YRC Worldwide Inc. Common Stock (par value $0.01 per share) At Market Issuance Sales Agreement
Exhibit 1.1
YRC Worldwide Inc.
Common Stock
(par value $0.01 per share)
At Market Issuance Sales Agreement
May 3, 2010
WM SMITH & CO.
1700 Lincoln Street, Suite 2545
Denver, CO 80203
MCNICOLL, LEWIS & VLAK LLC
420 Lexington Ave., Suite 628
New York, NY 10170
Ladies and Gentlemen:
YRC Worldwide Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Company), confirms its agreement (this Agreement) with Wm Smith & Co., a Colorado corporation (Wm Smith), and McNicoll, Lewis & Vlak LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (MLV), as follows:
1. Issuance and Sale of Shares. The Company agrees that, from time to time during the term of this Agreement, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, it may issue and sell through Wm Smith and MLV (each an Agent and collectively, the Agents), acting as agent, up to the lesser of (i) the amount available for offer and sale under the currently effective Registration Statement, or (ii) the amount authorized from time to time to be issued and sold under this Agreement by the Company, and notified to the Agents in writing (the Maximum Amount) of shares (the Shares) of the Companys common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the Common Stock). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the parties hereto agree that compliance with the limitations set forth in this Section 1 on the number of Shares issued and sold under this Agreement shall be the sole responsibility of the Company and that Agents shall have no obligation in connection with such compliance. The issuance and sale of Shares through Agents will be effected pursuant to the Registration Statement (as defined below) filed by the Company and declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission), although nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as requiring the Company to use the Registration Statement to issue Common Stock.
The Company has filed, in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act) and the rules and regulations thereunder (the Securities Act Regulations), with the Commission a registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. [333-159355]), including a base prospectus, relating to certain securities, including the shares of Common Stock to be issued from time to time by the Company, and which incorporates by reference documents that the Company has filed or will file in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), and the rules and regulations thereunder (the Exchange Act Regulations). The Company has prepared a
prospectus supplement specifically relating to the Shares (the Prospectus Supplement) to the base prospectus included as part of such registration statement. The Company will furnish to the Agents, for use by the Agents, copies of the prospectus included as part of such registration statement, as supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement, relating to the Shares. Except where the context otherwise requires, such registration statement, including all documents filed as part thereof or incorporated by reference therein, and including any information contained in a Prospectus (as defined below) subsequently filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act Regulations or deemed to be a part of such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430B of the Securities Act Regulations, is herein called the Registration Statement. The base prospectus, including all documents incorporated therein by reference, included in the Registration Statement, as it may be supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement, in the form in which such prospectus and/or Prospectus Supplement have most recently been filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act Regulations, together with the then issued Issuer Free Writing Prospectus(es), is herein called the Prospectus. Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein, and any reference herein to the terms amend, amendment or supplement with respect to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing after the execution hereof of any document with the Commission deemed to be incorporated by reference therein. For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or to any amendment or supplement thereto shall be deemed to include any copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering Analysis and Retrieval System, or if applicable, the Interactive Data Electronic Application system when used by the Commission (collectively, EDGAR).
2. Placements. Each time that the Company wishes to issue and sell Shares hereunder (each, a Placement), it will notify Wm Smith (on behalf of Wm Smith and MLV) by email notice (or other method mutually agreed to in writing by the Parties) of the number of Shares (the Placement Shares) to be issued, the time period during which sales are requested to be made, any limitation on the number of Shares that may be sold in any one day and any minimum price below which sales may not be made (a Placement Notice), the form of which is attached hereto as Schedule 1. The Placement Notice shall originate from any of the individuals from the Company set forth on Schedule 3 (with a copy to each of the other individuals from the Company listed on such schedule), and shall be addressed to each of the individuals from Wm Smith set forth on Schedule 3, as such Schedule 3 may be amended from time to time. The Placement Notice shall be effective unless and until (i) Wm Smith, on behalf of itself and MLV, declines to accept the terms contained therein for any reason, in its sole discretion, (ii) the entire amount of the Placement Shares have been sold, (iii) the Company suspends or terminates the Placement Notice or (iv) the Agreement has been terminated under the provisions of Section 12. The amount of any discount, commission or other compensation to be paid by the Company to Agents in connection with the sale of the Placement Shares shall be calculated in accordance with the terms set forth in Schedule 2. It is expressly acknowledged and agreed that neither the Company nor either Agent will have any obligation whatsoever with respect to a Placement or any Placement Shares unless and until the Company delivers a Placement Notice to Wm Smith and Wm Smith does not decline such Placement Notice pursuant to the terms set forth above, and then only upon the terms specified therein and herein. In the
2
event of a conflict between the terms of this Agreement and the terms of a Placement Notice, the terms of the Placement Notice will control.
3. Sale of Placement Shares by Agents. Subject to the provisions of Section 5(a), the Agents, for the period specified in the Placement Notice, will use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices and applicable state and federal laws, rules and regulations and the rules of the NASDAQ Global Select Market (the Exchange), to sell the Placement Shares up to the amount specified, and otherwise in accordance with the terms of such Placement Notice. The Agents will provide written confirmation to the Company no later than the opening of the Trading Day (as defined below) immediately following the Trading Day on which it has made sales of Placement Shares hereunder setting forth the number of Placement Shares sold on such day, the compensation payable by the Company to the Agents pursuant to Section 2 with respect to such sales, and the Net Proceeds (as defined below) payable to the Company, with an itemization of the deductions made by the Agents (as set forth in Section 5(b)) from the gross proceeds that it receives from such sales. Subject to the terms of the Placement Notice, the Agents may sell Placement Shares by any method permitted by law deemed to be an at the market offering as defined in Rule 415 of the Securities Act Regulations, including without limitation sales made directly on the Exchange, on any other existing trading market for the Common Stock or to or through a market maker. Subject to the terms of a Placement Notice and with the prior written consent of the Company, the Agents may also sell Placement Shares by any other method permitted by law, including but not limited to in privately negotiated transactions.
4. Suspension of Sales. The Company or either Agent may, upon notice to the other parties in writing (including by email correspondence to each of the individuals of the other Parties set forth on Schedule 3, if receipt of such correspondence is actually acknowledged by any of the individuals to whom the notice is sent, other than via auto-reply) or by telephone (confirmed immediately by verifiable facsimile transmission or email correspondence to each of the individuals of the other Parties set forth on Schedule 3), suspend any sale of Placement Shares; provided, however, that such suspension shall not affect or impair any partys obligations with respect to any Placement Shares sold hereunder prior to the receipt of such notice. Each of the Parties agrees that no such notice under this Section 4 shall be effective against any other Party unless it is made to one of the individuals named on Schedule 3 hereto, as such Schedule may be amended from time to time.
5. Sale and Delivery to the Agents; Settlement.
(a) Sale of Placement Shares. On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, upon the Agents acceptance of the terms of a Placement Notice, and unless the sale of the Placement Shares described therein has been declined, suspended, or otherwise terminated in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the Agents, for the period specified in the Placement Notice, will use its commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices to sell such Placement Shares up to the amount specified, and otherwise in accordance with the terms of such Placement Notice. The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) there can be no assurance that the Agents will be successful in selling Placement Shares, (ii) the Agents will incur no liability or obligation to the Company or any other person or entity if it does not sell
3
Placement Shares for any reason other than a failure by the Agents to use their commercially reasonable efforts consistent with their normal trading and sales practices and applicable law and regulations to sell such Placement Shares as required under this Agreement and (iii) the Agents shall be under no obligation to purchase Shares on a principal basis pursuant to this Agreement, except as otherwise agreed by the Agents and the Company.
(b) Settlement of Placement Shares. Unless otherwise specified in the applicable Placement Notice, settlement for sales of Placement Shares will occur on the third (3rd) Trading Day (or such earlier day as is industry practice for regular-way trading) following the date on which such sales are made (each, a Settlement Date). The amount of proceeds to be delivered to the Company on a Settlement Date against receipt of the Placement Shares sold (the Net Proceeds) will be equal to the aggregate sales price received by the Agents at which such Placement Shares were sold, after deduction for (i) the Agents commission, discount or other compensation for such sales payable by the Company pursuant to Section 2 hereof, and (ii) any transaction fees imposed by any governmental or self-regulatory organization in respect of such sales.
(c) Delivery of Placement Shares. On or before each Settlement Date, the Company will, or will cause its transfer agent to, electronically transfer the Placement Shares being sold by crediting the Agents or their designees account (provided the Agents shall have given the Company written notice of such designee one Trading Day prior to the Settlement Date) at The Depository Trust Company through its Deposit and Withdrawal at Custodian System or by such other means of delivery as may be mutually agreed upon by the parties hereto, which in all cases shall be freely tradable, transferable, registered shares in good deliverable form. On each Settlement Date, the Agents will deliver the related Net Proceeds in same day funds to an account designated by the Company on, or prior to, the Settlement Date. The Company agrees that if the Company, or its transfer agent (if applicable), defaults in its obligation to deliver Placement Shares on a Settlement Date, the Company agrees that in addition to and in no way limiting the rights and obligations set forth in Section 10(a) hereto, it will (i) hold the Agents harmless against any loss, claim, damage, or expense (including reasonable legal fees and expenses), as incurred, arising out of or in connection with such default by the Company or its transfer agent (if applicable) and (ii) pay to the Agents any commission, discount, or other compensation to which it would otherwise have been entitled absent such default.
(d) Denominations; Registration. Certificates for the Shares, if any, shall be in such denominations and registered in such names as the Agents may request in writing at least one full business day before the Settlement Date. The certificates for the Shares, if any, will be made available for examination and packaging by the Agents in The City of New York not later than noon (New York time) on the business day prior to the Settlement Date.
(e) Limitations on Offering Size. Under no circumstances shall the Company cause or request the offer or sale of any Shares if, after giving effect to the sale of such Securities, the aggregate gross sales proceeds sold pursuant to this Agreement would exceed the lesser of (A) together with all sales of Shares under this Agreement, the Maximum Amount, (B) the amount available for offer and sale under the currently effective Registration Statement and (C) the amount authorized from time to time to be issued and sold under this Agreement by
4
the Companys board of directors, a duly authorized committee thereof or a duly authorized executive committee, and notified to the Agents in writing. Under no circumstances shall the Company cause or request the offer or sale of any Shares pursuant to this Agreement at a price lower than the minimum price authorized from time to time by the Companys board of directors, duly authorized committee thereof or a duly authorized executive committee, and notified to the Agents in writing. Further, under no circumstances shall the aggregate offering amount of Shares sold pursuant to this Agreement, including any separate underwriting or similar agreement covering principal transactions described in Section 1 of this Agreement, exceed the Maximum Amount.
(f) No Other Sales. The Company agrees that any offer to sell, any solicitation of an offer to buy, or any sales of Placement Shares shall only be effected by or through the Agents on any single given day in which sales could otherwise be made pursuant to a Placement Notice that is currently in effect; provided, however, that (1) the foregoing limitation shall not apply to (i) the exercise of any option, warrant, right or any conversion privilege set forth in the instrument governing such security or (ii) sales solely to employees or security holders of the Company or its Subsidiaries, or to a trustee or other person acquiring such securities for the accounts of such persons, and (2) such limitation shall not apply on any day during which no sales are made pursuant to this Agreement.
6. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, Agents that as of the date of this Agreement and as of each Applicable Time (as defined below):
(a) Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Company and, assuming no act or omission on the part of Agents that would make such statement untrue, the transactions contemplated by this Agreement meet the requirements for and comply with the conditions for the use of Form S-3 under the Securities Act. The Registration Statement has been filed with the Commission and has been declared effective under the Securities Act. The Prospectus Supplement will name Agents as underwriters, each acting as agent, that the Company might engage in the section entitled Plan of Distribution. The Company has not received, and has no notice of, any order of the Commission preventing or suspending the use of the Registration Statement, or threatening or instituting proceedings for that purpose. The Registration Statement and the offer and sale of Shares as contemplated hereby meet the requirements of Rule 415 under the Securities Act and comply in all material respects with said Rule. Any statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement have been so described or filed. Copies of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, and any such amendments or supplements and all documents incorporated by reference therein that were filed with the Commission on or prior to the date of this Agreement have been delivered, or are available through EDGAR, to Agents and their respective counsel. The Company has not distributed and, prior to the later to occur of each Settlement Date and completion of the distribution of the Placement Shares, will not distribute any offering material in connection with the offering or sale of the Placement Shares other than the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (as defined below) to which Agents have consented. The Common Stock is currently listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the trading symbol YRCW. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, the Company has
5
not, in the 12 months preceding the date hereof, received notice from the Exchange to the effect that the Company is not in compliance with the listing or maintenance requirements. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, or the Prospectus, the Company has no reason to believe that it will not in the foreseeable future continue to be in compliance with all such listing and maintenance requirements.
(b) No Misstatement or Omission. The Registration Statement, when it became or becomes effective, and the Prospectus, and any amendment or supplement thereto, on the date of such Prospectus or amendment or supplement, conformed or will conform in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act. At each Settlement Date, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, as of such date, will conform in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act. The Registration Statement, when it became or becomes effective, did not, or will not, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. The Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, on the date thereof and at each Applicable Time, did not or will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus or any Prospectus Supplement did not, and any further documents filed and incorporated by reference therein will not, when filed with the Commission, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated in such document or necessary to make the statements in such document, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The foregoing shall not apply to statements in, or omissions from, any such document made in reliance upon, and in conformity with, information furnished to the Company by either Agent specifically for use in the preparation thereof.
(c) Conformity with Securities Act and Exchange Act. The documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, when such documents were or are filed with the Commission under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act or became or become effective under the Securities Act, as the case may be, conformed or will conform in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable.
(d) Financial Information. The consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, and present fairly, the consolidated financial position of the Company and its Subsidiaries (as defined below) as of the dates indicated and the results of their operations and the changes in their consolidated cash flows for the periods specified; such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered thereby (except (i) as may be otherwise indicated in such financial statements or the notes thereto or (ii) in the case of unaudited interim financial statements, to the extent that they may not include footnotes or may be condensed or summary statements), and the other financial information included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus has been derived from the accounting records of the Company and its Subsidiaries and presents fairly the information shown thereby. Any pro forma financial statements or data included or incorporated
6
by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus comply in all material respects with the requirements of Regulation S-X of the Securities Act, including, without limitation, Article 11 thereof, and the assumptions used in the preparation of such pro forma financial statements and data are reasonable, the pro forma adjustments used therein are appropriate to give effect to the circumstances referred to therein and the pro forma adjustments have been properly applied to the historical amounts in the compilation of those statements and data. No other financial statements or schedules of the Company or any other entity are required by the Securities Act to be included in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus. All disclosures contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus regarding non-GAAP financial measures (as such term is defined by Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act) comply with Regulation G of the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act, to the extent applicable. The Company does not have any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations and any variable interest entities within the meaning of Financial Accounting Standards Board Interpretation No. 46), not disclosed in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
(e) Conformity with EDGAR Filing. The Prospectus delivered to Agents for use in connection with the sale of the Placement Shares pursuant to this Agreement will be identical to the versions of the Prospectus created to be transmitted to the Commission for filing via EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
(f) Organization. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries are, and will be, duly organized, validly existing as a corporation and in good standing under the laws of their respective jurisdictions of organization. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries are, and will be, duly licensed or qualified as a foreign corporation for transaction of business and in good standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which their respective ownership or lease of property or the conduct of their respective businesses requires such license or qualification, and have all corporate power and authority necessary to own or hold their respective properties and to conduct their respective businesses as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing or have such power or authority would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect or would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on or materially affecting the assets, business, operations, earnings, properties, condition (financial or otherwise), or prospects of the Company and the Subsidiaries (as defined below) taken as a whole, or prevent or materially interfere with consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby (a Material Adverse Effect).
(g) Subsidiaries. The Company has no subsidiaries other than those set forth in the most recent Form 10-K filed by the Company, and those subsidiaries that are significant subsidiaries (as such term is defined in Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X promulgated under the Securities Act) are identified on Exhibit 6(g) (collectively, the Subsidiaries). The Company owns, directly or indirectly, all of the issued and outstanding capital stock or other ownership interest of each of the Subsidiaries; other than the capital stock or other ownership interest of the Subsidiaries or as described in the Registration Statement, the Company does not own, directly or indirectly, any shares of stock or any other equity interests or long-term debt securities of any corporation, firm, partnership, joint venture, association or other entity. All of the outstanding shares of capital stock or other ownership interests of each of the Subsidiaries have been duly
7
authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable, have been issued in compliance with all applicable securities laws, were not issued in violation of any preemptive right, resale right, right of first refusal or similar right and are wholly or majority owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company and, except as described in the Registration Statement, subject to no security interest, other encumbrance or adverse claims, except where such security interests, other encumbrances or adverse claims would not materially affect or interfere in any material respect with the Companys ability to exercise control over each of its Subsidiaries; and no options, warrants or other rights to purchase, agreements or other obligations to issue or other rights to convert any obligation into shares of capital stock or ownership interests in the Subsidiaries are outstanding.
(h) No Violation or Default. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries are (i) in violation of its charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents; (ii) in default, and no event has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a default, in the due performance or observance of any term, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or its Subsidiaries are a party or by which the Company or its Subsidiaries are bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or its Subsidiaries are 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 each of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, for any such violation or default that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. To the Companys knowledge, no other party under any material contract or other agreement to which it or a Subsidiary is a party is in default in any respect thereunder where such default would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(i) No Material Adverse Change. Except as set forth in or otherwise contemplated by the Registration Statement (exclusive of any amendment thereof) or the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto), since the date of the most recent financial statements of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and prior to each Settlement Date, (i) there has not been and will not have been any change in the capital stock of the Company (except for changes in the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company due to the issuance of shares upon the exercise or conversion of securities exercisable for, or convertible into, shares of Common Stock outstanding on the date hereof) or long-term debt of the Company or of its Subsidiaries or any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, set aside for payment, paid or made by the Company on any class of capital stock, that has resulted in or that would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; (ii) neither the Company nor its Subsidiaries have incurred or will incur any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, not in the ordinary course of business, that reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (iii) there has not been any material adverse change in the business, properties, management, financial position, stockholders equity, or results of operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole; and (iv) neither the Company nor its Subsidiaries have 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 (each of these items set forth above in items (i) through (iv) being a Material Adverse Change.
8
(j) Capitalization. The issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable and, other than as disclosed in or contemplated by the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, are not subject to any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or similar rights. The Company has an authorized, issued and outstanding capitalization as set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as of the dates referred to therein (other than the grant of additional options under the Companys existing stock option plans, or changes in the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company due to the issuance of shares upon the exercise or conversion of securities exercisable for, or convertible into, shares of Common Stock outstanding on the date hereof) and such authorized capital stock conforms to the description thereof set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. The description of the Companys Common Stock in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus is complete and accurate in all material respects. Except as disclosed in or contemplated by the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as of the date referred to therein, the Company does not have outstanding any options to purchase, or any rights or warrants to subscribe for, or any securities or obligations convertible into, or exchangeable for, or any contracts or commitments to issue or sell, any shares of capital stock or other securities.
(k) Authorization; Enforceability. The Company has full legal right, power and authority to enter into this Agreement and perform the transactions contemplated hereby. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and is a legal, valid and binding agreement of the Company enforceable in accordance with its terms, except to the extent that (i) enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting creditors rights generally and by general equitable principles and (ii) the indemnification and contribution provisions of Section 10 hereof may be limited by federal or state securities laws and public policy considerations in respect thereof.
(l) Authorization of Placement Shares. The Placement Shares, when issued and delivered pursuant to the terms approved by the Board of Directors or a duly designated committee thereof, against payment therefor as provided herein, will be duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of any pledge, lien, encumbrance, security interest or other claim, including any statutory or contractual preemptive rights, resale rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights, and will be registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act. The Placement Shares, when issued, will conform in all material respects to the description thereof set forth in or incorporated into the Prospectus.
(m) No Consents Required. No consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority is required for the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, the issuance and sale by the Company of the Placement Shares, except for the registration of the Placement Shares under the Securities Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders and registrations or qualifications as may be required under applicable state securities laws or by the by-laws and rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) or the Exchange in connection with the sale of the Placement Shares by Agents.
9
(n) No Preferential Rights. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, (i) no person, as such term is defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X promulgated under the Securities Act (each, a Person), has the right, contractual or otherwise, to cause the Company to issue or sell to such Person any shares of Common Stock or shares of any other capital stock or other securities of the Company, (ii) no Person has any preemptive rights, resale rights, rights of first refusal, or any other rights (whether pursuant to a poison pill provision or otherwise) to purchase any shares of Common Stock or shares of any other capital stock or other securities of the Company, (iii) no Person has the right to act as an underwriter or as a financial advisor to the Company in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares, and (iv) no Person has the right, contractual or otherwise, to require the Company to register under the Securities Act any shares of Common Stock or shares of any other capital stock or other securities of the Company, or to include any such shares or other securities in the Registration Statement or the offering contemplated thereby, whether as a result of the filing or effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the sale of the Placement Shares as contemplated thereby or otherwise.
(o) Independent Public Accountant. KPMG LLP (the Accountant), whose report on the consolidated financial statements of the Company is filed with the Commission as part of the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, are and, during the periods covered by their report, were independent public accountants within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). To the Companys knowledge, the Accountant is not in violation of the auditor independence requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the Sarbanes-Oxley Act) with respect to the Company.
(p) Enforceability of Agreements. To the knowledge of the Company, all agreements between the Company and third parties expressly referenced in the Prospectus are legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable in accordance with their respective terms, except to the extent that (i) enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting creditors rights generally and by general equitable principles and (ii) the indemnification provisions of certain agreements may be limited be federal or state securities laws or public policy considerations in respect thereof and except for any unenforceability that, individually or in the aggregate, would not unreasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(q) No Litigation. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, (i) there are no legal, governmental or regulatory actions, suits or proceedings pending, nor, to the Companys knowledge, any legal, governmental or regulatory investigations, to which the Company or a Subsidiary is a party or to which any property of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is the subject that, individually or in the aggregate, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or materially and adversely affect the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement; (ii) to the Companys knowledge, no such actions, suits or proceedings are threatened or contemplated by any governmental or regulatory authority or threatened by others that, individually or in the aggregate, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; or (iii) there are no current or pending legal, governmental or regulatory investigations,
10
actions, suits or proceedings that are required under the Securities Act to be described in the Prospectus that are not so described.
(r) Licenses and Permits. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, the Company and each of its Subsidiaries possess or have obtained, and at each Settlement Date will possess and will have obtained, all licenses, certificates, consents, orders, approvals, 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 the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (the Permits), except where the failure to possess, obtain or make the same would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries have received written notice of any proceeding relating to revocation or modification of any such Permit or has any reason to believe that such Permit will not be renewed in the ordinary course, except where the failure to obtain any such renewal would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(s) Market Capitalization. As of the close of trading on the Exchange on the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of this Agreement, the aggregate market value of the outstanding voting and non-voting common equity (as defined in Securities Act Rule 405) of the Company held by persons other than affiliates of the Company (pursuant to Securities Act Rule 144, those that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, control, or are controlled by, or are under common control with, the Company) (the Non-Affiliate Shares), was equal to or greater than $150,000,000.00 (calculated by multiplying (x) the price at which the common equity of the Company was last sold on the Exchange on the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of this Agreement times (y) the number of Non-Affiliate Shares).
(t) No Material Defaults. Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has defaulted on any installment on indebtedness for borrowed money or on any rental on one or more long-term leases, which defaults, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has not filed a report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act since the filing of its last Annual Report on Form 10-K, indicating that it (i) has failed to pay any dividend or sinking fund installment on preferred stock or (ii) has defaulted on any installment on indebtedness for borrowed money or on any rental on one or more long-term leases, which defaults, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(u) Certain Market Activities. Neither the Company, nor any of the Subsidiaries, nor any of their respective directors, officers or controlling persons has taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed, or that has constituted or might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under the Exchange Act or otherwise, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Placement Shares.
(v) Broker/Dealer Relationships. Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries or any related entities (i) is required to register as a broker or dealer in
11
accordance with the provisions of the Exchange Act or (ii) directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is a person associated with a member or associated person of a member (within the meaning of Article I of the NASD Manual administered by FINRA).
(w) No Reliance. The Company has not relied upon either Agent or legal counsel for either Agent for any legal, tax or accounting advice in connection with the offering and sale of the Placement Shares.
(x) Taxes. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries have filed all federal, state, local and foreign tax returns which have been required to be filed and paid all taxes shown thereon through the date hereof, to the extent that such taxes have become due and are not being contested in good faith, except where the failure to do so would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as otherwise disclosed in or contemplated by the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, no tax deficiency has been determined adversely to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries which has had, or would reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has no knowledge of any federal, state or other governmental tax deficiency, penalty or assessment which has been or might be asserted or threatened against it which could have a Material Adverse Effect.
(y) Title to Real and Personal Property. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, the Company and its Subsidiaries have good and valid title in fee simple to all items of real property and good and valid title to all personal property described in the Registration Statement or Prospectus as being owned by them that are material to the businesses of the Company or such Subsidiary, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and claims, except those that (i) do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and any of its Subsidiaries or (ii) would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect. Any real property described in the Registration Statement or Prospectus as being leased by the Company and any of its Subsidiaries is held by them under valid, existing and enforceable leases, except those that (A) do not materially interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such property by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or (B) would not be reasonably expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(z) Intellectual Property. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, the Company and its Subsidiaries own or possess adequate enforceable rights to use all patents, patent applications, trademarks (both registered and unregistered), service marks, trade names, trademark registrations, service mark registrations, copyrights, licenses and know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures) (collectively, the Intellectual Property), necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses as conducted as of the date hereof, except to the extent that the failure to own or possess adequate rights to use such Intellectual Property would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; the Company and any of its Subsidiaries have not received any written notice of any claim of infringement or conflict which asserted Intellectual Property rights of others, which infringement or conflict, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, would result in a Material Adverse Effect; the Company and its Subsidiaries have not received any written notice of any claim challenging the rights of the Company or a Subsidiary in or to any Intellectual Property owned, licensed or
12
optioned by the Company or such Subsidiary which claim, if the subject of an unfavorable decision would result in an Material Adverse Effect.
(aa) Environmental Laws. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, the Company and its Subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with any and all applicable federal, state, local and foreign laws, rules, regulations, decisions and orders relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (collectively, Environmental Laws); (ii) have received and are in compliance with all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus; and (iii) have not received notice of any actual or potential liability for the investigation or remediation of any disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, except, in the case of any of clauses (i), (ii) or (iii) above, for any such failure to comply or failure to receive required permits, licenses, other approvals or liability as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(bb) Disclosure Controls. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries maintain systems of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with managements general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with managements 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. The Company has established disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15) for the Company and designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that material information relating to the Company and each of its Subsidiaries is made known to the certifying officers by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K or Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, as the case may be, is being prepared. The Companys certifying officers have evaluated the effectiveness of the Companys controls and procedures as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of the Form 10-K for the fiscal year most recently ended (such date, the Evaluation Date). The Company presented in its Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended most recently ended the conclusions of the certifying officers about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures based on their evaluations as of the Evaluation Date. Since the Evaluation Date, there have been no significant changes in the Companys internal controls (as such term is defined in Item 307(b) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act) or, to the Companys knowledge, in other factors that could significantly affect the Companys internal controls.
(cc) Sarbanes-Oxley. To the knowledge of the Company, there is and has been no failure on the part of the Company and any of the Companys directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with any applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. Each of the principal executive officer and the principal financial officer of the Company (or each former principal executive officer of the Company and each former principal financial officer of the Company as applicable) has made all certifications required by Sections 302 and 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act with respect to all
13
reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by it or furnished by it to the Commission. For purposes of the preceding sentence, principal executive officer and principal financial officer shall have the meanings given to such terms in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
(dd) Finders Fees. Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has incurred any liability for any finders fees, brokerage commissions or similar payments in connection with the transactions herein contemplated, except as may otherwise exist with respect to Agents pursuant to this Agreement.
(ee) Labor Disputes. No labor disturbance by or dispute with employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is threatened which would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect
(ff) Investment Company Act. Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries is or, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Placement Shares, will be an investment company or an entity controlled by an investment company, as such terms are defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the Investment Company Act).
(gg) Operations. The operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial record keeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions to which the Company or its Subsidiaries are subject, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the Money Laundering Laws), except as would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(hh) Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements. There are no transactions, arrangements and other relationships between and/or among the Company, and/or, to the knowledge of the Company, any of its affiliates and any unconsolidated entity, including, but not limited to, any structural finance, special purpose or limited purpose entity (each, an Off Balance Sheet Transaction) that could reasonably be expected to affect materially the Companys liquidity or the availability of or requirements for its capital resources, including those Off Balance Sheet Transactions described in the Commissions Statement about Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Conditions and Results of Operations (Release Nos. 33-8056; 34-45321; FR-61), required to be described in the Prospectus which have not been described as required.
(ii) Underwriter Agreements. The Company is not a party to any agreement with an agent or underwriter for any other at-the-market or continuous equity transaction.
(jj) ERISA. To the knowledge of the Company, each material employee benefit plan, within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA), that is maintained, administered or contributed to by the
14
Company or any of its affiliates for employees or former employees of the Company and any of its Subsidiaries has been maintained in material compliance with its terms and the requirements of any applicable statutes, orders, rules and regulations, including but not limited to ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code); no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred which would result in a material liability to the Company with respect to any such plan excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption; and for each such plan that is subject to the funding rules of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, no accumulated funding deficiency as defined in Section 412 of the Code has been incurred, whether or not waived, and the fair market value of the assets of each such plan (excluding for these purposes accrued but unpaid contributions) exceeds the present value of all benefits accrued under such plan determined using reasonable actuarial assumptions.
(kk) Forward Looking Statements. No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) (a Forward Looking Statement) contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith. The Forward Looking Statements incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus from the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year most recently ended (i) are within the coverage of the safe harbor for forward looking statements set forth in Section 27A of the Act, Rule 175(b) under the Securities Act or Rule 3b-6 under the Exchange Act, as applicable, (ii) were made by the Company with a reasonable basis and in good faith and reflect the Companys good faith commercially reasonable best estimate of the matters described therein, and (iii) have been prepared in accordance with Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the Act.
(ll) Margin Rules. Neither the issuance, sale and delivery of the Shares nor the application of the proceeds thereof by the Company as described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus will violate Regulation T, U or X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or any other regulation of such Board of Governors.
(mm) Insurance. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries carry, or are covered by, insurance in such amounts and covering such risks as the Company and each of its Subsidiaries reasonably believe are adequate for the conduct of their properties and as is customary for companies engaged in similar businesses in similar industries.
(nn) No Improper Practices. (i) Neither the Company nor, to the Companys knowledge, the Subsidiaries, nor to the Companys knowledge, any of their respective executive officers has, in the past five years, made any unlawful contributions to any candidate for any political office (or failed fully to disclose any contribution in violation of law) or made any contribution or other payment to any official of, or candidate for, any federal, state, municipal, or foreign office or other person charged with similar public or quasi-public duty in violation of any law or of the character required to be disclosed in the Prospectus; (ii) no relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or, to the Companys knowledge, any Subsidiary or any affiliate of any of them, on the one hand, and the directors, officers and stockholders of the Company or, to the Companys knowledge, any Subsidiary, on the other hand, that is required by the Securities Act to be described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus
15
that is not so described; (iii) no relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or any Subsidiary or any affiliate of them, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders or directors of the Company or, to the Companys knowledge, any Subsidiary, on the other hand, that is required by the rules of FINRA to be described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus that is not so described; (iv) except as described in the Prospectus, there are no material outstanding loans or advances or material guarantees of indebtedness by the Company or, to the Companys knowledge, any Subsidiary to or for the benefit of any of their respective officers or directors or any of the members of the families of any of them; and (v) the Company has not offered, or caused any placement agent to offer, Common Stock to any person with the intent to influence unlawfully (A) a customer or supplier of the Company or any Subsidiary to alter the customers or suppliers level or type of business with the Company or any Subsidiary or (B) a trade journalist or publication to write or publish favorable information about the Company or any Subsidiary or any of their respective products or services, and, (vi) neither the Company nor any Subsidiary nor, to the Companys knowledge, any employee or agent of the Company or any Subsidiary has made any payment of funds of the Company or any Subsidiary or received or retained any funds in violation of any law, rule or regulation (including, without limitation, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, which payment, receipt or retention of funds is of a character required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus.
(oo) Status Under the Securities Act. The Company was not and is not an ineligible issuer as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act at the times specified in Rules 164 and 433 under the Securities Act in connection with the offering of the Shares.
(pp) Conformity of Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conformed or will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act on the date of first use, and the Company has complied or will comply with any filing requirements applicable to such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus pursuant to the Securities Act. Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Shares, did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein that has not been superseded or modified. The Company has not made any offer relating to the Shares that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus without the prior written consent of Agents. The Company has retained in accordance with the Securities Act all Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses that were not required to be filed pursuant to the Securities Act.
(qq) No Misstatement or Omission in an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. Each issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and as of each Applicable Time (as defined in Section 24 below), did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, including any incorporated document deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified. The foregoing sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any issuer Free Writing Prospectus based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Agents specifically for use therein.
16
(rr) No Conflicts. Neither the execution of this Agreement, nor the issuance, offering or sale of the Shares, nor the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated herein and therein, nor the compliance by the Company with the terms and provisions hereof and thereof will conflict with, or will result in a breach of, any of the terms and provisions of, or has constituted or will constitute a default under, or has resulted in or will result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company pursuant to the terms of any contract or other agreement to which the Company may be bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company is subject, except (i) such conflicts, breaches or defaults as may have been waived and (ii) such conflicts, breaches and defaults that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; nor will such action result (x) in any violation of the provisions of the organizational or governing documents of the Company, or (y) in any material violation of the provisions of any statute or any order, rule or regulation applicable to the Company or of any court or of any federal, state or other regulatory authority or other government body having jurisdiction over the Company.
(ss) Stock Transfer Taxes. On each Settlement Date, all stock transfer or other taxes (other than income taxes) which are required to be paid in connection with the sale and transfer of the Shares to be sold hereunder will be, or will have been, fully paid or provided for by the Company and all laws imposing such taxes will be or will have been fully complied with.
Any certificate signed by an officer of the Company and delivered to the Agents or to counsel for the Agents pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Company, as applicable, to the Agents as to the matters set forth therein.
7. Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants and agrees with Agents that:
(a) Registration Statement Amendments. After the date of this Agreement and during any period in which a Prospectus relating to any Placement Shares is required to be delivered by Agents under the Securities Act (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 under the Securities Act), (i) the Company will notify Agents promptly of the time when any subsequent amendment to the Registration Statement, other than documents incorporated by reference, has been filed with the Commission and/or has become effective or any subsequent supplement to the Prospectus has been filed and of any request by the Commission for any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus or for additional information, (ii) the Company will prepare and file with the Commission, promptly upon either Agents request, any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or Prospectus that, in such Agents reasonable opinion, may be necessary or advisable in connection with the distribution of the Placement Shares by Agents (provided, however, that the failure of either Agent to make such request shall not relieve the Company of any obligation or liability hereunder, or affect either Agents right to rely on the representations and warranties made by the Company in this Agreement and provided, further, that the only remedy Agents shall have with respect to the failure to make such filing shall be to cease making sales under this Agreement until such amendment or supplement is filed); (iii) the Company will not file any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus relating to the Placement Shares or a security convertible into the Placement Shares unless a
17
copy thereof has been submitted to Agents within a reasonable period of time before the filing and neither Agent has objected thereto (provided, however, that the failure of either Agent to make such objection shall not relieve the Company of any obligation or liability hereunder, or affect either Agents right to rely on the representations and warranties made by the Company in this Agreement and provided, further, that the only remedy Agents shall have with respect to the failure to by the Company to obtain such consent shall be to cease making sales under this Agreement) and the Company will furnish to Agents at the time of filing thereof a copy of any document that upon filing is deemed to be incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement or Prospectus, except for those documents available via EDGAR; and (iv) the Company will cause each amendment or supplement to the Prospectus to be filed with the Commission as required pursuant to the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act or, in the case of any document to be incorporated therein by reference, to be filed with the Commission as required pursuant to the Exchange Act, within the time period prescribed (the determination to file or not file any amendment or supplement with the Commission under this Section 7(a), based on the Companys reasonable opinion or reasonable objections, shall be made exclusively by the Company).
(b) Notice of Commission Stop Orders. The Company will advise Agents, promptly after it receives notice or obtains knowledge thereof, of the issuance or threatened issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, of the suspension of the qualification of the Placement Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such purpose; and it will promptly use its commercially reasonable efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order or to obtain its withdrawal if such a stop order should be issued. The Company will advise Agents promptly after it receives any request by the Commission for any amendments to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplements to the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or for additional information related to the offering of the Shares or for additional information related to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.
(c) Delivery of Prospectus; Subsequent Changes. During any period in which a Prospectus relating to the Placement Shares is required to be delivered by Agents under the Securities Act with respect to the offer and sale of the Placement Shares, (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172 under the Securities Act), the Company will comply with all requirements imposed upon it by the Securities Act, as from time to time in force, and to file on or before their respective due dates all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, 15(d) or any other provision of or under the Exchange Act. If the Company has omitted any information from the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430A under the Securities Act, it will use its reasonable best efforts to comply with the provisions of and make all requisite filings with the Commission pursuant to said Rule 430A and to notify Agents promptly of all such filings. If during such period any event occurs as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances then existing, not misleading, or if during such period it is necessary to amend or supplement the Registration Statement or Prospectus to comply with the Securities Act, the Company will promptly notify Agents to suspend the
18
offering of Placement Shares during such period and the Company will promptly amend or supplement the Registration Statement or Prospectus (at the expense of the Company) so as to correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance.
(d) Listing of Placement Shares. During any period in which the Prospectus relating to the Placement Shares is required to be delivered by Agents under the Securities Act with respect to the offer and sale of the Placement Shares, the Company will use its reasonable best efforts to cause the Placement Shares to be listed on the Exchange and to qualify the Placement Shares for sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as Agents reasonably designate and to continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Placement Shares; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required in connection therewith to qualify as a foreign corporation or dealer in securities or file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction.
(e) Delivery of Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Company will furnish to Agents and their respective counsel (at the expense of the Company) copies of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus (including all documents incorporated by reference therein) and all amendments and supplements to the Registration Statement or Prospectus that are filed with the Commission during any period in which a Prospectus relating to the Placement Shares is required to be delivered under the Securities Act (including all documents filed with the Commission during such period that are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein), in each case as soon as reasonably practicable and in such quantities as Agents may from time to time reasonably request and, at either Agents request, will also furnish copies of the Prospectus to each exchange or market on which sales of the Placement Shares may be made; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to furnish any document (other than the Prospectus) to either Agent to the extent such document is available on EDGAR.
(f) Earnings Statement. The Company will make generally available to its security holders as soon as practicable, but in any event not later than 15 months after the end of the Companys current fiscal quarter, an earnings statement covering a 12-month period that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) and Rule 158 of the Securities Act.
(g) Expenses. The Company, whether or not the transactions contemplated hereunder are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, in accordance with the provisions of Section 12 hereunder, will pay all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder, including, but not limited to, expenses relating to (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement and each amendment and supplement thereto, of each Prospectus and of each amendment and supplement thereto, (ii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the Placement Shares, (iii) the qualification of the Placement Shares under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 7(d) of this Agreement, including filing fees, (iv) the printing and delivery to Agents of copies of the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, and of this Agreement, (v) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing or qualification of the Placement Shares for trading on the Exchange, (vi) filing fees and expenses, if any, of the Commission and the FINRA Corporate Financing Department.
(h) Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the Net Proceeds as described in the Prospectus in the section entitled Use of Proceeds.
19
(i) Notice of Other Sales. Without the prior written consent of both Agents, the Company will not, directly or indirectly, offer to sell, sell, contract to sell, grant any option to sell or otherwise dispose of any shares of Common Stock (other than the Shares offered pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement) or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock, warrants or any rights to purchase or acquire, Common Stock during the period beginning on the fifth (5th) Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which any Placement Notice is delivered to Agents hereunder and ending on the fifth (5th) Trading Day immediately following the final Settlement Date with respect to Placement Shares sold pursuant to such Placement Notice (or, if the Placement Notice has been terminated or suspended prior to the sale of all Shares covered by a Placement Notice, the date of such suspension or termination); and will not directly or indirectly in any other at-the-market or continuous equity transaction offer to sell, sell, contract to sell, grant any option to sell or otherwise dispose of any shares of Common Stock (other than the Shares offered pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement) or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock, warrants or any rights to purchase or acquire, Common Stock prior to the later of the termination of this Agreement and the [sixtieth (60th)] day immediately following the final Settlement Date with respect to Placement Shares sold pursuant to such Placement Notice; provided, however, that such restrictions will not be required in connection with the Companys issuance or sale of (i) Common Stock, Common Stock-based incentive awards or options to purchase shares of Common Stock or Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of options, pursuant to any employee or director stock option, equity incentive or benefits plan, stock ownership plan or dividend reinvestment plan (but not shares subject to a waiver to exceed plan limits in its dividend reinvestment plan) of the Company whether now in effect or hereafter implemented, and (ii) Common Stock issuable upon conversion of securities or the exercise of warrants, options or other rights in effect or outstanding, or otherwise disclosed in or contemplated by filings by the Company available on EDGAR or otherwise in writing to Agents.
(j) Change of Circumstances. The Company will, at any time during the pendency of a Placement Notice advise Agents promptly after it shall have received notice or obtained knowledge thereof, of any information or fact that would alter or affect in any material respect any opinion, certificate, letter or other document required to be provided to either Agent pursuant to this Agreement.
(k) Due Diligence Cooperation. The Company will cooperate with any reasonable due diligence review conducted by either Agent or its representatives in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including, without limitation, providing information and making available documents and senior corporate officers, during regular business hours and at the Companys principal offices, as such Agent may reasonably request.
(l) Required Filings Relating to Placement of Placement Shares. The Company agrees that on such dates as the Securities Act shall require, the Company will (i) file a prospectus supplement with the Commission under the applicable paragraph of Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act (each and every filing under Rule 424(b), a Filing Date), which prospectus supplement will set forth, within the relevant period, the amount of Placement Shares sold through Agents, the Net Proceeds to the Company and the compensation payable by the Company to Agents with respect to such Placement Shares, and (ii) deliver such number of
20
copies of each such prospectus supplement to each exchange or market on which such sales were effected as may be required by the rules or regulations of the Exchange.
(m) Representation Dates; Certificate. On the date of this Agreement and each time the Company (each date of filing of one or more of the documents referred to in clauses (i) through (iv) shall be a Representation Date):
(i) files the Prospectus relating to the Shares or amends or supplements (other than a prospectus supplement relating solely to an offering of securities other than the Shares) the Registration Statement or the Prospectus relating to the Shares by means of a post-effective amendment, sticker, or supplement but not by means of incorporation of documents by reference into the Registration Statement or the Prospectus relating to the Shares;
(ii) files an annual report on Form 10-K under the Exchange Act (including any Form 10-K/A containing amended financial information or a material amendment to the previously filed Form 10-K);
(iii) files its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q under the Exchange Act; or
(iv) files a current report on Form 8-K containing amended financial information (other than information furnished pursuant to Items 2.02 or 7.01 of Form 8-K or to provide disclosure pursuant to Item 8.01 of Form 8-K relating to the reclassification of certain properties as discontinued operations in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 144) under the Exchange Act;
the Company shall furnish Agents (but in the case of clause (iv) above only if either Agent reasonably determines that the financial information contained in such Form 8-K is material) with a certificate, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 7(m). The requirement to provide a certificate under this Section 7(m) shall be waived for any Representation Date occurring at a time at which no Placement Notice is pending, which waiver shall continue until the earlier to occur of the date the Company delivers a Placement Notice hereunder (which for such calendar quarter shall be considered a Representation Date) and the next occurring Representation Date; provided, however, that such waiver shall not apply for any Representation Date on which the Company files its annual report on Form 10-K. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company subsequently decides to sell Placement Shares following a Representation Date when the Company relied on such waiver and did not provide Agents with a certificate under this Section 7(m), then before the Company delivers the Placement Notice or either Agent sells any Placement Shares, the Company shall provide Agents with a certificate, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 7(m), dated the date of the Placement Notice.
(n) Legal Opinion. (1) On the date of this Agreement and (2) within five (5) Trading Days of each Representation Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 7(m) for which no waiver is applicable, the Company shall cause to be furnished to the Agents a written opinion of Kirkland & Ellis LLP (Company Counsel), or other counsel satisfactory to Agents, in form and substance satisfactory to Agents and their respective counsel, substantially similar to the form
21
attached hereto as Exhibit 7(n), modified, as necessary, to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented; provided, however, the Company shall be required to furnish to Agents no more than one opinion hereunder per calendar quarter; provided, further, that in lieu of such opinions for subsequent periodic filings under the Exchange Act, counsel may furnish Agents with a letter (a Reliance Letter) to the effect that Agents may rely on a prior opinion delivered under this Section 7(n) to the same extent as if it were dated the date of such letter (except that statements in such prior opinion shall be deemed to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended or supplemented as of the date of the Reliance Letter).
(o) Comfort Letter. (1) On the date of this Agreement and (2) within five (5) Trading Days of each Representation Date with respect to which the Company is obligated to deliver a certificate in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 7(m) for which no waiver is applicable, the Company shall cause to be furnished to the Agents, the Company shall cause its independent accountants to furnish Agents letters (the Comfort Letters), dated the date the Comfort Letter is delivered; provided, that if requested by either Agent, the Company shall cause a Comfort Letter to be furnished to Agents within ten Trading Days of the date of occurrence of any material transaction or event, including the restatement of the Companys financial statements. The Comfort Letter from the Companys independent accountants shall be in a form and substance satisfactory to Agents, (i) confirming that they are an independent public accounting firm within the meaning of the Securities Act and the PCAOB, (ii) stating, as of such date, the conclusions and findings of such firm with respect to the financial information and other matters ordinarily covered by accountants comfort letters to underwriters in connection with registered public offerings (the first such letter, the Initial Comfort Letter) and (iii) updating the Initial Comfort Letter with any information that would have been included in the Initial Comfort Letter had it been given on such date and modified as necessary to relate to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, as amended and supplemented to the date of such letter.
(p) Market Activities. The Company will not, directly or indirectly, (i) take any action designed to cause or result in, or that constitutes or might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares or (ii) bid for, or purchase the Shares, in violation of Regulation M or pay anyone any compensation for soliciting purchases of the Shares other than Agents.
(q) Investment Company Act. The Company will conduct its affairs in such a manner so as to reasonably ensure that neither it nor the Subsidiaries will be or become, at any time prior to the termination of this Agreement, an investment company, as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act, assuming no change in the Commissions current interpretation as to entities that are not considered an investment company.
(r) No Offer to Sell. Other than an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus approved in advance by the Company and both Agents in their capacity as agent hereunder, neither of the Agents nor the Company (including its agents and representatives, other than Agents in their capacity as such) will make, use, prepare, authorize, approve or refer to any written
22
communication (as defined in Rule 405 under the Act), required to be filed with the Commission, that constitutes an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy Shares hereunder.
(s) Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Company and the Subsidiaries will maintain and keep accurate books and records reflecting their assets and maintain internal accounting controls in a manner designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and including those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Company, (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit the preparation of the Companys consolidated financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principals, (iii) that receipts and expenditures of the Company are being made only in accordance with managements and the Companys directors authorization, and (iv) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the Companys assets that could have a material effect on its financial statements. The Company and the Subsidiaries will maintain such controls and other procedures, including, without limitation, those required by Sections 302 and 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and the applicable regulations thereunder that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commissions rules and forms, including, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to the Companys management, including its Chief Executive Officer and principal financial officer, or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure and to ensure that material information relating to the Company or the Subsidiaries is made known to them by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which such periodic reports are being prepared.
8. Covenants of Agents. Each Agents covenants and agrees that it is duly registered as a broker-dealer under FINRA, the Exchange Act and the applicable statutes and regulations of each state in which the Shares will be offered and sold, except such states in which such Agent is exempt from registration or such registration is not otherwise required. Each Agent shall continue, for the term of this Agreement, to be duly registered as a broker-dealer under FINRA, the Exchange Act and the applicable statutes and regulations of each state in which the Shares will be offered and sold, except such states in which such Agent is exempt from registration or such registration is not otherwise required, during the term of this Agreement.
9. Conditions to Each Agents Obligations. The obligations of Agents hereunder with respect to a Placement will be subject to the continuing accuracy and completeness of the representations and warranties made by the Company herein, to the due performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, to the completion by each Agent of a due diligence review satisfactory to it in its reasonable judgment, and to the continuing satisfaction (or waiver by each Agent in its sole discretion) of the following additional conditions:
23
(a) Registration Statement Effective. The Registration Statement shall have become effective and shall be available for the (i) resale of all Placement Shares issued to Agents and not yet sold by Agents and (ii) the sale of all Placement Shares contemplated to be issued by any Placement Notice.
(b) No Material Notices. None of the following events shall have occurred and be continuing: (i) receipt by the Company of any request for additional information from the Commission or any other federal or state governmental authority during the period of effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the response to which would require any post-effective amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus; (ii) the issuance by the Commission or any other federal or state governmental authority of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the initiation of any proceedings for that purpose; (iii) receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification or exemption from qualification of any of the Placement Shares for sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; or (iv) the occurrence of any event that makes any material statement made in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any material document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference untrue in any material respect or that requires the making of any changes in the Registration Statement, related Prospectus or documents so that, in the case of the Registration Statement, it will not contain any materially untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading and, that in the case of the Prospectus, it will not contain any materially untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(c) No Misstatement or Material Omission. Neither Agent shall have advised the Company that the Registration Statement or Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, contains an untrue statement of fact that in such Agents reasonable opinion is material, or omits to state a fact that in such Agents opinion is material and is required to be stated therein or is necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.
(d) Material Changes. Except as contemplated in the Prospectus, or disclosed in the Companys reports filed with the Commission, there shall not have been any material adverse change, on a consolidated basis, in the authorized capital stock of the Company or any Material Adverse Effect, or any development that could reasonably be expected to cause a Material Adverse Effect, or a downgrading in or withdrawal of the rating assigned to any of the Companys securities (other than asset backed securities) by any rating organization or a public announcement by any rating organization that it has under surveillance or review its rating of any of the Companys securities (other than asset backed securities), the effect of which, in the case of any such action by a rating organization described above, in the reasonable judgment of either Agent (without relieving the Company of any obligation or liability it may otherwise have), is so material as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering of the Placement Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus.
24
(e) Legal Opinion. Agents shall have received the opinions of Company Counsel required to be delivered pursuant Section 7(n) on or before the date on which such delivery of such opinion is required pursuant to Section 7(n).
(f) Comfort Letter. Agents shall have received the Comfort Letter required to be delivered pursuant Section 7(o) on or before the date on which such delivery of such opinion is required pursuant to Section 7(o).
(g) Representation Certificate. Agents shall have received the certificate required to be delivered pursuant to Section 7(m) on or before the date on which delivery of such certificate is required pursuant to Section 7(m).
(h) No Suspension. Trading in the Shares shall not have been suspended on the Exchange.
(i) Other Materials. On each date on which the Company is required to deliver a certificate pursuant to Section 7(m), the Company shall have furnished to Agents such appropriate further information, certificates and documents as Agents may reasonably request. All such opinions, certificates, letters and other documents will be in compliance with the provisions hereof. The Company will furnish Agents with such conformed copies of such opinions, certificates, letters and other documents as Agents shall reasonably request.
(j) Securities Act Filings Made. All filings with the Commission required by Rule 424 under the Securities Act to have been filed prior to the issuance of any Placement Notice hereunder shall have been made within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by Rule 424.
(k) Approval for Listing. The Placement Shares shall either have been approved for listing on the Exchange, subject only to notice of issuance, or the Company shall have filed an application for listing of the Placement Shares on the Exchange at, or prior to, the issuance of any Placement Notice.
(l) No Termination Event. There shall not have occurred any event that would permit either Agent to terminate this Agreement pursuant to Section 12(a).
10. Indemnification and Contribution.
(a) Company Indemnification. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Agent, the respective directors, officers, partners, employees and agents of each Agent and each person, if any, who (i) controls either Agent within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, or (ii) is controlled by or is under common control with either Agent from and against any and all losses, claims, liabilities, expenses and damages (including, but not limited to, any and all reasonable investigative, legal and other expenses incurred in connection with, and any and all amounts paid in settlement (in accordance with Section 10(c)) of, any action, suit or proceeding between any of the indemnified parties and any indemnifying parties or between any indemnified party and any third party, or otherwise, or any claim asserted), as and when incurred, to which such Agent, or any such person, may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or other federal or state statutory law
25
or regulation, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, liabilities, expenses or damages arise out of or are based, directly or indirectly, on (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or in any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or in any application or other document executed by or on behalf of the Company or based on written information furnished by or on behalf of the Company filed in any jurisdiction in order to qualify the Placement Shares under the securities laws thereof or filed with the Commission, (ii) the omission or alleged omission to state in any such document a material fact required to be stated in it or necessary to make the statements in it not misleading or (iii) any breach by any of the indemnifying parties of any of their respective representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement; provided, however, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to the extent that such loss, claim, liability, expense or damage arises from the sale of the Placement Shares pursuant to this Agreement and is caused directly or indirectly by an untrue statement or omission made in reliance on and in conformity with information relating to either Agent. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability that the Company might otherwise have.
(b) Agent Indemnification. Each Agent agrees to, severally and not jointly, indemnify and hold harmless the Company and its directors and each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who (i) controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act or (ii) is controlled by or is under common control with the Company against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in Section 10(c), as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendments thereto) or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to such Agent and furnished to the Company by such Agent.
(c) Procedure. Any party that proposes to assert the right to be indemnified under this Section 10 will, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action against such party in respect of which a claim is to be made against an indemnifying party or parties under this Section 10, notify each such indemnifying party of the commencement of such action, enclosing a copy of all papers served, but the omission so to notify such indemnifying party will not relieve the indemnifying party from (i) any liability that it might have to any indemnified party otherwise than under this Section 10 and (ii) any liability that it may have to any indemnified party under the foregoing provision of this Section 10 unless, and only to the extent that, such omission results in the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses by the indemnifying party. If any such action is brought against any indemnified party and it notifies the indemnifying party of its commencement, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate in and, to the extent that it elects by delivering written notice to the indemnified party promptly after receiving notice of the commencement of the action from the indemnified party, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense of the action, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party, and after notice from the indemnifying party to the indemnified party of its election to assume the defense, the indemnifying party will not be liable to the indemnified party for any legal or other expenses except as provided below and except for the reasonable costs of investigation subsequently incurred by the indemnified party in connection with the defense. The indemnified party will
26
have the right to employ its own counsel in any such action, but the fees, expenses and other charges of such counsel will be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (1) the employment of counsel by the indemnified party has been authorized in writing by the indemnifying party, (2) a conflict or potential conflict exists (based on advice of counsel to the indemnified party) between the indemnified party and the indemnifying party (in which case the indemnifying party will not have the right to direct the defense of such action on behalf of the indemnified party) or (3) the indemnifying party has not in fact employed counsel to assume the defense of such action within a reasonable time after receiving notice of the commencement of the action, in each of which cases the reasonable fees, disbursements and other charges of counsel will be at the expense of the indemnifying party or parties. It is understood that the indemnifying party or parties shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the reasonable fees, disbursements and other charges of more than one separate firm admitted to practice in such jurisdiction at any one time for all such indemnified party or parties. All such fees, disbursements and other charges will be reimbursed by the indemnifying party promptly after the indemnifying party receives a written invoice relating to fees, disbursements and other charges in reasonable detail. An indemnifying party will not, in any event, be liable for any settlement of any action or claim effected without its written consent. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of each indemnified party, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment in any pending or threatened claim, action or proceeding relating to the matters contemplated by this Section 10 (whether or not any indemnified party is a party thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (1) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (2) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.
(d) Contribution. In order to provide for just and equitable contribution in circumstances in which the indemnification provided for in the foregoing paragraphs of this Section 10 is applicable in accordance with its terms but for any reason is held to be unavailable from the Company or either Agent, the Company and each Agent will contribute to the total losses, claims, liabilities, expenses and damages (including any investigative, legal and other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with, and any amount paid in settlement of, any action, suit or proceeding or any claim asserted, but after deducting any contribution received by the Company from persons other than either Agent, such as persons who control the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act, officers of the Company who signed the Registration Statement and directors of the Company, who also may be liable for contribution) to which the Company and either Agent may be subject in such proportion as shall be appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and each Agent on the other. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and each Agent on the other hand shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the sale of the Placement Shares (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total compensation received by Agents (before deducting expenses) from the sale of Placement Shares on behalf of the Company. If, but only if, the allocation provided by the foregoing sentence is not permitted by applicable law, the allocation of contribution shall be made in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in the foregoing sentence but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and each Agent, on the other, with respect to the statements or omission that resulted in such loss, claim, liability, expense or
27
damage, or action in respect thereof, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations with respect to such offering. Such relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the 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 Agents, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Company and Agents agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this Section 10(d) were to be determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation that does not take into account the equitable considerations referred to herein. The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the loss, claim, liability, expense, or damage, or action in respect thereof, referred to above in this Section 10(d) shall be deemed to include, for the purpose of this Section 10(d), any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim to the extent consistent with Section 10(c) hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 10(d), neither Agent shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the commissions received by it under this Agreement and no person found guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) will be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. For purposes of this Section 10(d), any person who controls a party to this Agreement within the meaning of the Securities Act, and any officers, directors, partners, employees or agents of either Agent, will have the same rights to contribution as that party, and each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement and each director of the Company will have the same rights to contribution as the Company, subject in each case to the provisions hereof. Any party entitled to contribution, promptly after receipt of notice of commencement of any action against such party in respect of which a claim for contribution may be made under this Section 10(d), will notify any such party or parties from whom contribution may be sought, but the omission to so notify will not relieve that party or parties from whom contribution may be sought from any other obligation it or they may have under this Section 10(d) except to the extent that the failure to so notify such other party materially prejudiced the substantive rights or defenses of the party from whom contribution is sought. Except for a settlement entered into pursuant to the last sentence of Section 10(c) hereof, no party will be liable for contribution with respect to any action or claim settled without its written consent if such consent is required pursuant to Section 10(c) hereof.
11. Representations and Agreements to Survive Delivery. The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in Section 10 of this Agreement and all representations and warranties of the Company herein or in certificates delivered pursuant hereto shall survive, as of their respective dates, regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of either Agent, any controlling persons, or the Company (or any of their respective officers, directors or controlling persons), (ii) delivery and acceptance of the Placement Shares and payment therefor or (iii) any termination of this Agreement.
12. Termination.
(a) Each Agent may terminate this Agreement as to itself, by notice to the Company, as hereinafter specified at any time (1) if there has been, since the time of execution of this Agreement or since the date as of which information is given in the Prospectus, any change, or any development or event involving a prospective change, in the condition, financial or
28
otherwise, or in the business, properties, earnings, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its Subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, which individually or in the aggregate, in the sole judgment of an Agent is material and adverse and makes it impractical or inadvisable to market the Shares or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Shares, (2) 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 an Agent, impracticable or inadvisable to market the Shares or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Shares, (3) if trading in the Placement Shares has been suspended or limited by the Commission or the Exchange, or if trading generally on the Exchange has been suspended or limited, or minimum prices for trading have been fixed on the Exchange, (4) if any suspension of trading of any securities of the Company on any exchange or in the over-the-counter market shall have occurred and be continuing, (5) if a major disruption of securities settlements or clearance services in the United States shall have occurred and be continuing, or (6) if a banking moratorium has been declared by either U.S. Federal or New York authorities. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Section 7(g) (Expenses), Section 10 (Indemnification and Contribution), Section 11 (Survival of Representations), Section 17 (Applicable Law; Consent to Jurisdiction) and Section 18 (Waiver of Jury Trial) hereof shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination. If either Agent elects to terminate this Agreement as provided in this Section 12(a), such Agent shall provide the required notice as specified in Section 13 (Notices).
(b) The Company shall have the right, by giving five days notice as hereinafter specified to terminate this Agreement in its sole discretion at any time after the date of this Agreement. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Section 7(g), Section 10, Section 11, Section 17 and Section 18 hereof shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.
(c) Each Agent shall have the right, by giving five days notice as hereinafter specified to terminate this Agreement as to itself in its sole discretion at any time after the date of this Agreement. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Section 7(g), Section 10, Section 11, Section 17 and Section 18 hereof shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.
(d) Unless earlier terminated pursuant to this Section 12, this Agreement shall automatically terminate upon the issuance and sale of all of the Placement Shares through Agents on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein; provided that the provisions of Section 7(g), Section 10, Section 11, Section 17 and Section 18 hereof shall remain in full force and effect notwithstanding such termination.
(e) This Agreement shall remain in full force and effect unless terminated pursuant to Sections 12(a), (b), (c), or (d) above or otherwise by mutual agreement of the parties; provided, however, that any such termination by mutual agreement shall in all cases be deemed to provide that Section 7(g), Section 10, Section 11, Section 17 and Section 18 shall remain in full force and effect unless otherwise specifically stated therein. Upon termination of this
29
Agreement, the Company shall not have any liability to the Agents for any discount, commission or other compensation with respect to any Shares not otherwise sold by the Agents under this Agreement.
(f) Any termination of this Agreement shall be effective on the date specified in such notice of termination; provided, however, that such termination shall not be effective until the close of business on the date of receipt of such notice by Agents or the Company, as the case may be. If such termination shall occur prior to the Settlement Date for any sale of Placement Shares, such Placement Shares shall settle in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.
13. Notices. All notices or other communications required or permitted to be given by any party to any other party pursuant to the terms of this Agreement shall be in writing, unless otherwise specified, and if sent to Agents, shall be delivered to:
Wm Smith & Co.
1700 Lincoln Street, Suite 2545
Denver, CO 80203
Attention: William S. Smith
Facsimile: 303 ###-###-####
and
McNicoll, Lewis & Vlak LLC
420 Lexington Ave., Suite 628
New York, NY 10170
Attention: Patrice McNicoll
Facsimile: 646 ###-###-####
with a copy to:
DLA Piper LLP (US)
1251 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
Attention: James T. Seery
Facsimile: 212 ###-###-####
and if to the Company, shall be delivered to:
YRC Worldwide, Inc.
10990 Roe Avenue
Overland Park, KS 66211
Attention: Daniel J. Churay, Executive Vice President,
General Counsel and Secretary
Facsimile: 913 ###-###-####
30
with a copy to:
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
300 North LaSalle Street
Chicago, IL 60654
Attention: Dennis M. Myers, P.C.
Facsimile: 312 ###-###-####
Each party to this Agreement may change such address for notices by sending to the parties to this Agreement written notice of a new address for such purpose. Each such notice or other communication shall be deemed given (i) when delivered personally or by verifiable facsimile transmission (with an original to follow) on or before 4:30 p.m., New York City time, on a Business Day or, if such day is not a Business Day, on the next succeeding Business Day, (ii) on the next Business Day after timely delivery to a nationally-recognized overnight courier and (iii) on the Business Day actually received if deposited in the U.S. mail (certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid). For purposes of this Agreement, Business Day shall mean any day on which the Exchange and commercial banks in the City of New York are open for business.
An electronic communication (Electronic Notice) shall be deemed written notice for purposes of this Section 13 if sent to the electronic mail address specified by the receiving party under separate cover. Electronic Notice shall be deemed received at the time the party sending Electronic Notice receives verification of receipt by the receiving party. Any party receiving Electronic Notice may request and shall be entitled to receive the notice on paper, in a nonelectronic form (Nonelectronic Notice) which shall be sent to the requesting party within ten (10) days of receipt of the written request for Nonelectronic Notice.
14. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Company and each Agent and their respective successors and the affiliates, controlling persons, officers and directors referred to in Section 10 hereof. References to any of the parties contained in this Agreement shall be deemed to include the successors and permitted assigns of such party. Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to confer upon any party other than the parties hereto or their respective successors and permitted assigns any rights, remedies, obligations or liabilities under or by reason of this Agreement, except as expressly provided in this Agreement. Neither party may assign its rights or obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other party; provided, however, that each Agent may assign its rights and obligations hereunder to an affiliate thereof without obtaining the Companys consent.
15. Adjustments for Stock Splits. The parties acknowledge and agree that all share-related numbers contained in this Agreement shall be adjusted to take into account any stock split, stock dividend or similar event effected with respect to the Shares.
16. Entire Agreement; Amendment; Severability. This Agreement (including all schedules and exhibits attached hereto and Placement Notices issued pursuant hereto) constitutes the entire agreement and supersedes all other prior and contemporaneous agreements and
31
undertakings, both written and oral, among the parties hereto with regard to the subject matter hereof. Neither this Agreement nor any term hereof may be amended except pursuant to a written instrument executed by the Company and each Agent. In the event that any one or more of the provisions contained herein, or the application thereof in any circumstance, is held invalid, illegal or unenforceable as written by a court of competent jurisdiction, then such provision shall be given full force and effect to the fullest possible extent that it is valid, legal and enforceable, and the remainder of the terms and provisions herein shall be construed as if such invalid, illegal or unenforceable term or provision was not contained herein, but only to the extent that giving effect to such provision and the remainder of the terms and provisions hereof shall be in accordance with the intent of the parties as reflected in this Agreement.
17. Governing Law and Time; Waiver of Jury Trial.
THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK. SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME. THE COMPANY 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.
18. Consent to Jurisdiction. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by mailing a copy thereof (certified or registered mail, return receipt requested) to such party at the address in effect for notices to it under this Agreement and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any manner permitted by law.
19. Use of Information. The Agents may not use any information gained in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including due diligence, to advise any party with respect to transactions not expressly approved by the Company.
20. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Delivery of an executed Agreement by one party to the other may be made by facsimile transmission.
21. Effect of Headings.
The section and Exhibit headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.
22. Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses.
The Company represents, warrants and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Agents, and each of the Agents as to itself represents, warrants and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Company, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to
32
the Shares that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or that would otherwise constitute a free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 405, required to be filed with the Commission. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Agents or by the Company, as the case may be, is hereinafter referred to as a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus. The Company represents and warrants that it has treated and agrees that it will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an issuer free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 433, and has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping. For the purposes of clarity, the parties hereto agree that all free writing prospectuses, if any, listed in Exhibit G hereto are Permitted Free Writing Prospectuses.
23. | Absence of Fiduciary Relationship. |
The Company acknowledges and agrees that:
(a) The Agents are acting solely as agent in connection with the public offering of the Shares and in connection with each transaction contemplated by this Agreement and the process leading to such transactions, and no fiduciary or advisory relationship between the Company or any of its respective affiliates, stockholders (or other equity holders), creditors or employees or any other party, on the one hand, and the Agents, on the other hand, has been or will be created in respect of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, irrespective of whether or not the Agents have advised or are advising the Company on other matters, and the Agents have no obligation to the Company with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement;
(b) it is capable of evaluating and understanding, and understands and accepts, the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;
(c) the Agents have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and it has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it has deemed appropriate;
(d) it is aware that the Agents and their respective affiliates are engaged in a broad range of transactions which may involve interests that differ from those of the Company and the Agents has no obligation to disclose such interests and transactions to the Company by virtue of any fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship or otherwise; and
(e) it waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims it may have against the Agents for breach of fiduciary duty or alleged breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the sale of Shares under this Agreement and agrees that the Agents shall not have any liability (whether direct or indirect, in contract, tort or otherwise) to it in respect of such a fiduciary duty claim or to any person asserting a fiduciary duty claim on its behalf or in right of it or the Company, employees or creditors of Company, other than in respect of the Agents obligations under this Agreement and to keep information provided to the Agents and the Agents counsel by the Company confidential to the extent not otherwise publicly-available.
33
24. Definitions.
As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the respective meanings set forth below:
Applicable Time means (i) each Representation Date and (ii) the time of each sale of any Placement Shares pursuant to this Agreement.
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus means any issuer free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 433, relating to the Shares that (1) is required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (2) is 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 (3) is exempt from filing pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Shares 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 Companys records pursuant to Rule 433(g) under the Securities Act Regulations.
Rule 163, Rule 164, Rule 172, Rule 405, Rule 415, Rule 424, Rule 424(b), Rule 430B, and Rule 433 refer to such rules under the Securities Act Regulations.
All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information that is contained, included or stated in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus (and all other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as the case may be.
All references in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, 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 EDGAR; all references in this Agreement to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (other than any Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses that, pursuant to Rule 433, are not required to be filed with the Commission) shall be deemed to include the copy thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR; and all references in this Agreement to supplements to the Prospectus shall include, without limitation, any supplements, wrappers or similar materials prepared in connection with any offering, sale or private placement of any Placement Shares by the Agents outside of the United States.
34
If the foregoing correctly sets forth the understanding between the Company, Wm Smith and MLV, please so indicate in the space provided below for that purpose, whereupon this letter shall constitute a binding agreement between the Company, Wm Smith and MLV.
Very truly yours, | ||||
YRC WORLDWIDE INC. | ||||
By: | /s/ William D. Zollars | |||
Name: | William D. Zollars | |||
Title: | President and Chief Executive Officer |
ACCEPTED as of the date
first-above written:
WM SMITH & CO. | ||||
By: | /s/ William S. Smith | |||
Name: | William S. Smith | |||
Title: | President | |||
McNICOLL, LEWIS & VLAK LLC | ||||
By: | /s/ Patrice McNicoll | |||
Name: | Patrice McNicoll | |||
Title: | President |
SCHEDULE 1
FORM OF PLACEMENT NOTICE
From: | YRC Worldwide Inc. | |
To: | Wm Smith & Co. | |
Attention: William Smith | ||
Subject: | At Market IssuancePlacement Notice |
Gentlemen:
Pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions contained in the At Market Issuance Sales Agreement between YRC Worldwide Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Company), Wm Smith & Co., a Colorado corporation (Wm Smith), and McNicoll, Lewis & Vlak LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (MLV), dated May 3, 2010, the Company hereby requests that Wm Smith and MLV sell up to shares of the Companys common stock, par value $0.01 per share, at a minimum market price of $ per share, during the time period beginning [month, day, time] and ending [month, day, time].
SCHEDULE 2
COMPENSATION
(a) With respect to the first $25.0 million of gross proceeds from the sale of Shares pursuant to this Agreement, the Company shall pay to each Agent in cash, upon each sale of Shares pursuant to this Agreement (no matter which Agent actually sold such Shares), an amount equal to 1.5% of the gross proceeds from each sale of Shares (totaling 3.0% for both Agents).
(b) With respect to the gross proceeds from the sale of Shares pursuant to this Agreement in excess of $25.0 million, the Company shall pay to each Agent in cash, upon each sale of Shares pursuant to this Agreement (no matter which Agent actually sold such Shares), an amount equal to 1.0% of the gross proceeds from each sale of Shares (totaling 2.0% for both Agents).