Form of Underwriting Agreement

EX-1.1 2 a2235888zex-1_1.htm EX-1.1

Exhibit 1.1

 

U.S. Xpress Enterprises, Inc.

 

(a Nevada corporation)

 

[·] Shares of Class A Common Stock

 

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 



 

U.S. Xpress Enterprises, Inc.

 

(a Nevada corporation)

 

[·] Shares of Class A Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share

 

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

June [·], 2018

 

MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH
      INCORPORATED

MORGAN STANLEY & CO. LLC

 

as Representatives of the several Underwriters

 

c/o                               Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
                     Incorporated

One Bryant Park
New York, New York  10036

 

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

1585 Broadway

New York, New York 10036

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

U.S. Xpress Enterprises, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), and the persons listed in Schedule B hereto (the “Selling Shareholders”), confirm their respective agreements with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (“Merrill Lynch”), Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC (“Morgan Stanley”) and each of the other Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto (collectively, the “Underwriters,” which term shall also include any underwriter substituted as hereinafter provided in Section 10 hereof), for whom Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley are acting as representatives (in such capacity, the “Representatives “), with respect to (i) the sale by the Company and the Selling Shareholders, acting severally and not jointly, and the purchase by the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the respective numbers of shares of Class A Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (“Common Stock”) set forth in Schedule A hereto and (ii) the grant by the Selling Shareholders to the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the option described in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any part of 2,708,400 additional shares of Common Stock as set forth in Schedule B hereto.  The aforesaid 18,056,000 shares of Common Stock (the “Initial Securities”) to be purchased by the Underwriters and all or any part of the 2,708,400 shares of Common Stock subject to the option described in Section 2(b) hereof (the “Option Securities”) are herein called, collectively, the “Securities.”

 

The Company and the Selling Shareholders understand that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of the Securities as soon as the Representatives deem advisable after this Underwriting Agreement (this “Agreement”) has been executed and delivered.

 

The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-1 (No. 333-224711), including the related preliminary prospectus or

 



 

prospectuses, covering the registration of the sale of the Securities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”).  Promptly after execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will prepare and file a prospectus in accordance with the provisions of Rule 430A (“Rule 430A”) of the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1933 Act (the “1933 Act Regulations”) and Rule 424(b) (“Rule 424(b)”) of the 1933 Act Regulations.  The information included in such prospectus that was omitted from such registration statement at the time it became effective but that is deemed to be part of such registration statement at the time it became effective pursuant to Rule 430A(b) is herein called the “Rule 430A Information.”  Such registration statement, including the amendments thereto, the exhibits thereto and any schedules thereto, at the time it became effective, and including the Rule 430A Information, is herein called the “Registration Statement.”  Any registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations is herein called the “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement” and, after such filing, the term “Registration Statement” shall include the Rule 462(b)

 

Registration Statement.  Each prospectus used prior to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, and each prospectus that omitted the Rule 430A Information that was used after such effectiveness and prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, is herein called a “preliminary prospectus.”  The final prospectus, in the form first furnished to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offering of the Securities, is herein called the “Prospectus.”  For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system or any successor system (“EDGAR”).

 

As used in this Agreement:

 

“Applicable Time” means [·] [P./A.M.], New York City time, on June [·], 2018 or such other time as agreed by the Company and the Representatives.

 

“General Disclosure Package” means any Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectuses issued at or prior to the Applicable Time, the most recent preliminary prospectus that is distributed to investors prior to the Applicable Time and the information included on Schedule C-1 hereto, all considered together.

 

“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 433”), including without limitation any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 405”)) relating to the Securities that is (i) required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) a “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i), whether or not required to be filed with the Commission, or (iii) exempt from filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Securities or of the offering that does not reflect the final terms, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).

 

“Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors (other than a “bona fide electronic road show,” as defined in Rule 433 (the “Bona Fide Electronic Road Show”), as evidenced by its being specified in Schedule C-2 hereto.

 

“Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not an Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus.

 

2



 

SECTION 1.                            Representations and Warranties.

 

(a)                                 Representations and Warranties by the Company.  The Company represents and warrants to each Underwriter as of the date hereof, the Applicable Time, the Closing Time (as defined below) and any Date of Delivery (as defined below), and agrees with each Underwriter, as follows:

 

(i)                                     Registration Statement and Prospectuses.  Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto has become effective under the 1933 Act.  No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued under the 1933 Act, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued by the Commission and no proceedings for any of those purposes or pursuant to Section 8A of the 1933 Act have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened by the Commission. The Company has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information.

 

Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time it became effective, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations.  Each preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, at the time each was filed with the Commission, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations.  Each preliminary prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with this offering and the Prospectus was or will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

 

(ii)                                  Accurate Disclosure.  Neither the Registration Statement nor any amendment thereto, at its effective time, at the Closing Time or at any Date of Delivery, contained, contains or will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.  At the Applicable Time and any Date of Delivery, neither (A) the General Disclosure Package nor (B) any individual Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.  Neither the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto, as of its issue date, at the time of any filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b), at the Closing Time or at any Date of Delivery, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

The representations and warranties in this subsection shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein.  For purposes of this Agreement, the only information so furnished shall be [the fifth, sixteenth and seventeenth paragraphs], contained in the Prospectus under the heading “Underwriting (Conflict of Interest)” (collectively, the “Underwriter Information”).

 

(iii)                               Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses.  No Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and

 

3



 

any preliminary or other prospectus deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified.  The Company has made available a Bona Fide Electronic Road Show in compliance with Rule 433(d)(8)(ii) such that no filing of any “road show” (as defined in Rule 433(h)) is required in connection with the offering of the Securities.

 

(iv)                              Company Not Ineligible Issuer.  At the time of filing the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations) of the Securities and at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405, without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an ineligible issuer.

 

(v)                                 Independent Accountants.  PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, who have certified the financial statements and the related notes supporting the schedules thereto of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries included in each of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus has advised the Company that they are independent public accountants with respect to the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as required by the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and its interpretations and rulings thereunder.

 

(vi)                              Financial Statements; Non-GAAP Financial Measures.  The historical financial statements and the related notes and schedules thereto included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the results of their operations and the changes in their cash flows for the periods specified (subject to the omission of footnotes and normal year end audit and other adjustments, as to any unaudited financial statements); such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered thereby. The supporting schedules, if any, present fairly in all material respects in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated therein.  The selected financial data and the summary financial information included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly in all material respects the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements included therein.  Except as included therein, no historical or pro forma financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations.  All disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply in all material respects with Regulation G of the 1934 Act, and Item 10 of Regulation S-K of the 1933 Act, to the extent applicable.

 

(vii)                           No Material Adverse Change in Business.  Since the date of the most recent historical financial statements of the Company included in each of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (i) there has not been any change in the capital stock (other than the issuance of shares of Common Stock in connection herewith or upon the exercise of stock options, rights, and awards and the grant of options, rights, and awards under existing equity incentive plans, in each case as described in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus) or long term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, set aside for payment, paid or

 

4



 

made by the Company on any class of capital stock, or any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the business, properties, management, financial position, or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; (ii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has entered into any transaction or agreement that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; and (iii) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has sustained any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor disturbance or dispute or any action, order or decree of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except in each case as otherwise disclosed in each of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(viii)                        Good Standing of the Company and its Subsidiaries.  The Company and each of its subsidiaries have been duly organized and are validly existing and in good standing under the laws of their respective jurisdictions of organization, are duly qualified to do business and are in good standing in each jurisdiction in which their respective ownership or lease of property or the conduct of their respective businesses requires such qualification, and have all power and authority necessary to own or hold their respective properties and to conduct the businesses in which they are engaged, except where the failure to be so qualified, in good standing or have such power or authority would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the business, properties, management, financial position, or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole (a “Material Adverse Effect”).  None of the outstanding shares of capital stock of any subsidiary were issued in violation of the preemptive or similar rights of any securityholder of such subsidiary. The only subsidiaries of the Company are the subsidiaries listed on Exhibit 21 to the Registration Statement and certain other subsidiaries which, considered in the aggregate as a single subsidiary, do not constitute a “significant subsidiary” as defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X.

 

(ix)                              Capitalization.  The authorized, issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus in the column entitled “Actual” under the caption “Capitalization” (except for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to this Agreement, pursuant to reservations, agreements or employee benefit plans referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or pursuant to the exercise of convertible securities or options referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus).  The outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company, including the Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Selling Shareholders, if any, have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable.  None of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company, including the Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Selling Shareholders, if any, were issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company.

 

(x)                                 Authorization of Agreement.  This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

 

(xi)                              Authorization and Description of Securities.  The Securities to be purchased by the Underwriters from the Company have been duly authorized for issuance and sale to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Company pursuant to this Agreement against payment of the consideration set forth herein, will be validly issued and fully paid and non-assessable; and the issuance of the Securities is not subject to the

 

5



 

preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company that have not been duly and validly waived in writing as of the date of this Agreement.  The Common Stock conforms to all statements relating thereto contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and such description conforms to the rights set forth in the instruments defining the same.  No holder of Securities will be subject to personal liability by reason of being such a holder.

 

(xii)                           Registration Rights.  There are no persons with registration rights or other similar rights to have any securities registered for sale pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise registered for sale or sold by the Company under the 1933 Act pursuant to this Agreement, other than those rights that have been disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and have been waived.

 

(xiii)                        No Violation or Default.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (i) in violation of its charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents; (ii) in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any property or asset of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject; or (iii) in violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, for any such default or violation that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xiv)                       No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, the issuance and sale of the Securities and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, result in the termination, modification or acceleration of, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property, right or asset of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any property, right or asset of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents of the Company or its subsidiaries or (iii) result in the violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except, in the case of clauses (i) and (iii) above, for any such conflict, breach, violation, default, lien, charge or encumbrance that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect and except for such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, licenses, registrations, filings or qualifications as shall have been obtained or made prior to the Closing Date.

 

(xv)                          Absence of Labor Dispute.  No labor disturbance by or dispute with employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company and each of its subsidiaries, is  threatened and neither the Company nor any subsidiary is aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by, or dispute with, the employees of any of the Company’s or any of the Company’s subsidiaries’ principal suppliers, manufacturers, contractors or customers, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to  have a Material Adverse Effect.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of cancellation or termination with respect to any collective bargaining agreement to which it is a party.

 

6



 

(xvi)                       Absence of Proceedings.  Except as described in each of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no legal, governmental or regulatory investigations, actions, demands, claims, suits, arbitrations, inquiries or proceedings (“Actions”) pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party, or that are reasonably foreseeable that the Company or any of its subsidiaries may become a party, or to which any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is the subject, or that are reasonably foreseeable that any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries may be the subject, that would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or would materially adversely affect the ability of the Company to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; and no such Actions are threatened or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by any governmental or regulatory authority or threatened by others.

 

(xvii)                    Accuracy of Exhibits.  There are no contracts or documents which are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement which have not been so described and filed as required.

 

(xviii)                 Absence of Further Requirements.  No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any Governmental Entity is necessary or required for the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, in connection with the offering, issuance or sale of the Securities hereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except such as have been already obtained or as may be required under the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the rules of The New York Stock Exchange, state securities laws or the rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”).

 

(xix)                       Possession of Licenses and Permits.  The Company and its subsidiaries possess such licenses, sub-licenses, certificates, permits and other authorizations issued by, and have made all declarations and filings with, the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign governmental or regulatory authorities that are necessary for the ownership or lease of their respective properties or the conduct of their respective businesses as described in each of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except where the failure to possess or make the same would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and except as described in each of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received notice of any revocation or modification of any such license, sub-license, certificate, permit or authorization or has any reason to believe that any such license, sub-license, certificate, permit or authorization will not be renewed in the ordinary course.

 

(xx)                          Title to Property.  The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to, or have valid rights to lease or otherwise use, all items of real and personal property that are described in or referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and all other real and personal property that are material to the respective businesses of the Company and its subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, claims and defects and imperfections of title except for those that (i) do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its subsidiaries, (ii) would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to  have a Material Adverse Effect or (iii) as disclosed in each of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

7



 

(xxi)                       Possession of Intellectual Property.  (i) The Company and its subsidiaries own or have the right to use all patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, trade names, trademark registrations, service mark registrations, domain names and other source indicators, copyrights and copyrightable works, and applications for the foregoing, as well as all know-how, trade secrets, systems, procedures, proprietary or confidential information and all other worldwide intellectual property, industrial property and proprietary rights (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) used in or otherwise necessary to the conduct of their respective businesses, except in each case that could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.; (ii) the Company and its subsidiaries’ conduct of their respective businesses does not infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any Intellectual Property of any person, except in each case that could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (iii) the Company and its subsidiaries have not received any written notice of any claim of infringement, misappropriation, or violation relating to Intellectual Property, except in each case that could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and (iv) to the knowledge of the Company, the Intellectual Property of the Company and their subsidiaries is not being infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated by any person in any material respect.  The Company and its Subsidiaries take all reasonable actions to protect the integrity, security and continuous operation of the material software, systems and information technology assets used in their businesses (and the data within), and there have been no breaches, violations, outages or unauthorized uses of same, except in each case that could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xxii)                    Certain Environmental Matters.  (i) The Company and its subsidiaries (A) are in compliance with all, and have not violated any, applicable federal, state, local and foreign laws (including common law), rules, regulations, requirements, decisions, judgments, decrees, orders and other legally enforceable requirements relating to pollution or the protection of human health or safety, the environment, natural resources, hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (collectively, “Environmental Laws”); (B) have received and are in compliance with all, and have not violated any, permits, licenses, certificates or other authorizations or approvals required of them under any Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses; and (C) have not received written notice of any actual or potential liability or obligation under or relating to, or any actual or potential violation of, any Environmental Laws, including for the investigation or remediation of any disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, and have no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in any such notice, and (ii) there are no costs or liabilities associated with Environmental Laws of or relating to the Company or its subsidiaries, except in the case of each of (i) and (ii) above, for any such matter as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and (iii) except as described in each of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (A) there is no proceeding that is pending, or that is known to be threatened, against the Company or any of its subsidiaries under any Environmental Laws in which a governmental entity is also a party, other than such proceeding regarding which it is reasonably believed no monetary sanctions of $100,000 or more will be imposed, (B) the Company and its subsidiaries are not aware of any facts or issues regarding compliance with Environmental Laws, or liabilities or other obligations under Environmental Laws or concerning hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, that could reasonably be expected to have a material effect on the capital expenditures, earnings or competitive position of the Company and its subsidiaries, and (C) none of the Company or its subsidiaries anticipates material capital expenditures relating to any Environmental Laws.

 

8



 

(xxiii)                 Accounting Controls.  The Company and each of its subsidiaries maintain effective internal control over financial reporting (as defined under Rule 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the 1934 Act Regulations) and a system of internal accounting controls designed to provide reasonable assurances that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.  Except as described in each of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (1) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (2) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

(xxiv)                Compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.  The Company has taken all necessary actions to ensure that, upon the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, it will be in compliance with all applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or implementing the provisions thereof (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) that are then in effect and with which the Company is required to comply as of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, and is actively taking steps to ensure that it will be in compliance with other provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act not currently in effect, upon the effectiveness of such provisions, or which will become applicable to the Company at all times after the effectiveness of the Registration Statement.

 

(xxv)                   Payment of Taxes.  The Company and its subsidiaries have paid all U.S. federal, and all material state, local and foreign taxes and filed all U.S. federal and all other material tax returns required to be paid or filed through the date hereof, except for any taxes as may be being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings and with respect to which adequate reserves are being maintained in accordance with GAAP; and except as otherwise disclosed in each of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there is no tax deficiency that has been, or is expected to be, asserted against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective properties or assets.

 

(xxvi)                Insurance.  The Company and its subsidiaries have insurance covering their respective properties, operations, personnel and businesses, including business interruption insurance, which insurance is in amounts and insures against such losses and risks as the Company believes are adequate to protect the Company and its subsidiaries and their respective businesses; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has (i) received notice from any insurer or agent of such insurer that capital improvements or other expenditures are required or necessary to be made in order to continue such insurance or (ii) 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 at reasonable cost as may be necessary to continue its business.  Since the date of the most recent financial statements of the Company included in each of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has been denied any insurance coverage which it has sought or for which it has applied.

 

(xxvii)             Investment Company Act.  The Company is not, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in each of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, will not be

 

9


 

required to register as an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

 

(xxviii)          Absence of Manipulation.  Neither the Company nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any affiliate of the Company has taken, or will take, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed, or would reasonably be expected, to cause or result in, or which constitutes, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities or to result in a violation of Regulation M under the 1934 Act.

 

(xxix)                No Unlawful Payments.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, nor any director or officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any employee, agent, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made or taken an act in furtherance of an offer, promise or authorization of any direct or indirect unlawful payment or benefit to any foreign or domestic government official or employee, including of any government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or any applicable law or regulation implementing the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, or committed an offense under  the Bribery Act 2010 of the United Kingdom, or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption law; or (iv) made, offered, agreed, requested or taken an act in furtherance of any unlawful bribe or other unlawful benefit, including, without limitation, any rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful or improper payment or benefit.  The Company and its subsidiaries have instituted, maintained and enforced, and will continue to maintain and enforce, policies designed to promote and ensure compliance with all applicable anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws.

 

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

 

(xxxi)                No Conflicts with Sanctions Laws.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, directors or officers, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any employee, agent, affiliate or representative of the Company or any of its 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 the U.S. Department of State and including, without limitation, the designation as a “specially designated national” or “blocked person”), the United Nations Security Council (“UNSC”), the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury (“HMT”), or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor is the Company or any of its subsidiaries located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject or target of Sanctions, including,

 

10



 

without limitation, Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria (each, a “Sanctioned Country”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Securities 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 that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject or target of Sanctions, (ii) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business in any Sanctioned Country or (iii) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, initial purchaser, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions.  For the past five years, the Company and its subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in, are not now knowingly engaged in any dealings or transactions with any person that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject or the target of Sanctions or with any Sanctioned Country.

 

(xxxii)             Lending RelationshipExcept as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company (i) does not have any material lending or other relationship with any bank or lending affiliate of any Underwriter and (ii) does not intend to use any of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities to repay any outstanding debt owed to any affiliate of any Underwriter.

 

(xxxiii)          Statistical and Market Data.  Nothing has come to the attention of the Company that has caused the Company to believe that the statistical and market-related data included in each of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus is not based on or derived from sources that are reliable and accurate in all material respects and, to the extent required, the Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources.

 

(xxxiv)         No Rating of Securities.  Neither the Company nor its subsidiaries have any debt securities or preferred stock that are rated by any “nationally recognized statistical rating agency” (as defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the 1934 Act).

 

(b)                                 Representations and Warranties by the Selling Shareholders.  Each Selling Shareholder, severally and not jointly, represents and warrants to each Underwriter as of the date hereof, as of the Applicable Time, as of the Closing Time and, if the Selling Shareholder is selling Option Securities on a Date of Delivery, as of each such Date of Delivery, and severally and not jointly agrees with each Underwriter, as follows:

 

(i)                                     Accurate Disclosure.  Neither the General Disclosure Package nor the Prospectus or any amendments or supplements thereto includes any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that such representations and warranties set forth in this subsection (b)(i) apply only to statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to such Selling Shareholder furnished in writing by or on behalf of such Selling Shareholder expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any other Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto (the “Selling Shareholder Information”); such Selling Shareholder is not prompted to sell the Securities to be sold by such Selling Shareholder hereunder by any information concerning the Company or any subsidiary of the Company which is not set forth in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(ii)                                  Authorization of this Agreement.  This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by or on behalf of such Selling Shareholder.

 

11



 

(iii)                               Authorization of Power of Attorney and Custody Agreement.  The Power of Attorney and Custody Agreement, (which is in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives) furnished to the Representatives (the “Power of Attorney and Custody Agreement”), has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by such Selling Shareholder and is the valid and binding agreement of such Selling Shareholder.

 

(iv)                              Noncontravention.  The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the Power of Attorney and Custody Agreement and the sale and delivery of the Securities to be sold by such Selling Shareholder and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and compliance by such Selling Shareholder with its obligations hereunder do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any tax, lien, charge or encumbrance upon the Securities to be sold by such Selling Shareholder or any property or assets of such Selling Shareholder pursuant to any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, license, lease or other agreement or instrument to which such Selling Shareholder is a party or by which such Selling Shareholder may be bound, or to which any of the property or assets of such Selling Shareholder is subject, nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws or other organizational instrument of such Selling Shareholder, if applicable, or any applicable treaty, law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any government, government instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over such Selling Shareholder or any of its properties.

 

(v)                                 Valid Title.  Such Selling Shareholder has, and at the Closing Time or the Date of Delivery, as applicable, will have, valid title to the Securities to be sold by such Selling Shareholder free and clear of all security interests, claims, liens, equities or other encumbrances and the legal right and power, and all authorization and approval required by law, to enter into this Agreement and the Power of Attorney and Custody Agreement and to sell, transfer and deliver the Securities to be sold by such Selling Shareholder or a valid security entitlement in respect of such Securities.

 

(vi)                              Delivery of Securities.  Upon payment of the purchase price for the Securities to be sold by such Selling Shareholder pursuant to this Agreement, delivery of such Securities, as directed by the Underwriters, to Cede & Co. (“Cede”) or such other nominee as may be designated by The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), registration of such Securities in the name of Cede or such other nominee, and the crediting of such Securities on the books of DTC to securities accounts (within the meaning of Section 8-501(a) of the UCC) of the Underwriters (assuming that neither DTC nor any such Underwriter has notice of any “adverse claim,” within the meaning of Section 8-105 of the Uniform Commercial Code then in effect in the State of New York (“UCC”), to such Securities), (A) under Section 8-501 of the UCC, the Underwriters will acquire a valid “security entitlement” in respect of such Securities and (B) no action (whether framed in conversion, replevin, constructive trust, equitable lien, or other theory) based on any “adverse claim,” within the meaning of Section 8-102 of the UCC, to such Securities may be asserted against the Underwriters with respect to such security entitlement; for purposes of this representation, such Selling Shareholder may assume that when such payment, delivery and crediting occur, (I) such Securities will have been registered in the name of Cede or another nominee designated by DTC, in each case on the Company’s share registry in accordance with its certificate of incorporation, bylaws and applicable law, (II) DTC will be registered as a “clearing corporation,” within the meaning of Section 8-102 of the UCC, (III) appropriate entries to the accounts of the several Underwriters on the records of DTC will have been made pursuant to the UCC, (IV) to the extent DTC, or any other securities intermediary which acts as “clearing corporation” with respect to the Securities, maintains any “financial asset” (as defined in Section

 

12



 

8-102(a)(9) of the UCC in a clearing corporation pursuant to Section 8-111 of the UCC, the rules of such clearing corporation may affect the rights of DTC or such securities intermediaries and the ownership interest of the Underwriters, (V) claims of creditors of DTC or any other securities intermediary or clearing corporation may be given priority to the extent set forth in Section 8-511(b) and 8-511(c) of the UCC and (VI) if at any time DTC or other securities intermediary does not have sufficient Securities to satisfy claims of all of its entitlement holders with respect thereto then all holders will share pro rata in the Securities then held by DTC or such securities intermediary.

 

(vii)                           Absence of Manipulation.  Such Selling Shareholder has not taken, and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed to or which constituted or would be expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.

 

(viii)                        Absence of Further Requirements.  No filing with, or consent, approval, authorization, order, registration, qualification or decree of any arbitrator, court, governmental body, regulatory body, administrative agency or other authority, body or agency, domestic or foreign, is necessary or required for the performance by each Selling Shareholder of its obligations hereunder or in the Power of Attorney and Custody Agreement, or in connection with the sale and delivery of the Securities hereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except such as have been already obtained or as may be required under the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the rules of The New York Stock Exchange, state securities laws or the rules of FINRA.

 

(ix)                           No Registration or Other Similar Rights.  Such Selling Shareholder does not have any registration or other similar rights to have any equity or debt securities registered for sale by the Company under the Registration Statement or included in the offering contemplated by this Agreement, other than those rights that have been disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(x)                                 No Free Writing Prospectuses.  Such Selling Shareholder has not prepared or had prepared on its behalf or used or referred to, any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405), and has not distributed any written materials in connection with the offer or sale of the Securities.

 

(xi)                              No Association with FINRA.  Neither such Selling Shareholder nor any of his, her or its (as applicable) affiliates directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with any member firm of FINRA or is a person associated with a member (within the meaning of the FINRA By-Laws) of FINRA.

 

(xii)                           ERISA Compliance. Such Selling Shareholder is not (A) an employee benefit plan subject to Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), (B) a plan or account subject to Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or (C) an entity deemed to hold “plan assets” of any such plan or account under Section 3(42) of ERISA, 29 C.F.R. 2510.3-101, or otherwise.

 

(xiii)                        Tax Forms. In order to document the Underwriters’ compliance with the reporting and withholding provisions of the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 with respect to the transactions herein contemplated, such Selling Shareholder will deliver to you prior to or at the Date of Delivery a properly completed and executed United States Treasury

 

13



 

Department Form W-9 or Form W-8, as applicable (or other applicable form or statement specified by Treasury Department regulations in lieu thereof).

 

(xiv)                       No Unlawful Payments.  Neither such Selling Shareholder nor any of its subsidiaries, nor any director or officer of such Selling Shareholder or any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of such Selling Shareholder, any employee, agent, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of such Selling Shareholder or any of its subsidiaries has (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made or taken an act in furtherance of an offer, promise or authorization of any direct or indirect unlawful payment or benefit to any foreign or domestic government official or employee, including of any government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or any applicable law or regulation implementing the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, or committed an offense under  the Bribery Act 2010 of the United Kingdom, or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption law; or (iv) made, offered, agreed, requested or taken an act in furtherance of any unlawful bribe or other unlawful benefit, including, without limitation, any rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful or improper payment or benefit.  Such Selling Shareholder and its subsidiaries have instituted, maintained and enforced, and will continue to maintain and enforce, policies designed to promote and ensure compliance with all applicable anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws.

 

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

 

(xvi)                       No Conflicts with Sanctions Laws.  Neither such Selling Shareholder nor any of its subsidiaries, directors or officers, nor, to the knowledge of such Selling Shareholder, any employee, agent, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of such Selling Shareholder or any of its 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 the U.S. Department of State and including, without limitation, the designation as a “specially designated national” or “blocked person”), the United Nations Security Council (“UNSC”), the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury (“HMT”), or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor is such Selling Shareholder or any of its subsidiaries located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject or target of Sanctions, including, without limitation, Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria (each, a “Sanctioned Country”); and such Selling Shareholder will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of the Securities offered by such Selling Shareholder 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 that, at the time of such funding or

 

14



 

facilitation, is the subject or target of Sanctions, (ii) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business in any Sanctioned Country or (iii) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, initial purchaser, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions.  For the past five years, such Selling Shareholder and its subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in, are not now knowingly engaged in any dealings or transactions with any person that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject or the target of Sanctions or with any Sanctioned Country.

 

(xvii)                    Accuracy of Company Representations. To such Selling Shareholder’s knowledge, the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct.

 

(c)                                  Officer’s Certificates.  Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries delivered to the Representatives or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby; and any certificate signed by or on behalf of the Selling Shareholders as such and delivered to the Representatives or to counsel for the Underwriters pursuant to the terms of this Agreement shall be deemed a representation and warranty by such Selling Shareholder to the Underwriters as to the matters covered thereby.

 

SECTION 2.                            Sale and Delivery to Underwriters; Closing.

 

(a)                                 Initial Securities.  On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company and each Selling Shareholder, severally and not jointly, agrees to sell to each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company and each Selling Shareholder, at the price per share of $[·], the number of Initial Securities set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter, plus any additional number of Initial Securities which such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 10 hereof, subject, in each case, to such adjustments among the Underwriters as the Representatives shall make to eliminate any sales or purchases of fractional shares.

 

(b)                                 Option Securities.  In addition, on the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Selling Shareholders, acting severally and not jointly, hereby grant an option to the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, to purchase up to an additional 2,708,400 shares of Common Stock, as set forth in Schedule B, at the price per share of $[·], less an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Initial Securities but not payable on the Option Securities.  The option hereby granted may be exercised for 30 days after the date hereof and may be exercised in whole or in part from time to time upon notice by the Representatives to the Company and the Selling Shareholders setting forth the number of Option Securities as to which the several Underwriters are then exercising the option and the time and date of payment and delivery for such Option Securities.  Any such time and date of delivery (a “Date of Delivery”) shall be determined by the Representatives, but shall not be later than seven full business days after the exercise of said option, nor in any event prior to the Closing Time.  If the option is exercised as to all or any portion of the Option Securities, each of the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, will purchase that proportion of the total number of Option Securities then being purchased which the number of Initial Securities set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Initial Securities, subject, in each case, to such adjustments as the Representatives shall make to eliminate any sales or purchases of fractional shares.

 

15



 

(c)                                  Payment.  Payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of certificates or security entitlements for, the Initial Securities shall be made at the offices of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, 425 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10017, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company and the Selling Shareholders, at 9:00 A.M. (New York City Time) on the second (third, if the pricing occurs after 4:30 P.M. (New York City Time) on any given day) business day after the date hereof (unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10), or such other time not later than ten business days after such date as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company and the Selling Shareholders (such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called “Closing Time”).

 

In addition, in the event that any or all of the Option Securities are purchased by the Underwriters, payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of certificates or security entitlements for, such Option Securities shall be made at the above-mentioned offices, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company and the Selling Shareholders, on each Date of Delivery as specified in the notice from the Representatives to the Company and the Selling Shareholders.

 

Payment shall be made to the Company and the Selling Shareholders by wire transfer of immediately available funds to bank accounts designated by the Company and the Custodian pursuant to each Selling Shareholder’s Power of Attorney and Custody Agreement, as the case may be, against delivery to the Representatives for the respective accounts of the Underwriters of certificates or security entitlements for the Securities to be purchased by them.  It is understood that each Underwriter has authorized the Representatives, for its account, to accept delivery of, receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Initial Securities and the Option Securities, if any, which it has agreed to purchase.  Merrill Lynch, individually and not as a representative of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment of the purchase price for the Initial Securities or the Option Securities, if any, to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds have not been received by the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, but such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from its obligations hereunder.

 

SECTION 3.                            Covenants of the Company and the Selling Shareholders.  The Company and each Selling Shareholder covenants with each Underwriter as follows:

 

(a)                                 Compliance with Securities Regulations and Commission Requests.  The Company, subject to Section 3(b), will comply with the requirements of Rule 430A, and will notify the Representatives promptly, and confirm the notice in writing, (i) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement shall become effective or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus shall have been filed, (ii) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission, (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or for additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the 1933 Act concerning the Registration Statement and (v) if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the 1933 Act in connection with the offering of the Securities.  The Company will effect all filings required under Rule 424(b), in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)), and will take such steps as it deems necessary to ascertain promptly whether the form of prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 424(b) was received for filing by the Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly file such prospectus.  The Company will make every reasonable effort to prevent the issuance of any stop

 

16



 

order, prevention or suspension and, if any such order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment.

 

(b)                                 Continued Compliance with Securities Laws.  The Company will comply with the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Securities as contemplated in this Agreement and in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.  If at any time when a prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 172”), would be) required by the 1933 Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Securities, any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters or for the Company, to (i) amend the Registration Statement in order that the Registration Statement will not include 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, (ii) amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order that the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing at the time it is delivered to a purchaser or (iii) amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, in order to comply with the requirements of the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations, the Company will promptly (A) give the Representatives notice of such event, (B) prepare any amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus comply with such requirements and, a reasonable amount of time prior to any proposed filing or use, furnish the Representatives with copies of any such amendment or supplement and (C) file with the Commission any such amendment or supplement; provided that the Company shall not file or use any such amendment or supplement to which the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object.  The Company will furnish to the Underwriters such number of copies of such amendment or supplement as the Underwriters may reasonably request.  The Company has given the Representatives notice of any filings made pursuant to the 1934 Act or 1934 Act Regulations within 48 hours prior to the Applicable Time; the Company will give the Representatives notice of its intention to make any such filing from the Applicable Time to the Closing Time and will furnish the Representatives with copies of any such documents a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing, as the case may be, and will not file or use any such document to which the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object.

 

(c)                                  Delivery of Registration Statements.  The Company has furnished or will deliver to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed therewith) and signed copies of all consents and certificates of experts, and will also deliver to the Representatives, without charge, a conformed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (without exhibits) for each of the Underwriters.  The copies of the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

 

(d)                                 Delivery of Prospectuses.  The Company has delivered to each Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of each preliminary prospectus as such Underwriter reasonably requested, and the Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the 1933 Act.  The Company will furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) required to be delivered under the 1933 Act, such number of copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as such Underwriter may reasonably request.  The Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto

 

17



 

furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

 

(e)                                  Blue Sky Qualifications.  The Company will use its reasonable best efforts, in cooperation with the Underwriters, to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions (domestic or foreign) as the Representatives may designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required to complete the distribution of the Securities; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject.

 

(f)                                   Rule 158.  The Company will timely file such reports pursuant to the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), as are necessary in order to make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable an earnings statement for the purposes of, and to provide to the Underwriters the benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act.

 

(g)                                  Use of Proceeds.  The Company will use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Securities in the manner specified in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under “Use of Proceeds.”

 

(h)                                 Listing.  The Company will use its best efforts to effect and maintain the listing of the Common Stock (including the Securities) on The New York Stock Exchange.

 

(i)                                     Restriction on Sale of Securities.  During a period of 180 days from the date of the Prospectus, the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, (A) directly or indirectly, offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase or otherwise transfer or dispose of any shares of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or file or confidentially submit any registration statement under the 1933 Act with respect to any of the foregoing or (B) enter into any swap or any other agreement or any transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such swap or transaction described in clause (A) or (B) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (1) the Securities to be sold hereunder, (2) any shares of Common Stock issued by the Company upon the exercise of an option or warrant, the vesting or settlement of a restricted stock award or stock appreciation right or the conversion of a security outstanding on the date hereof and described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (3) any shares of Common Stock issued or options to purchase Common Stock or stock appreciation right or restricted stock awards granted pursuant to employee benefit plans of the Company described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; (4) any shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to any non-employee director stock plan or dividend reinvestment plan described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; (5) the filing of any registration statement on Form S-8 or a successor form thereto; or (6) any shares of Common Stock or other securities issued in connection with any joint venture, commercial or collaborative relationship or the acquisition or license by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of the securities, businesses, property or other assets of another person or entity or pursuant to any employee benefit plan assumed by the Company in connection with any such acquisition; provided that, in the case of this clause (6), the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock or any other security convertible into Common Stock issued or issuable pursuant to the exercise of any options issued does not exceed 5% of the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock outstanding

 

18



 

immediately following the offering of Shares pursuant to this Agreement and provided, further, that the recipient of shares of Common Stock shall enter into a written “lock-up” agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto as if it were a Selling Shareholder.

 

(j)                                    Release of Waiver of Lock-Up.  If the Representatives agree to release or waive the restrictions set forth in a lock-up agreement described in Section 5(l) hereof for an officer or director of the Company and provides 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 Exhibit B hereto through a major news service at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver.

 

(k)                                 Reporting Requirements.  The Company, during the period when a Prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) required to be delivered under the 1933 Act, will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the 1934 Act within the time periods required by the 1934 Act and 1934 Act Regulations.  Additionally, the Company shall report the use of proceeds from the issuance of the Shares as may be required under Rule 463 under the 1933 Act.

 

(l)                                     Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses.  Each of the Company and each Selling Shareholder agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Representatives, it will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” or a portion thereof, required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433; provided that the Representatives will be deemed to have consented to the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses listed on Schedule C-2 hereto and any “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i) that has been reviewed by the Representatives.  Each of the Company and each Selling Shareholder represents that it has treated or agrees that it will treat each such free writing prospectus consented to, or deemed consented to, by the Representatives as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and that it has complied and will comply with the applicable requirements of Rule 433 with respect thereto, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping.  If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.

 

(m)                             Financial Crimes Enforcement Network Certification.  The Company and each Selling Shareholder will deliver to each Underwriter (or its agent), on the date of execution of this Agreement, a properly completed and executed Certification Regarding Beneficial Owners of Legal Entity Customers (the “FinCEN Certification”), together with copies of identifying documentation, of the Company and each Selling Shareholder undertakes to provide such additional supporting documentation as each Underwriter may reasonably request in connection with the verification of the FinCEN Certification.

 

SECTION 4.                            Payment of Expenses.

 

(a)                                 Expenses.  The Company and the Selling Shareholder(s) will pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of their obligations under this Agreement, including (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits)

 

19


 

as originally filed and each amendment thereto, (ii) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of each preliminary prospectus, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto and the reasonable costs associated with electronic delivery of any of the foregoing by the Underwriters to investors in each case, in connection with the offer and sale of the Securities, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificates or security entitlements for the Securities to the Underwriters, including any stock or other transfer taxes and any stamp or other duties payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Securities to the Underwriters, (iv) the fees and disbursements of the Company’s counsel, accountants and other advisors, (v) the qualification of the Securities under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(e) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable and documented fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection therewith and in connection with the preparation of the Blue Sky Survey and any supplement thereto in an amount not to exceed $10,000, (vi) the fees and expenses of any transfer agent or registrar for the Securities, (vii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Securities, including without limitation, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, reasonable and documented fees and expenses of any consultants engaged with the prior written consent of the Company in connection with the road show presentations, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company and any such consultants, and the cost of aircraft and other transportation in connection with the road show; provided, that 50% of the cost of any aircraft chartered and 50% of direct costs associated with use of the Company’s aircraft, in each case in connection with the road show shall be paid by the Underwriters, (viii) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters in connection with, the review by FINRA of the terms of the sale of the Securities, in an amount not to exceed $25,000, and (ix) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Securities on The New York Stock Exchange.

 

(b)                                 Expenses of the Selling Shareholders.  The Selling Shareholders, jointly and severally, will pay all expenses incident to the performance of their respective obligations under, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by, this Agreement, including (i) any stamp and other duties and stock and other transfer taxes, if any, payable upon the sale of the Securities to the Underwriters and their transfer between the Underwriters pursuant to an agreement between such Underwriters, and (ii) the fees and disbursements of their respective counsel and other advisors.

 

(c)                                  Termination of Agreement.  If this Agreement is terminated by the Representatives in accordance with the provisions of Section 5, Section 9(a)(i) or (iii), Section 10 or Section 11 hereof, the Company shall reimburse the Underwriters for all of their reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters.

 

(d)                                 Allocation of Expenses.  The provisions of this Section shall not affect any agreement that the Company and the Selling Shareholders may make for the sharing of such costs and expenses.

 

SECTION 5.                            Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations.  The obligations of the several Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company and the Selling Shareholders contained herein on the date hereof and as of the Closing Time or in certificates of any officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or on behalf of any Selling Shareholder delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company and each Selling Shareholder of their respective covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to the following further conditions:

 

(a)                                 Effectiveness of Registration Statement; Rule 430A Information.  The Registration Statement, including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, has become effective and, at the Closing

 

20



 

Time, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued under the 1933 Act, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, contemplated; and the Company has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information.  A prospectus containing the Rule 430A Information shall have been filed with the Commission in the manner and within the time frame required by Rule 424(b) without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8) or a post-effective amendment providing such information shall have been filed with, and declared effective by, the Commission in accordance with the requirements of Rule 430A.

 

(b)                                 Opinion and 10b-5 Statement of Counsel for Company.  At the Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received the favorable opinion and 10b-5 Statement, dated the Closing Time, of Scudder Law Firm, P.C., counsel for the Company, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters to the effect set forth in Exhibit C hereto and to such further effect as counsel to the Underwriters may reasonably request.

 

(c)                                  [Reserved].

 

(d)                                 Opinion of Counsel for the Selling Shareholders.  At the Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received the favorable opinion, dated the Closing Time, of Miller & Martin PLLC, counsel for the Selling Shareholders, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters to the effect set forth in Exhibit D hereto and to such further effect as counsel to the Underwriters may reasonably request.

 

(e)                                  Opinion and 10b-5 Statement of Counsel for Underwriters.  At the Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received the favorable opinion and 10b-5 statement, dated the Closing Time, of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, covering such matters as the Representatives may reasonably request.

 

(f)                                   Officers’ Certificate.  At the Closing Time, since the date hereof or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (i) there shall not have been any material adverse changes or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the business properties, management, financial position, prospects or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole and (ii) the Representatives shall have received a certificate of the Chief Executive Officer or the President of the Company and of the chief financial or chief accounting officer of the Company, dated the Closing Time, to the effect that (A) there has been no such material adverse change, (B) the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of the Closing Time, (C) the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the Closing Time, and (D) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement under the 1933 Act has been issued, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to their knowledge, threatened by the Commission.

 

(g)                                  Certificate of Selling Shareholders.  At the Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received a certificate of an Attorney-in-Fact on behalf of each Selling Shareholder, dated the Closing Time, to the effect that (i) the representations and warranties of each Selling Shareholder in this Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of the

 

21



 

Closing Time and (ii) each Selling Shareholder has complied with all agreements and all conditions on its part to be performed under this Agreement at or prior to the Closing Time.

 

(h)                                 Comfort Letters. At the time of the execution of this Agreement:

 

(i)                                     the Representatives shall have received from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP a letter, dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(ii)                                  the Representatives shall have received from Ernst & Young LLP a letter dated the date of this Agreement and addressed to the Representatives, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(iii)                               the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives a certificate, dated the date of this Agreement and addressed to the Representatives, of its chief financial officer with respect to certain financial data contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, providing “management comfort” with respect to such information, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Representatives.

 

(i)                                     Bring-down Comfort Letters.  At the Closing Time:

 

(i)                                     the Representatives shall have received from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP a letter, dated as of the Closing Time, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to subsection (h)(i) of this Section, except that the specified date referred to shall be a date not more than three business days prior to the Closing Time.

 

(ii)                                  the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives a certificate, dated the Closing Time and addressed to the Representatives, of its chief financial officer with respect to certain financial data contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, reaffirming the statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to subsection (h)(iii) of this Section, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Representatives.

 

(j)                              Approval of Listing.  At the Closing Time, the Securities shall have been approved for listing on The New York Stock Exchange, subject only to official notice of issuance.

 

(k)                           No Objection.  FINRA has confirmed that it has not raised any objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements relating to the offering of the Securities.

 

(l)                               Lock-up Agreements.  At the date of this Agreement, the Representatives shall have received an agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto signed by the persons listed on Schedule D hereto.

 

22



 

(m)                             Conditions to Purchase of Option Securities.  In the event that the Underwriters exercise their option provided in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any portion of the Option Securities, the representations and warranties of the Company and the Selling Shareholders contained herein and the statements in any certificates furnished by the Company, any of its subsidiaries and the Selling Shareholders hereunder shall be true and correct as of each Date of Delivery and, at the relevant Date of Delivery, the Representatives shall have received:

 

(i)                                     Officers’ Certificate.  A certificate, dated such Date of Delivery, of the President or a Vice President of the Company and of the chief financial or chief accounting officer of the Company confirming that the certificate delivered at the Closing Time pursuant to Section 5(f) hereof remains true and correct as of such Date of Delivery.

 

(ii)                                  Certificate of Selling Shareholders.  A certificate, dated such Date of Delivery, of an Attorney-in-Fact on behalf of each Selling Shareholder confirming that the certificate delivered at the Closing Time pursuant to Section 5(g) remains true and correct as of such Date of Delivery.

 

(iii)                               Opinion and 10b-5 Statement of Counsel for Company.  If requested by the Representatives, the favorable opinion and 10b-5 Statement of Scudder Law Firm, P.C., counsel for the Company, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(b) hereof.

 

(iv)                              Opinion of Counsel for the Selling Shareholders.  If requested by the Representatives, the favorable opinion of Miller & Martin PLLC, counsel for the Selling Shareholders, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(d) hereof.

 

(v)                                 Opinion and 10b-5 Statement of Counsel for Underwriters.  If requested by the Representatives, the favorable opinion and 10b-5 Statement of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(e) hereof.

 

(vi)                              Bring-down Comfort Letters.  If requested by the Representatives:

 

(1)         a letter from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives and dated such Date of Delivery, substantially in the same form and substance as the letter furnished to the Representatives pursuant to Section 5(h)(i) hereof, except that the “specified date” in the letter furnished pursuant to this paragraph shall be a date not more than three business days prior to such Date of Delivery.

 

(2)         the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives a certificate, dated such Date of Delivery and addressed to the Representatives, of its chief financial officer with respect to certain financial data contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, reaffirming the statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to Section 5(h)(iii), in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Representatives.

 

23



 

(n)                                 Additional Documents.  At the Closing Time and at each Date of Delivery (if any) counsel for the Underwriters shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as they may reasonably require for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company and the Selling Shareholders in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated shall be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters.

 

(o)                                 Termination of Agreement.  If any condition specified in this Section shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement, or, in the case of any condition to the purchase of Option Securities on a Date of Delivery which is after the Closing Time, the obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase the relevant Option Securities, may be terminated by the Representatives by notice to the Company and the Selling Shareholders at any time at or prior to Closing Time or such Date of Delivery, as the case may be, and such  termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 and except that Sections 1, 6, 7, 8, 15, 16 and 17 shall survive any such termination and remain in full force and effect.

 

SECTION 6.                            Indemnification.

 

(a)                                 Indemnification of Underwriters.  The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its officers and directors, its affiliates (as such term is defined in Rule 501(b) under the 1933 Act (each, an “Affiliate”)), its selling agents and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act as follows:

 

(i)                                     against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430A Information, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included (A) in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or (B) in any materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Securities (“Marketing Materials”), including any roadshow or investor presentations made to investors by the Company (whether in person or electronically), or the omission or alleged omission in any preliminary prospectus, Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, Prospectus or in any Marketing Materials of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

 

(ii)                                  against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever arising out of or based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that (subject to Section 6(e) below) any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company and the Selling Shareholders;

 

(iii)                               against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by the Representatives), reasonably incurred by such Underwriter, control person, officer, director or employee in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the

 

24



 

Company shall not be liable to any Underwriter, control person, officer, director, or employee 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 related to such Underwriter and made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430A Information, the General Disclosure Package, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (when taken together with the General Disclosure Package), or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.

 

(b)                              Indemnification of Underwriters by Selling Shareholders. Each Selling Shareholder, severally and not jointly, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its officers and directors, its Affiliates and selling agents and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act to the extent and in the manner set forth in clauses (a)(i), (ii) and (iii) above and in Section 6(f); provided that each Selling Shareholder shall be liable only to the extent that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission has been made in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the General Disclosure Package, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with such Selling Shareholder’s Information; provided, further, that the liability under this subsection of each Selling Shareholder shall be limited to an amount equal to the aggregate gross proceeds after underwriting commissions and discounts, but before expenses, to such Selling Shareholder from the sale of Securities sold by such Selling Shareholder hereunder. Each Selling Shareholder will reimburse each Underwriter, its officers and directors, its Affiliates and selling agents and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by each Underwriter, its officers and directors, its Affiliates and selling agents and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act, as applicable, in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred.

 

(c)                                  Indemnification of Company, Directors and Officers and Selling Shareholders.  Each Underwriter severally, and not jointly, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act, and each Selling Shareholder and each person, if any, who controls any Selling Shareholder within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in subsection (a) of this Section, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430A Information, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information; and will reimburse the Company, control person, officer, director or employee for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company and its control persons, officers, directors or employees, as applicable, in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred.

 

(d)                                 Actions against Parties; Notification.  Each indemnified party shall give notice as promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability hereunder to the extent it is not materially prejudiced as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement.  In the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(a) and 6(b) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Representatives, and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(c) above, counsel to the indemnified parties

 

25



 

shall be selected by the Company.  An indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in the defense of any such action; provided, however, that counsel to the indemnifying party shall not (except with the consent of the indemnified party) also be counsel to the indemnified party.  In no event shall the indemnifying parties be liable for fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for all indemnified parties in connection with any one action or separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances.  No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 6 or Section 7 hereof (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding 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.

 

(e)                                  Settlement without Consent if Failure to Reimburse.  If at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 6(a)(ii) effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 45 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.

 

(f)                                   Other Agreements with Respect to Indemnification.  The provisions of this Section shall not affect any agreement among the Company and the Selling Shareholders with respect to indemnification.

 

SECTION 7.                            Contribution.  If the indemnification provided for in Section 6 hereof is for any reason unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount of such losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by such indemnified party, as incurred, (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Shareholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company and the Selling Shareholders, on the one hand, and of the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.

 

The relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Shareholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the Selling Shareholders, on the one hand, and the total underwriting discount received by the Underwriters, on the other hand, in each case as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of the Securities as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus.

 

26



 

The relative fault of the Company and the Selling Shareholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or the Selling Shareholders or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

 

The Company, the Selling Shareholders and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 7.  The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 7 shall be deemed to include any reasonable and documented legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.

 

Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting commissions received by such Underwriter in connection with the Shares underwritten by it and distributed to the public.

 

No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

 

For purposes of this Section 7, each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act and each Underwriter’s, directors, officers, Affiliates and selling agents shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company or any Selling Shareholder within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company or such Selling Shareholder, as the case may be.  The Underwriters’ respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are several in proportion to the number of Initial Securities set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule A hereto and not joint.

 

The provisions of this Section shall not affect any agreement among the Company and the Selling Shareholders with respect to contribution.

 

SECTION 8.                            Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive.  All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or the Selling Shareholders submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or its Affiliates or selling agents, any person controlling any Underwriter, its officers or directors, the Company, the Company’s officers and directors who signed the Registration Statement, any person controlling the Company or any person controlling any Selling Shareholder and (ii) delivery of and payment for the Securities.

 

27



 

SECTION 9.                            Termination of Agreement.

 

(a)                                 Termination.  The Representatives may terminate this Agreement, by notice to the Company and the Selling Shareholders, at any time at or prior to the Closing Time (i) if there has been, in the judgment of the Representatives, since the time of execution of this Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the business, properties, management, financial position, prospects or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, (ii) if there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States or the international financial markets, any outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof or other calamity or crisis or any change or development involving a prospective change in national or international political, financial or economic conditions, in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representatives, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the completion of the offering or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities, (iii) if trading in any securities of the Company has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or The New York Stock Exchange, (iv) if trading generally on the NYSE MKT or The New York Stock Exchange or in the Nasdaq Global Select Market has been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by any of said exchanges or by order of the Commission, FINRA or any other governmental authority, (v) a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States or with respect to Clearstream or Euroclear systems in Europe, or (vi) if a banking moratorium has been declared by either Federal or New York authorities.

 

(b)                                 Liabilities.  If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section, such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 hereof, and provided further that Sections 1, 6, 7, 8, 15, 16 and 17 shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.

 

SECTION 10.                     Default by One or More of the Underwriters.  If one or more of the Underwriters shall fail at the Closing Time or a Date of Delivery to purchase the Securities which it or they are obligated to purchase under this Agreement (the “Defaulted Securities”), the Representatives shall have the right, within 24 hours thereafter, to make arrangements for one or more of the non-defaulting Underwriters, or any other underwriters, to purchase all, but not less than all, of the Defaulted Securities in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms herein set forth; if, however, the Representatives shall not have completed such arrangements within such 24-hour period, then:

 

(i)                                     if the number of Defaulted Securities does not exceed 10% of the number of Securities to be purchased on such date, each of the non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated, severally and not jointly, to purchase the full amount thereof in the proportions that their respective underwriting obligations hereunder bear to the underwriting obligations of all non-defaulting Underwriters, or

 

(ii)                                  if the number of Defaulted Securities exceeds 10% of the number of Securities to be purchased on such date, this Agreement or, with respect to any Date of Delivery which occurs after the Closing Time, the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase, and the Selling Shareholders to sell, the Option Securities to be purchased and sold on such Date of Delivery shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter.  Any termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section 10 shall be without liability on the part of any non-defaulting party; provided, however, that the provisions of Sections 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 15, 16 and 17 shall remain in full force and effect.

 

28



 

No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of its default.

 

In the event of any such default which does not result in a termination of this Agreement or, in the case of a Date of Delivery which is after the Closing Time, which does not result in a termination of the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase and the Selling Shareholders to sell the relevant Option Securities, as the case may be, either the (i) Representatives or (ii) the Company and any Selling Shareholder shall have the right to postpone Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements.  As used herein, the term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section 10.

 

SECTION 11.                     Default by one or more of the Selling Shareholders or the Company.  (a) If a Selling Shareholder shall fail at the Closing Time or a Date of Delivery, as the case may be, to sell and deliver the number of Securities which such Selling Shareholder is obligated to sell hereunder, and the remaining Selling Shareholders do not exercise the right hereby granted to increase, pro rata or otherwise, the number of Securities to be sold by them hereunder to the total number to be sold by all Selling Shareholders as set forth in Schedule B hereto, then the Underwriters may, at option of the Representatives, by notice from the Representatives to the Company and the non-defaulting Selling Shareholders, either (i) terminate this Agreement without any liability on the fault of any non-defaulting party except that the provisions of Sections 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 15, 16 and 17 shall remain in full force and effect or (ii) elect to purchase the Securities which the non-defaulting Selling Shareholders and the Company have agreed to sell hereunder.  No action taken pursuant to this Section 11 shall relieve any Selling Shareholder so defaulting from liability, if any, in respect of such default.

 

In the event of a default by any Selling Shareholder as referred to in this Section 11, each of the Representatives, the Company and the non-defaulting Selling Shareholders shall have the right to postpone the Closing Time or any Date of Delivery, as the case may be, for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required change in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements.

 

(b)  If the Company shall fail at the Closing Time to sell the number of Securities that it is obligated to sell hereunder, then this Agreement shall terminate without any liability on the part of any non-defaulting party; provided, however, that the provisions of Sections 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 15, 16 and 17 shall remain in full force and effect.  No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve the Company from liability, if any, in respect of such default.

 

SECTION 12.                     Notices.  All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication.  Notices to the Underwriters shall be directed to Merrill Lynch at One Bryant Park, New York, New York 10036, attention of Syndicate Department (facsimile: (646) 855-3073), with a copy to ECM Legal (facsimile: (212) 230-8730); Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, 1585 Broadway, New York, New York 10036, Attention: Equity Syndicate Desk, with a copy to the Legal Department; notices to the Company shall be directed to it at U.S. Xpress Enterprises, Inc., 4080 Jenkins Rd, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37241, attention of Leigh Anne Battersby (e-mail: ***@***); and notices to the Selling Shareholders shall be directed to U.S. Xpress Enterprises, Inc., at 4080 Jenkins Rd, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37241, attention of Eric Fuller (e-mail: ***@***) and Lisa Pate (e-mail: ***@***), in each case with copies directed to Scudder Law Firm, P.C., L.L.O. at 411 South 13th Street, Second Floor Lincoln, Nebraska 68508, attention of Heidi Hornung-Scherr (e-mail: ***@***).

 

29


 

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

 

SECTION 14.                     Parties.  This Agreement shall each inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Shareholders and their respective successors.  Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Shareholders and their respective successors and the controlling persons, affiliates, selling agents, and officers and directors referred to in Sections 6 and 7 and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained.  This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Shareholders and their respective successors, and said controlling persons, affiliates, selling agents, and officers and directors and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation.  No purchaser of Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.

 

SECTION 15.                     Trial by Jury.  The Company (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its stockholders and affiliates), each of the Selling Shareholders 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.

 

SECTION 16.                     GOVERNING LAW.  THIS AGREEMENT AND ANY CLAIM, CONTROVERSY OR DISPUTE ARISING UNDER OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF, THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO ITS CHOICE OF LAW PROVISIONS.

 

SECTION 17.                     Consent to Jurisdiction. Any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby (“Related Proceedings”) shall be instituted in (i) the federal courts of the United States of America located in the City and County of New York, Borough of Manhattan or (ii) the courts of the State of New York located in the City and County of New York, Borough of Manhattan (collectively, the “Specified Courts”), and each party irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction (except for proceedings instituted in regard to the enforcement of a judgment of any such court (a “Related Judgment”), as to which such jurisdiction is non-exclusive) of

 

30



 

such courts in any such suit, action or proceeding.  Service of any process, summons, notice or document by mail to such party’s address set forth above shall be effective service of process for any suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court.  The parties irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or other proceeding in the Specified Courts and irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim in any such court that any such suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.

 

SECTION 18.                     TIME. TIME SHALL BE OF THE ESSENCE OF THIS AGREEMENT. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SET FORTH HEREIN, SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME.

 

SECTION 19.                     Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed 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 Agreement.

 

SECTION 20.                     Effect of Headings.  The Section headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

 

31



 

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the Company and the Attorney-in-Fact for the Selling Shareholders a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement among the Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Shareholders in accordance with its terms.

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

U.S. XPRESS ENTERPRISES, INC.

 

 

 

By

 

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

[·]

 

 

 

By

 

 

 

As Attorney-in-Fact acting on behalf of the Selling Shareholders named in Schedule B hereto

 

CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED,
                                                as of the date first above written:

 

MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH
INCORPORATED

 

By

 

 

Authorized Signatory

 

 

 

MORGAN STANLEY & CO. LLC

 

 

 

By

 

 

Authorized Signatory

 

 

For themselves and as Representatives of the other Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto.

 

32



 

SCHEDULE A

 

Name of Underwriter

 

Number of
Initial Securities

 

 

 

 

 

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith

Incorporated

 

 

 

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

 

 

 

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

 

 

 

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

 

 

 

Stephens Inc.

 

 

 

Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated

 

 

 

WR Securities, LLC

 

 

 

Total

 

18,056,000

 

 

Sch A-1



 

SCHEDULE B

 

Name of Selling Shareholder

 

Maximum Number of
Option
Securities to Be Sold

 

 

 

 

 

Patrick Quinn Non-GST Marital Trust

 

522,719

 

Irrevocable Trust F/B/O Lisa Pate

 

522,719

 

Irrevocable Trust F/B/O Patrick Quinn

 

522,719

 

Irrevocable Trust F/B/O Renee Daly

 

522,719

 

Irrevocable Trust F/B/O Stephen Fuller

 

308,762

 

Irrevocable Trust F/B/O Christopher Fuller

 

308,762

 

Total

 

2,708,400

 

 

Sch B - 1



 

SCHEDULE C-1

 

Pricing Terms

 

1.                                      The Company is selling [·] shares of Common Stock and the Selling Shareholders are selling [·] shares of Common Stock.

 

2.                                      The Selling Shareholders have granted an option to the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, to purchase up to an additional [·] shares of Common Stock.

 

3.                                      The initial public offering price per share for the Securities shall be $[·].

 

SCHEDULE C-2

 

Free Writing Prospectuses

 

[SPECIFY EACH ISSUER GENERAL USE FREE WRITING PROSPECTUS]

 

Sch C - 1



 

SCHEDULE D

 

List of Persons and Entities Subject to Lock-up

 

Sch D - 1


 

Exhibit A

 

[Form of lock-up from directors, officers or other stockholders pursuant to Section 6(l)]

 

Exhibit A

 

[·], 2018

 

MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH
      INCORPORATED

MORGAN STANLEY & CO. LLC

 

as Representatives of the several Underwriters

 

c/o                               Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
                     Incorporated

One Bryant Park
New York, New York 10036

 

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

1585 Broadway

New York, New York 10036

 

Re:                             Proposed Public Offering by U.S. Xpress Enterprises, Inc.

 

Dear [·]:

 

The undersigned, a stockholder [and an officer and/or director] of U.S. Xpress Enterprises, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), understands that Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (“Merrill Lynch”) and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC (together with Merrill Lynch, the “Representatives”) propose to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with the Company and the Selling Shareholders providing for the public offering (the “Public Offering”) of shares of the Company’s Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share (together with the Company’s Class B common stock, the “Common Stock”).  In recognition of the benefit that such an offering will confer upon the undersigned as a stockholder [and an officer and/or director] of the Company, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the undersigned agrees with each underwriter to be named in the Underwriting Agreement that, during the period beginning on the date hereof and ending on the date that is 180 days from the date of the Underwriting Agreement (the “Lock-Up Period”), the undersigned will not, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, (i) directly or indirectly, offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase or otherwise transfer or dispose of any shares of the Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, whether now owned or hereafter acquired by the undersigned or with respect to which the undersigned has or hereafter acquires the power of disposition (collectively, the “Lock-Up Securities”), or exercise any right with respect to the registration of any of the Lock-up Securities, or file, cause to be filed, or cause to be confidentially submitted any registration statement in connection therewith, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or (ii) enter into any swap or any other agreement or any transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence of ownership of the Lock-Up Securities, whether

 

A-1



 

any such swap or transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise.

 

If the undersigned is an officer or director of the Company, (1) 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 the Common Stock, the Representatives will notify the Company of the impending release or waiver, and (2) 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 (i) the release or waiver is effected solely to permit a transfer not for consideration and (ii) 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, and subject to the conditions below, the undersigned, whether directly or indirectly through any trust or other entity for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned, may transfer the Lock-Up Securities without the prior written consent of the Representatives, provided that (1) the Representatives receive a signed lock-up agreement for the balance of the Lock-Up Period from each donee, trustee, distributee, or transferee, as the case may be, (2) transfers made pursuant to clauses (a) through (d) below shall not involve a disposition for value, (3) transfers made pursuant to clauses (a) through (g) below are not required to be reported as dispositions with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Form 4 in accordance with Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) (other than a Form 5 after the expiration of the Lock-Up Period), (4) transfers made pursuant to clause (g) shall be made to the Company only and (5) the undersigned does not otherwise voluntarily effect any public filing or report reflecting transfers made pursuant to clauses (a) through (g) below as dispositions during the Lock-Up Period:

 

(a)                                 as a bona fide gift or gifts or for bona fide estate planning purposes; or

 

(b)                                 to any trust or other entity for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned (for purposes of this lock-up agreement, “immediate family” shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage or adoption, not more remote than first cousin) or if the undersigned is a trust, to any beneficiary of the undersigned (including such beneficiary’s estate); or

 

(c)                                  as a distribution to limited partners, members, stockholders or other equity holders of the undersigned; or

 

(d)                                 to the undersigned’s affiliates or to any investment fund or other entity that, directly or indirectly, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, the undersigned; or

 

(e)                                  by will or intestate succession upon the death of the undersigned, including to the transferee’s nominee or custodian; or

 

(f)                                   pursuant to a court or regulatory agency order, a qualified domestic order in connection with a divorce settlement; or

 

(g)                                  pursuant to the exercise of any rights to purchase, exchange or convert any stock options, or rights, granted pursuant to the Company’s equity incentive plans existing as of the date of the Underwriting Agreement and described in the Prospectus or warrants or any other securities existing as of the date of the Underwriting Agreement and described in the Prospectus, which securities are convertible

 

A-2



 

into or exchangeable or exercisable for Common Stock, provided that (1) any filing under Section 16 of the Exchange Act in connection with such transfers made during the Lock-Up Period shall clearly indicate in the footnotes thereto that (A) the filing relates to the circumstances described above and (B) the underlying shares of Common Stock continue to be subject to the restrictions on transfer set forth in this lock-up agreement and (2) the undersigned does not otherwise voluntarily effect any other public filings or report regarding such exercise during the Lock-Up Period; or

 

(h)                                 pursuant to a bona fide third-party tender offer, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction made to all holders of Lock-Up Securities involving a Change of Control (as defined below) of the Company, provided that such tender offer, merger, consolidation or other such transaction is approved by the board of directors of the Company; and provided further that in the event that such tender offer, merger, consolidation or other such transaction is not completed, the Lock-Up Securities owned by the undersigned shall remain subject to the provisions of this lock-up agreement; or

 

(i)                                     in connection with the consummation of the Fuller Purchase (as such term is defined in the prospectus relating to the Public Offering).

 

For purposes of clause (h) above, “Change of Control” shall mean the consummation of any bona fide third party tender offer, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction the result of which is that any “person” (as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), or group of persons, becomes the beneficial owner (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 of the Exchange Act) of more than 50% of total voting power of the voting stock of the Company.

 

Nothing in this lock-up agreement shall preclude (i) the establishment of a new trading plan meeting the requirements of Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act, provided, that (A) no public report or filing under Section 16 of the Exchange Act shall be required during the Lock-Up Period, (B) the undersigned does not otherwise voluntarily effect any public filing or report regarding the establishment of such plan during the Lock-Up Period, and (C) no sales are made during the Lock-Up Period pursuant to such plan or (ii) the sale by the Selling Shareholders (as such term is defined in the Underwriting Agreement) of shares of Common Stock in the Public Offering, including any Option Securities (as such term is defined in the Underwriting Agreement), as set forth in the prospectus relating to the Public Offering.

 

Furthermore, the undersigned may sell shares of Common Stock of the Company purchased by the undersigned on the open market following the Public Offering if and only if (i) such sales are not required to be reported in any public report or filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or otherwise and (ii) the undersigned does not otherwise voluntarily effect any public filing or report regarding such sales.

 

This lock-up agreement and any claim, controversy or dispute arising under or related to this lock-up agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York.

 

This lock-up agreement will automatically terminate upon the earliest to occur, if any, of (a) the date that the Company advises the Representatives, in writing, prior to the execution of the Underwriting Agreement, that it has determined not to proceed with the Public Offering, (b) the date of termination of the Underwriting Agreement if prior to the closing of the Public Offering, or (c) September 30, 2018 if the Public Offering of the shares has not been completed by such date.

 

A-3



 

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 Lock-Up Securities except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.

 

[Signature page to follow]

 

A-4



 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

Signature:

 

 

A-5



 

Exhibit B

 

FORM OF PRESS RELEASE

TO BE ISSUED PURSUANT TO SECTION 3(j)

 

U.S. Xpress Enterprises, Inc.
[·], 2018

 

U.S. Xpress Enterprises, Inc. (the “Company”) announced today that BofA Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley, the joint lead book-running managers in the Company’s recent public sale of [·] shares of common stock, are [waiving] [releasing] a lock-up restriction with respect to [·] shares of the Company’s common stock held by [certain officers or directors] [an officer or director] of the Company.  The [waiver] [release] will take effect on [·], 2018, 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.

 

B-1



 

Exhibit C

 

FORM OF OPINION OF COMPANY’S COUNSEL
TO BE DELIVERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 5(b)

 

C-1



 

Exhibit D

 

FORM OF OPINION OF COUNSEL FOR THE SELLING SHAREHOLDERS
TO BE DELIVERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 5(d)

 

D-1