Form of Underwriting Agreement

EX-1.1 2 d393780dex11.htm EX-1.1 EX-1.1

Exhibit 1.1

Switch, Inc.

[] Shares of Class A Common Stock

($0.001 par value)

 

 

Underwriting Agreement

[], 2017

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

BMO Capital Markets Corp.

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

As representatives of the several Underwriters

named in Schedule I hereto,

c/o Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

200 West Street

New York, New York 10282

c/o J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

383 Madison Avenue

New York, New York 10179

c/o BMO Capital Markets Corp.

3 Times Square

New York, New York 10036

c/o Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

375 Park Avenue, 10th Floor

New York, New York 10152

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Switch, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to issue and sell to the Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the “Underwriters”), for whom you are acting as representatives (the “Representatives”), an aggregate of [●] shares of Class A common stock of the Company, $0.001 par value per share (“Stock”) and, at the election of the Underwriters, up to [●] additional shares of Stock. The aggregate of [●] shares to be sold by the Company is herein called the “Firm Shares” and the aggregate of [●] additional shares to be sold by the Company is herein called the “Optional Shares.” The Firm Shares and the Optional Shares that the Underwriters elect to purchase pursuant to Section 2 hereof are herein collectively called the “Shares.”

 

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On the date hereof, the business of the Company is conducted through Switch, Ltd., a Nevada limited liability company (“Switch Ltd.”), and its subsidiaries. Immediately prior to the Closing Date (as hereinafter defined), Switch Ltd. will appoint the Company as the sole managing member of Switch Ltd. As the sole managing member of Switch Ltd., the Company will operate and control all of the business and affairs of Switch Ltd. and, through Switch Ltd. and its subsidiaries, conduct its business. The Company and Switch Ltd. are collectively referred to herein as the “Switch Parties.”

1. (a) Each Switch Party jointly and severally represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each of the Underwriters that:

(i) A registration statement on Form S–1 (File No. 333-[            ]) (the “Initial Registration Statement”) in respect of the Shares has been filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”); the Initial Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, each in the form heretofore delivered to you and, excluding exhibits thereto, to you for each of the other Underwriters, have been declared effective by the Commission in such form; other than a registration statement, if any, increasing the size of the offering (a “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement”), filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), which became effective upon filing, no other document with respect to the Initial Registration Statement has heretofore been filed with the Commission; and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Initial Registration Statement, any post-effective amendment thereto or the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission (any preliminary prospectus included in the Initial Registration Statement or filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(a) under the Act is hereinafter called a “Preliminary Prospectus”; the various parts of the Initial Registration Statement and the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, including all exhibits thereto and including the information contained in the form of final prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act in accordance with Section 5(a) hereof and deemed by virtue of Rule 430A under the Act to be part of the Initial Registration Statement at the time it was declared effective, each as amended at the time such part of the Initial Registration Statement became effective or such part of the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if any, became or hereafter becomes effective, are hereinafter collectively called the “Registration Statement”; the Preliminary Prospectus relating to the Shares that was included in the Registration Statement immediately prior to the Applicable Time (as defined in Section 1(a)(iii) hereof) is hereinafter called the “Pricing Prospectus”; such final prospectus, in the form first filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act, is hereinafter called the “Prospectus”; and any “issuer free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 433 under the Act relating to the Shares is hereinafter called an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”; any oral or written communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Act is hereinafter called a “Section 5(d) Communication”; and any Section 5(d) Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Act is hereinafter called a “Section 5(d) Writing”);

(ii) No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and each Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and did not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein;

 

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(iii) For the purposes of this Agreement, the “Applicable Time” is [        :        ] [a.m./p.m.] (Eastern time) on the date of this Agreement; the Pricing Prospectus, as supplemented by the information listed on Schedule II(c) hereto, taken together (collectively, the “Pricing Disclosure Package”), as of the Applicable Time, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus listed on Schedule II(a) hereto does not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus and each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and each Section 5(d) Writing listed on Schedule II(b) hereto, as supplemented by and taken together with the Pricing Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, did not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to statements or omissions made in an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or Section 5(d) Writing in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein;

(iv) The Registration Statement conforms at the time it was declared effective, and the Prospectus and any further amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus on the date when such prospectus, amendment or supplement is first filed will conform, in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and do not and will not, as of the applicable effective date as to each part of the Registration Statement and as of the applicable filing date as to the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein;

(v) Neither Switch Party nor any of their subsidiaries has sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the Pricing Prospectus any material loss or interference with the business of the Switch Parties and their subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus; and, since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Pricing Prospectus, there has not been any change in the capital stock or increase in the long-term debt of the Switch Parties or any of their subsidiaries (other than in the ordinary course of business), or any material adverse change or effect, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change or effect, in or affecting (i) the business, properties, general affairs, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Switch Parties and their subsidiaries, taken as a whole, except as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus, or (ii) the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement, including the issuance and sale of the Shares, or to consummate the Transactions (as defined under “The Transactions” in the Pricing Prospectus) (any such change or event, a “Material Adverse Effect”);

(vi) Each Switch Party and its subsidiaries has good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property and good and marketable title to all personal property owned by it, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects except such as are described in the Pricing Prospectus or such as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and any real property and buildings held under lease by a Switch Party or their subsidiaries is held under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;

 

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(vii) Each Switch Party has been duly organized, is validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Nevada, with power and authority (corporate and other) to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Pricing Prospectus, and has been duly qualified as a foreign corporation for the transaction of business and is in good standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which it owns or leases properties or conducts any business so as to require such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing in any such jurisdiction would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and each Significant Subsidiary (as defined in Rule 1-02(x) of Regulation S-X under the Act) of the Switch Parties has been duly formed or incorporated, as applicable, and is validly existing in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of formation or incorporation, as applicable, except where the failure to be in good standing in any such jurisdiction would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;

(viii) The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Pricing Prospectus and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable and conform in all material respects to the description of the Stock contained in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and all of the issued shares of capital stock of each subsidiary of the Switch Parties have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and, all of the issued equity interests of each subsidiary of Switch Ltd. (except for directors’ qualifying shares and except as otherwise set forth in the Pricing Disclosure Package) are owned directly or indirectly by Switch Ltd., free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims;

(ix) The Shares to be issued and sold by the Company have been duly and validly authorized and, when issued and delivered against payment therefor as provided herein, will be duly and validly issued and fully paid and non-assessable and will conform in all material respects to the description of the Stock contained in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus;

(x) The issue and sale of the Shares to be sold by the Company and the compliance by the Switch Parties with this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and in the Tax Receivable Agreement (as defined below) will not conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, (A) any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Switch Parties or their subsidiaries is a party or by which the Switch Parties or any of their subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Switch Parties or any of their subsidiaries is subject, (B) the Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws or other organizational documents of the Switch Parties, or (C) any statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Switch Parties or any of their subsidiaries, or any of their properties, except in the case of clauses (A) and (C) above for such conflicts, breaches, violations or defaults that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and no consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any such court or governmental agency or body is required for the issuance of the Shares to be sold by the Company and the sale of the Shares or the consummation by the Switch Parties of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Tax Receivable Agreement, except for the registration under the Act of the Shares, the approval by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) of the underwriting terms and arrangements, the approval for listing on the New York Stock Exchange and such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, registrations or qualifications as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Shares by the Underwriters;

 

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(xi) Neither of the Switch Parties nor any of their subsidiaries, is (i) in violation of its Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws or other organizational documents or (ii) in default in the performance or observance of any material obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties may be bound except in the case of clause (ii) above for such defaults that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;

(xii) The statements set forth in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus under the caption “Description of Capital Stock”, insofar as they purport to constitute a summary of the terms of the Stock, and under the caption “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences to Non-U.S. Holders”, insofar as they purport to describe the provisions of the laws and documents referred to therein, are accurate in all material respects;

(xiii) Other than as set forth in the Pricing Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Switch Parties or any of their subsidiaries, or, to the knowledge of the Switch Parties, any officer or director of the Switch Parties is a party or of which any property or assets of the Switch Parties or any of their subsidiaries is the subject which, if determined adversely to any Switch Party or any of their subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and, to the knowledge of the Switch Parties, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or threatened by others;

(xiv) The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Shares and the application of the proceeds thereof, will not be an “investment company,” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”);

(xv) At the time of filing the Initial Registration Statement the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405 under the Act;

(xvi) PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, who have certified certain financial statements of the Switch Parties and their subsidiaries, are independent public accountants as required by the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder;

(xvii) The Company maintains a system of internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) that has been designed to comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act applicable to the Company upon completion of the sale of the Firm Shares and has been designed by the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, or under their supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Other than as described in the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Company is not aware of any material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting;

(xviii) Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the Pricing 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;

 

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(xix) The Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act) that will comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act applicable to the Company upon completion of the sale of the Firm Shares within the time period required and such disclosure controls and procedures have been designed to ensure that material information relating to the Switch Parties and their subsidiaries is made known to the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer by others within those entities;

(xx) Each Switch Party has full right, power and authority to execute and deliver, to the extent a party thereto, (a) this Agreement and (b) the tax receivable agreement (the “Tax Receivable Agreement”) between the Company, Switch Ltd. and certain holders of limited liability company interests in Switch Ltd. who will retain their limited liability company interests in Switch Ltd., and to perform its obligations hereunder and thereunder. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Switch Parties. The Tax Receivable Agreement has been duly authorized by each Switch Party and, when duly executed and delivered in accordance with its terms by each of the parties thereto, will constitute a valid and legally binding agreement of each such Switch Party enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally or by equitable principles relating to enforceability;

(xxi) None of the Switch Parties, any of their subsidiaries or any director or officer of the Switch Parties and/or any of their subsidiaries, or to the knowledge of the Switch Parties, any agent, employee, controlled affiliate or other person authorized to act on behalf of the Switch Parties and/or any of their subsidiaries has (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made any direct or indirect unlawful payment to any foreign or domestic government official or employee from corporate funds; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977; (iv) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Bribery Act 2010 of the United Kingdom; or (v) made any bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment;

(xxii) The operations of the Switch Parties and their subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with the requirements of applicable anti-money laundering laws, including, but not limited to, the Bank Secrecy Act of 1970, as amended by the USA PATRIOT ACT of 2001, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and the anti-money laundering laws of the various jurisdictions in which the Switch Parties and their subsidiaries conduct business (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 Switch Parties or any of their subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Switch Parties, threatened;

(xxiii) Neither of the Switch Parties, none of their subsidiaries, nor, to the knowledge of the Switch Parties, any director, officer, agent, employee or controlled affiliate of the Switch Parties or any of their subsidiaries is currently the subject or the target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. Government, including, without limitation, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“OFAC”), or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Shares hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity (i) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business with any person, or in any country or territory, that, at the time of such funding, is the subject or the target of Sanctions or (ii) 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 Sanctions. For the past five years, neither the Switch Parties nor their subsidiaries have knowingly engaged in and are 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 country or territory that is the subject of Sanctions;

 

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(xxiv) From the time of initial confidential submission of a registration statement relating to the Shares with the Commission (or, if earlier, the first date on which a Section 5(d) Communication was made) through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company” as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Act (an “Emerging Growth Company”);

(xxv) The financial statements (including the related notes thereto) of the Switch Parties and their consolidated subsidiaries filed with the Commission as a part of the Registration Statement and included in each of the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Act and present fairly in all material respects the financial position of the Switch Parties and their consolidated subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the results of their operations and cash flows for the periods specified, and no other financial statements are required to present fairly the financial position of the Switch Parties as of the dates indicated and the results of their operations and cash flows for the periods specified; and the other financial information included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus has been derived from the accounting records of the Switch Parties and their consolidated subsidiaries and presents fairly in all material respects the information shown thereby. The financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles as applied in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved;

(xxvi) The Switch Parties and their subsidiaries, (A) are in compliance with any and all applicable federal, foreign, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances, wastes or materials, pollutants or contaminants (“Environmental Laws”), (B) have received all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses and (C) are in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval, except where such non-compliance 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 other approvals would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;

(xxvii) There are no costs or liabilities associated with Environmental Laws (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) which would individually or in the aggregate reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect;

(xxviii) Other than as set forth in the Pricing Prospectus the Switch Parties and their subsidiaries, own or possess, or can acquire on reasonable terms, sufficient rights to use all licenses, inventions, copyrights, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks and trade names, trade dress, domain names (including all goodwill associated with the foregoing), patents and patent rights and all other similar types of proprietary intellectual property rights (including all registrations and applications for registration of the foregoing) (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) used in, held for use in or necessary for the conduct of the business now operated by them, as described in the Pricing Prospectus, except where the failure to own or possess any of the foregoing would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as set forth in the Pricing Prospectus, to the knowledge of the Switch Parties with respect to patent rights owned by third parties, the conduct of the Switch Parties and their subsidiaries do not infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any Intellectual Property, except as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate to have a

 

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Material Adverse Effect. Except as set forth in the Pricing Prospectus, the Switch Parties and their subsidiaries have not received since January 1, 2016 any written notice of any specific claim of infringement, misappropriation or conflict with any Intellectual Property rights of others or any written notice challenging the validity, scope or enforceability of the Intellectual Property of the Switch Parties or any of their subsidiaries or the Switch Parties’ or any of their subsidiaries’ rights therein, except in each case as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect. Other than as described in the Pricing Prospectus, to the knowledge of the Switch Parties, no party is materially infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating any Intellectual Property owned by the Switch Parties or any of their subsidiaries. Other than as described in the Pricing Prospectus, all Intellectual Property owned by the Switch Parties and their subsidiaries, is owned solely by the Switch Parties or their subsidiaries and is owned free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, defects or other restrictions, except in each case as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect. To the knowledge of the Switch Parties, all Intellectual Property owned by the Switch Parties is valid and enforceable except where such invalidity or unenforceability would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Switch Parties and their associates, have taken reasonable steps in accordance with normal industry practice to maintain the confidentiality of all material trade secrets and confidential information owned, used or held for use by the Switch Parties or any of their subsidiaries, and, to the knowledge of the Switch Parties, no such trade secrets or confidential information have been disclosed other than to employees, representatives and agents of the Switch Parties or their subsidiaries, or parties who are bound by written confidentiality agreements, except in each case as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect;

(xxix) The Switch Parties and their subsidiaries, have complied, and, as of the date of this Agreement, are in compliance, in all material respects, with their respective privacy policies and other legal obligations applicable to the Switch Parties regarding the collection, use, transfer, storage, protection, disposal and disclosure by the Switch Parties and their subsidiaries of personal and user information gathered or accessed in the course of their respective operations, and with respect to all such information, the Switch Parties and their subsidiaries have taken the steps reasonably necessary to protect such information against loss and against unauthorized access, use, modification, disclosure or other misuse, and other than as described in the Pricing Prospectus, to the knowledge of the Switch Parties, there has been no unauthorized access to or other misuse of such information, in each case that would, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect;

(xxx) Except, in each case, as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect: (i) 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 Switch Parties) would have any liability (each, a “Plan”) has been maintained in compliance with its terms and the requirements of any applicable statutes, orders, rules and regulations, including but not limited to, ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”); (ii) none of the Switch Parties or any member of their “Controlled Group” (defined as any organization which is a member of a controlled group of corporations within the meaning of Section 414(b), (c) or (m) of the Code) maintains a Plan or an “employee benefit plan” (within the meaning of Section 3(3) of ERISA) that is subject to Title IV of ERISA; (iii) there is no pending audit or investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Department of Labor, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation or any other governmental agency or any foreign regulatory agency with respect to any Plan; and (iv) none of the following events is reasonably likely to occur: a material increase in the Switch Parties’ and their subsidiaries’ “accumulated post-retirement benefit obligations” (within the meaning of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards 106) compared to the amount of such obligations in the Switch Parties’ and their subsidiaries’ most recently completed fiscal year;

 

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(xxxi) The Switch Parties and their subsidiaries, possess all licenses, permits, certificates and other authorizations from, and have made all declarations and filings with, all governmental authorities, required or necessary to own or lease, as the case may be, and to operate their respective properties and to carry on their respective businesses as now or proposed to be conducted as described in the Pricing Prospectus (“Permits”), except where the failure to obtain such Permits would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; the Switch Parties and their subsidiaries, have fulfilled and performed all of their respective obligations with respect to such Permits and no event has occurred which allows, or after notice or lapse of time would allow, revocation or termination thereof or results in any other impairment of the rights of the holder of any such Permit except, in each case, as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect;

(xxxii) Except as described in the Pricing Prospectus, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Switch Parties or any of their subsidiaries and any person granting such person the right to require the Switch Parties or any subsidiary to file a registration statement under the Act with respect to any securities of the Company or any subsidiary;

(xxxiii) The Switch Parties and their subsidiaries, have filed all federal, state, local and foreign tax returns required to be filed through the date of this Agreement or have requested extensions thereof (except where the failure to file would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect) and have paid all taxes required to be paid thereon (except for cases in which the failure to pay would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, or, except as currently being contested in good faith and for which reserves required by U.S. GAAP have been created in the financial statements of the Switch Parties), and no tax deficiency has been determined adversely to the Switch Parties or any of their subsidiaries, which has had a Material Adverse Effect; neither of the Switch Parties nor any of their subsidiaries, have received notice of any tax deficiency which is reasonably expected to be determined adversely to the Switch Parties or their subsidiaries or their respective properties or assets and would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and

(xxiv) The Switch Parties and their subsidiaries, taken as a whole, are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are, in the Switch Parties’ reasonable judgment, prudent and customary in the businesses in which they are engaged; neither of the Switch Parties nor any of their subsidiaries have been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied for; and neither of Switch Parties nor any of their subsidiaries has 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 necessary to continue their respective businesses at a cost that would not be reasonably likely to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

2. Subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, (a) the Company agrees to sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at a purchase price per share of $[●], the number of Firm Shares (to be adjusted by the Representatives so as to eliminate fractional shares) determined by multiplying the aggregate number of Firm Shares to be sold by the Company hereto by a fraction, the numerator of which is the aggregate number of Firm Shares to be purchased by such Underwriter as set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto and the denominator of which is the aggregate number of Firm Shares to be purchased by all of the Underwriters from the Company hereunder and (b) in the event and to the extent that the Underwriters shall exercise the election to purchase Optional Shares as provided below, the Company agrees to sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at the purchase price per share set forth in clause (a) of this Section 2, that portion of the number of Optional Shares as to which such

 

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election shall have been exercised (to be adjusted by the Representatives so as to eliminate fractional shares) determined by multiplying such number of Optional Shares by a fraction, the numerator of which is the maximum number of Optional Shares which such Underwriter is entitled to purchase as set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto and the denominator of which is the maximum number of Optional Shares that all of the Underwriters are entitled to purchase hereunder.

The Company hereby grants to the Underwriters the right to purchase at their election up to [●] Optional Shares, at the purchase price per share set forth in the paragraph above, for the sole purpose of covering sales of shares in excess of the number of Firm Shares, provided that the purchase price per Optional Share shall be reduced by an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Firm Shares but not payable on the Optional Shares. Any such election to purchase Optional Shares may be exercised only by written notice from the Representatives to the Company, given within a period of 30 calendar days after the date of this Agreement and setting forth the aggregate number of Optional Shares to be purchased and the date on which such Optional Shares are to be delivered, as determined by the Representatives but in no event earlier than the First Time of Delivery (as defined in Section 4 hereof) or, unless the Representatives and the Company otherwise agree in writing, earlier than two or later than ten business days after the date of such notice.

3. Upon the authorization by the Representatives of the release of the Shares, the several Underwriters propose to offer the Shares for sale upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Prospectus.

4. (a) The Shares to be purchased by each Underwriter hereunder, in definitive form, and in such authorized denominations and registered in such names as the Representatives may request upon at least forty-eight hours’ prior notice to the Company shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Company to the Representatives, through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), for the account of such Underwriter, against payment by or on behalf of such Underwriter of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer of Federal (same-day) funds to the account specified by the Company to the Representatives at least forty-eight hours in advance. The Company will cause the certificates representing the Shares to be made available for checking and packaging at least twenty-four hours prior to the Time of Delivery (as defined below) with respect thereto at the office of DTC or its designated custodian (the “Designated Office”). The time and date of such delivery and payment shall be, with respect to the Firm Shares, 9:30 a.m., New York time, on [●], 2017 or such other time and date as the Representatives and the Company may agree upon in writing, and, with respect to the Optional Shares, 9:30 a.m., New York time, on the date specified by the Representatives in each written notice given by the Representatives of the Underwriters’ election to purchase such Optional Shares, or such other time and date as the Representatives and the Company may agree upon in writing. Such time and date for delivery of the Firm Shares is herein called the “First Time of Delivery,” each such time and date for delivery of the Optional Shares, if not the First Time of Delivery, is herein called the “Second Time of Delivery,” and each such time and date for delivery is herein called a “Time of Delivery.”

(b) The documents to be delivered at each Time of Delivery by or on behalf of the parties hereto pursuant to Section 8 hereof, including the cross receipt for the Shares and any additional documents requested by the Underwriters pursuant to Section 8(l) hereof will be delivered at the offices of Goodwin Procter LLP, 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, New York 10018 (the “Closing Location”), and the Shares will be delivered at the Designated Office, all at such Time of Delivery. A meeting will be held at the Closing Location at [●] p.m., New York City time, on the New York Business Day next preceding such Time of Delivery, at which meeting the final drafts of the documents to be delivered pursuant to the preceding sentence will be available for review by the parties hereto. For the purposes of this Section 4, “New York Business Day” shall mean each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday which is not a day on which banking institutions in New York are generally authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

 

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5.The Company agrees with each of the Underwriters:

(a) To prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by the Representatives and to file such Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act not later than the Commission’s close of business on the second business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement, or, if applicable, such earlier time as may be required by Rule 430A(a)(3) under the Act; to make no further amendment or any supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus prior to the last Time of Delivery which shall be disapproved by the Representatives promptly after reasonable notice thereof; to advise the Representatives, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus has been filed and to furnish the Representatives with copies thereof; to file promptly all material required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act; to advise the Representatives, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or other prospectus in respect of the Shares, of the suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or for additional information; and, in the event of the issuance of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or other prospectus or suspending any such qualification, to promptly use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal of such order;

(b) Promptly from time to time to take such action as the Representatives may reasonably request to qualify the Shares for offering and sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives may request and to use its commercially reasonable efforts to comply with such laws so as to permit the continuance of sales and dealings therein in such jurisdictions for as long as may be necessary to complete the distribution of the Shares, provided that in connection therewith the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction or subject itself to taxation in any such jurisdiction in which it was not otherwise subject to taxation;

(c) Prior to 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the second New York Business Day succeeding the date of this Agreement and from time to time, to furnish the Underwriters with written and electronic copies of the Prospectus in New York City in such quantities as the Representatives may reasonably request, and, if the delivery of a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) is required at any time prior to the expiration of nine months after the time of issue of the Prospectus in connection with the offering or sale of the Shares and if at such time any event shall have occurred as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made when such Prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) is delivered, not misleading, or, if for any other reason it shall be necessary during such same period to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to comply with the Act, to notify the Representatives and upon the Representatives’ request to prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter and to any dealer in securities as many written and electronic copies as the Representatives may from time to time reasonably request of an amended Prospectus or a supplement to the Prospectus which will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance; and in case any Underwriter is required to deliver a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) in connection with sales of any of the Shares at any time nine months or more after the time of issue of the Prospectus, upon the Representatives’ request but at the expense of such Underwriter, to prepare and deliver to such Underwriter as many written and electronic copies as the Representatives may request of an amended or supplemented Prospectus complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Act;

 

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(d) To make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable (which may be satisfied by filing its Annual Report on Form 10-K with the Commission’s EDGAR system), but in any event not later than sixteen months after the effective date of the Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c) under the Act), an earnings statement of the Company and its subsidiaries (which need not be audited) complying with Section 11(a) of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (including, at the option of the Company, Rule 158);

(e) (i) During the period beginning from the date hereof and continuing to and including the date 180 days after the date of the Prospectus (the “Company Lock-Up Period”), not to (i) offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, grant any option to purchase, make any short sale or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, or file with the Commission a registration statement under the Act relating to, any securities of the Company that are substantially similar to the Shares, including but not limited to any options or warrants to purchase shares of Stock or any securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for, or that represent the right to receive, Stock or any such substantially similar securities, or publicly disclose the intention to make any offer, sale, pledge, disposition or filing or (ii) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Stock or any such other securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise (other than the Shares to be sold hereunder or pursuant to employee equity-based compensation plans existing on, or upon the conversion or exchange of convertible or exchangeable securities outstanding as of, the date of this Agreement), without the prior written consent of the Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC; provided, however, that the restrictions in the foregoing sentence shall not apply to (a) the Shares to be sold hereunder; (b) Shares or any securities (including without limitation options, restricted stock or restricted stock units) convertible into, or exercisable for, shares of Stock pursuant to any employee stock option plan, incentive plan, stock plan, dividend reinvestment plan or otherwise in equity compensation arrangements in place as of the Applicable Time and as described in the Pricing Disclosure Package; (c) pursuant to the operating agreement of Switch Ltd., (d) the grant of awards pursuant to employee equity-based compensation plans, incentive plans, stock plans, or other arrangements in place as of the Applicable Time and as described in the Pricing Disclosure Package; (e) the filing of a registration statement on Form S-8 in connection with the registration of Shares issuable under any employee equity-based compensation plan, incentive plan, stock plan, dividend reinvestment plan adopted and approved by the Company’s board of directors; and (f) the issuance of up to 5% of the outstanding shares of Stock in connection with the acquisition of the assets of, or a majority or controlling portion of the equity of, or a joint venture with another entity in connection with its acquisition by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of such entity; provided that each recipient of any shares of Stock pledged, issued or sold pursuant to clause (f) above executes and delivers to the Representatives prior to such issuance or sale (as the case may be) an agreement having substantially the same terms as the lock-up letters described in Section 8(j) of this Agreement;

(ii) If Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, in their sole discretion, agree to release or waive the restrictions in lock-up letters pursuant to Section 8(j) hereof, in each case for an officer or director of the Company, and provide the Company with notice of the impending release or waiver at least three business days before the effective date of the release or waiver, the Company agrees to announce the impending release or waiver by a press release substantially in the form of Annex I hereto through a major news service at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver;

(f) During a period of three years from the effective date of the Registration Statement, so long as the Company is subject to the reporting requirements of either Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act, to furnish to its stockholders as soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year an annual report (including a balance sheet and statements of income, stockholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries certified by independent public accountants) and, as soon as practicable after the end

 

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of each of the first three quarters of each fiscal year (beginning with the fiscal quarter ending after the effective date of the Registration Statement), to make available to its stockholders consolidated summary financial information of the Company and its subsidiaries for such quarter in reasonable detail; provided that no reports, documents or other information need to be furnished pursuant to this Section 5(f) to the extent that they are available on the Commission’s EDGAR system;

(g) During a period of three years from the effective date of the Registration Statement, so long as the Company is subject to the reporting requirements of either Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act, to furnish to the Representatives copies of all reports or other communications (financial or other) furnished to stockholders, and to deliver to the Representatives (i) as soon as they are available, copies of any reports and financial statements furnished to or filed with the Commission or any national securities exchange on which any class of securities of the Company is listed; and (ii) such additional information concerning the business and financial condition of the Company as the Representatives may from time to time reasonably request (such financial statements to be on a consolidated basis to the extent the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries are consolidated in reports furnished to its stockholders generally or to the Commission); provided that no reports, documents or other information need to be furnished pursuant to this Section 5(f) to the extent that they are available on the Commission’s EDGAR system;

(h) To use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement in the manner specified in the Pricing Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds;”

(i) To use its best efforts to list for trading, subject to official notice of issuance, the Shares on the New York Stock Exchange (the “Exchange”);

(j) To file with the Commission such information on Form 10-Q or Form 10-K as may be required by Rule 463 under the Act;

(k) If the Company elects to rely upon Rule 462(b), the Company shall file a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement with the Commission in compliance with Rule 462(b) by 10:00 p.m., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this Agreement, and the Company shall at the time of filing either pay to the Commission the filing fee for the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement or give irrevocable instructions for the payment of such fee pursuant to Rule 3a(c) of the Commission’s Informal and Other Procedures (16 CFR 202.3a);

(l) Upon request of any Underwriter, to furnish, or cause to be furnished, to such Underwriter an electronic version of the Company’s trademarks, servicemarks and corporate logo for use on the website, if any, operated by such Underwriter for the purpose of facilitating the on-line offering of the Shares (the “License”); provided, however, that the License shall be used solely for the purpose described above, is granted without any fee and may not be assigned or transferred; and

(m) To promptly notify the Representatives if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the later of (i) completion of the distribution of the Shares within the meaning of the Act and (ii) completion of the Company Lock-Up Period referred to in Section 5(e) hereof.

6. (a) The Company represents and agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 under the Act; and each Underwriter represents and agrees that, without the prior consent of the Company and the Representatives, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute a free writing prospectus; any such free writing prospectus the use of which has been consented to by the Company and the Representatives is listed on Schedule II(a) hereto;

(b) The Company represents and agrees that (i) it has not engaged in, or authorized any other person to engage in, any Section 5(d) Communications, other than Section 5(d) Communications with the prior consent of the Representatives with entities that are qualified institutional buyers as defined in Rule 144A under the Act

 

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or institutions that are accredited investors as defined in Rule 501(a) under the Act; and (ii) it has not distributed, or authorized any other person to distribute, any Section 5(d) Writings, other than those distributed with the prior consent of the Representatives that are listed on Schedule II(b) hereto; and the Company reconfirms that the Underwriters have been authorized to act on its behalf in engaging in Section 5(d) Communications;

(c) The Company has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 under the Act applicable to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission or retention where required and legending; and the Company represents that it has satisfied and agrees that it will satisfy the conditions under Rule 433 under the Act to avoid a requirement to file with the Commission any electronic road show;

(d) Each Underwriter represents and agrees that any Section 5(d) Communications undertaken by it were with entities that are qualified institutional buyers as defined in Rule 144A under the Act or institutions that are accredited investors as defined in Rule 501(a) under the Act; and

(e) The Company agrees that if at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or Section 5(d) Writing any event occurred or occurs as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or Section 5(d) Writing would conflict with the information in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances then prevailing, not misleading, the Company will give prompt notice thereof to the Representatives and, if requested by the Representatives, will prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, Section 5(d) Writing or other document which will correct such conflict, statement or omission; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions in an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or Section 5(d) Writing made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein.

7. The Switch Parties covenant and agree with the several Underwriters that the Switch Parties will pay or cause to be paid the following: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Company’s counsel and accountants in connection with the registration of the Shares under the Act and all other expenses incurred in connection with the preparation, printing, reproduction and filing of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and amendments and supplements thereto and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers; (ii) the cost of printing or producing any Agreement among Underwriters, this Agreement, the Blue Sky Memorandum, if any, closing documents (including any compilations thereof) and any other documents in connection with the offering, purchase, sale and delivery of the Shares; (iii) all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Shares for offering and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section 5(b) hereof, including the reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky survey; (iv) all fees and expenses in connection with listing the Shares on the Exchange; (v) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with, any required review by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Shares; provided, that the reasonable fees of counsel for the Underwriters relating to subclauses (iii) and (v) of this Section 7 shall not exceed $35,000 in the aggregate; (vi) the cost of preparing stock certificates, if applicable; (vii) the cost and charges of any transfer agent or registrar, (viii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any road show undertaken in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Shares, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the preparation or dissemination of any electronic road show, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations with the prior approval of the Company, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives (which, for the avoidance of doubt, shall not include the Underwriters and their representatives) and officers of the Company and any such consultants, and

 

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the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the road show; provided, however, that the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the road show shall be paid 50% by the Company and 50% by the Underwriters; and (ix) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder which are not otherwise specifically provided for in this Section, including any stamp or transfer taxes in connection with the issuance and sale of the stock. It is understood, however, that except as provided in this Section 7 and Sections 9 and 12 hereof, the Underwriters will pay all of their own costs and expenses, including the fees of their counsel, stock transfer taxes on resale of any of the Shares by them, and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may make.

8. The obligations of the Underwriters hereunder, as to the Shares to be delivered at each Time of Delivery, shall be subject, in their discretion, to the condition that all representations and warranties and other statements of the Switch Parties herein are, at and as of such Time of Delivery, true and correct, the condition that the Company shall have performed all of its and their obligations hereunder theretofore to be performed, and the following additional conditions:

(a) The Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by the rules and regulations under the Act and in accordance with Section 5(a) hereof; all material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by Rule 433; if the Company has elected to rely upon Rule 462(b) under the Act, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement shall have become effective by 10:00 p.m., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this Agreement; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission, no stop order suspending or preventing the use of the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; and all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission shall have been complied with to the Representatives’ reasonable satisfaction;

(b) Goodwin Procter LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, shall have furnished to the Representatives their written opinion or opinions and negative assurance letter, dated such Time of Delivery, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, with respect to such matters as the Representatives may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received such papers and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters;

(c) Latham & Watkins LLP, counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to the Representatives their written opinion and negative assurance letter, dated such Time of Delivery, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives;

(d) Greenberg Taurig, LLP, Nevada counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to the Representatives their written opinion, dated such Time of Delivery, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives;

(e) On the date of the Prospectus at a time prior to the execution of this Agreement, at 9:30 a.m., New York City time, on the effective date of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement filed subsequent to the date of this Agreement and also at each Time of Delivery, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP shall have furnished to the Representatives a letter or letters, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof and addressed to the Representatives, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives;

(f) (i) Neither of the Switch Parties nor any of their subsidiaries shall have sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the Pricing Prospectus any loss or interference with the business of the Switch Parties and their subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus, and (ii) since the respective

 

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dates as of which information is given in the Pricing Prospectus there shall not have been any change in the capital stock or increase in the long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries (other than in the ordinary course of business) or any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the general affairs, management, financial position, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus, the effect of which, in any such case described in clause (i) or (ii), is in the Representatives’ judgment so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Shares being delivered at such Time of Delivery on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus;

(g) On or after the Applicable Time (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded the Company’s debt securities by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization,” as defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act, and (ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, with possible negative implications, its rating of any of the Company’s debt securities;

(h) On or after the Applicable Time there shall not have occurred any of the following: (i) a suspension or material limitation in trading in securities generally on the Exchange; (ii) a suspension or material limitation in trading in the Company’s securities on the Exchange; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities declared by either Federal or New York State authorities or a material disruption in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States; (iv) the outbreak or escalation of hostilities involving the United States or the declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war or (v) the occurrence of any other calamity or crisis or any change in financial, political or economic conditions in the United States or elsewhere, if the effect of any such event specified in clause (iv) or (v) in the judgment of the Representatives, makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Shares being delivered at such Time of Delivery on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus;

(i) The Shares to be sold at such Time of Delivery shall have been duly listed, subject to official notice of issuance, on the Exchange;

(j) The Company shall have obtained and delivered to the Underwriters executed copies of an agreement from each officer, director and substantially all of the equityholders of Switch Parties, substantially to the effect set forth in Annex II hereto in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives;

(k) [On the date of the Prospectus at a time prior to the execution of this Agreement, at 9:30 a.m., New York City time, on the effective date of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement filed subsequent to the date of this Agreement and also at each Time of Delivery, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer shall have furnished to the Representatives a letter or letters, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof and addressed to the Representatives, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives;]

(l) The Company shall have complied with the provisions of Section 5(c) hereof with respect to the furnishing of prospectuses on the second New York Business Day succeeding the date of this Agreement;

(m) The Company shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to the Representatives at such Time of Delivery certificates of officers of the Company satisfactory to the Representatives as to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company herein at and as of such Time of Delivery, as to the performance by the Company of all of its obligations hereunder to be performed at or prior to such Time of Delivery, as to such other matters as the Representatives may reasonably request, and the Company shall have furnished or caused to be furnished certificates as to the matters set forth in subsections (a) and (f) of this Section 8.

 

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9. (a) The Switch Parties, will, jointly and severally, indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Underwriter may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act, any “road show” as defined in Rule 433(h) of the Act or any Section 5(d) Writing prepared or authorized by the Company, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and will reimburse each Underwriter for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Underwriter in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the Switch Parties shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or any Section 5(d) Writing, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Switch Parties by any Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein.

(b) Each Underwriter will indemnify and hold harmless the Switch Parties against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Switch Parties may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or any Section 5(d) Writing, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or any Section 5(d) Writing, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Switch Parties by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein; and will reimburse the Switch Parties for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Switch Parties in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred.

(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) of this Section 9 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under such subsection, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; provided that the failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have under the preceding paragraphs of this Section 9 except to the extent that it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) by such failure. In case any such action shall be brought against any indemnified party and it shall notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall not, except with the consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party), and, after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified party under such subsection for any legal expenses of other counsel or any other expenses, in each case subsequently incurred by such indemnified party, in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation. No indemnifying party shall, without the written consent of the indemnified party, effect the settlement or compromise of, or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to, any

 

17


pending or threatened action or claim in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified party is an actual or potential party to such action or claim) unless such settlement, compromise or judgment (i) includes an unconditional release of the indemnified party from all liability arising out of such action or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

(d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 9 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Switch Parties on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Shares. If, however, the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by applicable law or if the indemnified party failed to give the notice required under subsection (c) above, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount paid or payable by such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Switch Parties on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Switch Parties on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Switch Parties on the one hand or the Underwriters on the other and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Switch Parties and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this subsection (d) were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this subsection (d). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to above in this subsection (d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (d), no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Shares underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations in this subsection (d) to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.

(e) The obligations of the Switch Parties under this Section 9 shall be in addition to any liability which the Switch Parties may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each officer and director of each Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Act and each broker-dealer affiliate of any Underwriter; and the obligations of the Underwriters under this Section 9 shall be in addition to any liability which the respective Underwriters may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each officer and director of the Switch Parties (including any person who, with his or her consent, is named in the Registration Statement as about to become a director of the Company) and to each person, if any, who controls the Switch Parties within the meaning of the Act.

 

18


10. (a) If any Underwriter shall default in its obligation to purchase the Shares that it has agreed to purchase hereunder at a Time of Delivery, the Representatives may in their discretion arrange for the Representatives or another party or other parties to purchase such Shares on the terms contained herein. If within thirty-six hours after such default by any Underwriter the Representatives do not arrange for the purchase of such Shares, then the Company shall be entitled to a further period of thirty-six hours within which to procure another party or other parties satisfactory to the Representatives to purchase such Shares on such terms. In the event that, within the respective prescribed periods, the Representatives notify the Company that they have so arranged for the purchase of such Shares, or the Company notifies the Representatives that it has so arranged for the purchase of such Shares, the Representatives or the Company shall have the right to postpone such Time of Delivery for a period of not more than seven days, in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be made necessary in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, or in any other documents or arrangements, and the Company agrees to file promptly any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which in the Representatives’ opinion may thereby be made necessary. The term “Underwriter” as used in this Agreement shall include any person substituted under this Section with like effect as if such person had originally been a party to this Agreement with respect to such Shares.

(b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the Representatives and the Company as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate number of such Shares which remains unpurchased does not exceed one-eleventh of the aggregate number of all of the Shares to be purchased at such Time of Delivery, then the Company shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the number of Shares which such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder at such Time of Delivery and, in addition, to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase its pro rata share (based on the number of Shares which such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder) of the Shares of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.

(c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the Representatives and the Company as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate number of such Shares which remains unpurchased exceeds one-eleventh of the aggregate number of all of the Shares to be purchased at such Time of Delivery, or if the Company shall not exercise the right described in subsection (b) above to require non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then this Agreement (or, with respect to a Second Time of Delivery, the obligations of the Underwriters to purchase and of the Company to sell the Optional Shares) shall thereupon terminate, without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company, except for the expenses to be borne by the Company and the Underwriters as provided in Section 7 hereof and the indemnity and contribution agreements in Section 9 hereof; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.

11. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Switch Parties and the several Underwriters, as set forth in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them, respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation (or any statement as to the results thereof) made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any controlling person of any Underwriter, or the Switch Parties, or any officer or director or controlling person of the Switch Parties, and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Shares.

12. If this Agreement shall be terminated pursuant to Section 10 hereof, the Switch Parties shall not be under any liability to any Underwriter except as provided in Sections 7 and 9 hereof; but, if for any other reason any Shares are not delivered by or on behalf of the Company as provided herein (other than pursuant

 

19


clauses (i), (iii), (iv) or (v) of Section 8(h) hereof), the Company will reimburse the Underwriters through the Representatives for all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses approved in writing by the Representatives, including reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of counsel, reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in making preparations for the purchase, sale and delivery of the Shares not so delivered, but the Switch Parties shall then be under no further liability to any Underwriter except as provided in Sections 7 and 9 hereof.

13. In all dealings hereunder, the Representatives shall act on behalf of each of the Underwriters, and the parties hereto shall be entitled to act and rely upon any statement, request, notice or agreement on behalf of any Underwriter made or given by the Representatives.

In accordance with the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)), the Underwriters are required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies their respective clients, including the Switch Parties, which information may include the name and address of their respective clients, as well as other information that will allow the Underwriters to properly identify their respective clients.

All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in writing, and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to the Representatives at Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282, Attention: Registration Department and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, 383 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10179, Attention: Equity Syndicate Desk; if to the Company shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to the address of the Company set forth on the cover of the Registration Statement, Attention: Secretary; and if to any stockholder that has delivered a lock-up letter described in Section 8(j) hereof shall be delivered or sent by mail to his or her respective address such stockholder provides in writing to the Company; provided, however, that any notice to an Underwriter pursuant to Section 9(c) hereof shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to such Underwriter at its address set forth in its Underwriters’ Questionnaire or telex constituting such Questionnaire, which address will be supplied to the Company by the Representatives on request; provided further that notices under subsection 5(e) shall be in writing, and if to the Underwriters shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to the Representatives at Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282, Attention: Control Room, and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, 383 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10179, Attention: Equity Syndicate Desk. Any such statements, requests, notices or agreements shall take effect upon receipt thereof.

14. This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure solely to the benefit of, the Underwriters, the Switch Parties and, to the extent provided in Sections 9 and 11 hereof, the officers and directors of the Switch Parties and each person who controls the Switch Parties or any Underwriter, and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement. No purchaser of any of the Shares from any Underwriter shall be deemed a successor or assign by reason merely of such purchase.

15. Time shall be of the essence of this Agreement. As used herein, the term “business day” shall mean any day when the Commission’s office in Washington, D.C. is open for business.

16. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) the purchase and sale of the Shares pursuant to this Agreement is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other, (ii) in connection therewith and with the process leading to such transaction each Underwriter is acting solely as a principal and not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, (iii) no Underwriter has assumed 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 such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) or any other obligation to the Company except

 

20


the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement and (iv) the Company has consulted its own legal and financial advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate. The Company agrees that it will not claim that the Underwriters, or any of them, has rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owes a fiduciary or similar duty to the Company, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.

17. This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Switch Parties and the Underwriters, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof.

18. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

19. The Switch Parties and each of the Underwriters hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

20. This Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties hereto in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument.

21. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Switch Parties are authorized to disclose to any persons the U.S. federal and state income tax treatment and tax structure of the potential transaction and all materials of any kind (including tax opinions and other tax analyses) provided to the Switch Parties relating to that treatment and structure, without the Underwriters imposing any limitation of any kind. However, any information relating to the tax treatment and tax structure shall remain confidential (and the foregoing sentence shall not apply) to the extent necessary to enable any person to comply with securities laws. For this purpose, “tax structure” is limited to any facts that may be relevant to that treatment.

 

21


If the foregoing is in accordance with the Representatives’ understanding, please sign and return to us the counterparts hereof, and upon the acceptance hereof by the Representatives, on behalf of each of the Underwriters, this letter and such acceptance hereof shall constitute a binding agreement among each of the Underwriters, the Company and the Switch Parties. It is understood that the Representatives’ acceptance of this letter on behalf of each of the Underwriters is pursuant to the authority set forth in a form of Agreement among Underwriters, the form of which shall be submitted to the Company for examination, upon request, but without warranty on the Representatives’ part as to the authority of the signers thereof.

 

Very truly yours,
Switch, Inc.
By:  

 

  Name:  
  Title:  

 

Switch, Ltd.
By:  

 

  Name:  
  Title:  

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]


Accepted as of the date hereof

 

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC
By:  

 

  Name:  
  Title:  

 

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
By:  

 

  Name:  
  Title:  

 

BMO Capital Markets Corp.
By:  

 

  Name:  
  Title:  

 

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC
By:  

 

  Name:  
  Title:  

On behalf of each of the Underwriters

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]


SCHEDULE I

 

Underwriter

   Total Number of
Firm Shares
to be Purchased
   Number of Optional
Shares to be
Purchased if
Maximum Option
Exercised

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

   [●]    [●]

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

   [●]    [●]

BMO Capital Markets Corp.

   [●]    [●]

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

   [●]    [●]

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

   [●]    [●]

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC

   [●]    [●]

Jefferies LLC

   [●]    [●]

BTIG, LLC

   [●]    [●]

Raymond James & Associates, Inc.

   [●]    [●]

Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Inc.

   [●]    [●]

William Blair & Company, LLC

   [●]    [●]
  

 

  

 

Total

   [●]    [●]
  

 

  

 


SCHEDULE II

(a) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses not included in the Pricing Disclosure Package

[None]

(b) Section 5(d) Writings

(c) Additional documents incorporated by reference

[None]

(d) Information other than the Pricing Prospectus that comprise the Pricing Disclosure Package

The initial public offering price per share for the Shares is $ [            ].

The number of Firm Shares is [            ].

The number of Optional Shares is [            ].

[Add any other pricing disclosure.]


ANNEX I

FORM OF PRESS RELEASE

Switch, Inc.

[            ], 20

Switch, Inc. (the “Company”) announced today that Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC in the recent public sale of [            ] shares of the Company’s class A common stock, are [waiving] [releasing] a lock-up restriction with respect to [            ] shares of the Company’s class A common stock held by [certain officers or directors] [an officer or director] of the Company. The [waiver] [release] will take effect on [            , 20[    ]], and the shares may be sold on or after such date.

This press release is not an offer for sale of the securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction where such offer is prohibited, and such securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended.


ANNEX II

FORM OF LOCK-UP AGREEMENT

Switch, Inc.

Lock-Up Agreement

[●], 2017

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

c/o Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

200 West Street

New York, NY 10282-2198

c/o J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

383 Madison Avenue

New York, NY 10179

Re: Switch, Inc. – Lock-Up Agreement

Ladies and Gentlemen:

The undersigned understands that you, as representatives (the “Representatives”), propose to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) on behalf of the several Underwriters named in Schedule I to such agreement (collectively, the “Underwriters”), with Switch, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), providing for a public offering (the “Offering”) of the Class A Common Stock of the Company (the “Class A Common Stock”) pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-1 (the “Registration Statement”) to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).

In consideration of the agreement by the Underwriters to offer and sell the Class A Common Stock, and of other good and valuable consideration the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the undersigned agrees that, during the period beginning from the date of this Lock-Up Agreement and continuing to and including the date 180 days after the date set forth on the final prospectus used to sell the Class A Common Stock (the “Lock-Up Period”), the undersigned will not offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, grant any option to purchase, make any short sale or otherwise dispose of any shares of Class A Common Stock, Class B Common Stock or Class C Common Stock of the Company (together, the “Common Stock), 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 hereafter 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 announce its intention to do any of the forgoing. 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. If the undersigned is an officer or director of the Company, the undersigned further agrees that the foregoing restrictions shall be equally applicable to any issuer-directed shares of Class A Common Stock the undersigned may purchase in the Offering.

If the undersigned is an officer or director of the Company, (i) the Representatives agree that, at least three business days before the effective date of any release or waiver of the foregoing restrictions in connection with a transfer of shares of Common Stock, the Representatives will notify the Company of the impending release or waiver, and (ii) the Company has agreed in the Underwriting Agreement to announce the impending release or waiver by press release through a major news service at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver. Any release or waiver granted by the Representatives hereunder to any such officer or director shall only be effective two business days after the publication date of such press release. The provisions of this paragraph will not apply if (a) the release or waiver is effected solely to permit a transfer not for consideration and (b) the transferee has agreed in writing to be bound by the same terms described in this letter to the extent and for the duration that such terms remain in effect at the time of the transfer.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the undersigned may transfer the Undersigned’s Shares:

 

  (i) to (a) the Underwriters pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement or (b) the Company in connection with the purchase of membership interests of Switch, Ltd., a Nevada limited-liability company (“Switch, Ltd.”), from the undersigned, by the Company with the net proceeds of the Offering simultaneous with the closing of the Offering;

 

  (ii) pursuant to any exchange or redemption of membership interests of Switch, Ltd. and a corresponding issuance of a number of shares of Class A Common Stock in accordance with the Operating Agreement of Switch, Ltd., as amended and restated at the consummation of the Offering, provided that such shares of Class A Common Stock shall be bound by the restrictions set forth herein;

 

  (iii) as a result of the redemption by the Company, Switch, Ltd. or their affiliates of the Undersigned’s Shares held by or on behalf of an employee in connection with the death, or disability of such employee or upon the termination of such employee’s employment, provided that any filing made pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), shall include a footnote noting the circumstances described in this clause;

 

  (iv) as part of the repurchase of the Undersigned’s Shares by the Company pursuant to an employee benefit plan described in the Registration Statement or pursuant to the agreements pursuant to which such Shares were issued;

 

  (v) acquired by the undersigned (a) in the open market after the completion of the Offering or (b) from the Underwriters in the Offering;

 

  (vi) 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;


  (vii) to any beneficiary of the undersigned pursuant to a will, other testamentary document or intestate succession to the legal representatives, heirs, beneficiary or immediate family member of the undersigned, provided that the donee or donees, beneficiary or beneficiaries, heir or heirs or legal representatives thereof agree to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth herein;

 

  (viii) to any trust, partnership, limited liability company or other entity for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned, or if the undersigned is a trust, to any beneficiary (including such beneficiary’s estate) of the undersigned, provided that the trustee of the trust or the partnership, limited liability company or other entity or beneficiary 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;

 

  (ix) pursuant to an order of a court or regulatory agency or to comply with any regulations related to the undersigned’s ownership of the Undersigned’s Shares, provided that the recipient thereof agrees to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth herein;

 

  (x) to the Company or its affiliates (A) deemed to occur upon the net or cashless exercise of options which will expire during the Lock-Up Period by the terms of such options or (B) for the purpose of paying the exercise price of such options or for paying taxes (including estimated taxes) due as a result of the exercise of such options or as a result of the vesting of the Undersigned’s Shares under restricted stock units or restricted stock awards, in each case pursuant to employee benefit plans disclosed in the Registration Statement provided that any filing made pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act shall include a footnote noting the circumstances described in this clause; or

 

  (xi) with the prior written consent of the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters;

provided, that in connection with any transfer pursuant to clauses (v), (vi) or (viii) above, no filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of shares of Common Stock shall be required during the Lock-Up Period (other than on Form 5 if such Form 5 is filed after the expiration of the Lock-Up Period) nor shall a public announcement be voluntarily made by the undersigned or the transferee during the Lock-Up Period.

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, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other business entity, the undersigned may transfer the Undersigned’s Shares (A) to another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other business entity that is an affiliate (as defined in Rule 405 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended) of the undersigned, or to any investment fund or other entity controlled or managed by the undersigned or affiliates of the undersigned, in each case without consideration or (B) as part of a distribution, transfer or disposition without consideration by the undersigned to its stockholders, partners, members, beneficiaries or other equity holders; provided, however, that in any such case, it shall be a condition to the transfer that (a) the transferee execute an agreement stating that the transferee is receiving and holding such capital stock subject to the provisions of this Lock-Up Agreement, (b) no filing under Section 13 or Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of shares of Common Stock shall be required during the Lock-Up Period and (c) no filing under Section 13 of Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act or other public announcement shall be voluntarily made by the undersigned or the transferee during the Lock-Up Period, and provided further that any such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value. 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.


Notwithstanding the foregoing, the undersigned shall be permitted to make transfers, sales, tenders or other dispositions of the Undersigned’s Shares to a bona fide third party pursuant to a tender or exchange offer for over 50% of the securities of the Company or Switch, Ltd. or other transaction, including, without limitation, a merger, consolidation or other business combination, involving a change of control of the Company that, in each case, has been approved by the Company’s board of directors (including, without limitation, entering into any lock-up, voting or similar agreement pursuant to which the undersigned may agree to transfer, sell, tender or otherwise dispose of the Undersigned’s Shares in connection with any such transaction, or vote any of the Undersigned’s Shares in favor of any such transaction), provided that all of the Undersigned’s Shares subject to this Lock-Up Agreement that are not so transferred, sold, tendered or otherwise disposed of remain subject to this Lock-Up Agreement; and provided, further, that it shall be a condition of transfer, sale, tender or other disposition that if such tender offer or other transaction is not completed, any of the Undersigned’s Shares subject to this Lock-Up Agreement shall remain subject to the restrictions herein.

The restrictions described in this Lock-Up Agreement shall not prohibit any transfer of the Undersigned’s Shares contemplated by the “Transactions” (as such term is defined in the Registration Statement under the section “The Transactions”). In addition, the restrictions described in this Lock-Up Agreement shall not apply to any pledge of the Undersigned’s Shares (the “Pledged Securities”) in existence as of the date hereof as collateral for a loan (or series of loans) provided to the undersigned, and any transfer of such Pledged Securities during the Lock-Up Period resulting from any default relating to such loan (or series of loans).

Additionally, the restrictions described in this Lock-Up Agreement shall not apply to the establishment of a trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act; provided that no transfers occur under such plan during such Lock-Up Period and no public announcement or filing shall be required or voluntarily made by any person in connection therewith until after the expiration of the Lock-Up Period.

This Lock-Up Agreement shall be terminated and the undersigned shall be released from its obligations hereunder upon the earlier of (i) prior to the execution of the Underwriting Agreement, the Company, on the one hand, or either Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC or J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, on the other hand, advise in writing that they have determined not to proceed with the Offering, (ii) the date the Registration Statement filed with the SEC with respect to the Offering is withdrawn, (iii) the date on which the Underwriting Agreement is terminated prior to payment for and delivery of the Shares to be sold thereunder (other than pursuant to the Underwriters’ over-allotment option) or (iv) December 31, 2017, if the Offering is not completed by such date; provided, however, that the Company may, by written notice to the undersigned prior to such date, extend such date for a period of up to three additional months.

The undersigned understands that the Company, Switch, Ltd. and the Underwriters 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.

[Signature Page Follows]


Very truly yours,

 

IF AN INDIVIDUAL:    

IF AN ENTITY:

By:

 

 

   

 

 

(duly authorized signature)

   

(please print complete name of entity)

Name:

 

 

   

By:

 

 

 

(please print full name)

     

(duly authorized signature)

     

Name:

 

 

       

(please print full name)

     

Title:

 

 

       

(please print full title)