Unassociated Document
Exhibit 1.1
H.J. HEINZ COMPANY
$300,000,000 2.00% Notes due 2016
$400,000,000 3.125% Notes due 2021
Underwriting Agreement
September 7, 2011
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
BNP Paribas Securities Corp.
HSBC Securities (USA) Inc.
as Representatives of the several Underwriters named in
Schedule 1 to the Underwriting Agreement referred to below
c/o J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
383 Madison Avenue
New York, New York 10179
c/o HSBC Securities (USA) Inc.
HSBC Tower 3
452 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10018
Ladies and Gentlemen:
H.J. Heinz Company, a Pennsylvania corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the several Underwriters listed in Schedule 1 hereto (the “Underwriters”), for whom you are acting as representatives (the “Representatives”), $300,000,000 principal amount of its 2.00% Notes due 2016 (the “2016 Notes”) and $400,000,000 principal amount of its 3.125% Notes due 2021 (the “2021 Notes”) (together with the 2016 Notes, the “Securities”). The Securities will be issued pursuant to an Indenture dated as of July 15, 2008 (the “Indenture”) between the Company and Union Bank, N.A., as trustee (the “Trustee”).
The Company hereby confirms its agreement with the several Underwriters concerning the purchase and sale of the Securities, as follows:
1. Registration Statement. The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”), a registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333 -176707), including a prospectus, relating to the Securities. Such registration statement, as amended at the time it becomes effective, including the information, if any, deemed pursuant to Rule 430A, 430B or 430C under the Securities Act to be part of the registration statement at the time of its effectiveness (“Rule 430 Information”), is
referred to herein as the “Registration Statement”; and as used herein, the term “Preliminary Prospectus” means each prospectus included in such registration statement (and any amendments thereto) before it becomes effective and the prospectus included in the Registration Statement at the time of its effectiveness that omits Rule 430 Information, and the term “Prospectus” means the prospectus in the form first used (or made available upon request of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act) in connection with confirmation of sales of the Securities. If the Company has filed an abbreviated registration statement pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act (the “Rule 462 Registration Statement”), then any reference herein to the term “Registration Statement” shall be deemed to include such Rule 462 Registration Statement. Any reference in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act, as of the effective date of the Registration Statement or the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be and any reference to “amend”, “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any documents filed after such date under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”) that are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to such terms in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
At or prior to the time when sales of the Securities were first made (the “Time of Sale”), the Company had prepared the following information (collectively, the “Time of Sale Information”): a Preliminary Prospectus dated September 7, 2011, and each “free-writing prospectus” (as defined pursuant to Rule 405 under the Securities Act) listed on Annex C hereto as constituting part of the Time of Sale Information.
2. Purchase of the Securities by the Underwriters. (a) The Company agrees to issue and sell the Securities to the several Underwriters as provided in this Agreement, and each Underwriter, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements set forth herein and subject to the conditions set forth herein, agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company the respective principal amount of Securities set forth opposite such Underwriter's name in Schedule 1 hereto at a price equal to 99.367% of the principal amount thereof with respect to the 2016 Notes and 98.088% of the principal amount of thereof with respect to the 2021 Notes, in each case, plus accrued interest, if any, from September 12, 2011 to the Closing Date (as defined below). The Company will not be obligated to deliver any of the Securities except upon payment for all the Securities to be purchased as provided herein.
(b) The Company understands that the Underwriters intend to make a public offering of the Securities as soon after the effectiveness of this Agreement as in the judgment of the Representatives is advisable, and initially to offer the Securities on the terms set forth in the Prospectus. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters may offer and sell Securities to or through any affiliate of an Underwriter
and that any such affiliate may offer and sell Securities purchased by it to or through any Underwriter.
(c) Payment for and delivery of the Securities will be made at the offices of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, 1701 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C., at 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on September 12, 2011, or at such other time or place on the same or such other date, not later than the fifth business day thereafter, as the Representatives and the Company may agree upon in writing. The time and date of such payment and delivery is referred to herein as the “Closing Date”.
(d) Payment for the Securities shall be made by wire transfer in immediately available funds to the account(s) specified by the Company to the Representatives against delivery to the nominee of The Depository Trust Company, for the account of the Underwriters, of one or more global notes representing the Securities (collectively, the “Global Notes”), with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the sale of the Securities duly paid by the Company. The Global Notes will be made available for inspection by the Representatives not later than 1:00 P.M., New York City time, on the business day prior to the Closing Date.
(e) The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters are acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length contractual counterparty to the Company with respect to the offering of Securities contemplated hereby (including in connection with determining the terms of the offering) and not as a financial advisor or a fiduciary to, or an agent of, the Company or any other person. Additionally, neither the Representatives nor any other Underwriter is advising the Company or any other person as to any legal, tax, investment, accounting or regulatory matters in any jurisdiction. The Company shall consult with its own advisors concerning such matters and shall be responsible for making its own independent investigation and appraisal of the transactions contemplated hereby, and the Underwriters shall have no responsibility or liability to the Company with respect thereto. Any review by the Underwriters of the Company, the transactions contemplated hereby or other matters relating to such transactions will be performed solely for the benefit of the Underwriters and shall not be on behalf of the Company.
3. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to each Underwriter that:
a. Preliminary Prospectus. No order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus has been issued by the Commission, and each Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, complied in all material respects with the Securities Act and did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such
Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in any Preliminary Prospectus.
b. Time of Sale Information. The Time of Sale Information, at the Time of Sale, did not, and at the Closing Date will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in such Time of Sale Information.
c. Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. The Company (including its agents and representatives, other than the Underwriters in their capacity as such) has not prepared, made, used, authorized, approved or referred to and will not prepare, make, use, authorize, approve or refer to any “written communication” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) that constitutes an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy the Securities (each such communication by the Company or its agents and representatives (other than a communication referred to in clauses (i) (ii) and (iii) below) an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”) other than (i) any document not constituting a prospectus pursuant to Section 2(a)(10)(a) of the Securities Act or Rule 134 under the Securities Act, (ii) the Preliminary Prospectus, (iii) the Prospectus, (iv) the documents listed on Annex C hereto as constituting the Time of Sale Information and (v) any electronic road show or other written communications, in each case approved in writing in advance by the Representatives. Each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus complied in all material respects with the Securities Act, has been or will be (within the time period specified in Rule 433) filed in accordance with the Securities Act (to the extent required thereby) and, when taken together with the Preliminary Prospectus filed prior to the first use of such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, did not, and at the Closing Date will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.
d. Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Registration Statement is an “automatic shelf registration statement” as defined under Rule 405 of the Securities Act that has been filed with the Commission not earlier than three years prior to the date hereof; 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 Securities Act has been received by the Company. No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued by the Commission and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the
Securities Act against the Company or related to the offering has been initiated or threatened by the Commission; as of the applicable effective date of the Registration Statement and any amendment thereto, the Registration Statement complied and will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Trust Indenture Act”), and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading; and as of the date of the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto and as of the Closing Date, the Prospectus will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to (i) that part of the Registration Statement that constitutes the Statement of Eligibility and Qualification (Form T-1) of the Trustee under the Trust Indenture Act or (ii) any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto.
e. Incorporated Documents. The documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information, when they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act, and none of such documents contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Time of Sale Information, when such documents become effective or are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
f. Financial Statements. The financial statements and the related notes thereto included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, and present fairly the financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the results of their operations and the changes in their cash flows for the periods specified; such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered thereby, and the supporting schedules included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement present fairly the information required to be
stated therein; and the other financial information included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus has been derived from the accounting records of the Company and its subsidiaries and presents fairly the information shown thereby.
g. No Material Adverse Change. Since the date of the most recent financial statements of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, (i) except for (a) changes relating to derivative instruments under Financial Accounting Standards Board Statement No. 133, Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities, (b) changes in capital stock due to (1) stock option exercises, and (2) share repurchases made in accordance with the Company's plan described in the most recent financial statements of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, and (c) changes in the amount of outstanding commercial paper that are reflected on the Company’s balance sheet as long-term debt, there has not been any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or, except for the declaration of dividends on the Company’s common stock on August 30, 2011, any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, set aside for payment, paid or made by the Company on any class of capital stock; and (ii) there has not been any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the business, properties, management, financial position, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole.
h. Organization and Good Standing. The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization, is duly qualified to do business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its businesses requires such qualification, and has all power and authority necessary to own or hold its properties and to conduct the businesses in which it is engaged, except where the failure to be so qualified, in good standing or have such power or authority would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the business, properties, management, financial position, shareholders’ equity, results of operations or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or on the performance by the Company of its obligations under the Securities (a “Material Adverse Effect”); and each of H.J. Heinz Finance Company, H. J. Heinz Company, L.P., Heinz GP, LLC, and Promark Brands Inc. (collectively, the “Principal Subsidiaries”) has been duly organized and is validly existing in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization with power and authority to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Prospectus.
i. Capitalization. The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus under the heading “Capitalization” and all the outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity interests of each Principal Subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and (except, with respect to
H.J. Heinz Finance Company, for the Voting Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series A, of H.J. Heinz Finance Company) are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of any lien, charge, encumbrance, security interest, restriction on voting or transfer or any other claim of any third party.
j. Due Authorization. The Company has full right, power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement, the Securities and the Indenture (collectively, the “Transaction Documents”) and to perform its obligations hereunder and thereunder; and all action required to be taken for the due and proper authorization, execution and delivery of each of the Transaction Documents and the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby has been duly and validly taken.
k. The Indenture. The Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and upon effectiveness of the Registration Statement will have been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act and constitutes a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally or by equitable principles relating to enforceability (collectively, the “Enforceability Exceptions”).
l. The Securities. The Securities have been duly authorized by the Company and, when duly executed, authenticated, issued and delivered as provided in the Indenture and paid for as provided herein, will be duly and validly issued and outstanding and will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, subject to the Enforceability Exceptions, and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.
m. Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
n. Descriptions of the Transaction Documents. Each Transaction Document conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus.
o. No Violation or Default. Neither the Company nor any of the Principal Subsidiaries is (i) in violation of its charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents; (ii) in default, and no event has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a default, in the due performance or observance of any term, obligation, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of the Principal Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of the Principal Subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of the Principal Subsidiaries is subject; or (iii) in violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory
authority, except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, for any such default or violation that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
p. No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of each of the Transaction Documents, the issuance and sale of the Securities and compliance by the Company with the terms thereof and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company pursuant to, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which the Company is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company is subject, (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents of the Company or any of the Principal Subsidiaries or (iii) result in the violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its properties, except, in the case of clauses (i) and (iii) above, for any such conflict, breach, violation or default that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
q. No Consents Required. No consent, approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory agency, authority or body is required for the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of each of the Transaction Documents, the issuance and sale of the Securities and compliance by the Company with the terms thereof and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, except for the registration of the Securities under the Securities Act, the qualification of the Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders and registrations or qualifications as may be required under applicable state securities laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters.
r. Legal Proceedings. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, there are no legal, governmental or regulatory investigations, actions, suits or proceedings pending to which the Company or any of the Principal Subsidiaries is or may be a party or to which any property of the Company or any of the Principal Subsidiaries is or may be the subject that, individually or in the aggregate, if determined adversely to the Company or any applicable subsidiary, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; to the best knowledge of the Company, no such investigations, actions, suits or proceedings are threatened or contemplated by any governmental or regulatory authority; and (i) there are no current or pending legal, governmental or regulatory actions, suits or proceedings that are required under the Securities Act to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus that are not so described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus and (ii) there are no statutes, regulations or contracts or other documents that are required under the Securities Act to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the
Registration Statement and the Prospectus that are not so filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus.
s. Independent Accountants. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, who have certified certain financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, are an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries within the applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Commission and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) and as required by the Securities Act.
t. Title to Real and Personal Property. The Company and the Principal Subsidiaries each have good and marketable title in fee simple to, or have valid rights to lease or otherwise use, all items of real and personal property that are owned by them, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, claims and defects and imperfections of title except those that (i) do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its subsidiaries or (ii) could not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect.
u. Title to Intellectual Property. The Company and the Principal Subsidiaries own or possess adequate rights to use all material patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, trade names, trademark registrations, service mark registrations, copyrights, licenses and know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures) necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses; and the conduct of their respective businesses will not conflict in any material respect with any such rights of others, and the Company and the Principal Subsidiaries have not received any notice of any claim of infringement of or conflict with any such rights of others, except for any failure to own or possess such rights or any such conflict or claim that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.
v. Investment Company Act. The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, will not be an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Investment Company Act”).
w. Disclosure Controls. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain an effective system of “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act) that is designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, including controls and procedures designed to ensure
that such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. The Company and its subsidiaries have carried out evaluations of the effectiveness of their disclosure controls and procedures as required by Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act.
x. Accounting Controls. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain systems of “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act and have been designed by, or under the supervision of, their respective principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, including, but not limited to internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management's general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management's general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus, there are no material weaknesses in the Company’s internal controls.
y. No Stabilization. The Company has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Securities.
z. Margin Rules. Neither the issuance, sale and delivery of the Securities nor the application of the proceeds thereof by the Company as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus will violate Regulation T, U or X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or any other regulation of such Board of Governors.
aa. Sarbanes-Oxley Act. There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”), including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.
bb. Status under the Securities Act. The Company is not an ineligible issuer and is a well-known seasoned issuer, in each case as defined under the Securities Act, in each case at the times specified in the Securities Act in connection with the offering of the Securities. The Company will pay the registration fees for this offering within the time period required by Rule 456(b)(1)(i) under the Securities Act (without giving effect to the proviso therein) and in any event prior to the Closing Date.
4. Further Agreements of the Company. The Company covenants and agrees with each Underwriter that:
(a) Required Filings. The Company will file the final Prospectus with the Commission within the time periods specified by Rule 424(b) and Rule 430A, 430B or 430C under the Securities Act, will file any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (including the Term Sheet in the form of Annex D hereto) to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Securities Act; and will 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 is required in connection with the offering or sale of the Securities; and the Company will furnish copies of the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (to the extent not previously delivered) to the Underwriters in New York City prior to 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement in such quantities as the Representatives may reasonably request. The Company will pay the registration fees for this offering within the time period required by Rule 456(b)(1)(i) under the Securities Act (without giving effect to the proviso therein) and in any event prior to the Closing Date.
(b) Delivery of Copies. The Company will deliver, without charge, (i) to the Representatives, two signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto, in each case including all exhibits and consents filed therewith and documents incorporated by reference therein; and (ii) to each Underwriter (A) a conformed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto, in each case including all exhibits and consents filed therewith and (B) during the Prospectus Delivery Period (as defined below), as many copies of the Prospectus (including all amendments and supplements thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein) and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as the Representatives may reasonably request. As used herein, the term “Prospectus Delivery Period” means such period of time after the first date of the public offering of the Securities as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters a prospectus relating to the Securities is required by law to be delivered (or required to be delivered but for Rule 172 under the Securities Act) in connection with sales of the Securities by any Underwriter or dealer.
(c) Amendments or Supplements; Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. Before making, preparing, using, authorizing, approving, referring to or filing any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and before filing any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, whether before or after the time that the Registration Statement becomes effective, the Company will furnish to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters a copy of the proposed Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, amendment or supplement for review and will not make, prepare, use, authorize, approve, refer to or file any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which the Representatives reasonably object.
(d) Notice to the Representatives. The Company will advise the Representatives promptly, and confirm such advice in writing, (i) when the Registration Statement has become effective; (ii) when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective; (iii) when any supplement to the Prospectus or any amendment to the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus has been filed; (iv) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or the receipt of any comments from the Commission relating to the Registration Statement or any other request by the Commission for any additional information; (v) of the issuance by the Commission of any order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act; (vi) of the occurrence of any event within the Prospectus Delivery Period as a result of which the Prospectus, the Time of Sale Information or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus, the Time of Sale Information or any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading; (vii) of the receipt by the Company 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 Securities Act; and (viii) of the receipt by the Company of any notice with respect to any suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offer and sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; and the Company will use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or suspending any such qualification of the Securities and, if any such order is issued, will obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.
(e) Time of Sale Information. If at any time prior to the Closing Date (i) any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which the Time of Sale Information as then amended or supplemented would 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, not misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Information to comply with law, the Company will immediately notify the Underwriters thereof and forthwith prepare and, subject to paragraph (c) above, file with the Commission (to the extent required) and furnish to the Underwriters and to such dealers as the Representatives may designate, such amendments or supplements to the Time of Sale Information as may be necessary so that the statements in the Time of Sale Information as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances, be misleading or so that the Time of Sale Information will comply with law.
(f) Ongoing Compliance. If during the Prospectus Delivery Period (i) any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with law, the Company will immediately notify the Underwriters thereof and forthwith prepare and, subject to paragraph (c) above, file with the Commission and furnish to the Underwriters and to such dealers as the Representatives may designate, such amendments or supplements to the Prospectus as may be necessary so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus will comply with law.
(g) Blue Sky Compliance. The Company will qualify the Securities for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives shall reasonably request and will continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for distribution of the Securities; provided that the Company shall not be required to (i) qualify as a foreign corporation or other entity or as a dealer in securities in any such jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to so qualify, (ii) file any general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction or (iii) subject itself to taxation in any such jurisdiction if it is not otherwise so subject.
(h) Earning Statement. The Company will make generally available to its security holders and the Representatives as soon as practicable an earning statement that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 of the Commission promulgated thereunder covering a period of at least twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company occurring after the “effective date” (as defined in Rule 158) of the Registration Statement.
(i) Clear Market. During the period from the date hereof through and including the Closing Date, the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, offer, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of any debt securities issued or guaranteed by the Company and having a tenor of more than one year; provided, however, that this Section 4(i) shall not apply to any debt or preferred equity securities that are convertible into common equity of the Company.
(j) Use of Proceeds. The Company will apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus under the heading “Use of proceeds”.
(k) No Stabilization. The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in any stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Securities.
(l) Record Retention. The Company will, pursuant to reasonable procedures developed in good faith, retain copies of each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not filed with the Commission in accordance with Rule 433 under the Securities Act.
5. Certain Agreements of the Underwriters. Each Underwriter hereby represents and agrees that:
(a) It has not and will not use, authorize use of, refer to, or participate in the planning for use of, any “free writing prospectus”, as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act (which term includes use of any written information furnished to the Commission by the Company and not incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and any press release issued by the Company) other than (i) a free writing prospectus that, solely as a result of use by such underwriter, would not trigger an obligation to file such free writing prospectus with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433, (ii) any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus listed on Annex C or prepared pursuant to Section 3(c) or Section 4(c) above (including any electronic road show), or (iii) any free writing prospectus prepared by such underwriter and approved by the Company in advance in writing (each such free writing prospectus referred to in clauses (i) or (iii), an “Underwriter Free Writing Prospectus”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Underwriters may use a term sheet substantially in the form of Annex D hereto without the consent of the Company.
(b) It is not subject to any pending proceeding under Section 8A of the Securities Act with respect to the offering (and will promptly notify the Company if any such proceeding against it is initiated during the Prospectus Delivery Period).
6. Conditions of Underwriters' Obligations. The obligation of each Underwriter to purchase Securities on the Closing Date as provided herein is subject to the performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:
(a) Registration Compliance; No Stop Order. No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be in effect, and no proceeding for such purpose, pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) or pursuant to Section 8A under the Securities Act shall be pending before or threatened by the Commission; the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been timely filed with the Commission under the Securities Act (in the case of a Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Securities Act) and in accordance with Section 4(a) hereof; and all requests by the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Representatives.
(b) Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of the Company contained herein shall be true and correct on the date hereof and on and as of the Closing Date; and the statements of the Company and its officers made in any
certificates delivered pursuant to this Agreement shall be true and correct on and as of the Closing Date.
(c) No Downgrade. Subsequent to the earlier of (A) the Time of Sale and (B) the execution and delivery of this Agreement, (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded the Securities or any other debt securities or preferred stock of or guaranteed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization”, as such term is defined by the Commission for purposes of Section 3(a)(62) under the Exchange Act and (ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, with possible negative implications, its rating of any of the Company’s rated securities.
(d) No Material Adverse Change. (i) None of the Company and its subsidiaries shall have sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements of the Company included in the Prospectus any loss or interference with its business from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Prospectus, and (ii) no event or condition of a type described in Section 3(g) hereof shall have occurred or shall exist, which event or condition is not described in the Time of Sale Information (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) and the Prospectus (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) and the effect of which in the judgment of the Representatives makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus.
(e) Officer's Certificate. The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date a certificate of the chief financial officer or treasurer of the Company, satisfactory to the Representatives, (i) confirming that, to the best knowledge of such officer, the representations set forth in Sections 3(b) and 3(d) hereof are true and correct, (ii) confirming that the other representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct and that the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to the Closing Date and (iii) to the effect set forth in paragraphs (a), (c) and (d) above.
(f) Comfort Letters. On the date of this Agreement and on the Closing Date, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP shall have furnished to the Representatives, at the request of the Company, letters, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance compliant with the AICPA Professional Standards AU Section 634 “Letters for Underwriters and Certain Other Requesting Parties” and satisfactory to the Representatives and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, to the effect that:
(i) They are an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company within the meaning of the Act and the applicable rules
and regulations thereunder adopted by the Commission and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”).
(ii) In their opinion, the consolidated financial statements and the financial statement schedule of the Company and its subsidiaries audited by them and incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.
(iii) They have read the minutes of meetings of the stockholders and the Board of Directors of the Company and its subsidiaries since April 27, 2011 as set forth in the minute books through a specified date not more than three business days prior to the date of delivery of such letter.
(iv) They have inquired of certain officials of the Company who have responsibility for financial and accounting matters as to whether (a) at September 7, 2011 there was any change in the capital stock, increase in long-term debt, or decrease in consolidated net current assets (working capital) or shareholders' equity of the Company and subsidiaries consolidated as compared with the amounts shown in the July 27, 2011 consolidated balance sheet incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement; or (b) for the period from July 27, 2011 to September 6, 2011 there were any decreases, as compared with the corresponding period in the preceding year, in consolidated net sales or in the total or per-share amounts of income before extraordinary items or of net income, except in all instances for changes, increases or decreases which the Registration Statement discloses have occurred or may occur.
(v) The letter shall also state that the information set forth under the captions “Capitalization” and "Ratio of Earnings To Fixed Charges" in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Final Prospectus, and the captions "Selected Financial Data," "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and in Exhibit 12 included in the Company's April 27, 2011 Annual Report on Form 10-K, incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement, which is expressed in dollars (or percentages derived from such dollar amounts) and has been obtained from accounting records which are subject to control over financial reporting or which has been derived directly from such accounting records by analysis or computation, is in agreement with such records or computations made therefrom.
The letter delivered on the Closing Date shall use a “cut-off” date no more than three business days prior to the Closing Date.
(g) Opinion and 10b-5 Statement of Counsel for the Company. Each of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, counsel for the Company, and Theodore N. Bobby, Esq.,
Executive Vice President and General Counsel of the Company, shall have furnished to the Representatives, at the request of the Company, their written opinion and, in the case of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, their 10b-5 statement, in each case dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect set forth in Annex A and Annex B, respectively, hereto.
(h) Opinion and 10b-5 Statement of Counsel for the Underwriters. The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date an opinion and 10b-5 statement of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, with respect to such matters as the Representatives may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received such documents and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters. In rendering such opinion or opinions, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP may rely as to all matters governed by Pennsylvania law upon the opinion referred to in subsection (g) of this Section 6.
(i) No Legal Impediment to Issuance. No action shall have been taken and no statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any federal, state or foreign governmental or regulatory authority that would, as of the Closing Date, prevent the issuance or sale of the Securities; and no injunction or order of any federal, state or foreign court shall have been issued that would, as of the Closing Date, prevent the issuance or sale of the Securities.
(k) Additional Documents. On or prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives such further certificates and documents as the Representatives may reasonably request.
All opinions, letters, certificates and evidence mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall be deemed to be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters.
7. Indemnification and Contribution.
(a) Indemnification of the Underwriters. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, legal fees and other expenses incurred in connection with any suit, action or proceeding or any claim asserted, as such fees and expenses are incurred), joint or several, that arise out of, or are based upon, (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, not misleading, or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Time of Sale
Information, or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, in each case except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein.
(b) Indemnification of the Company. Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act to the same extent as the indemnity set forth in paragraph (a) above, but only with respect to any losses, claims, damages or liabilities that arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Time of Sale Information, it being understood and agreed that the only such information consists of the following: the third and sixth paragraphs of text under the caption “Underwriting” in the Prospectus Supplement.
(c) Notice and Procedures. If any suit, action, proceeding (including any governmental or regulatory investigation), claim or demand shall be brought or asserted against any person in respect of which indemnification may be sought pursuant to either paragraph (a) or (b) above, such person (the “Indemnified Person”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnification may be sought (the “Indemnifying Person”) in writing; provided that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have under this Section 7 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 Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have to an Indemnified Person otherwise than under this Section 7. If any such proceeding shall be brought or asserted against an Indemnified Person and it shall have notified the Indemnifying Person thereof, the Indemnifying Person shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person (who shall not, without the consent of the Indemnified Person, be counsel to the Indemnifying Person) to represent the Indemnified Person and any others entitled to indemnification pursuant to Section 7 that the Indemnifying Person may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and expenses of such proceeding and shall pay the fees and expenses of counsel related to such proceeding, as incurred. In any such proceeding, any Indemnified Person shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Person unless (i) the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person shall have mutually agreed to the contrary; (ii) the Indemnifying Person has failed within a
reasonable time to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person; (iii) the Indemnified Person shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it that are different from or in addition to those available to the Indemnifying Person; or (iv) the named parties in any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. It is understood and agreed that the Indemnifying Person shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceeding in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all Indemnified Persons, and that all such fees and expenses shall be reimbursed as they are incurred. Any such separate firm for any Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and any control persons of such Underwriter shall be designated in writing by J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. and any such separate firm for the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and any control persons of the Company shall be designated in writing by the Company. The Indemnifying Person shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the Indemnifying Person agrees to indemnify each Indemnified Person from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. No Indemnifying Person shall, without the written consent of the Indemnified Person, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any Indemnified Person is or could have been a party and indemnification could have been sought hereunder by such Indemnified Person, unless such settlement (x) includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Person, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Person, from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding and (y) does not include any statement as to or any admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any Indemnified Person.
(d) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in paragraphs (a) and (b) above is unavailable to an Indemnified Person or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each Indemnifying Person under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such Indemnified Person thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Person as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Securities or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds (before deducting expenses) received by the Company from the sale of the Securities
and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters in connection therewith, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate offering price of the Securities. The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other 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 or by the Underwriters and the parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
(e) Limitation on Liability. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in paragraph (d) above. The amount paid or payable by an Indemnified Person as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in paragraph (d) above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses incurred by such Indemnified Person in connection with any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, in no event shall an Underwriter be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriter with respect to the offering of the Securities exceeds the amount of any damages that such 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 Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters' obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are several in proportion to their respective purchase obligations hereunder and not joint.
(f) Non-Exclusive Remedies. The remedies provided for in this Section 7 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any Indemnified Person at law or in equity.
8. Effectiveness of Agreement. This Agreement shall become effective upon the execution and delivery hereof by the parties hereto.
9. Termination. This Agreement may be terminated in the absolute discretion of the Representatives, by notice to the Company, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on or by, as the case may be, the New York Stock Exchange or the NASDAQ Stock Market; (ii) trading of any securities issued or guaranteed by the Company shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities in New York shall have been declared by federal or New York State authorities, or commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States
shall have been materially disrupted; or (iv) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis, either within or outside the United States, that, in the judgment of the Representatives, is material and adverse and that, in the judgment of the Representatives, makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus.
10. Defaulting Underwriter. (a) If, on the Closing Date, any Underwriter defaults on its obligation to purchase the Securities that it has agreed to purchase hereunder, the non-defaulting Underwriters may in their discretion arrange for the purchase of such Securities by other persons satisfactory to the Company on the terms contained in this Agreement. If, within 36 hours after any such default by any Underwriter, the non-defaulting Underwriters do not arrange for the purchase of such Securities, then the Company shall be entitled to a further period of 36 hours within which to procure other persons satisfactory to the non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase such Securities on such terms. If other persons become obligated or agree to purchase the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter, either the non-defaulting Underwriters or the Company may postpone the Closing Date for up to five full business days in order to effect any changes that in the opinion of counsel for the Company or counsel for the Underwriters may be necessary in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or in any other document or arrangement, and the Company agrees to promptly prepare any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus that effects any such changes. As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” includes, for all purposes of this Agreement unless the context otherwise requires, any person not listed in Schedule 1 hereto that, pursuant to this Section 10, purchases Securities that a defaulting Underwriter agreed but failed to purchase.
(b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate principal amount of such Securities that remains unpurchased does not exceed one-eleventh of the aggregate principal amount of all the Securities, then the Company shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the principal amount of Securities that such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder plus such Underwriter's pro rata share (based on the principal amount of Securities that such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder) of the Securities of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made.
(c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate principal amount of such Securities that remains unpurchased exceeds one-eleventh of the aggregate principal amount of all the Securities, or if the Company shall not exercise the right described in paragraph (b) above, then this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of the non-defaulting Underwriters. Any termination of this Agreement pursuant to this
Section 10 shall be without liability on the part of the Company, except that the Company will continue to be liable for the payment of expenses as set forth in Section 11 hereof and except that the provisions of Section 7 hereof shall not terminate and shall remain in effect.
(d) Nothing contained herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter of any liability it may have to the Company or any non-defaulting Underwriter for damages caused by its default.
11. Payment of Expenses. (a) The Company will pay or cause to be paid all costs and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder, including without limitation, (i) the costs incident to the authorization, issuance, sale, preparation and delivery of the Securities and any transfer taxes payable in that connection; (ii) the costs incident to the preparation, printing and filing under the Securities Act of the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus (including all exhibits, amendments and supplements thereto) and the distribution thereof; (iii) the costs of reproducing and distributing each of the Transaction Documents; (iv) the fees and expenses of the Company's counsel and independent accountants; (v) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the registration or qualification and determination of eligibility for investment of the Securities under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives may designate and the preparation, printing and distribution of a Blue Sky Memorandum (including the related fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters); (vi) any fees charged by rating agencies for rating the Securities; (vii) the fees and expenses of the Trustee and any paying agent (including related fees and expenses of any counsel to such parties); (viii) all expenses and application fees incurred in connection with any filing with, and clearance of the offering by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority; and (ix) all expenses incurred by the Company in connection with any “road show” presentation to potential investors. It is understood, however, that, except as provided in this Section and Section 7 hereof, the Underwriters will pay all of their own costs and expenses, including the fees of their counsel, transfer taxes on resale of any of the Securities by them, and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may make.
(b) If (i) this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 9, (ii) the Company for any reason, other than pursuant to Section 10, fails to tender the Securities for delivery to the Underwriters or (iii) the Underwriters decline to purchase the Securities for any reason permitted under this Agreement, the Company agrees to reimburse the Underwriters for all out-of-pocket costs and expenses (including the fees and expenses of their counsel) reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in connection with this Agreement and the offering contemplated hereby.
12. Persons Entitled to Benefit of Agreement. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers and directors and any controlling persons referred to herein, and the affiliates of each Underwriter referred to in Section 7 hereof. Nothing in this Agreement
is intended or shall be construed to give any other person any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision contained herein. No purchaser of Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor merely by reason of such purchase.
13. Survival. The respective indemnities, rights of contribution, representations, warranties and agreements of the Company and the Underwriters contained in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of the Company or the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement or any certificate delivered pursuant hereto shall survive the delivery of and payment for the Securities and shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any termination of this Agreement or any investigation made by or on behalf of the Company or the Underwriters.
14. Certain Defined Terms. For purposes of this Agreement, (a) except where otherwise expressly provided, the term "affiliate" has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act; (b) the term "business day" means any day other than a day on which banks are permitted or required to be closed in New York City; and (c) the term "subsidiary" has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
15. Miscellaneous. (a) Authority of the Representatives. Any action by the Underwriters hereunder may be taken by J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, BNP Paribas Securities Corp. and HSBC Securities (USA) Inc., on behalf of the Underwriters, and any such action taken by J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, BNP Paribas Securities Corp. and HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. shall be binding upon the Underwriters.
(b) Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted and confirmed by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be given to the Representatives c/o J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, 383 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10017 (fax: 212-834-6081) Attention: Investment Grade Syndicate Desk, and c/o HSBC Securities (USA) Inc., HSBC Tower 3, 452 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10018 (fax: 212-525-0238), Attention: Transaction Management Group. Notices to the Company shall be given to it at 1 PPG Place, Suite 3100, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, (fax: 412-456-2460); Attention: Vice President-Treasurer.
(c) Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
(d) Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in counterparts (which may include counterparts delivered by any standard form of telecommunication), each of which shall be an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
(e) Amendments or Waivers. No amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement, nor any consent or approval to any departure therefrom, shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the parties hereto.
(f) Headings. The headings herein are included for convenience of reference only and are not intended to be part of, or to affect the meaning or interpretation of, this Agreement.
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please indicate your acceptance of this Agreement by signing in the space provided below.
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Very truly yours,
H.J. HEINZ COMPANY
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By:
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/s/ Leonard A. Cullo, Jr. |
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Name: Leonard A. Cullo, Jr.
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Title: Vice President-Treasurer
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Accepted: September 7, 2011
J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC
For itself and on behalf of the
several Underwriters listed
in Schedule 1 hereto.
By: /s/ Maria Sramek
Authorized Signatory
HSBC Securities (USA) Inc.
For itself and on behalf of the
several Underwriters listed
in Schedule 1 hereto.
Authorized Signatory
Schedule 1
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Underwriter
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Principal Amount of 2016 Notes
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Principal Amount of
2021 Notes
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J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
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$96,000,000
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$128,000,000
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BNP Paribas Securities Corp.
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$64,500,000
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$86,000,000
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HSBC Securities (USA) Inc.
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$64,500,000
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$86,000,000
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Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
Incorporated
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$9,000,000
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$12,000,000
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Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.
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$9,000,000
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$12,000,000
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Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC
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$9,000,000
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$12,000,000
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Rabo Securities USA, Inc.
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$9,000,000
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$12,000,000
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UBS Securities LLC
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$9,000,000
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$12,000,000
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Barclays Capital Inc.
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$3,000,000
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$4,000,000
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BNY Mellon Capital Markets, LLC
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$3,000,000
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$4,000,000
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Mitsubishi UFJ Securities (USA) Inc.
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$3,000,000
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$4,000,000
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Banca IMI S.p.A.
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$3,000,000
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$4,000,000
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PNC Capital Markets LLC
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$3,000,000
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$4,000,000
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RBS Securities Inc.
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$3,000,000
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$4,000,000
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SG Americas Securities, LLC
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$3,000,000
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$4,000,000
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SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Inc.
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$3,000,000
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$4,000,000
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TD Securities (USA) LLC
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$3,000,000
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$4,000,000
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Wells Fargo Securities, LLC
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$3,000,000
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$4,000,000
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__________________
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__________________
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Total
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$300,000,000
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$400,000,000
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Annex A
Form of Opinion of Counsel for the Company
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
BNP Paribas Securities Corp.
HSBC Securities (USA) Inc.
as Representatives of the several Underwriters named in
Schedule 1 to the Underwriting Agreement referred to below
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c/o
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J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
383 Madison Avenue
New York, New York 10179
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c/o
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HSBC Securities (USA) Inc.
HSBC Tower 3
452 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10018
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We have acted as counsel for H.J. Heinz Company, a Pennsylvania corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the Underwriting Agreement dated September [●], 2011 (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with you and the other several Underwriters named in Schedule 1 thereto under which you and such other Underwriters have severally agreed to purchase from the Company $[●] aggregate principal amount of its [●]% Notes due 20[●] and $[●] aggregate principal amount of its [●]% Notes due 20[●] (the “Securities”). The Securities are to be issued pursuant to the provisions of the Indenture dated as of July 15, 2008 (the “Indenture”) between the Company and Union Bank, N.A. (formerly known as Union Bank of California, N.A.), as trustee (the “Trustee”).
We have examined originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such documents, corporate records, certificates of public officials and other instruments as we have deemed necessary or advisable for the purpose of rendering this opinion.
We have also participated in the preparation of the Company’s registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-176707) (other than the documents incorporated by reference therein (the “Incorporated Documents”)) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) pursuant to the provisions of the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), relating to the registration of securities (the “Shelf Securities”) to be issued from time to time by the Company, the preliminary prospectus supplement dated September 7, 2011 (the “Preliminary Prospectus Supplement”) relating to the Securities, the free writing prospectus dated September [●], 2011 relating to the Securities, and the prospectus supplement dated September [●], 2011 relating to the Securities (the “Prospectus Supplement”), and have reviewed the Incorporated Documents. The registration statement became effective under the Act and the Indenture qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “Trust Indenture Act”), upon the filing of the registration statement with the Commission on September 7, 2011 pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Act. The registration statement at the date of the Underwriting Agreement, including the Incorporated Documents and the information deemed to be part of the registration statement at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430B under the Act, is hereinafter referred to as the “Registration Statement”, and the related prospectus (including the Incorporated Documents) dated September [●], 2011 relating to the Shelf Securities is hereinafter referred to as the “Basic Prospectus.” The Basic Prospectus, as supplemented by the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement, together with the free writing prospectus set forth in Annex C to the Underwriting Agreement for the Securities are hereinafter called the “Disclosure Package”. The Basic Prospectus, as supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement, in the form first used to confirm sales of the Securities (or in the form first made available by the Company to the Underwriters to meet requests of purchasers of the Securities under Rule 173 under the Act), is hereinafter referred to as the “Prospectus”.
We have assumed the conformity of the documents filed with the Commission via the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System (“EDGAR”), except for required EDGAR formatting changes, to physical copies of the documents submitted for our examination.
Based upon the foregoing, we are of the opinion that:
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1.
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H.J. Heinz Company, L.P. is validly existing as a limited partnership in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware.
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2.
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Assuming that the Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company insofar as Pennsylvania law is concerned, the Indenture has been duly executed and delivered by the Company and is a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, concepts of reasonableness and equitable principles of general applicability, provided that we express no opinion as to the enforceability of any waiver of rights under any usury or state law.
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3.
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Assuming that the Securities have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company insofar as Pennsylvania law is concerned, the Securities have been duly executed and delivered by the Company and
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when authenticated in accordance with the provisions of the Indenture and delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, will be valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, concepts of reasonableness and equitable principles of general applicability, and will be entitled to the benefits of the Indenture pursuant to which such Securities are to be issued, provided that we express no opinion as to the enforceability of any waiver of rights under any usury or state law.
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4.
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Assuming that the Underwriting Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company insofar as Pennsylvania law is concerned, the Underwriting Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company.
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5.
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The Company is not, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Prospectus will not be, required to register as an “investment company” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
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6.
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The execution and delivery by the Company of, and the performance by the Company of its obligations under, the Indenture, the Securities and the Underwriting Agreement (collectively, the “Documents”) will not contravene (i) any provision of the laws of the State of New York or any federal law of the United States of America that in our experience is normally applicable to general business corporations in relation to transactions of the type contemplated by the Documents, provided that we express no opinion as to federal or state securities laws, or (ii) any agreement set forth on Schedule A attached hereto.
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7.
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No consent, approval, authorization, or order of, or qualification with, any state governmental body or agency under the laws of the State of New York or any federal law of the United States of America that in our experience is normally applicable to general business corporations in relation to transactions of the type contemplated by the Documents, is required for the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of its obligations under the Documents, except such as may be required under federal or state securities or Blue Sky laws as to which we express no opinion.
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We have considered the statements included in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the captions “Description of Debt Securities” and “Description of Notes” insofar as they summarize provisions of the Indenture and the Securities (the “Offering Summary”) and under the caption “Material U.S. federal income tax consequences” (the “Tax Consequences Summary”). In our opinion, the Offering
Summary fairly summarizes the abovementioned provisions in all material respects and the statements in the Tax Consequences Summary insofar as they describe provisions of the U.S. federal income tax laws or legal conclusions with respect thereto, fairly and accurately summarize the matters referred to therein in all material respects.
In rendering the opinions in paragraphs 2 and 3 above, we have assumed that each party to the Documents has been duly incorporated and is validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization. In addition, we have assumed that the execution, delivery and performance by each party thereto of each Document to which it is a party, (1) are within its corporate powers, (2) do not contravene, or constitute a default under, the certificate of incorporation or bylaws or other constitutive documents of such party, (3) require no action by or in respect of, or filing with, any governmental body, agency or official and (4) do not contravene, or constitute a default under, any provision of applicable law or regulation or any judgment, injunction, order or decree or any agreement or other instrument binding upon such party, and that each Document is a valid, binding and enforceable agreement of each party thereto, other than the Company.
We are members of the Bar of the State of New York, and the foregoing opinion is limited to the laws of the State of New York, the federal laws of the United States of America and the Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act of the State of Delaware.
This opinion is rendered solely to you and the other several Underwriters in connection with the Underwriting Agreement. This opinion may not be relied upon by you for any other purpose or relied upon by any other person (including any person acquiring Securities from the several Underwriters) or furnished to any other person without our prior written consent.
SCHEDULE A
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1.
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Indenture dated as of July 6, 2001, by and among the Company, H.J. Heinz Finance Company, and Bank One, National Association.
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2.
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Indenture dated as of July 15, 2008, by and among the Company and Union Bank, N.A. (formerly known as Union Bank of California, N.A.).
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3.
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Five-Year Credit Agreement dated as of June 30, 2011, by and among the Company and H.J. Heinz Finance Company, as Borrowers, the Lenders party thereto, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, as Joint Lead Arrangers and Joint Bookrunners, Bank of America, N.A., as Syndication Agent, and BNP Paribas, HSBC Bank USA N.A., Intesa Sanpaolo S.p.A., PNC Bank, National Association, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd., New York Branch and UBS Loan Finance LLC, as Document Agents.
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Form of 10b-5 Letter of Counsel for the Company
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
BNP Paribas Securities Corp.
HSBC Securities (USA) Inc.
as Representatives of the several Underwriters named in
Schedule 1 to the Underwriting Agreement referred to below
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c/o
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J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
383 Madison Avenue
New York, New York 10179
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c/o
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HSBC Securities (USA) Inc.
HSBC Tower 3
452 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10018
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Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel for H.J. Heinz Company, a Pennsylvania corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the Underwriting Agreement dated September [●], 2011 (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with you and the other several Underwriters named in Schedule 1 thereto under which you and such other Underwriters have severally agreed to purchase from the Company $[●] aggregate principal amount of its [●]% Notes due 20[●] and $[●] aggregate principal amount of its [●]% Notes due 20[●] (the “Securities”). The Securities are to be issued pursuant to the provisions of the Indenture dated as of July 15, 2008 (the “Indenture”) between the Company and Union Bank, N.A. (formerly known as Union Bank of California, N.A.), as trustee (the “Trustee”).
We have participated in the preparation of the Company’s registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-176707) (other than the documents incorporated by reference therein (the “Incorporated Documents”)) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) pursuant to the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), relating to the registration of securities (the “Shelf Securities”) to be issued from time to time by the Company, the preliminary prospectus supplement dated September 7, 2011 (the “Preliminary Prospectus Supplement”) relating to the Securities, the free writing prospectus dated September [●], 2011 relating to the Securities, and the prospectus supplement dated September [●], 2011 relating to the Securities (the “Prospectus Supplement”), and have reviewed the Incorporated Documents. The registration statement at the date of the Underwriting Agreement, including the Incorporated Documents and the information deemed to be part of the registration statement at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430B under the Act, is hereinafter referred to as the “Registration Statement”, and the related prospectus
(including the Incorporated Documents) dated September [●], 2011 relating to the Shelf Securities is hereinafter referred to as the “Basic Prospectus.” The Basic Prospectus, as supplemented by the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement, together with the free writing prospectus set forth in Annex D to the Underwriting Agreement for the Securities are hereinafter called the “Disclosure Package”. The Basic Prospectus, as supplemented by the Prospectus Supplement, in the form first used to confirm sales of the Securities (or in the form first made available by the Company to the Underwriters to meet requests of purchasers of the Securities under Rule 173 under the Act), is hereinafter referred to as the “Prospectus.”
We have assumed the conformity of the documents filed with the Commission via the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System (“EDGAR”), except for required EDGAR formatting changes, to physical copies of the documents submitted for our examination.
The primary purpose of our professional engagement was not to establish or confirm factual matters or financial, accounting or quantitative information. Furthermore, many determinations involved in the preparation of the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are of a wholly or partially non-legal character or relate to legal matters outside the scope of our opinion separately delivered to you today in respect of certain matters under the laws of the State of New York and the federal laws of the United States of America. As a result, we are not passing upon, and do not assume any responsibility for, the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements contained in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, and we have not ourselves checked the accuracy, completeness or fairness of, or otherwise verified, the information furnished in such documents (except to the extent expressly set forth in our opinion letter separately delivered to you today as to statements included in the Prospectus under the captions “Description of Debt Securities”, “Description of Notes” and “Material U.S. federal income tax consequences”). However, in the course of our acting as counsel to the Company in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, we have generally reviewed and discussed with your representatives and your counsel and with certain officers and employees of, and independent public accountants for, the Company the information furnished, whether or not subject to our check and verification. We have also reviewed and relied upon certain corporate records and documents, letters from counsel and accountants and oral and written statements of officers and other representatives of the Company and others as to the existence and consequence of certain factual and other matters.
On the basis of the information gained in the course of the performance of the services rendered above, but without independent check or verification except as stated above:
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(i)
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the Registration Statement and the Prospectus appear on their face to be appropriately responsive in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder; and
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(ii)
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nothing has come to our attention that causes us to believe that, insofar as relevant to the offering of the Securities:
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(a)
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on the date of the Underwriting Agreement, the Registration Statement contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading,
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(b)
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at [__:__ A/P.M.] New York City time on September [●], 2011, the Disclosure Package contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or
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(c)
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the Prospectus as of the date of the Underwriting Agreement or as of the date hereof contained or contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
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In providing this letter to you and the other several Underwriters, we have not been called to pass upon, and we express no view regarding, the financial statements or financial schedules or other financial or accounting data included in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, or the Statement of Eligibility of the Trustee on Form T-1. In addition, we express no view as to the conveyance of the Disclosure Package or the information contained therein to investors.
This letter is delivered solely to you and the other several Underwriters in connection with the Underwriting Agreement. This letter may not be relied upon by you for any other purpose or relied upon by any other person (including any person acquiring Securities from the several Underwriters) or furnished to any other person without our prior written consent.
Annex B
Form of Opinion of General Counsel of the Company
September ___, 2011
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
BNP Paribas Securities Corp.
HSBC Securities (USA) Inc.
as Representatives of the several Underwriters named in
Schedule 1 to the Underwriting Agreement referred to below
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c/o
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J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
383 Madison Avenue
New York, New York 10179
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c/o
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HSBC Securities (USA) Inc.
HSBC Tower 3
452 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10018
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Re:
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Notes Due 2016 and Notes Due 2021
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Ladies and Gentlemen:
I am Executive Vice President and General Counsel of H.J. Heinz Company, a Pennsylvania corporation (the “Company”), and have acted as counsel to the Company in connection with the issuance of the $___ million in aggregate principal amount of ____% Notes due 2016 and $___ million in aggregate principal amount of ____% Notes due 2021 (together, the “Securities”) pursuant to the underwriting agreement dated September ___, 2011 (the “Underwriting Agreement”) among the Company, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, and the several Underwriters (named in Schedule 1 thereto), such Securities issued and delivered pursuant to an Indenture dated as of July 15, 2008, among the Company and Union Bank, N.A. (formerly known as Union Bank of California, N.A.), as Trustee (the “Indenture”).
I, or one of the attorneys under my supervision, have examined the Company’s registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-176707) (the “Registration Statement”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) pursuant to the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, relating to the registration of securities to be issued from time to time by the Company, the preliminary prospectus supplement dated September 7, 2011 (the “Preliminary Prospectus Supplement”) relating to the Securities, the free writing prospectus dated September ___, 2011, and the
prospectus supplement dated September [•], 2011 relating to the Securities (the “Prospectus Supplement”) (collectively, the “Prospectus”).
I, or one of the attorneys under my supervision, have examined the Underwriting Agreement, the Indenture, the Securities and the Prospectus, including the documents incorporated by reference therein. I, or one of the attorneys under my supervision, have examined originals or reproductions or certified copies of such other documents, records and papers, matters of law, statutes, decisions and regulations that I have deemed necessary or appropriate in connection with this opinion. I have relied on statements of fact contained in the documents I have examined and I have assumed the authenticity of all documents submitted to me as originals and the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to me as reproductions or certified copies and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents. Unless otherwise defined herein, the terms used herein have the meanings given to them in the Underwriting Agreement.
Whenever my opinion with respect to the existence or absence of facts or any other matter is indicated to be based on my knowledge or awareness, I am referring solely to my actual knowledge or the actual knowledge of the particular attorneys of the Company who have had substantive involvement in representing the Company in connection with the Prospectus, the Securities, the Underwriting Agreement and the Indenture, and the transactions contemplated thereby. Except as expressly set forth herein, I have not undertaken any independent investigation whatsoever to determine the existence or absence of such facts or any other matter and have not undertaken or caused to be undertaken any review whatsoever of court filings or other public records, and no inference as to my knowledge concerning such facts or other matters should be drawn from the fact that such limited investigation has been undertaken by me.
Based on the foregoing, and with due regard to such legal considerations as I deem relevant, and subject to the qualifications stated below and in the last two paragraphs of this letter, it is my opinion that:
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(i)
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The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, with power and authority to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Prospectus;
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(ii)
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The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable;
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(iii)
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The Company has been duly qualified as a foreign corporation for the transaction of business and is in good standing 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 as failure to qualify
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would not have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole;
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(iv)
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Each Principal Subsidiary of the Company (other than H.J. Heinz Company, L.P.) has been duly organized and is validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization, and all of the issued shares of capital stock or partnership interests, as the case may be, of each Principal Subsidiary have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable, and (except, with respect to H.J. Heinz Finance Company as set forth in the financial statements of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement) are owned directly or indirectly by the Company;
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(v)
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To the best of my knowledge and other than as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information, and the Prospectus, there are no legal, governmental or regulatory investigations, actions, suits or proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any property of the Company or any applicable subsidiary is the subject which, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the current or future consolidated financial position, shareholders' equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; and, to the best of my knowledge and other than as set forth in the Prospectus, no such proceedings have been overtly threatened;
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(vi)
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The Underwriting Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company;
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(vii)
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The Securities have been duly authorized, executed, authenticated, issued and delivered by the Company;
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(viii)
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The Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company;
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(ix)
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The issuance of the Securities and the compliance by the Company with all of the provisions of the Securities, the Indenture, and the Underwriting Agreement, and the consummation of the transactions herein and therein contemplated will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument known to me to which the Company is a party or by which the Company is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company is subject, (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the Articles of Incorporation or By-Laws of the
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Company, or (iii) result in any violation of the provisions of any statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its properties, except such as may be required under federal or state securities laws or Blue Sky laws as to which I express no opinion, and except, in the case of clauses (i) and (iii) above, for any such conflict, breach, violation or default that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole;
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(x)
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None of the Company nor any of its Principal Subsidiaries is in violation of its Certificate of Incorporation, Articles of Incorporation (or Partnership Agreement or Articles of Association, as the case may be) or By-Laws, or in default in the performance or observance of any material obligation, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument known to me to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties may be bound which would have a material adverse effect on the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole; and
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(xi)
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The documents incorporated by reference in the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus (other than the financial statements and related schedules or other financial or accounting data therein, as to which I express no opinion), when they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder; and I have no reason to believe that any of such documents, when such documents became effective or were so filed, as the case may be, contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made when such documents were so filed, not misleading.
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I am qualified to practice law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and I do not purport to be an expert on and do not express an opinion on the laws of any jurisdiction other than the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, and the United States of America. My opinion in paragraph (iv) above with respect to ProMark Brands Inc. is based solely on a certificate from the Office of the Secretary of State of the State of Idaho.
This opinion is rendered to you in connection with the above described transactions. This opinion letter may not be relied upon by you for any other purpose, or relied upon by, or furnished to, any other person, firm or corporation without my prior written consent or as provided in the Underwriting Agreement.
Very truly yours,
Theodore N. Bobby
Annex C
Time of Sale Information
Term sheet substantially in the form of Annex D hereto
