Underwriting Agreement, dated May 20, 2020, by and between the Company and Jefferies LLC, as underwriter

Contract Categories: Business Finance - Underwriting Agreements
EX-1.1 2 d916767dex11.htm EX-1.1 EX-1.1

Exhibit 1.1

5,612,903 Shares of Common Stock

Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc.

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

May 20, 2020

JEFFERIES LLC

520 Madison Avenue

New York, New York 10022

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Introductory. Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to Jefferies LLC (the “Underwriter”) an aggregate of 5,612,903 shares of its common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Shares”). The 5,612,903 Shares to be sold by the Company are called the “Firm Shares.” In addition, the Company has granted to the Underwriter an option to purchase up to an additional 841,935 Shares as provided in Section 2. The additional 841,935 Shares to be sold by the Company pursuant to such option are collectively called the “Optional Shares.” The Firm Shares and, if and to the extent such option is exercised, the Optional Shares are collectively called the “Offered Shares.”

The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a shelf registration statement on Form S-3, File No. 333-238138, including a base prospectus (the “Base Prospectus”) to be used in connection with the public offering and sale of the Offered Shares. Such registration statement, as amended, including the financial statements, exhibits and schedules thereto, in the form in which it became effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”), including all documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein and any information deemed to be a part thereof at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430A or 430B under the Securities Act, is called the “Registration Statement.” Any registration statement filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act in connection with the offer and sale of the Offered Shares is called the “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement,” and from and after the date and time of filing of any such Rule 462(b) Registration Statement the term “Registration Statement” shall include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. The Base Prospectus and any other prospectus supplement to the Base Prospectus in preliminary form that describes the Offered Shares and the offering thereof and is used prior to the filing of the Prospectus (as defined below) is collectively called a “preliminary prospectus.” As used herein, the term “Prospectus” shall mean the final prospectus supplement to the Base Prospectus that describes the Offered Shares and the offering thereof (the “Final Prospectus Supplement”), together with the Base Prospectus, in the form first used by the Underwriter to confirm sales of the Offered Shares or in the form first made available to the Underwriter by the Company to meet requests of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act. References herein to the preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus shall refer to both the prospectus supplement and the Base Prospectus components of such prospectus. As used herein, “Applicable Time” is 4:40 p.m. (New York City time) on May 20, 2020. As used herein, “free writing prospectus” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, and “Time of Sale Prospectus” means the Base Prospectus, as amended or supplemented immediately prior to the Applicable Time, together with the free writing prospectuses, if any, identified in Schedule B hereto. As used herein, Road Show means a “road show” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act) relating to the offering of the Offered Shares contemplated hereby that is a “written communication” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act).


All references in this underwriting agreement (this “Agreement”) to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Base Prospectus and the Prospectus shall include the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein. All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which are “contained,” “included” or “stated” in, or “part of” the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Base Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, and all other references of like import, shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information which is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Base Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be. All references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Base Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to mean and include the filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”) that is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Base Prospectus, or the Prospectus, as the case may be. All references in this Agreement to (i) the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus, any amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing, or any free writing prospectus, shall include any copy thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System (“EDGAR”) and (ii) the Prospectus shall be deemed to include any “electronic Prospectus” provided for use in connection with the offering of the Offered Shares as contemplated by Section 3A(n) of this Agreement.

The Company hereby confirms its agreements with the Underwriter as follows:

Section 1. Representations and Warranties of the Company.

A. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company hereby represents, warrants and covenants to the Underwriter, as of the date of this Agreement, as of the First Closing Date (as hereinafter defined) and as of each Option Closing Date (as hereinafter defined), if any, as follows:

(a) Compliance with Registration Requirements. The Registration Statement has become effective under the Securities Act. The Company has complied, to the Commission’s satisfaction, with all requests of the Commission for additional or supplemental information, if any. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement is in effect and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, are contemplated or threatened by the Commission. At the time the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 29, 2019 (the “Annual Report”) was filed with the Commission, or, if later, at the time the Registration Statement was originally filed with the Commission, the Company met the then-applicable requirements for use of Form S-3 under the Securities Act. The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the Securities Act specified in the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) Conduct Rule 5110(B)(7)(C)(i). The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, or became effective under the Exchange Act, as the case may be, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act.

 

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(b) Disclosure. Each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus when filed complied in all material respects with the Securities Act and, if filed by electronic transmission pursuant to EDGAR, was identical (except as may be permitted by Regulation S-T under the Securities Act) to the copy thereof delivered to the Underwriter for use in connection with the offer and sale of the Offered Shares. Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time it became or becomes effective, complied and will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and did not and 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. As of the Applicable Time, the Time of Sale Prospectus (including any preliminary prospectus wrapper) did not, and at the First Closing Date (as defined in Section 2) and at each applicable Option Closing Date (as defined in Section 2), 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. The Prospectus (including any Prospectus wrapper), as of its date, did not, and at the First Closing Date and at each applicable Option Closing Date, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The representations and warranties set forth in the three immediately preceding sentences do not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto, or the Prospectus or the Time of Sale Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements thereto, made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information relating to the Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by the Underwriter expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information consists of the information described in Section 9(b) below. There are no contracts or other documents required to be described in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus or to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement which have not been described or filed as required.

(c) Free Writing Prospectuses; Road Show. As of the determination date referenced in Rule 164(h) under the Securities Act, the Company was not, is not or will not be (as applicable) an “ineligible issuer” in connection with the offering of the Offered Shares pursuant to Rules 164, 405 and 433 under the Securities Act. Each 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. 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 Rule 433 under the Securities Act, including timely filing with the Commission, retention and legending, as applicable, and each such free writing prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Offered Shares did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any preliminary prospectus unless such information has been superseded or modified as of such time. Except for the free writing prospectuses, if any, identified in Schedule B, and electronic road shows, if any, furnished to you before first use, the Company has not prepared, used or referred to, and will not, without your prior written consent, prepare, use or refer to, any free writing prospectus. Each Road Show, when considered together with the Time of Sale Prospectus, did not, as of the Applicable Time, 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.

(d) Distribution of Offering Material By the Company. Prior to the later of (i) the expiration or termination of the option granted to the Underwriter in Section 2 and (ii) the completion of the Underwriter’s distribution of the Offered Shares, the Company has not distributed and will not distribute any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Shares other than the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus or any free writing prospectus reviewed and consented to by the Underwriter, and the free writing prospectuses, if any, identified on Schedule B hereto.

 

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(e) The Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

(f) Authorization of the Offered Shares. The Offered Shares have been duly authorized for issuance and sale pursuant to this Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Company against payment therefor pursuant to this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, and the issuance and sale of the Offered Shares is not subject to any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights to subscribe for or purchase the Offered Shares.

(g) No Applicable Registration or Other Similar Rights. There are no persons with registration or other similar rights to have any equity or debt securities registered for sale under the Registration Statement or included in the offering contemplated by this Agreement, except for such rights as have been duly waived.

(h) No Material Adverse Change. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus: (i) there has not been any change in the long term-debt or any material change in the capital stock of the Company or its subsidiaries, or any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, set aside for payment, paid or made by the Company or its subsidiaries on any class of capital stock, or any material adverse change, or any development that could be expected to result in a material adverse change, in or affecting (A) the business, properties, management, financial position, results of operations or prospects, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, of the Company and the Company’s subsidiaries taken as a whole or (B) the ability of the Company to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or perform its obligations hereunder (any such change being referred to herein as a “Material Adverse Change”); (ii) none of the Company or any of the Company’s subsidiaries has entered into any transaction or agreement that is material to the Company and the Company’s subsidiaries taken as a whole, other than in the ordinary course of business, or incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the Company or any of the Company’s subsidiaries taken as a whole, other than in the ordinary course of business; and (iii) none of the Company or any of the Company’s subsidiaries has sustained any material loss or interference, individually or in the aggregate, with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor disturbance or dispute or any action, order or decree of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority.

(i) Independent Accountants. KPMG LLP, who have certified certain financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, are independent public accountants with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries within the applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Commission and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and as required by the Securities Act.

(j) Financial Statements. The financial statements filed with the Commission as a part of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the results of their operations, changes in stockholders’ equity and cash flows for the periods specified. Such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles as applied in the United States (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved, except as may be expressly stated in the related notes thereto. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto. No other financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus. The financial

 

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data incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus under the caption “Selected Financial Data” fairly present the information set forth therein on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus. To the Company’s knowledge, no person who has been suspended or barred from being associated with a registered public accounting firm, or who has failed to comply with any sanction pursuant to Rule 5300 promulgated by the PCAOB, has participated in or otherwise aided the preparation of, or audited, the financial statements, supporting schedules or other financial data filed with the Commission as a part of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.

(k) Companys Accounting System. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain systems of “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act and have been designed by, or are under the supervision of, their respective principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (1) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (2) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability; (3) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (4) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, there are no material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or 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 has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto. Except as disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, there has been no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially and adversely affected, or is reasonably likely to materially and adversely affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

(l) Disclosure Controls and Procedures. The Company and its subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, maintain an effective system of “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act) that is designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, including controls and procedures designed to ensure that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. The Company and its subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, have carried out evaluations of the effectiveness of their disclosure controls and procedures as required by Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act.

(m) Incorporation and Good Standing of the Company. The Company and each of the Company’s subsidiaries have been duly organized and are validly existing and in good standing under the laws of their respective jurisdictions of organization, are duly qualified to do business and are in good standing in each jurisdiction in which their respective ownership or lease of property or the conduct of their respective businesses requires such qualification, and have all power and authority necessary to own or hold their respective properties and to conduct the businesses in which they are engaged, except where the failure to be so qualified, in good standing or have such power or authority would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the business, properties, management, financial position, results of operations or prospects of the Company and the Company’s subsidiaries taken as a whole (a “Material Adverse Effect”).

 

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(n) Subsidiaries. Each of the Company’s “subsidiaries” (for purposes of this Agreement, as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) has been duly incorporated or organized, as the case may be, and is validly existing as a corporation, partnership or limited liability company, as applicable, in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization and has the power and authority (corporate or other) 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 of the Company’s subsidiaries is duly qualified as a foreign corporation, partnership or limited liability company, as applicable, to transact business and is in good standing in each 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 so qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. All of the issued and outstanding capital stock or other equity or ownership interests of each of the Company’s subsidiaries have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable and are owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance or adverse claim. None of the outstanding capital stock or equity interest in any subsidiary was issued in violation of preemptive or similar rights of any security holder of such subsidiary. The constitutive or organizational documents of each of the subsidiaries comply in all material respects with the requirements of applicable laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation or organization and are in full force and effect. The Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity other than the subsidiaries listed in Exhibit 21.1 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 29, 2019.

(o) Capitalization and Other Capital Stock Matters. The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus under the heading “Description of Our Capital Stock”; and all the outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity interests of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable (except as otherwise described in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus) and are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of any lien, charge, encumbrance, security interest, restriction on voting or transfer or any other claim of any third party, except for those disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus or as would otherwise not have a Material Adverse Effect.

(p) Stock Exchange Listing. The Company is subject to and in compliance in all material respects with the reporting requirements of Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act. The Shares are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act and are listed on The NASDAQ Global Select Market (the “NASDAQ”), and the Company has taken no action designed to, or likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Shares under the Exchange Act or delisting the Shares from the NASDAQ, nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission or the NASDAQ is contemplating terminating such registration or listing. To the Company’s knowledge, it is in compliance with all applicable listing requirements of NASDAQ.

(q) Non-Contravention of Existing Instruments; No Further Authorizations or Approvals Required. Neither the Company nor any of the Company’s subsidiaries is (1) in violation of its charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents; (2) in default, and no event has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a default, in the due performance or observance of any term, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of the Company’s subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of the Company’s subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of the Company’s subsidiaries is subject (each, an “Existing Instrument”);

 

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or (3) in violation of any applicable law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except, in the case of clauses (2) and (3) above, for any such default or violation that could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and the issuance and sale of the Offered Shares (including the use of proceeds from the sale of the Offered Shares as described in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds”) (i) have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and will not result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws, partnership agreement or operating agreement or similar organizational documents, as applicable, of the Company or any subsidiary (ii) except as otherwise disclosed in the Prospectus, will not conflict with or constitute a breach of, or a default (or with the giving of notice or lapse of time constitute a default) or a Debt Repayment Triggering Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, or require the consent of any other party to, any Existing Instrument and (iii) will not result in any violation of any law, administrative regulation or administrative or court decree applicable to the Company or any of its subsidiaries. Assuming the accuracy of, and the Underwriter’s compliance with, the representations, warranties and agreements of the Underwriter herein, no consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority is required for the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, and compliance by the Company with the terms thereof and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except for such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders and registrations or qualifications (1) as have been obtained, (2) as may be required under the Act and applicable state securities laws, or (3) under the Conduct Rules of FINRA in connection with the purchase and resale of the Offered Shares by the Underwriter. As used herein, a “Debt Repayment Triggering Event” means any event or condition which gives, or with the giving of notice or lapse of time would give, the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

(r) Compliance with Laws. The Company and its subsidiaries have been and are in compliance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations, except where failure to be so in compliance could not be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(s) No Material Actions or Proceedings. Except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, there are no legal, governmental or regulatory investigations, actions, suits or proceedings pending, or to the best knowledge of the Company threatened, to which the Company or any of the Company’s subsidiaries is or may be a party or to which any property of the Company or any of the Company’s subsidiaries is or may be the subject of that, individually or in the aggregate, if determined adversely to the Company or any of the Company’s subsidiaries, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and no such investigations, actions, suits or proceedings are threatened or, to the best knowledge (without having undertaken any independent inquiry) of the Company, contemplated by any governmental or regulatory authority or by others, except which, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(t) Intellectual Property Rights. The Company and the Company’s subsidiaries own, possess or license adequate rights to use any patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, trade names, trademark registrations, service mark registrations, copyrights, licenses and know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures) reasonably necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, except where the failure to own or possess such rights could not

 

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reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect; and the conduct of their respective businesses will not conflict with any such rights of others, except which, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and the Company and the Company’s subsidiaries have not received any notice of any claim of infringement of or conflict with any such rights of others, which infringement or conflict, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would have a Material Adverse Effect.

(u) All Necessary Licenses, Certificates, Permits, etc. The Company and the Company’s subsidiaries possess any licenses, certificates, permits and other authorizations issued by, and have made any declarations and filings with, the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory authorities that are reasonably necessary for the ownership or lease of their respective properties or the conduct of their respective businesses as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, except where the failure to possess or make the same could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of the Company’s subsidiaries has received notice of any revocation or modification of any such license, certificate, permit or authorization or has any reason to believe that any such license, certificate, permit or authorization will not be renewed in the ordinary course which, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling, or finding would have a Material Adverse Effect.

(v) Title to Properties. Except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company and the Company’s subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to, or have valid rights to lease or otherwise use, all items of real and personal property that are material to the respective businesses of the Company and the Company’s subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, claims and defects and imperfections of title except those that (1) do not materially and adversely affect the value of such property, (2) do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and the Company’s subsidiaries or (3) could not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(w) Tax Law Compliance. Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its subsidiaries have paid all federal, state, local and foreign taxes and filed all tax returns required to be paid or filed through the date hereof; and except as otherwise disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, there is no tax deficiency that has been, or could reasonably be expected to be, asserted against the Company or any of the Company’s subsidiaries or any of their respective properties or assets except which, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(x) Insurance. The Company and the Company’s subsidiaries have insurance in amounts and against such losses and risks as such party believes to be customary for companies engaged in similar business in similar industries and markets; and neither the Company nor any of the Company’s subsidiaries has (1) received written notice from any insurer or agent of such insurer that capital improvements or other expenditures are required or necessary to be made in order to continue such insurance or (2) any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be reasonably necessary to continue its business as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and at a cost that could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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(y) Compliance with Environmental Laws. (1) The Company and the Company’s subsidiaries (x) are, and at all prior times were, in compliance with any and all applicable federal, state, local and foreign laws, rules, regulations, requirements, decisions and orders relating to the protection of human health or safety, the environment, natural resources, hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (y) have received and are in compliance with all permits, licenses, certificates or other authorizations or approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses, and (z) have not received notice of any actual or potential liability under or relating to any Environmental Laws, including for the investigation or remediation of any disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, and have no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in any such notice; and (2) there are no costs or liabilities associated with Environmental Laws of or relating to the Company or the Company’s subsidiaries, except in the case of each of (1) and (2) above, for any such failure to comply, or failure to receive required permits, licenses or approvals, or cost or liability, as could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and (3) except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, (x) there are no proceedings that are pending, or that are known to be contemplated, against the Company or any of the Company’s subsidiaries under any Environmental Laws in which a governmental entity is also a party, other than such proceedings regarding which it is reasonably believed no monetary sanctions of $100,000 or more will be imposed and (y) none of the Company or the Company’s subsidiaries anticipates material capital expenditures relating to any Environmental Laws.

(z) ERISA Compliance. (1) Each employee benefit plan, within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), for which the Company or any member of its “Controlled Group” (defined as any organization which is a member of a controlled group of corporations within the meaning of Section 414 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”)) would have any liability (each, a “Plan”) has been maintained in compliance in all material respects with its terms and the requirements of any applicable statutes, orders, rules and regulations, including but not limited to ERISA and the Code; (2) no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred with respect to any Plan excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption; (3) for each Plan that is subject to the funding rules of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, no “accumulated funding deficiency” as defined in Section 412 of the Code, whether or not waived, has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur; (4) for each Plan that is subject to the funding rules of ERISA or the Code, the fair market value of the assets of each such Plan is not less than the present value of all benefits accrued under such Plan (determined based on those assumptions used to fund such Plan); (5) no “reportable event” (within the meaning of Section 4043(c) of ERISA) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur; and (6) neither the Company nor any member of the Controlled Group has incurred, nor reasonably expects to incur, any liability under Title IV of ERISA (other than contributions to the Plan or premiums to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, in the ordinary course and without default) in respect of a Plan (including a “multiemployer plan”, within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA).

(aa) Company Not an Investment Company. The Company is not, and will not be, either after receipt of payment for the Offered Shares or after the application of the proceeds therefrom as described under “Use of Proceeds” in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, required to register as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the Investment Company Act).

(bb) No Price Stabilization or Manipulation; Compliance with Regulation M. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has taken, directly or indirectly, without giving effect to activities by the Underwriter, any action designed to or that might be reasonably expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares or of any “reference security” (as defined in Rule 100 of Regulation M under the Exchange Act (Regulation M)) with respect to the Shares, whether to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Shares or otherwise, and has taken no action which would directly or indirectly violate Regulation M.

 

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(cc) Related-Party Transactions. There are no business relationships or related-party transactions involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any other person required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus that have not been described as required.

(dd) FINRA Matters. All of the information provided to the Underwriter or to counsel for the Underwriter by the Company, its counsel, its officers and directors and the holders of any securities (debt or equity) or options to acquire any securities of the Company in connection with letters, filings or other supplemental information provided to FINRA pursuant to FINRA Rules is true, complete and correct in all material respects. The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the Securities Act specified in FINRA Rule 5110(b)(7)(C)(i).

(ee) Parties to Lock-Up Agreements. The Company has furnished to the Underwriter a letter agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Lock-up Agreement”) from each of the persons listed on Exhibit B. Such Exhibit B lists under an appropriate caption the directors and executive officers of the Company. If any additional persons shall become directors or executive officers of the Company prior to the end of the Company Lock-up Period (as defined below), the Company shall cause each such person, prior to or contemporaneously with their appointment or election as a director or executive officer of the Company, to execute and deliver to the Underwriter a Lock-up Agreement.

(ff) Statistical and Market-Related Data. Nothing has come to the attention of the Company that has caused the Company to believe that the statistical and market-related data included in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus is not based on or derived from sources that the Company believes are reliable and accurate in all material respects.

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

(hh) No Unlawful Contributions or Other Payments. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, any employee or agent of the Company or any subsidiary, has made any contribution or other payment to any official of, or candidate for, any federal, state or foreign office in violation of any law or of the character required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.

(ii) Anti-Corruption and Anti-Bribery Laws. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, or employee of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any agent or affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has, in the course of its actions for, or on behalf of, the Company or any of its subsidiaries (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expenses relating to political activity; (ii) made or taken any act in furtherance of an offer, promise, or authorization of any direct or indirect unlawful payment or benefit to any foreign or domestic government official or employee, including of any government-owned or controlled entity or public international organization, or any political party, party official, or candidate for political office; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended (the “FCPA”), the UK Bribery Act 2010, or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption law; or (iv) made, offered, authorized, requested, or taken an act in furtherance of any unlawful bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment or benefit. The Company and its subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company, the Company’s affiliates have conducted their respective businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.

 

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(jj) Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are, and have been conducted at all times, in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all applicable jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar applicable rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened.

(kk) Sanctions. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any directors, officers, employees, agents or affiliates of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently the subject or the target of any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“OFAC”) or the U.S. Department of State, the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury of the United Kingdom, or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”); nor is the Company or any of its subsidiaries located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject or the target of Sanctions, including, without limitation, Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Syria; and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of this offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, or any joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of or business with any person, or in any country or territory, that at the time of such financing, is the subject or the target of Sanctions or in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of applicable Sanctions. For the past five years, the Company and its subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in and are not now knowingly engaged in any dealings or transactions with any person that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject or the target of Sanctions or with any Sanctioned Country.

(ll) Brokers. Neither the Company nor any of the Company’s subsidiaries is a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any person (other than this Agreement) that would give rise to a valid claim against any of them or the Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Shares.

(mm) Forward-Looking Statements. No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) included in any of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.

(nn) No Outstanding Loans or Other Extensions of Credit. The Company does not have any outstanding extension of credit, in the form of a personal loan, to or for any director or executive officer (or equivalent thereof) of the Company except for such extensions of credit as are expressly permitted by Section 13(k) of the Exchange Act.

(oo) Duties, Transfer Taxes, Etc. No stamp or other issuance or transfer taxes or duties and no capital gains, income, withholding or other taxes are payable by or on behalf of the Underwriter in the United States or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein in connection with the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement by the Company or the sale and delivery by the Company of the Offered Shares.

 

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(pp) Cybersecurity. The Company and its subsidiaries’ information technology assets and equipment, computers, systems, networks, hardware, software, websites, applications, and databases (collectively, “IT Systems”) are adequate for, and operate and perform in all material respects as required in connection with the operation of the business of the Company and its subsidiaries as currently conducted and, to the knowledge of the Company, is free and clear of all material bugs, errors, defects, Trojan horses, time bombs, malware and other corruptants. The Company and its subsidiaries have implemented and maintained commercially reasonable physical, technical and administrative controls, policies, procedures, and safeguards to maintain and protect their material confidential information and the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems and data, including “Personal Data,” used in connection with their businesses. “Personal Data” means (i) a natural person’s name, street address, telephone number, e-mail address, photograph, social security number or tax identification number, driver’s license number, passport number, credit card number, bank information, or customer or account number; (ii) any information which would qualify as “personally identifying information” under the Federal Trade Commission Act, as amended; (iii) any information which would qualify as “protected health information” under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (collectively, “HIPAA”); and (iv) any other piece of information that allows the identification of such natural person, or his or her family, or permits the collection or analysis of any data related to an identified person’s health or sexual orientation. There have been no breaches, violations, outages or unauthorized uses of or accesses to same, except for those that have been remedied without material cost or liability or the duty to notify any other person, nor any incidents under internal review or investigations relating to the same. The Company and its subsidiaries are presently in compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Personal Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Personal Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(qq) Compliance with Data Privacy Laws. Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate reasonably be, expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its subsidiaries are, and at all prior times were, in compliance with all applicable state and federal data privacy and security laws and regulations, including without limitation HIPAA, and the Company (collectively, the “Privacy Laws”). To ensure compliance with the Privacy Laws, the Company and its subsidiaries have in place, comply with, and take appropriate steps reasonably designed to ensure compliance in all material respects with their policies and procedures relating to data privacy and security and the collection, storage, use, disclosure, handling, and analysis of Personal Data (the “Policies”). The Company and its subsidiaries have at all times made all disclosures to users or customers required by applicable laws and regulatory rules or requirements, and none of such disclosures made or contained in any Policy have, to the knowledge of the Company, been inaccurate or in violation of any applicable laws and regulatory rules or requirements in any material respect. Neither the Company, nor any subsidiary: (i) has received notice of any actual or potential liability under or relating to, or actual or potential violation of, any of the Privacy Laws, and has no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in any such notice; (ii) is currently conducting or paying for, in whole or in part, any investigation, remediation, or other corrective action pursuant to any Privacy Law; or (iii) is a party to any order, decree, or agreement that imposes any obligation or liability under any Privacy Law.

(rr) Franchise Agreements. Each of the franchise agreements entered into by the Company or any of its subsidiaries and described or referred to in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus (collectively, the “Franchise Agreements”) is in full force and effect; to the Company’s knowledge, none of the persons or entities (the “Franchise Owners”) holding franchise rights from the Company or any of its subsidiary is in breach or violation of, or in default under (nor has any

 

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event occurred which with notice, lapse of time, or both would result in any breach or violation of, or constitute a default under) any such Franchise Agreement, except for any such breach, violation or default that would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; to the Company’s knowledge, no Franchise Owner has the right to terminate any Franchise Agreement prior to the termination of its stated term, and no event or circumstance has occurred which, with notice, lapse of time or both, would create such a right; and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received, or been threatened with, a termination notice from any Franchise Owner or any other party with respect to a Franchise Agreement, nor is the Company aware that any person or entity intends to furnish such a notice.

(ss) Franchise Owners and Franchises. To the Company’s knowledge: (i) each of the Franchise Owners and the franchises (collectively, the “Franchises”) operated by any of the Franchise Owners has all necessary licenses, authorizations, consents and approvals and has made all necessary filings required under any federal, state, local or foreign law, regulation or rule, and has obtained all necessary licenses, authorizations, consents and approvals from other persons, in order to conduct its business, except where the failure to obtain any such licenses, authorizations, consents or approvals or make any such filings could not be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Change; (ii) none of the Franchise Owners 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 (including those federal, state, local or foreign laws, regulations or rules applicable to reimbursement for healthcare or any related services) or any decree, order or judgment applicable to such Franchise Owner or the business conducted thereby, except where such violation, default, revocation or modification could not, individually or in the aggregate, be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change; and (iii) there are no actions, suits, claims, investigations or proceedings pending or threatened or contemplated to which any of the Franchise Owners is or would be a party or of which any of their respective properties is or would be subject at law or in equity, before or by any federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory commission, board, body, authority or agency, or before or by any self-regulatory organization or other non-governmental regulatory authority, except any such action, suit, claim, investigation or proceeding which could not result in a judgment, decree or order resulting, individually or in the aggregate, in a Material Adverse Change.

(tt) Dividend Restrictions. Except as disclosed in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, no subsidiary of the Company is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, under any agreement or other instrument to which it is a party or is subject, from paying dividends to the Company, or from making any other distribution with respect to such subsidiary’s capital stock or from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any of such subsidiary’s properties or assets to the Company or to any other subsidiary of the Company.

Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries and delivered to the Underwriter or to counsel for the Underwriter in connection with the offering, or the purchase and sale, of the Offered Shares shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to the Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.

The Company has a reasonable basis for making each of the representations set forth in this Section 1A. The Company acknowledges that the Underwriter and, for purposes of the opinions to be delivered pursuant to Section 6 hereof, counsel to the Company and counsel to the Underwriter, will rely upon the accuracy and truthfulness of the foregoing representations and hereby consents to such reliance.

 

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Section 2. Purchase, Sale and Delivery of the Offered Shares.

(a) The Firm Shares. Upon the terms herein set forth, the Company agrees to issue and sell to the Underwriter an aggregate of 5,612,903 Firm Shares. On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, and upon the terms but subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Underwriter agrees to purchase from the Company the number of Firm Shares set forth on Schedule A. The purchase price per Firm Share to be paid by the Underwriter to the Company shall be $7.75 per share.

(b) The First Closing Date. Delivery of certificates for the Firm Shares to be purchased by the Underwriter and payment therefor shall be made at the offices of Latham & Watkins LLP (or such other place as may be agreed to by the Company and the Underwriter) at 9:00 a.m. New York City time, on May 26, 2020, or such other time and date not later than 1:30 p.m. New York City time, on June 9, 2020 as the Underwriter shall designate by notice to the Company (the time and date of such closing are called the “First Closing Date”). The Company hereby acknowledges that circumstances under which the Underwriter may provide notice to postpone the First Closing Date as originally scheduled include, but are not limited to, any determination by the Company or the Underwriter to recirculate to the public copies of an amended or supplemented Prospectus or a delay as contemplated by the provisions of Sections 11 and 19.

(c) The Optional Shares; Option Closing Date. In addition, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, and upon the terms but subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Company hereby grants an option to the Underwriter to purchase up to an aggregate of 841,935 Optional Shares from the Company at the purchase price per share to be paid by the Underwriter for the Firm Shares, less an amount per share equal to any dividend or distribution declared by the Company and payable on the Firm Shares but not payable on Optional Shares. The option granted hereunder may be exercised at any time and from time to time in whole or in part upon notice by the Underwriter to the Company, which notice may be given at any time within 30 days from the date of this Agreement. Such notice shall set forth (i) the aggregate number of Optional Shares as to which the Underwriter is exercising the option and (ii) the time, date and place at which certificates for the Optional Shares will be delivered (which time and date may be simultaneous with, but not earlier than, the First Closing Date; and in the event that such time and date are simultaneous with the First Closing Date, the term “First Closing Date” shall refer to the time and date of delivery of certificates for the Firm Shares and such Optional Shares). Any such time and date of delivery, if subsequent to the First Closing Date, is called an “Option Closing Date,” and shall be determined by the Underwriter and shall not be earlier than two or later than five full business days after delivery of such notice of exercise. The Underwriter may cancel the option at any time prior to its expiration by giving written notice of such cancellation to the Company.

(d) Public Offering of the Offered Shares. The Underwriter hereby advises the Company that the Underwriter intends to offer for sale to the public, initially on the terms set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Offered Shares as soon after this Agreement has been executed as the Underwriter, in its sole judgment, has determined is advisable and practicable.

(e) Payment for the Offered Shares. (i) Payment for the Offered Shares to be sold by the Company shall be made at the First Closing Date (and, if applicable, at each Option Closing Date) by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the order of the Company.

(ii) It is understood that the Underwriter has been authorized, for its own account, to accept delivery of and receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Firm Shares and any Optional Shares the Underwriter has agreed to purchase.

 

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(f) Delivery of the Offered Shares. The Company shall deliver, or cause to be delivered to the Underwriter for its own account certificates for the Firm Shares at the First Closing Date, against release of a wire transfer of immediately available funds for the amount of the purchase price therefor. The Company shall also deliver, or cause to be delivered to the Underwriter, certificates for the Optional Shares the Underwriter has agreed to purchase at the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, against the release of a wire transfer of immediately available funds for the amount of the purchase price therefor. If the Underwriter so elects, delivery of the Offered Shares may be made by credit to the accounts designated by the Underwriter through The Depository Trust Company’s full fast transfer or DWAC programs. If the Underwriter so elects, the certificates for the Offered Shares shall be registered in such names and denominations as the Underwriter shall have requested at least two full business days prior to the First Closing Date (or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be) and shall be made available for inspection on the business day preceding the First Closing Date (or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be) at a location in New York City as the Underwriter may designate. Time shall be of the essence, and delivery at the time and place specified in this Agreement is a further condition to the obligations of the Underwriter.

Section 3. Additional Covenants of the Company.

A. Covenants of the Company. The Company further covenants and agrees with the Underwriter as follows:

(a) Delivery of Registration Statement, Time of Sale Prospectus and Prospectus. The Company shall furnish to you in New York City, 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 when a prospectus relating to the Offered Shares is required by the Securities Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule) in connection with sales of the Offered Shares, as many copies of the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus (promptly after it is filed in accordance with Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act) and any supplements and amendments thereto or to the Registration Statement as you may reasonably request.

(b) Underwriters Review of Proposed Amendments and Supplements. During the period when a prospectus relating to the Offered Shares is required by the Securities Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule), the Company (i) will furnish to the Underwriter for review, a reasonable period of time prior to the proposed time of filing of any proposed amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, a copy of each such amendment or supplement and (ii) will not amend or supplement the Registration Statement (excluding any amendment or supplement through incorporation of any report filed under the Exchange Act) without the Underwriter’s prior written consent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld). Prior to amending or supplementing any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus (including any amendment or supplement through incorporation of any report filed under the Exchange Act), the Company shall furnish to the Underwriter for review, a reasonable amount of time prior to the proposed time of filing or use of the proposed amendment or supplement, a copy of each such proposed amendment or supplement. The Company shall not file or use any such proposed amendment or supplement without the Underwriter’s prior written consent. The Company shall 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) Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company shall furnish to the Underwriter for review, a reasonable amount of time prior to the proposed time of filing or use thereof, a copy of each proposed free writing prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company, and the Company shall not file, use or refer to any proposed free writing prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto without the Underwriter’s prior written consent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld). The Company shall furnish to the Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by or referred to by the

 

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Company as the Underwriter may reasonably request. If at any time when a prospectus is required by the Securities Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule) in connection with sales of the Offered Shares (but in any event if at any time through and including the First Closing Date) there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at such time, not misleading, the Company shall promptly amend or supplement such free writing prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict or so that the statements in such free writing prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at such time, not misleading, as the case may be; provided, however, that prior to amending or supplementing any such free writing prospectus, the Company shall furnish to the Underwriter for review, a reasonable amount of time prior to the proposed time of filing or use thereof, a copy of such proposed amended or supplemented free writing prospectus, and the Company shall not file, use or refer to any such amended or supplemented free writing prospectus without the Underwriter’s prior written consent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld).

(d) Filing of Underwriter Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company shall not 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) Amendments and Supplements to Time of Sale Prospectus. If the Time of Sale Prospectus is being used to solicit offers to buy the Offered 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 so that the Time of Sale Prospectus does not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when delivered to a prospective purchaser, 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, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriter, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus to comply with applicable law, the Company shall (subject to Section 3A(b) and Section 3A(c) hereof) promptly prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriter 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 include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when delivered to a prospective purchaser, not misleading or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will no longer conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.

(f) Certain Notifications and Required Actions. After the date of this Agreement, the Company shall promptly advise the Underwriter in writing of: (i) the receipt of any comments of, or requests for additional or supplemental information from, the Commission; (ii) the time and date of any filing of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus or the Prospectus; (iii) the time and date that any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement becomes effective; and (iv) the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or any amendment or supplement to any preliminary

 

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prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus or the Prospectus, or of any proceedings to remove, suspend or terminate from listing or quotation the Shares from any securities exchange upon which they are listed for trading or included or designated for quotation, or of the threatening or initiation of any proceedings for any of such purposes. If the Commission shall enter any such stop order at any time, the Company will use its best efforts to obtain the lifting of such order at the earliest possible moment. Additionally, the Company agrees that it shall comply with all applicable provisions of Rule 424(b), Rule 433 and Rule 430B under the Securities Act and will use its reasonable efforts to confirm that any filings made by the Company under Rule 424(b) or Rule 433 were received in a timely manner by the Commission.

(g) Amendments and Supplements to the Prospectus and Other Securities Act Matters. If any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus so that the Prospectus does not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus is delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule) to a purchaser, not misleading, or if in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriter it is otherwise necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with applicable law, the Company agrees (subject to Section 3A(b) and Section 3A(c)) hereof to promptly prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriter and to any dealer upon request, amendments or supplements to the Prospectus so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus is delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule) to a purchaser, not misleading or so that the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law. Neither the Underwriter’s consent to, nor delivery of, any such amendment or supplement shall constitute a waiver of any of the Company’s obligations under Section 3A(b) or Section 3A(c).

(h) Blue Sky Compliance. The Company shall cooperate with the Underwriter and counsel for the Underwriter to qualify or register the Offered Shares for sale under (or obtain exemptions from the application of) the state securities or blue sky laws or Canadian provincial securities laws of those jurisdictions designated by the Underwriter, shall comply with such laws and shall continue such qualifications, registrations and exemptions in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Offered Shares. The Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to take any action that would subject it to general service of process in any such jurisdiction where it is not presently qualified or where it would be subject to taxation as a foreign corporation. The Company will advise the Underwriter promptly of the suspension of the qualification or registration of (or any such exemption relating to) the Offered Shares for offering, sale or trading in any jurisdiction or any initiation or threat of any proceeding for any such purpose, and in the event of the issuance of any order suspending such qualification, registration or exemption, the Company shall use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal thereof at the earliest possible moment.

(i) Use of Proceeds. The Company shall apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Offered Shares sold by it in the manner described under the caption “Use of Proceeds” in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.

(j) Transfer Agent. The Company shall engage and maintain, at its expense, a registrar and transfer agent for the Shares.

 

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(k) Earnings Statement. The Company will make generally available to its security holders and to the Underwriter as soon as practicable an earnings statement (which need not be audited) covering a period of at least twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company commencing after the date of this Agreement that will satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

(l) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. The Company will comply with the Securities Act and the Exchange Act so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Offered Shares as contemplated by this Agreement, the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company will, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Offered Shares is required by the Securities Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule), file on a timely basis with the Commission and the NASDAQ all reports and documents required to be filed under the Exchange Act.

(m) Listing. The Company will use its best efforts to list, subject to notice of issuance, the Offered Shares on the NASDAQ.

(n) Company to Provide Copy of the Prospectus in Form That May be Downloaded from the Internet. If requested by the Underwriter, the Company shall cause to be prepared and delivered, at its expense, within one business day from the effective date of this Agreement, an “electronic Prospectus” to be used by the Underwriter in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Shares. As used herein, the term “electronic Prospectus” means a form of Prospectus, and any amendment or supplement thereto, that meets each of the following conditions: (i) it shall be encoded in an electronic format, satisfactory to the Underwriter, that may be transmitted electronically by the Underwriter to offerees and purchasers of the Offered Shares; (ii) it shall disclose the same information as the paper Prospectus, except to the extent that graphic and image material cannot be disseminated electronically, in which case such graphic and image material shall be replaced in the electronic Prospectus with a fair and accurate narrative description or tabular representation of such material, as appropriate; and (iii) it shall be in or convertible into a paper format or an electronic format, satisfactory to the Underwriter, that will allow investors to store and have continuously ready access to the Prospectus at any future time, without charge to investors (other than any fee charged for subscription to the Internet as a whole and for on-line time). The Company hereby confirms that it has included or will include in the Prospectus filed pursuant to EDGAR or otherwise with the Commission and in the Registration Statement at the time it was declared effective an undertaking that, upon receipt of a request by an investor or his or her representative, the Company shall transmit or cause to be transmitted promptly, without charge, a paper copy of the Prospectus.

(o) Agreement Not to Offer or Sell Additional Shares. During the period commencing on and including the date hereof and continuing through and including the 60th day following the date of the Prospectus (such period, as extended as described below, being referred to herein as the “Lock-up Period”), the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Underwriter (which consent may be withheld in its sole discretion), directly or indirectly: (i) sell, offer to sell, contract to sell or lend any Shares or Related Securities (as defined below); (ii) effect any short sale, or establish or increase any “put equivalent position” (as defined in Rule 16a-1(h) under the Exchange Act) or liquidate or decrease any “call equivalent position” (as defined in Rule 16a-1(b) under the Exchange Act) of any Shares or Related Securities; (iii) pledge, hypothecate or grant any security interest in any Shares or Related Securities; (iv) in any other way transfer or dispose of any Shares or Related Securities; (v) enter into any swap, hedge or similar arrangement or agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, the economic risk of ownership of any Shares or Related Securities, regardless of whether any such transaction is to be settled in securities, in cash or otherwise; (vi) announce the offering of any Shares or Related Securities; (vii) submit or file any registration statement under the Securities Act in respect of any Shares or Related Securities (other than as contemplated by this Agreement with respect to the Offered Shares); (viii) effect a reverse stock split, recapitalization, share consolidation, reclassification or similar transaction affecting the outstanding

 

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Shares; or (ix) publicly announce the intention to do any of the foregoing; provided, however, that the Company may (A) effect the transactions contemplated hereby and (B) issue Shares or options to purchase Shares, or issue Shares upon exercise of options, pursuant to any stock option, stock bonus or other stock plan or arrangement described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, but only if the holders of such Shares or options, to the extent such holders are directors or executive officers of the Company, agree in writing with the Underwriter not to sell, offer, dispose of or otherwise transfer any such Shares or options during such Lock-up Period without the prior written consent of the Underwriter (which consent may be withheld in its sole discretion). For purposes of the foregoing, “Related Securities” shall mean any options or warrants or other rights to acquire Shares or any securities exchangeable or exercisable for or convertible into Shares, or to acquire other securities or rights ultimately exchangeable or exercisable for, or convertible into, Shares.

(p) Future Reports to the Underwriter. During the period of two years hereafter, the Company will furnish to the Underwriter, c/o Jefferies, at 520 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10022, Attention: Global Head of Syndicate: (i) as soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year, copies of the Annual Report of the Company containing the balance sheet of the Company as of the close of such fiscal year and statements of income, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for the year then ended and the opinion thereon of the Company’s independent public or certified public accountants; (ii) as soon as practicable after the filing thereof, copies of each proxy statement, Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, Current Report on Form 8-K or other report filed by the Company with the Commission, FINRA or any securities exchange; and (iii) as soon as available, copies of any report or communication of the Company furnished or made available generally to holders of its capital stock; provided, however, that the requirements of this Section 3A(p) shall be satisfied to the extent that such reports, statement, communications, financial statements or other documents are available on EDGAR.

(q) Investment Limitation. The Company shall not invest or otherwise use the proceeds received by the Company from its sale of the Offered Shares in such a manner as would require the Company or any of its subsidiaries to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.

(r) No Stabilization or Manipulation; Compliance with Regulation M. The Company will not take, and will ensure that no affiliate of the Company will take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares or any reference security with respect to the Shares, whether to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Shares or otherwise, and the Company will, and shall cause each of its affiliates to, comply with all applicable provisions of Regulation M.

(s) Enforce Lock-Up Agreements. During the Lock-up Period, the Company will enforce all agreements between the Company and any of its securityholders that restrict or prohibit, expressly or in operation, the offer, sale or transfer of Shares or Related Securities or any of the other actions restricted or prohibited under the terms of the form of Lock-up Agreement. In addition, the Company will direct the transfer agent to place stop transfer restrictions upon any such securities of the Company that are bound by such “lock-up” agreements for the duration of the periods contemplated in such agreements, including, without limitation, “lock-up” agreements entered into by the Company’s officers and directors pursuant to Section 6(h) hereof.

(t) Company to Provide Interim Financial Statements. Prior to the First Closing Date and each applicable Option Closing Date, the Company will promptly furnish the Underwriter, after it has been prepared or is available to the Company, a copy of any unaudited interim financial statements of the Company for any period subsequent to the period covered by the most recent financial statements appearing in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.

 

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The Underwriter may, in its sole discretion, waive in writing the performance by the Company of any one or more of the foregoing covenants or extend the time for their performance.

Section 4. Payment of Expenses. The Company agrees to pay all costs, fees and expenses incurred in connection with the performance of its obligations hereunder and in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including without limitation (i) all expenses incident to the issuance and delivery of the Offered Shares (including all printing and engraving costs), (ii) all fees and expenses of the registrar and transfer agent of the Shares, (iii) all necessary issue, transfer and other stamp taxes in connection with the issuance, sale and delivery of the Offered Shares to the Underwriter, (iv) all fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel, independent public or certified public accountants and other advisors, (v) all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation, printing, filing, shipping and distribution of the Registration Statement (including financial statements, exhibits, schedules, consents and certificates of experts), the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, each free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company, and each preliminary prospectus, and all amendments and supplements thereto, and this Agreement, (vi) all filing fees, attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred by the Company or the Underwriter in connection with qualifying or registering (or obtaining exemptions from the qualification or registration of) all or any part of the Offered Shares for offer and sale under the state securities or blue sky laws or the provincial securities laws of Canada, and, if requested by the Underwriter, preparing and printing a “Blue Sky Survey” or memorandum and a “Canadian wrapper”, and any supplements thereto, advising the Underwriter of such qualifications, registrations and exemptions, (vii) the reasonable and documented costs, fees and expenses incurred by the Underwriter in connection with determining their compliance with the rules and regulations of FINRA related to the Underwriter’s participation in the offering and distribution of the Offered Shares, including any related filing fees and the legal fees of, and disbursements by, counsel to the Underwriter (provided that the amount payable by the Company with respect to fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters pursuant to subsections (vi) and (vii) shall not exceed $40,000 in the aggregate), (viii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show”, 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, employees and officers of the Company and any such consultants, and the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the road show, (ix) the fees and expenses associated with listing the Offered Shares on the NASDAQ, and (x) all other fees, costs and expenses of the nature referred to in Item 14 of Part II of the Registration Statement. Except as provided in this Section 4 or in Section 7, Section 9 or Section 10 hereof, the Underwriter shall pay its own expenses, including the fees and disbursements of its counsel.

Section 5. Covenant of the Underwriter. The Underwriter covenants with the Company not to take any action that would result in 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 otherwise would not, but for such actions, be required to be filed by the Company under Rule 433(d).

Section 6. Conditions of the Obligations of the Underwriter. The obligations of the Underwriter hereunder to purchase and pay for the Offered Shares as provided herein on the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional Shares, each Option Closing Date, shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company set forth in Section 1 hereof as of the date hereof and as of the First Closing Date as though then made and, with respect to the Optional Shares, as of each Option Closing Date as though then made, to the timely performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to each of the following additional conditions:

 

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(a) Comfort Letter. On the date hereof, the Underwriter shall have received from KPMG LLP, independent registered public accountants for the Company, a letter dated the date hereof addressed to the Underwriter, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriter, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountant’s “comfort letters” to underwriters, delivered according to Statement of Auditing Standards No. 72 (or any successor bulletin), with respect to the audited and unaudited financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, and each free writing prospectus, if any.

(b) Compliance with Registration Requirements; No Stop Order; No Objection from FINRA. For the period from and after the date of this Agreement and through and including the First Closing Date and, with respect to any Optional Shares purchased after the First Closing Date, each Option Closing Date:

(i) The Company shall have filed the Prospectus with the Commission (including the information previously omitted from the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430B under the Securities Act) in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act; or the Company shall have filed a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement containing the information previously omitted from the Registration Statement pursuant to such Rule 430B, and such post-effective amendment shall have become effective.

(ii) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement shall be in effect, and no proceedings for such purpose shall have been instituted or threatened by the Commission.

(iii) If a filing has been made with FINRA, FINRA shall have raised no objection to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements.

(c) No Material Adverse Change or Ratings Agency Change. For the period from and after the date of this Agreement and through and including the First Closing Date and, with respect to any Optional Shares purchased after the First Closing Date, each Option Closing Date:

(i) in the judgment of the Underwriter there shall not have occurred any Material Adverse Change; and

(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 securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” as that term is used in Rule 15c3-1(c)(2)(vi)(F) under the Exchange Act.

(d) Opinion of Counsel for the Company. On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date the Underwriter shall have received the opinion and negative assurance letter of Kirkland & Ellis LLP, counsel for the Company, dated as of such date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriter.

(e) Opinion of Counsel for the Underwriter. On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date the Underwriter shall have received the opinion and negative assurance letter of Latham & Watkins LLP, counsel for the Underwriter in connection with the offer and sale of the Offered Shares, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriter, dated as of such date, with executed copies for each of the other Underwriter named on the Prospectus cover page.

 

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(f) Officers Certificate. On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, the Underwriter shall have received a certificate executed by the Chief Executive Officer or President of the Company and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, dated as of such date, to the effect set forth in Section 6(b)(ii) and further to the effect that:

(i) for the period from and including the date of this Agreement through and including such date, there has not occurred any Material Adverse Change;

(ii) the representations, warranties and covenants of the Company set forth in Section 1A of this Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made on and as of such date; and

(iii) the Company has complied with all the agreements hereunder and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such date.

(g) Bring-down Comfort Letter. On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date the Underwriter shall have received from KPMG LLP, independent registered public accountants for the Company, a letter dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriter, which letter shall: (i) reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished by them pursuant to Section 6(a), except that the specified date referred to therein for the carrying out of procedures shall be no more than three business days prior to the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be; and (ii) cover certain financial information contained in the Prospectus.

(h) Lock-Up Agreements. On or prior to the date hereof, the Company shall have furnished to the Underwriter an agreement in the form of Exhibit A hereto from each of the persons listed on Exhibit B hereto, and each such agreement shall be in full force and effect on each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date.

(i) Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. In the event that a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement is filed in connection with the offering contemplated by this Agreement, such Rule 462(b) Registration Statement shall have been filed with the Commission on the date of this Agreement and shall have become effective automatically upon such filing.

(j) CFO Certificate. On the date of this Agreement and on the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, the Company shall have furnished to the Underwriter a certificate, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof and addressed to the Underwriter, of its chief financial officer with respect to certain financial data contained in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, providing “management comfort” with respect to such information, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriter.

(k) Additional Documents. On or before each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, the Underwriter and counsel for the Underwriter shall have received such information, documents and opinions as they may reasonably request for the purposes of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Offered Shares as contemplated herein, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations and warranties, or the satisfaction of any of the conditions or agreements, herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the Offered Shares as contemplated herein and in connection with the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Underwriter and counsel for the Underwriter.

 

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If any condition specified in this Section 6 is not satisfied when and as required to be satisfied, this Agreement may be terminated by the Underwriter by notice from the Underwriter to the Company at any time on or prior to the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional Shares, at any time on or prior to the applicable Option Closing Date, which termination shall be without liability on the part of any party to any other party, except that Section 4, Section 7, Section 9 and Section 10 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.

Section 7. Reimbursement of Underwriters Expenses. If this Agreement is terminated by the Underwriter pursuant to Section 6 or Section 12, or if the sale to the Underwriter of the Offered Shares on the First Closing Date is not consummated because of any refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company to perform any agreement herein or to comply with any provision hereof, the Company agrees to reimburse the Underwriter upon demand for all out-of-pocket expenses that shall have been reasonably incurred by the Underwriter in connection with the proposed purchase and the offering and sale of the Offered Shares, including, but not limited to, fees and disbursements of counsel, printing expenses, travel expenses, postage, facsimile and telephone charges.

Section 8. Effectiveness of this Agreement. This Agreement shall become effective upon the execution and delivery hereof by the parties hereto.

Section 9. Indemnification.

(a) Indemnification of the Underwriter. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriter, its affiliates, directors, officers, employees and agents, and each person, if any, who controls the Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which the Underwriter or such affiliate, director, officer, employee, agent or controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, other federal or state statutory law or regulation, or the laws or regulations of foreign jurisdictions where Offered Shares have been offered or sold or at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation, if such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company), insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, or any amendment thereto, or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus that the Company has used, referred to or filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act, any Marketing Material or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement to the foregoing), or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary in order to make the statements, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and to reimburse the Underwriter and each such affiliate, director, officer, employee, agent and controlling person for any and all expenses (including the fees and disbursements of counsel) as such expenses are documented and reasonably incurred by the Underwriter or such affiliate, director, officer, employee, agent or controlling person in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action; provided, however, that the foregoing indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense to the extent, but only to the extent, arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to the Underwriter furnished to the Company by the Underwriter in writing expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any such free writing prospectus, any Marketing Material or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), it being understood and agreed that the only such information consists of the information described in Section 9(b) below. The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 9(a) shall be in addition to any liabilities that the Company may otherwise have.

 

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(b) Indemnification of the Company, its Directors and Officers. The Underwriter agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which the Company, or any such director, officer or controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, or at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation, if such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Underwriter), insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, or any amendment thereto, or 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 or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus that the Company has used, referred to or filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433 of the Securities Act or the Prospectus (or any such amendment or supplement) or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary in order to make the statements, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in the Registration Statement, such preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, such free writing prospectus or the Prospectus (or any such amendment or supplement), in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to the Underwriter furnished to the Company by the Underwriter in writing expressly for use therein; and to reimburse the Company, or any such director, officer or controlling person for any and all expenses (including the fees and disbursements of counsel) as such expenses are incurred by the Company, or any such director, officer or controlling person in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action. The Company hereby acknowledges that the only information that the Underwriter has furnished to the Company expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement to the foregoing) are the statements set forth in the ninth paragraph under the caption “Underwriting” in the Final Prospectus Supplement. The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 9(b) shall be in addition to any liabilities that the Underwriter may otherwise have.

(c) Notifications and Other Indemnification Procedures. Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 9 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against an indemnifying party under this Section 9, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof, but the omission to so notify the indemnifying party will not relieve the indemnifying party from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party to the extent the indemnifying party is not materially prejudiced as a proximate result of such failure and shall not in any event relieve the indemnifying party from any liability that it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement. In case any such action is brought against any indemnified party and such indemnified party seeks or intends to seek indemnity from an indemnifying party, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate in, and, to the extent that it shall elect, jointly with all other indemnifying parties similarly notified, by written notice delivered to the indemnified party promptly after receiving the aforesaid notice from such indemnified party, to assume the defense thereof with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party; provided, however, that if the defendants in any such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that a conflict may arise between the positions of the indemnifying party and the indemnified party in conducting the defense of any such action or that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, the indemnified party or parties shall have the right to select separate counsel to

 

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assume such legal defenses and to otherwise participate in the defense of such action on behalf of such indemnified party or parties. Upon receipt of notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of such indemnifying party’s election to so assume the defense of such action and approval by the indemnified party of counsel (not to be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned), the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party under this Section 9 for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof unless (i) the indemnified party shall have employed separate counsel in accordance with the proviso to the preceding sentence (it being understood, however, that the indemnifying party shall not be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate counsel (together with local counsel), representing the indemnified parties who are parties to such action), which counsel (together with any local counsel) for the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Underwriter (in the case of counsel for the indemnified parties referred to in Section 9(a) above) or by the Company (in the case of counsel for the indemnified parties referred to in Section 9(b) above) or (ii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party within a reasonable time after notice of commencement of the action or (iii) the indemnifying party has authorized in writing the employment of counsel for the indemnified party at the expense of the indemnifying party, in each of which cases the fees and expenses of counsel shall be at the expense of the indemnifying party and shall be paid as they are incurred.

(d) Settlements. The indemnifying party under this Section 9 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 against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense 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 Section 9(c) hereof, the indemnifying party shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 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, compromise or consent to the entry of judgment in any pending or threatened action, suit or proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity was or could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such action, suit or proceeding and does not include an admission of fault or culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of such indemnified party.

Section 10. Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in Section 9 is for any reason held to be unavailable to or otherwise insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount paid or payable by such indemnified party, as incurred, as a result of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriter, on the other hand, from the offering of the Offered Shares pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (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 (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriter, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriter, on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Offered Shares pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total proceeds

 

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from the offering of the Offered Shares pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company, and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriter, in each case as set forth on the front cover page of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of the Offered Shares as set forth on such cover. The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriter, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company, on the one hand, or the Underwriter, on the other hand, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses referred to above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth in Section 9(c), any legal or other fees or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with investigating or defending any action or claim. The provisions set forth in Section 9(c) with respect to notice of commencement of any action shall apply if a claim for contribution is to be made under this Section 10; provided, however, that no additional notice shall be required with respect to any action for which notice has been given under Section 9(c) for purposes of indemnification.

The Company and the Underwriter agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 10 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriter were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this Section 10.

Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 10, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriter in connection with the Offered Shares underwritten by it and distributed to the public. 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. For purposes of this Section 10, each affiliate, director, officer, employee and agent of the Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls the Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company.

Section 11. Reserved.

Section 12. Termination of this Agreement. Prior to the purchase of the Firm Shares by the Underwriter on the First Closing Date, this Agreement may be terminated by the Underwriter by notice given to the Company if at any time: (i) trading or quotation in any of the Company’s securities shall have been suspended or limited by the Commission or by the NASDAQ, or trading in securities generally on either the NASDAQ or the NYSE shall have been suspended or limited, or minimum or maximum prices shall have been generally established on any of such stock exchanges; (ii) a general banking moratorium shall have been declared by any of federal, New York or Florida authorities; (iii) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of national or international hostilities or any crisis or calamity, or any change in the United States or international financial markets, or any substantial change or development involving a prospective substantial change in United States’ or international political, financial or economic conditions, as in the judgment of the Underwriter is material and adverse and makes it impracticable to market the Offered Shares in the manner and on the terms described in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus or to enforce contracts for the sale of securities; (iv) in the judgment of the Underwriter there shall have occurred any Material Adverse Change; or (v) the

 

26


Company shall have sustained a loss by strike, fire, flood, earthquake, accident or other calamity of such character as in the judgment of the Underwriter may interfere materially with the conduct of the business and operations of the Company regardless of whether or not such loss shall have been insured. Any termination pursuant to this Section 12 shall be without liability on the part of (a) the Company to the Underwriter, except that the Company shall be obligated to reimburse the expenses of the Underwriter and the Underwriter pursuant to Section 4 or Section 7 hereof or (b) the Underwriter to the Company; provided, however, that the provisions of Section 9 and Section 10 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.

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

Section 14. Representations and Indemnities to Survive Delivery. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company, of its officers and of the Underwriter set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Underwriter or the Company or any of its or their partners, officers or directors or any controlling person, as the case may be, and, anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, will survive delivery of and payment for the Offered Shares sold hereunder and any termination of this Agreement.

Section 15. Notices. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be mailed, hand delivered or telecopied and confirmed to the parties hereto as follows:

 

If to the Underwriter:    Jefferies LLC
   520 Madison Avenue
   New York, New York 10022
   Facsimile: (646) 619-4437
   Attention: General Counsel
with a copy to:    Latham & Watkins LLP
   885 Third Avenue
   New York, New York 10022
   Facsimile: (212) 751-4864
   Attention: Marc Jaffe and Ian Schuman

 

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If to the Company:    Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc.
   1030 W. Canton Avenue, Suite 100
   Winter Park, Florida 32789
   Attention: Alice G. Givens
with a copy to:    Kirkland & Ellis LLP
   300 North LaSalle
   Chicago, IL 60654
   Facsimile: (312) 862-2200
   Attention: James S. Rowe and Elisabeth Martin

Any party hereto may change the address for receipt of communications by giving written notice to the others.

Section 16. Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and to the benefit of the affiliates, directors, officers, employees, agents and controlling persons referred to in Section 9 and Section 10, and in each case their respective successors, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder. The term “successors” shall not include any purchaser of the Offered Shares as such from the Underwriter merely by reason of such purchase.

Section 17. Partial Unenforceability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other section, paragraph or provision hereof. If any section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.

Section 18. Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes.

(a) In the event that the Underwriter is a Covered Entity and becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer from the 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 the Underwriter is a Covered Entity or a BHC Act Affiliate of the Underwriter becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under this Agreement that may be exercised against the 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 Agreement, (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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Section 19. Governing Law Provisions. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made and to be performed in such state. Any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby (“Related Proceedings”) may be instituted in the federal courts of the United States of America located in the Borough of Manhattan in the City of New York or the courts of the State of New York in each case located in the Borough of Manhattan in the City of New York (collectively, the “Specified Courts”), and each party irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction (except for proceedings instituted in regard to the enforcement of a judgment of any such court (a “Related Judgment”), as to which such jurisdiction is non-exclusive) of such courts in any such suit, action or proceeding. Service of any process, summons, notice or document by mail to such party’s address set forth above shall be effective service of process for any suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court. The parties irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or other proceeding in the Specified Courts and irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim in any such court that any such suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.

Section 20. General Provisions. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all prior written or oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each one of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument. This Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit. The section headings herein are for the convenience of the parties only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.

Each of the parties hereto acknowledges that it is a sophisticated business person who was adequately represented by counsel during negotiations regarding the provisions hereof, including, without limitation, the indemnification provisions of Section 9 and the contribution provisions of Section 10, and is fully informed regarding said provisions. Each of the parties hereto further acknowledges that the provisions of Section 9 and Section 10 hereof fairly allocate the risks in light of the ability of the parties to investigate the Company, its affairs and its business in order to assure that adequate disclosure has been made in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, each free writing prospectus and the Prospectus (and any amendments and supplements to the foregoing), as contemplated by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.

[Signature Pages Follow]

 

29


If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, kindly sign and return to the Company the enclosed copies hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts hereof, shall become a binding agreement in accordance with its terms.

 

Very truly yours,
RUTH’S HOSPITALITY GROUP, INC.
By:  

/s/ Cheryl J. Henry

  Name: Cheryl J. Henry
  Title:   President and Chief Executive Officer

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]


The foregoing Underwriting Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted by the Underwriter in New York, New York as of the date first above written.

 

JEFFERIES LLC
By:  

/s/ Michael A. Bauer

  Name: Michael A. Bauer
  Title:   Managing Director

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]


Schedule A

 

Underwriter   

Number of

Firm Shares

to be Purchased

 

Jefferies LLC

     5,612,903  
  

 

 

 

Total

     5,612,903  
  

 

 

 


Schedule B

Free Writing Prospectuses Included in the Time of Sale Prospectus

 

  1.

Free Writing Prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 433 dated May 20, 2020.


Exhibit A

Form of Lock-up Agreement

Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc.

Lock-Up Agreement

JEFFERIES LLC

520 Madison Avenue

New York, New York 10022

 

  Re:

Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc. — Lock-Up Agreement

Ladies and Gentlemen:

The undersigned understands that Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”) proposes to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Jefferies LLC (the “Underwriter”) providing for a public offering of the common stock of the Company (the “Shares”) pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-3 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on May 8, 2020 (Registration No. 333- 238138) (as so filed and as amended, the “Registration Statement”) and an accompanying prospectus supplement (the “Prospectus”).

In consideration of the agreement by the Underwriter to offer and sell the Shares, and of other good and valuable consideration the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the undersigned agrees that, during the period specified in the following paragraph (the “Lock-Up Period”), the undersigned will not, without the prior written consent of the Underwriter, (1) offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, grant any option to purchase, make any short sale or otherwise transfer or dispose of, except as provided hereunder, any shares of common stock of the Company, or any options or warrants to purchase any shares of common stock of the Company, or any securities convertible into, exchangeable for or that represent the right to receive shares of common stock of the Company, whether now owned or hereinafter acquired, owned directly by the undersigned (including holding as a custodian) or with respect to which the undersigned has beneficial ownership within the rules and regulations of the SEC (collectively the “Undersigned’s Shares”) or publicly disclose the intention to make any offer, sale, pledge or disposition of the Undersigned’s Shares or (2) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Shares or any such other securities. The foregoing restriction is expressly agreed to preclude the undersigned from engaging in any hedging or other transaction which is designed to or which reasonably could be expected to lead to or result in a sale or disposition of the Undersigned’s Shares even if such Shares would be disposed of by someone other than the undersigned. Such prohibited hedging or other transactions would include without limitation any short sale or any purchase, sale or grant of any right (including without limitation any put or call option) with respect to any of the Undersigned’s Shares or with respect to any security that includes, relates to, or derives any significant part of its value from such Shares. In addition, the undersigned agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Underwriter, the undersigned will not, during the Lock-Up Period, make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to the registration of any Shares or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Shares or effect a reverse stock split, recapitalization, share consolidation, reclassification or similar transaction affecting the outstanding common stock.

 

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The Lock-Up Period will commence on the date of this Lock-Up Agreement and continue for 60 days after the public offering date set forth on the final prospectus used to sell the Shares pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the undersigned may offer and sell or otherwise transfer the Undersigned’s Shares (i) to the Company to satisfy the exercise price or withholding taxes for any equity award or any other securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Common Stock, granted pursuant to the Company’s equity incentive plan in effect at the time of the public offering as described in the Prospectus, such as upon exercise, vesting, lapse of substantial risk of forfeiture, or other similar taxable event, in each case on a “cashless” or “net exercise” basis, where any shares of Common Stock received by the undersigned upon any such exercise or vesting will be subject to the terms of this Lock-Up Agreement, (ii) as a bona fide gift or gifts, provided that the donee or donees thereof agree to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth herein, (iii) to any beneficiary of the undersigned pursuant to a will or other testamentary document or applicable laws of descent, provided that such transferee or transferees thereof agree to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth herein, (iv) to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned, provided that the trustee of the trust agrees to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth herein, and provided further that any such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value, (v) to its affiliates, shareholders, members, general partners or limited partners, provided that the transferee agrees to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth herein, and provided further that such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value, and provided further that the transfer of Shares would not result in any obligation of the transferor to make any public filing reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of Shares with respect to such transfer, (vi) with the prior written consent of the Underwriter, (vii) acquired in open market transactions after the date of the Underwriting Agreement to the extent that the transfer of Shares so acquired would not result in any obligation of the transferor to make any public filing with respect to such transfer, or (viii) pursuant to any trading plan complying with Rule 10b5-1 under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) that has been entered into by the undersigned prior to the date hereof or pursuant to any amendment or replacement of any such trading plan, so long as the number of Shares subject to such original trading plan is not increased, and provided that if such sales are required to be reported on Form 4 pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act during the Lock-Up Period, or the undersigned voluntarily makes any public filing or report regarding such sales during the Lock-Up Period, then the undersigned shall disclose in such filing or report that such sale was made pursuant to an existing Rule 10b5-1 trading plan or (ix) by operation of law, such as pursuant to a qualified domestic order or in connection with a divorce settlement, provided that such transferee or transferees thereof agree to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth herein.

For purposes of this Lock-Up Agreement, “immediate family” shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage or adoption, not more remote than first cousin. In addition, notwithstanding the foregoing, if the undersigned is a corporation, general partnership, limited partnership or limited liability company, such entity (and its transferees) may transfer the capital stock of the Company to any wholly-owned subsidiary of such entity or to any partner, member or controlling stockholder of such entity; provided, however, that in any such case, it shall be a condition to the transfer that the transferee execute an agreement stating that the transferee is receiving and holding such capital stock subject to the provisions of this Agreement and there shall be no further transfer of such capital stock except in accordance with this Agreement, and provided further that any such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value. The undersigned now has, and, except as contemplated by clause (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vii), (viii) or (ix) above, for the duration of this Lock-Up Agreement will have, good and marketable title to the Undersigned’s Shares, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, and claims whatsoever. The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of the Undersigned’s Shares except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions. This Lock-up Agreement shall automatically terminate and be of no further force and effect if (i) the Underwriter advises the Company, or the Company advises the Underwriter, in writing, prior to the

 

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execution of the Underwriting Agreement, that they have determined not to proceed with the public offering of Shares, (ii) the Company files an application to withdraw the Registration Statement, (iii) the Underwriting Agreement is executed but is terminated (other than the provisions thereof that survive termination) prior to payment for and delivery of the Shares to be sold thereunder; or (iv) June 18, 2020 if the offering is not completed by such date.

The undersigned understands that the Company and the Underwriter are relying upon this Lock-Up Agreement in proceeding toward consummation of the offering. The undersigned further understands that this Lock-Up Agreement is irrevocable and shall be binding upon the undersigned’s heirs, legal representatives, successors, and assigns.

 

Very truly yours,
Signature:_________________________
Title:_____________________________
Printed Name:______________________
Date: _____________________________

 

A-3


Exhibit B

Directors and Executive Officers

            Signing Lock-up Agreement            

Directors:

 

  1.

Michael P. O’Donnell

 

  2.

Cheryl J. Henry

 

  3.

Robin P. Selati

 

  4.

Giannella Alvarez

 

  5.

Mary Baglivo

 

  6.

Carla Cooper

 

  7.

Stephen M. King

 

  8.

Marie L. Perry

Executive Officers:

 

  1.

Cheryl J. Henry

 

  2.

Michael P. O’Donnell

 

  3.

Arne G. Haak

 

  4.

Susan L. Mirdamadi

 

  5.

Alice G. Givens

 

  6.

David E. Hyatt

 

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