders and to the Underwriters as soon as practicable, but in any event not later than sixteen months after the effective date of the Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c) under the Securities Act), an earnings statement (which need not be audited) of the Guarantor and its subsidiaries, complying with Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder (including, at the option of the Guarantor, Rule 158).
(f) During the period beginning from the date of the Prospectus, and continuing to and including the date 30 days after the date of the Prospectus or such earlier time as you may notify the Guarantor, not to offer, sell, contract to sell, or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, any Trust Preferred Securities (except for (x) the Trust Preferred Securities offered hereby and (y) any securities to be offered in an exchange offer or similar transaction in respect of securities outstanding on the date hereof, in each case including any guarantee of such securities), any other beneficial interests in the assets of the Trust (other than the Trust Common Securities) or any Junior Subordinated Notes, any securities (including any security issued by another trust or other limited purpose vehicle)
-17-
that are substantially similar to the Trust Preferred Securities, the Junior Subordinated Notes, the Guarantee, or any securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for or that represent the right to receive any such substantially similar securities of either the Trust, a similar trust or the Guarantor, except with your prior written consent.
(g) To use the net proceeds received from the sale of the Trust Preferred Securities or Junior Subordinated Notes, as the case may be, in the manner specified in the Pricing Prospectus under the caption Use of Proceeds.
(h) The Guarantor will issue the Guarantee concurrently with the issue and sale of the Trust Preferred Securities as contemplated herein.
(i) To pay all expenses incident to the performance of each of its and the Trusts obligations under this Agreement, and will pay or cause to be paid the following: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of its counsel and accountants in connection with the registration of the Trust Preferred Securities and the Junior Subordinated Notes under the Securities Act and all other expenses in connection with the preparation, printing, reproduction and filing of the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and amendments and supplements thereto and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers; (ii) the cost of printing or producing any Agreement among Underwriters, this Agreement, the Blue Sky Memorandum, closing documents (including any compilations thereof) and any other documents in connection with the offering, purchase, sale and delivery of the Trust Preferred Securities and the Junior Subordinated Notes; (iii) all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Trust Preferred Securities and the Junior Subordinated Notes for offering and sale under state securities laws, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky survey; (iv) the fees charged by securities rating services for rating the Trust Preferred Securities; (v) filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with, any required review by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. of the terms of the sale of the Trust Preferred Securities and the Junior Subordinated Notes; (vi) the cost of preparing the Trust Preferred Securities and the Junior Subordinated Notes; (vii) the costs and charges of any transfer agent or registrar or dividend distributing agent; and (viii) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of its and the Trusts obligations hereunder that are not otherwise specifically provided for in this paragraph. It is understood, however, that, except as provided in this paragraph, and Sections 7 and 9 hereof, the Underwriters will pay all of their own costs and expenses, including the fees of their counsel, transfer taxes on resale of any of the Trust Preferred Securities by them, the cost of preparing and distributing any term sheet prepared by any Underwriter, and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may make.
-18-
(B) Free Writing Prospectuses.
(a) (i) Each of the Guarantor and the Trust represents and agrees that, other than the final term sheet prepared and filed pursuant to Section 5(A)(a) hereof, without the prior consent of the Representative, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Trust Preferred Securities or the Junior Subordinated Notes that would constitute a free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 405 required to be filed with the Commission;
(ii) Each Underwriter represents and agrees that, without the prior consent of the Guarantor and the Representative, other than one or more term sheets relating to the Trust Preferred Securities and the Junior Subordinated Notes containing customary information and conveyed to purchasers of the Trust Preferred Securities, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Trust Preferred Securities that would constitute a free writing prospectus; and
(iii) Any such free writing prospectus the use of which requires consent under clauses (i) and (ii) above and has been consented to by the Guarantor and the Representative (including the final term sheet prepared and filed pursuant to Section 5(A)(a) hereof) is listed on Schedule II(a).
(b) Each of the Guarantor and the Trust has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 under the Securities Act applicable to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission or retention where required and legending.
(c) The Guarantor agrees that if at any time following the issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus any event occurred or occurs as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus would conflict with the information in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances then prevailing, not misleading, the Guarantor will give prompt notice thereof to the Representative and, if requested by the Representative, will prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or other document that will correct such conflict, statement or omission; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions in an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Guarantor by an Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use therein.
6. Conditions to the Obligations of the Underwriters. The obligations of the Underwriters to purchase the Trust Preferred Securities shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of each of the Guarantor and the Trust contained herein as of the date hereof and the Closing Date, to the accuracy of the statements of the Guarantor and the Trust made in any certificates pursuant to the
-19-
provisions hereof, to the performance by each of the Guarantor and the Trust of its obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:
(a) The Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by the rules and regulations under the Securities Act and in accordance with Section 5(A)(a) hereof; the final term sheet contemplated by Section 5(A)(a) hereof, and any other material required to be filed by the Guarantor or the Trust pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time periods prescribed for such filings by Rule 433; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; no stop order suspending or preventing the use of the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; and all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission shall have been complied with to your reasonable satisfaction.
(b) Alston & Bird LLP, counsel for the Guarantor, shall have furnished to the Underwriters an opinion, dated the Closing Date, to the effect that:
(i) The Guarantor is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, and is duly registered as a bank holding company and a financial holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended, with corporate power and authority to own or lease its properties and conduct its business as described in the Prospectus;
(ii) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Guarantor and the Trust;
(iii) Each of the Declaration of Trust, the Indenture and the Guarantee Agreement has been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered by the Guarantor and constitutes a valid and binding agreement of the Guarantor, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, fraudulent transfer and conveyance and similar laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors generally, and the effects of general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding at law or equity); and each of the Declaration of Trust, the Indenture and the Guarantee Agreement has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act;
-20-
(iv) The issuance, execution and delivery of the Junior Subordinated Notes have been duly and validly authorized by the Guarantor and, when authenticated by the Issuer Trustee, executed, issued and delivered in the manner provided in the Indenture will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Guarantor, entitled to the benefits of the Indenture and enforceable against the Guarantor in accordance with its terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, fraudulent transfer and conveyance and similar laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors generally, and the effects of general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding as law or equity);
(v) The statements set forth in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the captions The Trust, Description of the Trust Preferred Securities, Description of the Junior Subordinated Notes, Guarantee of the Trust Preferred Securities, Replacement Capital Covenant, Regions Trusts, Description of Debt Securities, Description of Preferred Securities of the Trusts, Description of Trust Guarantees, and Effect of Obligations under the Subordinated Debt Securities and the Trust Guarantees, insofar as these statements purport to describe the provisions of the documents referred to therein, constitute an accurate summary of the matters set forth therein in all material respects;
(vi) The statements set forth in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the captions Certain United States Federal Income Tax Consequences and ERISA Considerations, insofar as they purport to constitute summaries of matters of U.S. federal income tax law and the U.S. Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and regulations or legal conclusions with respect thereto, constitute accurate summaries of the matters set forth therein in all material respects;
(vii) Neither the Trust nor the Guarantor is and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Trust Preferred Securities and the Junior Subordinated Notes and the application of the proceeds thereof, will be an investment company, as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act;
(viii) The Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any further amendments and supplements thereto, as applicable, made by the Trust or the Guarantor prior to the Time of Delivery, excluding in each case the documents incorporated by reference therein (other than the financial statements and related schedules and other financial information contained therein or omitted therefrom and each Form T-1, as to which such counsel need express no opinion) comply as to form in all material respects with
-21-
the requirements of the Securities Act and the Trust Indenture Act and the rules and regulations thereunder;
(ix) Although they do not assume any responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, except for those referred to in the opinion in subsections (v) and (vi) of this Section 6(b), they have no reason to believe (i) that any part of the Registration Statement or any further amendment thereto made by the Guarantor prior to the Time of Delivery (other than the financial statements and related schedules therein and other financial information contained therein or omitted therefrom and each Form T-1, as to which such counsel need express no opinion), when such part or amendment became effective, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; (ii) that the Pricing Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; or (iii) that, as of its date and as of the Time of Delivery, the Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement thereto made by the Guarantor prior to the Time of Delivery (other than the financial statements and related schedules therein and other financial information contained therein or omitted therefrom and each Form T-1, as to which such counsel need express no opinion) contained or contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
(c) The Guarantor shall have furnished to the Underwriters an opinion, dated the Closing Date, of Carl L. Gorday, Assistant General Counsel of the Guarantor, to the effect that:
(i) The Guarantor has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, with corporate power and authority to own or lease its properties and conduct its business as described in the Prospectus;
(ii) The Guarantor has been duly qualified as a foreign corporation for the transaction of business and is in good standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which it owns or leases properties or conducts any business so as to require such qualification or is subject to no material liability or disability by reason of the failure to be so qualified in any such jurisdiction (except in any case in which the failure so to file would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect);
-22-
(iii) Each Significant Subsidiary of the Guarantor has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation or bank, as applicable, in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation; and all of the issued shares of capital stock of each Significant Subsidiary have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable, and (except for directors qualifying shares and as otherwise set forth in the Prospectus), are owned directly or indirectly by the Guarantor free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims (such counsel being entitled to rely in respect of the opinion in this clause upon opinions of local counsel and in respect of matters of fact upon certificates of officers of the Guarantor or its Significant Subsidiaries, provided that such counsel shall state that they believe that both the Guarantor and the Underwriters are justified in relying upon such opinions and certificates);
(iv) To such counsels knowledge and other than as set forth in the Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Guarantor or any of its Significant Subsidiaries or the Trust is a party or of which any property of the Guarantor or any of its Significant Subsidiaries or the Trust is the subject which is reasonably likely to be adversely determined against the Guarantor or any of its subsidiaries or the Trust and, if determined adversely to the Guarantor or any of its subsidiaries or the Trust, would individually or in the aggregate have a material adverse effect on the current or future consolidated financial position, stockholders equity or results of operations of the Guarantor and its Significant Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or of the Trust; and, to such counsels knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened by governmental authorities;
(v) The documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement thereto made by the Guarantor prior to the Time of Delivery (other than the financial statements and related schedules therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion), when they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder; and they have no reason to believe that any of such documents, when such documents became effective or were so filed, as the case may be, contained, in the case of a registration statement which became effective under the Securities Act, an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, or, in the case of other documents which were filed under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act with the Commission, an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light
-23-
of the circumstances under which they were made when such documents were so filed, not misleading;
(vi) To such counsels knowledge, there is no amendment to the Registration Statement required to be filed and there are no contracts or other documents of a character required to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement or required to be incorporated by reference into the Prospectus or required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus or the Prospectus which are not filed or incorporated by reference or described as required;
(vii) The execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Declaration of Trust, the Indenture and the Guarantee Agreement, the issuance and sale of the Junior Subordinated Notes, the Trust Preferred Securities and the Trust Common Securities and the consummation of the transactions and performance of the obligations herein and therein contemplated will not conflict with or result in a breach or violation of (A) any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument known to such counsel to which the Guarantor, the Trust, or any Significant Subsidiary of the Guarantor is a party or by which the Guarantor, the Trust, or any Significant Subsidiary of the Guarantor is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Guarantor, the Trust, or any Significant Subsidiary of the Guarantor is subject, (B) the Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, or By-laws of the Guarantor or the organizational documents of the Trust or any Significant Subsidiary of the Guarantor, or (C) any statute or any order, rule or regulation known to such counsel of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Guarantor, the Trust or any Significant Subsidiary of the Guarantor or any of their properties, except in the case of (A) and (C), such violations or default which would either individually or in the aggregate with all other violations and defaults referred to in this paragraph (if any), reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; and
(viii) No consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any court or governmental agency or body is required for the issue and sale of the Trust Preferred Securities or the Junior Subordinated Notes or the consummation by the Guarantor and the Trust of the transactions contemplated by the Underwriting Agreement, except such as have been obtained under the Securities Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, or registrations as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Trust Preferred Securities by the Underwriters;
-24-
(d) Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A., special Delaware counsel to the Guarantor and the Trust, shall have furnished to the Underwriters an opinion, dated the Closing Date, to the effect that:
(i) The Trust has been duly created and is validly existing and in good standing under the Delaware Statutory Trust Act and all filings required under the laws of the State of Delaware with respect to the creation and valid existence of the Trust as a statutory trust have been made;
(ii) Under the Delaware Statutory Trust Act and the Declaration of Trust, the Trust has the trust power and authority to own its property and conduct its business, all as described in the Prospectus;
(iii) The provisions of the Declaration of Trust, including the terms of the Trust Preferred Securities, are permitted under the Delaware Statutory Trust Act and the Declaration of Trust constitutes a valid and binding obligation of the Guarantor and the Trustees, enforceable against the Guarantor and the Trustees in accordance with its terms, subject, as to enforcement, to the effect upon the Declaration of Trust of (i) bankruptcy, insolvency, moratorium, receivership, reorganization, liquidation, fraudulent conveyance or transfer and other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors generally, (ii) principles of equity, including applicable law relating to fiduciary duties (regardless of whether considered and applied in a proceeding in equity or at law), and (iii) applicable public policy on the enforceability of provisions relating to indemnification or contribution;
(iv) Under the Delaware Statutory Trust Act and the Declaration of Trust, the Trust has the trust power and authority to (x) execute and deliver this Agreement and the Expense Agreement and to perform its obligations under this Agreement and the Expense Agreement, and (y) issue and perform its obligations under the Trust Preferred Securities and the Trust Common Securities;
(v) Under the Delaware Statutory Trust Act and the Declaration of Trust, (A) the execution and delivery by the Trust of this Agreement and the Expense Agreement and the performance by the Trust of its obligations hereunder and thereunder have been duly authorized by all necessary trust action on the part of the Trust; and (B) the Guarantor is authorized to execute and deliver this Agreement on behalf of the Trust;
(vi) Under the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, the form of certificate attached to the Declaration of Trust to represent the Trust Preferred Securities is an appropriate form of certificate to evidence ownership of the Trust Preferred Securities. The Trust Preferred
-25-
Securities have been duly authorized by the Declaration of Trust and, when delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters, in accordance with this Agreement, will be validly issued and fully paid and non-assessable beneficial interests in the Trust. The holders of the Trust Preferred Securities are entitled to the benefits provided by the Declaration of Trust (subject to the terms of the Declaration of Trust); and the holders of the Trust Preferred Securities, as beneficial owners of the Trust, will be entitled to the same limitation of personal liability extended to stockholders of private corporations for profit organized under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, provided that such counsel may note that the holders of the Trust Preferred Securities and of the Trust Common Securities may be obligated, pursuant to the Declaration of Trust, to (a) provide indemnity and/or security in connection with, and pay taxes or governmental charges arising from, transfers or exchanges of Trust Preferred Security certificates and the issuance of replacement of Trust Preferred Security certificates, and (b) provide security and indemnity in connection with requests of or directions to the Property Trustee (as defined in the Declaration of Trust) to exercise its rights and remedies under the Declaration of Trust;
(vii) The Trust Common Securities have been duly authorized by the Declaration of Trust and when issued and delivered by the Trust to the Guarantor against payment therefor described in the Declaration of Trust, will be validly issued and fully paid (subject to the qualifications described in the proviso to clause (vi) next above) beneficial interests in the Trust. The Guarantor, as holder of the Trust Common Securities, will be entitled to the benefits of the Declaration of Trust;
(viii) Under the Delaware Statutory Trust Act and the Declaration of Trust, the issuance of the Trust Preferred Securities and the Trust Common Securities is not subject to preemptive rights;
(ix) The issuance and sale by the Trust of the Trust Preferred Securities and the Trust Common Securities, the execution, delivery and performance by the Trust of this Agreement and the Expense Agreement, the consummation by the Trust of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby and compliance by the Trust with its obligations hereunder and thereunder do not violate (A) any of the provisions of the Certificate of Trust of the Trust or the Declaration of Trust, or (B) any applicable Delaware law or administrative regulation;
(x) No authorization, approval, consent or order of any Delaware court or Delaware governmental authority or Delaware agency is required to be obtained by the Trust solely in connection with the issuance and sale of the Trust Preferred Securities and the Trust Common
-26-
Securities or the execution, delivery and performance by the Trust of this Agreement or the Expense Agreement. In rendering the opinion expressed in this paragraph (x), such counsel need express no opinion concerning the securities laws of the State of Delaware; and
(xi) Assuming that the Trust derives no income from or connected with services provided within the State of Delaware and has no assets, activities (other than maintaining the Delaware Trustee and the filing of documents with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware) or employees in the State of Delaware and assuming that the Trust is treated as a grantor trust or as an association not taxable as a corporation for federal income tax purposes, the holders of Trust Preferred Securities (other than those holders who reside or are domiciled in the State of Delaware) will have no liability for income taxes imposed by the State of Delaware solely as a result of their participation in the Trust, and the Trust will not be liable for any income tax imposed by the State of Delaware.
(e) The Underwriters shall have received from Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, such opinion or opinions, dated the Closing Date, with respect to such matters as the Underwriters may reasonably require. Sullivan & Cromwell LLP may rely as to those matters that relate to the Indenture Trustee, the Guarantee Trustee or the Property Trustee upon the certificate or certificates of such entities.
(f) On the date of the Prospectus at a time prior to the execution of this Agreement, at 9:30 A.M., New York City time, on the effective date of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement filed subsequent to the date of this Agreement and also at the Time of Delivery, Ernst & Young LLP shall have furnished to you a letter or letters, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof, in form and substance satisfactory to you, to the effect set forth in Annex I hereto (the executed copy of the letter delivered prior to the execution of this Agreement is attached as Annex I(a) hereto and a form of letter to be delivered on the effective date of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, and as of the Time of Delivery is attached as Annex I(b) hereto).
(g) Neither the Guarantor nor any of its subsidiaries shall have sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Pricing Prospectus any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus, and (ii) since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Pricing Prospectus there shall not have been any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Guarantor or any of its subsidiaries or any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the financial position,
-27-
stockholders equity or results of operations of the Guarantor and its subsidiaries, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus, the effect of which, in any such case described in clause (i) or (ii), is in the judgment of the Representative so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Trust Preferred Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus.
(h) The Guarantor shall have complied with the provisions of the first sentence of Section 5(A)(d) hereof with respect to the furnishing of prospectuses on the business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement.
(i) On or after the Applicable Time, the Trust Preferred Securities shall have been accorded a rating of not less than BBB+ by Standard & Poors Ratings Service, not less than A2 by Moodys Investors Service, Inc. and not less than A by Fitch Ratings.
(j) On or after the Applicable Time (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded the Guarantors debt securities or preferred stock by any nationally recognized statistical rating organization, as that term is defined by the Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Securities Act, and (ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, with possible negative implications, its rating of any of the Guarantors debt securities or preferred stock.
(k) On or after the Applicable Time there shall not have occurred any of the following: (i) a suspension or material limitation in trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange; (ii) a suspension or material limitation in trading in the Guarantors securities on the New York Stock Exchange; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities declared by either Federal, New York, or Alabama authorities or a material disruption in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States; (iv) the outbreak or escalation of hostilities involving the United States or the declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war or (v) the occurrence of any other calamity or crisis or any change in financial, political or economic conditions in the United States or elsewhere, if the effect of any such event specified in clause (iv) or (v) in the judgment of the Representative makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Trust Preferred Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus.
(l) The Guarantor and the Trust shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to you at the Time of Delivery certificates of officers of the Company and trustees of the Trust satisfactory to you as to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company and the Trust herein at and as of such time, as to the performance by the Guarantor and the Trust of all of their
-28-
respective obligations hereunder to be performed at or prior to such time, as to the matters set forth in subsections (a) and (g) of this Section and as to such other matters as you may reasonably request.
7. Indemnification and Contribution.
(a) The Guarantor and the Trust will, jointly and severally, indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Underwriter may become subject, under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any issuer information filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, or any Pricing Disclosure Package, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and will reimburse each Underwriter for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Underwriter in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that neither the Guarantor nor the Trust shall be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or any Pricing Disclosure Package in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Guarantor or the Trust by any Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use therein.
(b) Each Underwriter will indemnify and hold harmless each of the Guarantor and the Trust against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Guarantor or the Trust may become subject, under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or any Pricing Disclosure Package or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing
-29-
Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any such amendment or supplement thereto or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or any Pricing Disclosure Package in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Guarantor or the Trust by such Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use therein; and will reimburse the Guarantor or the Trust for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Guarantor or the Trust, as appropriate, in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred.
(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under such subsection, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; but the omission so to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party otherwise than under such subsection unless and to the extent it did not otherwise learn of such action and such failure results in the forfeiture by the indemnifying party of substantial rights and defenses. In case any such action shall be brought against any indemnified party and it shall notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall not, except with the consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party), and, after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified party under such subsection for any legal expenses of other counsel or any other expenses, in each case subsequently incurred by such indemnified party, in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation. No indemnifying party shall, without the written consent of the indemnified party, effect the settlement or compromise of, or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to, any pending or threatened action or claim in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified party is an actual or potential party to such action or claim) unless such settlement, compromise or judgment (i) includes an unconditional release of the indemnified party from all liability arising out of such action or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of any indemnified party.
(d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 7 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) in such proportion as
-30-
is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Guarantor and the Trust on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Trust Preferred Securities. If, however, the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by applicable law or if the indemnified party failed to give the notice required under subsection (c) above, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount paid or payable by such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Guarantor or the Trust on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Guarantor or the Trust on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Guarantor or the Trust bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Guarantor or the Trust on the one hand or the Underwriters on the other and the parties relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Guarantor and the Trust on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this subsection (d) were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this subsection (d). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to above in this subsection (d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (d), no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Trust Preferred 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 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 Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters obligations in this subsection (d) to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.
-31-
(e) The obligations of the Guarantor under this Section 7 shall be in addition to any liability which the Guarantor or the Trust may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act; and the obligations of the Underwriters under this Section 7 shall be in addition to any liability which the respective Underwriters may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each officer and director of the Guarantor and the Trust and to each person, if any, who controls the Guarantor within the meaning of the Securities Act.
8. Underwriter Default. (a) If any Underwriter shall default in its obligation to purchase the Trust Preferred Securities which it has agreed to purchase hereunder, you may in your discretion arrange for you or another party or other parties to purchase such Trust Preferred Securities on the terms contained herein. If within thirty-six hours after such default by any Underwriter, you do not arrange for the purchase of such Trust Preferred Securities, then the Guarantor shall be entitled to a further period of thirty-six hours within which to procure another party or other parties satisfactory to the Representative to purchase such Trust Preferred Securities on such terms. In the event that, within the respective prescribed periods, you notify the Guarantor that you have so arranged for the purchase of such Trust Preferred Securities, or the Guarantor notifies you that it has so arranged for the purchase of such Trust Preferred Securities, you or the Guarantor shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date for a period of not more than seven days, in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be made necessary in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any other documents or arrangements, and the Guarantor agrees to file promptly any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus that in your opinion may thereby be made necessary. The term Underwriter as used in this Agreement shall include any person substituted under this Section with like effect as if such person had originally been a party to this Agreement with respect to such Trust Preferred Securities.
(b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Trust Preferred Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and the Guarantor as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate principal amount of such Trust Preferred Securities which remains unpurchased does not exceed one eleventh of the aggregate principal amount of all the Trust Preferred Securities, then the Guarantor shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the principal amount of Trust Preferred Securities which such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder and, in addition, to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase its pro rata share (based on the principal amount of Trust Preferred Securities which such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder) of the Trust Preferred Securities of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.
-32-
(c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Trust Preferred Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and the Guarantor as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate principal amount of Trust Preferred Securities which remains unpurchased exceeds one eleventh of the aggregate principal amount of all the Trust Preferred Securities, or if the Guarantor shall not exercise the right described in paragraph (b) above to require non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase Trust Preferred Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then this Agreement shall thereupon terminate, without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Guarantor, except for the indemnity and contribution agreements in Section 7; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.
9. Expenses on Termination. If for any reason the Trust Preferred Securities are not delivered by or on behalf of the Guarantor as provided herein other than because of a termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 8, the Guarantor will reimburse the Underwriters through you for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses approved in writing by you, including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel, reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in making preparations for the purchase, sale and delivery of the Trust Preferred Securities but the Guarantor shall then be under no further liability to any Underwriter except as provided in Section 5A(i) and Section 7. If this Agreement shall be terminated pursuant to Section 8 hereof, the Guarantor and the Trust shall not then be under any liability to any Underwriter with respect to the Trust Preferred Securities, except as provided in Sections 5A(i) and 7 hereof.
10. Time of the Essence. Time shall be of the essence of this Agreement. As used herein, the term business day shall mean any day when the Commissions office in Washington, D.C. is open for business.
11. Representations and Indemnities to Survive. The respective agreements, representations, warranties, indemnities and other statements of the Guarantor or its officers, of the Trust and of the Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, the Guarantor or the Trust or any of the controlling persons referred to in Section 7(e) hereof, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Trust Preferred Securities. The provisions of Sections 5(A)(i) and 7 hereof shall survive the termination or cancellation of this Agreement.
12. Arms-Length Terms. The Trust and the Guarantor acknowledge and agree that (i) the purchase and sale of the Trust Preferred Securities pursuant to this Agreement is an arms-length commercial transaction between the Trust and the Guarantor, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other, (ii) in connection therewith and with the process leading to such transaction each Underwriter is acting solely as a principal and not the agent or fiduciary of the Trust or the Guarantor; (iii) no Underwriter has assumed an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Trust or the Guarantor with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading
-33-
thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Trust or the Guarantor on other matters) or any other obligation to the Trust or the Guarantor except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement and (iv) the Trust and the Guarantor have consulted their own legal and financial advisors to the extent they deemed appropriate. The Trust and the Guarantor each agree that it will not claim that the Underwriters, or any of them, has rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owes a fiduciary or similar duty to the Trust or the Guarantor, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.
13. Prior Agreements. This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Guarantor and the Underwriters, or the Trust and the Underwriters, or the Guarantor or the Trust and any of the Underwriters, with respect to the subject matter hereof.
14. Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors, heirs, executors, and administrators, and the officers and directors and controlling persons referred to in Section 7 hereof, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder.
15. Applicable Law. This Agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
16. Waiver of Jury Trial. The Guarantor, the Trust 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.
17. Counterparts; Notices. This Agreement may be signed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, which taken together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
All notices hereunder shall be in writing or by telegram if promptly confirmed in writing, and if to the Underwriters shall be sufficient in all respects if delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to the address of Goldman, Sachs & Co., as set forth in Schedule II hereto; and if to the Guarantor or the Trust shall be sufficient in all respects if delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to its address set forth in the Registration Statement, Attention: Secretary; provided, however, that any notice to an Underwriter pursuant to Section 7(c) hereof shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to such Underwriter at its address set forth in its Underwriters Questionnaire, or telex constituting such Questionnaire, which address will be supplied to the Guarantor by the Underwriters upon request.
18. Disclosure of Tax Treatment. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Guarantor and the Trust are authorized to disclose to any persons the U.S. federal and state income tax treatment and tax structure of the potential transaction
-34-
and all materials of any kind (including tax opinions and other tax analyses) provided to the Guarantor and the Trust relating to that treatment and structure, without the Underwriters imposing any limitation of any kind. However, any information relating to the tax treatment and tax structure shall remain confidential (and the foregoing sentence shall not apply) to the extent necessary to enable any person to comply with securities laws. For this purpose, tax structure is limited to any facts that may be relevant to that treatment.
19. Action by Underwriters. Any action under this Agreement taken by the Underwriters jointly will be binding upon all the Underwriters. In all dealings under this Agreement, the Representative shall act on behalf of each of the Underwriters and the parties hereto shall be entitled to act and rely upon any statement, request, notice or agreement on behalf of any Underwriter made or given by the Representative.
[THE NEXT PAGE IS THE SIGNATURE PAGE]
-35-
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to us four counterparts hereof, whereupon this letter and your acceptance shall represent a binding agreement among the Trust, the Guarantor and the several Underwriters.
Very truly yours, | ||||||
REGIONS FINANCING TRUST II | ||||||
By: REGIONS FINANCIAL | ||||||
CORPORATION, as Depositor | ||||||
By: | /s/ Eric Haas | |||||
Name: Eric Haas | ||||||
Title: Treasurer | ||||||
REGIONS FINANCIAL CORPORATION | ||||||
By: | /s/ Eric Haas | |||||
Name: Eric Haas | ||||||
Title: Treasurer |
Accepted as of the date hereof: | ||
/s/ Goldman, Sachs & Co. | ||
(Goldman, Sachs & Co.) | ||
On behalf of each of the Underwriters |
SCHEDULE I
Number of | ||||
Trust Preferred | ||||
Securities | ||||
to be | ||||
Underwriters | Purchased | |||
Goldman, Sachs & Co. | 280,000 | |||
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated | 140,000 | |||
Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc. | 140,000 | |||
Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC | 43,750 | |||
J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. | 43,750 | |||
UBS Securities LLC | 43,750 | |||
Guzman & Co. | 8,750 | |||
Total | 700,000 | |||
I-1
SCHEDULE II
Title of Securities:
6.625% Trust Preferred Securities of Regions Financing Trust II, fully and unconditionally guaranteed, on a subordinated basis, by Regions Financial Corporation (liquidation amount $1,000 per security)
Number of Securities:
700,000
Initial Public Offering Price:
$999.72 per Trust Preferred Security plus accumulated distributions, if any, from the date of original issuance
Purchase Price by Underwriters:
$999.72 per Trust Preferred Security plus accumulated distributions, if any, from the date of original issuance
Underwriters Compensation:
$10.00 per Trust Preferred Security
Specified Funds for Payment of Purchase Price:
Immediately available funds by wire
Stated Amount of Trust Common Securities:
$10,000
Declaration of Trust:
Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust, to be entered into on or before the Closing Date, among Regions Financial Corporation, as Depositor, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, as Property Trustee, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Delaware, as Delaware Trustee, Dana Nolan and Carl L. Gorday as Administrative Trustees, and the registered holders from time to time of the Trust Preferred Securities and the Trust Common Securities
II-1
Initial Assets of the Trust:
$700,010,000 aggregate principal amount of Regions Financial Corporations 6.625% Junior Subordinated Notes due 2077, to be issued pursuant to the Indenture referred to in the Underwriting Agreement to which this Schedule II is attached.
Closing Date:
April 27, 2007; 9:30 A.M. (New York City time)
Closing Location:
Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
125 Broad Street
New York, New York 10004
Address for Notices, etc.:
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
85 Broad Street
New York, New York 10004
Attn: Registration Department
(a) Free Writing Prospectuses Listed Pursuant to Section 5(B)(a)(iii):
Final Term Sheet, dated April 24, 2007, prepared and filed pursuant to Section 5(A)(a).
(b) Additional Documents Incorporated by Reference:
None.
II-2
Schedule III
[Insert Final Term Sheet]
III-1
ANNEX I
Pursuant to Section 6(f) of the Underwriting Agreement, the accountants shall furnish letters to the Underwriters to the effect that:
(i) They are an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Guarantor and its subsidiaries within the meaning of the Securities Act and the applicable published rules and regulations thereunder adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (the PCAOB);
(ii) In their opinion, the financial statements and any supplementary financial information and schedules (and, if applicable, financial forecasts and/or pro forma financial information) audited or examined by them and included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the related published rules and regulations thereunder; and, if applicable, they have made a review in accordance with standards established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants of the consolidated interim financial statements, selected financial data, pro forma financial information, financial forecasts and/or condensed financial statements derived from audited financial statements of the Guarantor for the periods specified in such letter, as indicated in their reports thereon, copies of which have been furnished to the Underwriters;
(iii) They have made a review in accordance with standards established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants of the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of income, consolidated balance sheets and consolidated statements of cash flows included in the Prospectus and/or included in the Guarantors Quarterly Report(s) on Form 10-Q covering periods after the latest full fiscal year and incorporated by reference into the Prospectus as indicated in their reports thereon, copies of which have been furnished to the Underwriters; and on the basis of specified procedures including inquiries of officials of the Guarantor who have responsibility for financial and accounting matters regarding whether the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements referred to in paragraph (vi)(A)(i) below comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the related published rules and regulations, nothing came to their attention that caused them to believe that the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements do not comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the related published rules and regulations;
(iv) The unaudited selected financial information with respect to the consolidated results of operations and financial position of the Guarantor for the five most recent fiscal years included in the Prospectus and/or included or incorporated by
1
reference in Item 6 of the Guarantors Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year agrees with the corresponding amounts (after restatement where applicable) in the audited consolidated financial statements for such five fiscal years which were included or incorporated by reference in the Guarantors Annual Reports on Form 10-K for such fiscal years;
(v) They have compared the information in the Prospectus under selected captions with the disclosure requirements of Regulation S-K and on the basis of limited procedures specified in such letter nothing came to their attention as a result of the foregoing procedures that caused them to believe that this information does not conform in all material respects with the disclosure requirements of Items 301, 302, 402 and 503(d), respectively, of Regulation S-K;
(vi) On the basis of limited procedures, not constituting an examination in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, consisting of a reading of the unaudited financial statements and other information referred to below, a reading of the latest available interim financial statements of the Guarantor and its subsidiaries, inspection of the minute books of the Guarantor and its subsidiaries since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, inquiries of officials of the Guarantor and its subsidiaries responsible for financial and accounting matters and such other inquiries and procedures as may be specified in such letter, nothing came to their attention that caused them to believe that:
(A) (i) the unaudited consolidated statements of income, consolidated balance sheets and consolidated statements of cash flows included or incorporated by reference in the Companys Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q incorporated by reference in the Prospectus do not comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Exchange Act and the related published rules and regulations, or (ii) any material modifications should be made to the unaudited consolidated statements of income, consolidated balance sheets and consolidated statements of cash flows included or incorporated by reference in the Guarantors Quarterly Report(s) on Form 10-Q incorporated by reference in the Prospectus for them to be in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles;
(B) any other unaudited income statement data and balance sheet items included in the Prospectus do not agree with the corresponding items in the unaudited consolidated financial statements from which such data and items were derived, and any such unaudited data and items were not determined on a basis substantially consistent with the basis for the corresponding amounts in the audited consolidated financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Guarantors Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year;
(C) the unaudited financial statements which were not included in the Prospectus but from which were derived the unaudited condensed financial statements referred to in clause (A) and any unaudited income statement data and
2
balance sheet items included in the Prospectus and referred to in clause (B) were not determined on a basis substantially consistent with the basis for the audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Guarantors Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year;
(D) any unaudited pro forma consolidated condensed financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus do not comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Securities Act and the published rules and regulations thereunder or the pro forma adjustments have not been properly applied to the historical amounts in the compilation of those statements;
(E) as of a specified date not more than five days prior to the date of such letter, there have been any decreases in interest-bearing deposits, non-interest bearing deposits, total deposits or stockholders equity, or in other items specified by the Representative, or any increases in long-term borrowings, or in other items specified by the Representative, in each case as compared with amounts shown in the latest balance sheet included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, except in each case for changes, increases or decreases which the Prospectus discloses have occurred or may occur or which are described in such letter; and
(F) for the period from the date of the latest financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus to the specified date referred to in clause (E) there were any decreases in net interest income or net income, or other items specified by the Representative, or any increases in any items specified by the Representative, in each case as compared with the comparable period of the preceding year and with any other period of corresponding length specified by the Representative, except in each case for increases or decreases which the Prospectus discloses have occurred or may occur or which are described in such letter; and
(vii) In addition to the examination or audit referred to in their report(s) included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus and the limited procedures, inspection of minute books, inquiries and other procedures referred to in paragraphs (iii) and (vi) above, they have carried out certain specified procedures, not constituting an examination or audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, with respect to certain amounts, percentages and financial information specified by the Representative which are derived from the general accounting records of the Guarantor and its subsidiaries, which appear in the Prospectus (excluding documents incorporated by reference) or in Part II of, or in exhibits and schedules to, the Registration Statement specified by the Representative or in documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus specified by the Representative, and have compared certain of such amounts, percentages and financial information with the accounting records of the Guarantor and its subsidiaries and have found them to be in agreement.
3