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UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

Underwriting Agreement

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VECTREN UTILITY HOLDINGS INC

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Title: UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
Governing Law: New York     Date: 3/6/2008
Law Firm: Barnes Thornburg;McNees Wallace;Sidley Austin    

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT, Parties: vectren utility holdings inc
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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

 

                Page
  SECTION 1. Representations and Warranties.    3
  (a)      Representations and Warranties by the Company and the Guarantors    3
          (b)      Officers’ Certificates    13
  SECTION 2. Sale and Delivery to Underwriters; Closing.    13
  (a)      Underwritten Securities    13
  (b)      Payment    14
  (c)      Denominations; Registration    14
  SECTION 3. Covenants of the Company and the Guarantors    14
  (a)      Compliance with Securities Regulations and Commission Requests    14
  (b)      Filing of Amendments    15
  (c)      Delivery of Registration Statement    15
  (d)      Delivery of Prospectuses    15
  (e)      Continued Compliance with Securities Laws    15
  (f)      Final Term Sheet    16
  (g)      Permitted Free Writing Prospectus    16
  (h)      Registration Statement Renewal Deadline    17
  (i)      Blue Sky Qualifications    17
  (j)      Earnings Statement    17
  (k)      Use of Proceeds    18
  (l)      Listing    18
  (m)      Restriction on Sale of Securities    18
  (n)      Reporting Requirements    18
  (o)      Additional Guarantors    18
  SECTION 4. Payment of Expenses.    18
  (a)      Expenses    18
  (b)      Termination of Agreement    19
  SECTION 5. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations    19
  (a)      Effectiveness of Registration Statement and Commission Filings    19
  (b)      Opinion of General Counsel of the Company    20
  (c)      Opinion of Counsel for Company and the Guarantors    20
  (d)      Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters    20
  (e)      Officers’ Certificate    20
  (f)      Accountant’s Comfort Letter    21
  (g)      Bring-down Comfort Letter    21
  (h)      Ratings    21

 

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            (i)      Approval of Listing    21
  (j)      No Objection    21
  (k)      Additional Documents    21
  (l)      Termination of Terms Agreement    22
SECTION 6. Indemnification.    22
  (a)      Indemnification of Underwriters    22
  (b)      Indemnification of Company, Directors and Officers    23
  (c)      Actions against Parties; Notification    23
  (d)      Settlement without Consent if Failure to Reimburse    23
SECTION 7. Contribution    24
SECTION 8. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive Delivery    25
SECTION 9. Termination.    25
  (a)      Underwriting Agreement    25
  (b)      Terms Agreement    25
  (c)      Liabilities    26
SECTION 10. Default by One or More of the Underwriters    26
SECTION 11. Notices    27
SECTION 12. Parties    27
SECTION 13. No Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility    27
SECTION 14. GOVERNING LAW AND TIME    28
SECTION 15. Effect of Headings    28
SECTION 16. Counterparts    28
SECTION 17. Tax Disclosure    28

EXHIBITS

 

Exhibit A – Terms Agreement

   A-1

Exhibit B – Form of Opinion of General Counsel of the Company

   B-1

Exhibit C – Form of Opinion of Company’s Counsel

   C-1

 

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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

 

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“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

 

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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.

 

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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

 

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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.

 

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(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.

 

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(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.

 

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(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

 

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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,

 

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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.

 

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(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

 

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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

 

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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.

 

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(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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