Exhibit 1
$500,000,000
DOMINION RESOURCES,
INC.
$500,000,000 2006 Series B Enhanced
Junior Subordinated Notes Due 2066
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
September 26, 2006
Lehman Brothers, Inc.
Morgan Stanley & Co.
Incorporated
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
Incorporated
Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC
as Representatives for the
Underwriters listed in Schedule I hereto
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Lehman Brothers Inc.
745 Seventh Avenue
New York, New York 10019
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Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated
1585 Broadway
New York, New York 10036
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Goldman, Sachs & Co.
85 Broad Street
New York, New York 10004
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Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
Incorporated
4 World Financial Center
New York, New York 10080
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Wachovia Capital Markets, LLC
One Wachovia Center, DC-7
301 South College Street
Charlotte, North Carolina
28288-0602
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Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned, Dominion Resources,
Inc. (the Company), hereby confirms its agreement with the several
Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the Agreement) with
respect to the issuance and sale to the several Underwriters named
in Schedule I of certain of the Company’s 2006 Series B
Enhanced Junior Subordinated Notes Due 2066 (the Junior
Subordinated Notes) specified in Schedule II hereto, and the public
offering thereof by the several Underwriters, upon the terms
specified in Schedule II. Capitalized terms used herein without
definition shall be used as defined in the Prospectus (as
hereinafter defined).
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1. Underwriters and
Representatives . The term “Underwriters” as used
herein shall be deemed to mean the several persons, firms or
corporations (including the Representatives hereinafter mentioned)
named in Schedule I hereto, and the term
“Representatives” as used herein shall be deemed to
mean the Representatives to whom this Agreement is addressed, who
by signing this Agreement represent that they have been authorized
by the other Underwriters to execute this Agreement on their behalf
and to act for them in the manner herein provided. If there shall
be only one person, firm or corporation named as an addressee
above, the term “Representatives” as used herein shall
mean that person, firm or corporation. If there shall be only one
person, firm or corporation named in Schedule I hereto, the term
“Underwriters” as used herein shall mean that person,
firm or corporation. All obligations of the Underwriters hereunder
are several and not joint. Unless otherwise stated, any action
under or in respect of this Agreement taken by the Representatives
will be binding upon all the Underwriters.
2. Description of the Junior
Subordinated Notes . Schedule II specifies the aggregate
principal amount of the Junior Subordinated Notes, the initial
public offering price of the Junior Subordinated Notes, and the
purchase price to be paid by the Underwriters and sets forth the
date, time and manner of delivery of the Junior Subordinated Notes
and payment therefor. Schedule II also specifies (to the extent not
set forth in Sections 4 and 5 herein, or in the Registration
Statement, Time of Sale Information or Prospectus, each such term
as defined below) the terms and provisions for the purchase of such
Junior Subordinated Notes. The Junior Subordinated Notes will be
issued under the Company’s Junior Subordinated Indenture II
dated as of June 1, 2006, as previously supplemented and as
further supplemented by a Second Supplemental Indenture thereto
dated as of September 1, 2006 (collectively, the Indenture),
between the Company and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Trustee (the
Trustee).
3A. Representations and
Warranties of the Company . The Company represents and warrants
to, and agrees with, the Underwriters that:
(a) A registration statement,
No. 333-135112 on Form S-3 for the registration of the Junior
Subordinated Notes under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
(the Securities Act), heretofore filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the Commission) has become effective. Such
registration statement (i) is an “automatic shelf
registration statement” as defined in Rule 405 under the
Securities Act and (ii) became effective not earlier than
three years prior to the Closing Date (as defined below), and the
Company has not received any notice of objection of the Commission
to the use of such registration statement or any post-effective
amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Securities
Act. As used herein, “Registration Statement” means, at
any given time, such registration statement including the
amendments thereto up to such time, the exhibits and any schedules
thereto at such time, the Incorporated Documents (as defined below)
at such time and documents otherwise deemed to be a part thereof or
included therein at such time pursuant to the Rules and Regulations
(as defined below); “Rule 430B Information” means
information that was omitted from the Registration Statement at the
time it became effective but that is deemed to be part of and
included in the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430B
under the Securities Act; “Base Prospectus” means the
base prospectus included in the Registration Statement;
“Preliminary Prospectus” means the Base Prospectus and
any prospectus supplement
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used in connection with the offering
of the Junior Subordinated Notes that omitted the Rule 430B
Information and is used prior to the filing of the Prospectus (as
defined below); “Prospectus” means the prospectus
supplement to the Base Prospectus that is first filed after the
execution hereof pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities
Act, together with the Base Prospectus, as amended at the time of
such filing; and “Prospectus Supplement” means the
prospectus supplement to the Base Prospectus included in the
Prospectus. As used herein, the terms “Registration
Statement,” “Base Prospectus,” “Preliminary
Prospectus,” “Prospectus” and “Prospectus
Supplement” include all documents (including any Current
Report on Form 8-K) incorporated therein by reference, whether such
incorporated documents are filed before or after the date of such
Registration Statement or Prospectus (collectively, the
Incorporated Documents). When such Incorporated Documents are filed
after the date of the document into which they are incorporated,
they shall be deemed included therein from the date of filing of
such Incorporated Documents.
At or before 5:00 p.m. on the date
hereof (the Time of Sale), the Company had prepared the following
information in connection with the offering (collectively, the Time
of Sale Information): the Base Prospectus dated June 19, 2006,
each Preliminary Prospectus, the Final Term Sheet (as defined in
Section 6(a)) and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (as
defined in Section 3A(c)) listed on Schedule VI hereto.
Notwithstanding any provision hereof to the contrary, each document
included in the Time of Sale Information shall be deemed to include
all documents (including any Current Report on Form 8-K)
incorporated therein by reference, whether any such Incorporated
Document is filed before or after the document into which it is
incorporated, so long as the Incorporated Document is filed before
the Time of Sale.
(b) No order suspending the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement or otherwise preventing
or suspending the use of the Prospectus has been issued by the
Commission and is in effect and no proceedings for that purpose or
pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act against the
Company or related to the offering are pending before or, to the
knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission. The
Registration Statement and the Prospectus comply in all material
respects with the provisions of the Securities Act, the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Securities Exchange Act), the
Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the Trust Indenture Act),
and the rules, regulations and releases of the Commission under the
Securities Act, the Securities Exchange Act and the Trust Indenture
Act (the Rules and Regulations); neither the Registration Statement
on any date on which it has been deemed to have become effective
(the Effective Date), the Prospectus at the time it was issued nor
the Time of Sale Information at the Time of Sale contained or
contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits
to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary
to make the statements therein not misleading; and, on the Closing
Date, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus (including any
amendments and supplements thereto) will conform in all respects to
the requirements of the Securities Act, the Securities Exchange
Act, the Trust Indenture Act and the Rules and Regulations, and
none of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information,
the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses (as supplemented by and taken
together with the Time of Sale Information) or the Prospectus will
include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state
any
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material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading;
provided, that the foregoing representations and warranties in this
Section 3A(b) shall not apply to statements in or omissions
from the Registration Statement, any Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus, the Time of Sale Information or the Prospectus made in
reliance upon information furnished herein or in writing to the
Company by the Underwriters or on the Underwriters’ behalf
through the Representatives for use in the Registration Statement,
any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the Time of Sale Information or
the Prospectus or the part of the Registration Statement which
constitutes the Trustee’s Statement of Eligibility under the
Trust Indenture Act; and provided further, that, except as
otherwise provided in Section 3A(a) with respect to the Time
of Sale Information, the foregoing representations and warranties
are given on the basis that any statement contained in an
Incorporated Document shall be deemed not to be contained in the
Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information or Prospectus
if the statement has been modified or superseded by any statement
in a subsequently filed Incorporated Document or in the
Registration Statement or Prospectus or in any amendment or
supplement thereto.
(c) Other than the Base Prospectus,
any Preliminary Prospectus, the documents listed on Schedule VI,
the Prospectus, or any document not constituting a prospectus under
Section 2(a)(10)(a) of the Securities Act or Rule 134 under
the Securities Act, the Company (including its agents and
representatives, other than the Underwriters in their capacity as
such) has not made, used, prepared, authorized, approved or
referred to and will not prepare, make, use, authorize, approve or
refer to, any “written communication” (as defined in
Rule 405 under the Securities Act) that constitutes an offer to
sell or solicitation of an offer to buy the Junior Subordinated
Notes, unless such written communication is approved in writing in
advance by the Representatives. To the extent any such written
communication constitutes an “issuer free writing
prospectus” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act
and referred to herein as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus), such
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus complied or will comply in all
material respects with the requirements of Rule 433(c) and, if the
filing thereof is required pursuant to Rule 433, such filing has
been or will be made in the manner and within the time period
required by Rule 433(d). The Company will, pursuant to
reasonable procedures developed in good faith, retain copies of
each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in accordance with Rule
433 under the Securities Act.
(d) Except as reflected in, or
contemplated by, the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale
Information and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendments or
supplements after the date hereof), since the respective most
recent dates as of which information is given in the Registration
Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus
(exclusive of any amendments or supplements after the date hereof),
there has not been any material adverse change or event which would
result in a material adverse effect on the condition of the Company
and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, financial or otherwise (a
Material Adverse Effect). The Company and its subsidiaries taken as
a whole have no material contingent financial obligation which is
not disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale
Information or the Prospectus.
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(e) Deloitte & Touche LLP,
who has audited certain of the Company’s financial statements
filed with the Commission and incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement, is an independent registered public
accounting firm as required by the Securities Act and the Rules and
Regulations.
(f) Consolidated Natural Gas
Company, Dominion Energy, Inc., Virginia Electric and Power Company
and Virginia Power Energy Marketing, Inc. are the Company’s
only direct, and Dominion Exploration & Production, Inc.,
Dominion Natural Gas I, LP, Dominion Nuclear Connecticut, Inc.,
Dominion Oklahoma Texas Exploration and Production, Inc., Dominion
Transmission, Inc., Dominion Energy Marketing, Inc., Dominion
Energy New England, Inc., Dominion Energy Brayton Point, LLC, DEPI
Texas Holdings, LLC, LDNG Texas Holdings, LLC and Dominion E&P
I, LP are the Company’s only indirect, Significant
Subsidiaries as such term is defined in Rule 1-02 of Regulation
S-X. With respect to the Significant Subsidiaries that are
corporations, all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of
each such Significant Subsidiary has been duly authorized and
validly issued, is fully paid and nonassessable, and, with the
exception of the outstanding preferred stock of Virginia Electric
and Power Company which is owned by third parties, the capital
stock of each such Significant Subsidiary is owned by the Company,
directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security
interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, claim, encumbrance or equitable
right. With respect to the Significant Subsidiaries that are
limited liability companies, the membership interests of each such
Significant Subsidiary are owned by the Company, directly or
through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest,
mortgage, pledge, lien, claim, encumbrance or equitable right. With
respect to Dominion Natural Gas I, LP and Dominion E&P I, LP,
the limited and general partnership interests of such Significant
Subsidiary are owned by the Company, directly or through
subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage,
pledge, lien, claim, encumbrance or equitable right.
(g) The execution, delivery and
performance of this Agreement, the Indenture, and the Junior
Subordinated Notes, the consummation of the transactions
contemplated in this Agreement and in the Registration Statement
(including the issuance and sale of the Junior Subordinated Notes
and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Junior
Subordinated Notes as described in the Prospectus under the caption
“Use of Proceeds”) and compliance by the Company with
its obligations under this Agreement, the Indenture and the Junior
Subordinated Notes do not and will not, whether with or without the
giving of notice or lapse of time or both, conflict with or
constitute a breach of or default under, or result in the creation
or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property
or assets of the Company or any subsidiary pursuant to any
contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit
agreement, note, lease or any other agreement or instrument, to
which the Company or any subsidiary is a party or by which it or
any of them may be bound, or to which any of the property or assets
of the Company or any subsidiary is subject (except for such
conflicts, breaches or defaults or liens, charges or encumbrances
that would not have a Material Adverse Effect), nor will such
action result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or
bylaws of the Company or any subsidiary, or any applicable law,
statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any
government, government instrumentality or court, domestic or
foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary or
any of their respective properties, assets or operations, and the
Company has full power and authority to authorize, issue and sell
the Junior Subordinated Notes as contemplated by this
Agreement.
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(h) The Company is not, and, after
giving effect to the offering and sale of the Junior Subordinated
Notes and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in
the Time of Sale Information or the Prospectus, will not be, an
“investment company” or a company
“controlled” by an “investment company”
which is required to be registered under the Investment Company Act
of 1940, as amended.
(i) The Company is a
“well-known seasoned issuer,” and is not, and has not
been since the filing of the Registration Statement, an
“ineligible issuer,” both terms as defined in Rule 405
under the Securities Act. The Company has paid the registration fee
for this offering of Junior Subordinated Notes pursuant to Rule
456(b)(1) under the Securities Act or will pay such fees within the
time period required by such rule (without giving effect to the
proviso therein) and in any event prior to the Closing
Date.
(j) The Replacement Capital Covenant
has been duly authorized and will be executed by the Company on or
before the Closing Date.
3B. Representations and
Warranties of the Underwriters . Each of the Underwriters
represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the Company
that:
(a) In relation to each member state
of the European Economic Area which has implemented the Prospectus
Directive (as defined below), with effect from and including the
date on which the Prospectus Directive is implemented in that
member state, it has not made and will not make an offer of Junior
Subordinated Notes to the public in that member state, except that
they may, with effect from and including such date, make an offer
of Junior Subordinated Notes to the public in that member state
(i) at any time to legal entities which are authorized or
regulated to operate in the financial markets or, if not so
authorized or regulated, whose corporate purpose is solely to
invest in securities; (ii) at any time to any legal entity
which has two or more of (1) an average of at least 250
employees during the last financial year; (2) a total balance
sheet of more than €43,000,000 and (3) an annual net
turnover of more than €50,000,000, as shown in its last
annual or consolidated accounts; or (iii) at any time in any
other circumstances which do not require the publication by the
Company of a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus
Directive.
For the purposes of the above, the
expression an “offer of Junior Subordinated Notes to the
public” in relation to any Junior Subordinated Notes in any
member state means the communication in any form and by any means
of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the Junior
Subordinated Notes to be offered so as to enable an investor to
decide to acquire the Junior Subordinated Notes, as the same may be
varied in that member state by any measure implementing the
Prospectus Directive in that member state and the expression
“Prospectus Directive” means Directive 2003/71/EC and
includes any relevant implementing measure in that member
state.
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(b) It has only communicated or
caused to be communicated an invitation or inducement to engage in
investment activity (within the meaning of Section 21 of the
Financial Services and Markets Act 2000) in connection with the
issue or sale of the Junior Subordinated Notes in circumstances in
which Section 21(1) of such Act does not apply to the Company
and it has complied and will comply with all applicable provisions
of such Act with respect to anything done by them in relation to
any Junior Subordinated Notes in, from or otherwise involving the
United Kingdom.
(c) It has not offered or sold, and
will not offer or sell, any Junior Subordinated Notes by means of
any document other than to persons whose ordinary business is to
buy or sell shares or debentures, whether as principal or agent, or
in circumstances which do not constitute an offer to the public
within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32) of Hong
Kong, and no advertisement, invitation or document relating to the
Junior Subordinated Notes may be issued, whether in Hong Kong or
elsewhere, which is directed at, or the contents of which are
likely to be accessed or read by, the public in Hong Kong (except
if permitted to do so under the securities laws of Hong Kong) other
than with respect to Junior Subordinated Notes which are or are
intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or
only to “professional investors” within the meaning of
the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571) of Hong Kong and
any rules made thereunder.
(d) The Junior Subordinated Notes
have not been and will not be registered under the Securities and
Exchange Law of Japan (the Securities and Exchange Law) and each
Underwriter hereby represents and agrees that it has not offered or
sold, and it will not offer or sell, any of the Junior Subordinated
Notes, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to, or for the benefit
of, any resident of Japan (which term as used herein means any
person resident in Japan, including any corporation or other entity
organized under the laws of Japan) or to others for re-offering or
resale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to a resident of Japan,
except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements
of, and otherwise in compliance with, the Securities Exchange Law
and any other applicable laws, regulations and ministerial
guidelines of Japan.
(e) The prospectus supplement has
not been registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of
Singapore. Accordingly, the prospectus supplement and any other
document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or
invitation for subscription or purchase, of the Junior Subordinated
Notes may not be circulated or distributed, nor may the Junior
Subordinated Notes be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an
invitation for subscription or purchase, whether directly or
indirectly, to persons in Singapore other than (i) to an
institutional investor under Section 274 of the Securities and
Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore (the SFA), (ii) to a
relevant person, or any person pursuant to Section 257(1A),
and in accordance with the conditions, specified in
Section 275 of the SFA, or (iii) otherwise pursuant to,
and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable
provision of the SFA.
Where the Securities are subscribed
or purchased under Section 275 by a relevant person which is:
(a) a corporation (which is not an accredited investor) the
sole business of which is to hold investments and the entire share
capital of which is owned by one or
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more individuals, each of whom is an
accredited investor; or (b) a trust (where the trustee is not
an accredited investor) whose sole purpose is to hold investments
and each beneficiary is an accredited investor, shares, debentures,
and units of shares and debentures of that corporation or the
beneficiaries’ rights and interest in that trust shall not be
transferable for 6 months after that corporation or that trust has
acquired the Securities under Section 275 except: (1) to
an institutional investor under Section 274 of the SFA or to a
relevant person, or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A),
and in accordance with the conditions, specified in
Section 275 of the SFA; (2) where no consideration is
given for the transfer; or (3) by operation of law.
(f) It has not made and will not
make, unless approved in writing in advance by the Company and the
Representatives, any offer relating to the Junior Subordinated
Notes that would constitute a “free writing prospectus”
(as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act and referred to
herein as a Free Writing Prospectus) that would be required to be
filed with the Commission under Rule 433 under the Securities Act.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, it may use a free writing prospectus
that is (i) the Final Term Sheet; (ii) an Issuer Free
Writing Prospectus listed on Schedule VI or otherwise approved in
writing in advance by the Representatives pursuant to
Section 3A(c) above or (iii) one or more term sheets
relating to the Junior Subordinated Notes that do not contain
substantive changes from or additions to the Final Term Sheet. The
Representatives and the Company agree that any such term sheets
described in clause (iii) above will not constitute Issuer
Free Writing Prospectuses for purposes of this
Agreement.
(g) It will, pursuant to reasonable
procedures developed in good faith, retain copies of each Free
Writing Prospectus used or referred to by it, in accordance with
Rule 433 under the Securities Act.
(h) It is not subject to any pending
proceeding under Section 8A of the Securities Act with respect
to the offering (and will promptly notify the Company if any such
proceeding is initiated against it during the period of time after
the first date of the public offering of the Junior Subordinated
Notes that a prospectus relating to the Junior Subordinated Notes
is required by law to be delivered (or required to be delivered but
for Rule 172 under the Securities Act) in connection with sales of
the Junior Subordinated Notes by an Underwriter or dealer (the
Prospectus Delivery Period)). Whether the Prospectus Delivery
Period is ongoing for purposes of this Section 3B(h) shall be
determined by the opinion of Troutman Sanders LLP.
4. Purchase and Public
Offering . On the basis of the representations and warranties
herein contained, but subject to the terms and conditions in this
Agreement set forth, the Company agrees to sell to each of the
Underwriters, and each Underwriter agrees, severally and not
jointly, to purchase from the Company, at the price, place and time
hereinafter specified, the principal amount of the Junior
Subordinated Notes set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter
in Schedule I hereto. The Underwriters agree to make a public
offering of their respective Junior Subordinated Notes specified in
Schedule I hereto at the initial public offering price specified in
Schedule II hereto. It is understood that after such initial
offering the several Underwriters reserve the right to vary the
offering price and further reserve the right to withdraw, cancel or
modify any subsequent offering without notice.
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The Company shall not be obligated
to deliver any of the Junior Subordinated Notes, except upon
payment for all of the Junior Subordinated Notes to be purchased on
the Closing Date.
5. Time and Place of Closing
. Delivery of the certificate(s) for the Junior Subordinated Notes
and payment therefor by the Representatives for the accounts of the
several Underwriters shall be made at the time, place and date
specified in Schedule II or such other time, place and date as the
Representatives and the Company may agree upon in writing, and
subject to the provisions of Section 10 hereof. The hour and
date of such delivery and payment are herein called the
“Closing Date.” On the Closing Date, the Company,
through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company (DTC), shall
deliver or cause to be delivered a securities entitlement with
respect to the Junior Subordinated Notes to the Representatives for
the accounts of each Underwriter against payment of the purchase
price by wire transfer of same day funds to a bank account
designated by the Company. Time shall be of the essence, and
delivery at the time and place specified pursuant to this Agreement
is a further condition of the obligation of each Underwriter
hereunder. Upon delivery, the Junior Subordinated Notes shall be
registered in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee for
DTC.
6. Covenants of the Company .
The Company agrees that:
(a) The Company will file the final
Prospectus with the Commission within the time periods specified by
Rule 424(b) and Rule 430B under the Securities Act; will prepare a
final term sheet, substantially in the form of Schedule VI hereto
(the Final Term Sheet) and file such Final Term Sheet in compliance
with Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act; will file any Issuer
Free Writing Prospectus to the extent required by Rule 433 under
the Securities Act; and will file promptly all reports and any
definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by
the Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a),
13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of the
Prospectus and within the Prospectus Delivery Period. The Company
will pay the registration fees for this offering within the time
period required by Rule 456(b)(i) under the Securities Act and, in
any event, prior to the Closing Date.
(b) If the Representatives so
request, the Company, on or prior to the Closing Date, will deliver
to the Representatives conformed copies of the Registration
Statement as originally filed, including all exhibits, any
Preliminary Prospectus, the Final Term Sheet, any Issuer Free
Writing Prospectus, the Prospectus and all amendments and
supplements to each such document, in each case as soon as
available and in such quantities as are reasonably requested by the
Representatives. The Representatives will be deemed to have made
such a request for copies for each of the several Underwriters and
Troutman Sanders LLP, counsel to the Underwriters, with respect to
any such documents that are not electronically available through
the Commission’s EDGAR filing system.
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(c) The Company will pay all
expenses in connection with (i) the preparation and filing by
it of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the
Final Term Sheet, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the
Prospectus, (ii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the
Junior Subordinated Notes, (iii) any fees and expenses of the
Trustee and (iv) the printing and delivery (by first class
mail) to the Underwriters, in reasonable quantities, of copies of
the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Final
Term Sheet, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus
(each as originally filed and as subsequently amended). In
addition, the Company will pay the reasonable out-of-pocket fees
and disbursements of Troutman Sanders LLP, counsel to the
Underwriters, in connection with the qualification of the Junior
Subordinated Notes under state securities or blue sky laws or
investment laws (if and to the extent such qualification is
required by the Underwriters or the Company).
(d) If, during the time when a
prospectus relating to the Junior Subordinated Notes is required to
be delivered under the Securities Act, any event occurs as a result
of which (i) the Prospectus, the Final Term Sheet or any
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as then amended or supplemented
would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to
state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein,
in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading; (ii) it is necessary at any time to amend the
Prospectus, the Final Term Sheet or any Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus to comply with the Securities Act or (iii) the
information contained in an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus
conflicts with the information contained in the Registration
Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, the
Company promptly will (y) notify the Underwriters through the
Representatives to suspend solicitation of purchases of the Junior
Subordinated Notes and (z) at its expense, prepare and file
with the Commission an amendment or supplement which will correct
such statement or omission or an amendment which will effect such
compliance. During the period specified above, the Company will
continue to prepare and file with the Commission on a timely basis
all documents or amendments required under the Securities Exchange
Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission
thereunder; provided, that the Company shall not file such
documents or amendments without also furnishing copies thereof to
the Representatives and Troutman Sanders LLP. Any such documents or
amendments which are electronically available through the
Commission’s EDGAR filing system shall be deemed to have been
furnished by the Company to the Representatives and Troutman
Sanders LLP.
(e) The Company will advise the
Representatives promptly of any proposal to amend or supplement the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus and will afford the
Representatives a reasonable opportunity to comment on any such
proposed amendment or supplement prior to filing; and the Company
will also advise the Representatives promptly of the filing of any
such amendment or supplement, of the institution by the Commission
of any stop order proceedings in respect of the Registration
Statement or of any part thereof, or of receipt from the Commission
of any notice of objection to the use of the Registration Statement
or any supplement or amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2)
under the Securities Act, and will use its best efforts to prevent
the issuance of any such stop order or any such notice of objection
and to obtain as soon as possible their lifting, if
issued.
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(f) The Company will make generally
available to its security holders, as soon as it is practicable to
do so, an earnings statement of the Company (in reasonable detail,
in form complying with the provisions of Rule 158 under the
Securities Act and which need not be audited), covering a period of
at least 12 months beginning within three months after the
“effective date” (as defined in Rule 158 under the
Securities Act) of the Registration Statement, which earnings
statement shall satisfy the requirements of Section 11(a) of
the Securities Act.
(g) The Company will furnish such
information as may be lawfully required and otherwise cooperate in
qualifying the Junior Subordinated Notes for offer and sale under
the securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions as the
Representatives may designate; provided, however, that the Company
shall not be required in any state to qualify as a foreign
corporation, or to file a general consent to service of process, or
to submit to any requirements which it deems unduly
burdensome.
(h) Fees and disbursements of
Troutman Sanders LLP, who is acting as counsel for the
Underwriters, (exclusive of fees and disbursements of Troutman
Sanders LLP which are to be paid as set forth in Section 6(c))
shall be paid by the Underwriters; provided, however, that if this
Agreement is terminated in accordance with the provisions of
Sections 7 or 8 hereof, the Company shall reimburse the
Representatives for the account of the Underwriters for the amount
of such fees and disbursements.
(i) During the period beginning on
the date of this Agreement and continuing to and including the
Closing Date, the Company will not, without the prior written
consent of the Representatives, directly or indirectly, sell or
offer to sell or otherwise dispose of any Junior Subordinated Notes
or any security convertible into or exchangeable for Junior
Subordinated Notes or any debt securities substantially similar to
Junior Subordinated Notes (except for the Junior Subordinated Notes
issued pursuant to this Agreement).
7. Conditions of
Underwriters’ Obligations; Termination by the
Underwriters .
(a) The obligations of the
Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Junior Subordinated Notes
on the Closing Date shall be subject to the following
conditions:
(i) No stop order suspending the
effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be in effect on
the Closing Date and no proceedings for that purpose shall be
pending before or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by
the Commission on such date. The Representatives shall have
received, prior to payment for the Junior Subordinated Notes, a
certificate dated the Closing Date and signed by the President or
any Vice President of the Company to the effect that no such stop
order is in effect and that no proceedings for such purpose are
pending before or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by
the Commission.
(ii) On the Closing Date the
Representatives shall receive, on behalf of