EX-1.1 2 a20-22737_7ex1d1.htm EX-1.1

Exhibit 1.1

 

Yandex N.V.

 

Class A Ordinary Shares, Nominal Value €0.01 Per Share

 


 

Underwriting Agreement

 

June 24, 2020

 

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC
200 West Street

New York, New York 10282

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Yandex N.V., a Dutch public limited liability company (naamloze vennootschap) (the “Company”), proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated in this agreement (this “Agreement”), to issue and sell to Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC (the “Underwriter”) an aggregate of 8,121,827 Class A ordinary shares (the “Class A Ordinary Shares”) of the Company (the “Firm Securities”) and, at the election of the Underwriter, up to 1,218,274 additional Class A Ordinary Shares (the “Optional Securities”) of the Company (the Firm Securities and the Optional Securities that the Underwriter elects to purchase pursuant to Section 2 hereof being collectively called the “Securities”).

 

1.             The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the Underwriter that:

 

(a)           An “automatic shelf registration statement” as defined under Rule 405 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”) on Form F-3 (File No. 333-239391) in respect of the Securities has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) not earlier than three years prior to the date hereof; such registration statement, and any post-effective amendment thereto, became effective on filing; and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of such registration statement or any part thereof has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened by the Commission, and no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of such registration statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Act has been received by the Company (the base prospectus filed as part of such registration statement, in the form in which it has most recently been filed with the Commission on or prior to the date of this Agreement, is hereinafter called the “Basic Prospectus”; any preliminary prospectus (including any preliminary prospectus supplement) relating to the Securities filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act is hereinafter called a “Preliminary Prospectus”; the various parts of such registration statement, including all exhibits thereto but excluding Form T-1 and including any prospectus supplement relating to the Securities that is filed with the Commission and deemed by virtue of Rule 430B to be part of such registration statement, each

 


 

as amended at the time such part of the registration statement became effective, are hereinafter collectively called the “Registration Statement”; the Basic Prospectus, as amended and supplemented immediately prior to the Applicable Time (as defined in Section 1(c) hereof), is hereinafter called the “Pricing Prospectus”; the form of the final prospectus relating to the Securities filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act in accordance with Section 5(a) hereof is hereinafter called the “Prospectus”; any reference herein to the Basic Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 6 of Form F-3 under the Act, as of the date of such prospectus; any reference to any amendment or supplement to the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, any prospectus supplement relating to the Securities filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act and any documents filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and incorporated therein, in each case after the date of the Basic Prospectus, such Preliminary Prospectus, or the Prospectus, as the case may be; any reference to any amendment to the Registration Statement shall be deemed to refer to and include any annual report of the Company filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the effective date of the Registration Statement that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement; any oral or written communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Rule 163B under the Act is hereinafter called a “Testing-the-Waters Communication”; and any Testing-the-Waters Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Act is hereinafter called a “Written Testing-the-Waters Communication”; and any “issuer free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 433 under the Act relating to the Securities is hereinafter called an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”);

 

(b)           (i) No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and (ii) each Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and did not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information (as defined in Section 9(b));

 

(c)           For the purposes of this Agreement, the “Applicable Time” is 5:30 pm (Eastern time) on the date of this Agreement. The Pricing Prospectus, as supplemented by the information listed on Schedule I(c) hereto, taken together (collectively, the “Pricing Disclosure Package”), as of the Applicable Time did not, and as of each Time of Delivery (as defined in Section 4(a) of this Agreement) will not, include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and each Issuer Free

 

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Writing Prospectus does not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as supplemented by and taken together with the Pricing Disclosure Package as of the Applicable Time, did not, and as of each Time of Delivery will not, include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to statements or omissions made in an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information;

 

(d)           The documents incorporated by reference in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, when they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and none of such documents contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement thereto, when such documents become effective or are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information; and no such documents were filed with the Commission since the Commission’s close of business on the business day immediately prior to the date of this Agreement and prior to the execution of this Agreement,  except as set forth on Schedule I(c) hereto;

 

(e)           The Registration Statement conforms, and the Prospectus and any further amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus will conform, in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and do not and will not, as of the applicable effective date as to each part of the Registration Statement, as of the applicable filing date as to the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, and as of each Time of Delivery, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information;

 

(f)            Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has, since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Pricing Prospectus, (i) sustained any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or

 

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decree or (ii) entered into any transaction or agreement (whether or not in the ordinary course of business) that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, in each case otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus; and, since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Pricing Prospectus, there has not been (x) any change in the share capital (other than as a result of (A) the exercise, if any, of share options or the award, if any, of share options or restricted share units in the ordinary course of business pursuant to the Company’s equity plans that are described in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus or (B) the issuance, if any, of shares upon conversion of Company securities as described in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus) or long term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or (y) any Material Adverse Effect (as defined below); as used in this Agreement, “Material Adverse Effect” shall mean any material adverse change or effect, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change or effect, in or affecting (A) the business, properties, general affairs, management, financial position, shareholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, except as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus, or (B) the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement, including the issuance and sale of the Securities, or to consummate the transactions contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus;

 

(g)           The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property and good and marketable title to all personal property owned by them that is material to the business of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects except such as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its subsidiaries; and any real property and buildings held under lease by the Company and its subsidiaries that are material to the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with such exceptions as do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company and its subsidiaries;

 

(h)           Each of the Company and each of its subsidiaries has been (i) duly organized and is validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization (to the extent such concept is applicable in the relevant jurisdiction), with corporate power and authority to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Pricing Prospectus, and (ii) duly qualified as a foreign corporation for the transaction of business and is in good standing (to the extent such concept is applicable) under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which it owns or leases properties or conducts any business so as to require such qualification, except, in the case of this clause (ii), where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and each significant subsidiary of the Company has been listed in the Registration Statement;

 

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(i)            The Company has an authorized share capital as set forth in the Pricing Prospectus and all of the issued shares of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable and conform to the description of the share capital contained in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and all of the issued shares of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and (except, in the case of any relevant subsidiary, for directors’ qualifying shares) are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims; and the Securities to be issued and sold by the Company to the Underwriter hereunder have been duly and validly authorized and, when issued and delivered against payment therefor as provided herein, will be duly and validly issued and fully paid and non-assessable and will conform to the description of the share capital contained in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and any and all pre-emptive rights with respect to the issuance of the Securities have been validly excluded or waived;

 

(j)            The Securities to be issued and sold by the Company to the Underwriter hereunder have been duly and validly authorized and, when issued and delivered against payment therefor as provided herein, will be duly and validly issued and fully paid, non-assessable and free of any pre-emptive rights and will conform to the description of the share capital of the Company contained in the Prospectus;

 

(k)           The issue and sale of the Securities and the compliance by the Company with this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement and the Pricing Prospectus will not conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, (i) any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, except, in the case of this clause (i) for such defaults, breaches, or violations that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, (ii) the articles of association or by-laws (or other applicable organizational document) of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or (iii) any statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties; and no consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any such court or governmental agency or body is required for the issue and sale of the Securities or the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except such as have been obtained under the Act and for such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, registrations or qualifications as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Securities by the Underwriter;

 

(l)            Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (i) in violation of its articles of association or by-laws (or other applicable organization document), (ii) in violation of any statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of

 

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its subsidiaries, as the case may be, or any of their properties, or (iii) in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties may be bound, except in each case (ii), (iii) and, in the case of (i) with respect to the Company’s subsidiaries other than Yandex LLC only, for such violations or defaults as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect;

 

(m)          The statements set forth in the Pricing Prospectus and Prospectus under the caption “Description of Share Capital”, insofar as they purport to constitute a summary of the terms of the share capital, under the caption “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax and Dutch Tax Considerations”, and under the caption “Underwriter”, insofar as they purport to describe the matters and provisions of the laws and provisions of the documents referred to therein, are accurate, complete and fair in all material respects;

 

(n)           Other than as set forth in the Pricing Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries or, to the Company’s knowledge, any officer or director of the Company is a party or of which any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or, to the Company’s knowledge, any officer or director of the Company is the subject which, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries (or such officer or director), would individually or in the aggregate have a Material Adverse Effect; and, to the Company’s knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or others;

 

(o) The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof, will not be an “investment company”, as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”);

 

(p)           (i) (A) At the time of filing the Registration Statement, (B) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or form of prospectus), and (C) at the time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c) under the Act) made any offer relating to the Securities in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163 under the Act, the Company was a “well-known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405 under the Act; and (ii) at the time of filing the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or any offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) under the Act) of the Securities, and at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405 under the Act;

 

(q)           JSC KPMG, who have certified certain financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, and have audited the effectiveness of the

 

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Company’s internal control over financial reporting, are independent public accountants as required by the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder;

 

(r)            The Company maintains a system of internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act that (i) complies with the requirements of the Exchange Act, (ii) has been designed by the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, or under their supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and (iii) is sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain accountability for assets, (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization and (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences; and the Company’s internal control over financial reporting is effective and the Company is not aware of any material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting;

 

(s)            Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Pricing Prospectus, there has been no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting;

 

(t)            The Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act; such disclosure controls and procedures have been designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company and its subsidiaries is made known to the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer by others within those entities; and such disclosure controls and procedures are effective;

 

(u)           None of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or controlled affiliates nor any director, officer, employee, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any other affiliate, agent or representative of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates has (i) made, offered, promised or authorized any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense (or taken any act in furtherance thereof); (ii) made, offered, promised or authorized any direct or indirect unlawful payment; or (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, the Bribery Act 2010 of the United Kingdom or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption law; the Company and its subsidiaries and controlled affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with applicable anti-corruption laws and have instituted and maintain and will continue to maintain

 

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policies and procedures designed to promote and achieve compliance with such laws and with the representation and warranty contained in this clause (u);

 

(v)       The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in material compliance with the requirements of the applicable anti-money laundering laws of the various jurisdictions in which the Company and its subsidiaries conduct business (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened;

 

(w)      None of the Company or any of its subsidiaries nor any director, officer or employee of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or to the knowledge of the Company, no affiliate, representative or agent of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently the subject or the target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. Government, including, without limitation, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“OFAC”), or the U.S. Department of State and including, without limitation, the designation as a “specially designated national” or “blocked person,” the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury, the United Nations Security Council, or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor is the Company or any of its subsidiaries located (other than the office of a Russian operating subsidiary of the Issuer in Simferopol), organized or resident in a country, region or territory that is the subject or target of country or region-wide Sanctions, including, without limitation, Crimea (including Sevastopol), Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria (each a “Sanctioned Territory”). For the past five years, the Company, each of its subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company, any of their respective employees, agents, representatives or affiliates have not knowingly engaged in, are not now knowingly engaged in, any dealings or transactions in violation of Sanctions applicable to the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries. The Company will not directly or indirectly use all or part of the proceeds of the offering of the Securities hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity (i) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business with any person that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject or the target of Sanctions or (ii) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business in any Sanctioned Territory (in the case of either (i) or (ii), if such funding or facilitation would result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions) or (iii) to fund or facilitate any Activity subject to Sanctions or (iv) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions. For the purposes of this Agreement, “Activity subject to Sanctions” means any activity that would reasonably be expected to be a basis for the imposition of sanctions or penalties on any person as a result of such person engaging in such activity, including those activities specified or referenced in (A) the United States Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act of 2017, as amended, supplemented or supplanted (the “CAATSA”) and (B) the United States Ukraine Freedom Support Act of 2014, as amended, supplemented or supplanted (the “UFSA”);

 

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

 

(y)       The financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries at the dates indicated and the statement of operations, shareholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its subsidiaries for the periods specified; 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 Pricing Prospectus 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. The financial information included in the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F filed with the Commission on April 2, 2020 is identical to the financial information included in Amendment No. 1 to the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F filed with the Commission on April 2, 2020. Except as included or incorporated by reference therein, no historical or pro forma financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus under the Act or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.  All disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply with Regulation G of the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K of the Act, to the extent applicable;

 

(z)       Except as disclosed in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person granting such person the right to require the Company to file a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to any securities of the Company or to require the Company to include such securities with the Shares registered pursuant to the Registration Statement;

 

(aa)     The terms of the shareholders’ agreements relating to the Company conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof in each of the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, and there are, to the knowledge of the Company, no other agreements among shareholders relating to the Company;

 

(bb)     The Company and its subsidiaries own or possess all material patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions, copyrights and related rights, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks and trade names currently employed by them in connection with the business now operated by them, including, without limitation, with respect to the internet search engine technology used by the Company and its subsidiaries, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice or claim of infringement or misappropriation of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any of the foregoing, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries

 

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have received notice of, or is aware of facts that would form a reasonable basis for, any such notice or claims, which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole;

 

(cc)     No material labor dispute with the employees of, or independent contractors who perform product development services for, the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists, or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent;

 

(dd)     Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has been refused any material insurance coverage sought or applied for; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage (other than Directors’ and Officers’ Insurance) as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business as a cost that would not have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole;

 

(ee)     The Company and its subsidiaries possess all certificates, authorizations, permits, licenses, consents, sanctions, permissions, declarations, approvals, orders, registrations and clearances  issued by the appropriate federal, state, foreign and local regulatory and governmental authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses (collectively, “Permits”), except for any Permits that the failure to possess would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole; the Company and each subsidiary is in compliance in all material respects with the terms and conditions of all such Permits; all of such Permits are valid and in full force and effect; none of such Permits contains any materially burdensome restrictions or conditions; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such Permit which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole;

 

(ff)      Except as described in the Pricing Prospectus, the Company has not sold, issued or distributed any shares during the six-month period preceding the date hereof, including any sales pursuant to Rule 144A under, or Regulation D or S of, the Act, other than shares issued pursuant to outstanding options;

 

(gg)     No stamp, registration, documentary, issuance, transfer or other similar taxes or duties (“Stamp Taxes”) are payable by or on behalf of the Underwriter in connection with (i) the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement (ii) the issuance, sale or delivery of the Securities to or for the account of the Underwriter, (iii) the initial resale of the Securities by the Underwriter or (iv) the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;

 

(hh)     The Company was not a “passive foreign investment company” (“PFIC”) within the meaning of Section 1297 of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, for the year ended December 31, 2019, is not a PFIC, and does not expect to become a PFIC in its current taxable year or the foreseeable future;

 

(ii)       The Company is a “foreign private issuer” within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act;

 

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(jj)       None of the Company, its subsidiaries, and any of their properties, assets or revenues is entitled to any right of immunity on the grounds of sovereignty from any legal action, suit or proceeding, from set-off or counterclaim, from the jurisdiction of any court, from services of process, from attachment prior to or in aid of execution of judgment, or from any other legal process or proceeding for the giving of any relief or for the enforcement of any judgment. The irrevocable and unconditional waiver and agreement of the Company in this Agreement not to plead or claim any such immunity in any legal action, suit or proceeding based on this Agreement is valid and binding under the laws of the Netherlands, the Russian Federation and the United Kingdom;

 

(kk)     The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language, if any, included or incorporated by reference in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly presents the information called for in all material respects and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto to the extent required;

 

(ll)           The Company and its subsidiaries have paid all material supranational, national, regional, local and other taxes and other assessments of a similar nature (whether imposed directly or indirectly or through withholding) including any interest, additions to tax, or penalties applicable thereto or claimed to be due from such entities and have filed all material tax returns required to be filed, each through the date hereof; except taxes being contested in good faith (provided that adequate reserves have been established therefor in accordance with GAAP) and except as otherwise disclosed in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, there is no material tax deficiency that has been, or could reasonably be expected to be, asserted against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective properties or assets;

 

(mm)      All payments to be made by or on behalf of the Company under this Agreement and, except as disclosed in each of the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, all dividends and other distributions declared and payable on the Securities and all payments with respect to the Securities upon liquidation of the Company or upon redemption thereof may, under the current laws and regulations of the Netherlands, the Russian Federation and the United Kingdom and of any other jurisdiction in which the Company is organized or incorporated, engaged in business for tax purposes or is otherwise resident for tax purposes or has a permanent establishment, any jurisdiction from or through which a payment is made, or any political subdivision, authority or agency in or of any of the foregoing having power to tax (each, a “Relevant Taxing Jurisdiction”), be paid in United States dollars that may be converted into another currency and freely transferred out of any Relevant Taxing Jurisdiction, and all payments referred to in this clause (mm) will not be subject to withholding or other taxes under the current laws and regulations of any Relevant Taxing Jurisdiction and are otherwise payable free and clear of any other tax, withholding or deduction in any Relevant Taxing Jurisdiction and without the necessity of obtaining any governmental authorization in any Relevant Taxing Jurisdiction; and

 

(nn)         Except as described in each of the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, all dividends and other distributions declared and payable on the share capital of any of Yandex LLC and MLU B.V. may under the current laws and

 

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regulations of the Netherlands and the Russian Federation or any political subdivision or agency thereof or therein having power to tax (“Subsidiary Tax Jurisdiction”) be freely transferred out of and may be paid in U.S. dollars, and all such dividends and other distributions will not be subject to withholding or other taxes under the laws and regulations of any Subsidiary Tax Jurisdiction and are otherwise free and clear of any other tax, withholding or deduction in any Subsidiary Tax Jurisdiction, and without the necessity of obtaining any governmental authorization in any Subsidiary Tax Jurisdiction.

 

2.             Subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, (a) the Company agrees to issue and sell to the Underwriter, and the Underwriter agrees to purchase from the Company, at a purchase price per share of $48.39, the Firm Securities and (b) in the event and to the extent that the Underwriter shall exercise the election to purchase Optional Securities as provided below, the Company agrees to issue and sell to the Underwriter, and the Underwriter agrees to purchase from the Company, at the purchase price per share set forth in clause (a) of this Section 2 (provided that the purchase price per Optional Security shall be reduced by an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Firm Securities but not payable on the Optional Securities), the number of Optional Securities as to which such election shall have been exercised (to be adjusted by you so as to eliminate fractional shares).

 

The Company hereby grants to the Underwriter the right to purchase at its election up to 1,218,274 Optional Securities, at the purchase price per share set forth in the paragraph above, for the sole purpose of covering sales of shares in excess of the number of Firm Securities, provided that the purchase price per Optional Security shall be reduced by an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Firm Securities but not payable on the Optional Securities.  Any such election to purchase Optional Securities may be exercised only by written notice from you to the Company, given within a period of 30 calendar days after the date of this Agreement, setting forth the aggregate number of Optional Securities to be purchased and the date on which such Optional Securities are to be delivered, as determined by you but in no event earlier than the First Time of Delivery (as defined in Section 4 hereof) or, unless you and the Company otherwise agree in writing, earlier than two or later than ten business days after the date of such notice.

 

3.             Upon the authorization by you of the release of the Firm Securities, the Underwriter proposes to offer the Firm Securities for sale upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus.

 

4.             (a)  The Securities to be purchased by the Underwriter hereunder, in definitive or book-entry form, and in such authorized denominations and registered in such names as the Underwriter may request upon at least forty-eight hours’ prior notice to the Company shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Company to the Underwriter, through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), for the account of the Underwriter, against payment by or on behalf of the Underwriter of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer of Federal (same-day) funds to the account specified by the Company to the Underwriter at least forty-eight hours in advance. The time and date of such delivery and payment shall be, with respect to the Firm Securities, 9:30 a.m., New York City time, on June 29, 2020 or such other time and date as the Underwriter and the Company may agree upon in writing, and, with respect to the Optional Securities, 9:30 a.m., New York City time,

 

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on the date specified by the Underwriter in the written notice given by the Underwriter’s election to purchase such Optional Securities, or such other time and date as the Underwriter and the Company may agree upon in writing. Such time and date for delivery of the Firm Securities is herein called the “First Time of Delivery,” such time and date for delivery of the Optional Securities, if not the First Time of Delivery, is herein called the “Second Time of Delivery,” and each such time and date for delivery is herein called a “Time of Delivery.”

 

(b)           The documents to be delivered at each Time of Delivery by or on behalf of the parties hereto pursuant to Section 8 hereof, including the cross-receipt for the Securities and any additional documents requested by the Underwriter pursuant to Section 8(m) hereof, will be delivered at the offices of Latham & Watkins LLP, 99 Bishopsgate, EC2M 3XF, London, United Kingdom (the “Closing Location”), and the Securities will be delivered at the office of DTC or its designated custodian (the “Designated Office”), all at such Time of Delivery. A meeting will be held at the Closing Location at 9:00 a.m., New York City time, on the New York Business Day next preceding such Time of Delivery, at which meeting the final drafts of the documents to be delivered pursuant to the preceding sentence will be available for review by the parties hereto. For the purposes of this Section 4, “New York Business Day” shall mean each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday that is not a day on which banking institutions in New York City are generally authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

 

5.             The Company agrees with the Underwriter:

 

(a)           To prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by you and to file such Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act not later than the Commission’s close of business on the second business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement; to make no further amendment or any supplement to the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus or the Prospectus prior to the last Time of Delivery which shall be disapproved by you promptly after reasonable notice thereof; to advise you, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus has been filed and to furnish you with copies thereof; to file promptly all other material required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act; to file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus and for so long as the delivery of a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) is required in connection with the offering or sale of the Securities; to advise you, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or other prospectus in respect of the Securities, of any notice of objection of the Commission to the use of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Act, of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or for additional information; and, in the event of the issuance of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or other

 

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prospectus or suspending any such qualification, to promptly use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal of such order; and in the event of any such issuance of a notice of objection, promptly to take such steps including, without limitation, amending the Registration Statement or filing a new registration statement, at its own expense, as may be necessary to permit offers and sales of the Securities by the Underwriter (references herein to the Registration Statement shall include any such amendment or new registration statement);

 

(b)           If required by Rule 430B(h) under the Act, to prepare a form of prospectus in a form approved by you and to file such form of prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act not later than may be required by Rule 424(b) under the Act; and to make no further amendment or supplement to such form of prospectus which shall be disapproved by you promptly after reasonable notice thereof;

 

(c)           If by the third anniversary (the “Renewal Deadline”) of the initial effective date of the Registration Statement, any of the Securities remain unsold by the Underwriter, the Company will file, if it has not already done so and is eligible to do so, a new automatic shelf registration statement relating to the Securities, in a form satisfactory to you.  If at the Renewal Deadline the Company is no longer eligible to file an automatic shelf registration statement, the Company will, if it has not already done so, file a new shelf registration statement relating to the Securities, in a form satisfactory to you and will use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to be declared effective within 180 days after the Renewal Deadline. The Company will take all other action necessary or appropriate to permit the public offering and sale of the Securities to continue as contemplated in the expired registration statement relating to the Securities.  References herein to the Registration Statement shall include such new automatic shelf registration statement or such new shelf registration statement, as the case may be;

 

(d)           Promptly from time to time to take such action as you may reasonably request to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as you may request and to comply with such laws so as to permit the continuance of sales and dealings therein in such jurisdictions for as long as may be necessary to complete the distribution of the Securities, provided that in connection therewith the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction;

 

(e)           Prior to 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the New York Business Day next succeeding the date of this Agreement and from time to time, to furnish the Underwriter with written and electronic copies of the Prospectus in New York City in such quantities as you may reasonably request, and, if the delivery of a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) is required at any time prior to the expiration of nine months after the time of issue of the Prospectus in connection with the offering or sale of the Securities and if at such time any event shall have occurred as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made when such Prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) is delivered, not misleading, or, if for any other reason it shall be necessary during such same period to amend or supplement the Prospectus or to file under the Exchange Act any document incorporated by reference in the Prospectus in order to comply with the Act or

 

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the Exchange Act, to notify you and upon your request to file such document and to prepare and furnish without charge to the Underwriter and to any dealer in securities as many written and electronic copies as you may from time to time reasonably request of an amended Prospectus or a supplement to the Prospectus which will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance; and in case the Underwriter is required to deliver a prospectus (or in lieu thereof, the notice referred to in Rule 173(a) under the Act) in connection with sales of any of the Securities at any time nine months or more after the time of issue of the Prospectus, upon your request but at the expense of the Underwriter, to prepare and deliver to the Underwriter as many written and electronic copies as you may request of an amended or supplemented Prospectus complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Act;

 

(f)            To make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable, but in any event not later than sixteen months after the effective date of the Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c) under the Act), an earnings statement of the Company and its subsidiaries (which need not be audited) complying with Section 11(a) of the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (including, at the option of the Company, Rule 158);

 

(g)           During the period beginning from the date hereof and continuing to and including the date 90 days after the date of the Prospectus, not to (i) offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge, grant any option to purchase, make any short sale or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, or file with the Commission a registration statement under the Act relating to, any securities of the Company that are substantially similar to the Securities, including but not limited to any options or warrants to purchase Class A Ordinary Shares or any securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for, or that represent the right to receive, Class A Ordinary Shares or any such substantially similar securities, or publicly disclose the intention to make any offer, sale, pledge, disposition or filing or (ii) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Class A Ordinary Shares or any such other securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Class A Ordinary Shares or such other securities, in cash or otherwise (other than the Securities to be sold hereunder or pursuant to employee stock option plans existing on, or upon the conversion or exchange of convertible or exchangeable securities outstanding as of, the date of this Agreement), without your prior written consent.  The restrictions contained in the preceding sentence shall not apply to Class A Ordinary Shares to be sold hereunder;

 

(h)           To pay the required Commission filing fees relating to the Securities within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1) under the Act without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the Act;

 

(i)            To use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement in the manner specified in the Pricing Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds”;

 

(j)            To use its best efforts to list, subject to notice of issuance, the Securities on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (“NASDAQ”);

 

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(k)           Upon request of the Underwriter, to furnish, or cause to be furnished, to the Underwriter an electronic version of the Company’s trademarks, servicemarks and corporate logo for use on the website, if any, operated by the Underwriter for the purpose of facilitating the on-line offering of the Securities (the “License”); provided, however, that the License shall be used solely for the purpose described above, is granted without any fee and may not be assigned or transferred;

 

(l)            The Company will indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriter against any Stamp Taxes, including any interest and penalties with respect thereto, imposed in connection with (i) the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement (ii) the issuance, sale or delivery of the Securities to or for the account of the Underwriter, (iii) the initial resale of the Securities by the Underwriter and (iv) the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;

 

(m)          All payments made by or on behalf of the Company under this Agreement shall be exclusive of any value added tax or any other tax of a similar nature (“VAT”) which is chargeable thereon and if any VAT is or becomes chargeable in respect of any such payment, the Company shall, subject to receipt of an appropriate VAT invoice, pay in addition the amount of such VAT (at the same time and in the same manner as the payment to which such VAT relates). For the avoidance of doubt, all amounts charged by the Underwriter or for which the Underwriter are to be reimbursed will be invoiced and payable together with VAT, where applicable. Any amount for which the Underwriter is to be reimbursed or indemnified under this Agreement will be reimbursed or indemnified together with an amount equal to any VAT payable in relation to the cost, fee, expense or other amount to which the reimbursement or indemnification relates; and

 

(n)           The Company agrees that all amounts payable hereunder shall be paid in United States dollars and be paid free and clear of, and without any deduction or withholding for or on account of, any current or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties, charges or other deductions or withholdings levied in any jurisdiction unless such deduction or withholding is required by applicable law, in which event the Company will pay additional amounts (and the Company will indemnify the Underwriter against such deduction or withholdings, if applicable) so that the persons entitled to such payments will receive the amount that such persons would otherwise have received had such deduction or withholding not been required.

 

6.

 

(a)           The Company represents and agrees that, without the prior consent of the Underwriter, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 under the Act; the Underwriter represents and agrees that, without the prior consent of the Company, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute a free writing prospectus required to be filed with the Commission; any such free writing prospectus the use of which has been consented to by the Company and the Underwriter is listed on Schedule I(a) hereto;

 

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(b)           The Company has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 under the Act applicable to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission or retention where required and legending;

 

(c)           The Company agrees that if at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus any event occurred or occurs as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus would conflict with the information in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances then prevailing, not misleading, the Company will give prompt notice thereof to the Underwriter and, if requested by the Underwriter, will prepare and furnish without charge to the Underwriter an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or other document which will correct such conflict, statement or omission; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions in an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information;

 

(d)           The Company represents and agrees that (i) it has not engaged in, or authorized any other person to engage in, any Testing-the-Waters Communications; and (ii) it has not distributed, or authorized any other person to distribute, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication; and the Company has not distributed or approved for distribution any Written Testing-the-Waters Communications; and

 

(e)           The Underwriter represents and agrees that it has not undertaken any Testing-the-Waters Communications.

 

7.             The Company covenants and agrees with the Underwriter that the Company will pay or cause to be paid the following: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Company’s counsel and accountants in connection with the registration of the Securities under the Act and all other expenses in connection with the preparation, printing, reproduction and filing of the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and amendments and supplements thereto and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriter and dealers; (ii) the cost of printing or producing this Agreement, the Blue Sky Memorandum, closing documents (including any compilations thereof) and any other documents in connection with the offering, purchase, sale and delivery of the Securities; (iii) all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Securities for offering and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section 5(d) hereof, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriter in connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky survey (up to $10,000); (iv) all fees and expenses in connection with listing the Securities on NASDAQ; (v) the filing fees incident to, and the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriter in connection with, any required review by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) of the terms of the sale of the Securities; (vi) the cost of preparing the Securities; (vii) the cost and charges of any transfer agent or registrar; and (viii) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder which are not otherwise specifically provided for in this Section. It is understood, however, that, except as provided in this Section, and Sections 9 and 11 hereof, the Underwriter will pay all of its own costs and expenses,

 

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including the fees and disbursements of its counsel and any advertising expenses connected with any offers it may make.

 

8.             The obligations of the Underwriter hereunder, as to the Securities to be delivered at each Time of Delivery, shall be subject, in its discretion, to the condition that all representations and warranties and other statements of the Company herein are, at and as of the Applicable time and such Time of Delivery, true and correct, the condition that the Company shall have performed all of its obligations hereunder theretofore to be performed, and the following additional conditions:

 

(a)           The Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by the rules and regulations under the Act and in accordance with Section 5(a) hereof; all material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time period prescribed for such filings by Rule 433; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission and no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Act shall have been received; no stop order suspending or preventing the use of the Preliminary Prospectus, Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; and all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission shall have been complied with to your reasonable satisfaction;

 

(b)           Latham & Watkins LLP, counsel for the Underwriter, shall have furnished to you such written opinion or opinions, dated such Time of Delivery, in form and substance satisfactory to you, with respect to the matters as you may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received such papers and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters;

 

(c)           NautaDutilh N.V., Dutch counsel for the Underwriter, shall have furnished to you such written opinion or opinions, dated such Time of Delivery, in form and substance satisfactory to you, with respect to the matters as you may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received such papers and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters;

 

(d)           Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP, counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to you their written opinion, dated such Time of Delivery, in form and substance satisfactory to you;

 

(e)           Van Doorne N.V., Dutch counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to you their written opinion, dated such Time of Delivery, in form and substance satisfactory to you;

 

(f)            On the date of the Prospectus on the date of this Agreement, on the effective date of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement filed subsequent to the date of this Agreement and also at each Time of Delivery, the Company shall have requested and caused JSC KPMG to have furnished to you a letter or letters,

 

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dated the respective dates of delivery thereof, in form and substance satisfactory to you, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial information included in the applicable document;

 

(g)           (i)  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries shall have sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Pricing Prospectus any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus, and (ii) since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Pricing Prospectus, there shall not have been any change in the share capital or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any change or effect, or any development involving a prospective change or effect, in or affecting (x) the business, properties, general affairs, management, financial position, shareholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, except as set forth or contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus, or (y) the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement, including the issuance and sale of the Shares, or to consummate the transactions contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus, the effect of which, in any such case described in clause (i) or (ii), is in your judgment so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Shares being delivered at such Time of Delivery on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus;

 

(h)           On or after the Applicable Time there shall not have occurred any of the following: (i) a suspension or material limitation in trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ, the London Stock Exchange or the Public Joint-Stock Company “Moscow Exchange MICEX-RTS”; (ii) a suspension or material limitation in trading in the Company’s securities on NASDAQ; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities declared by either Federal or New York State authorities or a material disruption in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the Russian Federation, the Netherlands, the United States, the United Kingdom or in any member state of the European Economic Area; (iv) the outbreak or escalation of hostilities involving the United States or the declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war or (v) the occurrence of any other calamity or crisis or any change in financial, political or economic conditions in the United States or elsewhere, if the effect of any such event specified in clause (iv) or (v) in your judgment makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Securities being delivered at such Time of Delivery on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus;

 

(i)            The Company shall have complied with the provisions of Section 5(e) hereof with respect to the furnishing of prospectuses on the New York Business Day next succeeding the date of this Agreement;

 

(j)            The Securities shall have been duly listed, subject to notice of issuance, on NASDAQ;

 

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(k)           The Company has obtained and delivered to the Underwriter executed copies of an agreement from substantially all directors and senior executives and certain other shareholders of the Company, substantially to the effect set forth in Annex I hereto in form and substance satisfactory to you;

 

(l)            The Company shall have delivered to the Underwriter on the date of the Prospectus at a time prior to the execution of this Agreement and at such Time of Delivery a certificate of the Chief Financial Officer of the Company in form and substance satisfactory to you;

 

(m)          The Company shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to you at such Time of Delivery certificates of authorized officers or representatives of the Company satisfactory to you as to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company herein at and as of such time, as to the performance by the Company of all of its obligations hereunder to be performed at or prior to such time, as to the matters set forth in subsections (a) and (i) of this Section and as to such other matters as you may reasonably request; and

 

(n)           The Company has obtained an agreement from each investor in the concurrent private placements described in the Pricing Prospectus and the Prospectus containing certain restrictions on dispositions of the Class A Ordinary Shares purchased by such investor, and the Company agrees to consult with the Underwriter prior to granting any waiver of such restrictions until and including the date 90 days after the date of the Prospectus.

 

9.             (a)           The Company will indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriter against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which the Underwriter may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any “roadshow” as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Act (a “roadshow”), any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and will reimburse the Underwriter for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Underwriter in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the Company shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.

 

(b)           The Underwriter will indemnify and hold harmless the Company against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Company may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions

 

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in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or any roadshow, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Prospectus or any such amendment or supplement thereto, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or any roadshow, in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information; and will reimburse the Company for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred.  As used in this Agreement with respect to the Underwriter and an applicable document, “Underwriter Information” shall mean the written information furnished to the Company by the Underwriter expressly for use therein; it being understood and agreed upon that the only such information furnished by the Underwriter consists of the following information in the Prospectus furnished on behalf of the Underwriter: the concession and reallowance figures appearing in the second sentence of the fifth paragraph under the caption “Underwriter,” and the information contained in the seventh and eighth paragraphs under the caption “Underwriter.”

 

(c)           Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under such subsection, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; provided that the failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have under the preceding paragraphs of this Section 9 except to the extent that it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) by such failure; and provided further that the failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have to an indemnified party otherwise than under the preceding paragraphs of this Section 9. 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 party shall not be liable to such indemnified party under such subsection for any legal expenses of other counsel or any other expenses, in each case subsequently incurred by such indemnified party, in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation.  No indemnifying party shall, without the written consent of the indemnified party, effect the settlement or compromise of, or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to, any pending or threatened action or claim in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified party is an actual or potential party to such action or claim) unless such settlement, compromise or judgment (i) includes an unconditional release of the indemnified party from all liability arising out of such action or claim and (ii) does not include

 

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a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

 

(d)           If the indemnification provided for in this Section 9 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriter on the other from the offering of the Securities. If, however, the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by applicable law, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount paid or payable by such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriter on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriter on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriter, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus.  The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company on the one hand or the Underwriter on the other and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Company and the Underwriter agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this subsection (d) 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 subsection (d). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to above in this subsection (d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (d), the Underwriter shall not be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Securities were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which the Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of 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 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

 

(e)           The obligations of the Company under this Section 9 shall be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each employee, officer and director of the Underwriter, each person, if any, who controls the Underwriter within the meaning of the Act and each broker-dealer or other affiliate of the Underwriter; and the obligations of the Underwriter under this Section 9 shall be in addition to any liability which the Underwriter may otherwise have and shall

 

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extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each officer and director of the Company and to each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Act.

 

10.          The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company and the Underwriter, as set forth in this Agreement or made by them, respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation (or any statement as to the results thereof) made by or on behalf of the Underwriter or any controlling person of the Underwriter, or the Company, or any officer or director or controlling person of the Company, and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Securities.

 

11.          If any Securities are not delivered by or on behalf of the Company as provided herein, the Company will reimburse the Underwriter for all out of pocket expenses approved in writing by you, including fees and disbursements of counsel, reasonably incurred by the Underwriter in making preparations for the purchase, sale and delivery of the Securities not so delivered, but the Company shall then be under no further liability to the Underwriter except as provided in Sections 7 and 9 hereof.

 

12.          All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in writing, and if to the Underwriter shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to them at Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282, Attention: Equity Capital Markets; and if to the Company shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to the address of the Company set forth in the Registration Statement, Attention: Chief Financial Officer; provided, however, that any notice to the Underwriter pursuant to Section 9(c) hereof shall be delivered or sent by mail or facsimile transmission to the Underwriter at its address set forth in its Underwriter’s Questionnaire, which address will be supplied to the Company by you upon request. Any such statements, requests, notices or agreements shall take effect upon receipt thereof.

 

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.

 

13.          This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure solely to the benefit of, the Underwriter, the Company and, to the extent provided in Sections 9 and 10 hereof, the officers and directors of the Company and each person who controls the Company or the Underwriter, and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement. No purchaser of any of the Securities from the Underwriter shall be deemed a successor or assign by reason merely of such purchase.

 

14.          Time shall be of the essence of this Agreement.  As used herein, the term “business day” shall mean any day when the Commission’s office in Washington, D.C. is open for business.

 

15.          The Company acknowledges and agrees that (i) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement is an arm’s-length commercial transaction

 

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between the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriter, on the other, (ii) in connection therewith and with the process leading to such transaction the Underwriter is acting solely as a principal and not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, (iii) no Underwriter has assumed an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether the Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company on other matters) or any other obligation to the Company except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement and (iv) the Company has consulted its own legal and financial advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate. The Company agrees that it will not claim that the Underwriter has rendered advisory services of any nature or respect, or owes a fiduciary or similar duty to the Company, in connection with such transaction or the process leading thereto.

 

16.          This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company and the Underwriter with respect to the subject matter hereof.

 

17.          This Agreement and any transaction contemplated by this Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York without regard to principles of conflict of laws that would result in the application of any other law than the laws of the State of New York.

 

18.          The Company and the Underwriter hereby irrevocably waive, 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.

 

19.          (a) Any dispute, difference, controversy or claim arising out of or in connection with this Agreement (including any dispute, difference, controversy or claim regarding the existence, validity, interpretation, performance, breach or termination of this Agreement or regarding any non-contractual obligations), the Pricing Prospectus, the Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the offering of the Securities (a “Dispute”) shall be referred to and finally resolved by (i) arbitration in accordance with Section 19(b) below under the LCIA Arbitration Rules (the “Rules”), which Rules are incorporated into this clause by reference or (ii) at the sole option of the Underwriter by court proceedings in accordance with Sections 19(c) and 19(d) below.

 

(b)           In relation to a Dispute being resolved by arbitration:

 

(i)            The arbitral tribunal shall consist of three arbitrators, each of whom shall be a member of the New York State bar. The claimant(s), irrespective of number, shall jointly nominate one arbitrator; the respondent(s), irrespective of number, shall jointly nominate the second arbitrator; and a third arbitrator, who shall serve as chairman, shall be nominated by the two arbitrators nominated by or on behalf of the claimant(s) and respondent(s). If the third arbitrator is not so nominated within 30 days of the date of nomination of the later of the two arbitrators nominated by or on behalf of the claimant(s) and respondent(s), the third arbitrator shall be appointed by the LCIA Court;

 

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(ii)           In the event that either the claimant(s) or respondent(s) shall fail to nominate an arbitrator within the time limits specified in the Rules, such arbitrator shall be appointed by the LCIA Court as soon as possible, preferably within 15 days of such failure. In the event that both the claimant(s) and the respondent(s) fail to nominate an arbitrator within the time limits specified in the Rules, all 3 arbitrators shall be appointed by the LCIA Court as soon as possible, preferably within 15 days of such failure, who shall designate one of them as chairman;

 

(iii)          If all the parties to a Dispute so agree, there shall be a sole arbitrator appointed by the LCIA Court as soon as possible, preferably within 15 days of such agreement;

 

(iv)          The seat of arbitration shall be London, England and the language of the arbitration shall be English;

 

(v)           Where disputes arise out of or in connection with this Agreement, the Pricing Prospectus, the Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the offering of the Securities and any other contract, agreement or understanding which, in the reasonable opinion of the first arbitral tribunal to be appointed in any of the Disputes, are so closely connected that it is expedient for them to be resolved in the same proceedings, that tribunal shall have the power to order that the proceedings to resolve the Dispute before it shall be consolidated with those to resolve any of the other disputes (whether or not proceedings to resolve those other disputes have yet been instituted), provided that no date for the final hearing of the first arbitration has been fixed. If the first tribunal so orders, the parties to each dispute which is a subject of its order shall be treated as having consented to their dispute being finally decided (a) by the tribunal who ordered the consolidation unless the LCIA Court decides that it would not be suitable or impartial (in which case by a replacement tribunal appointed in accordance with the Rules); and (b) in accordance with the procedure, at the seat and in the language specified in the arbitration agreement in the contract under which the tribunal was appointed, save as otherwise agreed by all parties to the consolidated proceedings or, in the absence of such agreement, ordered by the tribunal in the consolidated proceedings.

 

(c)            Before an arbitrator has been appointed by the Underwriter to determine a Dispute, the Underwriter may, by notice in writing to the Company, require that all Disputes or a specific Dispute be heard by a court of law. If the Underwriter gives such notice, the Dispute or Disputes to which such notice refers shall be determined in accordance with Section 19(d). For the avoidance of doubt, this Section 19(c) is for the sole benefit of the Underwriter.

 

(d)           This Section 19(d) applies where the Underwriter has exercised the option to refer a Dispute to the court pursuant to Section 19(c). Any New York State or United States Federal court sitting in The City of New York shall have non-exclusive jurisdiction to settle all Disputes and the Company irrevocably submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of such courts. The Company irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such suit, action or proceeding brought in such a court and any claim that any such suit,

 

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action or proceeding brought in such a court had been brought in an inconvenient forum. To the extent that the Company has or hereafter may acquire any immunity (on the grounds of sovereignty or otherwise) from the jurisdiction of any court or from any legal process with respect to itself or its property, the Company irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, such immunity in respect of any such suit, action or proceeding.

 

(e)           The Company hereby irrevocably appoints Yandex Inc., with offices at 38R Merrimac st., Suite 201, Newburyport, MA 01950 United States as its agent for service of process in any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to a Dispute and agrees that service of process in any such suit, action or proceeding may be made upon it at the office of such agent. The Company waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any other requirements of or objections to personal jurisdiction with respect thereto. The Company represents and warrants that such agent has agreed to act as its agent for service of process, and the Company agrees to take any and all action, including the filing of any and all documents and instruments and the paying of its own fees and expenses, that may be necessary to continue such appointment in full force and effect for a period of seven (7) years from the date of this Agreement. Service upon the Agent shall be deemed valid service upon the Company whether or not the process is forwarded to or received by the Company. Nothing in this Agreement shall affect the right to serve process in any other manner permitted by law.

 

20.          If for the purposes of obtaining judgment in any court or an arbitral award, it is necessary to convert a sum due hereunder into any currency other than United States dollars, the parties hereto agree, to the fullest extent permitted by law, that the rate of exchange used shall be the rate at which in accordance with normal banking procedures the Underwriter could purchase United States dollars with such other currency in The City of New York on the business day preceding that on which final judgment is given or a final and binding arbitral award is rendered. The obligation of the Company with respect to any sum due from it to the Underwriter or any person controlling the Underwriter shall, notwithstanding any judgment or arbitral award in a currency other than United States dollars, not be discharged until the first business day following receipt by the Underwriter or controlling person of any sum in such other currency, and only to the extent that the Underwriter or controlling person may in accordance with normal banking procedures purchase United States dollars with such other currency. If the United States dollars so purchased are less than the sum originally due to the Underwriter or controlling person hereunder, the Company agrees as a separate obligation and notwithstanding any such judgment or arbitral award, to indemnify the Underwriter or controlling person against such loss. If the United States dollars so purchased are greater than the sum originally due to the Underwriter or controlling person hereunder, the Underwriter or controlling person agrees to pay to the Company an amount equal to the excess of the dollars so purchased over the sum originally due to the Underwriter or controlling person hereunder.

 

21.          All payments made by the Company under this Agreement, if any, will be made without withholding or deduction for or on account of any present or future taxes, duties, assessments or governmental charges of whatever nature unless the Company is or becomes required by law to withhold or deduct such taxes, duties, assessments or other governmental charges. In such event, the Company will pay such additional amounts as will result, after such withholding or deduction, in the receipt by the Underwriter and

 

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each person controlling the Underwriter, as the case may be, of the amounts that would otherwise have been receivable in respect thereof.

 

22.          This Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties hereto in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such respective counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument.

 

23.          Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Company is authorized to disclose to any persons the U.S. federal and state income tax treatment and tax structure of the potential transaction and all materials of any kind (including tax opinions and other tax analyses) provided to the Company relating to that treatment and structure, without the Underwriter’s imposing any limitation of any kind. However, any information relating to the tax treatment and tax structure shall remain confidential (and the foregoing sentence shall not apply) to the extent necessary to enable any person to comply with securities laws. For this purpose, “tax structure” is limited to any facts that may be relevant to that treatment.

 

24.          Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes.

 

(a)           In the event that the Underwriter that is a Covered Entity becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer from the Underwriter of this Agreement, and any interest and obligation in or under this Agreement, will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement, and any such interest and obligation, were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.

 

(b) In the event that the Underwriter that is a Covered Entity or a BHC Act Affiliate of the Underwriter becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under this Agreement that may be exercised against the Underwriter are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.

 

(c) As used in this section:

 

“BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k).

 

“Covered Entity” means any of the following:

 

(i) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b);

 

(ii) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or

 

(iii) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b).

 

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“Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable.

 

“U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign and return to us one for the Company and the Underwriter plus one for each counsel counterparts hereof, and upon the acceptance hereof by you, this letter and such acceptance hereof shall constitute a binding agreement between the Underwriter and the Company.

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yandex N.V.

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Alex de Cuba

 

Name: Alex de Cuba

 

Title: Proxy Holder

 

 

Accepted as of the date hereof:

 

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Simon Watson

 

Name: Simon Watson

 

Title: Managing Director