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EXHIBIT 1.1
UNDERWRITING
AGREEMENT
VECTREN UTILITY HOLDINGS,
INC.
(An Indiana
corporation)
AND THE GUARANTORS NAMED
HEREIN
Debt Securities
Dated March 5,
2008
Table of Contents
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Page |
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SECTION 1. Representations and Warranties. |
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3 |
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(a) |
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Representations and Warranties by the Company and the
Guarantors |
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3 |
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(b) |
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Officers’ Certificates |
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13 |
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SECTION 2. Sale and Delivery to Underwriters;
Closing. |
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13 |
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(a) |
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Underwritten Securities |
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13 |
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(b) |
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Payment |
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14 |
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(c) |
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Denominations; Registration |
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14 |
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SECTION 3. Covenants of the Company and the
Guarantors |
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14 |
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(a) |
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Compliance with Securities Regulations and Commission
Requests |
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14 |
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(b) |
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Filing of
Amendments |
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15 |
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(c) |
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Delivery
of Registration Statement |
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15 |
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(d) |
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Delivery
of Prospectuses |
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15 |
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(e) |
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Continued
Compliance with Securities Laws |
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15 |
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(f) |
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Final
Term Sheet |
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16 |
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(g) |
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Permitted
Free Writing Prospectus |
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16 |
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(h) |
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Registration Statement Renewal Deadline |
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17 |
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(i) |
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Blue Sky
Qualifications |
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17 |
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(j) |
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Earnings
Statement |
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17 |
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(k) |
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Use of
Proceeds |
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18 |
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(l) |
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Listing |
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18 |
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(m) |
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Restriction on Sale of Securities |
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18 |
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(n) |
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Reporting
Requirements |
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18 |
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(o) |
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Additional Guarantors |
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18 |
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SECTION 4. Payment of Expenses. |
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18 |
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(a) |
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Expenses |
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18 |
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(b) |
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Termination of Agreement |
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19 |
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SECTION 5. Conditions of Underwriters’
Obligations |
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19 |
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(a) |
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Effectiveness of Registration Statement and Commission
Filings |
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19 |
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(b) |
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Opinion
of General Counsel of the Company |
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20 |
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(c) |
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Opinion
of Counsel for Company and the Guarantors |
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20 |
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(d) |
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Opinion
of Counsel for Underwriters |
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20 |
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(e) |
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Officers’ Certificate |
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20 |
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(f) |
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Accountant’s Comfort Letter |
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21 |
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(g) |
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Bring-down Comfort Letter |
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21 |
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(h) |
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Ratings |
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21 |
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(i) |
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Approval
of Listing |
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21 |
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(j) |
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No
Objection |
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21 |
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(k) |
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Additional Documents |
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21 |
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(l) |
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Termination of Terms Agreement |
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22 |
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| SECTION 6. Indemnification. |
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22 |
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(a) |
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Indemnification of Underwriters |
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22 |
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(b) |
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Indemnification of Company, Directors and Officers |
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23 |
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(c) |
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Actions
against Parties; Notification |
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23 |
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(d) |
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Settlement without Consent if Failure to Reimburse |
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23 |
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| SECTION 7. Contribution |
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24 |
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| SECTION 8. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to
Survive Delivery |
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25 |
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| SECTION 9. Termination. |
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25 |
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(a) |
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Underwriting Agreement |
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25 |
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(b) |
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Terms
Agreement |
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25 |
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(c) |
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Liabilities |
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26 |
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| SECTION 10. Default by One or More of the
Underwriters |
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26 |
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| SECTION 11. Notices |
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27 |
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| SECTION 12. Parties |
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27 |
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| SECTION 13. No Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility |
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27 |
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| SECTION 14. GOVERNING LAW AND TIME |
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28 |
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| SECTION 15. Effect of Headings |
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28 |
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| SECTION 16. Counterparts |
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28 |
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| SECTION 17. Tax Disclosure |
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28 |
EXHIBITS
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Exhibit A – Terms
Agreement
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A-1 |
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Exhibit B – Form of Opinion of
General Counsel of the Company
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B-1 |
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Exhibit C – Form of Opinion of
Company’s Counsel
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C-1 |
ii
VECTREN UTILITY HOLDINGS,
INC.
(an Indiana
corporation)
AND THE GUARANTORS NAMED
HEREIN
Debt Securities
UNDERWRITING
AGREEMENT
March 5, 2008
Edward D. Jones & Co.,
L.P.
12555 Manchester Road
St. Louis, Missouri 63131
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Vectren Utility Holdings,
Inc., an Indiana corporation (the “Company”), proposes
to issue and sell an aggregate principal amount of senior debt
securities not to exceed $125,000,000 (the “Debt
Securities”), from time to time, in or pursuant to one or
more offerings on terms to be determined at the time of sale. The
Debt Securities will be issued in one or more series as senior
indebtedness under an indenture, dated as of October 19, 2001
(as modified, supplemented or amended from time to time, the
“Indenture”), among the Company, as issuer, the Initial
Guarantors (as defined below), as guarantors, and U.S. Bank Trust
National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”), and,
subject to the terms of the Indenture, will be fully and
unconditionally guaranteed as to payment of principal, premium (if
any) and interest (the “Guarantees”, and together with
the Debt Securities, the “Securities”) by Indiana Gas
Company, Inc., an Indiana and Ohio corporation, Southern Indiana
Gas and Electric Company, an Indiana corporation, and Vectren
Energy Delivery of Ohio, Inc., an Ohio corporation (collectively,
the “Initial Guarantors”, and together with each other
subsidiary of the Company that pursuant to the terms of the
Indenture guarantees the Company’s obligations under the Debt
Securities, the “Guarantors”).
Each series of Debt
Securities may vary, as applicable, as to title, aggregate
principal amount, rank, interest rate or formula and timing of
payments thereof, stated maturity date, redemption and/or repayment
provisions, sinking fund requirements and any other variable terms
established by or pursuant to the Indenture.
Whenever the Company
determines to make an offering of Securities through Edward D.
Jones & Co., L.P. (the “Representative”), or
through an underwriting syndicate managed by the Representative,
the Company and, if applicable, the Guarantors will enter into an
agreement (each, a “Terms Agreement”) providing for the
sale of such Securities to, and the purchase and offering thereof
by, Representative and such other underwriters, if any, selected by
the Representative (the “Underwriters”, which term
shall include the Representative, as well as any Underwriter
substituted pursuant to Section 10 hereof). The Terms
Agreement relating to the offering of Securities shall specify the
aggregate principal amount of Debt Securities to be initially
issued (the
1
“Underwritten Securities”),
the name of each Underwriter participating in such offering
(subject to substitution as provided in Section 10 hereof) and
the name of any Underwriter other than the Representative acting as
co-manager in connection with such offering, the aggregate
principal amount of Underwritten Securities which each such
Underwriter severally agrees to purchase, whether such offering is
on a fixed or variable price basis and, if on a fixed price basis,
the initial offering price, the price at which the Underwritten
Securities are to be purchased by the Underwriters, the Applicable
Time (as defined in such Terms Agreement) (the “Applicable
Time”), a list of each free writing prospectus (as defined in
Rule 405 under the 1933 Act), if any, delivered or made available
to investors in connection with the offering of the Underwritten
Securities, the form, time, date and place of delivery and payment
of the Underwritten Securities and any other material variable
terms of the Underwritten Securities. The Terms Agreement, which
shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto, may
take the form of an exchange of any standard form of written
telecommunication between the Company and the Representative acting
for itself and, if applicable, for any other Underwriters. Each
offering of Underwritten Securities through the Representative will
be governed by this Underwriting Agreement, as supplemented by the
applicable Terms Agreement.
The Company and the Initial
Guarantors have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the “Commission”) a registration statement on
Form S-3 (No. 333-146225) for the registration of the
Securities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
“1933 Act”), and the offering thereof from time to time
in accordance with Rule 415 of the rules and regulations of the
Commission under the 1933 Act (the “1933 Act
Regulations”). Such registration statement has been declared
effective by the Commission and the Indenture has been duly
qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the
“1939 Act”), and the Company and the Initial Guarantors
have or will have filed such post-effective amendments thereto as
may be required prior to the execution of the applicable Terms
Agreement, and each such post-effective amendment has been declared
effective by the Commission. Promptly after execution and delivery
of any Terms Agreement, the Company and the Initial Guarantors will
prepare and file a prospectus supplement relating to the
Underwritten Securities in accordance with the provisions of Rule
430B (“Rule 430B”) of the 1933 Act Regulations and Rule
424(b) (“Rule 424(b)”) of the 1933 Act Regulations.
Such registration statement, at each time of effectiveness under
the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations, including post-effective
amendments thereto to such time, the exhibits and any schedules
thereto at such time, the documents incorporated by reference
therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act at
such time and the documents otherwise deemed to be a part thereof
pursuant to Rule 430B, excepting therefrom, for purposes of
clarity, any free writing prospectus (as defined in Rule 405 under
the 1933 Act), is referred to herein as the “Registration
Statement”; provided , however , that all
references to the “Registration Statement” shall be
deemed to include information contained in a prospectus supplement
(whether in preliminary or final form) relating to the Underwritten
Securities that is deemed to be a part of such registration
statement as of the time specified in Rule 430B, excepting
therefrom, for purposes of clarity, any free writing prospectus (as
defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act); provided ,
further , that if the Company and the Guarantors file a
registration statement with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(b)
of the 1933 Act Regulations (the “Rule 462(b) Registration
Statement”), then, after such filing, all references to the
“Registration Statement” shall also be deemed to
include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. Any information
relating to the offering of the Underwritten Securities that was
omitted from such registration statement at the time it became
effective but that is deemed to be a part of and included in such
registration statement pursuant to Rule
2
430B is referred to as “Rule 430B
Information”. Each prospectus and prospectus supplement used
in connection with the offering of the Underwritten Securities that
omitted Rule 430B Information is, including the documents
incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form
S-3 under the 1933 Act, excepting therefrom, for purposes of
clarity, any free writing prospectus (as defined in Rule 405 under
the 1933 Act), are collectively referred to herein as the
“preliminary prospectus”. The final prospectus and the
final prospectus supplement, in the form first furnished or made
available to the Underwriters for use in connection with the
offering of the Underwritten Securities, including the documents
incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form
S-3 under the 1933 Act at the time of the execution of the
applicable Terms Agreement, excepting therefrom, for purposes of
clarity, any free writing prospectus (as defined in Rule 405 under
the 1933 Act), is herein called the “Prospectus”. For
purposes of this Underwriting Agreement, all references to the
Registration Statement, Prospectus or preliminary prospectus or to
any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed
to include any copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its
Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system
(“EDGAR”).
All references in this
Underwriting Agreement to financial statements and schedules and
other information which is “contained”,
“included”, “disclosed” or
“stated” (or other references of like import) in the
Registration Statement, Prospectus or preliminary prospectus shall
be deemed to include all such financial statements and notes and
schedules thereto and other information which is incorporated by
reference in the Registration Statement, Prospectus or any
preliminary prospectus, as the case may be, at the relevant time of
effectiveness, the date of the applicable Terms Agreement or the
date of issuance, as the case may be, and all references in this
Underwriting Agreement to amendments or supplements to the
Registration Statement, Prospectus or preliminary prospectus shall
be deemed to include the information which is incorporated by
reference in the Registration Statement, Prospectus or preliminary
prospectus, as the case may be, at or after such time.
SECTION 1. Representations
and Warranties .
(a) Representations and
Warranties by the Company and the Guarantors . Each of the
Company and the Guarantors, jointly and severally, represents and
warrants to the Representative, as of the date hereof, and to each
Underwriter named in the applicable Terms Agreement, as of the date
thereof, as of the Applicable Time and as of the Closing Time
referred to in Section 2(b) hereof, as follows:
(1) Compliance with
Registration Requirements . Each of the Company and the
Guarantors meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under
the 1933 Act. The Registration Statement (including any Rule 462(b)
Registration Statement) has become effective under the 1933 Act and
no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration
Statement (including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement) has
been issued under the 1933 Act and no proceedings for that purpose
have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the
Company and the Guarantors, are contemplated by the Commission, and
any request on the part of the Commission for additional
information has been complied with. In addition, the Indenture has
been duly qualified under the 1939 Act.
3
At the respective times the
Registration Statement (including any Rule 462(b) Registration
Statement) and any post-effective amendment thereto (including the
filing of the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form
10-K with the Commission (the “Annual Report on Form
10-K”)) became effective, at each “new effective
date” within the meaning of Rule 430B(f)(2) and at each
Representation Date, the Registration Statement (including any Rule
462(b) Registration Statement) and any post-effective amendment
thereto complied and will comply in all material respects with the
requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and the
1939 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission under the
1939 Act (the “1939 Act Regulations”) and did not, does
not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or
omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or
necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. At the
date of the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto and
at the Closing Time, neither the Prospectus nor any amendment or
supplement thereto included, includes or will include an untrue
statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to
state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements
therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading.
Each preliminary prospectus
and prospectus filed as part of the Registration Statement as
originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto, or filed
pursuant to Rule 424 under the 1933 Act, complied when so filed in
all material respects with the 1933 Act Regulations and each
preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus delivered or made
available to the Underwriters for use in connection with the
offering of Underwritten Securities will, at the time of such
delivery, be identical to any electronically transmitted copies
thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the
extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
As of the Applicable Time,
the Statutory Prospectus (as defined below) and any Issuer Free
Writing Prospectus (as defined below) at or prior to the Applicable
Time, all considered together (collectively, the “Disclosure
Package”), did not include an 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.
Notwithstanding the
foregoing, the representations and warranties in this subsection
shall not apply to the Statement of Eligibility of the Trustee on
Form T-1 or statements in or omissions from the Registration
Statement, the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package made in
reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the
Company or a Guarantor in writing by any Underwriter through the
Representative expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the
Prospectus or the Disclosure Package.
As used in this subsection
and elsewhere in this Underwriting Agreement:
“Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing
prospectus”, as defined in Rule 433 of the 1933 Act
Regulations (“Rule 433”), relating to the Underwritten
Securities that (i) is required to be filed with the
Commission by the Company, (ii) is a “road show that is
a written communication” within the meaning of Rule
433(d)(8)(i), whether or not required
4
to be filed with the
Commission or (iii) is exempt from filing pursuant to Rule
433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Underwritten
Securities or of the offering thereof that does not reflect the
final terms, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed
with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form
retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule
433(g).
“Statutory
Prospectus” as of any time means the prospectus relating to
the Securities that is included in the Registration Statement
immediately prior to that time, including the documents
incorporated by reference therein, and any preliminary prospectus
relating to the Underwritten Securities that is deemed to be a part
of and included in the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430B
immediately prior to such time.
(2) Ineligible Issuer
. (i) At the earliest time after the filing of the
Registration Statement relating to the Underwritten Securities that
the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide
offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the 1933 Act
Regulations) of the Underwritten Securities and (ii) as of
each Representation Date (with such date being used as the
determination date for purposes of this clause (ii)), the Company
was not and is not an ineligible issuer (as defined in Rule 405
(“Rule 405”) of the 1933 Act Regulations) (an
“Ineligible Issuer”) without taking account of any
determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 that it is not
necessary that the Company be considered an Ineligible
Issuer.
(3) Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus . No Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, if any, listed
in the applicable Terms Agreement, as of its issue date and at all
subsequent times through the completion of the offering and sale of
the Underwritten Securities or until any earlier date that the
Company notifies the Underwriters as described in
Section 3(e), included, includes or will include any
information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the
information contained in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus
or any preliminary prospectus, including any document incorporated
by reference therein that has not been superseded or modified. The
foregoing sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions
from any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus made in reliance upon
and in conformity with information furnished to the Company or a
Guarantor in writing by any Underwriter through the Representative
expressly for use therein.
(4) Distribution of
Offering Material By the Company . The Company has not
distributed and will not distribute, prior to the later of the
Closing Time and the completion of the Underwriters’
distribution of the Underwritten Securities, any offering material
in connection with the offering and sale of the Underwritten
Securities other than (A) the Registration Statement,
(B) any preliminary prospectus, (C) the Prospectus,
(D) any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus reviewed and consented
to by the Representative pursuant to Section 3(g) and attached
as an exhibit to the applicable Terms Agreement or (F) any
free writing prospectus (as defined in Rule 433 under the 1933 Act)
that the Company and the Underwriters agree in the applicable Terms
Agreement to treat as part of the Disclosure Package.
5
(5) Incorporated
Documents . The documents incorporated or deemed to be
incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the
Prospectus or any preliminary prospectus, at the time they were or
hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied and will comply
in all material respects with the requirements of the 1934 Act and
the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (the
“1934 Act Regulations”) and, when read together with
the other information in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus
or any preliminary prospectus, at each Representation Date, did
not, do not and will not include an 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.
(6) Independent
Accountants . The accountants that audited the Company’s
financial statements and supporting schedules thereto included in
the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Disclosure
Package, as specified therein, are an independent registered public
accounting firm within the meaning of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act
Regulations.
(7) Financial
Statements . The consolidated financial statements included in
the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Disclosure
Package, together with the related schedules and notes, present
fairly the financial position of the Company and its consolidated
subsidiaries at the dates indicated and the statement of
operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows of the
Company and its consolidated subsidiaries for the periods
specified. Such financial statements have been prepared in
conformity with generally accepted accounting principles
(“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the
periods involved. The supporting schedules, if any, included in the
Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package
present fairly in accordance with GAAP the information required to
be stated therein. The selected financial data and the summary
financial information, if any, included in the Registration
Statement, the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package present fairly
the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis
consistent with that of the audited financial statements included
in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Disclosure
Package. The Company is not required to include any pro forma
financial statements in the Registration Statement or the
Prospectus under the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations or any
document required to be filed with the Commission under the 1934
Act or the 1934 Act Regulations. The financial statement
presentation of the Company and the Guarantors in the Prospectus
satisfies the conditions of Rule 3-10(f) of Regulation S-X
promulgated under the 1933 Act.
(8) No Material Adverse
Change in Business . Since the respective dates as of which
information is given in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus
or the Disclosure Package, except as otherwise stated therein,
(A) there has been no material adverse change in the
condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business
affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries
considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the
ordinary course of business (a “Material Adverse
Effect”), (B) there have been no transactions entered
into by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, other than those
arising in the ordinary course of business, which are material with
respect to the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one
enterprise and (C) there has been no dividend or distribution
of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of
its capital stock.
6
(9) Good Standing of the
Company . The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly
existing as a corporation under the laws of the State of Indiana
and has power and authority (corporate and other) to own, lease and
operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in
the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Disclosure
Package and to enter into and perform its obligations under, or as
contemplated under, this Underwriting Agreement, the applicable
Terms Agreement, the Indenture and the Underwritten Securities. The
Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact
business and is in good standing in each other jurisdiction in
which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the
ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except
where the failure to so qualify or be in good standing could not
reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect.
(10) Good Standing of
Guarantors . Each Guarantor has been duly organized, is validly
existing and is in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction
of its incorporation or organization (to the extent applicable),
has power and authority (corporate and other) to own, lease and
operate its properties, to conduct its business as described in the
Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package
and to enter into and perform its obligations under, or as
contemplated under, this Underwriting Agreement, the applicable
Terms Agreement and its Guarantee and is duly qualified as a
foreign corporation or limited liability company, as applicable, to
transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in
which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the
ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except
where the failure to so qualify or be in good standing could not
reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. All
of the issued and outstanding capital stock or other equity
interests of each Guarantor have been duly authorized and are
validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned by
the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of
any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim
or equity. None of the outstanding shares of capital stock or other
equity interests of any Guarantor were issued in violation of
preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of such
Guarantor. The only subsidiaries of the Company are (a) the
Guarantors and (b) certain other subsidiaries which,
individually or in the aggregate, are “minor” within
the meaning of Rule 3-10 of Regulation S-X promulgated under the
1933 Act.
(11) Capitalization .
All of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the
Company have been duly authorized and validly issued by the Company
and are fully paid and non-assessable, and none of such shares of
capital stock were issued in violation of preemptive or other
similar rights of any securityholder of the Company.
(12) Authorization of this
Underwriting Agreement and Terms Agreement . This Underwriting
Agreement has been, and the applicable Terms Agreement as of the
date thereof will have been, duly authorized, executed and
delivered by each of the Company and the Guarantors.
7
(13) Authorization of the
Underwritten Securities . The Underwritten Securities have
been, or as of the date of the applicable Terms Agreement will have
been, duly authorized by the Company for issuance and sale pursuant
to this Underwriting Agreement and such Terms Agreement. Such
Underwritten Securities, when issued and authenticated in the
manner provided for in the Indenture and delivered against payment
of the consideration therefor specified in such Terms Agreement,
will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company,
enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms,
except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy,
insolvency (including, without limitation, all laws relating to
fraudulent transfers), reorganization, moratorium or other similar
laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally
or by general equitable principles (regardless of whether
enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), and
except further as enforcement thereof may be limited by
requirements that a claim with respect to any Underwritten
Securities payable in a foreign currency (or a foreign currency
judgment in respect of such claim) be converted into U.S. dollars
at a rate of exchange prevailing on a date determined pursuant to
applicable law or by governmental authority to limit, delay or
prohibit the making of payments outside the United States. Such
Underwritten Securities will be in the form contemplated by, and
each registered holder thereof is entitled to the benefits of, the
Indenture and the Guarantees.
(14) Authorization of
Guarantees . The Guarantees have been, or as of the date of the
applicable Terms Agreement will have been, duly authorized by the
respective Guarantors. The Guarantees, when the Underwritten
Securities are issued and authenticated in the manner provided for
in the Indenture and delivered against payment of the consideration
therefor specified in such Terms Agreement, will constitute valid
and binding obligations of the respective Guarantors, enforceable
against the related Guarantor in accordance with their terms,
except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy,
insolvency (including, without limitation, all laws relating to
fraudulent transfers), reorganization, moratorium or other similar
laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally
or by general equitable principles (regardless of whether
enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), and
except further as enforcement thereof may be limited by
requirements that a claim with respect to any Guarantee payable in
a foreign currency (or a foreign currency judgment in respect of
such claim) be converted into U.S. dollars at a rate of exchange
prevailing on a date determined pursuant to applicable law or by
governmental authority to limit, delay or prohibit the making of
payments outside the United States.
(15) Authorization of the
Indenture . The Indenture has been duly authorized, executed
and delivered by the Company and each Guarantor and constitutes a
valid and binding agreement of the Company and each Guarantor,
enforceable against the Company and each Guarantor in accordance
with its terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by
bankruptcy, insolvency (including, without limitation, all laws
relating to fraudulent transfers), reorganization, moratorium or
other similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’
rights generally or by general equitable principles (regardless of
whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at
law), and except further as enforcement thereof may be limited by
requirements that a claim with respect to any Debt Securities
payable in a foreign currency (or a foreign currency judgment
in
8
respect of such claim) be
converted into U.S. dollars at a rate of exchange prevailing on a
date determined pursuant to applicable law or by governmental
authority to limit, delay or prohibit the making of payments
outside the United States. The Indenture has been duly qualified
under the 1939 Act.
(16) Description of the
Underwritten Securities and Guarantees . The Underwritten
Securities and the Guarantees, when issued and delivered in
accordance with their terms, will conform in all material respects
to the statements relating thereto contained in the Registration
Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package and will be in
substantially the form filed or incorporated by reference, as the
case may be, as an exhibit to the Registration
Statement.
(17) Description of the
Indenture . The Indenture, as of the Representation Date, will
conform in all material respects to the statements relating thereto
contained in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the
Disclosure Package and will be in substantially the form filed or
incorporated by reference, as the case may be, as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement.
(18) Absence of Defaults
and Conflicts . Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries
is in violation of its charter or by-laws (or other organizational
documents) or in default in the performance or observance of any
obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any
contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit
agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which
the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or
any of them may be bound, or to which any of the assets,
properties or operations of the Company or any of its subsidiaries
is subject (collectively, “Agreements and
Instruments”), except for such violations or defaults that
could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect. The execution, delivery and performance of this
Underwriting Agreement, the applicable Terms Agreement and the
Indenture and any other agreement or instrument entered into or
issued or to be entered into or issued by the Company and each
Guarantor in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby
or thereby or in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the
Disclosure Package and the consummation of the transactions
contemplated herein and in the Registration Statement, the
Prospectus and the Disclosure Package (including the issuance and
sale of the Underwritten Securities and the use of the proceeds
from the sale of the Underwritten Securities as described under the
caption “Use of Proceeds” in the Prospectus and the
Disclosure Package relating to such Underwritten Securities) and
compliance by the Company and each Guarantor with their respective
obligations hereunder and thereunder have been duly authorized by
all necessary corporate action and do not and will not, whether
with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both,
conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment
Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or
imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any assets,
properties or operations of the Company or any of its subsidiaries
pursuant to, any Agreements and Instruments, nor will such action
result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws
(or other organizational documents) of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries 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 of its subsidiaries or any of their
respective assets, properties or operations. As used
herein,
9
a “Repayment
Event” means any event or condition which gives the holder of
any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any
person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require
the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such
indebtedness by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
(19) Absence of Labor
Dispute . No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or
any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company,
is imminent, and the Company is not aware of any existing or
imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its or any of
its subsidiaries’ principal suppliers, manufacturers,
customers or contractors, which, in either case, could reasonably
be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(20) Absence of
Proceedings . Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration
Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package, there is no
action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or
brought by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or
foreign, now pending, or to the knowledge of the Company
threatened, against or affecting the Company or any of its
subsidiaries which (A) is required to be disclosed in the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus (other than as stated
therein), (B) could reasonably be expected to result in a
Material Adverse Effect, or (C) could reasonably be expected
to materially and adversely affect the consummation of the
transactions contemplated under the Prospectus, this Underwriting
Agreement, the applicable Terms Agreement or the Indenture or the
performance by the Company and the Guarantors of their respective
obligations hereunder and thereunder. The aggregate of all pending
legal or governmental proceedings to which the Company or any of
its subsidiaries is a party or of which any of their respective
assets, properties or operations is the subject which are not
described in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the
Disclosure Package, including ordinary routine litigation
incidental to the business, could not reasonably be expected to
result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(21) Accuracy of
Exhibits . There are no franchises, contracts or other
documents which are required to be described in the Registration
Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the
Registration Statement or any report filed with the Commission
under the 1934 Act which have not been so described and filed as
required.
(22) Absence of Further
Requirements . No filing with, or authorization, approval,
consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of,
any court or governmental authority or agency, domestic or foreign,
is necessary or required for the due authorization, execution and
delivery by the Company or the Guarantors of this Underwriting
Agreement, the applicable Terms Agreement, the Indenture, the
Underwritten Securities or the Guarantees or for the performance by
the Company or the Guarantors of their obligations under this
Underwriting Agreement, such Terms Agreement, the Indenture, the
Underwritten Securities or the Guarantees, except such as have been
already made, obtained or rendered, as applicable or as may be
required under state securities or blue sky laws.
10
(23) Possession of
Intellectual Property . The Company and its subsidiaries own or
possess, or can acquire on reasonable terms, adequate patents,
patent rights, licenses, inventions, copyrights, know-how
(including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable
proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures),
trademarks, service marks, trade names or other intellectual
property (collectively, “Intellectual Property”)
necessary to carry on the business now operated by them, except
where the failure to own, possess or acquire, singly or in the
aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material
Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has
received any notice or is otherwise aware of any infringement of or
conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any
Intellectual Property or of any facts or circumstances which would
render any Intellectual Property invalid or inadequate to protect
the interest of the Company or any of its subsidiaries therein, and
which infringement or conflict (if the subject of any unfavorable
decision, ruling or finding) or invalidity or inadequacy, singly or
in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a
Material Adverse Effect.
(24) Possession of
Licenses and Permits . Except as otherwise disclosed in the
Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package,
(i) the Company and its subsidiaries possess such permits,
licenses, approvals, consents and other authorizations
(collectively, “Governmental Licenses”) issued by the
appropriate regulatory agencies or bodies, domestic or foreign,
necessary to conduct the business now operated by them, except
where the non-possession of any such Governmental Licenses could
not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect,
(ii) the Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with
the terms and conditions of all such Governmental Licenses, except
where the failure so to comply could not, singly or in the
aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect, (iii) all of the Governmental Licenses are valid and
in full force and effect, except where the invalidity of such
Governmental Licenses or the failure of such Governmental Licenses
to be in full force and effect could not reasonably be expected to
result in a Material Adverse Effect and (iv) neither the
Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of
proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such
Governmental Licenses which, singly or in the aggregate, if the
subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, could
reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect.
(25) Title to Property
. The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title
to all material real property owned by the Company and its
subsidiaries and good title to all other material properties owned
by them, in each case, free and clear of all mortgages, pledges,
liens, security interests, claims, restrictions or encumbrances of
any kind, except (A) as otherwise stated in the Registration
Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package or
(B) those which do not, singly or in the aggregate, materially
affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use
made or proposed to be made of such property by the Company or any
of its subsidiaries. All of the leases and subleases material to
the business of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one
enterprise, and under which the Company or any of its subsidiaries
holds properties described in Registration Statement, the
Prospectus or the Disclosure Package, are in full force and effect,
and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received
any notice of any material claim of any sort that has been asserted
by anyone adverse to the rights
11
of the Company or any of its
subsidiaries under any of the leases or subleases mentioned above,
or affecting or questioning the rights of the Company or such
subsidiary to the continued possession of the leased or subleased
premises under any such lease or sublease.
(26) Investment Company
Act . Neither the Company nor any Guarantor is, or upon the
issuance and sale of the Underwritten Securities as herein
contemplated and the application of the net proceeds therefrom as
described in the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package will be, an
“investment company” within the meaning of the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940
Act”).
(27) Public Utility
Holding Company Act of 2005 . The Company is not required under
the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 2005 or the rules and
regulations promulgated thereunder to seek approval to enter into
or perform its obligations under this Underwriting Agreement, the
applicable Terms Agreement, the Indenture and the Underwritten
Securities.
(28) Environmental
Laws . Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration
Statement, the Prospectus and the Disclosure Package and except as
could not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to
result in a Material Adverse Effect, (A) neither the Company
nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any federal, state,
local or foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code,
policy or rule of common law or any judicial or administrative
interpretation thereof, including any judicial or administrative
order, consent, decree or judgment, relating to pollution or
protection of human health, the environment (including, without
limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface
or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including, without limitation,
laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened release
of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances,
hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products
(collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) or to the
manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage,
disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials
(collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (B) the
Company and its subsidiaries possess all permits, authorizations
and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and
are each in compliance with their requirements, (C) there are
no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened
administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands,
demand letters, claims, liens, notices of noncompliance or
violation, investigation or proceedings relating to any
Environmental Law against the Company or any of its subsidiaries
and (D) to the Company’s knowledge, there are no events
or circumstances that might reasonably be expected to form the
basis of an order for clean-up or remediation, or an action, suit
or proceeding by any private party or governmental body or agency,
against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries
relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental
Laws.
(29) Maintenance of
Controls and Procedures . The Company has established and
maintains “disclosure controls and procedures” (as such
term is defined in Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the 1934 Act) that
(A) are designed to ensure that material information relating
to the Company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made
known to the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and its Chief
Financial Officer by others within those entities, particularly
during the periods in which the
12
filings made by the Company
with the Commission which it may make under Section 13(a),
13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act are being prepared,
(B) have been evaluated for effectiveness as of a date within
90 days prior to the filing of the Company’s most recent
annual report filed with the Commission and (C) are effective
to perform the functions for which they were established. The
Company’s accountants and the audit committee of the board of
directors of the Company have been advised of (x) any
significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal
controls which could adversely affect the Company’s ability
to record, process, summarize, and report financial data and
(y) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves
management or other employees who have a role in the
Company’s internal controls. Any material weaknesses in
internal controls have been identified for the Company’s
accountants. Since the date of the most recent evaluation of such
disclosure controls and procedures, there have been no significant
changes in internal controls or in other factors that could
significantly affect internal controls, including any corrective
actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material
weaknesses. Since the end of the Company’s most recent
audited fiscal year, there has been (I) no material weakness
in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting
(whether or not remediated) and (II) no change in the
Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has
materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect,
the Company’s internal control over financial
reporting.
(30) Other Controls .
The Company and its consolidated subsidiaries maintain a system of
internal accounting and other controls sufficient to provide
reasonable assurances that (A) transactions are executed in
accordance with management’s general or specific
authorizations, (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to
permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with
generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain
accountability for assets, (C) acquisition, disposition or
other use of assets is permitted only in accordance with
management’s general or specific authorization, (D) the
recorded accounting for assets is compared with existing assets at
reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect
to any differences, and (E) the principal executive officer
and principal financial officer of the Company have made all
certifications required by Sections 302 and 906 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”)
and any related rules and regulations promulgated by the
Commission.
(b) Officers’
Certificates . Any certificate signed by any officer of the
Company, any Guarantor or any of their respective subsidiaries and
delivered to any Underwriter or to counsel for the Underwriters in
connection with the offering of the Underwritten Securities shall
be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company or such
Guarantor to each Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby on
the date of such certificate.
SECTION 2. Sale and
Delivery to Underwriters; Closing .
(a) Underwritten
Securities . The several commitments of the Underwriters to
purchase the Underwritten Securities pursuant to the applicable
Terms Agreement shall be deemed to have been made on the basis of
the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained and
shall be subject to the terms and conditions herein and, if
applicable, therein set forth.
13
(b) Payment . Payment
of the purchase price for, and delivery of, the Underwritten
Securities shall be made at the offices of Sidley Austin LLP, 787
Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10019, or at such other place as
shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company, at
10:00 A.M. (Eastern time) on the third business day after the
date of the applicable Terms Agreement (unless postponed in
accordance with the provisions of Section 10 hereof), or such
other time not later than ten business days after such date as
shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company (such
time and date of payment and delivery being herein called the
“Closing Time”).
Payment shall be made to the
Company by wire transfer of immediately available funds to a bank
account designated by the Company, against delivery to the
Representative for the respective accounts of the Underwriters of
the Underwritten Securities to be purchased by them. It is
understood that each Underwriter has authorized the Representative,
for its account, to accept delivery of, receipt for, and make
payment of the purchase price for, the Underwritten Securities
which it has severally agreed to purchase. The Representative, for
itself and not as representative of the Underwriters, may (but
shall not be obligated to) make payment of the purchase price for
the Underwritten Securities to be purchased by any Underwriter
whose funds have not been received by the Closing Time but such
payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from its obligations
hereunder.
(c) Denominations;
Registration . The Underwritten Securities or cert
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