UNIVERSAL COMPRESSION HOLDINGS,
INC.
6,750,000 Shares of Common
Stock
J.P. Morgan
Securities Inc.
277 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10172
Weatherford
International Ltd., a company incorporated under the laws of
Bermuda (the “Selling Stockholder”), propose to sell to
J.P. Morgan Securities, Inc. (the “Underwriter”), an
aggregate of 6,750,000 shares (the “Shares”) of Common
Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Stock”), of
Universal Compression Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
“Company”).
Each of the
Company and the Selling Stockholder hereby confirms its agreement
with the Underwriter concerning the purchase and sale of the
Shares, as follows:
1.
Registration Statement . The Company has prepared and filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
“Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder
(collectively, the “Securities Act”), a registration
statement (File No. 333-121937) including a prospectus,
relating to the Shares. Such registration statement, as amended at
the time it became effective, including the information, if any,
deemed pursuant to Rule 430A, 430B or 430C under the
Securities Act to be part of the registration statement at the time
of its effectiveness (“Rule 430 Information”), is
referred to herein as the “Registration Statement”; and
as used herein, the term “Preliminary Prospectus” means
each prospectus included in such registration statement (and any
amendments thereto) before it became effective, any prospectus
filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(a) under the
Securities Act and the prospectus included in the Registration
Statement at the time of its effectiveness that omits Rule 430
Information, and the term “Prospectus” means the
prospectus in the form first used (or made available upon request
of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act)
in connection with confirmation of sales of the Shares. If the
Company has filed an abbreviated registration statement pursuant to
Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act (the “Rule 462
Registration Statement”), then any reference herein to the
term “Registration Statement” shall be deemed to
include such Rule 462 Registration Statement. Any reference in
this Agreement to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary
Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be
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deemed to refer
to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein
pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act, as
of the effective date of the Registration Statement or the date of
such Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be,
and any reference to “amend”, “amendment”
or “supplement” with respect to the Registration
Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be
deemed to refer to and include any documents filed after such date
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the
rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively,
the “Exchange Act”) that are deemed to be incorporated
by reference therein. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein
shall have the meanings given to such terms in the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus.
At or prior to the
time when sales of the Shares were first made (the “Time of
Sale”), the Company had prepared the following information
(collectively with the information referred to in the next
succeeding sentence, the “Time of Sale Information”): a
Preliminary Prospectus dated March 9, 2005 (as amended to the Time
of Sale) and the information listed on Annex C hereto. If,
subsequent to the date of this Agreement, the Company and the
Underwriter have determined that such Time of Sale Information
included an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted a
statement of material fact necessary to make the information
therein, in the light of the circumstances under which it was made,
not misleading and have agreed to provide an opportunity to
purchasers of the Shares to terminate their old purchase contracts
and enter into new purchase contracts, then “Time of Sale
Information” will refer to the information available to
purchasers at the time of entry into the first such new purchase
contract.
2.
Purchase of the Shares by the Underwriter . (a) The
Selling Stockholder agrees to sell the Shares to the Underwriter as
provided in this Agreement, and the Underwriter, on the basis of
the representations, warranties and agreements set forth herein and
subject to the conditions set forth herein, agrees to purchase the
Shares from the Selling Stockholder at a purchase price per share
of $41.00 (the “Purchase Price”).
(b) The
Selling Stockholder understands that the Underwriter intends to
make a public offering of the Shares as soon after the
effectiveness of this Agreement as in the judgment of the
Underwriter is advisable, and initially to offer the Shares on the
terms set forth in the Prospectus. The Selling Stockholder
acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriter may offer and sell
Shares to or through any affiliate of the Underwriter and that any
such affiliate may offer and sell Shares purchased by it to or
through the Underwriter.
(c) Payment
for the Shares shall be made by wire transfer in immediately
available funds to the account specified by the Selling Stockholder
(as defined below) to the Underwriter at the offices of Vinson
& Elkins L.L.P., 1001 Fannin, Houston, Texas 77002, at
10:00 A.M. New York City time on Wednesday, December 14,
2005, or at such other time or place on the same or such other
date, not later than the fifth business day thereafter, as the
Underwriter and the Selling Stockholder may agree upon in writing.
The time and date of such payment is referred to herein as the
“Closing Date”.
Payment for the
Shares shall be made against delivery to the Underwriter for the
account of the Underwriter of the Shares in definitive form
registered in such names and in such
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denominations
as the Underwriter shall request in writing not later than two full
business days prior to the Closing Date, with any transfer taxes
payable in connection with the sale of the Shares duly paid by the
Selling Stockholder. The certificates for the Shares will be made
available for inspection and packaging by the Underwriter at the
office of J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. set forth above not later
than 1:00 P.M., New York City time, on the business day prior to
the Closing Date.
(d) As
compensation to the Underwriter for its commitments hereunder, the
Selling Stockholder will pay, or cause to be paid, to J.P. Morgan
Securities Inc., for the account of the Underwriter, an amount
equal to $41.00 per share for the Shares to be delivered by the
Selling Stockholder hereunder on the Closing Date. On
December 14, 2005, or on such other date, not later than the
fifth Business Day thereafter, as the Underwriter and the Selling
Stockholder may agree upon in writing, the Selling Stockholder will
pay or cause to be paid by wire transfer, in immediate available
funds, such commission to the account specified by J.P. Morgan
Securities Inc.
(e) Each of
the Company and the Selling Stockholder acknowledges and agrees
that the Underwriter is acting solely in the capacity of an
arm’s length contractual counterparty to the Selling
Stockholder with respect to the offering of Shares contemplated
hereby (including in connection with determining the terms of the
offering) and not as a financial advisor or a fiduciary to, or an
agent of, the Company, the Selling Stockholder or any other person.
Additionally, the Underwriter is not advising the Company, the
Selling Stockholder or any other person as to any legal, tax,
investment, accounting or regulatory matters in any jurisdiction.
The Company and the Selling Stockholder shall consult with their
own advisors concerning such matters and shall be responsible for
making their own independent investigation and appraisal of the
transactions contemplated hereby, and the Underwriter shall have no
responsibility or liability to the Company or the Selling
Stockholder with respect thereto. Any review by the Underwriter of
the Company, the transactions contemplated hereby or other matters
relating to such transactions will be performed solely for the
benefit of the Underwriter and shall not be on behalf of the
Company or the Selling Stockholder.
3.
Representations and Warranties of the Company . The Company
represents and warrants to the Underwriter and the Selling
Stockholder that:
(a)
Preliminary Prospectus. No stop order preventing or
suspending the effectiveness of the Preliminary Prospectus has been
issued by the Commission, and each Preliminary Prospectus, at the
time of filing thereof, complied in all material respects with the
applicable requirements of the Securities Act and did not contain
any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material
fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make
the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under
which they were made, not misleading; provided that the
Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any
statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity
with information relating to the Underwriter furnished to the
Company in writing by the Underwriter expressly for use in any
Preliminary Prospectus.
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(b) Time
of Sale Information . The Time of Sale Information, at the Time
of Sale did not, and at the Closing Date will not, contain any
untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material
fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the
light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading; provided that the Company makes no
representation and warranty with respect to any statements or
omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information
relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by
the Underwriter expressly for use in such Time of Sale Information.
No statement of material fact included in the Prospectus has been
omitted from the Time of Sale Information and no statement of
material fact included in the Time of Sale Information that is
required to be included in the Prospectus has been omitted
therefrom.
(c)
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. Other than the Preliminary
Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company (including its agents
and representatives, other than the Underwriter in its capacity as
such) has not made, used, prepared, authorized, approved or
referred to and will not prepare, make, use, authorize, approve or
refer to any “written communication” (as defined in
Rule 405 under the Securities Act) that constitutes an offer
to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy the Shares (each such
communication by the Company or its agent and representatives an
“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”).
(d)
Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Registration
Statement has been declared effective by the Commission. No order
suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been
issued by the Commission and no proceeding for that purpose or
pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act against the
Company or related to the offering has been initiated or threatened
by the Commission; as of the applicable effective date of the
Registration Statement and any amendment or supplement thereto, the
Registration Statement complied and will comply in all material
respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act,
and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material
fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein
or necessary in order to make the statements therein not
misleading; and as of the date of the Prospectus and any amendment
or supplement thereto and as of the Closing Date, the Prospectus
will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to
state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in
order to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;
provided that the Company makes no representation and
warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in
reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to the
Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by the Underwriter
expressly for use in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus
and any amendment or supplement thereto.
(e)
Incorporated Documents. The documents incorporated by
reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Time
of Sale Information, when they became effective or were filed with
the Commission, as the case may be, conformed in all material
respects to the requirements of the Securities Act or the Exchange
Act, as applicable, and none of such documents contained any untrue
statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading; and any further documents so filed and
incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the
Prospectus or the Time of Sale
5
Information,
when such documents become effective or are filed with the
Commission, as the case may be, will conform in all material
respects to the requirements of the Securities Act or the Exchange
Act, as applicable, and will not contain any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be
stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the
light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading.
(f)
Financial Statements. The financial statements and the
related notes thereto of the Company and its consolidated
subsidiaries included or incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the
Prospectus comply in all material respects with the applicable
requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as
applicable, and present fairly the financial position of the
Company and its subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the
results of their operations and the changes in their cash flows for
the periods specified; such financial statements have been prepared
in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles applied
on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered thereby,
except as disclosed therein, and the supporting schedules included
or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement present
fairly the information required to be stated therein; the other
financial information included or incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the
Prospectus has been derived from the accounting records of the
Company and its subsidiaries and presents fairly in all material
respects the information shown thereby.
(g) No
Material Adverse Change. Since the date of the most recent
financial statements of the Company included or incorporated by
reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale
Information and the Prospectus, (i) there has not been any
material adverse change in the capital stock or long-term debt of
the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, or any dividend
or distribution of any kind declared, set aside for payment, paid
or made by the Company on any class of capital stock, or any
material adverse change, in or affecting the business, properties,
management, financial position, stockholders’ equity, results
of operations or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries
taken as a whole; (ii) neither the Company nor any of its
subsidiaries has entered into any transaction or agreement or
incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, that
would, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse
effect on the business, properties, management, financial position,
stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company
and its subsidiaries taken as a whole (a “Material Adverse
Effect”); and (iii) neither the Company nor any of its
subsidiaries has sustained any material loss or interference with
its business, that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries
taken as a whole, from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity,
whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor disturbance
or dispute or any action, order or decree of any court or
arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except in each
case as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time
of Sale Information and the Prospectus or as would not,
individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse
Effect.
(h)
Organization and Good Standing. The Company and each of its
significant subsidiaries have been duly organized and are validly
existing and in good standing under the laws of their respective
jurisdictions of organization, are duly qualified to do business
and are in good standing in each jurisdiction in which their
respective ownership or lease of property or the conduct
6
of their
respective businesses requires such qualification, and have all
power and authority necessary to own or hold their respective
properties and to conduct the businesses in which they are engaged,
except where the failure to be so qualified or have such power or
authority would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a
Material Adverse Effect.
(i)
Capitalization. The Company has an authorized capitalization
as set forth on the Company’s balance sheet for the year
ended March 31, 2005; all the outstanding shares of capital
stock of the Company (including the Shares to be sold by the
Selling Stockholder) have been duly and validly authorized and
issued and are fully paid and non-assessable and are not subject to
any pre-emptive or similar rights; except as described in or
expressly contemplated by the Time of Sale Information and the
Prospectus, there are no outstanding rights (including, without
limitation, pre-emptive rights), warrants or options to acquire, or
instruments convertible into or exchangeable for, any shares of
capital stock or other equity interest in the Company or any of its
subsidiaries, or any contract, commitment, agreement, understanding
or arrangement of any kind relating to the issuance of any capital
stock of the Company or any such subsidiary, any such convertible
or exchangeable securities or any such rights, warrants or options;
the capital stock of the Company conforms in all material respects
to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement,
the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus; and all the
outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity interests of
each subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly
authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are
owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of any
lien, charge, encumbrance, security interest, restriction on voting
or transfer or any other claim of any third party.
(j) Due
Authorization. The Company has full right, power and authority
to execute and deliver this Agreement and to perform its
obligations hereunder; and all action required to be taken for the
due and proper authorization, execution and delivery by the Company
of this Agreement and the consummation by the Company of the
transactions contemplated hereby has been duly and validly
taken.
(k)
Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement has been duly
authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(l)
Descriptions of Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement
conforms in all material respects to the description thereof
contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale
Information and the Prospectus.
(m) No
Violation or Default. Neither the Company nor any of its
significant subsidiaries is (i) in violation of its charter or
by-laws or similar organizational documents; (ii) in default,
and no event has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or
both, would constitute such a default, in the performance or
observance of any term, covenant or condition contained in any
indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other
agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its
subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its
significant subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property
or assets of the Company or any of its significant subsidiaries is
subject; or (iii) in violation of any law or statute or any
judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or
governmental or regulatory authority, except, in the
7
case of clauses
(ii) and (iii) above, for any such default or violation
that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material
Adverse Effect.
(n) No
Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the
Company of this Agreement, and the consummation by the Company of
the transactions contemplated by this Agreement will not (i)
conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the
terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in
the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon
any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries
pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement
or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its
subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its
subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of
the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, (ii) result
in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws or
similar organizational documents of the Company or any of its
significant subsidiaries or (iii) result in the violation of
any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of
any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority
except, in the case of clauses (i) and (iii) above, for any
such default or violation that would not, individually or in the
aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
(o) No
Consents Required. No consent, approval, authorization, order,
registration or qualification of or with any court or arbitrator or
governmental or regulatory authority is required for the execution,
delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the
consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated by
this Agreement, except for the registration of the Shares under the
Securities Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders
and registrations or qualifications as may be required under
applicable state securities laws in connection with the purchase
and distribution of the Shares by the Underwriter.
(p) Legal
Proceedings. Except as described in the Registration Statement,
the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, there are no
legal, governmental or regulatory investigations, actions, suits or
proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries
is or may be a party or to which any property of the Company or any
of its subsidiaries is or may be the subject that, individually or
in the aggregate, if determined adversely to the Company or any of
its subsidiaries, could reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect or materially and adversely affect the ability of
the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement; no
such investigations, actions, suits or proceedings are threatened
in writing or, to the best knowledge of the Company, contemplated
by any governmental or regulatory authority or threatened by
others; and (i) there are no current or pending legal,
governmental or regulatory actions, suits or proceedings that are
required under the Securities Act to be described in the
Registration Statement that are not so described in the
Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the
Prospectus and (ii) there are no statutes, regulations or
contracts or other documents that are required under the Securities
Act to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or
described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus that are
not so filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described
in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the
Prospectus.
8
(q)
Independent Accountants. Deloitte & Touche LLP, who have
certified certain financial statements of the Company and its
consolidated subsidiaries are an independent registered public
accounting firm with respect to the Company and its consolidated
subsidiaries within the applicable rules and regulations adopted by
the Commission and the Public Accounting Oversight Board (United
States) and as required by the Securities Act.
(r) Title
to Real and Personal Property. The Company and its significant
subsidiaries have good and marketable title, all items of real and
personal property that are material to the respective businesses of
the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, in each case
free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, claims and defects of
title except those that (i) do not materially interfere with
the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the
Company and its subsidiaries or (ii) could not reasonably be
expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material
Adverse Effect.
(s) Title
to Intellectual Property. The Company and its subsidiaries own
or possess adequate rights to use all material patents, patent
applications, trademarks, service marks, trade names, trademark
registrations, service mark registrations, copyrights, licenses and
know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or
unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or
procedures) necessary for the conduct of their respective
businesses; and the conduct of their respective businesses will not
conflict in any material respect with any such rights of others,
and the Company and its subsidiaries have not received any notice
of any claim of infringement or conflict with any such rights of
others with respect to any of the foregoing which singly or in the
aggregate, if the subject of an enforceable decision, ruling or
finding, would have a Material Adverse Effect.
(t) No
Undisclosed Relationships. No relationship, direct or indirect,
exists between or among the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on
the one hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders, customers
or suppliers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, on the
other, that is required by the Securities Act to be described in
the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and that is not so
described in such documents and in the Time of Sale
Information.
(u)
Investment Company Act. The Company is not and, after giving
effect to the offering and sale of the Shares as described in the
Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the
Prospectus, will not be required to register as an
“investment company” or an entity
“controlled” by an “investment company”
within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder
(collectively, “Investment Company Act”).
(v)
Public Utility Holding Company Act. Neither the Company nor
any of its subsidiaries is a “holding company” or a
“subsidiary company” of a holding company or an
“affiliate” thereof within the meaning of the Public
Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, as amended.
(w)
Taxes. Except as would not, individually, or in the
aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect: (1) the Company and
its subsidiaries have paid all federal, state, local and
9
foreign taxes
and filed all tax returns required to be paid or filed through the
date hereof, other than those being contested in good faith; and
(2) except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration
Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, there
is no tax deficiency that has been, or is expected to be, asserted
against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their
respective properties or assets.
(x)
Licenses and Permits. The Company and its subsidiaries
possess all licenses, certificates, permits and other
authorizations issued by, and have made all declarations and
filings with, the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign
governmental or regulatory authorities that are necessary for the
ownership or lease of their respective properties or the conduct of
their respective businesses as described in the Registration
Statement, the Time of Sale Information, and the Prospectus, except
where the failure to possess or make the same would not,
individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect;
and except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of
Sale Information and the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of
its subsidiaries has received notice of any revocation or
modification of any such license, certificate, permit or
authorization which, individually or in the aggregate, would have a
Material Adverse Effect.
(y) No
Labor Disputes. No labor disturbance by or dispute with
employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to
the best knowledge of the Company, is contemplated or threatened
and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor
disturbance by, or dispute with, the employees of any of its or its
subsidiaries’ principal suppliers, contractors or customers,
except as would not have a Material Adverse Effect.
(z)
Compliance With Environmental Laws. (i) The Company and
its subsidiaries (x) are in compliance with any and all
applicable federal, state, local and foreign laws, rules,
regulations, requirements, decisions and orders relating to the
protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous
or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants
(collectively, “Environmental Laws”); (y) have
received and are in compliance with all permits, licenses,
certificates or other authorizations or approvals required of them
under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective
businesses; and (z) have not received notice of any actual or
potential liability for the investigation or remediation of any
disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or wastes,
pollutants or contaminants, and (ii) there are no costs or
liabilities associated with Environmental Laws of or relating to
the Company or its subsidiaries, except in the case of each of
(i)(x), (ii)(y) and (i)(z) above, for any such failure to comply,
or failure to receive required permits, licenses or approvals, or
cost or liability as would not, individually or in the aggregate,
have a Material Adverse Effect.
(aa)
Compliance With ERISA. Except as would not have a Material
Adverse Effect, each employee benefit plan, within the meaning of
Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of
1974, as amended (“ERISA”), that is maintained,
administered or contributed to by the Company or any of its
subsidiaries for employees or former employees of the Company and
its subsidiaries has been maintained in compliance with its terms
and the requirements of any applicable statutes, orders, rules and
regulations, including but not limited to ERISA and the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”); no
prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of
ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has
10
occurred with
respect to any such plan excluding transactions effected pursuant
to a statutory or administrative exemption; and for each such plan
that is subject to the funding rules of Section 412 of the Code or
Section 302 of ERISA, no “accumulated funding
deficiency” as defined in Section 412 of the Code has been
incurred, whether or not waived, and the fair market value of the
assets of each such plan (excluding for these purposes accrued but
unpaid contributions) exceeds the present value of all benefits
accrued under such plan determined using reasonable actuarial
assumptions.
(bb)
Disclosure Controls . The Company and its subsidiaries
maintain an effective system of “disclosure controls and
procedures” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the
Exchange Act) that is designed to ensure that information required
to be disclosed by the Company in reports that it files or submits
under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and
reported within the time periods specified in the
Commission’s rules and forms, including controls and
procedures designed to ensure that such information is accumulated
and communicated to the Company’s management as appropriate
to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. The
Company and its subsidiaries have carried out evaluations of the
effectiveness of their disclosure controls and procedures as
required by Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act.
(cc)
Accounting Controls. The Company and its subsidiaries
maintain systems of “internal control over financial
reporting” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange
Act) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act and have
been designed by, or under the supervision of, their respective
principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons
performing similar functions, to provide reasonable assurance
regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the
preparation of financial statements for external purposes in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles,
including, but not limited to internal accounting controls
sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that
(i) transactions are executed in accordance with
management’s general or specific authorizations;
(ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit
preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles and to maintain asset
accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in
accordance with management’s general or specific
authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets
is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and
appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except
as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale
Information and the Prospectus, there are no material weaknesses in
the Company’s internal controls.
(dd)
Insurance. The Company and its subsidiaries have insurance
covering their respective properties, operations, personnel and
businesses, which insurance is in amounts and insures against such
losses and risks as it reasonably believes are adequate to protect
the Company and its subsidiaries and their respective businesses;
and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has
(i) received notice from any insurer or agent of such insurer
that capital improvements or other expenditures are required or
necessary to be made in order to continue such insurance except as
would not have a Material Adverse Effect or (ii) any reason to
believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance
coverage as and when such coverage expires or to
11
obtain similar
coverage at reasonable cost from similar insurers as may be
necessary to continue its business.
(ee) No
Unlawful Payments. Neither the Company nor any of its
subsidiaries nor, to the best knowledge of the Company,
an
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