Exhibit 1.1
Assured Guaranty
Ltd.
1,150,000 Common
Shares
UNDERWRITING
AGREEMENT
December 18, 2006
BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC
9 West 57 th Street
New York, NY 10019
Ladies and Gentlemen:
ACE Bermuda Insurance Ltd. (the
“Selling Shareholder”) proposes, subject to the terms
and conditions stated herein, to sell to you (the
“Underwriter”) an aggregate of 1,150,000 common shares
(the “Securities”), par value $0.01 per share (the
“Stock”), of Assured Guaranty Ltd., a Bermuda company
(the “Issuer”).
SECTION 1. Representations and
Warranties.
(a) The Issuer hereby represents,
warrants and covenants to the Underwriter as follows:
i.
Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Issuer has
prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
“Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-3
(File No. 333-125383), which contains a base prospectus (the
“Base Prospectus”), to be used in respect of the
Securities. Such registration statement, as amended,
including the financial statements, exhibits and schedules thereto,
in the form in which it was declared effective by the Commission
under the Securities Act of 1933 and the rules and regulations
promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Securities
Act”), including any required information deemed to be a part
thereof at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430B under
the Securities Act or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the
rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the
“Exchange Act”), is called the “Registration
Statement.” Any preliminary prospectus supplement to
the Base Prospectus that describes the Securities and the offering
thereof and is used prior to filing of the final prospectus is
called, together with the Base Prospectus, a “preliminary
prospectus.” The term “Prospectus” shall
mean the final prospectus supplement relating to the Securities,
together with the Base Prospectus, that is first filed pursuant to
Rule 424(b) after the date and time that this Agreement is executed
and delivered by the parties hereto (the “Execution
Time”). Any reference herein to the Registration
Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be
deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by
reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under
the
Securities Act; any reference to any
amendment or supplement to any preliminary prospectus or the
Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any documents
filed after the date of such preliminary prospectus or Prospectus,
as the case may be, under the Exchange Act, and incorporated by
reference in such preliminary prospectus or Prospectus, as the case
may be; and any reference to any amendment to the Registration
Statement shall be deemed to refer to and include any annual report
of the Issuer filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the
Exchange Act after the effective date of the Registration Statement
that is incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement. All references in this Agreement to the
Registration Statement, a preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus,
or any amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing, shall
include any copy thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to the
Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System
(“EDGAR”).
ii.
Compliance with Registration Requirements . The
Registration Statement has been declared effective by the
Commission under the Securities Act. The Issuer has complied
to the Commission’s satisfaction with all requests of the
Commission for additional or supplemental information. No
stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration
Statement is in effect and no proceedings for such purpose have
been instituted or are pending or, to the best knowledge of the
Issuer, are contemplated or threatened by the
Commission.
Each preliminary prospectus and the
Prospectus when filed complied in all material respects with the
Securities Act and the rules thereunder and, if filed by electronic
transmission pursuant to EDGAR (except as may be permitted by
Regulation S-T under the Securities Act), was identical to the copy
thereof delivered to the Underwriter for use in connection with the
offer and sale of the Securities. Each of the Registration
Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time it
became effective and at the date hereof, complied and will comply
in all material respects with the Securities Act and did not and
will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to
state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in
order to make the statements therein not misleading. The
Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, as of its date, at the date
hereof, at the time of any filing pursuant to Rule 424(b), and at
the Closing Date (as defined herein), did not and will not contain
any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material
fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the
light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading. The representations and warranties set forth in
the two immediately preceding sentences do not apply to statements
in or omissions from the Registration Statement or any
post-effective amendment thereto, or the Prospectus, or any
amendments or supplements thereto, made in reliance upon and in
conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished
to the Issuer in writing by the Underwriter expressly for use
therein or relating to the Selling Shareholder furnished to the
Issuer in writing by the Selling Shareholder expressly for use
therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such
information furnished by the Underwriter consists of the
information described as such in Section 8(b) hereof. There
is no contract or other document required to be described in a
preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits
to the Registration Statement that has not been described or filed
as required.
The documents incorporated by
reference in a preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus, when they
became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may
be, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the
Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable. Any
further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in a
preliminary
2
prospectus or the Prospectus or any
further amendment or supplement thereto, when such documents become
effective or are filed with the Commission, as the case may be,
will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the
Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules
and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
iii.
Disclosure Package . The term “Disclosure
Package” shall mean (i) the Base Prospectus, as amended or
supplemented as of the Applicable Time, (ii) the issuer free
writing prospectuses as defined in Rule 433 of the Securities Act
(each, an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”), if any,
identified in Schedule A hereto, (iii) any other free writing
prospectus that the parties hereto shall hereafter expressly agree
in writing to treat as part of the Disclosure Package and (iv) the
orally communicated pricing information identified on Schedule B
hereto. As of 9:00 am (Eastern time) on the date of this
Agreement (the “Applicable Time”), the Disclosure
Package did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or
omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which
they were made, not misleading. The preceding sentence does
not apply to statements in or omissions from the Disclosure Package
based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to
the Issuer by the Underwriter specifically for use therein or by
the Selling Shareholder expressly for use therein, it being
understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by
or on behalf of the Underwriter consists of the information
described as such in Section 8(b) hereof.
iv.
Well-Known Seasoned Issuers . (i) At the time of
filing the Registration Statement, (ii) at the time of the
most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with
Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act (whether such amendment
was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant
to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or form of
prospectus), (iii) at the time the Issuer or any person acting on
its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of
Rule 163(c) of the Securities Act) made any offer relating to
the Securities in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163 of the
Securities Act, and (iv) at the Execution Time of this
Agreement (with such date being used as the determination date for
purposes of this clause (iv)), the Issuer was and is a
“well-known seasoned issuer” as defined in
Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
v.
The Issuer Not Ineligible Issuer . At the Execution
Time of this Agreement, the Issuer was not and is not an Ineligible
Issuer (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act), without
taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to
Rule 405 of the Securities Act that it is not necessary that the
Issuer be considered an Ineligible Issuer.
vi.
Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses . Any Issuer Free
Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent
times through the completion of the offering or until any earlier
date that the Issuer notified or notifies the Underwriter as
described in the next sentence, did not, does not and will not
include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict
with the information contained in the Registration Statement, a
preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus. If at any time
following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there
occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which
such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict
with the information contained in the Registration Statement, a
preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, the Issuer has promptly
notified or will promptly notify the
3
Underwriter and has promptly amended
or will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such
conflict. The foregoing two sentences do not apply to
statements in or omissions from any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus
based upon and in conformity with written information furnished to
the Issuer by the Underwriter specifically for use therein or by
the Selling Shareholder expressly for use therein, it being
understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by
any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in
Section 8(b) hereof.
vii.
Distribution of Offering Material . The Issuer has not
distributed and will not distribute, prior to the later of the
Closing Date and the completion of the Underwriter’s
distribution of the Securities, any offering material in connection
with the offering and sale of the Securities other than a
preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus reviewed and consented to by the Underwriter and
included in Schedule A hereto or the Registration Statement.
The Underwriter shall provide notice to the Issuer if the
distribution of the Securities has not been completed on the date
of Closing Date, and upon such later date as the distribution of
the Securities has been completed.
viii.
No Material Adverse Change. Neither the Issuer nor any
of its subsidiaries has sustained since the date of the latest
audited financial statements included in the Disclosure Package and
the Prospectus 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 dispute or court or
governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth
or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and,
since the respective dates as of which information is given in the
Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there has not been any
change in the share capital or capital stock, as the case may be,
or long-term debt of the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries or
any material adverse change, or any development involving a
prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the business,
financial condition, shareholders’ equity, or results of
operations of the Issuer and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole (a
“Material Adverse Change”), otherwise than as set forth
or contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus;
ix.
Incorporation and Good Standing of the Issuer . The
Issuer has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as an
exempted company in good standing under the laws of the Islands of
Bermuda, with corporate power and authority to own its properties
and conduct its business as described in the Disclosure Package and
the Prospectus, and has been duly qualified as a foreign
corporation for the transaction of business and is in good standing
under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which it owns or
leases properties or conducts any business so as to require such
qualification, or is subject to no material liability or disability
by reason of the failure to be so qualified in any such
jurisdiction;
x.
Incorporation and Good Standing of Subsidiaries . Each
subsidiary of the Issuer has been duly incorporated and is validly
existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of its
jurisdiction of incorporation, with corporate power and authority
to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the
Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and has been duly qualified
as a foreign corporation for the transaction of business and is in
good standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which it
owns or leases properties or conducts any
4
business so as to require such
qualification, or is subject to no material liability or disability
by reason of the failure to be so qualified in any such
jurisdiction;
xi.
Capitalization . All of the issued shares of share
capital of the Issuer have been duly and validly authorized and
issued, are fully paid and non-assessable; and all of the issued
shares of share capital of each subsidiary of the Issuer have been
duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and
non-assessable and (except for directors’ qualifying shares)
are owned directly or indirectly by the Issuer, free and clear of
all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims;
xii.
Authorization of Agreement . This Agreement has been
duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Issuer;
xiii.
Non-Contravention of Existing Agreements; No Further
Authorizations or Approvals Required. The compliance by
the Issuer with all of the provisions of this Agreement and the
consummation of the transactions contemplated herein will not
conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the
terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, (i) any
indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other
agreement or instrument to which the Issuer or any of its
subsidiaries is a party or by which the Issuer or any of its
subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or
assets of the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries is subject, (ii)
the provisions of the Memorandum of Association or the Bye-laws of
the Issuer or (iii) any statute or any rule or regulation or order,
judgment or decree of any court or governmental agency or body
having jurisdiction over the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries or
any of their respective properties, except, in the case of clauses
(i) and (iii) above, for such violations that would not,
individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a
material adverse effect on the business, financial condition,
shareholders’ equity, or results of operations of the Issuer
and its subsidiaries taken as a whole (a “Material
Adverse Effect”); and no consent, approval, authorization,
order, registration or qualification of or with any such court or
governmental agency or body (“Governmental
Authorizations”) is required for the sale of the Securities
or the consummation by the Issuer of the transactions contemplated
by this Agreement, except (A) such Governmental Authorizations as
have been duly obtained and are in full force and effect and copies
of which have been furnished to you and (B) such Governmental
Authorizations as may be required under state securities laws, Blue
Sky laws, insurance securities laws or any laws of jurisdictions
outside the United States in connection with the purchase and
distribution of the Securities by or for the account of the
Underwriter;
xiv.
Absence of Violations and Defaults. Neither the Issuer
nor any of its subsidiaries is (i) in violation of its Memorandum
of Association or Bye-laws or comparable organizational documents
or (ii) in default in the performance or observance of any material
obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any
indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other
agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or
any of its properties may be bound;
xv.
All Necessary Permits, etc. Each of the Issuer and
its subsidiaries possesses all consents, authorizations, approvals,
orders, licenses, certificates, or permits issued by any regulatory
agencies or bodies (collectively, “Permits”) which are
necessary to conduct the business now conducted by it as described
in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except where the
failure to possess such Permits would not, individually or in the
aggregate, reasonably
5
be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect; all of such Permits are valid and in full force and
effect, except where the invalidity of such Permits or the failure
to be in full force and effect would not, individually or in the
aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect. There is no pending, or to the Issuer’s knowledge,
threatened action, suit, proceeding or investigation against or
involving the Issuer and its subsidiaries, and the Issuer does not
know of any reasonable basis for any such action, suit, proceeding
or investigation, that individually or in the aggregate would
reasonably be expected to lead to the revocation, modification,
termination, suspension or any other material impairment of the
rights of the holder of any such Permit, except for such
revocation, modification, termination, suspension or other material
impairment that would not, individually or in the aggregate,
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect;
xvi.
Compliance with Insurance Laws. Except as described
in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, each of the Issuer
and its insurance subsidiaries is duly registered, licensed or
admitted as an insurer or reinsurer or as an insurance holding
company, as the case may be, under applicable insurance holding
company statutes or other insurance laws (including laws that
relate to companies that control insurance companies) and the
rules, regulations and interpretations of the insurance regulatory
authorities thereunder (collectively, “Insurance Laws”)
in each jurisdiction where it is required to be so licensed or
admitted to conduct its business as described in the Disclosure
Package and the Prospectus, except where the failure to be so
registered, licensed or admitted would not, individually or in the
aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect. Except as described in the Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus, each of the Issuer and its insurance subsidiaries has
all other necessary authorizations, approvals, orders, consents,
certificates, permits, registrations and qualifications of and
from, and has made all declarations and filings with, all insurance
regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective
businesses as described in the Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus, and all of the foregoing are in full force and effect,
except where the failure to have such authorizations, approvals,
orders, consents, certificates, permits, registrations or
qualifications, the failure to make such declarations and filings,
or the failure to be in full force and effect would not,
individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect. Except as otherwise described in the
Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, none of the Issuer nor any
of its insurance subsidiaries has received any notification from
any insurance regulatory authority to the effect that any
additional authorization, approval, order, consent, certificate,
permit, registration or qualification is needed to be obtained by
either the Issuer or any of its insurance subsidiaries to conduct
its business as currently conducted, except where the failure to
have such additional authorization, approval, order, consent,
certificate, permit, registration or qualification would not,
individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a
Material Adverse Effect. Except as otherwise described in the
Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no insurance regulatory
authority has issued to the Issuer or any subsidiary any order
impairing, restricting or prohibiting (A) the payment of dividends
by any of the Issuer’s subsidiaries, (B) the making of a
distribution on any subsidiary’s share capital, (C) the
repayment to the Issuer of any loans or advances to any of its
subsidiaries from the Issuer, (D) the repayment to the Issuer of
any loans or advances to any of its subsidiaries from the Issuer,
or (E) the transfer of any of the Issuer’s subsidiary’s
property or assets to the Issuer or any other subsidiary of the
Issuer. Each of the Issuer, Assured Guaranty US Holdings Inc.,
Assured Guaranty Re Ltd., Assured Guaranty Re Overseas Ltd.,
Assured Guaranty Mortgage Insurance Company, Assured Guaranty Corp.
and Assured Guaranty (UK) Ltd. maintains its
6
books and records in accordance with
all applicable Insurance Laws, except where the failure to so
maintain its books and records would not, individually or in the
aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
Effect;
xvii.
Bermuda Tax Assurances. Each of the Issuer, Assured
Guaranty Corp., Assured Guaranty Re Ltd. and Assured Guaranty Re
Overseas Ltd. has received from the Bermuda Minister of Finance an
assurance under The Exempted Undertakings Tax Protection Act, 1966
of Bermuda to the effect that, in the event of there being enacted
in Bermuda any legislation imposing tax computed on profits or
income or computed on any capital asset, gain or appreciation, or
any tax of the nature of estate duty or inheritance tax, then the
imposition of any such tax shall not be applicable to the Issuer,
Assured Guaranty Corp., Assured Guaranty Re Ltd. or Assured
Guaranty Re Overseas Ltd. or any of the their operations or their
shares, debentures or other obligations, until 28 March 2016
(subject to certain provisos expressed in such assurance), and the
Issuer has not received any notification to the effect (and is not
otherwise aware) that such assurances may be revoked or otherwise
not honored by the Bermuda government;
xviii.
Treatment Under the Internal Revenue Code . The Issuer
does not believe that (1) either the Issuer or any of its
subsidiaries currently should be, or upon the sale of the
Securities herein contemplated should be, (A) treated as a
“passive foreign investment company” as defined in
Section 1297(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
(the “Code”), (B) characterized as a “personal
holding company” as defined in Section 542 of the Code, (C)
except for Assured Guaranty US Holdings Inc., AG Financial Products
Inc., Assured Guaranty Corp., Assured Guaranty Overseas US Holdings
Inc., Assured Guaranty Re Overseas Ltd., AG Intermediary Inc. and
Assured Guaranty Mortgage Insurance Company, considered to be
engaged in a trade or business within the United States for
purposes of Section 864(b) of the Code or (D) except for Assured
Guaranty Finance Overseas Ltd. , Assured Guaranty (UK) Services
Ltd. and Assured Guaranty (UK) Ltd., characterized as resident,
managed or controlled or carrying on a trade through a branch or
agency in the United Kingdom or (2) any U.S. person who owns shares
of the Issuer directly or indirectly through foreign entities
should be treated as owning (directly, indirectly through foreign
entities or by attribution pursuant to Section 958(b) of the Code)
10 percent or more of the total voting power of the Issuer or any
of its non-U.S. subsidiaries;
xix.
Related Person Insurance Income . Except as disclosed
in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, Assured Guaranty Re
Ltd. and Assured Guaranty (UK) Ltd. intend to operate in a manner
that is intended to ensure that the related person insurance income
of each such company does not equal or exceed 20% of each such
company’s gross insurance income for any taxable year in the
foreseeable future;
xx.
Accuracy of Statements . The statements set forth in
the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption
“Description of Share Capital,” insofar as it purports
to constitute a summary of the terms of the Securities, and under
the caption “Material Tax Considerations,” and in the
Issuer’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2005, under the captions “Part I—Item
1—Business—Regulation,” and “Part
I—Item 3—Legal Proceedings,” insofar as they
purport to describe the provisions of the laws and documents
referred to therein, are true, accurate and complete in all
material respects;
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xxi.
Internal Controls and Procedures. The Issuer maintains
a system of internal control over financial reporting (as such term
is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act) designed by,
or under the supervision of, the Issuer’s principal executive
officer and principal financial officer 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. The
Issuer’s internal control over financial reporting was
effective as of the end of the quarter ended September 30, 2006,
and there have been no changes in the Issuer’s internal
control over financial reporting since such time and the Issuer is
not aware of any material weaknesses in its internal control over
financial reporting;
xxii.
No Material Action or Proceeding. Other than as set
forth in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no
legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Issuer or
any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any property
of the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries is the subject which, if
determined adversely to the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries,
would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to
have a Material Adverse Effect; and, to the best of the
Issuer’s knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or
contemplated by governmental authorities or threatened by
others;
xxiii.
Not an “Investment Company.” The Issuer is
not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the
Securities, will not be an “investment company”, as
such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended (the “Investment Company Act”);
xxiv.
No Stamp Duty, Transfer, Excise or Similar Tax .
Neither the Underwriter nor any subsequent purchasers of the
Securities is subject to any stamp duty, transfer, excise or
similar tax imposed in Bermuda in connection with the issuance,
offering or sale of the Securities to the Underwriter or to any
subsequent purchasers;
xxv.
Bermuda Exempted Companies. There are no currency
exchange control laws or withholding taxes, in each case of
Bermuda, that would be applicable to (1) the payment of interest or
principal on the Securities by the Issuer (other than as may apply
to residents of Bermuda for Bermuda exchange control purposes) or
(2) the payment of dividends, interest or principal by the any of
the Issuer’s subsidiaries to such subsidiary’s parent
company. The Bermuda Monetary Authority has designated the Issuer,
Assured Guaranty Re Ltd. and Assured Guaranty Re Overseas Ltd.
(Assured Guaranty Re Ltd. and Assured Guaranty Re Overseas Ltd. are
collectively referred to as the “Bermuda Subsidiaries”)
as non-resident for exchange control purposes. Each of the Issuer
and the Bermuda Subsidiaries are “exempted companies”
under Bermuda law and have not (A) acquired and do not hold any
land for its business in Bermuda, other than that held by way of
lease or tenancy for terms of not more than 50 years, without the
express authorization of the Bermuda Minister of Finance, (B)
acquired and do not hold land by way of lease or tenancy which is
acquired for its business and held for terms of not more than 21
years in order to provide accommodation or recreational facilities
for its officers and employees, without the express authorization
of the Minister of Finance of Bermuda, (C) taken mortgages on land
in Bermuda to secure an amount in excess of $50,000, without the
consent of the Bermuda Minister of Finance, (D) acquired any bonds
or debentures secured by any land in Bermuda, except bonds or
debentures issued by the government of Bermuda or a public
authority of Bermuda, or (E) conducted their business in a manner
that is prohibited for “exempted companies” under
Bermuda law. None of the Issuer or any of the Bermuda Subsidiaries
has
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received notification from the
Bermuda Monetary Authority or any other Bermuda governmental
authority of proceedings relating to the modification or revocation
of its designation as non-resident for exchange control purposes,
its permission to issue and transfer the Securities, or its status
as an “exempted company” under Bermuda law;
xxvi.
Independent Accountants . PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP,
who have expressed their opinion with respect to the financial
statements and the related notes thereto of the Issuer and its
subsidiaries, are independent public accountants with respect to
the Issuer, as required by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act
and the rules and regulations of the Commission
thereunder;
xxvii.
Preparation of the Financial Statements . The
financial statements and schedules of the Issuer and its
subsidiaries incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly
in all material respects the financial condition, results of
operations and cash flows of the entities purported to be shown
thereby at the dates and for the periods indicated and have been
prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted
accounting principles applied on a consistent basis throughout the
periods indicated and conform in all material respects with the
rules and regulations adopted by the Commission under the Act; and
the supporting schedules incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus
present fairly in all materials respects the information required
to be stated therein;
xxviii. No
Applicable Registration or Similar Rights. There are no
persons with registration or other similar rights to have any
equity or debt securities included in the offering contemplated by
this Agreement, except for such rights as have been duly waived;
and
xxix.
Significant Subsidiaries . Assured Guaranty US
Holdings Inc., Assured Guaranty Corp., Assured Guaranty Re Ltd.,
Assured Guaranty Overseas US Holdings Inc. and Assured Guaranty Re
Overseas Ltd. are the only significant subsidiaries of the Issuer
as that term is defined in Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X of the
rules and regulations of the Commission under the Securities
Act.
(b) The Selling Shareholder
represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the Underwriter and
the Company that:
(i) all consents, approvals,
authorizations and orders necessary for the execution and delivery
by the Selling Shareholder of this Agreement and for the sale and
delivery of the Shares to be sold by the Selling Shareholder
hereunder have been obtained; and the Selling Shareholder has full
right, power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to
sell, assign, transfer and deliver the Securities to be sold by the
Selling Shareholder hereunder;
(ii) the sale of the Securities to
be sold by the Selling Shareholder hereunder, the compliance by the
Selling Shareholder with all of the provisions of this Agreement
and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein will
not conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the
terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, (A) any
indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other
agreement or
9
instrument to which the Selling
Shareholder is a party or by which the Selling Shareholder is bound
or to which any of the property or assets of the Selling
Shareholder is subject, (B) the provisions of the constituent
documents of the Selling Shareholder or (C) any statute or any
order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or
body having jurisdiction over the Selling Shareholder or the
property of the Selling Shareholder, except, in the case of clauses
(A) and (C) above, for such violations that would not materially
and adversely affect the validity of this Agreement or the ability
of the Selling Shareholder to consummate the transactions
contemplated hereby;
(iii) such Selling Shareholder is,
and immediately prior to the Closing Date the Selling Shareholder
will be, the sole registered and beneficial owner of the Securities
and the relevant share transfer instrument to be sold by the
Selling Shareholder hereunder, free and clear of all liens,
encumbrances, equities or claims; and, upon delivery of such
Securities (and share transfers) as directed by the Underwriter, to
a nominee designated by The Depository Trust Company
(“DTC”) and the crediting of such Securities on the
records of DTC to securities accounts of the Underwriter and
payment therefor pursuant hereto, (a) DTC will be a
“protected purchaser” (as defined under Section 8-303
of the Uniform Commercial Code of New York (the “New York
UCC”)) provided that it has no “notice” of an
adverse claim within the meaning of Section 8-105 of the New York
UCC, (b) the Underwriter will acquire a security entitlement in
respect of such Securities under Section 8-501 of the New York UCC
and (c) no action based on an adverse claim to such security
entitlement may be asserted against the Underwriter provided that
they have no “notice” of an adverse claim within the
meaning of Section 8-105 of the New York UCC;
(iv) as of the Applicable Time, the
Disclosure Package did not contain any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order
to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances
under which they were made, not misleading. The Prospectus,
as amended or supplemented, as of its date, at the date hereof, at
the time of any filing pursuant to Rule 424(b), and at the Closing
Date (as defined herein), did not and will not contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of
the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The
preceding two sentences apply only to statements in or omissions
from the Disclosure Package or Prospectus based upon and in
conformity with written information furnished to the Issuer by the
Selling Shareholder specifically for use therein;
(v) in order to document the
Underwriter’s compliance with the reporting and withholding
provisions of the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982
with respect to the transactions herein contemplated, the Selling
Shareholder will deliver to you prior to or at the Closing Date a
properly completed and executed United States Treasury Department
Form W-8BEN (or other applicable form or statement specified by
Treasury Department regulations in lieu thereof); and
(vi) neither the Selling Shareholder
nor any of its affiliates directly, or indirectly through one or
more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under common
control with, or has any other association with (within the meaning
of Article I, Section (dd) of the By-laws of the NASD), any member
firm of the NASD.
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