Home Equity Mortgage Loan
Asset-Backed Trust, Series INABS 2006-E
Home Equity Loan Asset-Backed
Certificates,
Series INABS 2006-E
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
November 30,
2006
Lehman Brothers
Inc., as Representative
745 Seventh
Avenue
New York, New
York 10019
Ladies and
Gentlemen:
IndyMac ABS, Inc., a corporation organized and
existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (the
“Company”), proposes to cause the formation of trusts
(each, a “Trust”) from time to time and to offer for
sale from time to time its Asset-Backed Securities evidencing
interests in pools of certain contracts and mortgage loans (the
“Securities”). The Securities may be issued in various
series, and within each series, in one or more classes, in one or
more offerings on terms determined at the time of sale (each such
series, a “Series” and each such class, a
“Class”). Each Trust may issue one or more classes of
Asset-Backed Notes (the “Notes”) pursuant to an
Indenture to be dated as of the respective cut-off date for the
related loans or contracts conveyed to such Trust as described
below (each such cut-off date, a “Cut-off Date”) as may
be supplemented by one or more supplements to such Indenture (such
Indenture, as supplemented by such supplements (if any), the
“Indenture”) between the related Trust and the
indenture trustee named therein (the “Indenture
Trustee”). Simultaneously with the issuance of the Notes (or
in lieu of issuing Notes), the Trust may issue Asset-Backed
Certificates (the “Certificates”), each representing a
fractional undivided ownership interest in the related Trust,
pursuant to the Trust Agreement establishing such Trust (each, a
“Trust Agreement”) to be dated as of the respective
Cut-off Date among the Company, the seller named therein (the
“Seller”) and the owner trustee named therein (the
“Owner Trustee”). Alternatively, each Trust may issue
one or more Classes of Certificates, each evidencing a fractional
undivided interest in the related Trust, pursuant to a Pooling and
Servicing Agreement (each, a “Pooling and Servicing
Agreement”) to be dated as of the respective Cut-off Date
among the Company, the seller and the servicer named therein (the
“Servicer”) and the trustee named therein (the
“Trustee”).
The assets of each Trust (the “Trust
Assets”) will consist primarily of one or more pools of
fixed- or adjustable-rate single family mortgage loans
(“SFMLs”), multifamily mortgage loans
(“MFMLs”), closed-end or revolving home equity loans
(“HELs”), home improvement installment sale contracts
and installment loan agreements (“HILs”) or
manufactured housing contracts (“Contracts”) as
specified in the related Terms Agreement referred to below. The
Trust Assets will be serviced by the Servicer pursuant to the terms
of the related Pooling and Servicing Agreement or a sale and
servicing agreement to be dated as of the respective Cut-off Date
(each, a “Sale and Servicing Agreement”), among the
Trust, the Servicer, the Company and the Indenture
Trustee.
If and to the extent specified in the related
Transaction Documents (as defined below), in addition to the Trust
Assets conveyed to the Trust on the Closing Date (such Trust Assets
so conveyed to the Trust at such time, the “Initial Trust
Assets”), the Company may convey to the Trust, from time to
time during the period commencing after the Closing Date and ending
at the expiration of the period specified in such Transaction
Documents (each such period, a “Pre-Funding Period”)
(the date of any such conveyance, a “Subsequent Transfer
Date”), additional Trust Assets (any such additional Trust
Assets so conveyed to the Trust through the Pre-Funding Period, the
“Subsequent Trust Assets”).
The Securities may have the benefit of one or
more insurance policies (each, a “Policy”) issued by
the securities insurer named therein (the “Securities
Insurer”) pursuant to an insurance and indemnity agreement
among the Company, the Seller and the Securities Insurer (each, an
“Insurance Agreement”).
The Trust Agreement, the Sale and Servicing
Agreement, the Indenture, the Insurance Agreement and the Pooling
and Servicing Agreement are sometimes referred to herein
individually as a “Transaction Document” and
collectively as the “Transaction Documents.”
Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein shall have
the meanings assigned thereto in the related Transaction
Documents.
Underwritten offerings of Securities may be made
through you or through an underwriting syndicate managed by you.
The Company proposes to sell one or more Series of the Securities
(or one or more Classes of each such series of Securities) to you
and to each of the other several underwriters, if any,
participating in an underwriting syndicate managed by
you.
Whenever the Company determines to make an
offering of Securities (each, an “Offering”) pursuant
to this Underwriting Agreement through you, it will enter into an
agreement (the “Terms Agreement”, and collectively with
this Underwriting Agreement, this “Agreement”)
providing for the sale of specified Classes of Offered Securities
(as defined below) to, and the purchase and public offering thereof
by, you and such other underwriters, if any, selected by you as
have authorized you to enter into such Terms Agreement on their
behalf (the underwriters designated in any such Terms Agreement
being referred to herein as “Underwriters,” which term
shall include you and each Underwriter specified in the related
Terms Agreement whether acting alone in the sale of any Offered
Securities of any Series or as a member of an underwriting
syndicate). Each such Offering which the Company elects to make
pursuant to this Agreement shall be governed by this Agreement, and
this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon
each Underwriter with respect to such Offering. Each Terms
Agreement, which shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A
hereto, shall specify, among other things, the nature of the
related Trust Assets, the Classes of Securities to be purchased by
the Underwriters (the “Offered Securities”), whether
such Offered Securities constitute Notes or Certificates, the
principal balance or balances of the Offered Securities, each
subject to any stated variance, the names of the Underwriters
participating in such Offering (subject to substitution as provided
in Section 12 hereof) and the price or prices at which such Offered
Securities are to be purchased by the Underwriters from the
Company, as determined on the applicable pricing date (the
“Pricing Date”). All representations and warranties
provided by a party herein, in addition to any other date
referenced with respect to such representation and warranty, shall
relate to the Pricing Date and the date of the Prospectus
Supplement
1.
Representations and
Warranties . The Company
represents and warrants to and agrees with the Underwriters, as of
the date of the applicable Terms Agreement, that:
(a) The registration statement specified in the
related Terms Agreement, on Form S-3, including a prospectus, has
been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
“Commission”) for the registration under the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), of asset-backed
securities issuable in series, which registration statement has
been declared effective by the Commission. As of the Closing Date
(as hereinafter defined), no stop order suspending the
effectiveness of such registration statement has been issued and no
proceedings for that purpose have been initiated or to the
Company’s knowledge threatened by the Commission. The
prospectus in the form in which it will be used in connection with
the offering of the Offered Securities of the applicable Series is
proposed to be supplemented by a prospectus supplement relating to
the Offered Securities of the applicable Series and, as so
supplemented, to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424
under the Act. (Such registration statement is hereinafter referred
to as the “Registration Statement”; such prospectus
supplement, as first filed with the Commission, is hereinafter
referred to as the “Prospectus Supplement”; such
prospectus, in the form in which it will first be filed with the
Commission in connection with the offering of the Offered
Securities of the applicable Series, including documents
incorporated therein as of the time of such filing is hereinafter
referred to as the “Base Prospectus”; and such Base
Prospectus, as supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement, is
hereinafter referred to as the “Prospectus”). The Free
Writing Prospectus of the Company, dated November 29, 2006, and
relating to the Offered Securities, together with the Base
Prospectus attached thereto is hereinafter referred to as the
“Preliminary Prospectus”; provided that if no
Preliminary Prospectus is proposed to be used in connection with
the sale of a Series of Offered Securities, references herein to
“Preliminary Prospectus” shall be disregarded when used
with respect to such Series of Offered Securities. Any reference
herein to the Registration Statement, a 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 which were filed under the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) on or before the
date on which the Registration Statement, as amended, became
effective or the issue date of such Preliminary Prospectus or the
date on which the Prospectus is filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under
the Act, as the case may be; and any reference herein to the terms
“amend”, “amendment” or
“supplement” with respect to the Registration
Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be
deemed to refer to and include the filing of any document under the
Exchange Act after the date on which the Registration Statement
became effective or the issue date of any Preliminary Prospectus or
the date on which the Prospectus is filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)
under the Act.
(b) The related Registration Statement, at the
time it became effective, and the Prospectus contained therein, and
any amendments thereof and supplements thereto filed prior to the
date of the related Terms Agreement, conformed in all material
respects to the requirements of the Act and the rules and
regulations of the Commission thereunder; on the date of the
related Terms Agreement and on the related Closing Date (as defined
in Section 3 below), the related Registration Statement, the
related Preliminary Prospectus and the related Prospectus, and any
amendments thereof and supplements thereto, will conform in all
material respects to the requirements of the Act and the rules and
regulations of the Commission thereunder and, to the extent the
Offered Securities of the applicable Series include Notes, the
rules and regulations under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as
amended (the “TIA”); such Registration Statement, at
the time it became effective, did not contain any 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; such Preliminary Prospectus, as of its date and as of
the date hereof, will not include any 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 under
which they were made, not misleading; and such Prospectus, on the
date of any filing pursuant to Rule 424(b) and on the related
Closing Date, will not include any untrue statement of a material
fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein
or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they are made, not misleading; provided,
however, that the Company makes no representations or warranties as
to the information contained in or omitted from such Registration
Statement, such Preliminary Prospectus or such Prospectus (or any
supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with written
information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of the
Underwriters specifically for use in the preparation
thereof.
(c) The Offered Securities of the related Series
will conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof
contained in the related Preliminary Prospectus (as amended or
supplemented) and Prospectus (as amended or supplemented), and each
of such Offered Securities, when validly authenticated, issued and
delivered in accordance with the applicable Transaction Documents,
will be duly and validly issued and outstanding and entitled to the
benefits of the applicable Transaction Document. Each Offered
Security of the Classes indicated to be “mortgage related
securities” under the heading “Summary—Legal
Investment” in the related Preliminary Prospectus and
Prospectus Supplement will, when issued, be a “mortgage
related security” as such term is defined in Section 3(a)(41)
of the Exchange Act.
(d) This Agreement has been duly authorized,
executed and delivered by the Company. As of the applicable Closing
Date, each Transaction Document to which the Company is a party
will have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the
Company and will conform in all material respects to the respective
descriptions thereof contained in the related Prospectus and,
assuming the valid execution and delivery thereof by the other
parties thereto, this Agreement and each Transaction Document to
which the Company is a party will constitute a legal, valid and
binding agreement of the Company enforceable in accordance with its
terms, except as the same may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization or other similar laws affecting creditors’
rights generally and by general principles of equity.
(e) The Company has been duly incorporated and
is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the
laws of the State of Delaware with corporate power and authority to
own its properties and conduct its business as described in the
related Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations
under the Transaction Documents to which it is a party and this
Agreement.
(f) Neither the issuance or delivery of the
Offered Securities of the applicable Series, nor the consummation
of any other of the transactions contemplated herein, nor
compliance with the provisions of the Transaction Documents to
which the Company is a party or this Agreement, will conflict with
or result in the breach of any material term or provision of, and
the Company is not in breach or violation of or in default (nor has
an event occurred which with notice or lapse of time or both would
constitute a default) under the terms of, (i) the certificate of
incorporation or by-laws of the Company, (ii) any indenture,
contract, lease, mortgage, deed of trust, note, agreement or other
evidence of indebtedness or other agreement, obligation or
instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it or its
properties are bound, or (iii) any law, decree, order, rule or
regulation applicable to the Company of any court or supervisory,
regulatory, administrative or governmental agency, body or
authority, or arbitrator having jurisdiction over the Company, or
its properties, the default in or the breach or violation of which
would have a material adverse effect on the Company or the Offered
Securities of the related Series or the ability of the Company to
perform its obligations under the Transaction Documents to which
the Company is a party or this Agreement; and neither the delivery
of the Offered Securities of the related Series, nor the
consummation of any other of the transactions contemplated herein,
nor the compliance with the provisions of the Transaction Documents
to which it is a party or this Agreement will result in such a
breach, violation or default which would have such a material
adverse effect.
(g) No filing or registration with, notice to,
or consent, approval, authorization or order or other action of any
court or governmental authority or agency is required for the
consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated by
this Agreement or the Transaction Documents to which it is a party
(other than as required under “blue sky” or state
securities laws, as to which no representations and warranties are
made by the Company), except such as have been, or will have been
prior to the applicable Closing Date, obtained under the Act, and
such recordations of the assignment of the Trust Assets to the
Trustee or Indenture Trustee, as applicable (to the extent such
recordations are required pursuant to the Transaction Documents)
that have not yet been completed.
(h) There is no action, suit or proceeding
before or by any court, administrative or governmental agency now
pending to which the Company is a party, or to the best of the
Company’s knowledge threatened against the Company, which
could reasonably result individually or in the aggregate in any
material adverse change in the condition (financial or otherwise),
earnings, affairs, regulatory situation or business prospects of
the Company or could reasonably interfere with or materially and
adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated
in the related Transaction Documents or this Agreement.
(i) At the time of execution and delivery of the
Transaction Documents for the related Series of Offered Securities,
(1) the Company will own the Trust Assets being transferred to the
Trust pursuant thereto, free and clear of any lien, mortgage,
pledge, charge, encumbrance, adverse claim or other security
interest (collectively, “Liens”), except to the extent
permitted in the applicable Transaction Documents, and will not
have assigned to any person other than the Trust any of its right,
title or interest, in the Trust Assets, (2) the Company will have
the power and authority to transfer the Trust Assets to the Trust
and to transfer the Offered Securities of the related Series to the
Underwriters, and (3) upon execution and delivery of the related
Transaction Documents, and delivery of the related Offered
Securities to the Company, the Trust will own the Trust Assets free
of Liens other than Liens permitted or created by the applicable
Transaction Documents or created or granted by the Underwriters and
(4) upon payment and delivery of the Offered Securities of the
related Series to the Underwriters, the Underwriters will acquire
ownership of such Offered Securities, free of Liens other than
Liens created or granted by the Underwriters.
(j) Any taxes, fees and other governmental
charges in connection with the execution, delivery and issuance of
this Agreement, the applicable Transaction Documents and the
Offered Securities of the applicable Series have been or will be
paid by the Company at or prior to the applicable Closing Date,
except for fees for recording assignments of the Trust Assets to
the Trustee or Indenture Trustee, as applicable, pursuant to the
applicable Transaction Documents that have not yet been completed,
which fees will be paid by or on behalf of the Company in
accordance with the applicable Transaction Documents.
(k) The Servicer or any subservicer who will be
servicing any Trust Assets pursuant to the applicable Transaction
Documents is qualified to do business in all jurisdictions in which
its activities as servicer or subservicer of the Trust Assets
serviced by it require such qualification except where failure to
be so qualified will not have a material adverse effect on such
servicing activities.
(l) The Company is not doing business with
Cuba.
(m) If the Offered Securities of the applicable
Series include Notes, at or prior to the related Closing Date, the
Trust will have entered into the related Indenture, Trust Agreement
and Insurance Agreement, if any, and, assuming the due
authorization, execution and delivery thereof by the other parties
thereto, such Indenture, such Trust Agreement and such Insurance
Agreement (on such Closing Date) will constitute the valid and
binding agreement of the Trust enforceable in accordance with its
terms, subject, as to enforceability, to bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization or other similar laws affecting creditors’
rights and to general principles of equity (regardless of whether
the enforceability of such Indenture, such Trust Agreement or such
Insurance Agreement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at
law.)
(n) Neither the Company, the Trust nor any funds
or accounts established thereunder is an “investment
company” (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940,
as amended (the “1940 Act”)) or is under the
“control” (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) of
an “investment company” that is registered or required
to be registered under, or is otherwise subject to the provisions
of, the 1940 Act.
(o) If the Offered Securities of the applicable
Series include Notes, the Indenture has been qualified under the
TIA.
(p) As of the earliest time after the filing of
the Registration Statement that the Company or another offering
participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164
under the Act) of the Offered Securities, the Company was not, and
will not be, an “ineligible issuer” as defined in Rule
405 under the Act.
2.
Purchase and Sale
. Subject to the execution of the
Terms Agreement for a particular Offering and subject to the terms
and conditions and in reliance upon the representations and
warranties set forth in this Agreement and such Terms Agreement,
the Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter, severally and not
jointly, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to
purchase from the Company, the respective original principal
amounts of the related Offered Securities set forth in the related
Terms Agreement opposite the name of such Underwriter, plus any
additional original principal amount of Offered Securities which
such Underwriter may be obligated to purchase pursuant to Section
12 hereof, at the purchase price therefor set forth in such Terms
Agreement (the “Purchase Price”).
The parties hereto agree that settlement for all
securities sold pursuant to this Agreement shall take place on the
terms set forth herein and not as set forth in Rule 15c6-l(a) under
the Exchange Act.
3.
Delivery and Payment
. Delivery of and payment for the
Offered Securities of a Series shall be made at the offices of
Thacher Proffitt & Wood llp, Two
World Financial Center , New York, New York 10281 at 10:00 a.m. New York City time, on the
Closing Date specified in the related Terms Agreement, which date
and time may be postponed by agreement between the Underwriters and
the Company (such date and time being herein called the
“Closing Date”). Delivery of such Offered Securities
shall be made to the Underwriters against payment by the
Underwriters of the Purchase Price thereof to or upon the order of
the Company by wire transfer in federal or other immediately
available funds. Unless delivery is made through the facilities of
The Depository Trust Company, the Offered Securities shall be
registered in such names and in such authorized denominations as
the Underwriters may request not less than two full business days
in advance of the applicable Closing Date.
The Company agrees to notify the Underwriters at
least two business days before the applicable Closing Date of the
exact principal balance evidenced by the Offered Securities and to
have such Offered Securities available for inspection, checking and
packaging in New York, New York, no later than 12:00 noon on the
business day prior to such Closing Date.
4.
Offering by the
Underwriters . It is
understood that the Underwriters propose to offer the Offered
Securities of the related Series for sale to the public as set
forth in the related Prospectus and that the Underwriters will not
offer, sell or otherwise distribute such Offered Securities (except
for the sale thereof in exempt transactions) in any state in which
such Offered Securities are not exempt from registration under
“blue sky” or state securities laws (except where such
Offered Securities will have been qualified for offering and sale
at the Representative’s direction under such “blue
sky” or state securities laws).
5.
Agreements and
Representations . The
Company agrees with each Underwriter that:
(a) The Company will cause each of the
Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus relating to the Offered
Securities of the applicable Series to be filed in compliance with
Rule 433 and Rule 424 under the Act, respectively, and, if
necessary, within 4 days of the applicable Closing Date, will file
a report on Form 8-K setting forth specific information concerning
the Trust Assets and will promptly advise each Underwriter when
such Preliminary Prospectus and such Prospectus as so supplemented
have been so filed, and prior to the termination of the Offering to
which such Preliminary Prospectus and Prospectus relate also will
promptly advise each Underwriter (i) when any amendment to the
related Registration Statement specifically relating to such
Offered Securities shall have become effective or any further
supplement to such Preliminary Prospectus or such Prospectus has
been filed, (ii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment
of such Registration Statement, Preliminary Prospectus or
Prospectus or for any additional information, (iii) of the issuance
by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of
such Registration Statement or the institution or threatening of
any proceeding for that purpose and (iv) of the receipt by the
Company of any written notification with respect to the suspension
of the qualification of such Offered Securities for sale in any
jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for
such purpose. The Company will not file any amendment of the
related Registration Statement or supplement to the related
Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus (other than any amendment or
supplement specifically relating to one or more Series of
asset-backed securities other than the Series that includes the
related Offered Securities) unless (i) the Company has given
reasonable notice to the Underwriters of its intention to file any
such amendment or supplement, (ii) the Company has furnished the
Underwriters with a copy for their review within a reasonable time
prior to filing, and (iii) the Underwriters do not reasonably
object to the filing of such amendment or supplement. The Company
will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop
order and, if issued, to obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal
thereof.
(b) If, at any time when a prospectus relating
to the Offered Securities of the applicable Series is required to
be delivered under the Act, any event occurs as a result of which
the related Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would
include any 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 light of the circumstances under
which they were made, not misleading, or if it shall be necessary
at any time to amend or supplement the related Prospectus to comply
with the Act, the TIA or the rules thereunder, the Company promptly
will prepare and file with the Commission, subject to paragraph (a)
of this Section 5, an amendment or supplement which will correct
such statement or omission or an amendment which will effect such
compliance.
(c) The Company will furnish to each Underwriter and
counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, as many conformed
copies of the related Registration Statement (including exhibits
thereto) and, so long as delivery of a prospectus by the
Underwriters or a dealer may be required by the Act, as many copies
of the related Preliminary Prospectus and the related Prospectus
and any supplements thereto, as the Underwriters may reasonably
request.
(d) The Company will, as between
itself and the Underwriters, pay all expenses incidental to the
performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including
without limitation (i) expenses of preparing, printing and
reproducing the related Registration Statement, the related
Preliminary Prospectus, the related Prospectus, the Transaction
Documents and the Offered Securities, (ii) the cost of delivering
the Offered Securities of the applicable Series to the
Underwriters, insured to the reasonable satisfaction of the
Underwriters, (iii) the fees charged by securities rating services
for rating the Offered Securities of the applicable Series, (iv)
the fees and expenses of the Trustee, the Owner Trustee and/or the
Indenture Trustee, as applicable, except for fees and expenses of
their respective counsel which will be borne by them and (v) all
other costs and expenses incidental to the performance by the
Company of the Company’s obligations hereunder which are not
otherwise specifically provided for in this subsection. It is
understood that, except as provided in this paragraph (d) and in
Section 13 hereof, each Underwriter will pay all of its own
expenses, including (i) the fees of any counsel to such
Underwriter, (ii) any transfer taxes on resale of any of the
Offered Securities by it, (iii) any advertising expenses connected
with any offers that such Underwriter may make and (iv) any
expenses for the qualification of the Offered Securities of the
applicable Series under “blue sky” or state securities
laws, including filing fees and the fee and disbursements of
counsel in connection therewith and in connection with the
preparation of any Blue Sky Survey.
(e) So long as any Offered Securities of the
applicable Series are outstanding, upon request of any Underwriter,
the Company will, or will cause the Servicer to, furnish to such
Underwriter, as soon as available, a copy of (i) the annual
statement of compliance delivered by the Servicer pursuant to the
applicable Transaction Document, (ii) the annual independent public
accountants’ servicing report furnished pursuant to the
applicable Transaction Document, (iii) each report of the Company
regarding the Offered Securities of the applicable Series filed
with the Commission under the Exchange Act or mailed to the holders
of such Offered Securities and (iv) from time to time, such other
information concerning such Offered Securities which may be
furnished by the Company or the Servicer without undue expense and
without violation of applicable law.
(f) The Company will furnish such information,
execute such instruments and take such actions as may be reasonably
requested by the Underwriters to qualify the Offered Securities of
a Series for sale under the laws of such jurisdictions as the
Underwriters may designate, to maintain such qualifications in
effect so long as required for the distribution of such Offered
Securities and to determine the legality of such Offered Securities
for purchase by investors; provided, however, that the Company
shall not be required to qualify to do business in any jurisdiction
where it is not qualified on the date of the related Terms
Agreement or to take any action which would subject it to general
or unlimited service of process or corporate or franchise taxation
as a foreign corporation in any jurisdiction in which it is not, on
the date of the related Terms Agreement, subject to such service of
process or such taxation.
(g) The Company will file or cause to be filed
with the Commission such Free Writing Prospectus that is either an
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (as defined in Section (9) hereof)
or contains Issuer Information as soon as reasonably practicable
after the date of this Agreement, but in any event, not later than
required pursuant to Rules 426 or 433, respectively, of the
Act.
(h) The Company will timely file all reports
with respect to the Trust required to be filed under the Exchange
Act.
(i) No fiduciary duty. Notwithstanding
any preexisting relationship, advisory or otherwise, between the
parties or any oral representations or assurances previously or
subsequently made by the Underwriters, the Seller acknowledges and
agrees that in connection with the offering,: (i) there exists no
fiduciary, financial advisory or agency relationship among the
Seller and the Underwriters; (ii) the relationship among the Seller
and the Underwriters, is entirely and solely commercial, based on
arms-length negotiations and the Underwriters are not acting as
advisors, experts or otherwise, to the Seller. The Seller hereby
waives and releases, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any
claims that the Seller may have against the Underwriters with
respect to any breach or alleged breach of fiduciary duty in
connection with the Offering. Additionally, the Underwriters are
not advising the Seller or any other person as to any legal, tax,
investment, accounting or regulatory matters in any jurisdiction,
and the Seller shall be responsible for making its own independent
investigation of such matters.
(j) In relation to each Member State of the
European Economic Area which has implemented the Prospectus
Directive (each, a “Relevant Member State”) and with
respect to any Class of Offered Securities of a Series which is
offered with a minimum denomination of less than $100,000, each
Underwriter hereby represents and agrees that with effect from and
including the date on which the Prospectus Directive is implemented
in that Relevant Member State (the “Relevant Implementation
Date”) it has not made and will not make an offer of
Certificates to the public in that Relevant Member State prior to
the publication of a prospectus in relation to the Certificates
which has been approved by the competent authority in that Relevant
Member State or, where appropriate, approved in another Relevant
Member State and notified to the competent authority in that
Relevant Member State, all in accordance with the Prospectus
Directive, except that it may, with effect from and including the
Relevant Implementation Date, make an offer of Certificates to the
public in that Relevant Member State at any time:
(i) 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) 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 revenue of more than €50,000,000, as shown
in its last annual or consolidated accounts; or
(iii) in any other circumstances which do not require
the publication by the Depositor of a prospectus pursuant to
Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive.
For the purposes of this representation, the
expression an “offer of Certificates to the public” in
relation to any Certificates in any Relevant Member State means the
communication in any form and by any means of sufficient
information on the terms of the offer and the Certificates to be
offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or
subscribe the Certificates, 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 each Relevant Member
State.
(k) Each Underwriter hereby further represents and
agrees that, with respect to the United Kingdom and with respect to
any Class of Offered Securities of a Series which is offered with a
minimum denomination of less than $100,000:
(i) it has only communicated or caused to be
communicated and will only communicate or cause 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) received by it in connection with the issue or sale of
the Certificates in circumstances in which Section 21(1) of the
Financial Services and Markets Act does not apply to the Issuer;
and
(ii) it has complied and will comply with all
applicable provisions of the Financial Services and Markets Act
with respect to anything done by it in relation to the Certificates
in, from or otherwise involving the United Kingdom.
6.
Conditions to the Obligations of
the Underwriters . The
several obligations of the Underwriters to purchase the Offered
Securities of any Series shall be subject to the accuracy in all
material respects of the representations and warranties on the part
of the Company contained in this Agreement, as of the date of the
applicable Terms Agreement and the related Closing Date, to the
accuracy of the statements of the Company made in any applicable
officers’ certificates pursuant to the provisions hereof, to
the performance by the Company of its obligations under this
Agreement and the applicable Transaction Documents and to the
following additional conditions applicable to the related
Offering:
(a) No stop order suspending the effectiveness
of the related Registration Statement shall have been issued and no
proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or
threatened and the related Prospectus shall have been filed or
mailed for filing with the Commission not later than required
pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Commission.
(b) The Company shall have furnished to the
Underwriters a certificate, dated the related Closing Date, of the
Company, signed by an authorized officer of the Company, to the
effect that the signer of such certificate has carefully examined
the related Registration Statement, the related Preliminary
Prospectus and Prospectus and this Agreement and that:
(i) The representations and warranties of the
Company herein are true and correct in all material respects on and
as of such Closing Date with the same effect as if made on such
Closing Date, and the Company has complied with all agreements and
satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or
satisfied at or prior to such Closing Date;
(ii) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of
the related Registration Statement has been issued, and no
proceedings for that purpose have been instituted and are pending
or, to his knowledge, have been threatened as of such Closing Date;
and
(iii) Nothing has come to the attention of such person
that would lead him to believe that the related Preliminary
Prospectus and Prospectus contains any untrue statement of a
material fact or omits 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.
(c) The Seller shall have furnished to the
Underwriters a certificate, dated the related Closing Date, of the
Seller, signed by an authorized officer of the Seller, to the
effect that (i) the signer of such certificate has carefully
examined the related Prospectus and nothing has come to the
attention of such person that would lead him to believe that such
Prospectus contains any untrue statement of a material fact with
respect to the Seller or omits to state any material fact with
respect to the Seller or the Trust Assets necessary in order to
make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under
which they were made, not misleading and (ii) the Seller has
complied with all agreements and satisfied all the conditions on
its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to such Closing
Date under this Agreement and the Transaction Documents to which it
is a party.
(d) The Company shall have furnished to you an
opinion, dated the related Closing Date, of Thacher Proffitt &
Wood llp, special counsel to the Company, substantially to the
effect that:
(i) The related Registration Statement and any
amendments thereto have become effective under the Act;
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