Form 8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 


FORM 8-K

 


CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): May 3, 2006 (April 27, 2006)

 


THE NASDAQ STOCK MARKET, INC.

(Exact name of Company as specified in its charter)

 


 

Delaware   000-32651   52-1165937

(State or other jurisdiction

of incorporation)

  (Commission File Number)  

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

One Liberty Plaza, New York, New York 10006

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)

Company’s telephone number, including area code: (212) 401-8700

 


Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the Company under any of the following provisions:

 

¨ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

¨ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 



Item 1.01. Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement

On April 27, 2006, we entered into a purchase agreement with Banc of America Securities LLC and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, acting as representatives of the several underwriters named in the agreement, relating to the sale by us to the underwriters of 18,500,000 shares of our common stock at the public offering price of $37.36 per share less an underwriting discount of $1.401 per share. In addition, Nasdaq has granted the underwriters’ representatives an option, exercisable until May 27, 2006, to purchase up to an additional 2,775,000 shares of common stock under the same terms, to cover overallotments, if any. A copy of the purchase agreement is attached to this report as Exhibit 1.01 and is incorporated herein by reference. The 18,500,000 shares were sold under our shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-131373) and yielded approximately $665.2 million in net proceeds to Nasdaq, before expenses.

Item 2.04. Triggering Events That Accelerate or Increase a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an Off-Balance Sheet Arrangement.

On May 2, 2006, The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. received approximately $665.2 million in net proceeds in connection with its previously disclosed equity offering of 18,500,000 shares of common stock. The equity offering triggered a mandatory prepayment obligation under our Bank of America Tranche C term loan credit facility equal to 100% of the net proceeds from the equity offering. Consistent with Nasdaq’s stated use of proceeds in its prospectus supplement previously filed in connection with the equity offering, Nasdaq made the prepayment to the lenders in accordance with the terms of the Tranche C term loan.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits

(c) Exhibits

 

  1.01 Purchase Agreement


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Nasdaq has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

Dated: May 3, 2006   THE NASDAQ STOCK MARKET, INC.
  By:  

/s/ Edward S. Knight

 

Name:

Title:

 

Edward S. Knight

Executive Vice President and General Counsel

Purchase Agreement

Exhibit 1.01

EXECUTION COPY


 

THE NASDAQ STOCK MARKET, INC.

(a Delaware corporation)

 

Shares of Common Stock

 

PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

Dated: April 27, 2006

 

 



TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

          Page

SECTION 1.

  

Representations and Warranties.

   2
  

(a)    Representations and Warranties by the Company

   2
  

(b)    Officer’s Certificates

   12

SECTION 2.

  

Sale and Delivery to Underwriters; Closing.

   13
  

(a)    Initial Securities

   13
  

(b)    Option Securities

   13
  

(c)    Payment

   13
  

(d)    Denominations; Registration

   14

SECTION 3.

  

Covenants of the Company

   14
  

(a)    Compliance with Securities Regulations and Commission Requests; Payment of Filing Fees

   14
  

(b)    Filing of Amendments and Exchange Act Documents

   14
  

(c)    Delivery of Registration Statements

   15
  

(d)    Delivery of Prospectuses

   15
  

(e)    Continued Compliance with Securities Laws

   15
  

(f)    Blue Sky Qualifications

   16
  

(g)    Rule 158

   16
  

(h)    Use of Proceeds

   16
  

(i)    Listing

   16
  

(j)    Restriction on Sale of Securities

   16
  

(k)    Reporting Requirements

   17
  

(l)    Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses

   17

SECTION 4.

  

Payment of Expenses.

   17
  

(a)    Expenses

   17
  

(b)    Termination of Agreement

   18

SECTION 5.

  

Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations

   18
  

(a)    Effectiveness of Registration Statement

   18
  

(b)    Opinion of Counsel for Company

   18
  

(c)    Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters

   18
  

(d)    Officers’ Certificate

   18
  

(e)    Accountant’s Comfort Letter

   19
  

(f)    Bring-down Comfort Letter

   19
  

(g)    Approval of Listing

   19
  

(h)    Lock-up Agreements

   19
  

(i)    Maintenance of Rating

   19
  

(j)    Conditions to Purchase of Option Securities

   19
  

(k)    Additional Documents

   20
  

(l)    Termination of Agreement

   20

 

- i -


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

             Page

SECTION 6.

   

Indemnification.

   20
   

(a)    Indemnification of Underwriters

   20
   

(b)    Indemnification of Company, Directors and Officers

   21
   

(c)    Actions Against Parties; Notification

   22

SECTION 7.

   

Contribution

   22

SECTION 8.

   

Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive

   23

SECTION 9.

   

Termination of Agreement.

   23
   

(a)    Termination; General

   23
   

(b)    Liabilities

   24

SECTION 10.

   

Default by One or More of the Underwriters

   24

SECTION 11.

   

No Advisory or Fiduciary Relationship

   25

SECTION 12.

   

Tax Disclosure

   25

SECTION 13.

   

Notices

   25

SECTION 14.

   

Parties

   25

SECTION 15.

   

GOVERNING LAW

   26

SECTION 16.

   

TIME

   26

SECTION 17.

   

Counterparts

   26

SECTION 18.

   

Effect of Headings

   26

 

SCHEDULES

      

Schedule A

   

Name of Underwriters

   Sch A

Schedule B

   

Number of Securities to be Sold

   Sch B

Schedule C

   

Pricing Information

   Sch C

Schedule D-1

   

Information

   Sch D-1

Schedule D-2

   

Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus

   Sch D-2

Schedule E

   

List of Persons Subject to Lock-up

   Sch E

EXHIBITS

      

Exhibit A-1

   

Form of Opinion of Company’s Counsel

   A-1-1

Exhibit A-2

   

Form of Opinion of Company’s Counsel

   A-2-1

Exhibit B-1

   

Form of Lock-up Letter for Directors

   B-1-1

Exhibit B-2

   

Form of Lock-up Letter for Glenn H. Hutchins

   B-2-1

Exhibit B-3

   

Form of Lock-up Letter for Patrick J. Healy

   B-3-1

Exhibit C

   

Form of Lock-up Letter for Officers

   C-1

Exhibit D

   

List of Company Subsidiaries

   D

 

- ii -


THE NASDAQ STOCK MARKET, INC.

(a Delaware corporation)

Shares Common Stock

($.01 Par Value)

PURCHASE AGREEMENT

April 27, 2006

Banc of America Securities LLC

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC

Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc.

UBS Securities LLC

Cowen & Co., LLC

Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc.

Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P.

Thomas Weisel Partners LLC

Wachovia Capital Markets LLC

On behalf of the several Underwriters

c/o Banc of America Securities LLC

9 West 57th Street

New York, New York 10019

Ladies and Gentlemen:

The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), confirms its agreement with Banc of America Securities LLC (“BAS”) and each of the other Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto (collectively, the “Underwriters,” which term shall also include any underwriter substituted as hereinafter provided in Section 10 hereof), for whom BAS and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC (“Credit Suisse”) are acting as representatives (in such capacity, the “Representatives”), with respect to (i) the issue and sale by the Company and the purchase by the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the respective number of shares of Common Stock, par value $.01 per share, of the Company (“Common Stock”) set forth in Schedule A and (ii) the grant by the Company to the Underwriters of the option described in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any part of 2,775,000 additional shares of Common Stock to cover overallotments, if any. The aforesaid shares of Common Stock (the “Initial Securities”) to be purchased by the Underwriters and all or any part of the 2,775,000 shares of Common Stock subject to the option described in Section 2(b) hereof (the “Option Securities”) are hereinafter called, collectively, the “Securities.”

The Company understands that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of the Securities as soon as the Representatives deem advisable after this Agreement has been executed and delivered.

The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) an automatic shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-131373), including the related preliminary prospectus or prospectuses, which registration statement became effective upon filing under Rule 462(e) of the rules and regulations of the Commission (the “1933 Act Regulations”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”). Such registration statement covers the registration of the Securities under the 1933 Act. Promptly after execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will prepare

 

1


and file a prospectus in accordance with the provisions of Rule 430B (“Rule 430B”) of the 1933 Act Regulations and paragraph (b) of Rule 424 (“Rule 424(b)”) of the 1933 Act Regulations. Any information included in such prospectus that was omitted from such registration statement at the time it became effective but that is deemed to be part of and included in such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430B is referred to as “Rule 430B Information.” Each prospectus used in connection with the offering of the Securities that omitted Rule 430B Information is herein called a “preliminary prospectus.” Such registration statement, at any given time including the 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 or included therein by 1933 Act Regulations or hereunder, is herein called the “Registration Statement.” The Registration Statement at the time it originally became effective is herein called the “Original Registration Statement.” The final prospectus in the form first furnished to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offering of the Securities, including the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act or hereunder (including for the avoidance of doubt, any documents filed under the 1934 Act prior to any Date of Delivery) at the time of the execution of this Agreement and any preliminary prospectuses that form a part thereof, is herein called the “Prospectus.” For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (“EDGAR”).

All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is “contained,” “included” or “stated” in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information which is incorporated by reference in or otherwise deemed by 1933 Act Regulations to be a part of or included in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to mean and include the filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “1934 Act”) which is incorporated by reference in or otherwise deemed by 1933 Act Regulations to be a part of or included in the Registration Statement, such preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be.

SECTION 1. Representations and Warranties.

(a) Representations and Warranties by the Company. The Company represents and warrants to each Underwriter as of the date hereof, the Applicable Time referred to in Section 1(a)(ii) hereof and as of the Closing Time referred to in Section 2(c) hereof, and as of each Date of Delivery (if any) referred to in Section 2(b) hereof, and agrees with each Underwriter, as follows:

(i) Status as a Well-Known Seasoned Issuer. (A) At the time of filing the Original Registration Statement, (B) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the 1933 Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act or form of prospectus), (C) at the time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c) of the 1933 Act Regulations) made any offer relating to the Securities in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163 of the 1933 Act Regulations and (D) at the date hereof, the Company was and is a “well-known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 405”), including not having been and not being an “ineligible issuer” as defined in Rule 405. The Registration Statement is an

 

2


“automatic shelf registration statement,” as defined in Rule 405, the Securities, since their registration on the Registration Statement, have been and remain eligible for registration by the Company on a Rule 405 “automatic shelf registration statement” and the Company was and is a “well-known seasoned issuer” under Rule 405(1)(i)(A). The Company has not received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations objecting to the use of the automatic shelf registration statement form.

At the time of filing the Original Registration Statement, at the earliest time thereafter 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 Securities and at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405.

(ii) Registration Statement, Prospectus and Disclosure at Time of Sale. The Original Registration Statement became effective upon filing under Rule 462(e) of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 462(e)”) on January 30, 2006, and any post effective amendment thereto also became effective upon filing under Rule 462(e). No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued under the 1933 Act and, to the knowledge of the Company, no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or are contemplated by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information from the Company has been complied with in all material respects.

Any offer that is a written communication relating to the Securities made prior to the filing of the Original Registration Statement by the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this paragraph only, of Rule 163(c) of the 1933 Act Regulations) has been filed with the Commission in accordance with the exemption provided by Rule 163 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 163”) and otherwise complied with the requirements of Rule 163, including without limitation the legending requirement, to qualify such offer for the exemption from Section 5(c) of the 1933 Act provided by Rule 163.

At the respective times the Original Registration Statement and each amendment thereto became effective, at each deemed effective date with respect to the Underwriters pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations and at the Closing Time (and, if any Option Securities are purchased, at the Date of Delivery), the Registration Statement complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and did 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.

Neither the Prospectus nor any amendments or supplements thereto, at the time the Prospectus or any such amendment or supplement was issued and at the Closing Time (and, if any Option Securities are purchased, at the Date of Delivery), included or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted 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. Any forward looking statements included in the Registration Statement or Prospectus are based on reasonable assumptions and provided on a good faith basis. The representations and warranties in this subsection shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement or Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through BAS expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto).

 

3


Each preliminary prospectus (including the prospectus or prospectuses filed as part of the Original Registration Statement or any amendment thereto) complied when so filed in all material respects with the 1933 Act Regulations and each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with this offering was identical to the 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, neither (x) the Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectuses (as defined below) issued at or prior to the Applicable Time (as defined below), the Statutory Prospectus (as defined below) and the information included on Schedule D-1 hereto, all considered together (collectively, the “General Disclosure Package”), nor (y) any individual Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

As used in this subsection and elsewhere in this Agreement:

“Applicable Time” means 8:00 pm (Eastern time) on April 27, 2006 or such other time as agreed by the Company and BAS.

“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 any document incorporated by reference therein and any preliminary or other prospectus deemed to be a part thereof.

“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 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 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 Securities or of the offering 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).

“Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors, as evidenced by its being specified in Schedule D-2 hereto.

“Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not an Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus.

Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Securities or until any earlier date that the issuer notified or notifies BAS as described in the next sentence, did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein and any preliminary or other prospectus deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or modified.

 

4


The representations and warranties in this subsection shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through BAS expressly for use therein.

(iii) Incorporated Documents. The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the 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 Prospectus, (a) at the time the Original Registration Statement became effective, (b) at the earlier of the time the Prospectus was first used and the date and time of the first contract of sale of Securities in their offering and (c) at the Closing Time (and, if any Option Securities are purchased, at the Date of Delivery), did 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, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

(iv) Independent Accountants. Ernst & Young LLP, who certified the Company’s audited financial statements and supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement, are independent public accountants with respect to the Company as required by the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations. To the knowledge of the Company, Deloitte & Touche LLP, who certified the audited consolidated financial statements of Toll Associates LLC (“Toll”) for the period ending on and as of September 6, 2004, are independent public accountants with respect to Toll as required by the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations. To the knowledge of the Company, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, who certified the audited consolidated financial statements of Instinet Group, Inc. (“Instinet”) included in the Registration Statement, are independent public accountants with respect to Instinet as required by the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations.

(v) Financial Statements. The consolidated financial statements of the Company included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries at the dates indicated and the consolidated 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, except as set forth in the notes to such financial statements. The consolidated financial statements of Instinet, Norway Acquisition Corp. (“Norway”), and Inet Holding Company Inc. (“IHC”) included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of Instinet, Norway and IHC at the dates indicated and the consolidated statements of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows of Instinet, Norway and IHC, as applicable, for the periods specified; such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with GAAP applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved except as set forth in the notes to such financial statements. The supporting schedules present fairly, in all material respects, in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated therein. The selected financial data and the summary financial information of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus present fairly, in all material respects, the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements included or incorporated by

 

5


reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. The unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements and the related notes thereto and the other pro forma and as adjusted financial information included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly, in all material respects, the information shown therein, have been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines with respect to pro forma financial statements and pro forma financial information and have been properly compiled on the bases described therein, and the assumptions used in the preparation thereof are reasonable and the adjustments used therein are appropriate to give effect to the transactions and circumstances referred to therein. All financial statements and pro forma financial statements required to be included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus pursuant to the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations and Regulation S-X have been included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.

(vi) No Material Adverse Change in Business. Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, 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 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.

(vii) Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware and has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement; and 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 be so qualified or to be in good standing would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(viii) Good Standing of Subsidiaries. Each subsidiary of the Company (each a “Subsidiary” and, collectively, the “Subsidiaries”) has been duly incorporated or organized and is validly existing as a corporation or limited liability company in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Prospectus and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation or limited liability company 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 be so qualified or to be in good standing would not reasonably be expect to result in a Material Adverse Effect; except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of each such Subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and non-assessable (except for directors’ qualifying shares, where applicable) and is 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 of any Subsidiary was issued in violation of the preemptive or similar rights of any securityholder of such Subsidiary arising by operation of law, under the organizational documents

 

6


of such Subsidiary or under any agreement to which such Subsidiary is a party or by which it is bound. The only subsidiaries of the Company are the Subsidiaries listed on Exhibit 21.1 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005 or on Exhibit D hereto.

(ix) Capitalization. The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company is as set forth in the Prospectus in the column entitled “Actual” under the caption “Capitalization” (except for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to this Agreement, pursuant to reservations, agreements or employee benefit plans referred to in the Prospectus or pursuant to the exercise of convertible securities or options referred to or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus). The shares of issued and outstanding capital stock have been duly authorized and validly issued by the Company and are fully paid and non-assessable; none of the outstanding shares of capital stock was issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights that have not been waived of any securityholder of the Company arising by operation of law, under the organizational documents of the Company or under any agreement to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound.

(x) Authorization of Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

(xi) Authorization and Description of Securities. The Common Stock conforms, in all material respects, to the description thereof set forth in the section entitled “Description of Common Stock” contained in the Registration Statement and such description conforms to the rights set forth in the Company’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as is currently in effect; and no holder of the Securities will be subject to personal liability by reason of being such a holder.

(xii) Absence of Defaults and Conflicts. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (A) in violation of its organizational documents or (B) 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 property or assets of the Company or any subsidiary is subject (collectively, “Agreements and Instruments”), except for, with respect to (B) above, such violations or defaults that would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; and the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and in the Registration Statement (including the issuance and sale of the Securities and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described in the Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds”) and compliance by the Company with its obligations hereunder 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 property or assets of the Company or any subsidiary pursuant to, the Agreements and Instruments (except for such conflicts, breaches, defaults or Repayment Events or liens, charges or encumbrances that would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect), nor will such action result in any violation of 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 subsidiary or any of their assets, properties or operations (except for such violations that would not reasonably be expected to result in a

 

7


Material Adverse Effect), nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the organizational documents of the Company or any subsidiary. As used herein, 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 subsidiary.

(xiii) Absence of Labor Disputes. No material labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any material subsidiary exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent.

(xiv) Absence of Proceedings. 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 (other than any sealed “qui tam” actions or any other actions of which the Company has no knowledge), or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against or affecting the Company or any subsidiary, which is required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement (other than as disclosed therein), or which would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or which would reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the properties or assets thereof or the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement or the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder; the aggregate of all pending legal or governmental proceedings to which the Company or any subsidiary is a party or of which any of their respective property or assets is the subject which are not described in the Registration Statement, including ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business, would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(xv) Exhibits. There are no contracts or documents which are required to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or the documents incorporated by reference therein which have not been so filed as required.

(xvi) Possession of Intellectual Property. Except as disclosed in the Prospectus, 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 conduct its business as now being conducted and as described in the Prospectus, and 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, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(xvii) 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 is necessary or required for the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, in connection with the offering, issuance or sale of the Securities hereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except such as have been already obtained under the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations or the 1934 Act or the 1934 Act Regulations or as may be required under state securities laws.

 

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(xviii) Absence of Manipulation. Neither the Company nor any subsidiary of the Company has taken, nor will the Company or any subsidiary take, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed to or which has constituted or which would be expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.

(xix) Title to Property. The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all real property owned by the Company and its subsidiaries and good title to all other 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 such as (a) are described in the Prospectus or (b) do not, singly or in the aggregate, in a manner that would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, affect the value of such property or interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such property by the Company or any of its subsidiaries; and 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 the Prospectus, are in full force and effect except in such case as would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, and neither the Company nor any subsidiary has any notice of any claim of any sort that has been asserted by anyone adverse to the rights of the Company or any subsidiary 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, except for claims which would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(xx) Investment Company Act. The Company is not required, and upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated and the application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in the Prospectus will not be required, to register as, an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).

(xxi) Environmental Laws. Except as described in the Registration Statement and except as would 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, asbestos-containing materials or mold (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (B) there are no pending or 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 (C) there are no events or circumstances that would 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.

 

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(xxii) Registration Rights. Except as stated in the Registration Statement, there are no persons with registration rights or other similar rights to have any securities registered pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise registered by the Company under the 1933 Act.

(xxiii) Accounting Controls. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.

(xxiv) Disclosure Controls. The Company and its subsidiaries employ disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the 1934 Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, and is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including its principal executive officer or officers and principal financial officer or officers, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding disclosure.

(xxv) No Material Weakness in Internal Controls. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, or in any document incorporated by reference therein, since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, to the Company’s knowledge, 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.

(xxvi) Compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply in all material respects with any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”), including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.

(xxvii) Related Party Transactions. No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company or any affiliate of the Company, on the one hand, and any director, officer, stockholder, customer or supplier of any of them, on the other hand, which is required by the 1933 Act or by the 1933 Act Regulations to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which is not so described or is not described as required.

(xxviii) Tax Returns. The Company and its subsidiaries have filed all federal, state, local and foreign tax returns that are required to have been filed by them pursuant to applicable foreign, federal, state, local or other law or have duly requested extensions thereof, except insofar as the failure to file such returns or request such extensions would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, and have paid all taxes due pursuant to such returns or pursuant to any assessment received by the Company and its Subsidiaries, except for

 

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such taxes or assessments, if any, as are being contested in good faith and as to which adequate reserves have been provided or where the failure to pay would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the Company in respect of any income and corporation tax liability of the Company and each subsidiary for any years not finally determined are adequate to meet any assessments or re-assessments for additional income tax for any years not finally determined, except to the extent of any inadequacy that would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(xxix) Authorizations. The Company and each of its subsidiaries have such permits, licenses, consents, exemptions, authorizations, orders, registrations, qualifications and other approvals (each, an “Authorization”) of, and have made all filings with and notices to, all Governmental Authorities and all Self-Regulatory Organizations necessary to conduct its business in the manner described in the Prospectus and is a member in good standing and is in compliance with the applicable laws, rules, regulations, orders, by-laws and similar requirements of each federal, state or foreign exchange, clearing house or association and Self-Regulatory Organizations or similar organizations necessary to conduct its business in the manner described in the Prospectus, except where the failure to have any such Authorization or filing or notice or the failure to be in good standing or in such compliance would not, individually or in the aggregate, be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; all of the Authorizations are valid and in full force and effect, except when the invalidity of such Authorizations or the failure of such Authorizations to be in full force and effect would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such Authorization, which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would result in a Material Adverse Effect. “Self-Regulatory Organization” shall have the meaning provided for in Section 3(a)(26) of the 1934 Act and shall also include any other commission, board, agency or body that is not a Governmental Authority (as defined herein) but is charged with the supervision or regulation of insurance companies or agents, or to the jurisdiction of which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is otherwise subject. “Governmental Authority” shall mean any court, administrative agency or commission, including, without limitation, the Commission, or other federal, state or local Governmental Authority or instrumentality of any nation and any agencies, departments or subdivisions thereof.

(xxx) Filings. The Company and each of its subsidiaries have timely filed all reports, registrations, statements and other filings, together with any amendments required to be made with respect thereto, that were required to be filed with or pursuant to the rules of (a) the Commission, (b) any other applicable federal, state, local or foreign governmental authorities or any Self-Regulatory Organization (all such reports and statements, including the financial statements, exhibits, annexes and schedules thereto, being collectively referred to herein as the “Reports”), including, without limitation, all reports, registrations, statements and filings required under the Securities Laws (as defined herein), and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, except for filings the failure of which to make will not materially adversely affect the ability of the Company or any of its subsidiaries to consummate the transactions and acts contemplated by this Agreement and would not reasonably result in a Material Adverse Effect on the Company. Each of the Reports, when filed, complied in all material respects as to form with, and the requirements of, the statutes, rules, regulations and orders enforced or promulgated by the Commission or Governmental Authority or Self-Regulatory Organization with which they were filed. “Securities Laws” means, collectively, the Act, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and any state securities and “blue sky” laws.

 

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(xxxi) Absence of Notices, Claims and Control Status. The Company and its subsidiaries

 

  (1) to the best of the Company’s knowledge, have received no notification or communication from any Governmental Authority or Self-Regulatory Organization (a) asserting that any of them has not been or is not in compliance with any of the statutes, rules, regulations or ordinances which such Governmental Authority or Self-Regulatory Organization enforces, or has otherwise engaged in any unlawful business practice, (b) threatening to revoke any license, franchise, permit, seat on any stock or commodities exchange, or governmental authorization, (c) requiring any of them to enter into a cease and desist order, agreement or memorandum of understanding (or requiring the managers thereof to adopt any resolution or policy) or (d) restricting or disqualifying the activities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries (except for restrictions generally imposed by rule, regulation, or administrative policy on brokers or dealers generally or by a Self-Regulatory Organization), except in the case of (a), (b), (c) or (d) above where such action would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and

 

  (2) are not aware of any pending or threatened investigation, review or disciplinary proceedings by any Governmental Authority or Self-Regulatory Organization against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any current or former manager, officer, director or employee thereof with respect to their employment with the Company that would individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect; and

 

  (3) are not, nor is any person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control of any of them, subject to a “statutory disqualification” as defined in Section 3(a)(39) of the Exchange Act or a disqualification that would be a basis for censure, limitations on the activities, functions, or operations of, or suspension or revocation of the registration of any broker-dealer subsidiary of the Company as a broker-dealer, an ECN, an “alternative trading system” (as such term is defined in Rule 300 of Regulation ATS under the Exchange Act), a national securities exchange, municipal securities dealer, government securities broker or government securities dealer under Section 15, Section 15B or Section 15C of the Exchange Act, and there is no reasonable basis for a proceeding or investigation, whether formal or informal, preliminary or otherwise, that is reasonably likely to result in, any such censure, limitations, suspension or revocation.

(b) Officer’s Certificates. Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries delivered to the Representatives or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to each Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.

 

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SECTION 2. Sale and Delivery to Underwriters; Closing.

(a) Initial Securities. On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company, at the price per share set forth in Schedule C, that proportion of the number of Initial Securities set forth in Schedule B opposite the name of the Company, as the case may be, which the number of Initial Securities set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter, plus any additional number of Initial Securities which such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 10 hereof, bears to the total number of Initial Securities, subject, in each case, to such adjustments among the Underwriters as the Representatives in their sole discretion shall make to eliminate any sales or purchases of fractional securities.

(b) Option Securities. In addition, on the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company hereby grants an option to the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, to purchase up to an additional aggregate amount of the Option Securities as set forth in Schedule B, at the price per share set forth in Schedule C, less an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Initial Securities but not payable on the Option Securities. The option hereby granted will expire 30 days after the date hereof and may be exercised in whole or in part from time to time on one or more occasions only for the purpose of covering overallotments which may be made in connection with the offering and distribution of the Initial Securities upon notice by BAS to the Company setting forth the number of Option Securities as to which the several Underwriters are then exercising the option and the time and date of payment and delivery for such Option Securities. Any such time and date of delivery (a “Date of Delivery”) shall be determined by BAS, but shall not be later than seven full business days after the exercise of said option, nor in any event prior to the Closing Time, as hereinafter defined, provided, however, that if the option hereby granted is exercised at least one business day prior to the Closing Time, the Date of Delivery shall be the Closing Time. If the option is exercised as to all or any portion of the Option Securities, each of the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, will purchase that proportion of the total number of Option Securities then being purchased which the number of Initial Securities set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Initial Securities, subject in each case to such adjustments as BAS in its discretion shall make to eliminate any sales or purchases of fractional shares.

(c) Payment. Payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of certificates for, the Initial Securities shall be made at the offices of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP, One New York Plaza, New York, New York 10004, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company, at 9:00 A.M. (Eastern time) on the third (fourth, if the pricing occurs after 4:30 P.M. (Eastern time) on any given day) business day after the date hereof (unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10), or such other time not later than ten business days after such date as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company (such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called “Closing Time”).

In addition, in the event that any or all of the Option Securities are purchased by the Underwriters, payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of certificates for, such Option Securities shall be made at the above-mentioned offices, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company, on each Date of Delivery as specified in the notice from the Representatives to the Company.

Payment shall be made to the Company by wire transfer of immediately available funds to a single bank account designated by the Company against delivery to the Representatives for the respective accounts of the Underwriters of certificates for the Securities to be purchased by them. It is understood

 

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that each Underwriter has authorized the Representatives, for its account, to accept delivery of, receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Initial Securities and the Option Securities, if any, which it has agreed to purchase. BAS, individually and not as representative of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment of the purchase price for the Initial Securities or the Option Securities, if any, to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds have not been received by the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, but such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from its obligations hereunder.

(d) Denominations; Registration. Certificates for the Initial Securities and the Option Securities, if any, shall be in such denominations and registered in such names as the Representatives may request in writing at least one full business day before the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be. The certificates for the Initial Securities and the Option Securities, if any, will be made available for examination and packaging by the Representatives in The City of New York not later than 10:00 A.M. (Eastern time) on the business day prior to the Closing Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be.

SECTION 3. Covenants of the Company. The Company covenants with each Underwriter as follows:

(a) Compliance with Securities Regulations and Commission Requests; Payment of Filing Fees. The Company, subject to Section 3(b), will comply with the requirements of Rule 430B and will notify the Representatives immediately, and confirm the notice in writing, (i) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or new registration statement relating to the Securities shall become effective, or any supplement to the Prospectus or any amended Prospectus shall have been filed, (ii) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission, (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or the filing of a new registration statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or any document incorporated by reference therein or otherwise deemed to be a part thereof or for additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or such new registration statement or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(e) of the 1933 Act concerning the Registration Statement and (v) if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the 1933 Act in connection with the offering of the Securities. The Company will effect the filings required under Rule 424(b), in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)), and will take such steps as it deems necessary to ascertain promptly whether the form of prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 424(b) was received for filing by the Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly file such prospectus. The Company will make every reasonable effort to prevent the issuance of any stop order and, if any stop order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment. The Company shall pay the required Commission filing fees relating to the Securities within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1) (i) of the 1933 Act Regulations without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) of the 1933 Act Regulations.

(b) Filing of Amendments and Exchange Act Documents. The Company will give the Representatives notice of its intention to file or prepare any amendment to the Registration Statement or new registration statement relating to the Securities, or any amendment, supplement or revision to either any preliminary prospectus (including any prospectus included in the Original Registration Statement or amendment thereto at the time it became effective) or to the Prospectus, whether pursuant to the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act or otherwise, and the Company will furnish the Representatives with copies of

 

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any such documents a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing or use, as the case may be, and, until the earlier of (i) the day that is 30 days from the date hereof or (ii) the final Date of Delivery with respect to the Option Securities, will not file or use any Registration Statement (which, for the avoidance of doubt, shall not include any reports or documents filed or required to be filed by the Company under the 1934 Act or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder) to which the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object. Neither the consent to nor the distribution of any amendment shall constitute a waiver of any of the conditions of Section 5 hereof. The Company has given the Representatives notice of any filings made pursuant to the 1934 Act or 1934 Act Regulations within 48 hours prior to the Applicable Time; the Company will give the Representatives notice of its intention to make any such filing from the Applicable Time to the Closing Time and will furnish the Representatives with copies of any such documents a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing, as the case may be, and will not file or use any such document to which the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters shall object.

(c) Delivery of Registration Statements. The Company has furnished or will deliver to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, one copy of the manually signed and as many conformed copies as the Underwriters may reasonably request, of the Original Registration Statement and of each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed therewith or incorporated by reference therein and documents incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein or otherwise deemed to be a part thereof) and signed copies of all consents and certificates of experts. The copies of the Original Registration Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical in text to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

(d) Delivery of Prospectuses. The Company has delivered to each Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of each preliminary prospectus as such Underwriter reasonably requested, and the Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the 1933 Act. The Company will furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, during the period when the Prospectus is required to be delivered under the 1933 Act, such number of copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as such Underwriter may reasonably request. The Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical in text to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

(e) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. The Company will comply with the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Securities as contemplated in this Agreement and in the Prospectus. If at any time when a prospectus is required by the 1933 Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Securities, any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters or for the Company, to amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the Prospectus in order that the Prospectus will not include any untrue statements of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing at the time it is delivered to a purchaser, or if it shall be necessary, in the opinion of such counsel, at any such time to amend the Registration Statement or file a new registration statement or amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to comply with the requirements of the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations, the Company will promptly prepare and file with the Commission, subject to Section 3(b), such amendment, supplement or new registration statement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to comply with such requirements, the Company will use its best efforts to have such amendment or new registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable (if it is not an automatic shelf registration statement with respect

 

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to the Securities) and the Company will furnish to the Underwriters such number of copies of such amendment, supplement or new registration statement as the Underwriters may reasonably request. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement or any other registration statement relating to the Securities or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify BAS and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.

(f) Blue Sky Qualifications. The Company will cooperate with the Underwriters to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions (domestic or foreign) as the Representatives may designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect for a period of not less than one year from the date hereof; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject.

(g) Rule 158. The Company will timely file such reports pursuant to the 1934 Act as are necessary in order to make generally available to its securityholders an earnings statement for the purposes of, and to provide the benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act.

(h) Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Securities in the manner specified in the Prospectus under “Use of Proceeds.”

(i) Listing. The Company will use its best efforts to maintain the quotation of the Common Stock (including the Securities) on the Nasdaq National Market.

(j) Restriction on Sale of Securities. During a period of 90 days from the date of the Prospectus, the Company will not, without the prior written consent of BAS, which will not be unreasonably withheld, (i) directly or indirectly, offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase or otherwise transfer or dispose of any share of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or file any registration statement under the 1933 Act, other than a registration statement on Form S-8, with respect to any of the foregoing or (ii) enter into any swap or any other agreement or any transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such swap or transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (A) the Securities to be sold hereunder, (B) any shares of Common Stock issued by the Company upon the exercise of an option or warrant or the conversion of a security outstanding on the date hereof and referred to in the Prospectus, (C) any shares of Common Stock issued or options to purchase Common Stock granted pursuant to existing employee benefit plans of the Company referred to or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus or (D) issuances of Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock in connection with (i) the acquisition of all or substantially all or significantly all of the assets, property or equity of another person or all or substantially all or significantly all of the assets, property or equity of a subsidiary, business segment, business unit or business division thereof or (ii) the merger or consolidation

 

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or similar transaction of the Company or any wholly owned subsidiary of the Company with another person. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if: (1) during the last 17 days of such 90-day period the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs; or (2) prior to the expiration of the such 90-day period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day-period beginning on the last day of such 90-day period, the restrictions imposed by this letter shall continue to apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event.

(k) Reporting Requirements. The Company, during the period when the Prospectus is required to be delivered under the 1933 Act, will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the 1934 Act within the time periods required by the 1934 Act Regulations that are applicable to the Company.

(l) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. Except as disclosed on Schedule D, the Company represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Representatives, and each Underwriter represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Company and the Representatives, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405, required to be filed with the Commission. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Company and the Representatives is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company represents that it has treated or agrees that it will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping.

SECTION 4. Payment of Expenses.

(a) Expenses. The Company will pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and of each amendment thereto, (ii) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of this Agreement, any Agreement among Underwriters and such other documents as may be required in connection with the offering, purchase, sale, issuance or delivery of the Securities, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificates for the Securities to the Underwriters, including any stock or other transfer taxes and any stamp or other duties payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Securities to the Underwriters, (iv) the fees and disbursements of the Company’s counsel, accountants and other advisors, (v) the qualification of the Securities under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(f) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection therewith and in connection with the preparation of the Blue Sky Survey and any supplement thereto, (vi) the printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of each preliminary prospectus, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus and of the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto and any costs associated with electronic delivery of any of the foregoing by the Underwriters to investors, (vii) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of the Blue Sky Survey and any supplement thereto, (viii) the fees and expenses of any transfer agent or registrar for the Securities, (ix) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Securities, including without limitation, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company and any such consultants, and the cost of aircraft and other transportation

 

17


chartered in connection with the road show, (x) the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters in connection with evaluation regarding any review by the NASD of the terms of the sale of the Securities, (xi) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the quotation of the Securities on the Nasdaq National Market, and (xii) the costs and expenses (including without limitation any damages or other amounts payable in connection with legal or contractual liability) associated with the reforming of any contracts for sale of the Securities made by the Underwriters caused by a breach of the representation contained in the sixth paragraph of Section 1(a)(ii).

(b) Termination of Agreement. If this Agreement is terminated by the Representatives in accordance with the provisions of Section 5 or Section 9(a)(i) hereof, the Company shall reimburse the Underwriters for all of the Underwriters’ out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters.

SECTION 5. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligations of the several Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company contained in Section 1 hereof or in certificates of any officer of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to the following further conditions:

(a) Effectiveness of Registration Statement. The Registration Statement has become effective and at Closing Time no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued under the 1933 Act or proceedings therefore initiated or threatened by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of counsel to the Underwriters. A prospectus containing the Rule 430B Information shall have been filed with the Commission in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8) (or a post-effective amendment providing such information shall have been filed and become effective in accordance with the requirements of Rule 430B).

(b) Opinion of Counsel for Company. At Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of Closing Time, of (i) Edward S. Knight, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of the Company and (ii) Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom LLP, counsel for the Company, in each case in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of each such letter for each of the other Underwriters to the effect set forth in Exhibit A-1 and Exhibit A-2 hereto.

(c) Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters. At Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of Closing Time, of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters. In giving such opinion such counsel may rely, as to all matters governed by the laws of jurisdictions other than the law of the State of New York, the federal law of the United States and the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, upon the opinions of counsel satisfactory to the Representatives. Such counsel may also state that, insofar as such opinion involves factual matters, they have relied, to the extent they deem proper, upon certificates of officers of the Company and its subsidiaries and certificates of public officials.

(d) Officers’ Certificate. At Closing Time, there shall not have been, since the date hereof or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus or the General Disclosure Package, any 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

 

18


enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, and the Representatives shall have received a certificate of the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and of the chief financial or chief accounting officer of the Company or such other officer(s) of the Company acceptable to the Representatives, dated as of Closing Time, to the effect that (i) there has been no such material adverse change, (ii) the representations and warranties in Section 1(a) hereof are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of Closing Time, (iii) the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to Closing Time, and (iv) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and, to the knowledge of such person, no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or contemplated by the Commission.

(e) Accountant’s Comfort Letter. At the time of the execution of this Agreement, the Representatives shall have received (i) from Ernst & Young LLP a letter dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements of the Company and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, (ii) from Deloitte & Touche LLP a letter dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements of Toll and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and (iii) from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP a letter dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements of Instinet and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.

(f) Bring-down Comfort Letter. At Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received from Ernst & Young LLP a letter, dated as of Closing Time, to the effect that it reaffirms the statements made in its letter furnished pursuant to subsection (e) of this Section, except that the specified date referred to shall be a date not more than three business days prior to Closing Time.

(g) Approval of Listing. At Closing Time, the Company’s Listing of Additional Shares form, if required, shall have been approved by the Nasdaq Stock Market.

(h) Lock-up Agreements. At the date of this Agreement, the Representatives shall have received an agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit B-1, B-2, B-3 and C hereto signed by the applicable persons listed on Schedule E hereto.

(i) Maintenance of Rating. Since the execution of this Agreement, there shall not have been any decrease in the rating of any of the Company’s securities by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as defined for purposes of Rule 436(g) under the 1933 Act) or any notice given of any intended or potential decrease in any such rating or of a possible change in any such rating that does not indicate the direction of the possible change.

(j) Conditions to Purchase of Option Securities. In the event that the Underwriters exercise their option provided in Section 2(b) hereof to purchase all or any portion of the Option Securities, the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein and the statements in any certificates furnished by the Company and any subsidiary of the Company hereunder shall be true and

 

19


correct as of each Date of Delivery and, at the relevant Date of Delivery, the Representatives shall have received:

(i) Officers’ Certificate. A certificate, dated such Date of Delivery, of the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and of the chief financial or chief accounting officer of the Company or such other officer(s) of the Company acceptable to the Representatives confirming that the certificate delivered at the Closing Time pursuant to Section 5(d) hereof remains true and correct as of such Date of Delivery.

(ii) Opinion of Counsel for Company. The favorable opinion of (i) Edward S. Knight, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of the Company and (ii) Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom LLP, counsel for the Company, each in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters , dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as the opinions required by Section 5(b) hereof.

(iii) Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters. The favorable opinion of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and otherwise to the same effect as the opinion required by Section 5(c) hereof.

(iv) Bring-down Comfort Letter. A letter from Ernst & Young LLP, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives and dated such Date of Delivery, substantially in the same form and substance as its respective letter furnished to the Representatives pursuant to Section 5(e) hereof, except that the “specified date” in the letter furnished pursuant to this paragraph shall be a date not more than three business days prior to such Date of Delivery.

(k) Additional Documents. At Closing Time and at each Date of Delivery, counsel for the Underwriters shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as they may reasonably require for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters.

(l) Termination of Agreement. If any condition specified in this Section shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement, or, in the case of any condition to the purchase of Option Securities on a Date of Delivery which is after the Closing Time, the obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase the relevant Option Securities, may be terminated by the Representatives by notice to the Company at any time at or prior to Closing Time or such Date of Delivery, as the case may be, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 and except that Sections 1, 6, 7 and 8 shall survive any such termination and remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 6. Indemnification.

(a) Indemnification of Underwriters. (1) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, as such term is defined in Rule 501(b) under the 1933 Act

 

20


(each, an “Affiliate”), its selling agents and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act as follows:

(i) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430B Information, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

(ii) against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company (with respect to indemnity by the Company); and

(iii) against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by BAS), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) above;

provided, however, that the indemnity agreement by the Company shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through BAS expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430B Information, or any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto).

(2) Insofar as this indemnity agreement may permit indemnification for liabilities under the 1933 Act of any person who is a partner of an Underwriter or who controls an underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act and who, at the date of this Agreement, is a director or officer of the Company or controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act, such indemnity agreement is subject to the undertaking of the Company in the Registration Statement under Item 15 thereof.

(b) Indemnification of Company, Directors and Officers. Each Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act, against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in subsection (a)(1) of this Section, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430B Information or any

 

21


preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Underwriter through BAS expressly for use therein. The Company hereby acknowledges that the only information that the Underwriters have furnished to the Company expressly for use in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the Rule 430B Information or any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) are the statements set forth in the table in the first paragraph under the caption “Underwriting” in the Prospectus, the third paragraph under the caption “Underwriting” in the Prospectus, the first, third, fourth, fifth and sixth paragraphs under the heading “Stabilization” under the caption “Underwriting” in the Prospectus, and the statements set forth under the heading “Online Offering” under the caption “Underwriting” in the Prospectus.

(c) Actions Against Parties; Notification. Each indemnified party shall give notice as promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability hereunder to the extent it is not materially prejudiced as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement. In the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(a)(1) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by BAS, and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(b) above, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Company. An indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in the defense of any such action; provided, however, that counsel to the indemnifying party shall not (except with the consent of the indemnified party) also be counsel to the indemnified party. In no event shall the indemnifying parties be liable for fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for all indemnified parties in connection with any one action or separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 6 or Section 7 hereof (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

SECTION 7. Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in Section 6 hereof is for any reason unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party, severally and not jointly, shall contribute to the aggregate amount of such losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by such indemnified party, as incurred, (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions, which resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.

The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this

 

22


Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the total underwriting discount received by the Underwriters, respectively, in each case as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of the Securities as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus.

The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 7. The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.

Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.

No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

For purposes of this Section 7, each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act and each Underwriter’s Affiliates and selling agents shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company , as the case may be. The Underwriters’ respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are several in proportion to the number of Initial Securities set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule A hereto and not joint.

SECTION 8. Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive. All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or its Affiliates or selling agents, any person controlling any Underwriter, its officers or directors, any person controlling the Company and (ii) delivery of and payment for the Securities.

SECTION 9. Termination of Agreement.

(a) Termination; General. The Representatives may terminate this Agreement, by notice to the Company, at any time at or prior to Closing Time (i) if there has been, since the time of

 

23


execution of this Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus or the General Disclosure Package, any 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, or (ii) if there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States or the international financial markets, any outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof or other calamity or crisis or any change or development involving a prospective change in national or international political, financial or economic conditions, in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the reasonable judgment of the Representatives, impracticable or inadvisable to market the Securities or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities, or (iii) if trading in any securities of the Company has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or the Nasdaq National Market, or if trading generally on the American Stock Exchange or the New York Stock Exchange or in the Nasdaq National Market has been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by any of said exchanges or by such system or by order of the Commission, the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. or any other governmental authority, or (iv) a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States, or (v) if a banking moratorium has been declared by either Federal or New York authorities.

(b) Liabilities. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section, such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 hereof, and provided further that Sections 1, 6, 7 and 8 shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 10. Default by One or More of the Underwriters. If one or more of the Underwriters shall fail at Closing Time or a Date of Delivery to purchase the Securities which it or they are obligated to purchase under this Agreement (the “Defaulted Securities”), the Representatives shall have the right, within 24 hours thereafter, to make arrangements for one or more of the non-defaulting Underwriters, or any other underwriters, to purchase all, but not less than all, of the Defaulted Securities in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms herein set forth; if, however, the Representatives shall not have completed such arrangements within such 24-hour period, then:

(1) if the number of Defaulted Securities does not exceed 10% of the number of Securities to be purchased on such date, each of the non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated, severally and not jointly, to purchase the full amount thereof in the proportions that their respective underwriting obligations hereunder bear to the underwriting obligations of all non-defaulting Underwriters, or

(2) if the number of Defaulted Securities exceeds 10% of the number of Securities to be purchased on such date, this Agreement or, with respect to any Date of Delivery which occurs after the Closing Time, the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase and of the Company to sell the Option Securities to be purchased and sold on such Date of Delivery shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter.

No action taken pursuant to this Section 10 shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of its default.

In the event of any such default which does not result in a termination of this Agreement or, in the case of a Date of Delivery which is after the Closing Time, which does not result in a termination of the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase and the Company to sell the relevant Option Securities, as the case may be, either (i) the Representatives or (ii) the Company shall have the right to postpone Closing

 

24


Time or the relevant Date of Delivery, as the case may be, for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the Registration Statement or Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements. As used herein, the term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section 10.

SECTION 11. No Advisory or Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities that (a) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price of the Securities and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other hand, (b) in connection with the offering contemplated hereby and the process leading to such transaction each Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, or its stockholders, creditors, employees or any other party, (c) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) and no Underwriter has any obligation to the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (d) the Underwriters and their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company, and (e) the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering contemplated hereby and the Company has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.

SECTION 12. Tax Disclosure. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Company’s use and disclosure of information relating to the U.S. federal income tax treatment and structure of the transactions contemplated herein is not limited for the benefit of any person in any manner, and such U.S. federal income tax treatment and structure are not claimed to be proprietary or exclusive to any person.

SECTION 13. Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be directed to the Representatives at 9 West 57th Street, New York, New York 10019, attention of Syndicate Department; with a copy to Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP, One New York Plaza, New York, New York 10004, attention of Valerie Ford Jacob, Esq.; and notices to the Company shall be directed to The Nasdaq Stock Market, One Liberty Plaza, New York, New York 10006, attention of Office of General Counsel; with a copy to Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, attention of Phyllis G. Korff and Eric J. Friedman.

SECTION 14. Parties. This Agreement shall each inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors and the controlling persons and officers and directors referred to in Sections 6 and 7 and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors, and said controlling persons and officers and directors and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.

 

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SECTION 15. GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

SECTION 16. TIME. TIME SHALL BE OF THE ESSENCE OF THIS AGREEMENT. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SET FORTH HEREIN, SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME.

SECTION 17. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same Agreement.

SECTION 18. Effect of Headings. The Section headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

 

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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the Company a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement among the Underwriters and the Company in accordance with its terms.

 

Very truly yours,
THE NASDAQ STOCK MARKET, INC.
By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  

 

27


CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED,

as of the date first above written, on behalf of itself and the several other Underwriters named on Schedule A hereto:

BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC

CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) LLC

By:

 

BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC

By:

 

 

  Authorized Signatory
For themselves and as Representatives of the other Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto.

 

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SCHEDULE A

 

Name of Underwriters

  

Number of

Initial Securities

Banc of America Securities LLC

   7,400,000

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC

   6,475,000

Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc.

   1,156,250

UBS Securities LLC

   1,156,250

Cowen & Co., LLC

   462,500

Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc.

   462,500

Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P.

   462,500

Thomas Weisel Partners LLC

   462,500

Wachovia Capital Markets LLC

   462,500
    

Total

   18,500,000
    

 

Sch A


SCHEDULE B

NUMBER OF SECURITIES TO BE SOLD

 

    

Number of

Initial

Securities to

be Sold

  

Maximum

Number of

Option

Securities to be

Sold

The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc.

   18,500,000    2,775,000
         

Total

   18,500,000    2,775,000
         

 

Sch B


SCHEDULE C

THE NASDAQ STOCK MARKET, INC.

Shares of Class A Common Stock

(Par Value $.01 Per Share)

1. The initial public offering price per share for the Securities, determined as provided in Section 2, shall be $37.36.

2. The purchase price per share for the Securities to be paid by the several Underwriters shall be $35.959, being an amount equal to the initial public offering price set forth above less $1.401, per share; provided that the purchase price per share for any Option Securities purchased upon the exercise of the option described in Section 2(b) shall be reduced by an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Initial Securities but not payable on the Option Securities.

 

Sch C


SCHEDULE D-1

Information

 

Sch D-1


SCHEDULE D-2

Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus

 

Sch D-2


SCHEDULE E

List of persons subject to lock-up

 

Sch E


Exhibit A-1

FORM OF OPINION OF COMPANY’S COUNSEL

TO BE DELIVERED PURSUANT TO

SECTION 5(b)

 

A-1-1


Exhibit A-2

FORM OF OPINION OF COMPANY’S COUNSEL

TO BE DELIVERED PURSUANT TO

SECTION 5(b)

 

A-2-1


Exhibit B-1

FORM OF LOCK-UP LETTER FROM DIRECTORS

PURSUANT TO SECTION 5(h)

 

B-1-1


Exhibit B-2

FORM OF LOCK-UP LETTER FROM GLENN H. HUTCHINS

PURSUANT TO SECTION 5(h)

 

B-2-1


Exhibit B-3

FORM OF LOCK-UP LETTER FROM PATRICK J. HEALY

PURSUANT TO SECTION 5(h)

 

B-3-1


Exhibit C

FORM OF LOCK-UP LETTER FROM OFFICERS

PURSUANT TO SECTION 5(h)

 

C-1


Exhibit D

LIST OF COMPANY SUBSIDIARIES

 

D