UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): September 28, 2012
Casella Waste Systems, Inc. |
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
Delaware | 000-23211 | 03-0338873 | ||
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation) |
(Commission File Number) |
(IRS Employer Identification No.) |
25 Greens Hill Lane Rutland, Vermont |
05701 | |
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) | (Zip Code) |
Registrants telephone number, including area code: (802) 775-0325
Not applicable |
(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report) |
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
¨ | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
¨ | Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
¨ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
¨ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.
On September 27, 2012, Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (the Company) entered into an underwriting agreement (the Underwriting Agreement) with J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, as representatives of the several underwriters named therein (collectively, the Underwriters), relating to an underwritten public offering of 10,000,000 shares (the Shares) of the Companys Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the Common Stock). All of the Shares are being sold by the Company. The offering price to the public is $4.00 per share, and the Underwriters have agreed to purchase the Shares from the Company pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement at a price of $3.732 per share. After underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses, the Company expects to receive net proceeds from the offering of approximately $36.82 million. Under the terms of the Underwriting Agreement, the Company has granted the Underwriters an option, exercisable for 30 days, to purchase up to an additional 1,500,000 shares of Common Stock to cover overallotments, if any, at the public offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions.
The Shares will be issued pursuant to a shelf registration statement the Company filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which became effective on August 30, 2011 (File No. 333-175107). A prospectus supplement relating to the offering was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The closing of the offering is expected to take place on October 3, 2012, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.
A copy of the Underwriting Agreement is attached to this Current Report on Form 8-K as Exhibit 1.1 and is incorporated herein by reference. The foregoing description of the material terms of the Underwriting Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to such exhibit.
A copy of the press release announcing the pricing of the Shares is attached to this Current Report on Form 8-K as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.
A copy of the legal opinion and consent of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP relating to the Shares, is attached as Exhibit 5.1 hereto.
Item 8.01. Other Events.
On September 28, 2012, the Company announced the pricing of its previously announced private offering of 7.75% senior subordinated notes due 2019 (the Notes). The aggregate principal amount of the Notes is $125.0 million. The Notes will pay interest on a semi-annual basis. The offering of the Notes is expected to close on October 9, 2012.
The Notes are being sold in a private placement to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), and to non-U.S. persons outside the United States under Regulation S under the Securities Act. The Notes have not been registered under the Securities Act, and unless so registered, may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and other applicable securities laws.
A copy of the press release announcing the pricing of the Notes is attached to this Current Report on Form 8-K as Exhibit 99.2 and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits.
See Exhibit Index attached hereto.
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
CASELLA WASTE SYSTEMS, INC.
| ||
Date: September 28, 2012 | By: /s/ Edwin D. Johnson | |
Name: Edwin D. Johnson Title: Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer |
EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit No. | Description | |
1.1 | Underwriting Agreement, dated September 27, 2012, by and among Casella Waste Systems, Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated | |
5.1 | Opinion of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP | |
99.1 | Press release of Casella Waste Systems, Inc. dated September 28, 2012 | |
99.2 | Press release of Casella Waste Systems, Inc. dated September 28, 2012 |
Exhibit 1.1
CASELLA WASTE SYSTEMS, INC.
10,000,000 Shares of Class A Common Stock
Underwriting Agreement
September 27, 2012
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC
383 Madison Avenue
New York, New York 10179
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
Incorporated
One Bryant Park
New York, New York 10036
As Representatives of the
several Underwriters listed
in Schedule 1 hereto
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Casella Waste Systems, Inc., a Delaware 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), an aggregate of 10,000,000 shares of Class A Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (the Underwritten Shares), including 25,000 shares to be allocated to Edwin D. Johnson (such shares, the Affiliate Shares) and, at the option of the Underwriters, up to an additional 1,500,000 shares of Class A Common Stock of the Company (the Option Shares). The Underwritten Shares (including the Affiliate Shares) and the Option Shares are herein referred to as the Shares. The shares of Class A Common Stock of the Company to be outstanding after giving effect to the sale of the Shares are referred to herein as the Stock.
The Company hereby confirms its agreement with the several Underwriters concerning the purchase and sale of the Shares, as follows:
1. Registration Statement. The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the Securities Act), a registration statement (File No. 333-175107), including a prospectus, relating to the Shares. Such registration statement, as amended at the time it became effective, including the information, if any, deemed pursuant to Rule 430A, 430B or 430C under the Securities Act to be part of the registration statement at the time of its effectiveness (Rule 430 Information), is referred to herein as the Registration Statement; and as used herein, the term Preliminary Prospectus means each prospectus included in such registration statement (and any amendments thereto) before effectiveness, any prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(a) under the Securities Act and the prospectus included in the Registration Statement at the time of its effectiveness that omits Rule 430 Information, and the term Prospectus means the prospectus in the form first used (or made available to the Underwriters by the Company upon request of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act) in connection with confirmation of sales of the Shares. If the Company has filed an abbreviated registration statement pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act (the Rule 462 Registration Statement), then any reference herein to the term Registration Statement shall be deemed to include such Rule 462 Registration Statement. Any reference in this
Agreement to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be 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 Applicable Time (as defined below), the Company had prepared the following information (collectively with the pricing information set forth on Annex B hereto, the Pricing Disclosure Package): a Preliminary Prospectus dated September 24, 2012 and each free-writing prospectus (as defined pursuant to Rule 405 under the Securities Act) listed on Annex B hereto.
Applicable Time means 6:00 P.M., New York City time, on September 27, 2012.
2. Purchase of the Shares by the Underwriters.
(a) The Company agrees to issue and sell the Underwritten Shares 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 number of Underwritten Shares set forth opposite such Underwriters name in Schedule 1 hereto at a price per share (the Purchase Price) set forth on Schedule 2 hereto.
In addition, the Company agrees to issue and sell the Option Shares to the several Underwriters as provided in this Agreement, and the Underwriters, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements set forth herein and subject to the conditions set forth herein, shall have the option to purchase, severally and not jointly, from the Company the Option Shares at the Purchase Price less an amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company and payable on the Underwritten Shares but not payable on the Option Shares.
If any Option Shares are to be purchased, the number of Option Shares to be purchased by each Underwriter shall be the number of Option Shares which bears the same ratio to the aggregate number of Option Shares being purchased as the number of Underwritten Shares set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule 1 hereto (or such number increased as set forth in Section 10 hereof) bears to the aggregate number of Underwritten Shares being purchased from the Company by the several Underwriters, subject, however, to such adjustments to eliminate any fractional Shares as the Representatives in their sole discretion shall make.
The Underwriters may exercise the option to purchase Option Shares one time in whole, or in part, on or before the thirtieth day following the date of the Prospectus, by written notice from the Representatives to the Company. Such notice shall set forth the aggregate number of Option Shares as to which the option is being exercised and the date and time when the Option Shares are to be delivered and paid for, which may be the same date and time as the Closing Date (as hereinafter defined) but shall not be earlier than the Closing Date or later than the tenth full business day (as hereinafter defined) after the date of such notice (unless such time and date are postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10 hereof). Any such notice shall be given at least two business days (one business day in the case of Option Shares to be delivered and paid for on the Closing Date) prior to the date and time of delivery specified therein. Option Shares may be purchased as provided in Section 2 hereof solely for the purpose of covering sales of shares in excess of the number of Underwritten Shares.
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(b) The Company understands that the Underwriters intend to make a public offering of the Shares as soon after the effectiveness of this Agreement as in the judgment of the Representatives is advisable, and initially to offer the Shares on the terms set forth in the Prospectus. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters may offer and sell Shares to or through any affiliate of an Underwriter.
(c) Payment for the Shares shall be made by wire transfer in immediately available funds to the account specified by the Company to the Representatives in the case of the Underwritten Shares, at the offices of Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP at 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on October 3, 2012, 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 or, in the case of the Option Shares, on the date and at the time and place specified by the Representatives in the written notice of the Underwriters election to purchase such Option Shares. The time and date of such payment for the Underwritten Shares is referred to herein as the Closing Date, and the time and date for such payment for the Option Shares, if other than the Closing Date, is herein referred to as the Additional Closing Date.
Payment for the Shares to be purchased on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall be made against delivery to the Representatives for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters of the Shares to be purchased on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the sale of such Shares duly paid by the Company. Delivery of the Shares shall be made through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company (DTC) unless the Representatives shall otherwise instruct.
(d) The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters are acting solely in the capacity of an arms length contractual counterparty to the Company with respect to the offering of Shares contemplated hereby (including in connection with determining the terms of the offering) and not as a financial advisor or a fiduciary to, or an agent of, the Company 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 included in the Pricing Disclosure Package, at the time of filing thereof, complied in all material respects with the Securities Act, and no Preliminary Prospectus, at the time of filing thereof, 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; 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
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relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in any Preliminary Prospectus, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 7(b) hereof.
(b) Pricing Disclosure Package. The Pricing Disclosure Package as of the Applicable Time did not, and as of the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, 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 Pricing Disclosure Package, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 7(b) hereof.
(c) Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. Other than the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Company (including its agents and representatives, other than the Underwriters in their capacity as such) has not prepared, used, authorized, approved or referred to and will not prepare, use, authorize, approve or refer to any written communication (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) that constitutes an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy the Shares (each such communication by the Company or its agents and representatives (other than a communication referred to in clause (i) 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 or (ii) the documents listed on Annex B hereto, each electronic road show and any other written communications 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 use of, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, did not, and as of the Closing Date and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, 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 or Preliminary 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 such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or Preliminary Prospectus, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 7(b) hereof.
(d) Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Registration Statement has been declared effective by the Commission. No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued by the Commission, and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act against the Company or related to the offering of the Shares has been initiated or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission; as of the applicable effective date of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, the Registration Statement and any such post-effective amendment complied and will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act, and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order
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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 and as of the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, the Prospectus 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 the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 7(b) hereof.
(e) Incorporated Documents. The documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Pricing Disclosure Package, when they were filed with the Commission 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 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 Pricing Disclosure Package, when such documents are filed with the Commission, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
(f) Preparation of the Financial Statements; Other Data. The financial statements, together with the related schedules and notes, included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and Exchange Act, as applicable, and present fairly in all material respects the consolidated financial position of the entities to which they relate as of and at the dates indicated and the results of their operations and cash flows for the periods specified. Such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles as applied in the United States (GAAP) on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved, except as may be expressly stated in the related notes thereto. The financial data set forth in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly present in all material respects the information set forth therein on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. The statistical and market-related data and forward-looking statements included in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate in all material respects and represent their good faith estimates that are made on the basis of data derived from such sources. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly present the information called for in all material respects and have been prepared in accordance with the Commissions rules and guidelines applicable thereto.
(g) No Material Adverse Change. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto), subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto): (i) there has been no material adverse change, or any
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development that could reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse change, in the financial condition, or in the earnings, business or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one entity (any such change is called a Material Adverse Change); (ii) the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one entity, have not incurred any material liability or obligation, indirect, direct or contingent, not in the ordinary course of business nor entered into any material transaction or agreement not in the ordinary course of business which remains outstanding; and (iii) there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company or, except for dividends paid to the Company or any of its subsidiaries on any class of capital stock or repurchase or redemption by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of any class of capital stock.
(h) Incorporation and Good Standing of the Company and its Subsidiaries. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has been duly incorporated or formed, as applicable, and is validly existing as a corporation, limited partnership or limited liability company, as applicable, in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or formation, as applicable, and has corporate, partnership or limited liability company, as applicable, power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and, in the case of the Company, to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement. Each of the Company and each subsidiary is duly qualified as a foreign corporation, limited partnership or limited liability company, as applicable, to transact business and, if applicable, is in good standing or equivalent status in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except for such jurisdictions where the failure to so qualify or to be in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change. All of the issued and outstanding capital stock or other ownership interest of each subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly issued, is fully paid and nonassessable and is owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance or claim except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and Prospectus. The entities set forth on Schedule 2 hereto are the only direct or indirect subsidiaries of the Company and the entities set forth on Schedule 3 hereto are the only entities (other than those direct and indirect subsidiaries of the Company set forth on Schedule 2) in which the Company has any direct or indirect equity or ownership interest.
(i) Capitalization and Other Capital Stock Matters. At July 31, 2012, on a consolidated basis, after giving pro forma effect to the issuance and sale of the Shares pursuant hereto, the Company would have an authorized and outstanding capitalization as set forth in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption Capitalization (other than for subsequent issuances of capital stock, if any, as described in the Pricing Disclosure Package and Prospectus or upon exercise of outstanding options described in the Pricing Disclosure Package and Prospectus); all the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable and are not subject to any pre-emptive or similar rights; except as described in or expressly contemplated by the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no outstanding rights (including, without limitation, pre-emptive rights), warrants or options to acquire, or instruments convertible into or exchangeable for, any shares of capital stock or other equity interest in the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any contract, commitment, agreement, understanding or arrangement of any kind relating to the issuance of any capital stock of the Company or any such subsidiary, any such convertible or exchangeable securities or any such rights, warrants or options; the capital stock of the Company conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
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(j) Stock Options. With respect to the stock options (the Stock Options) granted pursuant to the stock-based compensation plans of the Company and its subsidiaries (the Company Stock Plans), (i) each grant of a Stock Option was duly authorized no later than the date on which the grant of such Stock Option was by its terms to be effective (the Grant Date) by all necessary corporate action, including, as applicable, approval by the Board of Directors of the Company (or a duly constituted and authorized committee thereof) and any required stockholder approval by the necessary number of votes or written consents, and the award agreement governing such grant (if any) was duly executed and delivered by each party thereto, (ii) each such grant was made in accordance with the terms of the Company Stock Plans, the Exchange Act and all other applicable laws and regulatory rules or requirements, including the rules of the Nasdaq Global Select Market and any other securities exchange on which Company securities are traded, (iii) the per share exercise price of each Stock Option was equal to the fair market value of a share of common stock on the applicable Grant Date and (iv) each such grant was properly accounted for in accordance with GAAP in the financial statements (including the related notes) of the Company and disclosed in the Companys filings with the Commission in accordance with the Exchange Act and all other applicable laws. The Company has not deliberately granted, and there is no and has been no policy or practice of the Company of granting, Stock Options prior to, or otherwise to coordinate the grant of Stock Options with, the release or other public announcement of material information regarding the Company or its subsidiaries or their results of operations or prospects.
(k) Due Authorization. The Company has full right, power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and to perform its obligations hereunder; and all action required to be taken for the due and proper authorization, execution and delivery by it of this Agreement and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby has been duly and validly taken.
(l) Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(m) The Shares. The Shares to be issued and sold by the Company hereunder have been duly authorized and, when issued and delivered and paid for as provided herein, will be duly and validly issued, will be fully paid and nonassessable and will conform to the descriptions thereof in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and the issuance of the Shares is not subject to any preemptive or similar rights that have not been waived.
(n) Descriptions of the Underwriting Agreement. This Agreement conforms in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
(o) No Violation or Default. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (i) in violation of its charter, bylaws, partnership agreement or limited liability company agreement or (ii) except as disclosed in the Pricing Disclosure Package and Prospectus, in default (or, with the giving of notice or lapse of time, would be in default) (Default) under any indenture, mortgage, loan or credit agreement, note, contract, franchise, lease or other instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound (including, without limitation, the Companys Second Amended and Restated Revolving Credit Agreement dated as of March 18, 2011, as amended prior to the date hereof (the Senior Credit Facility)), or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject (each, an Existing Instrument), except, in the case of clause (ii) above, for such Defaults as would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change or prevent the consummation
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of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company, and the issuance and delivery of the Shares, and consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the Prospectus (i) have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and will not result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or bylaws of the Company, (ii) will not conflict with or constitute a breach of, or result in a default or a Debt Repayment Triggering Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, or require the consent of any other party to, any Existing Instrument, except for such conflicts, breaches, Defaults, liens, charges or encumbrances as would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change and (iii) will not result in any violation of any law, administrative regulation or administrative or court decree applicable to the Company or any subsidiary. As used herein, a Debt Repayment Triggering Event means any event or condition which gives, or with the giving of notice or lapse of time would give, the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holders behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
(p) No Consents Required. No consent, approval, authorization or other order of, or registration or filing with, any court or other governmental or regulatory authority or agency is required for the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company, or the issuance and delivery of the Shares, or consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, except (i) registration of the Shares under the Securities Act, (ii) such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders and registrations or qualifications as may be required by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA) and (iii) such filings as have been obtained or made by the Company and are in full force and effect under the Securities Act, applicable securities laws of the several states of the United States or provinces of Canada.
(q) No Material Actions or Proceedings. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental actions, suits or proceedings pending or, to the best of the Companys knowledge, threatened (i) against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries or (ii) which has as the subject thereof any property owned or leased by, the Company or any of its subsidiaries and any such action, suit or proceeding, if determined adversely to the Company or such subsidiary, would result in a Material Adverse Change or adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; and (x) 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, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that are not so described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and (y) 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, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that are not so filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. No material labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the best of the Companys knowledge, is threatened or imminent.
(r) Independent Accountants. Each of Caturano and Company, P.C., and McGladrey & Pullen LLP, which expressed their opinions with respect to the financial statements (which term as used in this Agreement includes the related notes thereto) and supporting schedules filed with the Commission and included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement,
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Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, are independent registered public accounting firms within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the rules of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, and any non-audit services provided by Caturano and Company, P.C. or McGladrey & Pullen LLP, to the Company have been approved by the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company.
(s) Title to Properties. The Company and each of its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all the properties and assets reflected as owned in the financial statements referred to in Section 3(f) hereof, in each case free and clear of any security interests, mortgages, liens, encumbrances, equities, claims and other defects, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and except such as do not materially and adversely affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such property by the Company or such subsidiary. The real property, improvements, equipment and personal property held under lease by the Company or any subsidiary are held under valid and enforceable leases, with such exceptions as are not material and do not materially interfere with the use made or proposed to be made of such real property, improvements, equipment or personal property by the Company or such subsidiary.
(t) Intellectual Property Rights. The Company and its subsidiaries own or possess sufficient trademarks, trade names, patent rights, copyrights, licenses, approvals, trade secrets and other similar rights (collectively, Intellectual Property Rights) reasonably necessary to conduct their businesses as now conducted; and the expected expiration of any of such Intellectual Property Rights would not result in a Material Adverse Change. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of infringement or conflict with asserted Intellectual Property Rights of others, which infringement or conflict, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, would result in a Material Adverse Change.
(u) Related Party Transactions. No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among any of the Company or any affiliate of the Company, on the one hand, and any director, officer, member, stockholder, customer or supplier of the Company or any affiliate of the Company, on the other hand, which is required by the Securities Act to be disclosed in a registration statement on Form S-1 which is not so disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no outstanding loans, advances (except advances for business expenses in the ordinary course of business) or guarantees of indebtedness by the Company or any affiliate of the Company to or for the benefit of any of the officers or directors of the Company or any affiliate of the Company or any of their respective family members.
(v) Company Not an Investment Company. The Company has been advised of the rules and requirements under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the Investment Company Act, which term, as used herein, includes the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder). The Company is not, nor after receipt of payment for the Shares will be, an investment company within the meaning of the Investment Company Act and will conduct its business in a manner so that it will not become an investment company within the meaning of the Investment Company Act.
(w) Tax Law Compliance. The Company and its subsidiaries have filed all necessary federal, state and foreign income and franchise tax returns and have paid all material taxes required to be paid by any of them and, if due and payable, any material related or similar assessment, fine or penalty levied against any of them except as may be being contested in good
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faith and by appropriate proceedings. The Company has made adequate charges, accruals and reserves in accordance with GAAP in the applicable financial statements referred to in Sections 3(f) and 3(r) hereof in respect of all federal, state and foreign income and franchise taxes for all periods as to which the tax liability of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has not been finally determined.
(x) All Necessary Permits, etc. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, Pricing Disclosure Package and Prospectus, the Company and each subsidiary possess such valid and current certificates, authorizations or permits issued by the appropriate state, federal or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies necessary to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct their respective businesses, and neither the Company nor any subsidiary has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of, or non-compliance with, any such certificate, authorization or permit which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would result in a Material Adverse Change.
(y) Compliance with Labor Laws. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change, (i) there is (A) no unfair labor practice complaint pending or, to the best of the Companys knowledge, threatened against the Company or any of its subsidiaries before the National Labor Relations Board, and no grievance or arbitration proceeding arising out of or under collective bargaining agreements pending, or to the best of the Companys knowledge, threatened, against the Company or any of its subsidiaries, (B) no strike, labor dispute, slowdown or stoppage pending or, to the best of the Companys knowledge, threatened against the Company or any of its subsidiaries and (C) no union representation question existing with respect to the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries and, to the best of the Companys knowledge, no union organizing activities taking place and (ii) there has been no violation of any federal, state or local law relating to discrimination in hiring, promotion or pay of employees or of any applicable wage or hour laws.
(z) Compliance with Environmental Laws. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change, (A) each of the Company and each of its subsidiaries is in compliance with, and not subject to any known liability under applicable Environmental Laws (as defined below), (B) each of the Company and each of its subsidiaries has made all filings, and provided all financial assurances and notices, required under any applicable Environmental Law, and has, and is in compliance with, all permits, approvals and authorizations required under any applicable Environmental Laws and each of them is in full force and effect, (C) there is no civil, criminal or administrative action, suit, demand, claim, hearing, written notice of violation, proceeding, notice or demand letter or written request for information pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, or, to the knowledge of the Company, investigation threatened or pending, against the Company or any of its subsidiaries under any Environmental Law, (D) no lien, charge, encumbrance or restriction has been recorded under any Environmental Law with respect to any assets, facility or property owned, operated or leased by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, (E) none of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has received notice that it has been identified as a potentially responsible party under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, as amended (CERCLA), or any comparable state law, (F) no property or facility of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is (i) listed or, to the best knowledge of the Company, formally proposed for listing on the National Priorities List under CERCLA or (ii) listed in the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and
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Liability Information System List promulgated pursuant to CERCLA, or on any comparable list maintained by any state or local governmental authority, (G) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is conducting, or paying in whole or in part for, any investigation, response or other corrective action pursuant to any Environmental Law at any site or facility, nor is any of them subject or party to any order, judgment, decree, contract or agreement which obligates it to conduct any such actions nor has any of them assumed by contract or agreement any obligation or liability under any Environmental Law, and (H) there are no past or present operations, occurrences or conditions which could reasonably be expected to prevent or interfere with compliance by the Company or any of its subsidiaries with, or result in liability of any of them under, any Environmental Law.
For purposes of this Agreement, Environment means ambient air, indoor air, surface water, groundwater, drinking water, soil, surface or subsurface strata, and natural resources such as wetlands, flora and fauna. Environmental Laws means the common law and all applicable federal, provincial, state and local laws or regulations, codes, ordinances, orders, decrees, judgments or injunctions issued, promulgated, approved or entered thereunder, relating to pollution or protection of the Environment or human health (to the extent relating to exposure to Hazardous Materials), including, without limitation, laws relating to (i) Releases or threatened Releases of Hazardous Materials into the Environment, (ii) the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, generation, treatment, storage, disposal, transport, handling or recycling of Hazardous Materials, (iii) facility siting, environmental impact assessment or review, or land use, and (iv) underground and aboveground storage tanks and related piping, and Releases or threatened Releases of Hazardous Materials therefrom. Hazardous Materials means any substance, material, pollutant, contaminant, chemical, constituent, compound or waste, in any form, including without limitation petroleum and petroleum products, subject to regulation or which could give rise to liability under any Environmental Law. Release means any release, spill, emission, discharge, leaking, pumping, pouring, dumping, emptying, injection, leaching, deposit or disposal of Hazardous Materials into the Environment, or into or out of any building.
(aa) Review of Costs of Environmental Compliance. In the ordinary course of its business, the Company reviews the effect of Environmental Laws on the business, operations and properties of the Company and its subsidiaries, in the course of which it identifies and evaluates any anticipated costs and liabilities (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure of properties or compliance with Environmental Laws or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties). On the basis of such review, the Company has reasonably concluded that, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus such associated costs and liabilities would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Change.
(bb) ERISA Compliance. The Company and its subsidiaries and any employee benefit plan (as defined under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (as amended, ERISA, which term, as used herein, includes the regulations and published interpretations thereunder) established or maintained by the Company, its subsidiaries or their ERISA Affiliates (as defined below) are in compliance in all material respects with ERISA and, to the knowledge of the Company, each multiemployer plan (as defined in Section 4001 of ERISA) to which the Company, its subsidiaries or an ERISA Affiliate contributes (a Multiemployer Plan) is in compliance in all material respects with ERISA. ERISA Affiliate means, with respect to the Company or a subsidiary, any member of any group of organizations described in Section 414 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (as amended, the Code, which term, as used herein, includes the regulations and published interpretations thereunder) of which
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the Company or such subsidiary is a member. No reportable event (as defined under ERISA) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur with respect to any employee benefit plan established or maintained by the Company, its subsidiaries or any of their ERISA Affiliates. No single employer plan (as defined in Section 4001 of ERISA) established or maintained by the Company, its subsidiaries or any of their ERISA Affiliates, if such employee benefit plan were terminated, would have any amount of unfunded benefit liabilities (as defined under ERISA). Neither the Company, its subsidiaries nor any of their ERISA Affiliates has incurred or reasonably expects to incur any liability under (i) Title IV of ERISA with respect to termination of, or withdrawal from, any employee benefit plan or (ii) Sections 412, 4971, 4975 or 4980B of the Code. Each employee benefit plan established or maintained by the Company, its subsidiaries or any of their ERISA Affiliates that is intended to be qualified under Section 401 of the Code is so qualified and nothing has occurred, whether by action or failure to act, which would cause the loss of such qualification.
(cc) Disclosure Controls and Procedures. The Company has established and maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act); such disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company and its subsidiaries is made known to the chief executive officer and chief financial officer of the Company by others within the Company or any of its subsidiaries, and such disclosure controls and procedures are reasonably effective to perform the functions for which they were established subject to the limitations of any such control system; the Companys auditors and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company have been advised of: (i) any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls which could adversely affect the Companys ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial data; and (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a role in the Companys internal controls; and since the date of the most recent evaluation of such disclosure controls and procedures, there have been no significant changes in internal controls or in other factors that could significantly affect internal controls, including any corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses.
(dd) Companys Accounting System. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain a system of accounting controls that is in compliance in all material respects with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and is sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that: (i) transactions are executed in accordance with managements general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with managements general or specific authorization; (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences; and (v) the interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly present the information called for in all material respects and are prepared in accordance with the Commissions rules and guidelines applicable thereto.
(ee) Insurance. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries are insured by recognized, financially sound institutions with policies in such amounts and with such deductibles and covering such risks as management of the Company has reasonably determined to be adequate and customary for their businesses. The Company has no reason to believe that it or any subsidiary will not be able (i) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (ii) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that would not result in a Material Adverse Change. Neither of the Company nor any subsidiary has been denied any insurance coverage which it has sought or for which it has applied.
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(ff) No Unlawful Contributions or Other Payments. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is aware of, or in connection with their services for the Company or any of its subsidiaries, has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of the FCPA, including, without limitation, making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any foreign official (as such term is defined in the FCPA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the FCPA; and the Company, its subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company, its affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.
FCPA means Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder.
(gg) No Conflict with Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all applicable jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the Money Laundering Laws) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(hh) No Conflict with OFAC Laws. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (OFAC); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.
(ii) No Brokers Fees. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to any contract, agreement or understanding with any person (other than this Agreement) that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finders fee or like payment in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares.
(jj) No Registration Rights. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no person has the right to require the Company or any of its subsidiaries to register any securities for sale under the Securities Act by reason of the filing of the Registration Statement with the Commission or the issuance and sale of the Shares that have not been waived.
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(kk) No Price Stabilization or Manipulation. The Company has not taken nor will take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that might be reasonably expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.
(ll) Cuba. Neither the Company, nor any of its affiliates does business with the government of Cuba or with any person or affiliate located in Cuba within the meaning of Section 517.075, Florida Statutes.
(mm) Regulations T, U, X. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to their knowledge, any agent thereof acting on their behalf has taken, and none of them will take, any action that might cause this Agreement or the issuance or sale of the Shares to violate Regulation T, Regulation U or Regulation X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
(nn) Forward-Looking Statements. No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.
(oo) Compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley. The Company and its subsidiaries and their respective officers and directors are in compliance in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which term, as used herein, includes the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder).
(pp) Status under the Securities Act. At the time of filing the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or any offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) under the Securities Act) of the Shares and at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an ineligible issuer, as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act. The Company has paid the registration fee for this offering pursuant to Rule 456(b)(1) under the Securities Act or will pay such fee within the time period required by such rule (without giving effect to the proviso therein) and in any event prior to the Closing Date.
(qq) No Default in Senior Indebtedness. No event of default exists under any material contract, indenture, mortgage, loan agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument constituting Senior Debt (as defined in the Indenture dated as of February 7, 2011 among the Company, the guarantors party thereto and U.S. Bank National Association as trustee).
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 to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Securities Act; 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 Shares; and 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.
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(b) Delivery of Copies. The Company will deliver, without charge, (i) to the Representatives, three signed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto, in each case including all exhibits and consents filed therewith; and (ii) to each Underwriter (A) a conformed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (without exhibits) and (B) during the Prospectus Delivery Period (as defined below), as many copies of the Prospectus (including all amendments and supplements thereto 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 Shares as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters a prospectus relating to the Shares 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 Shares by any Underwriter or dealer.
(c) Amendments or Supplements, Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. Before 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 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 (which confirmation may be delivered by email), (i) when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective; (ii) when any supplement to the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any amendment to the Prospectus has been filed or distributed; (iii) 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; (iv) 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, any of the Pricing Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act; (v) of the occurrence of any event or existence of any condition within the Prospectus Delivery Period as a result of which the Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package 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 necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package or any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading; and (vi) of the receipt by the Company of any notice with respect to any suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offer and sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; and the Company will use its 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, any of the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or suspending any such qualification of the Shares and, if any such order is issued, will obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.
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(e) Ongoing Compliance. (1) 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 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 promptly 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 and (2) if at any time prior to the Closing Date (i) any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which the Pricing Disclosure Package 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 existing when the Pricing Disclosure Package is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend or supplement the Pricing Disclosure Package 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 Pricing Disclosure Package as may be necessary so that the statements in the Pricing Disclosure Package as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Pricing Disclosure Package is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Pricing Disclosure Package will comply with law.
(f) Blue Sky Compliance. The Company will qualify the Shares 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 Shares; 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.
(g) 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 under the Securities Act 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.
(h) Clear Market. For a period of 90 days after the date of the Prospectus, the Company will not (i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, or file with the Commission a registration statement under the Securities Act relating to, any shares of Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Stock, or publicly disclose the intention to make any offer, sale, pledge, disposition or filing (other than filings on Form S-8 relating to the Companys Stock Plans), or (ii) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Stock or any such other securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, other than (A) the Shares to be sold hereunder, (B) any shares of Stock of the Company issued upon the exercise of options granted under Company Stock Plans, (C) the issuance by the Company of any shares of Common Stock, or options to purchase Common
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Stock, to employees, directors and/or consultants of the Company pursuant to the Company Stock Plans, (D) the filing by the Company of any Registration Statement on Form S-8 or a successor form thereto and (E) shares of Stock of the Company issued in connection with a transaction with an unaffiliated third party that includes a bona fide commercial relationship with the Company (including acquisitions, joint ventures, marketing arrangements or collaboration agreements) in an aggregate amount not to exceed 10% of the Stock, provided that prior to the issuance of any shares of Stock pursuant to this clause (E) during the 90-day restricted period, the recipient of such shares of Stock pursuant to this clause (E) shall sign and deliver a lock-up agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if (1) during the last 17 days of the 90-day restricted period, the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs; or (2) prior to the expiration of the 90-day restricted period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the 90-day period, the restrictions imposed by this Agreement shall continue to apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the announcement of the material news or material event.
(i) Use of Proceeds. The Company will apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Shares as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the heading Use of Proceeds.
(j) 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 Stock.
(k) Exchange Listing. The Company will use its best efforts to list for quotation the Shares on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (the Nasdaq Market).
(l) Reports. During a period of three years from the date hereof, the Company will furnish to the Representatives, as soon as they are available, copies of all reports or other communications (financial or other) furnished to holders of the Shares, and copies of any reports and financial statements furnished to or filed with the Commission or any national securities exchange or automatic quotation system; provided the Company will be deemed to have furnished such reports and financial statements to the Representatives to the extent they are filed on the Commissions Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval system or any successor system.
(m) 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 used, authorized use of, referred to or participated in the planning for use of, 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 contains no issuer information (as defined in Rule 433(h)(2) under the Securities Act) that was not included (including through incorporation by reference) in the Preliminary Prospectus or a previously filed Issuer Free
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Writing Prospectus, (ii) any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus listed on Annex B 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).
(b) It has not and will not, without the prior written consent of the Company, use any free writing prospectus that contains the final terms of the Shares unless such terms have previously been included in a free writing prospectus filed with the Commission.
(c) 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 the Underwritten Shares on the Closing Date or the Option Shares on the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, 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 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 an 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 or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be; 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 or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.
(c) No Downgrade. Subsequent to the earlier of (A) the Applicable Time and (B) the execution and delivery of this Agreement, if the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their debt or preferred stock (or debt guaranteed by any of them) is rated by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization, as such term is defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act, (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in any such rating and (ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, or has changed its outlook with respect to, any such rating (other than an announcement with positive implications of a possible upgrading).
(d) No Material Adverse Change. 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 Pricing Disclosure Package (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 Shares on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.
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(e) Officers Certificate. The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, a certificate, on behalf of the Company, of the chief financial officer or chief accounting officer of the Company and one additional senior executive officer of the Company who is satisfactory to the Representatives (i) confirming that such officers have carefully reviewed the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and, to the knowledge of such officers, 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 in all material respects with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, 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 or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, each of Caturano and Company, P.C. and McGladrey & Pullen 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 reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, containing statements and information of the type customarily included in accountants comfort letters to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; provided, that the letters delivered on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall use a cut-off date no more than three business days prior to such Closing Date or such Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.
(g) Opinion and 10b-5 Statement of Counsel for the Company. Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to the Representatives, at the request of the Company, their written opinion and 10b-5 statement, dated the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect set forth in Annex A-I hereto. David L. Schmitt, General Counsel of the Company, shall have furnished to the Representatives, at the request of the Company, his written opinion, dated the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date as the case may be, and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect set forth in Annex A-II hereto.
(h) Opinion and 10b-5 Statement of Counsel for the Underwriters. The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, an opinion and 10b-5 statement of Cahill Gordon & Reindel 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.
(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 or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, prevent the issuance or sale of the Shares; and no injunction or order of any federal, state or foreign court shall have been issued that would, as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, prevent the issuance or sale of the Shares.
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(j) Good Standing. The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, satisfactory evidence of the good standing of the Company in its jurisdiction of organization and its good standing as a foreign entity in Vermont, in each case in writing or any standard form of telecommunication from the appropriate governmental authorities of such jurisdictions.
(k) Exchange Listing. The Shares to be delivered on the Closing Date or Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, shall have been approved for listing on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, subject to official notice of issuance.
(l) Lock-up Agreements. The lock-up agreements, each substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto, between you and certain stockholders, officers and directors of the Company relating to sales and certain other dispositions of shares of Stock or certain other securities, delivered to you on or before the date hereof, shall be full force and effect on the Closing Date or Additional Closing Date, as the case may be.
(m) Additional Documents. On or prior to the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives such further certificates and documents as the Representatives may reasonably request.
(n) Officers Environmental Compliance Certificate. On the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, the Underwriters shall have received a written certificate executed by the officer of the Company responsible for environmental compliance, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B.
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, reasonable 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, (ii) or 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, any issuer information filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act, any road show as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act (a road show) or any Pricing Disclosure Package (including any Pricing Disclosure Package that has subsequently been amended), 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, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in subsection (b) below.
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(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, any road show or any Pricing Disclosure Package (including any Pricing Disclosure Package that has subsequently been amended), it being understood and agreed upon that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the following information in the Prospectus furnished on behalf of each Underwriter: the last paragraph of text on the cover page of the Prospectus Supplement concerning the delivery of the Shares by the Underwriters; the names and corresponding share amounts set forth in the table in the first paragraph of text under the caption Underwriting in the Prospectus Supplement; the third paragraph of text under the caption Underwriting in the Prospectus Supplement concerning the terms of the offering by the Underwriters, including the concession and reallowance figures; the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth paragraphs of text under the caption Underwriting in the Prospectus Supplement concerning stabilization, passive market-making and over-allotments by the Underwriters; and the sixteenth paragraph of text under the caption Underwriting in the Prospectus Supplement regarding internet distributions.
(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 paragraph (a) or (b) above 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 paragraph (a) or (b) above. 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 in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and expenses of such 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 interest between them. It is understood and agreed that the Indemnifying Person shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings 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 paid or reimbursed as they are incurred.
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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 the Representatives 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. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an Indemnified Person shall have requested that an Indemnifying Person reimburse the Indemnified Person for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by this paragraph, the Indemnifying Person shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by the Indemnifying Person of such request and (ii) the Indemnifying Person shall not have reimbursed the Indemnified Person in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. 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 Shares 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 Shares 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 Shares. 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 paragraph (d) above 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 paragraphs (d) and (e), in no event shall an Underwriter be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total underwriting
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discounts and commissions received by such Underwriter with respect to the offering of the Shares 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 paragraphs (d) and (e) are several in proportion to their respective purchase obligations hereunder and not joint.
(f) Non-Exclusive Remedies. The remedies provided for in paragraphs (a) through (e) 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 or, in the case of the Option Shares, prior to the Additional Closing Date (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on or by any of the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq Stock Market, the Chicago Board Options Exchange, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange or the Chicago Board of Trade; (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 shall have been declared by federal or New York State authorities; (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 makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Shares on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; (v) in the judgment of the Representatives there shall have occurred any Material Adverse Change; or (vi) the Company shall have sustained a loss by strike, fire, flood, earthquake, accident or other calamity of such character as in the judgment of the Representatives may interfere materially with the conduct of the business and operations of the Company regardless of whether or not such loss shall have been insured.
10. Defaulting Underwriter.
(a) If, on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, any Underwriter defaults on its obligation to purchase the Shares that it has agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, the non-defaulting Underwriters may in their discretion arrange for the purchase of such Shares 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 Shares, 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 Shares on such terms. If other persons become obligated or agree to purchase the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter, either the non-defaulting Underwriters or the Company may postpone the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, 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 Shares that a defaulting Underwriter agreed but failed to purchase.
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(b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate number of Shares that remain unpurchased on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, does not exceed one-eleventh of the aggregate number of Shares to be purchased on such date, then the Company shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the number of Shares that such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder on such date plus such Underwriters pro rata share (based on the number of Shares that such Underwriter agreed to purchase on such date) of the Shares 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 Shares of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate number of Shares that remain unpurchased on the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be, exceeds one-eleventh of the aggregate amount of Shares to be purchased on such date, or if the Company shall not exercise the right described in paragraph (b) above, then this Agreement or, with respect to any Additional Closing Date, the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase Shares on the Additional Closing Date 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) Whether or not the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, 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 Shares and any 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 Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (including all exhibits, amendments and supplements thereto) and the distribution thereof; (iii) the costs of reproducing and distributing this Agreement; (iv) the fees and expenses of the Companys counsel and independent accountants; (v) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the registration or qualification of the Shares under the state or foreign securities or blue sky 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 reasonably incurred by counsel for the Underwriters); (vi) the cost of preparing stock certificates; (vii) the costs and charges of any transfer agent and any registrar; (viii) all reasonable expenses and application fees incurred in connection with any filing with, and clearance of the offering by, FINRA; (ix) all expenses incurred by the Company in connection with any road show presentation to potential investors and (x) all expenses and application fees related to the listing of the Shares on the Nasdaq Market.
(b) If (i) this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 9, (ii) the Company for any reason fails to tender the Shares for delivery to the Underwriters or (iii) the Underwriters decline to purchase the Shares for any reason permitted under this Agreement, the Company agrees to reimburse the
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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; provided, however, that in the case of a termination under Section 10(c), the Company shall not reimburse the defaulting Underwriter for any out-of-pocket costs or expenses.
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 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 Shares 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 Shares 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) 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 10179 (fax: (212) 622-8358); Attention Equity Syndicate Desk and c/o Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, One Bryant Park, New York, New York 10036 (fax: (646) 855-3073); Attention Syndicate Department, with a copy to ECM Legal. Notices to the Company shall be given to it at Casella Waste Systems, Inc., 25 Greens Hill Lane, Rutland, VT 05701, (fax: (802) 775-6198); Attention: John W. Casella, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer, with a copy to Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, 60 State Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02109 (fax: (617) 526-5000), Attention: Jeffrey A. Stein, Esq..
(b) Governing Law. This Agreement and any claim, controversy or dispute arising under or related to this Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made and to be performed in such state.
(c) 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.
(d) 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.
(e) 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.
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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please indicate your acceptance of this Agreement by signing in the space provided below.
Very truly yours, | ||
CASELLA WASTE SYSTEMS, INC. | ||
By: | /s/ Edwin D. Johnson | |
Name: Edwin D. Johnson | ||
Title: Chief Financial Officer |
Accepted: September 27, 2012 | ||
J. P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC | ||
For itself and on behalf of the several Underwriters listed in Schedule 1 hereto. | ||
By: | /s/ Ryan P. Griswold | |
Authorized Signatory |
MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH INCORPORATED | ||
For itself and on behalf of the several Underwriters listed in Schedule 1 hereto. | ||
By: | /s/ Benjamin Lyons | |
Authorized Signatory |
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Schedule 1
Underwriter |
Number of Underwritten Shares |
Number of Option Shares |
||||||
J. P. Morgan Securities LLC |
4,100,000 | 615,000 | ||||||
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith |
4,100,000 | 615,000 | ||||||
KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc. |
750,000 | 112,500 | ||||||
Raymond James & Associates, Inc. |
750,000 | 112,500 | ||||||
Wunderlich Securities, Inc. |
300,000 | 45,000 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Total |
10,000,000 | 1,500,000 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
Sch-1
Schedule 2
1. The public offering price per share for the Shares (excluding Affiliate Shares), shall be $4.000.
2. The purchase price per share for the Shares (excluding Affiliate Shares) to be paid by the several Underwriters shall be $3.732, being an amount equal to the public offering price set forth above less $0.268 per share.
The purchase price per share for the Affiliate Shares to be paid by the several Underwriters shall be $4.33, which is the consolidated closing bid price of the Stock on the NASDAQ Global Select Market on September 27, 2012; provided, however, that notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, to the extent Edwin D. Johnson does not purchase 25,000 Affiliate Shares, any Affiliate Shares not purchased by Edwin D. Johnson shall be offered as part of the public offering contemplated hereby, in which case the purchase price per share for such Affiliate Shares to be paid by the several Underwriters shall be $3.732.
Sch-2
Annex A-I
FORM OF OPINION OF WILMER CUTLER PICKERING HALE AND DORR LLP
Annex A-I
Annex A-II
FORM OF OPINION OF DAVID SCHMITT
Annex A-II
Annex B
Pricing Information Provided Orally by the Underwriters
Price per share (excluding Affiliate Shares): $4.00
Price per Affiliate Share: $4.33, which is the consolidated closing bid price of the Stock on the NASDAQ Global Select Market on September 27, 2012.
Number of Underwritten Shares: 10,000,000
Number of Option Shares: 1,500,000
Annex B-1
Exhibit A
LOCK-UP AGREEMENT
J. P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC
MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH
INCORPORATED
As Representatives of
the several Underwriters listed in
Schedule 1 to the Underwriting
Agreement referred to below
c/o J. P. Morgan Securities LLC
383 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10179
Re: | CASELLA WASTE SYSTEMS, INC. Public Offering |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned understands that you, as representatives (the Representatives) of the several Underwriters, propose to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the Underwriting Agreement) with Casella Waste Systems, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Company), providing for the public offering (the Public Offering) by the several Underwriters named in Schedule 1 to the Underwriting Agreement (the Underwriters), of Class A Common Stock, $0.01 per share par value, of the Company (the Securities). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings set forth in the Underwriting Agreement.
In consideration of the Underwriters agreement to purchase and make the Public Offering of the Securities, and for other good and valuable consideration receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the undersigned hereby agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters, the undersigned will not, during the period ending 90 days after the date of the prospectus relating to the Public Offering (the Prospectus), (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock, $0.01 per share par value, of the Company (collectively, the Common Stock) or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock (including without limitation, Common Stock or such other securities which may be deemed to be beneficially owned by the undersigned in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and securities which may be issued upon exercise of a stock option or warrant), or publicly disclose the intention to make any offer, sale, pledge or disposition, (2) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common Stock or such other securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise or (3) make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to the registration of any shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock, in each case other than (A) transfers of shares of Common Stock as a bona fide gift or gifts; (B) the exercise of any option to purchase shares of Common Stock, provided that the underlying Common Stock continues to be subject to the restrictions set forth above, (C) transfers of Common Stock or other securities acquired in open market transactions after the completion of the Public Offering, (D) transfers of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock to the immediate family of the undersigned, to a trust the beneficiaries of which are exclusively the undersigned and/or a member or members of the immediate family of the undersigned or to any corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other
entity all of the beneficial ownership interests of which are held exclusively by the undersigned and/or a member or members of the immediate family of the undersigned in a transaction not involving a disposition for value, (E) transfers of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock upon death by will or intestate succession, (F) transfers to any affiliate of the undersigned or any investment fund or other entity controlled or managed by the undersigned in a transaction not involving a disposition for value, (G) distributions of shares of Common Stock to partners, members or stockholders of the undersigned in a transaction not involving a disposition for value, (H) the entry into any trading plan (Trading Plan) established pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (Exchange Act), provided that no sales or other dispositions may occur under such plan until the expiration of the 90-day restricted period and that no filing or other public announcement, whether under the Exchange Act or otherwise, shall be required or shall be made by the undersigned or the Company in connection with the trading plan during such restricted period and (I) transfers, sales or dispositions of shares of Common Stock held by the undersigned pursuant to a Trading Plan existing on the date of this Agreement; provided, further, that in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clause (A), (D), (E), (F) or (G) each donee or distributee shall execute and deliver to the Representatives a lock-up letter in the form of this paragraph; and provided, further, that in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clause (A), (C), (D), (E), (F) or (G) no filing by any party (donor, donee, transferor or transferee) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or other public announcement shall be required or shall be made voluntarily in connection with such transfer or distribution (other than a filing on a Form 5 made after the expiration of the 90-day period referred to above).
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if (1) during the last 17 days of the 90-day restricted period, the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs; or (2) prior to the expiration of the 90-day restricted period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the 90-day period, the restrictions imposed by this letter agreement (the Letter Agreement) shall continue to apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event.
In furtherance of the foregoing, the Company, and any duly appointed transfer agent for the registration or transfer of the securities described herein, are hereby authorized to decline to make any transfer of securities if such transfer would constitute a violation or breach of this Letter Agreement.
The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power and authority to enter into this Letter Agreement. All authority herein conferred or agreed to be conferred and any obligations of the undersigned shall be binding upon the successors, assigns, heirs or personal representatives of the undersigned.
The undersigned understands that, if (i) the Underwriting Agreement does not become effective prior to October 31, 2012, (ii) the Representatives, on behalf of the Underwriters, advise the Company, or if the Company advises the Representatives, on behalf of the Underwriters, in writing, prior to the execution of the Underwriting Agreement, that they have determined not to proceed with the Public Offering or (iii) the Underwriting Agreement (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination) shall terminate or be terminated prior to payment for and delivery of the Securities to be sold thereunder, the undersigned shall be released from all obligations under this Letter Agreement. The undersigned understands that the Underwriters are entering into the Underwriting Agreement and proceeding with the Public Offering in reliance upon this Letter Agreement.
This Letter Agreement and any claim, controversy or dispute arising under or related to this Letter Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without regard to the conflict of laws principles thereof.
Very truly yours, | ||
Type Name of Stockholder | ||
By: | ||
Name: | ||
Title: | ||
Date: | , 2012 |
Exhibit B
FORM OF OFFICERS COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE
Exh. B
EXHIBIT 5.1
September 28, 2012
Casella Waste Systems, Inc.
25 Green Hills Lane
Rutland, VT 05701
Re: Prospectus Supplement to Registration Statement on Form S-3
Ladies and Gentlemen:
This opinion is furnished to you in connection with (i) the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-175107) (the Registration Statement) filed by Casella Waste Systems, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Company), with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), for the registration of, among other things, shares of the Companys Class A Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share (the Common Stock), which may be issued from time to time on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act at an aggregate initial offering price not to exceed $250,000,000 as set forth in the Registration Statement and the prospectus contained therein; and (ii) the prospectus supplement, dated September 28, 2012 (the Prospectus Supplement) relating to the issue and sale pursuant to the Registration Statement of up to 10,000,000 shares of Common Stock and up to 1,500,000 shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of an over-allotment option granted by the Company (the Shares).
The Shares are to be issued and sold by the Company pursuant to an underwriting agreement, dated as of September 27, 2012 (the Underwriting Agreement) among the Company and the several underwriters named in Schedule 1 thereto, for which J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated are acting as representatives, which will be filed with the Commission as Exhibit 1.1 to the Companys Current Report on Form 8-K, dated September 28, 2012.
We are acting as counsel for the Company in connection with the issue and sale by the Company of the Shares. We have examined a signed copy of the Registration Statement and a copy of the Prospectus Supplement, each as filed with the Commission. We have also examined and relied upon the Underwriting Agreement, minutes of meetings of the stockholders and the Board of Directors of the Company, including committees thereof, each as provided to us by the Company, the Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws of the Company, each as restated and/or amended to date, and such other documents as we have deemed necessary for purposes of rendering the opinion hereinafter set forth.
Casella Waste Systems, Inc.
September 28, 2012
Page 2
In our examination of the foregoing documents, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as copies, the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents and the legal competence of all signatories to such documents.
We express no opinion herein as to the laws of any state or jurisdiction other than the state laws of the State of New York, the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and the federal laws of the United States of America.
Based upon and subject to the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the Shares have been duly authorized for issuance and, when the Shares are issued and paid for in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Underwriting Agreement, the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
Please note that we are opining only as to the matters expressly set forth herein, and no opinion should be inferred as to any other matters. This opinion is based upon currently existing statutes, rules, regulations and judicial decisions, and we disclaim any obligation to advise you of any change in any of these sources of law or subsequent legal or factual developments which might affect any matters or opinions set forth herein.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion in accordance with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act with the Commission as an exhibit to the Current Report on Form 8-K to be filed by the Company in connection with the issue and sale of the Shares and to the use of our name in the Prospectus Supplement under the caption Legal Matters. In giving such consent, we do not hereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission.
Very truly yours,
WILMER CUTLER PICKERING HALE AND DORR LLP | ||
By: | /s/ Glenn J. Luinenburg | |
Glenn J. Luinenburg, a Partner |
Exhibit 99.1
Casella Waste Systems, Inc. Prices Public Offering of Class A Common Stock
RUTLAND, VTSeptember 28, 2012Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CWST) today announced the pricing of an underwritten public offering of 10,000,000 shares of its Class A common stock at a price of $4.00 per share to the public and the granting to the underwriters of a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 1,500,000 shares of Class A common stock sold in the offering to cover over-allotments, if any. All of the shares in the offering are to be sold by Casella Waste Systems. The gross proceeds to Casella Waste Systems from this offering are expected to be approximately $40 million, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions, and other estimated offering expenses payable by Casella Waste Systems. The offering is expected to close on or about October 3, 2012, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.
BofA Merrill Lynch and J.P. Morgan are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering.
A shelf registration statement on Form S-3 relating to the public offering of the shares of Class A common stock described above was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and is effective. The offering is being made by means of a prospectus and related prospectus supplement, which have been filed with the SEC and are available on the SECs website located at www.sec.gov. Copies of the prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus may be obtained from BofA Merrill Lynch, 222 Broadway, 7th Floor, New York, New York 10038, Attention: Prospectus Department or email dg.prospectus_requests@baml.com or J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, New York, 11717, telephone: (866) 803-9204.
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction.
About Casella Waste Systems, Inc.
Casella Waste Systems, Inc., headquartered in Rutland, Vermont, provides solid waste management services consisting of collection, transfer, disposal, and recycling services in the northeastern United States. For further information, investors should contact Ned Coletta, vice president of finance and investor relations at (802) 772-2239, and media should contact Joseph Fusco, vice president at (802) 772-2247.
Forward-looking Statements
Certain of the statements made in this press release are forward looking, such as those, among others, relating to our expectations regarding the completion of the proposed public offering. Actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected or implied in these forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause such a difference include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties related to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions related to the proposed public offering and the impact of general economic, industry or political
conditions in the United States or internationally. There can be no assurance that we will be able to complete the proposed public offering on the anticipated terms, or at all. Additional risks and uncertainties relating to the proposed offering, Casella Waste Systems and our business are discussed in the prospectus supplement related to the proposed offering filed with the SEC on or about the date hereof and in other filings that we periodically make with the SEC. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent our views as of the date of this press release. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause our views to change. However, while we may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we specifically disclaim any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.
Source: Casella Waste Systems, Inc.
Investors:
Ned Coletta
Vice President of Finance and Investor Relations
(802) 772-2239
Media:
Joseph Fusco
Vice President
(802) 772-2247
Exhibit 99.2
CASELLA WASTE SYSTEMS, INC. ANNOUNCES PRICING OF NOTES OFFERING
RUTLAND, VERMONT (September 28, 2012) Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CWST) (the Company), a vertically-integrated solid waste, recycling and resource management services company, announced today that it priced the previously announced offering of 7¾% senior subordinated notes due 2019 (the Notes).
The aggregate principal amount of the Notes is $125.0 million. The Notes are being offered as additional debt securities under an indenture pursuant to which the Company previously issued senior subordinated notes (the Existing Notes). The Notes and the Existing Notes initially will have different CUSIP numbers. However, the Company expects to register the Notes under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act) and following such registration, the Company intends to exchange the Notes for unrestricted notes with the same CUSIP as the Existing Notes, and the Notes and the Existing Notes will be fungible thereafter.
The issuance of the Notes is anticipated to close on October 9, 2012. The Notes will pay interest on a semi-annual basis.
The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the offering to refinance its 11% Senior Second Lien Notes due 2014, of which $180,000,000 aggregate principal amount is outstanding.
The Notes are being offered in a private placement to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act and to non-U.S. persons outside the United States under Regulation S under the Securities Act.
The Notes have not been registered under the Securities Act, and unless so registered, may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and other applicable securities laws.
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the Notes, nor shall there be any sale of the Notes in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. This notice is being issued pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 135c under the Securities Act.
About Casella Waste Systems, Inc.
The Company is an integrated solid waste and resource management company headquartered in Rutland, Vermont. For further information, investors should contact Ned Coletta, vice president of finance and investor relations at (802) 772-2239.
Safe Harbor Statement
Certain statements made in this press release are forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the safe harbors from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can generally be identified as such by the context of the statements, including words such as the Company expects, will, intends, and other similar expressions. Among the forward-looking statements in this press release are statements regarding the closing of the offering of the Notes and the intended use of the proceeds from the Note offering. All of these forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and estimates and managements beliefs and assumptions. The Company cannot guarantee that it will complete the offering on the terms disclosed in the forward-looking statements or at all. Such forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including, among other things: market conditions, the Companys ability to consummate the issuance of the Notes and the Companys ability to register the Notes. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update the forward-looking statements contained in this press releases whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Companys views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.
Contact:
Ned Coletta
(802) 772-2239
2
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