Underwriting Agreement for $250,000,000 6.75% Senior Notes Due 2011 between Smith International, Inc. and Underwriters

Summary

Smith International, Inc. has entered into an agreement with Merrill Lynch & Co., Chase Securities Inc., and Morgan Stanley & Co. to sell $250 million in 6.75% Senior Notes due in 2011. The agreement outlines the terms for the underwriters to purchase and resell these notes to investors. It includes representations and warranties by Smith International regarding its legal standing and the accuracy of its SEC filings. The agreement is governed by U.S. securities laws and is effective as of February 13, 2001.

EX-1.1 2 h84282ex1-1.txt UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT 1 EXHIBIT 1.1 $250,000,000 SMITH INTERNATIONAL, INC. 6 3/4% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2011 UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT February 13, 2001 MERRILL LYNCH & CO. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated Chase Securities Inc. Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated c/o Merrill Lynch & Co. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated North Tower World Financial Center New York, NY 10281-1209 Dear Sirs and Mesdames: Smith International, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), proposes to issue and sell to the several Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the "Underwriters") $250,000,000 principal amount of its 6 3/4% Senior Notes due 2011 (the "Securities") to be issued pursuant to the provisions of an Indenture dated as of September 8, 1997 (the "Indenture") between the Company and The Bank of New York, as Trustee (the "Trustee"). The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") a registration statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-40734), including the related prospectus, for the registration of common stock, debt securities and units consisting of any combination of such securities of the Company (including the Securities) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), and the offering thereof from time to time in accordance with Rule 415 of the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1933 Act (the "1933 Act Regulations"). Such registration statement, including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement (as defined below), has been declared effective by the Commission and the Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the "Trust Indenture Act"). A prospectus supplement reflecting the terms of the Securities, the terms 2 of the offering thereof and the other matters set forth therein has been prepared and will be filed pursuant to Rule 424 of the 1933 Act Regulations. Such prospectus supplement, in the form first filed after the date hereof pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5), is herein referred to as the "Prospectus Supplement." Such registration statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-40734), as amended at the date hereof, including the exhibits thereto, is herein called the "Registration Statement," and the base prospectus included therein relating to all offerings of securities under the Registration Statement, as supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement, is herein called the "Prospectus;" provided, however, that, if such base prospectus is amended or supplemented on or after the date hereof but prior to the date on which the Prospectus Supplement is first filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5), the term "Prospectus" shall refer to the base prospectus as so amended or supplemented and as supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement; and provided, further, that all references to the "Registration Statement" and the "Prospectus" shall be deemed to include all documents incorporated therein by reference pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act"); and provided, further, that if the Company files a registration statement with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations (the "Rule 462(b) Registration Statement"), then, after such filing, all references to the "Registration Statement" shall also be deemed to include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, Prospectus, Prospectus Supplement or preliminary prospectus or to any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include any copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system ("EDGAR"). All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is "contained," "included" or "stated" in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information which is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to mean and include the filing of any document under the 1934 Act which is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, such preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be. 1. Representations and Warranties. The Company represents and warrants to and agrees with each of the Underwriters that: (a) The Registration Statement has become effective; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement is in effect, and no proceedings for such purpose are pending before or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission. (b) (i) Each part of the Registration Statement, when such part became effective, did not contain and each such part, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) the Registration Statement and the Prospectus comply and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and (iii) the Prospectus does not contain and, as amended or supplemented, if 2 3 applicable, will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that the representations and warranties set forth in this Section 1(b) do not apply (A) to statements or omissions in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus based upon information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through you expressly for use therein or (B) to that part of the Registration Statement that constitutes the Statement of Eligibility (Form T-1) under the Trust Indenture Act of the Trustee. (c) The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus at the time they were, or hereafter are, filed with the Commission, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (the "1934 Act Regulations"), and, when read together with the other information in the Prospectus, at the time the Registration Statement became effective, at the time the Prospectus was issued and at the Closing Time, 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. (d) The Company has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has the corporate power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole. (e) Each subsidiary of the Company has been duly incorporated or organized, is validly existing as a corporation, limited liability company, partnership or other similar entity in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has the corporate or other power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole. (f) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company. (g) The Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act and has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and is a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable in accordance with its terms except as (i) the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws affecting creditors' rights generally and (ii) rights of acceleration and the availability of equitable remedies may be limited by equitable principles of general applicability. 3 4 (h) The Securities have been duly authorized and, when executed and authenticated in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture and delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture and will be valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms except as (i) the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws affecting creditors' rights generally and (ii) rights of acceleration, if any, and the availability of equitable remedies may be limited by equitable principles of general applicability. (i) The execution and delivery by the Company of, and the performance by the Company of its obligations under, this Agreement, the Indenture and the Securities will not contravene any provision of applicable law or the certificate of incorporation or by-laws of the Company or any agreement or other instrument binding upon the Company or any of its subsidiaries that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or any judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary, and no consent, approval, authorization or order of, or qualification with, any governmental body or agency is required for the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement, the Indenture or the Securities, except such as may be required by the securities or blue sky laws of the various states in connection with the offer and sale of the Securities. (j) There has not occurred any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendments or supplements thereto subsequent to the date of this Agreement). (k) There are no legal or governmental proceedings pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or to which any of the properties of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and are not so described or any statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not described or filed as required. (l) Each preliminary prospectus filed as part of the Registration Statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto, or filed pursuant to Rule 424 under the 1933 Act, complied when so filed in all material respects with the 1933 Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. (m) The Company is not an "investment company" or an entity "controlled" by an "investment company" as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. (n) The Company and its subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with any and all applicable foreign, federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants 4 5 or contaminants ("Environmental Laws"), (ii) have received all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses and (iii) are in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval, except where such noncompliance with Environmental Laws, failure to receive required permits, licenses or other approvals or failure to comply with the terms and conditions of such permits, licenses or approvals would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole. (o) In the ordinary course of its business, the Company conducts a periodic review of the effect of Environmental Laws on the business, operations and properties of the Company and its subsidiaries, in the course of which it identifies and evaluates associated costs and liabilities (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure of properties or compliance with Environmental Laws or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties). On the basis of such review, the Company has reasonably concluded that such associated costs and liabilities would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole. (p) The Company has complied with all provisions of Section 517.075, Florida Statutes relating to doing business with the Government of Cuba or with any person or affiliate located in Cuba. 2. Agreements to Sell and Purchase. The Company hereby agrees to sell to the several Underwriters, and each Underwriter, upon the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained, but subject to the conditions hereinafter stated, agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company the respective principal amounts of Securities set forth in Schedule I hereto opposite its name at 98.877% of their principal amount (the "Purchase Price") plus accrued interest, if any, from February 16, 2001 to the date of payment and delivery. 3. Terms of Public Offering. The Company is advised by you that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of their respective portions of the Securities as soon after the Registration Statement and this Agreement have become effective as in your judgment is advisable. The Company is further advised by you that the Securities are to be offered to the public initially at 99.527% of their principal amount (the "Public Offering Price") plus accrued interest, if any, from February 16, 2001 to the date of payment and delivery and to certain dealers selected by you at a price that represents a concession not in excess of .4% of their principal amount under the Public Offering Price, and that any Underwriter may allow, and such dealers may reallow, a concession, not in excess of .25% of their principal amount, to any Underwriter or to certain other dealers. 4. Payment and Delivery. Payment for the Securities shall be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds to a bank account designated by the Company, against delivery to the Underwriters for the respective accounts of the Underwriters of certificates for the Securities to be purchased by them at 10:00 A.M., local time, on February 16, 2001, or at such other time on the same or such other date, not later than February 28, 2001, as shall be designated in writing by you. The time and date of such payment are hereinafter referred to as the "Closing Date." 5 6 Payment for the Securities shall be made against delivery to you through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters of the one or more global certificates representing the Securities registered in the name of Cede & Co. with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the transfer of the Securities to the Underwriters duly paid. 5. Conditions to the Underwriters' Obligations. The several obligations of the Underwriters are subject to the following conditions: (a) Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date: (i) there shall not have occurred any downgrading, nor shall any notice have been given of any intended or potential downgrading or of any review for a possible change that does not indicate the direction of the possible change, in the rating accorded any of the Company's securities by any "nationally recognized statistical rating organization," as such term is defined for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Securities Act; and (ii) there shall not have occurred any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendments or supplements thereto subsequent to the date of this Agreement) that, in your judgment, is material and adverse and that makes it, in your judgment, impracticable to market the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus. (b) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date a certificate, dated the Closing Date and signed by an executive officer of the Company, to the effect set forth in clause (a)(i) above and to the effect that the representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement are true and correct as of the Closing Date and that the Company has complied with all of the agreements and satisfied all of the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder on or before the Closing Date. The officer signing and delivering such certificate may rely upon the best of his or her knowledge as to proceedings threatened. (c) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of Neal S. Sutton, Senior Vice President and General Counsel of the Company, dated the Closing Date, to the effect that: (i) the Company has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has the corporate power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole; 6 7 (ii) each subsidiary of the Company has been duly incorporated or organized, is validly existing as a corporation, limited liability company, partnership or other similar entity in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has the corporate or other power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole; (iii) each of this Agreement and the Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company; (iv) the Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act and has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and is a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable in accordance with its terms except as (a) the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting creditors' rights generally and (b) rights of acceleration and the availability of equitable remedies may be limited by equitable principles of general applicability; (v) the Securities have been duly authorized for issuance by the Company and, when executed and authenticated in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture and delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture and will be valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms except as (a) the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting creditors' rights generally, (b) rights of acceleration, if any, and the availability of equitable remedies may be limited by equitable principles of general applicability; and (c) the enforceability of provisions providing for the indemnification of, or contribution to, a party with respect to a liability may be limited by public policy; (vi) the execution and delivery by the Company of, and the performance by the Company of its obligations under, this Agreement, the Securities and the Indenture will not contravene any provision of applicable law or the certificate of incorporation or by-laws of the Company or, to the best of such counsel's knowledge, any agreement or other instrument binding upon the Company or any of its subsidiaries that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or, to the best of such counsel's knowledge, any judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary, and no consent, approval, authorization or order of, or qualification with, any governmental body or agency is required for the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement, the Securities and the Indenture, except such as may be required by the securities or blue sky laws of the various states in connection with the offer and sale of the Securities; (vii) the statements (A) in the Prospectus under the captions "Description of the Notes," "Description of Debt Securities," and "Underwriting" and "Plan of Distribution," (B) in the Prospectus (as incorporated by reference from the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1999 and from the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q 7 8 for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2000) under the caption "Legal Proceedings" and (C) in the Registration Statement in Item 15, in each case insofar as such statements constitute summaries of the legal matters, documents or proceedings referred to therein, fairly present the information called for with respect to such legal matters, documents and proceedings and fairly summarize the matters referred to therein; (viii) after due inquiry, such counsel does not know of any legal or governmental proceedings pending or threatened to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or to which any of the properties of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and are not so described or of any statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not described or filed as required; (ix) the Company is not an "investment company" or an entity "controlled" by an "investment company," as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended; (x) the Company (A) is in compliance with any and all applicable Environmental Laws, (B) has received all permits, licenses or other approvals required of it under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct its business and (C) is in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval, except where such noncompliance with Environmental Laws, failure to receive required permits, licenses or other approvals or failure to comply with the terms and conditions of such permits, licenses or approvals would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company; and (xi) such counsel (A) is of the opinion that the Registration Statement and Prospectus (except for financial statements and schedules included therein as to which such counsel need not express any opinion) comply as to form in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, (B) has no reason to believe that (except for financial statements and schedules as to which such counsel need not express any belief and except for that part of the Registration Statement that constitutes the Form T-1 heretofore referred to) the Registration Statement and the prospectus included therein at the time the Registration Statement became effective contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading and (C) has no reason to believe that (except for financial statements and schedules as to which such counsel need not express any belief) the Prospectus contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. (d) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP, outside counsel to the Company, dated the Closing Date, to the effect that: (i) the Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act and has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and is a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable in accordance with its terms except as (a) the 8 9 enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting creditors' rights generally and (b) rights of acceleration and the availability of equitable remedies may be limited by equitable principles of general applicability; (ii) the Securities have been duly authorized for issuance by the Company and, when executed and authenticated in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture and delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture and will be valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms except as (a) the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting creditors' rights generally, (b) rights of acceleration, if any, and the availability of equitable remedies may be limited by equitable principles of general applicability and (c) the enforceability of provisions providing for the indemnification of, or contribution to, a party with respect to a liability may be limited by public policy; and (iii) such counsel (A) is of the opinion that the Registration Statement and Prospectus (except for financial statements and schedules included therein as to which such counsel need not express any opinion) comply as to form in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, (B) has no reason to believe that (except for financial statements and schedules as to which such counsel need not express any belief and except for that part of the Registration Statement that constitutes the Form T-1 heretofore referred to) the Registration Statement and the prospectus included therein at the time the Registration Statement became effective contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading and (C) has no reason to believe that (except for financial statements and schedules as to which such counsel need not express any belief) the Prospectus contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. (e) The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., counsel for the Underwriters, dated the Closing Date, covering the matters referred to in subparagraphs (iii), (iv), (v), (vii) (but only as to the statements in the Prospectus under "Description of the Notes" and "Underwriting") and (xi) (but only as to clauses (B) and (C)) of paragraph (c) above. With respect to the matters referenced to in subparagraph (xi) of paragraph (c) above, Neal S. Sutton, Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP and Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. may state that their respective opinions and beliefs are based upon their participation in the preparation of the Registration Statement and Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto and review and discussion of the contents thereof, but are without independent check or verification, except as specified. The opinions of Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP described in paragraph (d) above shall be limited to the Delaware General Corporation Law, the contract laws of the State of New York, 9 10 the laws of the State of Texas and the federal laws of the United States and shall be rendered to the Underwriters at the request of the Company and shall so state therein. (f) The Underwriters shall have received, on each of the date hereof and the Closing Date, a letter dated the date hereof or the Closing Date, as the case may be, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, from Arthur Andersen LLP, independent public accountants, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants' "comfort letters" to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. 6. Covenants of the Company. In further consideration of the agreements of the Underwriters herein contained, the Company covenants with each Underwriter as follows: (a) To furnish to you, without charge, a copy of the Registration Statement (including exhibits thereto) and, during the period mentioned in paragraph (c) below, as many copies of the Prospectus and any supplements and amendments thereto or to the Registration Statement as you may reasonably request. (b) Before amending or supplementing the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, to furnish to you a copy of each such proposed amendment or supplement and not to file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which you reasonably object. (c) If, during such period after the first date of the public offering of the Securities as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters the Prospectus is required by law to be delivered in connection with sales by an Underwriter or dealer, any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with applicable law, forthwith to prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to the dealers (whose names and addresses you will furnish to the Company) to which Securities may have been sold by you on behalf of the Underwriters and to any other dealers upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Prospectus so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with law. (d) To endeavor to qualify the Securities for offer and sale under the securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions as you shall reasonably request. (e) To make generally available to the Company's security holders and to you as soon as practicable an earning statement covering the twelve-month period ending December 31, 2001 that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. (f) During the period beginning on the date hereof and continuing to and including the Closing Date, not to offer, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of any debt securities of the Company or warrants to purchase debt securities of the Company substantially similar to the 10 11 Securities (other than (i) the Securities and (ii) commercial paper issued in the ordinary course of business), without the prior written consent of Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated. (g) To pay all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including: (i) the preparation and filing of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and all amendments and supplements thereto; (ii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the Securities; (iii) the fees and disbursements of the Company's counsel and accountants and of the Trustee and its counsel; (iv) the qualification of the Securities under state securities or Blue Sky laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 6(d), including filing fees and the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection therewith and in connection with the preparation of any Blue Sky or Legal Investment Memoranda; (v) the printing and delivery to the Underwriters in quantities as hereinabove stated of copies of the Registration Statement and all amendments thereto and of each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto; (vi) the printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of any Blue Sky or Legal Investment Memoranda; (vii) any fees charged by rating agencies for the rating of the Securities; (viii) the filing fees and expenses, if any, incurred with respect to any filing with the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. made in connection with the offering of the Securities; and (ix) any expenses incurred by the Company in connection with a "road show" presentation to potential investors. 7. Indemnity and Contribution. (a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by any Underwriter or any such controlling person in connection with defending or investigating any such action or claim) caused by any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or any amendment thereof, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented if the Company shall have furnished any amendments or supplements thereto), or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities are caused by any such untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission based upon information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through you expressly for use therein. (b) Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers who sign the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of either Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Company to such Underwriter, but only with reference to information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through you expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto. (c) In case any proceeding (including any governmental investigation) shall be instituted involving any person in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to either 11 12 paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section 7, such person (the "indemnified party") shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnity may be sought (the "indemnifying party") in writing and the indemnifying party, upon request of the indemnified party, shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party and any others the indemnifying party may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and disbursements of such counsel related to such proceeding. In any such proceeding, any indemnified party shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel or (ii) the named parties to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the indemnifying party and the indemnified party and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. It is understood that the indemnifying party shall not, in respect of the legal expenses of any indemnified party in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all such indemnified parties and that all such fees and expenses shall be reimbursed as they are incurred. Such firm shall be designated in writing by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to paragraph (a) above and by the Company, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to paragraph (b) above. The indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by the second and third sentences of this paragraph, the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request and (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding. (d) To the extent the indemnification provided for in paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section 7 is unavailable to an indemnified party or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each indemnifying party under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand from the offering of the Securities 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 of the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or 12 13 liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the offering of the Securities shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds from the offering of the Securities (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate Public Offering Price of the Securities. The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters and the parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Underwriters' respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are several in proportion to the respective principal amounts of Securities they have purchased hereunder, and not joint. (e) The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just or equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in paragraph (d) of this Section 7. The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The remedies provided for in this Section 7 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any indemnified party at law or in equity. (f) The indemnity and contribution provisions contained in this Section 7 and the representations, warranties and other statements of the Company contained in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any termination of this Agreement, (ii) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any person controlling any Underwriter or by or on behalf of the Company, its officers or directors or any person controlling the Company and (iii) acceptance of and payment for any of the Securities. 8. Termination. This Agreement shall be subject to termination by notice given by you to the Company, if (a) after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on or by, as the case may be, any of the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange, the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., the Chicago Board of Options Exchange, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange or the Chicago Board of Trade, (ii) trading of any securities of the Company shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market, (iii) a 13 14 general moratorium on commercial banking activities in New York shall have been declared by either Federal or New York State authorities or (iv) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis that, in your judgment, is material and adverse and (b) in the case of any of the events specified in clauses (a)(i) through (iv), such event, singly or together with any other such event, makes it, in your judgment, impracticable to market the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus. 9. Effectiveness; Defaulting Underwriters. This Agreement shall become effective upon the execution and delivery hereof by the parties hereto. If, on the Closing Date, any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Securities that it has or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, and the aggregate principal amount of Securities which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase is not more than one-tenth of the aggregate principal amount of the Securities to be purchased on such date, the other Underwriters shall be obligated severally in the proportions that the principal amount of Securities set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule I bears to the principal amount of Securities set forth opposite the names of all such non-defaulting Underwriters, or in such other proportions as you may specify, to purchase the Securities which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase on such date; provided that in no event shall the principal amount of Securities that any Underwriter has agreed to purchase pursuant to this Agreement be increased pursuant to this Section 9 by an amount in excess of one-ninth of such principal amount of Securities without the written consent of such Underwriter. If, on the Closing Date, any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Securities and the aggregate principal amount of Securities with respect to which such default occurs is more than one-tenth of the aggregate principal amount of Securities to be purchased on such date, and arrangements satisfactory to you and the Company for the purchase of such Securities are not made within 36 hours after such default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company. In any such case either you or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date, but in no event for longer than seven days, in order that the required changes, if any, in the Registration Statement and in the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected. Any action taken under this paragraph shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement. If this Agreement shall be terminated by the Underwriters, or any of them, because of any failure or refusal on the part of the Company to comply with the terms or to fulfill any of the conditions of this Agreement, or if for any reason the Company shall be unable to perform its obligations under this Agreement, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters or such Underwriters as have so terminated this Agreement with respect to themselves, severally, for all out-of-pocket expenses (including the fees and disbursements of their counsel) reasonably incurred by such Underwriters in connection with this Agreement or the offering contemplated hereunder. 14 15 10. Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument. 11. Applicable Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York. 12. Headings. The headings of the sections of this Agreement have been inserted for convenience of reference only and shall not be deemed a part of this Agreement. 15 16 Very truly yours, SMITH INTERNATIONAL, INC. By: /s/ MARGARET K. DORMAN ------------------------------- CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED, as of the date hereof MERRILL LYNCH & CO. MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH INCORPORATED CHASE SECURITIES INC. MORGAN STANLEY & CO. INCORPORATED By: MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH INCORPORATED By: /s/ ROB L. JONES --------------------- Authorized Signatory 16 17 SCHEDULE I