UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 6-K
REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER PURSUANT TO
RULE 13A-16 OR 15D-16 UNDER THE SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the month of March 2012
Commission File Number: 000-29106
KNIGHTSBRIDGE TANKERS LIMITED
(Translation of registrants name into English)
Par-la-Ville Place, 14 Par-la-Ville Road, Hamilton, HM 08, Bermuda
(Address of principal executive offices)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form 20-F [ X ] Form 40-F [ ]
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1): .
Note: Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1) only permits the submission in paper of a Form 6-K if submitted solely to provide an attached annual report to security holders.
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7): .
Note: Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7) only permits the submission in paper of a Form 6-K if submitted to furnish a report or other document that the registrant foreign private issuer must furnish and make public under the laws of the jurisdiction in which the registrant is incorporated, domiciled or legally organized (the registrants home country), or under the rules of the home country exchange on which the registrants securities are traded, as long as the report or other document is not a press release, is not required to be and has not been distributed to the registrants security holders, and, if discussing a material event, has already been the subject of a Form 6-K submission or other Commission filing on EDGAR.
INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS FORM 6-K REPORT
Attached as Exhibit 1 is a copy of the underwriting agreement dated March 13, 2012, made by and between Knightsbridge Tankers Limited (the Company), Golden Ocean Group Limited (Golden Ocean) and Goldman, Sachs & Co., the underwriter, relating to the offering of shares of common stock of the Company by Golden Ocean, the selling shareholder.
This Report on Form 6-K is hereby incorporated by reference into the Companys registration statement on Form F-3 (Registration No. 333-175125), which was declared effective on July 27, 2011.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
KNIGHTSBRIDGE TANKERS LIMITED (registrant) | ||||||||
Dated: March 15, 2012 | By: | /s/ Ola Lorentzon |
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Name: Ola Lorentzon | ||||||||
Title: Chairman and Chief Executive Officer |
Exhibit 1
EXECUTION COPY
KNIGHTSBRIDGE TANKERS LIMITED
(a Bermuda exempted company)
2,438,199 Common Shares
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
Dated: March 13, 2012
KNIGHTSBRIDGE TANKERS LIMITED
(a Bermuda exempted company)
2,438,199 Common Shares
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
March 13, 2012
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
200 West Street
New York, New York 10282
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Knightsbridge Tankers Limited, a Bermuda exempted company (the Company), and Golden Ocean Group Limited, a Bermuda exempted company (the Selling Shareholder) confirm their respective agreements with Goldman, Sachs & Co. (the Underwriter), with respect to the sale by the Selling Shareholder and the purchase by the Underwriter of 2,438,199 common shares, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (Common Shares). The aforesaid 2,438,199 Common Shares to be purchased by the Underwriter are herein called the Securities.
The Company and the Selling Shareholder understand that the Underwriter proposes to make a public offering of the Securities as soon as the Underwriter deems advisable after this Agreement has been executed and delivered.
The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission) a registration statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-175125), covering the public offering and sale of certain securities, including the Securities, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 1933 Act), and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the 1933 Act Regulations). Such registration statement, as of any time, means such registration statement as amended by any post-effective amendments thereto at such time, including the exhibits and any schedules thereto at such time, the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein at such time pursuant to Item 6 of Form F-3 under the 1933 Act and the documents otherwise deemed to be a part thereof as of such time pursuant to Rule 430B under the 1933 Act Regulations (Rule 430B), is referred to herein as the Registration Statement; provided, however, that the Registration Statement without reference to a time means such registration statement as amended by any post-effective amendments thereto as of the time of the first contract of sale for the Securities, which time shall be considered the new effective date of such registration statement with respect to the Securities within the meaning of paragraph (f)(2) of Rule 430B, including the exhibits and schedules thereto as of such time, the documents incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference therein at such time pursuant to Item 6 of Form F-3 under the 1933 Act and the documents otherwise deemed to be a part thereof as of such time pursuant to Rule 430B. Each preliminary prospectus, including any prospectus supplements, used in connection with the offering of the Securities, and the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 6 of Form F-3 under the 1933 Act, are collectively referred to herein as a preliminary prospectus. Promptly after execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will prepare and file a final prospectus, including a final prospectus supplement, relating to the Securities in accordance
with the provisions of Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act Regulations (Rule 424(b)). The final prospectus, as supplemented by the final prospectus supplement, in the form first furnished or made available to the Underwriter for use in connection with the offering of the Securities, and the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 6 of Form F-3 under the 1933 Act, are collectively referred to herein as 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) or its Interactive Data Electronic Applications system (IDEA).
As used in this Agreement:
Applicable Time means 4:10 P.M., New York City time, on March 13, 2012 or such other time as agreed by the Company, the Selling Shareholder and the Underwriter.
General Disclosure Package means any Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectuses issued at or prior to the Applicable Time, the prospectus (including any documents incorporated therein by reference) that is included in the Registration Statement as of the Applicable Time and the information included on Schedule A hereto, all considered together.
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus means any issuer free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 433 of the 1933 Act Regulations (Rule 433), including without limitation any free writing prospectus (as defined in Rule 405 of the 1933 Act Regulations (Rule 405)) relating to the Securities that is (i) required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) 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) exempt from filing with the Commission 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 Companys 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 (other than a bona fide electronic road show, as defined in Rule 433), as evidenced by its being specified in Schedule B hereto.
Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not an Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus.
All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is contained, included or stated (or other references of like import) in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to include all such financial statements and schedules and other information incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, prior to the Applicable Time; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to include the filing of any document under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the 1934 Act), and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the 1934 Act Regulations), incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, at or after the Applicable Time.
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SECTION 1. Representations and Warranties.
(a) Representations and Warranties by the Company. The Company represents and warrants to the Underwriter as of the date hereof, the Applicable Time and the Closing Time (as defined below), and agrees with the Underwriter, as follows:
(i) Registration Statement and Prospectuses. The Company meets the requirements for use of Form F-3 under the 1933 Act. The Securities have been and remain eligible for registration by the Company on the Registration Statement. Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto has become effective under the 1933 Act. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued under the 1933 Act, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to the Companys knowledge, contemplated. The Company has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information.
Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time of its effectiveness and at each deemed effective date with respect to the Underwriter pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(2) under the 1933 Act Regulations, complied in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations. Each preliminary prospectus (including the prospectus filed as part of the Registration Statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto), at the time it was filed, complied in all material respects with the 1933 Act Regulations and each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus delivered to the Underwriter for use in connection with this offering was identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR or IDEA, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, when they became effective or 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 1934 Act Regulations.
(ii) Accurate Disclosure. Neither the Registration Statement nor any amendment thereto, at its effective time or at the Closing Time, contained, contains or will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. As of the Applicable Time, neither (A) the General Disclosure Package nor (B) any individual Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. Neither the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto, as of its issue date, at the time of any filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) or at the Closing Date, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, at the time the Registration Statement became effective or when such documents incorporated by reference were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, when read together with the other information in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, did not and will not include 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.
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The representations and warranties in this subsection shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Underwriter expressly for use therein. For purposes of this Agreement, the only information so furnished shall be the information in the second, third, fourth and fifth paragraphs under the heading Underwriting in the Prospectus (collectively, the Underwriter Information).
(iii) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. No Issuer Free Writing Prospectus 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.
(iv) Company Not Ineligible Issuer. At the time of filing the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or the Underwriter 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, without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an ineligible issuer.
(v) Independent Accountants. The accountants who certified the financial statements and supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement are independent public accountants as required by the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act, the 1934 Act Regulations and the Public Accounting Oversight Board.
(vi) Financial Statements; Non-GAAP Financial Measures. The financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, present fairly the financial position of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries (as defined below) at the dates indicated and the statement of operations, stockholders equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries for the periods specified; and said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved. The supporting schedules, if any, present fairly in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated therein. The selected financial data and the summary financial information included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements included therein. Except as included therein, no historical financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus under the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations. All disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, or incorporated by reference therein, regarding non-GAAP financial measures (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply with Regulation G of the 1934 Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K of the 1933 Act, to the extent applicable.
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(vii) No Material Adverse Change in Business. Except as otherwise stated therein, since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, (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) except for regular quarterly dividends on the Common Shares in amounts per share that are consistent with past practice, there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its capital stock.
(viii) 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 Bermuda and has corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the General Disclosure Package and 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 so to qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(ix) Good Standing of Subsidiaries. Each subsidiary of the Company (each, a Subsidiary and, collectively, the Subsidiaries) has been duly organized and is validly existing in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, has corporate or similar power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to so qualify or to be in good standing would not result in a Material Adverse Effect. Except as otherwise disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of each Subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and non-assessable 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. The only Subsidiaries of the Company are the Subsidiaries listed on Schedule F hereto.
(x) Capitalization. The authorized, issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are as set forth in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus in the column entitled Actual under the caption Capitalization (except for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to reservations, agreements or employee benefit plans referred to in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or pursuant to the exercise of convertible securities or options referred to in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus). The outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company, including the Securities to be purchased by the Underwriter from the Selling Shareholder, have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable. None of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company, including the Securities to be purchased by the Underwriter from the Selling Shareholder, was issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company.
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(xi) Authorization of Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(xii) Authorization and Description of Securities. The Securities to be purchased by the Underwriter from the Selling Shareholder have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully-paid and non-assessable. The Common Shares conform to all statements relating thereto contained in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and such description conforms to the rights set forth in the instruments defining the same. No holder of Securities will be subject to personal liability by reason of being such a holder.
(xiii) No Restrictions. There are no restrictions on subsequent transfers of the Shares under the laws of Bermuda.
(xiv) Registration Rights. Other than the Selling Shareholder, 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.
(xv) Absence of Violations, Defaults and Conflicts. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is (A) in violation of its memorandum of association, bye-laws or similar organizational documents, (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 Subsidiary is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound or to which any of the properties or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary is subject (collectively, Agreements and Instruments), except for such defaults that would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, or (C) in violation of any law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any U.S. or non-U.S. arbitrator, court, governmental body, regulatory body, administrative agency or other authority, body or agency having jurisdiction over such party or any of its properties, assets or operations, including, without limitation, the International Maritime Organization (the IMO) (each, a Governmental Entity), except for such violations that would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein, and in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (including the issuance and sale of the Securities and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described therein 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 properties 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, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect), nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the memorandum of association, bye-laws or similar organizational document of the Company or any Subsidiary or any law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any Governmental Entity. 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 holders behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any Subsidiary.
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(xvi) Enforceability of Agreements. Each of the agreements listed on Schedule E hereto (the Other Agreements) has been duly authorized and has been executed and delivered by each of the Company and each of its Subsidiaries party thereto and constitutes a valid and binding agreement of each of the Company and each of its Subsidiaries party thereto enforceable against each of the Company and the Subsidiaries party thereto in accordance with its terms. The Other Agreements constitute valid and binding agreements of each of the Company and the Subsidiaries party thereto and each such other party thereto enforceable in all material respects against each such party in accordance with their respective terms; provided that, with respect to each agreement described in this Section 1(a)(xvi), the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws relating to or affecting creditors rights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law). Any consent required to be obtained by the Company and its Subsidiaries in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and any Other Agreement has been obtained. The Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus each contain a summary of the terms of each of the Other Agreements, which summaries are accurate and fair in all material respects.
(xvii) Absence of Labor Dispute. No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any Subsidiary exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its or any Subsidiarys principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or contractors or managers, which, in either case, would result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xviii) Absence of Proceedings. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any Governmental Entity now pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against or affecting the Company or any Subsidiary, which if resolved or adjudicated against the Company or Subsidiary, as the case may be, might result in a Material Adverse Effect, or which might 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 or any Subsidiary of its obligations hereunder or thereunder; and 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 properties or assets is the subject which are not described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, including ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business, could not result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xix) Accuracy of Exhibits. There are no contracts or documents which are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits thereto which have not been so described and filed as required.
(xx) Absence of Further Requirements. No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any Governmental Entity is necessary or required for the performance by the Company or any Subsidiary 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 or as may be required under the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the rules of the NASDAQ Stock Market LLC, state securities laws or the rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA).
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(xxi) Possession of Licenses and Permits. The Company and each Subsidiary possesses such permits, licenses, approvals, consents and other authorizations (collectively, Governmental Licenses) issued by the appropriate Governmental Entities necessary to conduct the business now operated by each of them, except where the failure so to possess would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and each Subsidiary is in compliance with the terms and conditions of all Governmental Licenses, except where the failure so to comply would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. All of the Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect, except when the invalidity of such Governmental Licenses or the failure of such Governmental Licenses to be in full force and effect would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Governmental Licenses which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xxii) Title to Property. The Company and the Subsidiaries do not own in fee any real property nor do they have any leasehold interests in real property; the Company and the Subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all personal property owned by them, and each entity identified on Schedule D (each such entity, a Vessel Owning Subsidiary) is the sole owner of the vessel set forth opposite its name on Schedule D, in each case, free and clear of all mortgages, pledges, liens, security interests, claims and all defects of the title of record, except such as (A) are described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or (B) do not, singly or in the aggregate, materially affect the value of such property and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company or any Subsidiary; and all of the leases and subleases material to the business of the Company and the Subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, and under which the Company or any Subsidiary holds properties described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are in full force and effect, and neither the Company nor any such Subsidiary has any notice of any material 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 properties under any such lease or sublease. Each vessel identified in Schedule D is duly registered under the laws of the jurisdiction set forth on Schedule D in the name of the applicable Vessel Owning Subsidiary identified in Schedule D, and each such vessel is in good standing with respect to the payment of past and current taxes, fees and other amounts payable under the laws of the jurisdiction where it is registered as would affect its registration with the ship registry of such jurisdiction.
(xxiii) Transfer Taxes. There are no documentary, stamp or other issuance or transfer taxes or other similar fees, duties or charges under U.S. Federal law or the laws of any state or any political subdivision thereof, Bermuda law or the laws of any political subdivision thereof, the Republic of the Marshall Islands law or the laws of any political subdivision thereof, or the Republic of Liberia law or the laws of any political subdivision thereof, required to be paid in connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the sale by the Selling Shareholder of the Securities (including the sale and delivery by the Selling Shareholder of the Securities to or for the account of the Underwriter or the sale and delivery by the Underwriter of the Securities to the initial purchasers thereof) or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(xxiv) Dividends and Distributions. Except as set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company is not prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any dividends, from making any other distribution, from repaying any
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loans or advances or from transferring any of its property or assets. All dividends and other distributions declared and payable on the shares of capital stock of the Company or any Subsidiary may, under the current laws and regulations of Bermuda, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Liberia and, in each case, any political subdivisions thereof, be paid in U.S. dollars and may be freely transferred out of Bermuda, the Republic of the Marshall Islands or the Republic of Liberia, and all such dividends and other distributions will not be subject to withholding or other taxes under the laws and regulations of Bermuda, the Republic of the Marshall Islands (so long as such dividends and other distributions are not paid to a citizen or resident of the Republic of the Marshall Islands) or the Republic of Liberia or, in each case, any political subdivision thereof, and are otherwise free and clear of any other tax, withholding or deduction and without the necessity of obtaining any consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, licenses, registrations, clearances and qualifications of or with any court or governmental agency or body in Bermuda, the Republic of the Marshall Islands or the Republic of Liberia.
(xxv) Taxes. No capital gains, income, withholding or other taxes are payable by or on behalf of the Underwriter to Bermuda, to the Republic of the Marshall Islands (assuming that the Underwriter are not carrying on business or conducting transactions in the Republic of the Marshall Islands) or to the Republic of Liberia or, in each case, to any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein in connection with the sale and delivery by the Selling Shareholder of the Securities to or for the account of the Underwriter or the sale and delivery by the Underwriter of the Securities to the initial purchasers thereof.
(xxvi) Distributions from Subsidiaries. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no encumbrances or restrictions on the ability of any Subsidiary (A) to pay dividends or make other distributions on such Subsidiarys capital stock or to pay any indebtedness to the Company, (B) to make loans or advances or pay any indebtedness to the Company or (C) to transfer any of its property or assets to the Company.
(xxvii) Certain Relationships and Related Transactions. No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among any of the Company or any Subsidiary, on the one hand, and any director, officer, stockholder, customer or supplier of the Company, or the Subsidiaries or any affiliate of the Company, on the other hand, which is required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus which is not so described as required. There are no outstanding loans, advances (except normal advances for business expenses in the ordinary course of business) or guarantees of indebtedness by the Company to or for the benefit of any of the officers or directors of the Company or any Subsidiary, or any of their respective family members. The Company has not, in violation of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, directly or indirectly, including through a Subsidiary, extended or maintained credit, arranged for the extension of credit, or renewed an extension of credit, in the form of a personal loan to or for any director or executive officer of the Company or any Subsidiary.
(xxviii) Immunity from Jurisdiction. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary nor any of their respective properties or assets has any immunity from the jurisdiction of any court or from any legal process (whether through service or notice, attachment prior to judgment, attachment in aid of execution or otherwise) under the laws of the United States, Bermuda, the Republic of the Marshall Islands or the Republic of Liberia or any political subdivisions thereof.
(xxix) Submission to Jurisdiction. The Company has the power to submit, and pursuant to Section 17 of this Agreement has legally, validly, effectively and irrevocably submitted, to the jurisdiction of any Federal or state court in the State of New York, County of New York, and has
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the power to designate, appoint and empower, and pursuant to Section 17 of this Agreement has legally, validly and effectively designated, appointed and empowered, an agent for service of process in any suit or proceeding based on or arising under this Agreement in any Federal or state court in the State of New York.
(xxx) Forward-Looking Statements. Each forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the 1933 Act or Section 21E of the 1934 Act) contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed with a reasonable basis and has been disclosed in good faith.
(xxxi) Commissions and Fees. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or the Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finders fee or other like payment in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or, to the Companys knowledge, any arrangements, agreements, understandings, payments or issuance with respect to the Company or any of its officers, directors, shareholders, partners, employees, Subsidiaries or affiliates that may affect the Underwriters compensation as determined by FINRA.
(xxxii) Possession of Intellectual Property. The Company and each Subsidiary own or possess, or can acquire on reasonable terms, adequate patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions, copyrights, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks, trade names or other intellectual property (collectively, Intellectual Property) necessary to carry on the business now operated by them, and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary 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 Subsidiary 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 result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xxxiii) Environmental Laws. Except as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and except as would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, (A) neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in violation of any non-U.S. foreign or international treaty or convention or any U.S. Federal, state, local or non-U.S. 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, subsurface strata, the marine environment and the climate) or marine life 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, ballast water, asbestos-containing materials or mold (collectively, Hazardous Materials) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, emission, discharge, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials (collectively, Environmental Laws), (B) the Company and the Subsidiaries have all permits, authorizations, certifications and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws (collectively, Environmental Permits) and are each in compliance with their requirements, (C) there are no pending or threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, claims,
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liens, notices of noncompliance or violation, investigation or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the Company or any of the Subsidiaries and (D) there are and have been 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 Entity against or affecting, or any other liability of, the Company or any of the Subsidiaries relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental Laws.
(xxxiv) Effect of Environmental Laws. In the ordinary course of its business, the Company periodically reviews the effect of Environmental Laws on its business, operations and properties, in the course of which it identifies and evaluates associated costs and liabilities (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for environmental remediation, for closure of properties or for compliance with Environmental Laws or Environmental Permits, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties). On the basis of such review, the Company has reasonably concluded that such associated costs and liabilities would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. The costs and liabilities to be identified and evaluated pursuant to this Section 1(a)(xxxiv) shall not include potential costs and liabilities that may arise from reasonably unforeseen or unexpected future events such as accidents, calamities, outbreaks of hostilities or escalation thereof, piracy or acts of God.
(xxxv) Accounting Controls and Disclosure Controls. The Company and each Subsidiary maintains effective internal control over financial reporting (as defined under Rule 13-a15 and 15d-15 under the 1934 Act Regulations) and a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with managements 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 managements 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. Except as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, since the end of the Companys most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (1) no material weakness in the Companys internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (2) no change in the Companys internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Companys internal control over financial reporting. The Company and each Subsidiary maintains an effective system of disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15 and Rule 15d-15 under the 1934 Act Regulations) 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 Commissions rules and forms, and is accumulated and communicated to the Companys management, including its principal executive officer or officers and principal financial officer or officers, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding disclosure.
(xxxvi) Payment of Taxes. All U.S. Federal income tax returns of the Company and the Subsidiaries required by law to be filed have been filed and all taxes shown by such returns or otherwise assessed, which are due and payable, have been paid, except assessments against which appeals have been or will be promptly taken and as to which adequate reserves have been provided. The U.S. Federal income tax returns of the Company through the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007 have been settled and no assessment in connection therewith has been made against the Company. The Company and the Subsidiaries have filed all other tax returns that are required to have been filed by them pursuant to applicable non-U.S., state, local or other law
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except insofar as the failure to file such returns would not 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 the Subsidiaries, except for such taxes, if any, as are being contested in good faith and as to which adequate reserves have been established by the Company. The charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the Company in respect of any income and corporation tax liability 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 result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(xxxvii) Insurance. The Company and the Subsidiaries carry or are entitled to the benefits of insurance, with financially sound and reputable insurers, in such amounts and covering such risks as is generally maintained by companies of established repute engaged in the same or similar business, and all such insurance is in full force and effect. The previous sentence shall include membership in a mutual protection and indemnity association or insurance club of such nature as is customary in the shipping industry. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package, there are no material claims by or on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary under any such policy or instrument as to which any insurer has denied liability or made a defense under a reservation of rights clause and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is currently required to make any payment, or is aware of any facts which would require the Company or any Subsidiary to make any payment, in respect of a call by, or a contribution to, any protection and indemnity association or insurance club. The Company has no reason to believe that it or any Subsidiaries will not be able (A) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (B) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that would not result in a Material Adverse Change. Neither of the Company nor any Subsidiary has been denied any insurance coverage which it has sought or for which it has applied.
(xxxviii) Investment Company Act. The Company is not required, and upon sale of the Securities as herein contemplated will not be required, to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act).
(xxxix) Absence of Manipulation. Neither the Company nor any affiliate of the Company has taken, nor will the Company or any affiliate 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.
(xl) Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. None of the Company, any Subsidiary or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the FCPA), including, without limitation, making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any foreign official (as such term is defined in the FCPA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the FCPA and the Company and, to the knowledge of the Company, its affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.
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(xli) Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and the Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any Governmental Entity (collectively, the Money Laundering Laws); and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any Governmental Entity involving the Company or any of the Subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(xlii) OFAC. None of the Company, any of the Subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or person acting on behalf of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department
(xliii) Lending Relationship. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company does not have any material lending or other relationship with any bank or lending affiliate of the Underwriter.
(xliv) Statistical and Market-Related Data. Any statistical and market-related data included in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes, after reasonable inquiry, to be reliable and accurate and, to the extent required, the Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources.
(b) Representations and Warranties by the Selling Shareholder. The Selling Shareholder represents and warrants to the Underwriter as of the date hereof, the Applicable Time and the Closing Time, and agrees with the Underwriter, as follows:
(i) Accurate Disclosure. Neither the Registration Statement nor any amendment thereto, at its effective time or at the Closing Time, contained, contains or will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. As of the Applicable Time, neither (A) the General Disclosure Package nor (B) any individual Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. Neither the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto, as of its issue date, at the time of any filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) or at the Closing Date, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, at the time the Registration Statement became effective or when such documents incorporated by reference were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, when read together with the other information in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, did not and will not include 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.
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The representations and warranties in the immediately preceding paragraph shall (i) not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) made in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information and (ii) apply only to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished by or on behalf of the Selling Shareholder.
The Selling Shareholder is not prompted to sell the Securities hereunder by any information concerning the Company or any Subsidiary which is not set forth in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus.
(ii) Authorization of this Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Selling Shareholder.
(iii) Noncontravention. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the sale and delivery of the Securities and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein and compliance by the Selling Shareholder with its obligations hereunder have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate actions 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 under, or result in the creation or imposition of any tax, lien, charge or encumbrance upon the Securities or any property or assets of the Selling Shareholder pursuant to any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, license, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Selling Shareholder is a party or by which the Selling Shareholder may be bound, or to which any of the property or assets of the Selling Shareholder is subject, nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the memorandum of association, bye-laws or similar organizational instrument of the Selling Shareholder or any law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any Governmental Entity.
(iv) Valid Title. The Selling Shareholder has, and at the Closing Time will have, valid title to, or a valid security entitlement in respect of, the Securities free and clear of all security interests, claims, liens, equities or other encumbrances and the legal right and power, and all authorization and approval required by law, to enter into this Agreement and to sell, transfer and deliver the Securities.
(v) Delivery of Securities. Upon payment of the purchase price for the Securities, delivery of the Securities, as directed by the Underwriter, to Cede & Co. (Cede) or such other nominee as may be designated by The Depository Trust Company (DTC) (unless delivery of the Securities is unnecessary because the Securities are already in possession of Cede or such nominee), registration of the Securities in the name of Cede or such other nominee (unless registration of the Securities is unnecessary because the Securities are already registered in the name of Cede or such nominee), and the crediting of the Securities on the books of DTC to a securities account (within the meaning of Section 8-501(a) of the UCC) of the Underwriter (assuming that neither DTC nor the Underwriter has notice of an adverse claim, within the meaning of Section 8-105 of the Uniform Commercial Code then in effect in the State of New York (UCC), to the Securities), (A) under Section 8-501 of the UCC, the Underwriter will acquire a valid security entitlement in respect of the Securities and (B) no action (whether framed in conversion, replevin, constructive trust, equitable lien, or other theory) based on any adverse claim, within the meaning of Section 8-102 of the UCC, to the Securities may be asserted against the Underwriter with respect to the security entitlement.
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(vi) Absence of Manipulation. The Selling Shareholder has not taken, and will not take, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed to or which constituted or 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.
(vii) Absence of Further Requirements. No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any Governmental Entity, is necessary or required for the performance by the Selling Shareholder of its obligations hereunder, in connection with the sale and delivery of the Securities hereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except such as have been already obtained or as may be required under the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the rules of the NASDAQ Stock Market LLC, state securities laws or the rules of FINRA.
(viii) No Free Writing Prospectuses. The Selling Shareholder has not prepared or had prepared on its behalf or used or referred to, any free writing prospectus (as defined in Rule 405), and has not distributed any written materials in connection with the offer or sale of the Securities.
(ix) No Association with FINRA. Neither the Selling Shareholder nor any of its affiliates directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with any member firm of FINRA or is a person associated with a member (within the meaning of the FINRA By-Laws) of FINRA.
(x) Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 Compliance. In order to document the Underwriters compliance with the reporting and withholding provisions of the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 with respect to the transactions herein contemplated, the Selling Shareholder will deliver to you prior to or at the Closing Time a properly completed and executed United States Treasury Department Form W-9 (or other applicable form or statement specified by Treasury Department regulations in lieu thereof).
(c) Officers Certificates. Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries delivered to the Underwriter or to counsel for the Underwriter shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to the Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby; and any certificate signed by any officer of the Selling Shareholder and delivered to the Underwriter or to counsel for the Underwriter shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Selling Shareholder to the Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.
SECTION 2. Sale and Delivery to Underwriter; Closing.
(a) Securities. On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Selling Shareholder agrees to sell to the Underwriter, and the Underwriter agrees to purchase from the Selling Shareholder, at the price per share set forth in Schedule A, the number of Securities set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of the Underwriter.
(b) Payment. Payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of certificates for, the Securities shall be made at the offices of Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, 825 Eighth Avenue, New York, New York, 10019, or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Underwriter and the Company, at 9:00 A.M. (New York City time) on the third (fourth, if the pricing occurs after 4:30 P.M. (New York City time) on any given day) business day after the date hereof, or such other time not later than ten business days after such date as shall be agreed upon by the Underwriter and the Selling Shareholder (such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called Closing Time).
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Payment shall be made to the Selling Shareholder by wire transfer of immediately available funds to a bank account designated by the Selling Shareholder against delivery to the Underwriter of certificates for the Securities to be purchased by the Underwriter.
(c) Denominations; Registration. Certificates for the Securities shall be in such denominations and registered in such names as the Underwriter may request in writing from the Company or the Selling Shareholder at least one full business day before the Closing Time. The certificates for the Securities will be made available for examination and packaging by the Underwriter in the City of New York not later than 10:00 A.M. (New York City time) on the business day prior to the Closing Time.
SECTION 3. Covenants of the Company and the Selling Shareholder. The Company and the Selling Shareholder covenant with the Underwriter as follows:
(a) Compliance with Securities Regulations and Commission Requests. The Company, subject to Section 3(b), will comply with the requirements of Rule 430B, and will notify the Underwriter immediately, and confirm the notice in writing, (i) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement shall become effective or any amendment or supplement to the 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 any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein or for additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the 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 all 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, prevention or suspension and, if any such order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment.
(b) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. The Company will comply with the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, 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 General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. If at any time when a prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172 of the 1933 Act Regulations (Rule 172), would be) 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 Underwriter or for the Company, to (i) amend the Registration Statement in order that the Registration Statement will not include 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, (ii) amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order that the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, will not include any untrue statement 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 (iii) amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement
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the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, in order to comply with the requirements of the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act Regulations, the Company will promptly (A) give the Underwriter notice of such event, (B) prepare any amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus comply with such requirements and, a reasonable amount of time prior to any proposed filing or use, furnish the Underwriter with copies of any such amendment or supplement and (C) file with the Commission any such amendment or supplement; provided that the Company shall not file or use any such amendment or supplement to which the Underwriter or counsel for the Underwriter shall reasonably object. The Company will furnish to the Underwriter such number of copies of such amendment or supplement as the Underwriter may reasonably request. The Company has given the Underwriter 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 Underwriter notice of its intention to make any such filing from the Applicable Time to the Closing Time and will furnish the Underwriter 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 Underwriter or counsel for the Underwriter shall reasonably object.
(c) Delivery of Registration Statements. The Company has furnished or will deliver to the Underwriter and counsel for the Underwriter, without charge, signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed therewith or incorporated by reference therein and documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein) and signed copies of all consents and certificates of experts, and will also deliver to the Underwriter, without charge, a conformed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (without exhibits). The copies of the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to the Underwriter will be identical 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 the Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of each preliminary prospectus as the 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 the Underwriter, without charge, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) required to be delivered under the 1933 Act, such number of copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as the Underwriter may reasonably request. The Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Underwriter will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.
(e) Blue Sky Qualifications. The Company will use its best efforts, in cooperation with the Underwriter, to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and other jurisdictions (domestic or foreign) as the Underwriter may designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required to complete the distribution of the Securities; 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.
(f) 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 as soon as practicable an earnings statement for the purposes of, and to provide to the Underwriter the benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act.
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(g) Listing. The Company will use its best commercial efforts to effect and maintain the listing of the Securities on the NASDAQ Global Select Market.
(h) Restriction on Sale of Securities. During a period of 45 days from the date of the Prospectus, the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Underwriter, (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 Common Shares or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Shares or file any registration statement under the 1933 Act 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 Shares, whether any such swap or transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Shares or such other securities, in cash or otherwise. The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (A) the Securities to be sold hereunder, (B) any Common Shares 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 General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, (C) any Common Shares issued or options to purchase Common Shares granted pursuant to existing employee benefit plans of the Company referred to in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or (D) any Common Shares issued pursuant to any non-employee director stock plan or dividend reinvestment plan referred to in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if (1) during the last 17 days of the 45-day restricted 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 45-day restricted period, the Company announces that it will issue an earnings release or becomes aware that material news or a material event will occur during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the 45-day restricted period, the restrictions imposed in this clause (h) 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.
(i) Reporting Requirements. The Company, during the period when a Prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) 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 and 1934 Act Regulations.
(j) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. Each of the Company and the Selling Shareholder agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Underwriter (which consent shall not unreasonably be withheld), it will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a free writing prospectus, or a portion thereof, required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433; provided that the Underwriter will be deemed to have consented to the Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses listed on Schedule B hereto and any road show that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i) that has been reviewed by the Underwriter. Each of the Company and the Selling Shareholder represents that it has treated or agrees that it will treat each such free writing prospectus consented to, or deemed consented to, by the Underwriter as an issuer free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 433, and that it has complied and will comply with the applicable requirements of Rule 433 with respect thereto, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping. 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 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 existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Underwriter 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.
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SECTION 4. Payment of Expenses.
(a) Offering Expenses. The Selling Shareholder will pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of the Companys obligations under this Agreement, including (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and each amendment thereto, (ii) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriter of copies of each preliminary prospectus, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto and any costs associated with electronic delivery of any of the foregoing by the Underwriter to investors, (iii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificates for the Securities to the Underwriter, 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 Underwriter, (iv) the fees and disbursements of the Companys counsel, accountants and other advisors, (v) the qualification of the Securities under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(e) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriter in connection therewith and in connection with the preparation of the Blue Sky Survey and any supplement thereto (but in any event such fees to counsel shall not exceed $15,000), (vi) the fees and expenses of any transfer agent or registrar for the Securities, (vii) 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 chartered in connection with the road show, and (viii) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Securities on the NASDAQ Global Select Market.
(b) Expenses of the Selling Shareholder. The Selling Shareholder will pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by, this Agreement, including (i) any stamp and other duties and stock and other transfer taxes, if any, payable upon the sale of the Securities to the Underwriter, and (ii) the fees and disbursements of its counsel and other advisors.
(c) Termination of Agreement. If this Agreement is terminated by the Underwriter in accordance with the provisions of Section 5, Section 9(a)(i) or (iii), Section 10 hereof, or if for any other reason the Securities are not delivered by or on behalf of the Selling Shareholder as provided herein, the Company and the Selling Shareholder shall reimburse the Underwriter for all of its out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriter.
SECTION 5. Conditions of Underwriters Obligations. The obligations of the Underwriter hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company and the Selling Shareholder contained herein or in certificates of any officer of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or of the Selling Shareholder delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company and the Selling Shareholder of their respective 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 or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued under the 1933 Act, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to the Companys knowledge, contemplated; and the Company has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information.
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(b) Opinions of Counsel for Company. At the Closing Time, the Underwriter shall have received the favorable opinions, dated as of the Closing Time, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriter, of each of the following counsel: (i) Seward & Kissel LLP, U.S. counsel for the Company, to the effect set forth in Exhibit A hereto and to such further effect as counsel to the Underwriter may reasonably request; (ii) MJM Limited, special counsel for the Company with respect to matters of Bermudan law, to the effect set forth in Exhibit B hereto and to such further effect as counsel to the Underwriter may reasonably request; (iii) Seward & Kissel LLP, special counsel for the Company with respect to matters of Liberian law, to the effect set forth in Exhibit C hereto and to such further effect as counsel to the Underwriter may reasonably request; (iv) Seward & Kissel LLP, special counsel to the Company with respect to matters of Marshall Islands law, to the effect set forth in Exhibit D hereto and to such further effect as counsel to the Underwriter may reasonably request; and (v) Ince & Co, special counsel to the Company with respect to matters of Hong Kong law, to the effect set forth in Exhibit E hereto and to such further effect as counsel to the Underwriter may reasonably request.
(c) Opinions of Counsel for Selling Shareholder. At the Closing Time, the Underwriter shall have received the favorable opinion, dated as of the Closing Time, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriter, of each of the following counsel: (i) Seward & Kissel LLP, U.S. counsel for the Selling Shareholder, to the effect set forth in Exhibit F hereto and to such further effect as counsel to the Underwriter may reasonably request and (ii) MJM Limited, special counsel for the Selling Shareholder with respect to matters of Bermudan law, to the effect set forth in Exhibit G hereto and to such further effect as counsel to the Underwriter may reasonably request.
(d) Opinion of Counsel for Underwriter. At the Closing Time, the Underwriter shall have received the favorable opinion, dated the Closing Time, of Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, counsel for the Underwriter, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Underwriter. 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 and the Federal securities laws of the United States, upon the opinions of counsel satisfactory to the Underwriter. 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 and other representatives of the Company and the Subsidiaries and certificates of public officials.
(e) Officers Certificate of the Company. At the Closing Time, there shall not have been, since the date hereof or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and the Subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, and the Underwriter shall have received a certificate of the Chief Executive Officer or the President of the Company and of the chief financial or chief accounting officer of the Company, dated the Closing Time, to the effect that (i) there has been no such material adverse change, (ii) the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of the 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 the Closing Time, and (iv) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement under the 1933 Act has been issued, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to their knowledge, contemplated.
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(f) Chief Financial Officers Certificate of the Company. At the time of the execution of this Agreement and at the Closing Time, the Underwriter shall have received a certificate of the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, dated the date of this Agreement and the Closing Time, respectively, to the effect set forth in Exhibit H hereto.
(g) Officers Certificate of Selling Shareholder. At the Closing Time, the Underwriter shall have received a certificate of the Selling Shareholder, dated the Closing Time, to the effect that (i) the representations and warranties of the Selling Shareholder in this Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as through expressly made at and as of the Closing Time and (ii) the Selling Shareholder has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the Closing Time.
(h) Accountants Comfort Letters. At the time of the execution of this Agreement, the Underwriter shall have received from each of PricewaterhouseCoopers AS and MSPC Certified Public Accountants and Advisors, P.C. a letter, dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriter, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants comfort letters to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(i) Bring-down Comfort Letters. At the Closing Time, the Underwriter shall have received from each of PricewaterhouseCoopers AS and MSPC Certified Public Accountants and Advisors, P.C. a letter, dated as of the Closing Time, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter of such firm furnished pursuant to subsection (h) of this Section, except that the specified date referred to shall be a date not more than three business days prior to the Closing Time.
(j) Approval of Listing. At the Closing Time, the Securities shall have been approved for listing on the NASDAQ Global Select Market.
(k) Maintenance of Rating. Since the Applicable Time, (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded any securities or long-term debt of the Company or any Subsidiary by any nationally recognized statistical rating organization, as defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the 1934 Act, and (ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, with possible negative implications, its rating of any securities or long-term debt of the Company or any Subsidiary.
(l) Lock-up Agreements. At the date of this Agreement, the Underwriter shall have received an agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit I hereto signed by each of the persons listed on Schedule C hereto.
(m) Additional Documents. At the Closing Time, counsel for the Underwriter shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as they may require for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon the 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 and the Selling Shareholder in connection with the sale of the Securities as herein contemplated shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Underwriter and counsel for the Underwriter.
(n) Termination of Agreement. If any condition specified in this Section shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement may be terminated by the Underwriter by notice to the Company and the Selling Shareholder at any time at or prior to Closing Time, 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, 8, 15, 16 and 17 shall survive any such termination and remain in full force and effect.
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SECTION 6. Indemnification.
(a) Indemnification of Underwriter. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriter, its affiliates (as such term is defined in Rule 501(b) under the 1933 Act (each, an Affiliate)), its selling agents and each person, if any, who controls the 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 any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B, 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 and the Selling Shareholder;
(iii) against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by the Underwriter), 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 this indemnity agreement 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 the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.
(b) Indemnification of the Underwriter by the Selling Shareholder. The Selling Shareholder agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriter, its Affiliates, its selling agents and each person, if any, who controls the Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act to the extent and in the manner set forth in clauses (a)(i), (ii) and (iii) above, 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 any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B, the General Disclosure Package, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished by or on behalf of the Selling Shareholder.
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(c) Indemnification of Company, Directors and Officers and Selling Shareholder. The Underwriter 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, and the Selling Shareholder and each person, if any, who controls the Selling Shareholder 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) 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 any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.
(d) 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 Section 6. In case any such action shall be brought against any indemnified party and it shall notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall not, except with the consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party), and, after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying parties shall not 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 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 and the Selling Shareholder, on the one hand, and the Underwriter, 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 and the Selling Shareholder, on the one hand, and of the Underwriter, 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 and the Selling Shareholder, on the one hand, and the Underwriter, on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Securities pursuant to this
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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 Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the Selling Shareholder, on the one hand, and the total underwriting discount received by the Underwriter, on the other hand, bear to the aggregate public offering prices of the Securities.
The relative fault of the Company and the Selling Shareholder, on the one hand, and the Underwriter, 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 the Selling Shareholder or by the Underwriter and the parties relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
The Company, the Selling Shareholder and the Underwriter agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation 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 7 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, the Underwriter shall not 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 the 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 the Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act and the Underwriters Affiliates and selling agents shall have the same rights to contribution as the 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 or the Selling Shareholder 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 or the Selling Shareholder, as the case may be.
The provisions of this Section shall not affect any agreement between the Company and the Selling Shareholder with respect to contribution.
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 the Subsidiaries or the Selling Shareholder submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of the Underwriter or its Affiliates or selling agents, any person controlling the Underwriter, its officers or directors, any person controlling the Company or any person controlling the Selling Shareholder and (ii) delivery of and payment for the Securities.
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SECTION 9. Termination of Agreement.
(a) Termination. The Underwriter, in its absolute discretion, may terminate this Agreement without liability to the Company or the Selling Shareholder, by notice to the Company and the Selling Shareholder, at any time at or prior to the Closing Time (i) if there has been, since the time of execution of this Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, any material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and the 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 judgment of the Underwriter, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the completion of the offering 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 Global Select Market, or (iv) if trading generally on the American Stock Exchange or the New York Stock Exchange or in the NASDAQ Global Select 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 order of the Commission, FINRA or any other governmental authority, or (v) a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States or with respect to Clearstream or Euroclear systems in Europe, or (vi) 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, 8, 15, 16 and 17 shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.
SECTION 10. Default by the Selling Shareholder. If the Selling Shareholder shall fail at the Closing Time to sell the number of Securities that it is obligated to sell hereunder, then this Agreement shall terminate without any liability on the part of any nondefaulting party; provided, however, that the provisions of Sections 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 15, 16 and 17 shall remain in full force and effect. No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve the Company from liability, if any, in respect of such default.
SECTION 11. USA Patriot Act Compliance. In accordance with the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)), the Underwriter is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies its clients, including the Company, which information may include the name and address of its clients, as well as other information that will allow the Underwriter to properly identify its clients.
SECTION 12. 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 Underwriter shall be directed to it at 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282, Attention: Registration Department; notices to the Company shall be directed to it at Par-la-Ville Place, 14 Par-la-Ville Road, Hamilton, HM 08, Bermuda (Fax: 441-295-3494), attention of Ola Lorentzon, with a copy to Seward & Kissel LLP, One Battery Park Plaza, New York, New York 10004 (Fax: 212-480-8421), attention of Gary J. Wolfe; and notices to the Selling Shareholder shall be directed to it at PO Box HM 1593, Par-la-Ville Place, 14 Par-la-Ville Road, Hamilton HM 08 Bermuda (Fax: 441-295-3494).
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SECTION 13. No Advisory or Fiduciary Relationship. Each of the Company and the Selling Shareholder acknowledges and agrees that (a) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering prices of the Securities and any related discounts and commissions, is an arms-length commercial transaction between the Company and the Selling Shareholder, on the one hand, and the Underwriter, on the other hand, (b) in connection with the offering of the Securities and the process leading thereto, the Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, any of the Subsidiaries or the Selling Shareholder, or their respective stockholders, creditors or employees or any other party, (c) the Underwriter has not assumed and will not assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company or the Selling Shareholder with respect to the offering of the Securities or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether the Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company, any of the Subsidiaries or the Selling Shareholder) and the Underwriter does not have any obligation to the Company or the Selling Shareholder with respect to the offering of the Securities except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (d) the Underwriter and its affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of each of the Company and the Selling Shareholder, and (e) the Underwriter has not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering of the Securities and each of the Company and the Selling Shareholder has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.
SECTION 14. Parties. This Agreement shall each inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriter, the Company and the Selling Shareholder 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 Underwriter, the Company and the Selling Shareholder 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 Underwriter, the Company and the Selling Shareholder 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 the Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.
SECTION 15. Trial by Jury. The Company (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its stockholders and affiliates), the Selling Shareholder and the Underwriter hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.
SECTION 16. GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT AND ANY CLAIM, CONTROVERSY OR DISPUTE ARISING UNDER OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF, THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO ITS CHOICE OF LAW PROVISIONS.
SECTION 17. Consent to Jurisdiction; Waiver of Immunity. Any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby (Related Proceedings) shall be instituted in the Federal courts of the United States located in the City and County of New York, Borough of Manhattan, unless any such Federal court determines that it lacks jurisdiction over a Related Proceeding in which case such Related Proceeding shall be instituted in the courts of the State of New York, in each case located in the City and County of New York, Borough of Manhattan (collectively, the Specified Courts), and each party irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction (except for proceedings instituted in regard to the enforcement of a judgment of any such
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court (a Related Judgment), as to which such jurisdiction is non-exclusive) of such courts in any such suit, action or proceeding. Service of any process, summons, notice or document by mail to such partys address set forth above shall be effective service of process for any suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court. The parties irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or other proceeding in the Specified Courts and irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim in any such court that any such suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum. Each of the Company and the Selling Shareholder irrevocably appoints Seward & Kissel LLP as its agent to receive service of process or other legal summons for purposes of any such suit, action or proceeding that may be instituted in any state or Federal court in the City and County of New York. Each party not located in the United States, other than the Company and the Selling Shareholder, irrevocably appoints CT Corporation System as its agent to receive service of process or other legal summons for purposes of any such suit, action or proceeding that may be instituted in any state or Federal court in the City and County of New York. With respect to any Related Proceeding, each party irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, all immunity (whether on the basis of sovereignty or otherwise) from jurisdiction, service of process, attachment (both before and after judgment) and execution to which it might otherwise be entitled in the Specified Courts, and with respect to any Related Judgment, each party waives any such immunity in the Specified Courts or any other court of competent jurisdiction, and will not raise or claim or cause to be pleaded any such immunity at or in respect of any such Related Proceeding or Related Judgment, including, without limitation, any immunity pursuant to the United States Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976, as amended.
SECTION 18. 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 19. Partial Unenforceability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other Section, paragraph or provision hereof. If any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.
SECTION 20. 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 21. 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 Underwriter, the Company and the Selling Shareholder in accordance with its terms.
Very truly yours, | ||
KNIGHTSBRIDGE TANKERS LIMITED | ||
By | /s/ Ola Lorentzon | |
Title: Chief Executive Officer | ||
GOLDEN OCEAN GROUP LIMITED | ||
By | /s/ Georgina Sousa | |
Title: Secretary |
CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED, | ||
as of the date first above written: | ||
GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO. | ||
By | /s/ Goldman, Sachs & Co. | |
(Goldman, Sachs & Co.) |
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SCHEDULE A
The purchase price per share for the Securities to be paid by the Underwriter shall be $14.00.
Name of Underwriter | Number of Securities |
|||
Goldman, Sachs & Co. |
2,438,199 | |||
|
|
|||
Total |
2,438,199 | |||
|
|
Sch A-1