Underwriting Agreement, dated as of March 16, 2021, between the Company and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, as representative of the several underwriters
Exhibit 1.1
Execution Version
5,000,000 Shares
RENEWABLE ENERGY GROUP, INC.
COMMON STOCK, PAR VALUE $.0001 PER SHARE
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
March 16, 2021
March 16, 2021
Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC
c/o Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC
11 Madison Avenue
New York, New York 10010
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Renewable Energy Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Company), proposes to issue and sell to the several Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the Underwriters) 5,000,000 shares of its common stock, par value $.0001 per share (the Firm Shares). The Company also proposes to issue and sell to the several Underwriters not more than an additional 750,000 shares of its common stock, par value $.0001 per share (the Additional Shares) if and to the extent that Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC (Credit Suisse), as representative of the several Underwriters, shall have determined to exercise, on behalf of the Underwriters, the right to purchase such shares of common stock granted to the Underwriters in Section 2 hereof. The Firm Shares and the Additional Shares are hereinafter collectively referred to as the Shares. The shares of common stock, par value $.0001 per share, of the Company to be outstanding after giving effect to the sales contemplated hereby are hereinafter referred to as the Common Stock.
The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission) an automatic shelf registration statement (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) on Form S-3 (File No. 333-237201), including a prospectus, relating to the Shares. The registration statement, as at any given time, together with the amendments thereto to such time prior to the date of this Agreement, including the information (if any) deemed to be part of the registration statement at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430B under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), or at such time, as the case may be, is hereinafter referred to as the Base Prospectus. The Base Prospectus, as supplemented by the prospectus supplement in the form first used to confirm sales of Shares (or in the form first made available to the Underwriters by the Company to meet requests of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act) is hereinafter referred to as the Prospectus, and the term preliminary prospectus means any preliminary form of the Prospectus. If the Company has filed an abbreviated registration statement to register additional shares of Common Stock pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act (the Rule 462 Registration Statement), then any reference herein to the term Registration Statement shall be deemed to include such Rule 462 Registration Statement.
For purposes of this Agreement, free writing prospectus has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, Time of Sale Prospectus means the preliminary prospectus together with the documents and pricing information set forth in
Schedule II hereto, and broadly available road show means a bona fide electronic road show as defined in Rule 433(h)(5) under the Securities Act that has been made available without restriction to any person. As used herein, the terms Registration Statement, Base Prospectus, preliminary prospectus, Time of Sale Prospectus and Prospectus shall include the documents, if any, incorporated by reference therein as of the date hereof. The terms supplement, amendment, and amend as used herein with respect to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, the Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus shall include all documents subsequently filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), that are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein.
1. Representations and Warranties. The Company represents and warrants to and agrees with each of the Underwriters that:
(a) The Company is a well-known seasoned issuer (as defined in Rule 405) and meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the Securities Act.
(b) The Registration Statement automatically became effective upon filing; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement is in effect, and no proceedings for such purpose or pursuant to Section 8A under the Securities Act are pending before or threatened by the Commission.
(c) (i) Each document, if any, filed or to be filed pursuant to the Exchange Act and incorporated by reference in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus complied or will comply when so filed in all material respects with the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (Exchange Act Regulations), (ii) the Registration Statement, when it became effective, did not contain and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not contain any 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, (iii) the Registration Statement and the Prospectus comply and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, (iv) the Time of Sale Prospectus does not, and at the time of each sale of the Shares in connection with the offering when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and at the Closing Date (as defined in Section 4), the Time of Sale Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented by the Company, if applicable, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, (v) each broadly available road show, if any, when considered together with the Time of Sale Prospectus, does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading and (vi) the Prospectus does not contain and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that the representations and warranties set forth in this paragraph do not apply to statements or omissions in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus based upon the Underwriter Information.
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(d) The Company is not an ineligible issuer in connection with the offering pursuant to Rules 164, 405 and 433 under the Securities Act. Any free writing prospectus that the Company is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act has been, or will be, filed with the Commission in accordance with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. Each free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act or that was prepared by or on behalf of or used or referred to by the Company complies or will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. Except for the free writing prospectuses, if any, identified in Schedule II hereto, and electronic road shows, if any, each furnished to Credit Suisse before first use, the Company has not prepared, used or referred to, and will not, without Credit Suisses prior consent, prepare, use or refer to, any free writing prospectus.
(e) The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, with full corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus to execute and deliver this Agreement and to issue, sell and deliver the Shares to be sold by it pursuant hereto as contemplated herein; and the Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to be so qualified or to be in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect (as defined below).
(f) The authorized, issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are as set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus in the column entitled Actual under the caption Capitalization (except for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to this Agreement, pursuant to reservations, agreements or employee benefit plans referred to in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus or pursuant to the exercise of convertible securities or options referred to in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus).
(g) The Company has no significant subsidiaries (as defined in Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X under the Exchange Act) other than those set forth on Schedule III (the Significant Subsidiaries); the Company owns, directly or indirectly, all of the issued and outstanding capital stock or other equity interests of each of its subsidiaries; other than the capital stock of its subsidiaries, the Company does not own, directly or indirectly, any shares of stock or any other equity interests or long-term debt securities of any corporation, firm, partnership, joint venture, association or other entity, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus;
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complete and correct copies of the charters and the bylaws (or similar organizational documents) of the Company and each Significant Subsidiary and all amendments thereto have been delivered to you, and except as set forth in the exhibits to the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, no changes therein will be made on or after the date hereof through and including the time of purchase or, if later, any additional time of purchase; each Significant Subsidiary has been duly incorporated, organized or formed and is validly existing as a corporation, limited liability company, or other entity in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, organization or formation, with full corporate or other power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus; each Significant Subsidiary is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation, limited liability company or other entity and is in good standing in each jurisdiction where the ownership or leasing of its properties or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified and in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; all of the outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity interests of each Significant Subsidiary have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable, have been issued in compliance with all applicable securities laws, were not issued in violation of any preemptive right, resale right, right of first refusal or similar right and are owned by the Company subject to no security interest, other encumbrance or adverse claims, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus; and no options, warrants or other rights to purchase, agreements or other obligations to issue or other rights to convert any obligation into shares of capital stock or ownership interests in the Significant Subsidiaries are outstanding.
(h) The Company has the power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to authorize, issue and sell the Shares as contemplated by this Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(i) The shares of Common Stock outstanding prior to the issuance of the Shares have been duly authorized and are validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and have been issued in compliance with all applicable securities laws.
(j) The Shares have been duly authorized and, when issued, delivered and paid for in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, and the issuance of the Shares will not be subject to any preemptive or similar rights, and no holder of such Shares will be subject to personal liability by reason of being such a holder. The Shares, when issued, will conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.
(k) There are no persons with registration rights or other similar rights to have any securities registered for sale or otherwise registered for sale or sold by the Company under the Securities Act pursuant this Agreement.
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(l) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (A) in violation of its charter, by-laws or similar organizational document, (B) in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound or to which any of the properties or assets of the Company or any subsidiary is subject, except for such defaults that would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, or (C) in violation of any law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any arbitrator, court, governmental body, regulatory body, administrative agency or other authority, body or agency having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective properties, assets or operations, except for such violations that would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. The execution and delivery by the Company of, and the performance by the Company of its obligations under (including the issuance and sale of the Shares and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Shares as described under the caption Use of Proceeds in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus), this Agreement will not contravene any provision of applicable law or the certificate of incorporation or by-laws of the Company or any agreement or other instrument binding upon the Company or any of its subsidiaries that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or any judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary, and no consent, approval, authorization or order of, or qualification with, any governmental body, agency or court is required for the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement, except (i) such as have been obtained or made under the Securities Act, (ii) such as may be required by the securities or Blue Sky laws of the various states in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares, (iii) such as may be required by The Nasdaq Global Select Market, or (iv) such consents, approvals, authorizations, filings or orders that will be obtained or completed on or prior to each Closing Date.
(m) There are no legal or governmental proceedings pending or threatened to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or to which any of the properties of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject (i) other than proceedings accurately described in all material respects in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and proceedings that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise or on the power or ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement or to consummate the transactions contemplated by each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus or (ii) that are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus and are not so described; and there are no statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents that are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not described or filed as required.
(n) Each preliminary prospectus filed as part of the Registration Statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto, or filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act, complied when so filed in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
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(o) The Company is not, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Shares and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus will not be, required to register as an investment company as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(p) There are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person granting such person the right to require the Company to file a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to any securities of the Company or to require the Company to include such securities with the Shares registered pursuant to the Registration Statement.
(q) (i) None of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates, or any director, officer, or employee thereof, or, to the Companys knowledge, any agent or representative of the Company or of any of its subsidiaries or affiliates, has taken or will take any action in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization or approval of the payment, giving or receipt of money, property, gifts or anything else of value, directly or indirectly, to any government official (including any officer or employee of a government or government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office) in order to influence official action, or to any person in violation of any applicable anti-corruption laws; (ii) the Company and each of its subsidiaries and affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with applicable anti-corruption laws and have instituted and maintained and will continue to maintain policies and procedures reasonably designed to promote and achieve compliance with such laws and with the representations and warranties contained herein; and (iii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries will use, directly or indirectly, the proceeds of the offering in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization of the payment or giving of money, or anything else of value, to any person in violation of any applicable anti-corruption laws.
(r) The operations of the Company and each of its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in material compliance with all applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including those of the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by Title III of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act), and the applicable anti-money laundering statutes of jurisdictions where the Company and each of its subsidiaries conduct business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the Anti-Money Laundering Laws), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.
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(s) (i) None of the Company, any of its subsidiaries, or any director, officer, or employee thereof, or, to the Companys knowledge, any agent, affiliate or representative of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, is an individual or entity (Person) that is, or is owned or controlled by one or more Persons that are:
(A) the subject of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. Department of the Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control, the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, Her Majestys Treasury, or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, Sanctions), or
(B) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of Sanctions (including, without limitation, Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria).
(ii) The Company will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other Person:
(A) to fund or facilitate any activities or business of or with any Person or in any country or territory that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject of Sanctions; or
(B) in any other manner that will result in a violation of Sanctions by any Person (including any Person participating in the offering, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise).
(iii) The Company and each of its subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in, are not now knowingly engaged in, and will not engage in, any dealings or transactions with any Person, or in any country or territory, that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject of Sanctions.
(t) Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is engaged in any unfair labor practice; except for matters which would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, and (i) there is (A) no unfair labor practice complaint pending or, to the Companys knowledge, threatened against the Company or any of its subsidiaries before the National Labor Relations Board, and no grievance or arbitration proceeding arising out of or under collective bargaining agreements is pending or, to the Companys knowledge, threatened, (B) no strike, labor dispute, slowdown or stoppage pending or, to the Companys knowledge, threatened against the Company or any of its subsidiaries and (C) no union representation dispute currently existing concerning the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, (ii) to the Companys knowledge, no union organizing activities are currently taking place concerning the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries and (iii) there has been no violation of any federal, state, local or foreign law relating to discrimination in the hiring, promotion or pay of
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employees, any applicable wage or hour laws or any provision of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder concerning the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, except in the case of clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) above, for matters which would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(u) Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has all necessary licenses, authorizations, consents and approvals and has made all necessary filings required under any applicable law, regulation or rule, in order to conduct their respective businesses as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, except where failure to hold such licenses, obtain such authorizations, consents and approvals or make any necessary filings, would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of, or in default under, or has received notice of any proceedings relating to revocation or modification of, any such license, authorization, consent or approval or any federal, state, local or foreign law, regulation or rule or any decree, order or judgment applicable to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, except where such violation, default, revocation or modification would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(v) The Company and each of its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all property (real and personal) described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus as being owned by any of them, free and clear of any material liens, claims, security interests or other encumbrances except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus; all the property described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus as being held under lease by the Company or a subsidiary is held thereby under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases.
(w) The Company and its subsidiaries own, or have obtained valid and enforceable licenses for, or other rights to use, the inventions, patent applications, patents, trademarks (both registered and unregistered), tradenames, service names, copyrights, trade secrets and other proprietary information described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus as being owned or licensed by them or which are necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses as currently conducted, except where the failure to own, license or have such rights would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect (collectively, Intellectual Property); (i) to the Companys knowledge, there is no material infringement by third parties of any Intellectual Property; (ii) there is no pending or, to the Companys knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the Companys material rights in or to any Intellectual Property; (iii) there is no pending or, to the Companys knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others challenging the validity, enforceability or scope of any material Intellectual Property; (iv) there is no pending or, to the Companys knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by others that the Company or any subsidiary infringes or otherwise violates, or would, upon the commercialization of any product or service described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus as under development, infringe or violate, any patent, trademark, tradename, service
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name, copyright, trade secret or other proprietary rights of others; and (v) the Company and its subsidiaries have complied with the material terms of each agreement pursuant to which Intellectual Property has been licensed to the Company or any subsidiary, and all such agreements are in full force and effect.
(x) The Company and its subsidiaries and their respective properties, assets and operations are in compliance with, and the Company and each of its subsidiaries hold all permits, authorizations and approvals required under, Environmental Laws (as defined below), except to the extent that failure to so comply or to hold such permits, authorizations or approvals would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; there are no past, present or, to the Companys knowledge, reasonably anticipated future events, conditions, circumstances, activities, practices, actions, omissions or plans that could reasonably be expected to give rise to any material costs or liabilities to the Company or any subsidiary under, or to interfere with or prevent compliance in all material respects by the Company or any subsidiary with, Environmental Laws; except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries (i) is, to the Companys knowledge, the subject of any investigation, (ii) has received any notice or claim, (iii) is a party to or affected by any pending or, to the Companys knowledge, threatened action, suit or proceeding, (iv) is bound by any judgment, decree or order or (v) has entered into any agreement, in each case relating to any alleged violation of or liability under any Environmental Law or any actual or alleged release or threatened release or cleanup at any location of or exposure to any Hazardous Materials (as defined below); and there are no proceedings that are pending or, to the Companys knowledge, threatened against the Company or any of its subsidiaries under any Environmental Law in which a governmental authority is also a party, other than such proceedings regarding which it is reasonably believed no monetary sanctions of $300,000 or more will be imposed (as used herein, Environmental Law means any federal, state, local or foreign law, statute, ordinance, rule, regulation, order, decree, judgment, injunction, permit, license, authorization or other binding requirement, or common law, relating to health, safety or the protection, cleanup or restoration of the environment or natural resources, including those relating to the distribution, processing, generation, treatment, storage, disposal, transportation, other handling or release or threatened release of Hazardous Materials, and Hazardous Materials means any material (including, without limitation, pollutants, contaminants, oils, hazardous or toxic substances or wastes) that is regulated by or may give rise to liability under any Environmental Law).
(y) (i) The Company and each of its subsidiaries have complied and are presently in compliance with all internal and external privacy policies, contractual obligations, industry standards, applicable laws, statutes, judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or other governmental or regulatory authority and any other legal obligations, in each case, relating to the collection, use, transfer, import, export, storage, protection, disposal and disclosure by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of personal, personally identifiable, household, sensitive, confidential or regulated data (Data Security Obligations, and such data, Data) except to the extent that failure to so comply would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; (ii) the Company has not received any notification of or complaint
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regarding and is unaware of any other facts that, individually or in the aggregate, would reasonably indicate non-compliance with any Data Security Obligation; and (iii) there is no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body pending or threatened against the Company or any of its subsidiaries alleging non-compliance with any Data Security Obligation.
(z) Except where failure to do so would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and each of its subsidiaries have taken all technical and organizational measures necessary to protect the information technology systems and Data used in connection with the operation of the Companys and its subsidiaries businesses. Without limiting the foregoing, the Company and its subsidiaries have used reasonable efforts to establish and maintain, and have established, maintained, implemented and complied with, reasonable information technology, information security, cyber security and data protection controls, policies and procedures, including oversight, access controls, encryption, technological and physical safeguards and business continuity/disaster recovery and security plans that are designed to protect against and prevent breach, destruction, loss, unauthorized distribution, use, access, disablement, misappropriation or modification, or other compromise or misuse of or relating to any information technology system or Data used in connection with the operation of the Companys and its subsidiaries businesses (Breach), except where the failure to do so would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. There has been no such Breach, and the Company and its subsidiaries have not been notified of and have no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in, any such Breach.
(aa) The financial statements included or incorporated by reference in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes thereto, comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Securities Act and present fairly the consolidated financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries as of the dates shown and its results of operations and cash flows for the periods shown, and such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered thereby except for any normal year-end adjustments in the Companys quarterly financial statements. The other financial information included in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus has been derived from the accounting records of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries and presents fairly in all material respects the information shown thereby. The selected financial data and the summary financial information of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus present fairly in all material respects the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements of the Company included or incorporated by reference therein. Except as may be included therein, no historical or pro forma financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus under the Securities Act or rules and regulation thereunder.
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(bb) Deloitte & Touche LLP, whose report on the consolidated financial statements of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, are independent registered public accountants as required by the Securities Act, the rules and regulations thereunder, the Exchange Act, the Exchange Act Regulations and by the rules of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.
(cc) The Company and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis maintain a system of internal control over financial reporting (as defined under Rule 13-a15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act Regulations) and a system of internal accounting controls that has been designed to provide reasonable assurances that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with managements general or specific authorization; (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with managements general or specific authorization; (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences; and (E) the interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and is prepared in accordance with the Commissions rules and guidelines applicable thereto. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, since the end of the Companys most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (1) no material weakness in the Companys internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (2) no change in the Companys internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Companys internal control over financial reporting. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis maintain an effective system of disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15 and Rule 15d-15 under the Exchange Act Regulations) that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commissions rules and forms, and is accumulated and communicated to the Companys management, including its principal executive officer or officers and principal financial officer or officers, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding disclosure. All disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, or incorporated by reference therein, regarding non-GAAP financial measures (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply with Regulation G of the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K of the Securities Act, to the extent applicable.
(dd) Except as otherwise stated therein, since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, (A) there has been no material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course
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of business (a Material Adverse Effect), (B) there have been no transactions entered into by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, other than those in the ordinary course of business, which are material with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, and (C) there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its capital stock.
(ee) There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Companys directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply in all material respects with any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith, including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.
(ff) All tax returns required to be filed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries have been timely filed, and all taxes and other assessments of a similar nature (whether imposed directly or through withholding) including any interest, additions to tax or penalties applicable thereto due or claimed to be due from such entities have been timely paid, other than those being contested in good faith and for which reserves required by GAAP have been created in the financial statements of the Company, except where the failure to timely file such returns or timely pay such assessments would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, and no tax deficiency has been determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries which, individually or in the aggregate, has had (nor does the Company nor any of its subsidiaries have any notice or knowledge of any tax deficiency which could reasonably be expected to be determined adversely to the Company or its subsidiaries and which could reasonably be expected to have) a Material Adverse Effect.
(gg) The Company and each of its subsidiaries maintain insurance covering their respective properties, operations, personnel and businesses as the Company reasonably deems adequate; such insurance insures against such losses and risks to an extent which is adequate in accordance with customary industry practice to protect the Company and its subsidiaries and their respective businesses; all such insurance is fully in force on the date hereof and will be fully in force at the time of purchase and each additional time of purchase, if any; neither the Company nor any subsidiary has reason to believe that it will not be able to renew any such insurance as and when such insurance expires.
(hh) Neither the Company nor any affiliate of the Company has taken, nor will the Company or any affiliate take, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed, or would be expected, to cause or result in, or which constitutes, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares or to result in a violation of Regulation M under the Exchange Act.
(ii) The Company (i) has not alone engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communication with any person and (ii) has not authorized anyone to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications. Testing-the-Waters Communication means any communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Section 5(d) or Rule 163B of the Securities Act.
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(jj) The Company has not received any notice from The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC regarding the delisting of the Common Stock from The Nasdaq Global Select Market.
(kk) Neither the Company nor any subsidiary has sent or received any communication regarding termination of, or intent not to renew, any of the contracts or agreements referred to or described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, and no such termination or non-renewal has been threatened by the Company or any subsidiary or, to the Companys knowledge, any other party to any such contract or agreement
(ll) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company (i) does not have any material lending or other relationship with any bank or lending affiliate of any Underwriter and (ii) does not intend to use any of the proceeds from the sale of the Shares to repay any outstanding debt owed to any affiliate of any Underwriter.
(mm) All statistical or market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company reasonably believes to be reliable and accurate, and the Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources to the extent required.
(nn) No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) included or incorporated by reference in any of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.
(oo) As of the time of each sale of the Shares in connection with the offering when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers, neither of (A) the Time of Sale Prospectus, and (B) any free writing prospectus, when considered together with the Time of Sale Prospectus, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
2. Agreements to Sell and Purchase. The Company hereby agrees to sell to the several Underwriters, and each Underwriter, upon the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained, but subject to the terms and conditions hereinafter stated, agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company the respective number of Firm Shares set forth in Schedule I hereto opposite its name at a purchase price of $63.65 per share (the Purchase Price).
On the basis of the representations and warranties contained in this Agreement, and subject to its terms and conditions, the Company agrees to sell to the Underwriters the Additional Shares, and the Underwriters shall have the right to purchase, severally
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and not jointly, up to 750,000 Additional Shares at the Purchase Price, provided, however, that the amount paid by the Underwriters for any Additional Shares shall be reduced by an amount per share equal to any dividends declared by the Company and payable on the Firm Shares but not payable on such Additional Shares. Credit Suisse may exercise this right on behalf of the Underwriters in whole or from time to time in part by giving written notice not later than thirty (30) days after the date of this Agreement. Any exercise notice shall specify the number of Additional Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters and the date on which such shares are to be purchased. Each purchase date must be at least one (1) business day after the written notice is given and may not be earlier than the closing date for the Firm Shares or later than ten (10) business days after the date of such notice. On each day, if any, that Additional Shares are to be purchased (an Option Closing Date), each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase the number of Additional Shares (subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as Credit Suisse may determine) that bears the same proportion to the total number of Additional Shares to be purchased on such Option Closing Date as the number of Firm Shares set forth in Schedule I hereto opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Firm Shares.
3. Terms of Public Offering. The Company is advised by Credit Suisse that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of their respective portions of the Shares as soon after the Registration Statement and this Agreement have become effective as in Credit Suisses judgment is advisable. The Company is further advised by Credit Suisse that the Shares are to be offered to the public initially at $67.00 a share (the Public Offering Price) and to certain dealers selected by Credit Suisse at a price that represents a concession not in excess of $2.01 a share under the Public Offering Price.
4. Payment and Delivery. Payment for the Firm Shares shall be made to the Company in Federal or other funds immediately available in New York City against delivery of such Firm Shares for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on March 19, 2021, or at such other time on the same or such other date as shall be designated in writing by Credit Suisse. The time and date of such payment are hereinafter referred to as the Closing Date.
Payment for any Additional Shares shall be made to the Company in Federal or other funds immediately available in New York City against delivery of such Additional Shares for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the date specified in the corresponding notice described in Section 2 or at such other time on the same or on such other date, in any event not later than April 15, 2021, as shall be designated in writing by Credit Suisse.
The Firm Shares and Additional Shares shall be registered in such names and in such denominations as Credit Suisse shall request not later than one (1) full business day prior to the Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be. The Firm Shares and Additional Shares shall be delivered to Credit Suisse on the Closing Date or an Option Closing Date, as the case may be, for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters, with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the transfer of the Shares to the Underwriters duly paid, against payment of the Purchase Price therefor.
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5. Conditions to the Underwriters Obligations. The obligations of the Company to sell the Shares to the Underwriters and the several obligations of the Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Shares on the Closing Date are subject to the following conditions.
(a) Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date:
(i) no order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be in effect, and no proceeding for such purpose or pursuant to Section 8A under the Securities Act shall be pending before or threatened by the Commission;
(ii) there shall not have occurred any downgrading, nor shall any notice have been given of any intended or potential downgrading or of any review for a possible change that does not indicate the direction of the possible change, in the rating accorded any of the securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries by any nationally recognized statistical rating organization, as such term is defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act; and
(iii) there shall not have occurred any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus that, in Credit Suisses judgment, is material and adverse and that makes it, in Credit Suisses judgment, impracticable to market the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospectus.
(b) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date a certificate, dated the Closing Date and signed by an executive officer of the Company, to the effect set forth in Sections 5(a)(i) and 5(a)(ii) above and to the effect that the representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement are true and correct as of the Closing Date and that the Company has complied with all of the agreements and satisfied all of the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder on or before the Closing Date.
The officer signing and delivering such certificate may rely upon the best of his or her knowledge as to proceedings threatened.
(c) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion and negative assurance letter of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, outside counsel for the Company, substantially in the form of Schedule V, dated the Closing Date.
(d) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion and negative assurance letter of Latham & Watkins LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, in form and substance satisfactory to you.
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(e) The Underwriters shall have received, on each of the date hereof and the Closing Date, a letter dated the date hereof or the Closing Date, as the case may be, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, from Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent public accountants, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants comfort letters to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus; provided that the letter delivered on the Closing Date shall use a cut-off date not earlier than the date hereof.
(f) The lock-up agreements, each substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto, between Credit Suisse and the persons listed on Schedule IV hereto relating to restrictions on sales and certain other dispositions of shares of Common Stock or certain other securities, delivered to Credit Suisse on or before the date hereof, shall be in full force and effect on the Closing Date.
(g) The several obligations of the Underwriters to purchase Additional Shares hereunder are subject to the delivery to Credit Suisse on the applicable Option Closing Date of the following:
(i) a certificate, dated the Option Closing Date and signed by an executive officer of the Company, confirming that the certificate delivered on the Closing Date pursuant to Section 5(b) hereof remains true and correct as of such Option Closing Date;
(ii) an opinion and negative assurance letter of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, outside counsel for the Company, dated the Option Closing Date, relating to the Additional Shares to be purchased on such Option Closing Date and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion and negative assurance letter required by Section 5(c) hereof;
(iii) an opinion and negative assurance letter of Latham & Watkins LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated the Option Closing Date, relating to the Additional Shares to be purchased on such Option Closing Date and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion and negative assurance letter required by Section 5(d) hereof;
(iv) a letter dated the Option Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, from Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent public accountants, substantially in the same form and substance as the letter furnished to the Underwriters pursuant to Section 5(e) hereof; provided that the letter delivered on the Option Closing Date shall use a cut-off date not earlier than two business days prior to such Option Closing Date; and
(v) such other documents as Credit Suisse may reasonably request with respect to the good standing of the Company, the due authorization and issuance of the Additional Shares to be sold on such Option Closing Date and other matters related to the issuance of such Additional Shares.
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6. Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants with each Underwriter as follows:
(a) To furnish to Credit Suisse, without charge, prior to 10:00 a.m. New York City time on the business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement and during the period mentioned in Section 6(e) or 6(f) below, as many copies of the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, any documents incorporated by reference therein and any supplements and amendments thereto or to the Registration Statement as Credit Suisse may reasonably request.
(b) Before amending or supplementing the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, to furnish to Credit Suisse a copy of each such proposed amendment or supplement and not to file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which Credit Suisse reasonably objects, and to file with the Commission within the applicable period specified in Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act any prospectus required to be filed pursuant to such Rule.
(c) To furnish to Credit Suisse a copy of each proposed free writing prospectus to be prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company and not to use or refer to any proposed free writing prospectus to which Credit Suisse reasonably objects.
(d) Not to take any action that would result in an Underwriter or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of the Underwriter that the Underwriter otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder.
(e) If the Time of Sale Prospectus is being used to solicit offers to buy the Shares at a time when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances, not misleading, or if any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which the Time of Sale Prospectus conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement then on file, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus to comply with applicable law, forthwith to prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to any dealer upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Time of Sale Prospectus so that the statements in the Time of Sale Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when the Time of Sale Prospectus is delivered to a prospective purchaser, be misleading or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will no longer conflict with the Registration Statement, or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.
(f) If, during such period after the first date of the public offering of the Shares as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Securities Act) is required by law to be
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delivered in connection with sales by an Underwriter or dealer, any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Securities Act) is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with applicable law, forthwith to prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to the dealers (whose names and addresses Credit Suisse will furnish to the Company) to which Shares may have been sold by Credit Suisse on behalf of the Underwriters and to any other dealers upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Prospectus so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus (or in lieu thereof the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) of the Securities Act) is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.
(g) To endeavor to qualify the Shares for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as Credit Suisse shall reasonably request.
(h) To make generally available, including by filing reports pursuant to the Exchange Act, to the Companys security holders and to Credit Suisse as soon as practicable an earnings statement covering a period of at least twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company occurring after the date of this Agreement which shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
(i) Whether or not the transactions contemplated in this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, to pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Companys counsel and the Companys accountants in connection with the registration and delivery of the Shares under the Securities Act and all other fees or expenses in connection with the preparation and filing of the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company and amendments and supplements to any of the foregoing, including all printing costs associated therewith, and the mailing or delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers, in the quantities hereinabove specified, (ii) all costs and expenses related to the transfer and delivery of the Shares to the Underwriters, including any transfer or other taxes payable thereon, (iii) the cost of printing or producing any Blue Sky or Legal Investment memorandum in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares under state securities laws and all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Shares for offer and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section 6(g) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky or Legal Investment memorandum, (iv) all filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters incurred in connection with the review and qualification of the offering of the Shares by the Financial Industry
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Regulatory Authority (provided that such fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters shall not be in an amount greater than $25,000), (v) all costs and expenses incident to listing the Shares on The Nasdaq Global Select Market, (vi) the cost of printing certificates representing the Shares, (vii) the costs and charges of any transfer agent, registrar or depositary, (viii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any road show undertaken in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Shares, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the preparation or dissemination of any electronic road show, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations with the prior approval of the Company, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company and any such consultants, and the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the road show, (ix) the document production charges and expenses associated with printing this Agreement and (x) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company hereunder for which provision is not otherwise made in this Section. It is understood, however, that except as provided in this Section, Section 8 entitled Indemnity and Contribution and the last paragraph of Section 10 below, the Underwriters will pay all of their costs and expenses, including fees and disbursements of their counsel, stock transfer taxes payable on resale of any of the Shares by them and any advertising or other expenses connected with any offers they may make.
(j) The Company has provided to Credit Suisse a properly completed and executed Certification Regarding Beneficial Owners of Legal Entity Customers, together with copies of identifying documentation, and the Company undertakes to provide such additional supporting documentation as each Underwriter may reasonably request in connection with the verification of the foregoing Certification.
The Company also covenants with each Underwriter that, without the prior written consent of Credit Suisse on behalf of the Underwriters, it will not, and will not publicly disclose an intention to, during the period ending sixty (60) days after the date of the Prospectus (the Restricted Period), (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, or (2) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise or (3) file any registration statement with the Commission relating to the offering of any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock. The restrictions contained in the foregoing sentence shall not apply to (A) the Shares to be sold hereunder, (B) the issuance by the Company of shares of Common Stock upon the exercise of an option or stock appreciation right, the vesting or settlement of restricted stock units or other equity awards granted under the Companys stock incentive or other equity award plans or the conversion of a security outstanding on the date hereof as described in each of the Time of Sale Prospectus and Prospectus, (C) any shares of Common Stock issued or options to purchase Common
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Stock or restricted stock units granted pursuant to existing employee benefit plans of the Company referred to in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, (D) shares of Common Stock or other securities of the Company issued in connection with any acquisition of assets or equity of another entity (whether by merger, consolidation, acquisition of equity interests or otherwise), provided that (x) the aggregate number of shares issued (or underlying any other securities issued) pursuant to this clause (D) shall not exceed five percent (5%) of the total number of outstanding shares of Common Stock immediately following the issuance of the Firm Shares hereunder and (y) the recipient(s) of any such shares or securities issued pursuant to this clause (D) during the Restricted Period either shall enter into an agreement substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit A hereto or shall otherwise be contractually bound by restrictions similar to this set forth in Exhibit A hereto or (E) facilitating the establishment of a trading plan on behalf of a shareholder, officer or director of the Company pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act, for the transfer of shares of Common Stock, provided that (i) such plan does not provide for the transfer of Common Stock during the Restricted Period and (ii) to the extent a public announcement or filing under the Exchange Act, if any, is required of or voluntarily made by the Company regarding the establishment of such plan, such announcement or filing shall include a statement to the effect that no transfer of Common Stock may be made under such plan during the Restricted Period.
7. Covenants of the Underwriters. Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, covenants with the Company not to take any action that would result in the Company being required to file with the Commission under Rule 433(d) a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter that otherwise would not be required to be filed by the Company thereunder, but for the action of the Underwriter.
8. Indemnity and Contribution. (a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its directors, its officers and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act and each affiliate of any Underwriter within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending or investigating any such action or claim) that arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or any amendment thereof, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, any issuer free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act, any Company information that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, any road show as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act (a road show), or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any Testing-the-Waters Communication, or arise out of, or are based upon, any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities or arise out of, or are based upon, any such untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company
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in writing by such Underwriter through Credit Suisse expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Underwriters through Credit Suisse consists of the information described as such in paragraph (b) below.
(b) Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company to such Underwriter, but only with reference to information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through Credit Suisse expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus, road show, or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto; it being understood and agreed upon that only such information furnished by the Underwriters consists of the following information in the Prospectus furnished on behalf of the Underwriters: the names and corresponding principal amounts set forth in the table of Underwriters under the first paragraph of text under the caption Underwriting, the concession figures appearing in the fifth paragraph under the caption Underwriting and the 12th and 13th paragraphs relating to stabilization by the Underwriters under the caption Underwriting (such information, the Underwriter Information).
(c) In case any proceeding (including any governmental investigation) shall be instituted involving any person in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to Section 8(a) or 8(b), such person (the indemnified party) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnity may be sought (the indemnifying party) in writing and the indemnifying party, upon request of the indemnified party, shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party and any others the indemnifying party may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of such counsel related to such proceeding. In any such proceeding, any indemnified party shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel or (ii) the named parties to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the indemnifying party and the indemnified party and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. It is understood that the indemnifying party shall not, in respect of the legal expenses of any indemnified party in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all such indemnified parties and that all such fees and expenses shall be reimbursed as they are incurred. Such firm shall be designated in writing by Credit Suisse, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 8(a), and by the Company, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 8(b). The indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party from
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and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by the second and third sentences of this paragraph, the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than thirty (30) days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request and (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding.
(d) To the extent the indemnification provided for in Section 8(a) or 8(b) is unavailable to an indemnified party or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each indemnifying party under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand from the offering of the Shares or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause 8(d)(i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause 8(d)(i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the offering of the Shares shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds from the offering of the Shares (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate Public Offering Price of the Shares. The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other hand 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 Company or by the Underwriters and the parties relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Underwriters respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 8 are several in proportion to the respective number of Shares they have purchased hereunder, and not joint.
(e) The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just or equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 8 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 that does not take account of the equitable considerations
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referred to in Section 8(d). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in Section 8(d) shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, 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 Section 8, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Shares underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages that 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 remedies provided for in this Section 8 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any indemnified party at law or in equity.
(f) The indemnity and contribution provisions contained in this Section 8 and the representations, warranties and other statements of the Company contained in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any termination of this Agreement, (ii) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, any person controlling any Underwriter or any affiliate of any Underwriter or by or on behalf of the Company, its officers or directors or any person controlling the Company and (iii) acceptance of and payment for any of the Shares.
9. Termination. The Underwriters may terminate this Agreement by notice given by Credit Suisse to the Company, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to or on the Closing Date or any Option Closing Date, as the case may be, (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on, or by, as the case may be, any of the New York Stock Exchange, the NYSE American, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Chicago Board of Options Exchange, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange or the Chicago Board of Trade, (ii) trading of any securities of the Company shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market, (iii) a material disruption in securities settlement, payment or clearance services in the United States shall have occurred, (iv) any moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by Federal or New York State authorities or (v) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities, or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis that, in Credit Suisses judgment, is material and adverse and which, individually or together with any other event specified in this clause (v), makes it, in Credit Suisses judgment, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offer, sale or delivery of the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus.
10. Effectiveness; Defaulting Underwriters. This Agreement shall become effective upon the execution and delivery hereof by the parties hereto.
If, on the Closing Date or an Option Closing Date, as the case may be, any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Shares that it has or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, and the aggregate number of Shares which
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such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase is not more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of the Shares to be purchased on such date, the other Underwriters shall be obligated severally in the proportions that the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule I bears to the aggregate number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the names of all such non-defaulting Underwriters, or in such other proportions as Credit Suisse may specify, to purchase the Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase on such date; provided that in no event shall the number of Shares that any Underwriter has agreed to purchase pursuant to this Agreement be increased pursuant to this Section 10 by an amount in excess of one-ninth of such number of Shares without the written consent of such Underwriter. If, on the Closing Date, any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Firm Shares and the aggregate number of Firm Shares with respect to which such default occurs is more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of Firm Shares to be purchased on such date, and arrangements satisfactory to Credit Suisse and the Company for the purchase of such Firm Shares are not made within thirty-six (36) hours after such default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company. In any such case either Credit Suisse or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date, but in no event for longer than seven (7) days, in order that the required changes, if any, in the Registration Statement, in the Time of Sale Prospectus, in the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected. If, on an Option Closing Date, any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Additional Shares and the aggregate number of Additional Shares with respect to which such default occurs is more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of Additional Shares to be purchased on such Option Closing Date, the non-defaulting Underwriters shall have the option to (i) terminate their obligation hereunder to purchase the Additional Shares to be sold on such Option Closing Date or (ii) purchase not less than the number of Additional Shares that such non-defaulting Underwriters would have been obligated to purchase in the absence of such default. Any action taken under this paragraph shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.
If this Agreement shall be terminated by the Underwriters, or any of them, because of any failure or refusal on the part of the Company to comply with the terms or to fulfill any of the conditions of this Agreement, or if for any reason the Company shall be unable to perform its obligations under this Agreement, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters or such Underwriters as have so terminated this Agreement with respect to themselves, severally, for all out-of-pocket expenses (including the fees and disbursements of their counsel) reasonably incurred by such Underwriters in connection with this Agreement or the offering contemplated hereunder.
11. Entire Agreement. (a) This Agreement, together with any contemporaneous written agreements and any prior written agreements (to the extent not superseded by this Agreement) that relate to the offering of the Shares, represents the entire agreement between the Company and the Underwriters with respect to the preparation of any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, the conduct of the offering, and the purchase and sale of the Shares.
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(b) The Company acknowledges that in connection with the offering of the Shares: (i) the Underwriters have acted at arms length, are not agents of, and owe no fiduciary duties to, the Company or any other person, (ii) the Underwriters owe the Company only those duties and obligations set forth in this Agreement, any contemporaneous written agreements and prior written agreements (to the extent not superseded by this Agreement), if any, (iii) the Underwriters may have interests that differ from those of the Company, and (iv) none of the activities of the Underwriters in connection with the transactions contemplated herein constitutes a recommendation, investment advice, or solicitation of any action by the Underwriters with respect to any entity or natural person. The Company waives to the full extent permitted by applicable law any claims it may have against the Underwriters arising from an alleged breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the offering of the Shares.
12. Compliance with USA Patriot Act. In accordance with the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)), the Underwriters are required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies their respective clients, including the Company, which information may include the name and address of their respective clients, as well as other information that will allow the Underwriters to properly identify their respective clients.
13. Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes. (a) In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer from such Underwriter of this Agreement, and any interest and obligation in or under this Agreement, will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement, and any such interest and obligation, were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.
(b) In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity or a BHC Act Affiliate of such Underwriter becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under this Agreement that may be exercised against such Underwriter are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.
For purposes of this Section: (A) a BHC Act Affiliate has the meaning assigned to the term affiliate in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k); (B) Covered Entity means any of the following: (i) a covered entity as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b); (ii) a covered bank as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or (iii) a covered FSI as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b); (C) Default Right has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable; and (D) U.S. Special Resolution Regime means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
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14. Research Analyst Independence. The Company acknowledges that the Underwriters research analysts and research departments are required to be independent from their respective investment banking divisions and are subject to certain regulations and internal policies, and that such Underwriters research analysts may hold views and make statements or investment recommendations and/or publish research reports with respect to the Company, its subsidiaries and/or the offering of the Shares that differ from the views of their respective investment banking divisions. The Company hereby waives and releases, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that the Company may have against the Underwriters with respect to any conflict of interest that may arise from the fact that the views expressed by their independent research analysts and research departments may be different from or inconsistent with the views or advice communicated to the Company by such Underwriters investment banking divisions. The Company acknowledges that each of the Underwriters is a full service securities firm and as such from time to time, subject to applicable securities laws, may effect transactions for its own account or the account of its customers and hold long or short positions in debt or equity securities of the companies that may be the subject of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
15. Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in two (2) or more counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument. Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including any electronic signature covered by the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, the Electronic Signatures and Records Act or other applicable law, e.g., www.docusign.com) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.
16. Applicable Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York.
17. Headings. The headings of the sections of this Agreement have been inserted for convenience of reference only and shall not be deemed a part of this Agreement.
18. Notices. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and effective only upon receipt and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered, mailed or sent to Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Eleven Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10010-3629, Attention: CM&A; and if to the Company shall be delivered, mailed or sent to 416 South Bell Avenue, Ames, Iowa 50010, attention: General Counsel, with a copy by email to ***@***, and an additional copy to Justin Hovey, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, 4 Embarcadero Ctr, 22nd Floor, San Francisco California 94111.
[Remainder of page intentionally left blank; signature page follows.]
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Very truly yours, | ||
RENEWABLE ENERGY GROUP, INC. | ||
By: | /s/ Todd Robinson | |
Name: Todd Robinson | ||
Title: Interim CFO |
Accepted as of the date hereof
Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC
Acting on behalf of itself and the several Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto. | ||
By: | CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) LLC | |
By: | /s/ Rebecca Kotkin | |
Name: Rebecca Kotkin | ||
Title: Director |
[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]
SCHEDULE I
Underwriter | Number of Firm Shares To Be Purchased | |||
Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC | 2,250,000 | |||
BofA Securities, Inc. | 1,250,000 | |||
Guggenheim Securities, LLC | 1,000,000 | |||
Piper Sandler & Co. | 250,000 | |||
Roth Capital Partners, LLC | 250,000 | |||
|
| |||
Total: | 5,000,000 | |||
|
|
I-1
SCHEDULE II
Time of Sale Prospectus
Preliminary Prospectus issued March 16, 2021.
Free writing prospectuses filed by the Company under Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act:
| None. |
Pricing Information conveyed orally by the Underwriters:
| The public offering price per share for the Shares is $67.00. |
II-1
SCHEDULE III
List of Significant Subsidiaries
REG Capital, LLC
REG Geismar, LLC
REG Marketing & Logistics Group, LLC
REG Seneca, LLC
REG Synthetic Fuels, LLC
REG International Trading and Commodities B.V.
III-1
SCHEDULE IV
List of Persons Subject to Lock-up
Cynthia J. Warner
Todd Robinson
Chad Stone
Brad Albin
Eric M. Bowen
Todd M. Samuels
Jeffrey Stroburg
Randolph L. Howard
Delbert Christensen
Peter J.M. Harding
Debora M. Frodl
Michael Scharf
Christopher Sorrells
James C. Borel
Walter Berger
IV-1
SCHEDULE V
Opinion Points of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
See attached
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EXHIBIT A
[FORM OF LOCK-UP AGREEMENT]
March 16, 2021
Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC
c/o Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC
11 Madison Avenue
New York, New York 10010
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned understands that Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC (Credit Suisse), as representative of the several Underwriters (defined below), proposes to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the Underwriting Agreement) with Renewable Energy Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Company), providing for the public offering (the Public Offering) by the several Underwriters, including Credit Suisse (the Underwriters), of shares (the Shares) of the common stock, par value $.0001 per share, of the Company (the Common Stock).
To induce the Underwriters that may participate in the Public Offering to continue their efforts in connection with the Public Offering, the undersigned hereby agrees that, without the prior written consent of Credit Suisse on behalf of the Underwriters, it will not, and will not publicly disclose an intention to, during the period commencing on the date hereof and ending 60 days after the date of the final prospectus (the Restricted Period) relating to the Public Offering (the Prospectus), (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock beneficially owned (as such term is used in Rule 13d-3 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act)), by the undersigned or any other securities so owned convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or (2) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (a) transactions relating to shares of Common Stock or other securities acquired in open market transactions after the completion of the Public Offering, provided that no filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act shall be required or shall be voluntarily made in connection with subsequent sales of Common Stock or other securities acquired in such open market transactions; (b) transfers of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into Common Stock as a bona fide gift; (c) distributions of shares of Common
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Stock or any security convertible into Common Stock to limited partners or stockholders of the undersigned; (d) transfers of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into Common Stock to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned (for purposes of this lock-up agreement, immediate family shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage or adoption, not more remote than first cousin); provided that in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clause (b), (c) or (d), (i) each donee or distributee shall sign and deliver a lock-up agreement substantially in the form of this agreement and (ii) no filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of shares of Common Stock, shall be required or shall be voluntarily made during the Restricted Period; (e) (i) the receipt by the undersigned from the Company of shares of Common Stock upon the exercise of options or stock appreciation rights or the vesting or settlement of restricted stock units or other equity awards granted under a stock incentive plan or other equity award plan that is described in the Prospectus (provided that, for the avoidance of doubt, this subsection (i) contemplates only the receipt of shares by the undersigned and not a transfer) or (ii) the disposition of shares of Common Stock to the Company, or the withholding of shares of Common Stock by the Company, in connection with the exercise of options, including net or cashless exercises, or the vesting or settlement of restricted stock units or other rights to acquire shares of Common Stock, to cover tax withholding obligations of the undersigned as a result of the exercise of any such options or vesting or settlement of such restricted stock units or other rights to acquire shares of Common Stock, in each case of (i) and (ii) pursuant to equity awards granted under a stock incentive plan or other equity award plan that is described in the Prospectus, and provided that (A) any shares of Common Stock received upon such exercise, vesting or settlement, in each case, that are not transferred or disposed of to cover any such tax obligations shall be subject to the terms of this Lock-Up Agreement and (B) any filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act or any other public filing or disclosure of such transfer by or on behalf of the undersigned that occurs during the Restricted Period shall clearly indicate in the footnotes thereto the nature and conditions of such transfer; or (f) facilitating the establishment of a trading plan on behalf of a stockholder, officer or director of the Company pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act for the transfer of shares of Common Stock (other than in instances covered by (e) above), provided that (i) such plan does not provide for the transfer of Common Stock during the Restricted Period and (ii) to the extent a public announcement or filing under the Exchange Act, if any, is required of or voluntarily made by or on behalf of the undersigned or the Company regarding the establishment of such plan, such announcement or filing shall include a statement to the effect that no transfer of Common Stock may be made under such plan during the Restricted Period. In addition, the undersigned agrees that, without the prior written consent of Credit Suisse on behalf of the Underwriters, it will not, during the Restricted Period, make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to, the registration of any shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock. The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Companys transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of the undersigneds shares of Common Stock except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.
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The undersigned understands that the Company and the Underwriters are relying upon this agreement in proceeding toward consummation of the Public Offering. The undersigned further understands that this agreement is irrevocable and shall be binding upon the undersigneds heirs, legal representatives, successors and assigns.
The undersigned acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters have not provided any recommendation or investment advice nor have the Underwriters solicited any action from the undersigned with respect to the Public Offering of the Shares and the undersigned has consulted their own legal, accounting, financial, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent deemed appropriate. The undersigned further acknowledges and agrees that, although the Underwriters may provide certain Regulation Best Interest and Form CRS disclosures or other related documentation to you in connection with the Public Offering, the Underwriters are not making a recommendation to you to participate in the Public Offering, and nothing set forth in such disclosures or documentation is intended to suggest that any Underwriter is making such a recommendation.
Whether or not the Public Offering actually occurs depends on a number of factors, including market conditions. Any Public Offering will only be made pursuant to an Underwriting Agreement, the terms of which are subject to negotiation between the Company and the Underwriters.
The undersigned hereby consents to receipt of this agreement in electronic form and understands and agrees that this agreement may be signed electronically. In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission, electronic mail, or otherwise by electronic transmission evidencing an intent to sign this agreement, such facsimile transmission, electronic mail or other electronic transmission shall create a valid and binding obligation of the undersigned with the same force and effect as if such signature were an original. Execution and delivery of this agreement by facsimile transmission, electronic mail or other electronic transmission is legal, valid and binding for all purposes.
This agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
Very truly yours, |
(Name) |
(Title) |
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