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): January 16, 2014

 


 

RSP PERMIAN, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 


 

Delaware

 

333-192268

 

90-1022997

(State or Other Jurisdiction
of Incorporation)

 

(Commission
File Number)

 

(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)

 

3141 Hood Street, Suite 701
Dallas, Texas 75219

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

(Zip Code)

 

(214) 252-2700

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

 


 

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:

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

o             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.

 

Underwriting Agreement

 

On January 16, 2014, RSP Permian, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and certain stockholders of the Company (the “Selling Stockholders”), entered into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Barclays Capital Inc. and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, as representatives of the several underwriters named therein (the “Underwriters”), relating to the offer and sale of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”). The Underwriting Agreement provides for the offer and sale (the “Offering”) by the Company and the Selling Stockholders, and purchase by the Underwriters, of an aggregate of 20,000,000 shares of Common Stock at a price to the public of $19.50 per share ($18.37875 per share net of underwriting discounts and commissions). Of the 20,000,000 shares of Common Stock, 9,225,000 are being sold by the Company and 10,775,000 are being sold by the Selling Stockholders. Pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, the Selling Stockholders have granted the Underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an aggregate of 3,000,000 additional shares of Common Stock held by the Selling Stockholders to cover over-allotments. The material terms of the Offering are described in the prospectus, dated January 17, 2014 (the “Prospectus”), filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on January 17, 2014, pursuant to Rule 424(b)(4) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The Offering is registered with the Commission pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-1, as amended (File No. 333-192268), initially filed by the Company on November 12, 2013.

 

The Underwriting Agreement contains customary representations and warranties, agreements and obligations, closing conditions and termination provisions. The Company and the Selling Stockholders have agreed to indemnify the Underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and to contribute to payments the Underwriters may be required to make because of any of those liabilities.

 

The Selling Stockholders received official notice of exercise of each of the Underwriters’ options to purchase the full 3,000,000 of additional shares of Common Stock on January 17, 2014, which is expected to close simultaneously with the Offering. The Offering is expected to close on January 23, 2014, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, and the Company expects to receive proceeds from the Offering of approximately $166.0 million (net of underwriting discounts, commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by the Company). As described in the Prospectus, the Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering to fully repay its term loan, make cash payments to certain existing investors as partial consideration for the properties contributed to the Company by such persons, pay cash bonuses to certain of the Company’s employees, reduce outstanding borrowings under its revolving credit facility and fund a portion of its capital expenditure plan. The Company will not receive any proceeds from the sale of shares of Common Stock by the Selling Stockholders.

 

As more fully described under the caption “Underwriting (Conflicts of Interest)” in the Prospectus, certain of the Underwriters and their respective affiliates have, from time to time, performed, and may in the future perform, various commercial and investment banking and financial advisory services for the Company and its affiliates, for which they have received, and may in the future receive, customary fees and expenses. Affiliates of certain of the Underwriters are lenders under the Company’s term loan and revolving credit facility and will therefore receive their respective share of repayment by the Company of amounts outstanding under Company’s term loan and revolving credit facility from the Company’s net proceeds to be received from the Offering.

 

The foregoing description is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Underwriting Agreement, which is attached as Exhibit 1.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated in this Item 1.01 by reference.

 

Long-Term Incentive Plan

 

The description of the RSP Permian, Inc. 2014 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “LTIP”) provided below under Item 5.02 is incorporated in this Item 1.01 by reference. A copy of the LTIP is incorporated by reference as Exhibit 10.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated in this Item 1.01 by reference.

 

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Item 5.02                    Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

 

Long-Term Incentive Plan

 

On January 16, 2013, the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) adopted the LTIP (as defined above) for the purpose of providing compensatory awards to employees, consultants and directors of the Company and its affiliates. The LTIP provides for the grant of all or any of the following components: (1) stock options, (2) stock appreciation rights, (3) restricted stock, (4) restricted stock units, (5) bonus stock, (6) dividend equivalents, and (7) other stock-based awards, performance awards and annual incentive awards. Subject to adjustment in accordance with the LTIP, 10,000,000 shares of Common Stock have been reserved for issuance pursuant to awards under the LTIP. Common Stock subject to an award that is canceled, forfeited, settled in cash or otherwise terminated, or withheld to satisfy exercise prices or tax withholding obligations, will be available for delivery pursuant to other awards. The LTIP will be administered by the Board or an alternative committee appointed by the Board.

 

With respect to LTIP awards that are intended to comply with the rules of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), the award will be designed using certain predetermined performance goals, as set forth in the LTIP.  In any single calendar year, an eligible employee that is also a “covered employee” under Section 162(m) of the Code may not receive awards pursuant to the LTIP that relate to more than 500,000 shares of Common Stock, or which have a value in excess of $6,000,000.

 

The foregoing description of the LTIP is not complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the LTIP, which is incorporated by reference as Exhibit 10.1 to this Form 8-K and is incorporated into this Item 5.02 by reference.

 

Item 9.01                    Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d)          Exhibits.

 

Exhibit No.

 

Description

1.1

 

Underwriting Agreement, dated as of January 16, 2014, by and among RSP Permian, Inc., the Selling Stockholders named therein, and Barclays Capital Inc. and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, as representatives of the several underwriters named therein.

 

 

 

10.1

 

RSP Permian, Inc. 2014 Long-Term Incentive Plan, effective as of January 16, 2014.

 

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SIGNATURES

 

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

 

 

 

RSP PERMIAN INC.

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Scott McNeill

 

 

Scott McNeill

 

 

Chief Financial Officer and Director

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dated: January 22, 2014

 

 

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EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit No.

 

Description

1.1

 

Underwriting Agreement, dated as of January 16, 2014, by and among RSP Permian, Inc., the Selling Stockholders named therein, and Barclays Capital Inc. and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, as representatives of the several underwriters named therein.

 

 

 

10.1

 

RSP Permian, Inc. 2014 Long-Term Incentive Plan, effective as of January 16, 2014.

 

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Exhibit 1.1

 

20,000,000

 

RSP Permian, Inc.

 

Common Stock

 

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

January 16, 2014

 

BARCLAYS CAPITAL INC.

J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC
As Representatives of the several
  Underwriters named in Schedule I attached hereto,
c/o Barclays Capital Inc.
745 Seventh Avenue
New York, New York 10019

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

RSP Permian, Inc. , a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), and certain stockholders of the Company named in Schedule II attached hereto (each individually a “ Selling Stockholder ” and, collectively, the “ Selling Stockholders ”), propose to sell an aggregate of 20,000,000 shares (the “ Firm Stock ”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “ Common Stock ”).  Of the 20,000,000 shares of the Firm Stock, 9,225,000 are being sold by the Company and 10,775,000 are being sold by the Selling Stockholders.  In addition, the Selling Stockholders propose to grant to the underwriters (the “ Underwriters ”) named in Schedule I attached to this agreement (this “ Agreement ”) an option to purchase up to an aggregate of 3,000,000 additional shares of the Common Stock on the terms set forth in Section 3 (the “ Option Stock ”).  The Firm Stock and the Option Stock, if purchased, are hereinafter collectively called the “ Stock . ”  This Agreement is to confirm the agreement concerning the purchase of the Stock from the Company and the Selling Stockholders by the Underwriters.

 

It is understood and agreed by all parties hereto that the Company was recently incorporated to become a holding company for RSP Permian, L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability company (“ OpCo ”), as described more particularly below and in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus.

 

As a result of the Reorganization Transactions (defined below), OpCo will become a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company and the Selling Stockholders will acquire Common Stock.  As used in this Agreement, references to the “ Company ” with respect to periods prior to the consummation of the Reorganization Transactions shall be deemed to be references to OpCo, unless the context otherwise requires.

 

Prior to the Initial Delivery Date, RSP Permian Holdco, L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability company (“ HoldCo ”), and Production Opportunities II, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (“ Production Opportunities ”), Michael K. Grimm, Zane W. Arrot, Tamara D. Pollard, Steven D. Gray, William R. Huck, Erik B. Daugbjerg, William Christopher Krusz,

 



 

Michael G. Cook, Robert Lemmons, David Groves, Leslyn Wallace, James Spradlin, Tracy Pollard, Steven Smith and Scott McNeill (Production Opportunities and such individuals collectively, the “ HoldCo Subscribers ”) will have executed that certain Subscription and Contribution Agreement, to be dated on or prior to the Initial Delivery Date (the “ Subscription and Contribution Agreement ”). Pursuant to the Subscription and Contribution Agreements and immediately prior to the Initial Delivery Date, the HoldCo Subscribers will receive interests in HoldCo in exchange for the contribution of the OpCo Interests to HoldCo (the “ HoldCo Formation Contribution ”). Following the consummation of the Subscription and Contribution Agreement, HoldCo will be the sole record owner and beneficial owner of 100% of the membership interests of OpCo (the “ OpCo Interests ”).

 

Prior to the execution of this Agreement, the Company, HoldCo, OpCo, Rising Star Energy Development Co., L.L.C. (“ Rising Star ”), Ted Collins, Jr. (“ Collins ”), Wallace Family Partnership, LP (“ Wallace LP ”), Collins & Wallace Holdings, LLC (“ Collins & Wallace ” and, together with Collins and Wallace LP, the “ Collins & Wallace Entities ”) and Pecos Energy Partners, L.P. (“ Pecos ”) will have executed that certain Master Contribution Agreement, dated as of January 7, 2014 (the “ Master Contribution Agreement ”).  Pursuant to the Master Contribution Agreement and immediately prior to the Initial Delivery Date:

 

(A)                                HoldCo will receive 28,536,427 shares of Common Stock, the right to receive the Holdco Cash (as defined in the Master Contribution Agreement) and the OpCo Indemnity Escrow Interests (as defined in the Master Contribution Agreement) in exchange for contributing the OpCo Interests to the Company (the “ HoldCo Contribution ”);

 

(B)                                Rising Star will receive 1,793,123 shares of Common Stock and the right to receive the Rising Star Cash (as defined in the Master Contribution Agreement) in exchange for contributing certain working interests in the oil and natural gas assets described in the Master Contribution Agreement and held by Rising Star to OpCo (the “ Rising Star Contribution ”);

 

(C)                                Collins will receive 9,902,876 shares of Common Stock and the right to receive the Collins Cash (as defined in the Master Contribution Agreement) in exchange for contributing certain working interests in the oil and natural gas assets described in the Master Contribution Agreement and held by Collins to OpCo (the “ Collins Contribution ”);

 

(D)                                Wallace LP will receive 9,954,626 shares of Common Stock and the right to receive the Wallace LP Cash (as defined in the Master Contribution Agreement) in exchange for contributing certain working interests in the oil and natural gas assets described in the Master Contribution Agreement and held by Wallace LP to OpCo (the “ Wallace LP Contribution ”);

 

(E)                                 Collins & Wallace will receive 2,166,152 shares of Common Stock in exchange for contributing certain working interests in the oil and natural gas assets described in the Master Contribution Agreement and held by Collins & Wallace to OpCo (the “ Collins & Wallace Contribution ”); and

 

(F)                                  Pecos will receive 105,170 shares of Common Stock in exchange for contributing certain working interests in the oil and natural gas assets described in the Master Contribution Agreement and held by Pecos to OpCo (the “ Pecos Contribution ”).

 

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Prior to the execution of this Agreement, the Company, HoldCo, OpCo and ACTOIL, LLC (“ ACTOIL ”) will have executed that certain Letter Agreement, dated as of January 7, 2014 (the “ ACTOIL Letter Agreement ” and, together with the Master Contribution Agreement and the Subscription and Contribution Agreement, the “ Contribution Agreements ”). Pursuant to the ACTOIL Letter Agreement, ACTOIL will receive 10,816,626 shares of Common Stock in exchange for contributing certain net profits interests described in the ACTOIL Letter Agreement and held by ACTOIL to OpCo (the “ ACTOIL Contribution ” and, together with the Holdco Formation Contribution, the HoldCo Contribution, the Rising Star Contribution, the Collins Contribution, the Wallace LP Contribution, the Collins & Wallace Contribution and the Pecos Contribution, the “ Reorganization Transactions ”).

 

Immediately following the consummation of the Reorganization Transactions, the public, through the Underwriters, will purchase the Firm Stock from the Company and the Selling Stockholders, including shares acquired by the Selling Stockholders pursuant to the Reorganization Transactions.

 

1.                                       Representations and Warranties of the Company .  The Company represents and warrants that:

 

(a)                                  A registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-192268) relating to the Stock has (i) been prepared by the Company in conformity with the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ Securities Act ”), and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ Commission ”) thereunder; (ii) been filed with the Commission under the Securities Act; and (iii) become effective under the Securities Act.  Copies of such registration statement and any amendment thereto have been delivered by the Company to you as the representatives (the “ Representatives ”) of the Underwriters.  As used in this Agreement:

 

(i)                                      Applicable Time ” means 7:30 a.m. (New York City time) January 17, 2014;

 

(ii)                                   Effective Date ” means the date and time as of which the Registration Statement, or the most recent post-effective amendment thereto, was declared effective by the Commission;

 

(iii)                                Issuer Free Writing Prospectus ” means each “issuer free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act);

 

(iv)                               Preliminary Prospectus ” means any preliminary prospectus relating to the Stock included in the Registration Statement or filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act;

 

(v)                                  Pricing Disclosure Package ” means, as of the Applicable Time, the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, together with the information included in Schedule IV hereto and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus filed or used by the Company on or before the Applicable Time, other than a road show that is an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus but is not required to be filed under Rule 433 under the Securities Act;

 

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(vi)                               Prospectus ” means the final prospectus relating to the Stock, as filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act;

 

(vii)                            Registration Statement ” means the registration statement (File No. 333-192268), as amended as of the Effective Date, relating to the offering, issuance and sale of the Stock, including any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, all exhibits to such registration statement and including the information deemed by virtue of Rule 430A under the Securities Act to be part of such registration statement as of the Effective Date;

 

(viii)                         Testing-the-Waters Communication ” means any oral or written communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Securities Act; and

 

(ix)                               Written Testing-the-Waters Communication ” means any Testing-the-Waters Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act.

 

Any reference to the “ most recent Preliminary Prospectus ” shall be deemed to refer to the latest Preliminary Prospectus included in the Registration Statement or filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act prior to or on the date hereof.  Any registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act is herein called the “ Rule 462(b) Registration Statement ” and, after such filing, the term “Registration Statement” shall include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement.  The Commission has not issued any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, and no proceeding or examination for such purpose has been instituted or threatened by the Commission.

 

(b)                                  From the time of initial confidential submission of the Registration Statement to the Commission (or, if earlier, the first date on which the Company engaged directly or through any Person authorized to act on its behalf in any Testing-the-Waters Communication) through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act (an “ Emerging Growth Company ”).

 

(c)                                   The Company (i) has not engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communication other than Testing-the-Waters Communications with the consent of the Representatives with entities that are qualified institutional buyers within the meaning of Rule 144A under the Securities Act or institutions that are accredited investors within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Securities Act and (ii) has not authorized anyone other than the Representatives to engage in Testing-the-Waters Communications.  The Company reconfirms that the Representatives have been authorized to act on its behalf in undertaking Testing-the-Waters Communications.  The Company has not distributed or approved for distribution any Written Testing-the-Waters Communications other than those listed on Schedule VII hereto.

 

(d)                                  The Company was not at the time of initial filing of the Registration Statement and at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or another offering participant made a bona

 

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fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) under the Securities Act) of the Stock, is not on the date hereof and will not be on the applicable Delivery Date, an “ineligible issuer” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act).

 

(e)                                   The Registration Statement conformed and will conform in all material respects on the Effective Date and on the applicable Delivery Date, and any amendment to the Registration Statement filed after the date hereof will conform in all material respects when filed, to the requirements of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.  The most recent Preliminary Prospectus conformed, and the Prospectus will conform, in all material respects when filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act and on the applicable Delivery Date to the requirements of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.

 

(f)                                    The Registration Statement did not, as of the Effective Date, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; provided that no representation or warranty is made as to information contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company through the Representatives by or on behalf of any Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information is specified in Section 10(f).

 

(g)                                   The Prospectus will not, as of its date or as of the applicable Delivery Date, contain an 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; provided that no representation or warranty is made as to information contained in or omitted from the Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company through the Representatives by or on behalf of any Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information is specified in Section 10(f).

 

(h)                                  The Pricing Disclosure Package did not, as of the Applicable Time contain an 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; provided that no representation or warranty is made as to information contained in or omitted from the Pricing Disclosure Package in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company through the Representatives by or on behalf of any Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information is specified in Section 10(f).

 

(i)                                      Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus listed in Schedule V hereto, when taken together with the Pricing Disclosure Package, did not, as of the Applicable Time, contain an 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; provided that no representation or warranty is made as to information contained in or omitted from such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus listed in Schedule V hereto in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company through the Representatives by or on behalf of any Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information is specified in Section 10(f).

 

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(j)                                     Each Written Testing-the-Waters Communication listed in Schedule VII, when taken together with the Pricing Disclosure Package, did not, as of the Applicable Time, contain an 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; provided that no representation or warranty is made as to information contained in or omitted from such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication listed on Schedule VII hereto in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company through the Representatives by or on behalf of any Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information is specified in Section 10(f); and the Company has filed publicly on EDGAR at least 21 calendar days prior to any “road show” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act), any confidentially submitted registration statement and registration statement amendments relating to the offer and sale of the Stock.  Each Written Testing-the-Waters Communications did not, as of the Applicable Time, and at all times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Stock will not, include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus.

 

(k)                                  Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conformed or will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder on the date of first use, and the Company has complied with any filing requirements applicable to such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus pursuant to the Securities Act and rules and regulations thereunder.  The Company has not made any offer relating to the Stock that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus without the prior written consent of the Representatives, except as set forth on Schedule VI hereto.  The Company has retained in accordance with the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder all Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses that were not required to be filed pursuant to the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.  The Company has taken all actions necessary so that any “road show” (as defined in Rule 433(h) under the Securities Act) in connection with the offering of the Stock will not be required to be filed pursuant to the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.

 

(l)                                      The Company and each of its subsidiaries have been duly organized, are validly existing and in good standing as a corporation or other business entity under the laws of their respective jurisdictions of organization and are duly qualified to do business and in good standing as a foreign corporation or other business entity in each jurisdiction in which their respective ownership or lease of property or the conduct of their respective businesses requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), or results of operations, stockholders’ equity, properties, business or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole (a “ Material Adverse Effect ”).  Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has all power and authority necessary to own or hold its properties and to conduct the businesses in which it is engaged as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus.  The Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity as of the date hereof and will not own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity other than the subsidiaries listed on Schedule VIII hereto at the Initial Delivery Date.

 

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(m)                              The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth in each of the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus under the heading “Capitalization,” and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company have, or after giving effect to the Reorganization Transactions will have, been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable, conform to the description thereof contained in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus in all material respects and were issued in compliance with federal and state securities laws and not in violation of any preemptive right, resale right, right of first refusal or similar right.  All of the Company’s options, warrants and other rights to purchase or exchange any securities for shares of the Company’s capital stock have been duly authorized and validly issued, conform to the description thereof contained in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus in all material respects and were issued in compliance with federal and state securities laws.  All of the issued shares of capital stock or other equity interests of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned directly or indirectly by the Company. After giving effect to Reorganization Transactions, the Company will own, directly or indirectly, 100% of the limited liability company interests of OpCo, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims, except for liens arising under or in connection with the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of September 10, 2013, among OpCo, as Borrower, each of the Lenders from time to time party hereto, Comerica Bank, as administrative agent, syndication agent and documentation agent for the Lenders and except for such liens, encumbrances, equities or claims as would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(n)                                  The shares of the Stock to be issued and sold by the Company to the Underwriters hereunder have been duly authorized and, upon payment and delivery in accordance with this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and will conform to the description thereof contained in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus in all material respects, and the issuance of the Stock is not subject to any statutory or contractual preemptive rights, rights of first refusal and similar rights.  The shares of Stock issued to the Selling Stockholders in connection with the Reorganization Transactions have been duly authorized by the Company and, upon payment and delivery in accordance with the Reorganization Transactions, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and will conform in all material respects to the description thereof in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus; and the issuance of such shares is not subject to any preemptive or similar rights.

 

(o)                                  The issuance of Stock to the Selling Stockholders pursuant to the Contribution Agreements is exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and the securities laws of any state having jurisdiction with respect thereto, and none of the Company, its subsidiaries or the Selling Stockholders have taken or will take any action that would cause the loss of such exemption.

 

(p)                                  The Company has all requisite corporate power and authority to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under this Agreement.  This Agreement has been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and constitutes, assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery by the other parties thereto, a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited (A) by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights

 

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generally or by equitable principles (whether considered in a proceeding at law or in equity) relating to enforceability and (B) public policy, applicable law relating to fiduciary duties and indemnification and an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.

 

(q)                                  The issuance and sale of the Stock, the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company, the consummation of the transactions (including the Reorganization Transactions) contemplated hereby and the application of the proceeds from the sale of the Stock as described under “Use of Proceeds” in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and the charter amendments and Contribution Agreements described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus under the caption “Recent and Formation Transactions” and any other actions taken by the Company or its subsidiaries related to the Reorganization Transactions will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, impose any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company and its subsidiaries, or constitute a default under any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, license, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject; (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws (or similar organizational documents) of the Company or any of its subsidiaries; or (iii) result in any violation of any statute or any judgment, order, decree, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties or assets, except, with respect to clauses (i) and (iii), conflicts, breaches, impositions, violations or defaults that would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(r)                                     No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing, registration or qualification with, any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their properties or assets is required for the issuance and sale of the Stock as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company, the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, the application of the proceeds from the sale of the Stock as described under “Use of Proceeds” in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and the Reorganization Transactions, except (A) such as have been, or prior to the Initial Delivery Date, will be, obtained or made, (B) for the registration of the Stock under the Securities Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, filings, registrations or qualifications as may be required under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “ Exchange Act ”), and applicable state or foreign securities laws and/or the bylaws and rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (the “ FINRA ”) in connection with the purchase and sale of the Stock by the Underwriters, (C) for filings that will be made on or prior to the Initial Delivery Date with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware in connection with the Reorganization Transactions, and (D) for such consents that, if not obtained, have not or would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(s)                                    The historical financial statements (including the related notes and supporting schedules) included in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus comply as to form in all material respects with the requirements of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act and present fairly in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the entities purported to be shown thereby at the dates and for the periods indicated and have been prepared

 

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in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved.

 

(t)                                     The unaudited pro forma financial statements included in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus include assumptions that provide a reasonable basis for presenting the significant effects directly attributable to the transactions and events described therein, the related pro forma adjustments give appropriate effect to those assumptions, and the pro forma adjustments reflect the proper application of those adjustments to the historical financial statement amounts in the unaudited pro forma financial statements included in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus.  The unaudited pro forma financial statements included in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable requirements of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act.

 

(u)                                  Grant Thornton LLP (“ Grant Thornton ”), who has certified certain financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries and predecessor, whose report appears in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and who have delivered the initial letter referred to in Section 9(g) hereof, is an independent public accounting firm with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries and predecessor as required by the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.

 

(v)                                  The Company and each of its subsidiaries maintain internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, including, but not limited to, internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of the Company’s financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States and to maintain accountability for its assets, (iii) access to the Company’s assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, and (iv) the recorded accountability for the Company’s assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.

 

(w)                                (i) The Company and each of its subsidiaries maintain disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act), (ii) such disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that the information required to be disclosed by the Company and its subsidiaries in the reports they file or will file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to management of the Company and its subsidiaries, including their respective principal executive officers and principal financial officers, as appropriate and (iii) such disclosure controls and procedures are effective in all material respects to perform the functions for which they were established.

 

(x)                                  Since the date of the most recent balance sheet of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries reviewed or audited by Grant Thornton, (i) the Company has not been advised of or become aware of (A) any significant deficiencies in the design or operation of internal controls that could adversely affect the ability of the Company or any of its subsidiaries to record, process, summarize and report financial data, or any material weaknesses in internal

 

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controls, and (B) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the internal controls of the Company and each of its subsidiaries; and (ii) 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.

 

(y)                                  The section entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates” set forth in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus accurately and fully describes (i) the accounting policies that the Company believes are the most important in the portrayal of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations and that require management’s most difficult, subjective or complex judgments (“ Critical Accounting Policies ”); (ii) the judgments and uncertainties affecting the application of Critical Accounting Policies; and (iii) the likelihood that materially different amounts would be reported under different conditions or using different assumptions and an explanation thereof.

 

(z)                                   There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company and any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply with any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith applicable to the Company.

 

(aa)                           Except as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and except as would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, (i) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has (A) sustained any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, (B) issued or granted any securities, (C) incurred any material liability or obligation, direct or contingent, other than liabilities and obligations that were incurred in the ordinary course of business, (D) entered into any material transaction not in the ordinary course of business, or (E) declared or paid any dividend or distribution on its capital stock or limited liability interests, as applicable, and (ii) there has not been any change in the capital stock, partnership or limited liability interests, as applicable, or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any adverse change, or any development involving a prospective adverse change, in or affecting the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, stockholders’ equity, properties, management, business or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole.

 

(bb)                           After giving effect to the Reorganization Transactions, the Company and each of its subsidiaries will have good and marketable title to, or have valid rights to lease or otherwise use, all items of real property and good and marketable title to, or have valid rights to lease or otherwise use, all items of personal property that are material to the conduct of the respective businesses of the Company and its subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects, except such liens, encumbrances and defects (i) as are described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, (ii) that do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and its subsidiaries and (iii) would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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(cc)                             After giving effect to the Reorganization Transactions and except as would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its subsidiaries will have such consents, easements, rights-of-way or licenses from any person (collectively, “rights-of-way”) as are necessary to enable the Company to conduct its business in the manner described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, subject to qualifications as may be set forth in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus.

 

(dd)                           After giving effect to the Reorganization Transactions, the Company and each of its subsidiaries will have such permits, licenses, patents, franchises, certificates of need and other approvals or authorizations of governmental or regulatory authorities (“ Permits ”) as are necessary under applicable law to own their properties and conduct their businesses in the manner described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, except for any of the foregoing that would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  After giving effect to the Reorganization Transactions, the Company and each of its subsidiaries will have fulfilled and performed all of its respective obligations with respect to the Permits, and no event has occurred that allows, or after notice or lapse of time would allow, revocation or termination thereof or results in any other impairment of the rights of the holder or any such Permits, except for any of the foregoing that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received notice of any revocation or modification of any such Permits or has any reason to believe that any such Permits will not be renewed in the ordinary course.

 

(ee)                             After giving effect to the Reorganization Transactions, the Company and each of its subsidiaries own or possess adequate rights to use all material patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, trade names, trademark registrations, service mark registrations, copyrights, licenses, know-how (including seismic data and other unpatentable or unpatented proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures related to geologic exploration), software, systems and technology (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures) necessary for the conduct of their respective businesses, except as would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(ff)                               The Company has all requisite corporate power and authority to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under the Contribution Agreements.  The Reorganization Transactions have been duly authorized by the Company.  The Contribution Agreements have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company, Holdco and each member of OpCo, as applicable, and each such document will, as of its effective date, constitute a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company, Holdco and each member of OpCo, as applicable, enforceable against each such party in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited (A) by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally or by equitable principles (whether considered in a proceeding at law or in equity) relating to enforceability and (B) public policy, applicable law relating to fiduciary duties and indemnification and an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.

 

(gg)                             Except as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party

 

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or of which any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is the subject that would, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or would, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the performance of this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby; and no such proceedings are threatened or, to the Company’s knowledge, contemplated by governmental authorities or others.

 

(hh)                           There are no contracts or other documents required to be described in the Registration Statement or the most recent Preliminary Prospectus or filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not described and, if applicable, filed as required.  The statements made in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, insofar as they purport to constitute summaries of the terms of the contracts and other documents described and, if applicable, filed constitute accurate summaries of the terms of such contracts and documents in all material respects.

 

(ii)                                   The statements made in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus under the captions “Business—Regulation of Environmental and Occupation Safety and Health Matters,” “Business—Regulation of the Oil and Natural Gas Industry” and “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions,” insofar as they purport to constitute summaries of the terms of statutes, rules or regulations, legal or governmental proceedings or contracts and other documents, constitute accurate summaries of the terms of such statutes, rules and regulations, legal and governmental proceedings and contracts and other documents in all material respects.

 

(jj)                                 Except as would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and each of its subsidiaries carry, or are covered by, insurance from insurers of recognized financial responsibility in such amounts and covering such risks as is reasonably adequate for the conduct of their respective businesses and the value of their respective properties and as is customary for companies engaged in similar businesses in similar industries.  All policies of insurance of the Company and its subsidiaries are in full force and effect; the Company and each of its subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms of such policies in all material respects; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received notice from any insurer or agent of such insurer that capital improvements or other expenditures are required or necessary to be made in order to continue such insurance; there are no claims by the Company or any of its subsidiaries under any such policy or instrument as to which any insurance company is denying liability or defending under a reservation of rights clause; and neither the Company nor any such subsidiary has been notified in writing that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(kk)                           Except as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, no relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders, customers or suppliers of the Company, on the other hand, that is required to be described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus which is not so described.

 

(ll)                                   No labor disturbance by or dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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(mm)                   Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (i) in violation of its charter or by-laws (or similar organizational documents), (ii) in default, and no event has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a default, in the due performance or observance of any term, covenant, condition or other obligation contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, license or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it is bound or to which any of its properties or assets is subject, or (iii) in violation of any statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over it or its property or assets or has failed to obtain any license, permit, certificate, franchise or other governmental authorization or permit necessary to the ownership of its property or to the conduct of its business, except in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), to the extent any such conflict, breach, violation or default would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(nn)                           Except as disclosed in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, the Company and each of its subsidiaries (i) are, and at all times prior hereto were, in compliance with all laws, regulations, ordinances, rules, orders, judgments, decrees, permits or other legal requirements of any governmental authority, including without limitation any international, foreign, national, state, provincial, regional, or local authority, relating to pollution, the protection of human health or safety, the environment, or natural resources, or to use, handling, storage, manufacturing, transportation, treatment, discharge, disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (“ Environmental Laws ”) applicable to such entity, which compliance includes, without limitation, obtaining, maintaining and complying with all permits and authorizations and approvals required by Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses, and (ii) have not received notice or otherwise have knowledge of any actual or alleged violation of Environmental Laws, or of any actual or potential liability for or other obligation concerning the presence, disposal or release of hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, except in the case of clause (i) or (ii) where such non-compliance, violation, liability, or other obligation would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.  Except as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, (x) there are no proceedings that are pending, or known to be contemplated, against the Company or any of its subsidiaries under Environmental Laws in which a governmental authority is also a party, other than such proceedings regarding which it is reasonably believed no monetary sanctions of $100,000 or more will be imposed, (y) the Company and its subsidiaries are not aware of any issues regarding compliance with Environmental Laws, including any pending or proposed Environmental Laws, or liabilities or other obligations under Environmental Laws or concerning hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, and (z) none of the Company and its subsidiaries anticipates material capital expenditures relating to Environmental Laws other than those incurred in the ordinary course of business.

 

(oo)                           The Company and each of its subsidiaries have filed all federal, state, local and foreign tax returns required to be filed through the date hereof, subject to permitted extensions, and have paid all taxes due, and, except as would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, there is no tax deficiency that has been determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, nor does the Company have any knowledge of any tax deficiencies that have been, or would reasonably be expected to be asserted against the

 

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Company, that would, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(pp)                           Except, in each case, for any such matter as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (i) each “employee benefit plan” (within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ ERISA ”)) for which the Company or any member of its “Controlled Group” (defined as any organization which is a member of a controlled group of corporations within the meaning of Section 414 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “ Code ”)) would have any liability (each a “ Plan ”) has been maintained in material compliance with its terms and with the requirements of all applicable statutes, rules and regulations including ERISA and the Code; (ii) no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred with respect to any Plan, excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption; (iii) with respect to each Plan subject to Title IV of ERISA, (A) no “reportable event” (within the meaning of Section 4043(c) of ERISA) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur, excluding any reportable event for which a waiver could apply, (B) the Company and, to the Company’s knowledge, each member of the Controlled Group have fulfilled their obligations under the minimum funding standards of the Code with respect to each such Plan and (C) neither the Company nor any member of its Controlled Group has incurred, or reasonably expects to incur, any material liability under Title IV of ERISA (other than contributions to the Plan or premiums to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation in the ordinary course and without default) in respect of a Plan (including a “multiemployer plan,” within the meaning of Section 4001(c)(3) of ERISA); and (iv) each Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is the subject of a favorable determination or opinion letter from the Internal Revenue Service to the effect that it is so qualified, and nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, which would reasonably be expected to cause the loss of such qualification.

 

(qq)                           The statistical and market-related data included in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable in all material respects.

 

(rr)                                 Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is, and as of the applicable Delivery Date and, after giving effect to the Reorganization Transactions and the offer and sale of the Stock and the application of the proceeds therefrom as described under “Use of Proceeds” in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, none of them will be, an “investment company” or a company “controlled” by an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “ Investment Company Act ”), and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

 

(ss)                               The statements set forth in each of the most recent Preliminary Prospectus under the captions “Description of Capital Stock” and “Material U.S. Federal Income and Estate Tax Considerations for Non-U.S. Holders,” insofar as they purport to summarize the provisions of the laws and documents referred to therein, are accurate summaries of the provisions of such laws and documents in all material respects.

 

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(tt)                                 Ryder Scott Company, L.P. (“ Ryder Scott ”), a reserve engineer that prepared reserve reports on estimated net proved oil and natural gas reserves held by the Company and its subsidiaries as of June 30, 2013,  was, as of the date of preparation of such reserve reports, and is, as of the date hereof, an independent petroleum engineer with respect to the Company.

 

(uu)                           The information contained in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus regarding estimated proved reserves of the Company and its subsidiaries as of June 30, 2013, is based upon the reserve reports prepared by Ryder Scott.  Such estimates fairly reflect, in all material respects, the oil and natural gas reserves of the Company and its subsidiaries, as of June 30, 2013 and are in accordance, in all material respects, with Commission rules and guidelines that are currently in effect for oil and gas producing companies applied on a consistent basis throughout the period covered.

 

(vv)                           Except as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person granting such person the right to require the Company to file a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to any securities of the Company owned or to be owned by such person or to require the Company to include such securities in the securities registered pursuant to the Registration Statement or in any securities being registered pursuant to any other registration statement filed by the Company under the Securities Act.

 

(ww)                       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 any of them or the Underwriters for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or like payment in connection with the offering and sale of the Stock.

 

(xx)                           The Company has not sold or issued any securities that would be integrated with the offering of the Stock contemplated by this Agreement pursuant to the Securities Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or the interpretations thereof by the Commission.

 

(yy)                           The Company and its affiliates have not taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that has constituted or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company in connection with the offering of the shares of the Stock.

 

(zz)                             The Stock has been approved for listing, subject to official notice of issuance and evidence of satisfactory distribution, on The New York Stock Exchange.

 

(aaa)                    The Company has not distributed and, prior to the later to occur of any Delivery Date and completion of the distribution of the Stock, will not distribute any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Stock other than any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to which the Representatives have consented in accordance with Section 1(l) or 6(a)(vi) and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus set forth on Schedule VI hereto and, in connection with the Directed Share Program described in Section 4, the enrollment materials prepared by Barclays Capital Inc. on behalf of the Company.

 

(bbb)                    Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor any director, officer or employee of the Company or any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any

 

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agent, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has (i) used any Company funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) made any direct or indirect unlawful payment from Company funds to any foreign or domestic government official or employee, including of any government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or any applicable law or regulation implementing the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, or committed an offence under the Bribery Act 2010 of the United Kingdom, or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption laws; or (iv) made, offered or requested any unlawful bribe or other unlawful benefit, including, without limitation, any unlawful rebate, payoff, influence payment or kickback.

 

(ccc)                       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 applicable money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions where the Company or any of its subsidiaries conduct business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “ Anti-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 Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.

 

(ddd)                    None of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, employee, agent or affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any other person associated with or acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently subject to any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. Government, (including, without limitation, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“ OFAC ”) or the U.S. Department of State and including, without limitation, the designation as a “specially designated national” or “blocked person”), the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury, or other applicable sanctions authority (collectively, “ Sanctions ”), nor is the Company or any subsidiary located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of Sanctions, including, without limitation, Cuba, Burma (Myanmar), Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria (each, a “ Sanctioned Country ”); and neither the Company nor any subsidiary will directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering of stock hereunder, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity (i) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business with any person that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject of Sanctions, (ii) to fund or facilitate any activities of or business in any Sanctioned Country or (iii) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions. For the past two years, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has knowingly engaged in or is now knowingly engaged in any dealings or transactions with any person that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or

 

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was the subject or the target of Sanctions in violation of such Sanctions or with any Sanctioned Country in violation of such Sanctions.

 

(eee)                       None of the Directed Shares distributed in connection with the Directed Share Program (each as defined in Section 4) will be offered or sold outside of the United States.

 

(fff)                          The Company has not offered, or caused Barclays Capital Inc. to offer, Stock to any person pursuant to the Directed Share Program with the specific intent to unlawfully influence (i) a customer or supplier of the Company to alter the customer’s or supplier’s level or type of business with the Company or (ii) a trade journalist or publication to write or publish favorable information about the Company, its business or its products.

 

Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company and delivered to the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the offering of the Stock shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company, as to matters covered thereby, to each Underwriter.

 

2.                                       Representations and Warranties of the Selling Stockholders .  Each Selling Stockholder, severally and not jointly, represents and warrants that:

 

(a)                                            Neither such Selling Stockholder nor any person acting on behalf of such Selling Stockholder (other than, if applicable, the Company and the Underwriters) has used or referred to any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) relating to the Stock.

 

(b)                                            Upon completion of the Reorganization Transactions, and immediately prior to any Delivery Date on which such Selling Stockholder is selling shares of Stock, such Selling Stockholder will have, good and marketable title to the shares of Stock to be sold by such Selling Stockholder hereunder on such Delivery Date, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities, community property rights, restrictions on transfer or claims except for any liens, encumbrances, equities or claims arising under the Custody Agreement (defined below).

 

(c)                                             Upon payment for the Stock to be sold by such Selling Stockholder pursuant to this Agreement, delivery of such Stock, as directed by the Underwriters, to Cede & Co. (“ Cede ”) or such other nominee as may be designated by The Depository Trust Company (“ DTC ”), registration of such Stock in the name of Cede or such other nominee and the crediting of such Stock on the books of DTC to securities accounts of the Underwriters (i) DTC will acquire good and marketable title to the Stock free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities, community property rights, restrictions on transfer or claims, (ii) DTC shall be a “protected purchaser” of such Stock within the meaning of Section 8-303 of the New York Uniform Commercial Code (the “ UCC ”), (iii) under Section 8-501 of the UCC, the Underwriters will acquire a valid security entitlement in respect of such Stock, and (iv) an action based on an “adverse claim” (as defined in Section 8-102 of the UCC) to such securities entitlement, whether framed in conversion, replevin, constructive trust, equitable lien or other theory may not be asserted against the Underwriters with respect to such security entitlement (assuming that the Underwriters are

 

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purchasing such Stock without notice of any adverse claim).  For purposes of this representation, such Selling Stockholder may assume that when such payment, delivery and crediting occur, (x) such Stock will have been registered in the name of Cede or another nominee designated by DTC, in each case on the Company’s share registry in accordance with its certificate of incorporation, bylaws and applicable law, (y) DTC will be registered as a “clearing corporation” within the meaning of Section 8-102 of the UCC, and (z) appropriate entries to the accounts of the several Underwriters on the records of DTC will have been made pursuant to the UCC.

 

(d)                                            Such Selling Stockholder will, prior to the Initial Delivery Date, place in custody under a custody agreement (the “ Custody Agreement ” and, together with all other similar agreements executed by the other Selling Stockholders, the “ Custody Agreements ”) with American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, as custodian (the “ Custodian ”), for delivery under this Agreement, certificates in negotiable form (with signature guaranteed by a participant in the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program, the New York Stock Exchange Medallion Signature Program or the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program) representing the shares of Stock to be sold by the Selling Stockholder hereunder.

 

(e)                                             Such Selling Stockholder has duly and irrevocably executed and delivered a power of attorney (the “ Power of Attorney ” and, together with all other similar agreements executed by the other Selling Stockholders, the “ Powers of Attorney ”) appointing the Custodian and Scott McNeill and Tamara Pollard as attorneys in fact, with full power of substitution, and with full authority (exercisable by any one or more of them) to execute and deliver this Agreement and to take such other action as may be necessary or desirable to carry out the provisions hereof on behalf of the Selling Stockholder.

 

(f)                                              Such Selling Stockholder has full right, power and authority, corporate or otherwise, to enter into this Agreement, the Custody Agreement and the Power of Attorney.

 

(g)                                             This Agreement has been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered by or on behalf of such Selling Stockholder.

 

(h)                                            The Powers of Attorney have been, and prior to the Initial Delivery Date the Custody Agreements will be, duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered by or on behalf of each Selling Stockholder and constitute valid and legally binding obligations of such Selling Stockholder enforceable against such Selling Stockholder in accordance with their terms, subject to (A) applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally or equitable principles (whether considered in a proceeding at law or in equity) relating to enforceability and (B) public policy, applicable law relating to fiduciary duties and indemnification and an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.

 

(i)                                                The sale of the Stock by such Selling Stockholder, the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the Custody Agreement and the Power of Attorney by such Selling Stockholder and the consummation by such Selling Stockholder of the

 

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transactions contemplated hereby and thereby do not and will not (i) conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, license, lease or other agreement or instrument to which such Selling Stockholder is a party or by which such Selling Stockholder is bound or to which any of the property or assets of such Selling Stockholder is subject, (ii) if applicable result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws (or similar organizational documents) of such Selling Stockholder or (iii) result in any violation of any statute or any judgment, order, decree, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over such Selling Stockholder or the property or assets of such Selling Stockholder, except in the case of clauses (i) or (iii) above, for any default or violation that would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the ability of the Selling Stockholder to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the Custody Agreement or the Power of Attorney.

 

(j)                                               No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing or registration with, any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over such Selling Stockholder or the property or assets of such Selling Stockholder is required for the sale of the Stock by such Selling Stockholder, the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the Custody Agreement or the Power of Attorney by such Selling Stockholder and the consummation by such Selling Stockholder of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, except (A) such as have been or, prior to the Initial Delivery Date will be, obtained or made, (B) for the registration of the Stock under the Securities Act and such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, filings, registrations or qualifications as may be required under the Exchange Act and applicable state securities laws in connection with the purchase and sale of the Stock by the Underwriters, (C) for such that, if not obtained, have not or would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the ability of the Selling Stockholder to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the Custody Agreement or the Power of Attorney, and (D) as described in the Registration Statement and the most recent Preliminary Prospectus.

 

(k)                                            In respect of any statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the Pricing Disclosure Package or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto used by the Company or any Underwriter, as the case may be, made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by such Selling Stockholder specifically for use in connection with the preparation thereof, such Selling Stockholder hereby makes the same representations and warranties to each Underwriter as the Company makes to such Underwriter under Sections (1)(f), (g), (h) and (i); it being understood and agreed that the foregoing applies only to such information furnished by such Selling Stockholder to the Company, which consists of (A) the legal name, address and the number of shares of Common Stock owned by such Selling Stockholder, and (B) the other information with respect to such Selling Stockholder (excluding percentages) which appear in the table (and corresponding footnotes) under the caption “Principal and Selling Stockholders”  (collectively, the “ Selling Stockholder Information ”).

 

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(l)                                                Such Selling Stockholder is not prompted to sell shares of Stock by any information concerning the Company that is not set forth in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(m)                                        Except as disclosed in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, the Selling Stockholder has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action that is designed to or that has constituted or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company in connection with the offering of the shares of the Stock.

 

Any certificate signed by any officer of such Selling Stockholder and delivered to the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the offering of the Stock shall be deemed a representation and warranty by such Selling Stockholder, as to matters covered thereby, to each Underwriter.

 

3.                                       Purchase of the Stock by the Underwriters .   On the basis of the representations, warranties and covenants contained in, and subject to the terms and conditions of, this Agreement, the Company agrees to sell 9,225,000 shares of the Firm Stock and each Selling Stockholder agrees to sell the number of shares of the Firm Stock set forth opposite its name in Schedule II hereto, severally and not jointly, to the several Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase the number of shares of the Firm Stock set forth opposite that Underwriter’s name in Schedule I hereto.  Each Underwriter shall be obligated to purchase from the Company, and from each Selling Stockholder, that number of shares of the Firm Stock that represents the same proportion of the number of shares of the Firm Stock to be sold by the Company and by each Selling Stockholder as the number of shares of the Firm Stock set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I represents to the total number of shares of the Firm Stock to be purchased by all of the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement.  The respective purchase obligations of the Underwriters with respect to the Firm Stock shall be rounded among the Underwriters to avoid fractional shares, as the Representatives may determine.

 

In addition, each Selling Stockholder grants to the Underwriters an option to purchase up to the number of shares of Option Stock set forth opposite such Selling Stockholder’s name in Schedule II hereto, severally and not jointly. Such options are exercisable in the event that the Underwriters sell more shares of Common Stock than the number of shares of Firm Stock in the offering and as set forth in Section 5 hereof.  Any such election to purchase Option Stock shall be made in proportion to the maximum number of shares of Option Stock to be sold by each Selling Shareholder as set forth in Schedule II hereto.  Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase the number of shares of Option Stock (subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as the Representatives may determine) that bears the same proportion to the total number of shares of Option Stock to be sold on such Delivery Date as the number of shares of Firm Stock set forth in Schedule I hereto opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of shares of Firm Stock.

 

The purchase price payable by the Underwriters for both the Firm Stock and any Option Stock is $18.37875 per share.

 

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Neither the Company nor the Selling Stockholders shall be obligated to deliver any of the Firm Stock or Option Stock to be delivered on the applicable Delivery Date, except upon payment for all such Stock to be purchased on such Delivery Date as provided herein.

 

4.                                       Offering of Stock by the Underwriters .  Upon authorization by the Representatives of the release of the Firm Stock, the several Underwriters propose to offer the Firm Stock for sale upon the terms and conditions to be set forth in the Prospectus.

 

It is understood that approximately 1,600,000 shares of the Firm Stock (the “ Directed Shares ”) will initially be reserved by the several Underwriters for offer and sale upon the terms and conditions to be set forth in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and in accordance with the rules and regulations of FINRA to employees of the Company and its subsidiaries and persons having business relationships with the Company and its subsidiaries who have heretofore delivered to Barclays Capital Inc. offers or indications of interest to purchase shares of Firm Stock in form satisfactory to Barclays Capital Inc. (such program, the “ Directed Share Program ”) and that any allocation of such Firm Stock among such persons will be made in accordance with timely directions received by Barclays Capital Inc. from the Company; provided that under no circumstances will Barclays Capital Inc. or any Underwriter be liable to the Company or to any such person for any action taken or omitted in good faith in connection with such Directed Share Program.  It is further understood that any Directed Shares not affirmatively reconfirmed for purchase by any participant in the Directed Share Program by 9:00 a.m., New York City time, on the first business day following the date hereof or otherwise are not purchased by such persons will be offered by the Underwriters to the public upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Prospectus.

 

The Company agrees to pay all fees and disbursements incurred by the Underwriters in connection with the Directed Share Program and any stamp duties or other taxes incurred by the Underwriters in connection with the Directed Share Program.

 

5.                                       Delivery of and Payment for the Stock.   Delivery of and payment for the Firm Stock shall be made at 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the third full business day following the date of this Agreement or at such other date or place as shall be determined by agreement between the Representatives and the Company.  This date and time are sometimes referred to as the “ Initial Delivery Date .”  Delivery of the Firm Stock shall be made to the Representatives for the account of each Underwriter against payment by the several Underwriters through the Representatives and of the respective aggregate purchase prices of the Firm Stock being sold by the Company and the Selling Stockholders to or upon the order of the Company and the Selling Stockholders of the purchase price by wire transfer in immediately available funds to the accounts specified by the Company and the Selling Stockholders. Time shall be of the essence, and delivery at the time and place specified pursuant to this Agreement is a further condition of the obligation of each Underwriter hereunder.  The Company shall deliver the Firm Stock through the facilities of DTC unless the Representatives shall otherwise instruct.

 

The options granted in Section 3 will expire 30 days after the date of this Agreement and may be exercised in whole or from time to time in part by written notice being given to the Selling Stockholders by the Representatives; provided that if such date falls on a day that is not a business day, the options granted in Section 3 will expire on the next succeeding

 

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business day.  Such notice shall set forth the aggregate number of shares of Option Stock as to which the options are being exercised, the names in which the shares of Option Stock are to be registered, the denominations in which the shares of Option Stock are to be issued and the date and time, as determined by the Representatives, when the shares of Option Stock are to be delivered; provided, however , that this date and time shall not be earlier than the Initial Delivery Date nor earlier than the second business day after the date on which the options shall have been exercised nor later than the fifth business day after the date on which the options shall have been exercised unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Selling Stockholders and the Representatives.  Each date and time the shares of Option Stock are delivered is sometimes referred to as an “ Option Stock Delivery Date ,”, and the Initial Delivery Date and any Option Stock Delivery Date are sometimes each referred to as a “ Delivery Date .”

 

Delivery of the Option Stock by the Selling Stockholders and payment for the Option Stock by the several Underwriters through the Representatives shall be made at 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the date specified in the corresponding notice described in the preceding paragraph or at such other date or place as shall be determined by agreement between the Representatives and the Selling Stockholders.  On each Option Stock Delivery Date, the Selling Stockholders shall deliver or cause to be delivered the Option Stock to the Representatives for the account of each Underwriter against payment by the several Underwriters through the Representatives and of the respective aggregate purchase prices of the Option Stock being sold by the Selling Stockholders to or upon the order of the Selling Stockholders of the purchase price by wire transfer in immediately available funds to the accounts specified by the Selling Stockholders. Time shall be of the essence, and delivery at the time and place specified pursuant to this Agreement is a further condition of the obligation of each Underwriter hereunder.  The Selling Stockholders shall deliver the Option Stock through the facilities of DTC unless the Representatives shall otherwise instruct.

 

6.                                       Further Agreements of the Company and the Underwriters .  (a) The Company agrees:

 

(i)                                      To prepare the Prospectus in a form approved by the Representatives and to file such Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act not later than the Commission’s close of business on the second business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement; to make no further amendment or any supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus prior to the last Delivery Date except as provided herein; to advise the Representatives, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus has been filed and to furnish the Representatives with copies thereof; to advise the Representatives, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, of the suspension of the qualification of the Stock for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding or examination for any such purpose or of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or for additional information; and, in the event of the issuance of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of the

 

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Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or suspending any such qualification, to use promptly its best efforts to obtain its withdrawal.

 

(ii)                                   To furnish promptly to the Representatives and to counsel for the Underwriters upon request a signed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed with the Commission, and each amendment thereto filed with the Commission, including all consents and exhibits filed therewith.

 

(iii)                                To deliver promptly to the Representatives such number of the following documents as the Representatives shall reasonably request:  (A) conformed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed with the Commission and each amendment thereto (in each case excluding exhibits other than this Agreement and the computation of per share earnings), (B) each Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus and any amended or supplemented Prospectus, and (C) each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus; and, if the delivery of a prospectus is required at any time after the date hereof in connection with the offering or sale of the Stock or any other securities relating thereto and if at such time any events shall have occurred as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made when such Prospectus is delivered, not misleading, or, if for any other reason it shall be necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to comply with the Securities Act, to notify the Representatives and, upon their request, to file such document and to prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter and to any dealer in securities as many copies as the Representatives may from time to time reasonably request of an amended or supplemented Prospectus that will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance.

 

(iv)                               To file promptly with the Commission any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus that may, in the judgment of the Company or the Representatives, be required by the Securities Act or requested by the Commission.

 

(v)                                  Prior to filing with the Commission any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, to furnish a copy thereof to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters and not to file any such amendment or supplement to which the Representatives reasonably object.

 

(vi)                               Not to make any offer relating to the Stock that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus without the prior written consent of the Representatives.

 

(vii)                            To comply with all applicable requirements of Rule 433 under the Securities Act with respect to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.  If at any time after the date hereof any events shall have occurred as a result of which any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented, would conflict with the information in the Registration Statement, the most recent Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or, if for any other reason it shall be necessary to

 

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amend or supplement any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, to notify the Representatives and, upon their request, to file such document and to prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter as many copies as the Representatives may from time to time reasonably request of an amended or supplemented Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that will correct such conflict, statement or omission or effect such compliance.

 

(viii)                         As soon as practicable after the Effective Date (it being understood that the Company shall have until at least 410 days or, if the fourth quarter following the fiscal quarter that includes the Effective Date is the last fiscal quarter of the Company’s fiscal year, 455 days after the end of the Company’s current fiscal quarter), to make generally available to the Company’s security holders and to deliver to the Representatives (or make available through the Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering Analysis and Retrieval System) an earnings statement of the Company and its subsidiaries (which need not be audited) complying with Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder (including, at the option of the Company, Rule 158 under the Securities Act).

 

(ix)                               Promptly from time to time to take such action as the Representatives may reasonably request to qualify the Stock for offering and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of Canada and such other jurisdictions as the Representatives may request and to comply with such laws so as to permit the continuance of sales and dealings therein in such jurisdictions for as long as may be necessary to complete the distribution of the Stock; provided that in connection therewith the Company shall not be required to (i) qualify as a foreign corporation in any jurisdiction in which it would not otherwise be required to so qualify, (ii) file a general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction, or (iii) subject itself to taxation in any jurisdiction in which it would not otherwise be subject.

 

(x)                                  For a period commencing on the date hereof and ending on the 180th day after the date of the Prospectus (the “ Lock-Up Period ”), not to, directly or indirectly, (A) offer for sale, sell, pledge, or otherwise dispose of (or enter into any transaction or device that is designed to, or could be expected to, result in the disposition by any person at any time in the future of) any shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock (other than the Stock and shares of Common Stock  and securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock issued pursuant to employee benefit plans, qualified stock option plans or other employee compensation plans existing on the date hereof or described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus), or sell or grant options, rights or warrants with respect to any shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock (other than the grant of options pursuant to employee benefit plans, option plans, qualified stock option plans or other employee compensation plans existing on the date hereof or described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus), (B) enter into any swap or other derivatives transaction that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic benefits or risks of ownership of such shares of Common Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (A) or (B) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise, (C) file or cause to be filed a registration statement, including any amendments thereto, with respect to the registration

 

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of any shares of Common Stock or securities convertible, exercisable or exchangeable into Common Stock or any other securities of the Company (other than any registration statement on Form S-8), or (D) publicly disclose the intention to do any of the foregoing, in each case without the prior written consent of Barclays Capital Inc., on behalf of the Underwriters, and to cause each officer, director and stockholder of the Company set forth on Schedule III hereto to furnish to the Representatives, prior to the Initial Delivery Date, a letter or letters, substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto (the “ Lock-Up Agreements ”).

 

(xi)                               If Barclays Capital Inc., in its sole discretion, agrees to release or waive the restrictions set forth in a Lock-Up Agreement for an officer, director or stockholder of the Company and provides the Company with notice of the impending release or waiver at least three business days before the effective date of the release or waiver, the Company agrees to announce the impending release or waiver by issuing a press release substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto, and containing such other information as Barclays Capital Inc. may require with respect to the circumstances of the release or waiver and/or the identity of the officer(s), director(s) and/or stockholder(s) with respect to which the release or waiver applies, through a major news service at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver.

 

(xii)                            To apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Stock being sold by the Company substantially in accordance with the description as set forth in the Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds.”

 

(xiii)                         To file with the Commission such information on Form 10-Q or Form 10-K as may be required by Rule 463 under the Securities Act.

 

(xiv)                        If the Company elects to rely upon Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, the Company shall file a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement with the Commission in compliance with Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act by 10:00 P.M., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this Agreement, and the Company shall at the time of filing pay the Commission the filing fee for the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement.

 

(xv)                           In connection with the Directed Share Program, to ensure that the Directed Shares will be restricted from sale, transfer, assignment, pledge or hypothecation to the same extent as sales and dispositions of Common Stock by the Company are restricted pursuant to Section 6(a)(x), Barclays Capital Inc. will notify the Company as to which Directed Share Participants will need to be so restricted.  At the request of Barclays Capital Inc., the Company will direct the transfer agent to place stop transfer restrictions upon such securities for such period of time as is consistent with Section 6(a)(x).

 

(xvi)                        The Company will promptly notify the Representatives if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the later of (A) the time when a prospectus relating to the offering or sale of the Stock or any other securities relating thereto is not required by the Securities Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule) and (B) completion of the Lock-Up Period.

 

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(xvii)                     If at any time following the distribution of any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication to eliminate or correct such  untrue statement or omission. The Company will promptly notify the Representatives of (A) any distribution by the Company of Written Testing-the-Waters Communications and (B) any request by the Commission for information concerning the Written Testing-the-Waters Communications.

 

(xviii)                  Except as disclosed in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, the Company and its affiliates will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that has constituted or that reasonably would be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company in connection with the offering of the Stock.

 

(xix)                        The Company will do and perform all things required or necessary to be done and performed under this Agreement by it prior to each Delivery Date, and to satisfy all conditions precedent to the Underwriters’ obligations hereunder to purchase the stock.

 

(xx)                           The Company will use its best efforts to list, subject to notice of issuance, the Stock on the New York Stock Exchange.

 

(b)                                  Each Underwriter severally agrees that such Underwriter shall not include any “issuer information” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act) in any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) used or referred to by such Underwriter without the prior consent of the Company (any such issuer information with respect to whose use the Company has given its consent, “ Permitted Issuer Information ”); provided that (i) no such consent shall be required with respect to any such issuer information contained in any document filed by the Company with the Commission prior to the use of such free writing prospectus, and (ii) “issuer information,” as used in this Section 6(b), shall not be deemed to include information prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter on the basis of or derived from issuer information.

 

7.                                       Further Agreements of the Selling Stockholders.  Each Selling Stockholder agrees, severally and not jointly:

 

(a)                                  To furnish to the Representatives, prior to the Initial Delivery Date, a letter, substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto.

 

(b)                                  Neither such Selling Stockholder nor any person acting on behalf of such Selling Stockholder (other than, if applicable, the Company and the Underwriters) shall

 

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use or refer to any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act), relating to the Stock.

 

(c)                                   To deliver to the Representatives prior to the Initial Delivery Date a properly completed and executed United States Treasury Department Form W-9 (or other applicable form or statement specified by Treasury Department regulations in lieu thereof).

 

(d)                                  Such Selling Stockholder will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that has constituted or that reasonably would be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company in connection with the offering of the Stock.

 

(e)                                   The Selling Stockholder will do and perform all things required or necessary to be done and performed under this Agreement by it prior to each Delivery date, and to satisfy all conditions precedent to the Underwriters’ obligations hereunder to purchase the Stock.

 

8.                                       Expenses .   The Company agrees, whether or not the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, to pay all expenses, costs, fees and taxes incident to and in connection with (a) the authorization, issuance, sale and delivery of the Stock and any stamp duties or other taxes payable in that connection, and the preparation and printing of certificates for the Stock; (b) the preparation, printing and filing under the Securities Act of the Registration Statement (including any exhibits thereto), any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, and any amendment or supplement thereto; (c) the distribution of the Registration Statement (including any exhibits thereto), any Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, and any amendment or supplement thereto, all as provided in this Agreement; (d) the production and distribution of this Agreement, any supplemental agreement among Underwriters, and any other related documents in connection with the offering, purchase, sale and delivery of the Stock; (e) the delivery and distribution of the Custody Agreements and the Powers of Attorney and the fees and expenses of the Custodian (and any other attorney-in-fact); (f) any required review by the FINRA of the terms of sale of the Stock (including related fees and expenses of counsel to the Underwriters in an amount that is not greater than $20,000); (g) the listing of the Stock on the New York Stock Exchange and/or any other exchange; (h) the qualification of the Stock under the securities laws of the several jurisdictions as provided in Section 6(a)(ix) and the preparation, printing and distribution of a Blue Sky Memorandum (including related reasonable fees and expenses of counsel to the Underwriters); (i) the preparation, printing and distribution of one or more versions of the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus for distribution in Canada; (j) the offer and sale of shares of the Stock by the Underwriters in connection with the Directed Share Program, including related reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters related thereto, the costs and expenses of preparation, printing and distribution of the Directed Share Program material and all stamp duties or other taxes incurred by the Underwriters in connection with the Directed Share Program; (k) the investor presentations on any “road show” or any  Testing-the-Waters Communication undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Stock, including, without limitation,

 

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expenses associated with any electronic road show, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Company and one-half of the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the road show; and (l) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company and the Selling Stockholders under this Agreement; provided that, except as provided in this Section 8 and in Section 13, the Underwriters shall pay their own costs and expenses, including the costs and expenses of their counsel, any transfer taxes on the Stock which they may sell and the expenses of advertising any offering of the Stock made by the Underwriters, and the Selling Stockholders shall bear the pro rata cost of any underwriting discount and any underwriting commission with all other fees attributable to the Selling Stockholders and related to the offering borne by the Company.

 

9.                                       Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations .  The respective obligations of the Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy, when made on the date hereof and on each Delivery Date, of the representations and warranties of the Company and the Selling Stockholders contained herein, to the performance by the Company and the Selling Stockholders of their respective obligations hereunder, and to each of the following additional terms and conditions:

 

(a)                                  The Prospectus shall have been timely filed with the Commission in accordance with Section 6(a)(i).  The Company shall have complied with all filing requirements applicable to any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus used or referred to after the date hereof; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or preventing or suspending the use of the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been issued and no proceeding or examination for such purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; and any request of the Commission for inclusion of additional information in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or otherwise shall have been complied with.  If the Company has elected to rely upon Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement shall have become effective by 10:00 p.m., Washington, D.C. time, on the date of this Agreement.

 

(b)                                  No Underwriter shall have discovered and disclosed to the Company on or prior to such Delivery Date that the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Pricing Disclosure Package, or any amendment or supplement thereto, contains an untrue statement of a fact which, in the opinion of Latham & Watkins LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, is material or omits to state a fact which, in the opinion of such counsel, is material and is required to be stated therein or is necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.

 

(c)                                   All corporate proceedings and other legal matters incident to the authorization, form and validity of this Agreement the Stock, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and all other legal matters relating to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby shall be reasonably satisfactory in all material respects to counsel for the Underwriters, and the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall have furnished to such counsel all documents and information that they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.

 

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(d)                                  Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. shall have furnished to the Representatives its written opinion, as counsel to the Company, addressed to the Underwriters and dated such Delivery Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit C-1.

 

(e)                                   Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. shall have furnished to the Representatives its written opinion, as counsel to the Selling Stockholders, addressed to the Underwriters and dated such Delivery Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit C-2.

 

(f)                                    The Representatives shall have received from Latham & Watkins LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, such opinion or opinions, dated such Delivery Date, with respect to the issuance and sale of the Stock, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Pricing Disclosure Package and other related matters as the Representatives may reasonably require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they reasonably request for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters.

 

(g)                                   At the time of execution of this Agreement, the Representatives shall have received from Grant Thornton a letter, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, addressed to the Underwriters and dated the date hereof (i) confirming that they are independent public accountants within the meaning of the Securities Act and are in compliance with the applicable requirements relating to the qualification of accountants under Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X of the Commission, and (ii) stating, as of the date hereof (or, with respect to matters involving changes or developments since the respective dates as of which specified financial information is given in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, as of a date not more than three days prior to the date hereof), the conclusions and findings of such firm with respect to the financial information and other matters ordinarily covered by accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters in connection with registered public offerings.

 

(h)                                  With respect to the letter of Grant Thornton referred to in the preceding paragraph and delivered to the Representatives concurrently with the execution of this Agreement (the “ initial letter ”), the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives a letter (the “ bring-down letter ”) of such accountants, addressed to the Underwriters and dated such Delivery Date (i) confirming that they are independent public accountants within the meaning of the Securities Act and are in compliance with the applicable requirements relating to the qualification of accountants under Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X of the Commission, (ii) stating, as of the date of the bring-down letter (or, with respect to matters involving changes or developments since the respective dates as of which specified financial information is given in the Prospectus, as of a date not more than three days prior to the date of the bring-down letter), the conclusions and findings of such firm with respect to the financial information and other matters covered by the initial letter, and (iii) confirming in all material respects the conclusions and findings set forth in the initial letter.

 

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(i)                                      At the time of execution of this Agreement, the Representatives shall have received from Ryder Scott an initial letter (the “ initial expert letter ”), in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, addressed to the Underwriters and dated the date hereof and a subsequent letter dated as of the Delivery Date, which such letter shall cover the period from any initial expert letter to the Delivery Date, stating the conclusions and findings of such firm with respect to the reserve and other operational information and other matters as is customary to underwriters in connection with registered public offerings.

 

(j)                                     The Company shall have furnished to the Representatives a certificate, dated such Delivery Date, of its Chief Executive Officer and its Chief Financial Officer as to such matters as the Representatives may reasonably request, including, without limitation, a statement:

 

(i)                                      That the representations and warranties of the Company in Section 1 are true and correct on the date hereof and on and as of such Delivery Date, and the Company has complied with all its agreements contained herein and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such Delivery Date;

 

(ii)                                   That no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued; and no proceedings or examination for that purpose have been instituted or, to the knowledge of such officers, threatened; and

 

(iii)                                That they have examined the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Pricing Disclosure Package, and, in their opinion, (A) (1) the Registration Statement, as of the Effective Date, (2) the Prospectus, as of its date and on the applicable Delivery Date, and (3) the Pricing Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, did not and do not contain any untrue statement of a material fact and did not and do not omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (except in the case of the Registration Statement, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, and (B) since the Effective Date, no event has occurred that should have been set forth in a supplement or amendment to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that has not been so set forth.

 

(k)                                  Each Selling Stockholder (or the Custodian or one or more attorneys in fact on behalf of such Selling Stockholder) shall have furnished to the Representatives on such Delivery Date a certificate, dated such Delivery Date, signed by, or on behalf of, such Selling Stockholder stating that such Selling Stockholder has examined the Selling Stockholder Information with respect to such Selling Stockholder contained in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Pricing Disclosure Package and that (i) the representations and warranties of the Selling Stockholder contained herein are true and correct on the date hereof and on and as of such Delivery Date and (ii) the Selling Stockholder has complied with all its agreements contained herein and has satisfied all

 

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the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such Delivery Date.

 

(l)                                      Except as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, (i) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries shall have sustained, since the date of the latest audited financial statements included in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus, any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, or (ii) since such date there shall not have been any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, stockholders’ equity, properties, management, or prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole, the effect of which, in any such case described in clause (i) or (ii), is, individually or in the aggregate, in the judgment of the Representatives, so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Stock being delivered on such Delivery Date on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus.

 

(m)                              Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, there shall not have occurred any of the following:  (i) (A) trading in securities generally on any securities exchange that has registered with the Commission under Section 6 of the Exchange Act (including the New York Stock Exchange, The NASDAQ Global Select Market, The NASDAQ Global Market or The NASDAQ Capital Market), or (B) trading in any securities of the Company on any exchange or in the over-the-counter market, shall have been suspended or materially limited or the settlement of such trading generally shall have been materially disrupted or minimum prices shall have been established on any such exchange or such market by the Commission, by such exchange or by any other regulatory body or governmental authority having jurisdiction, (ii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by federal or state authorities, (iii) the United States shall have become engaged in hostilities, there shall have been an escalation in hostilities involving the United States or there shall have been a declaration of a national emergency or war by the United States, or (iv) there shall have occurred such a material adverse change in general economic, political or financial conditions, including, without limitation, as a result of terrorist activities after the date hereof (or the effect of international conditions on the financial markets in the United States shall be such), as to make it, in the judgment of the Representatives, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or delivery of the Stock being delivered on such Delivery Date on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus.

 

(n)                                  The New York Stock Exchange shall have approved the Stock for listing, subject only to official notice of issuance and evidence of satisfactory distribution.

 

(o)                                  The Lock-Up Agreements between the Representatives and the officers, directors and stockholders of the Company set forth on Schedule III, delivered to the Representatives on or before the date of this Agreement, shall be in full force and effect on such Delivery Date.

 

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(p)                                  On or prior to each Delivery Date, the Company shall have furnished to the Underwriters such further certificates and documents as the Representatives may reasonably request.

 

(q)                                  On or prior to the Initial Delivery Date, the Reorganization Transactions shall have been effected as described in the most recent Preliminary Prospectus.

 

All opinions, letters, evidence and certificates 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.

 

10.                                Indemnification and Contribution .

 

(a)                                  The Company hereby agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, directors, officers and employees and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any loss, claim, damage or liability, joint or several, or any action in respect thereof (including, but not limited to, any loss, claim, damage, liability or action relating to purchases and sales of Stock), to which that Underwriter, affiliate, director, officer, employee or controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or action arises out of, or is based upon, (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in (A) any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto, (B) any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto, (C) any Permitted Issuer Information used or referred to in any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) used or referred to by any Underwriter, (D) any materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Stock, including any “road show” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act) not constituting an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication (“ Marketing Materials ”), or (E) any Blue Sky application or other document prepared or executed by the Company (or based upon any written information furnished by the Company for use therein) specifically for the purpose of qualifying any or all of the Stock under the securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction (any such application, document or information being hereinafter called a “ Blue Sky Application ”) or (ii) the omission or alleged omission to state in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto or in any Permitted Issuer Information, any Marketing Materials or any Blue Sky Application, any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and shall reimburse each Underwriter and each such affiliate, director, officer, employee or controlling person promptly upon demand for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by that Underwriter, affiliate, director, officer, employee or controlling person in connection with investigating or defending or preparing to defend against any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action as such expenses are incurred; provided , however , that the Company shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action arises out

 

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of, or is based upon, any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or in any such amendment or supplement thereto or in any Permitted Issuer Information, any Marketing Materials or any Blue Sky Application, in reliance upon and in conformity with written information concerning such Underwriter furnished to the Company through the Representatives by or on behalf of any Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information consists solely of the information specified in Section 10(f).  The foregoing indemnity agreement is in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have to any Underwriter or to any affiliate, director, officer, employee or controlling person of that Underwriter.

 

(b)                                  Each of the Selling Stockholders, severally and not jointly, shall indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, directors, officers and employees and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any loss, claim, damage or liability, joint or several, or any action in respect thereof (including, but not limited to, any loss, claim, damage, liability or action relating to purchases and sales of Stock), to which that Underwriter, affiliate, director, officer, employee or controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or action arises out of, or is based upon, (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto or in any Permitted Issuer Information, any Marketing Materials, any Blue Sky Application or any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) (any such “free writing prospectus” that was prepared by or on behalf of the Selling Stockholder or used or referred to by the Selling Stockholder in connection with the offering of the Stock in violation of Section 7(c) being referred to as a “ Selling Stockholder Free Writing Prospectus ”), or (ii) the omission or alleged omission to state in any Preliminary Prospectus, Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto or in any Permitted Issuer Information, any Marketing Materials, any Blue Sky Application or any Selling Stockholder Free Writing Prospectus, any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and shall reimburse each Underwriter, its affiliates, directors, officers and employees and each such controlling person promptly upon demand for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by that Underwriter, its affiliate, directors, officers and employees or controlling persons in connection with investigating or defending or preparing to defend against any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action as such expenses are incurred, but in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in the Preliminary Prospectus, Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the amendment or supplement, the Permitted Issuer Information, the Marketing Materials, the Blue Sky Application or the Selling Stockholder Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Selling Stockholder expressly for use therein.  The aggregate liability of each Selling Stockholder under Section 10(b) and Section 10(e) or any claim for breach of representations and warranties of the Selling

 

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Stockholder contained in Section 2 shall be limited to the net proceeds, after underwriting discounts but before deducting expenses received by the Selling Stockholders, received by the Selling Stockholder from the Shares sold by such Selling Stockholder pursuant to this Agreement, as set forth in the Prospectus.

 

(c)                                   Each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, shall indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each Selling Stockholder, their respective directors, officers, employees, and each person, if any, who controls the Company or such Selling Stockholder within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any loss, claim, damage or liability, joint or several, or any action in respect thereof, to which the Company, such Selling Stockholder or any such director, officer or controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or action arises out of, or is based upon, (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto or in any Marketing Materials or Blue Sky Application, or (ii) the omission or alleged omission to state in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto or in any Marketing Materials or Blue Sky Application, any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, but in each case only to the extent that the untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information concerning such Underwriter furnished to the Company through the Representatives by or on behalf of that Underwriter specifically for inclusion therein, which information is limited to the information set forth in Section 10(f).  The foregoing indemnity agreement is in addition to any liability that any Underwriter may otherwise have to the Company, such Selling Stockholder or any such director, officer, employee or controlling person.

 

(d)                            Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 10 of notice of any claim or the commencement of any action, the indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under this Section 10, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the claim or the commencement of that action; provided , however , that the failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have under this Section 10 except to the extent it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights and defenses) by such failure and, provided , further , that the failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have to an indemnified party otherwise than under this Section 10.  If any such claim or action shall be brought against an indemnified party, and it shall notify the indemnifying party thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it wishes, jointly with any other similarly notified indemnifying party, to assume the defense thereof with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party.  After notice from the indemnifying party to the indemnified party of its election to assume the defense of such claim or action, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to the indemnified party under this Section 10 for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by the indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation;

 

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provided, however , that the indemnified party shall have the right to employ counsel to represent jointly the indemnified party and those other indemnified parties and their respective directors, officers, employees and controlling persons who may be subject to liability arising out of any claim in respect of which indemnity may be sought under this Section 10 if (i) the indemnified party and the indemnifying party shall have so mutually agreed; (ii) the indemnifying party has failed within a reasonable time to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party; (iii) the indemnified party and its directors, officers, employees and controlling persons shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to them that are different from or in addition to those available to the indemnifying party; or (iv) the named parties in any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the indemnified parties or their respective directors, officers, employees or controlling persons, on the one hand, and the indemnifying party, on the other hand, and representation of both sets of parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them, and in any such event the fees and expenses of such separate counsel shall be paid by the indemnifying party.  No indemnifying party shall (x) without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld), settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any pending or threatened claim, action, suit or proceeding in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties to such claim or action) unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party, from all liability arising out of such claim, action, suit or proceeding and does not include a statement as to, or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party, or (y) be liable for any settlement of any such action effected without its written consent (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld), but if settled with the consent of the indemnifying party or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff in any such action, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify and hold harmless any indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment.  Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by Section 10(a) or (b) hereof, the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 60 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request and (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request or disputed in good faith the indemnified party’s entitlement to such reimbursement prior to the date of such settlement.

 

(e)                                   If the indemnification provided for in this Section 10 shall for any reason be unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under Section 10(a), 10(b), 10(c) or 10(g) in respect of any loss, claim, damage or liability, or any action in respect thereof, referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party, contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such loss, claim, damage or liability, or action in respect thereof, (i) in such proportion as shall be appropriate to reflect the relative benefits

 

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received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, from the offering of the Stock, or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company and the Selling Stockholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, with respect to the statements or omissions that resulted in such loss, claim, damage or liability, or action in respect thereof, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.  The relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other, with respect to such offering shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Stock purchased under this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders, as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus, on the one hand, and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters with respect to the shares of the Stock purchased under this Agreement, as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Prospectus, on the other hand.  The relative fault shall be determined by reference to whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company, the Selling Stockholders or the Underwriters, the intent of the parties and their relative knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.  The Company, the Selling Stockholders and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions pursuant to this Section 10(e) were to be 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 into account the equitable considerations referred to herein.  The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the loss, claim, damage or liability, or action in respect thereof, referred to above in this Section 10(e) shall be deemed to include, for purposes of this Section 10(e), any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim.  Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 10(e), in no event shall (x) an Underwriter be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriter with respect to the offering of the Stock 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 or (y) a Selling Stockholder be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the net proceeds (exclusive of expenses) received by the Selling Stockholder from the Shares sold by such Selling Stockholder pursuant to this Agreement (as set forth in the Prospectus) exceeds any damages which such Selling Stockholder has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.  In no event shall the aggregate liability of the Selling Stockholders under Section 10(b) and 10(e) and for any claim for any claim for breach of representations and warranties of the Selling Stockholders contained in Section 2 exceed the limit set forth in Section 10(e).  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 as provided in this

 

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Section 10(e) are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.

 

(f)                                    The Underwriters severally confirm that the statements regarding delivery of shares by the Underwriters set forth on the cover page of, and the concession and reallowance figures and the paragraph relating to stabilization by the Underwriters appearing under the caption “Underwriting” in, the most recent Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus are correct and constitute the only information concerning such Underwriters furnished in writing to the Company by or on behalf of the Underwriters specifically for inclusion in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or in any amendment or supplement thereto or in any Marketing Materials.

 

(g)                                   The Company shall indemnify and hold harmless Barclays Capital Inc. (including its affiliates, directors, officers and employees) and each person, if any, who controls Barclays Capital Inc. within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (“ Barclays Entities ”), from and against any loss, claim, damage or liability or any action in respect thereof to which any of the Barclays Entities may become subject, under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or action (i) arises out of, or is based upon, any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any material prepared by or with the approval of the Company for distribution to Directed Share Participants in connection with the Directed Share Program or any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) arises out of, or is based upon, the failure of the Directed Share Participant to pay for and accept delivery of Directed Shares that the Directed Share Participant agreed to purchase, or (iii) is otherwise related to the Directed Share Program; provided that the Company shall not be liable under this clause (iii) for any loss, claim, damage, liability or action that is determined in a final judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of the Barclays Entities.  The Company shall reimburse the Barclays Entities promptly upon demand for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending or preparing to defend against any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action as such expenses are incurred.

 

11.                                Defaulting Underwriters .

 

(a)                                  If, on any Delivery Date, any Underwriter defaults in its obligations to purchase the Stock that it has agreed to purchase under this Agreement, the remaining non-defaulting Underwriters may in their discretion arrange for the purchase of such Stock by the non-defaulting Underwriters or 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 Stock, 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 Stock on such terms.  In the event that within the respective prescribed periods, the non-defaulting Underwriters notify the Company that they have so arranged

 

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for the purchase of such Stock, or the Company notifies the non-defaulting Underwriters that it has so arranged for the purchase of such Stock, either the non-defaulting Underwriters or the Company may postpone such Delivery Date for up to seven 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, the Prospectus or in any other document or arrangement, and the Company agrees to promptly prepare any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or in any such other document or arrangement that effects any such changes.  As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” includes, for all purposes of this Agreement unless the context requires otherwise, any party not listed in Schedule I hereto that, pursuant to this Section 11, purchases Stock that a defaulting Underwriter agreed but failed to purchase.

 

(b)                                  If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Stock of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company as provided in paragraph (a) above, the total number of shares of the Stock that remains unpurchased does not exceed one-eleventh of the total number of shares of all the Stock, then the Company shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the total number of shares of Stock that such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder plus such Underwriter’s pro rata share (based on the total number of shares of Stock that such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder) of the Stock of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made; provided that the non-defaulting Underwriters shall not be obligated to purchase more than 110% of the total number of shares of Stock that it agreed to purchase on such Delivery Date pursuant to the terms of Section 3.

 

(c)                                   If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Stock of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company as provided in paragraph (a) above, the total number of shares of Stock that remains unpurchased exceeds one-eleventh of the total number of shares of all the Stock, or if the Company shall not exercise the right described in paragraph (b) above, then this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of the non-defaulting Underwriters.  Any termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section 11 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 Sections 8 and 13 and except that the provisions of Section 10 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.

 

12.                                Termination .   The obligations of the Underwriters hereunder may be terminated by the Representatives by notice given to and received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders prior to delivery of and payment for the Firm Stock if, prior to that time, any of the events described in Sections 9(m), 9(n) and 9(o) shall have occurred or if the Underwriters shall decline to purchase the Stock for any reason permitted under this Agreement.

 

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13.                                Reimbursement of Underwriters’ Expenses .   If (a) the Company or any Selling Stockholder shall fail to tender the Stock for delivery to the Underwriters for any reason, or (b) the Underwriters shall decline to purchase the Stock for any reason permitted under this Agreement, the Company and the Selling Stockholders will reimburse the Underwriters for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses (including fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters) incurred by the Underwriters in connection with this Agreement and the proposed purchase of the Stock, and upon demand the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall pay the full amount thereof to the Representatives.  If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 11 by reason of the default of one or more Underwriters or the purchase of the Stock is not consummated as a result of the occurrence of any of the events described in Section 9(o) (other than the occurrence of an event described in Section 9(o)(i)(B)), neither the Company nor any Selling Stockholder shall be obligated to reimburse any defaulting Underwriter on account of those expenses.

 

14.                                Research Analyst Independence.  The Company acknowledges that the Underwriters’ research analysts and research departments are required to be independent from their respective investment banking divisions and are subject to certain regulations and internal policies, and that such Underwriters’ research analysts may hold views and make statements or investment recommendations and/or publish research reports with respect to the Company and/or the offering that differ from the views of their respective investment banking divisions.  The Company and the Selling Stockholders hereby waive and release, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims that the Company or the Selling Stockholders may have against the Underwriters with respect to any conflict of interest that may arise from the fact that the views expressed by their independent research analysts and research departments may be different from or inconsistent with the views or advice communicated to the Company or the Selling Stockholders by such Underwriters’ investment banking divisions.  The Company and the Selling Stockholders acknowledge that each of the Underwriters is a full service securities firm and as such from time to time, subject to applicable securities laws, may effect transactions for its own account or the account of its customers and hold long or short positions in debt or equity securities of the companies that may be the subject of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

15.                                No Fiduciary Duty .  Each of the Company and the Selling Stockholders acknowledges and agrees that in connection with this offering, sale of the Stock or any other services the Underwriters may be deemed to be providing hereunder, notwithstanding any preexisting relationship, advisory or otherwise, between the parties or any oral representations or assurances previously or subsequently made by any Underwriter:  (a) no fiduciary or agency relationship between the Company, the Selling Stockholders and any other person, on the one hand, and any Underwriter, on the other, exists; (b) no Underwriter is acting as advisor, expert or otherwise, to the Company or the Selling Stockholders, including, without limitation, with respect to the determination of the public offering price of the Stock, and such relationship between the Company and the Selling Stockholders, on the one hand, and any Underwriter, on the other, is entirely and solely commercial, based on arms-length negotiations; (c) any duties and obligations that any Underwriter may have to the Company or Selling Stockholders shall be limited to those duties and obligations specifically stated herein; and (d) each Underwriter and its respective affiliates may have interests that differ from those of the Company and the Selling Stockholders.  The Company and the Selling Stockholders hereby waive any claims that the

 

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Company or the Selling Stockholders may have against the Underwriters with respect to any breach of fiduciary duty in connection with this offering.

 

16.                                Notices, etc .   All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in writing, and:

 

(a)          if to the Underwriters, shall be delivered or sent by mail or facsimile transmission to Barclays Capital Inc., 745 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10019, Attention: Syndicate Registration (Fax: (646) 834-8133), with a copy, in the case of any notice pursuant to Section 10(d), to the Director of Litigation, Office of the General Counsel, Barclays Capital Inc., 745 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10019;

 

(b)          if to the Company, shall be delivered or sent by mail or facsimile transmission to the address of the Company set forth in the Registration Statement, Attention: Scott McNeill, Chief Financial Officer (Fax: (214) 252-2750); and

 

(c)           if to any Selling Stockholders, shall be delivered or sent by mail or facsimile transmission to such Selling Stockholder at the address set forth on Schedule II hereto.

 

Any such statements, requests, notices or agreements shall take effect at the time of receipt thereof.  The Company and the Selling Stockholders shall be entitled to act and rely upon any request, consent, notice or agreement given or made on behalf of the Underwriters by Barclays Capital Inc. and the Company and the Underwriters shall be entitled to act and rely upon any request, consent, notice or agreement given or made on behalf of the Selling Stockholders by the Custodian.

 

17.                                Persons Entitled to Benefit of Agreement .  This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters, the Company and the Selling Stockholders and their respective personal representatives and successors.  This Agreement and the terms and provisions hereof are for the sole benefit of only those persons, except that (a) the representations, warranties, indemnities and agreements of the Company and the Selling Stockholders contained in this Agreement shall also be deemed to be for the benefit of the directors, officers and employees of the Underwriters and each person or persons, if any, who control any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, and (b) the indemnity agreement of the Underwriters contained in Section 10(c) of this Agreement shall be deemed to be for the benefit of the directors, officers and employees of the Company or any Selling Stockholder, and any person controlling the Company or a Selling Stockholder within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act.  Nothing in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, other than the persons referred to in this Section 17, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision contained herein.

 

18.                                Survival .   The respective indemnities, rights, contribution, representations, warranties and agreements of the Company, the Selling Stockholders and the Underwriters

 

40



 

contained in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them, respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall survive the delivery of and payment for the Stock and shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any of them or any person controlling any of them.

 

19.                                Definition of the Terms “Business Day”, “Affiliate” and “Subsidiary” .  For purposes of this Agreement, (a) “ business day ” means each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday that is not a day on which banking institutions in New York are generally authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close, and (b) “ affiliate ” and “ subsidiary ” have the meanings set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act.

 

20.                                Governing Law This Agreement and any claim, controversy or dispute arising under or related to this Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York without regard to conflict of laws principles (other than Section 5-1401 of the General Obligations Law).

 

21.                                Waiver of Jury Trial .  The Company and the Underwriters hereby irrevocably waive, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

22.                                Counterparts .   This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts and, if executed in more than one counterpart, the executed counterparts shall each be deemed to be an original but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument.

 

23.                                Headings .   The headings herein are inserted for convenience of reference only and are not intended to be part of, or to affect the meaning or interpretation of, this Agreement.

 

41



 

If the foregoing correctly sets forth the agreement among the Company, the Selling Stockholders and the Underwriters, please indicate your acceptance in the space provided for that purpose below.

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

RSP Permian, Inc.

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Steven Gray

 

 

Name: Steven Gray

 

 

Title:   Chief Executive Officer

 

 

 

 

 

The Selling Stockholders Named in Schedule II to This Agreement

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Scott McNeill

 

 

Name: Scott McNeill

 

 

Title:   Attorney-in-Fact

 

42



 

Accepted:

 

BARCLAYS CAPITAL INC.

 

 

By:

/s/ Victoria Hale

 

 

Name:

 

 

Authorized Representative

 

 

 

 

 

J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Geoffrey Paul

 

 

Name: Geoffrey Paul

 

 

Title:   Executive Director

 

 

For themselves and as Representatives
of the several Underwriters named
in Schedule I hereto

 

43



 

SCHEDULE I

 

UNDERWRITERS

 

Underwriters

 

Number of Shares of
Firm Stock

 

 

 

 

 

Barclays Capital Inc.

 

7,000,000

 

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

 

3,400,000

 

Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. Securities, Inc.

 

1,700,000

 

Raymond James & Associates, Inc.

 

1,400,000

 

RBC Capital Markets, LLC

 

1,400,000

 

UBS Securities LLC

 

1,400,000

 

Jefferies LLC

 

900,000

 

Johnson Rice & Company L.L.C.

 

600,000

 

Simmons & Company International

 

600,000

 

Scotia Capital (USA) Inc.

 

600,000

 

Stephens Inc.

 

600,000

 

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

 

200,000

 

Comerica Securities, Inc.

 

200,000

 

Total

 

20,000,000

 

 



 

SCHEDULE II

 

SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

 

Name and Address of Selling Stockholder

 

Number of
Shares of
Firm Stock

 

Number of
Shares of
Option Stock

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RSP Permian Holdco, L.L.C.
3141 Hood Street, Suite 701
Dallas, Texas 75219

 

9,428,310

 

2,822,636

 

Rising Star Energy Development Co., L.L.C.
3141 Hood Street, Suite 701
Dallas, Texas 75219

 

592,440

 

177,364

 

Ted Collins, Jr.
508 W. Wall Street, Suite 1200
Midland, Texas 79701

 

538,750

 

 

 

Wallace Family Partnership, LP
508 W. Wall Street, Suite 1200
Midland, Texas 79701

 

215,500

 

 

 

Total

 

10,775,000

 

3,000,000

 

 



 

SCHEDULE III

 

PERSONS DELIVERING LOCK-UP AGREEMENTS

 

Directors

 

Michael Grimm

 

David Albin

 

Joseph B. Armes

 

Ted Collins, Jr.

 

Matthew S. Ramsey

 

Michael W. Wallace

 

Officers

 

Steven Gray — Director and Chief Executive Officer

 

Zane Arrott — Chief Operating Officer

 

Scott McNeill — Director and Chief Financial Officer

 

Tamara Pollard — Vice President of Planning and Reserves

 

Erik Daugbjerg — Vice President of Oil & Gas Marketing/Business Development

 

William Huck — Vice President, Operations

 

Stockholders

 

RSP Permian Holdco, L.L.C.

 

Rising Star Energy Development Co., L.L.C.

 

Wallace Family Partnership, LP

 

Collins & Wallace Holdings, LLC

 

Pecos Energy Partners, L.P.

 

ACTOIL, LLC

 



 

SCHEDULE IV

 

ORALLY CONVEYED PRICING INFORMATION

 

1. Public Offering price: $19.50

 

2. Number of shares offered: 20,000,000

 



 

SCHEDULE V

 

ISSUER FREE WRITING PROSPECTUSES

 

Electronic roadshow as made available on http://netroadshow.com

 

Electronic roadshow as made available on http://www.retailroadshow.com.

 



 

SCHEDULE VI

 

ISSUER FREE WRITING PROSPECTUS

 

None

 



 

SCHEDULE VII

 

WRITTEN TESTING-THE-WATERS COMMUNICATIONS

 

None

 



 

SCHEDULE VIII

 

SUBSIDIARIES

 

1.                                       RSP Permian, L.L.C.

 



 

EXHIBIT A

 

LOCK-UP LETTER AGREEMENT

 

BARCLAYS CAPITAL INC.

J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES LLC

As Representatives of the several

Underwriters named in Schedule I,

c/o Barclays Capital Inc.

745 Seventh Avenue
New York, New York 10019

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

The undersigned understands that you and certain other firms (the “ Underwriters ”) propose to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the “ Underwriting Agreement ”) providing for the purchase by the Underwriters of shares (the “ Stock ”) of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “ Common Stock ”), of RSP Permian Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”), and that the Underwriters propose to reoffer the Stock to the public (the “ Offering ”).

 

In consideration of the execution of the Underwriting Agreement by the Underwriters, and for other good and valuable consideration, the undersigned hereby irrevocably agrees that, without the prior written consent of Barclays Capital Inc., on behalf of the Underwriters, the undersigned will not, directly or indirectly, (1) offer for sale, sell, pledge, or otherwise dispose of (or enter into any transaction or device that is designed to, or could be expected to, result in the disposition by any person at any time in the future of) any shares of Common Stock (including, without limitation, shares of Common Stock that may be deemed to be beneficially owned by the undersigned in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and shares of Common Stock that may be issued upon exercise of any options or warrants) or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock (other than the Stock to be sold in the Offering), (2) enter into any swap or other derivatives transaction that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic benefits or risks of ownership of shares of Common Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise, (3) make any demand for or exercise any right or cause to be filed a registration statement, including any amendments thereto, with respect to the registration of any shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or any other securities of the Company, or (4) publicly disclose the intention to do any of the foregoing for a period commencing on the date hereof and ending on the 180th day after the date of the final prospectus relating to the Offering (such 180-day period, the “ Lock-Up Period ”).

 

Exhibit A-1



 

The foregoing paragraph shall not apply to (a) transactions relating to shares of Common Stock or other securities acquired in the open market after the completion of the Offering, (b) bona fide gifts, sales or other dispositions of shares of any class of the Company’s capital stock, in each case that are made exclusively between and among the undersigned or members of the undersigned’s family, or affiliates of the undersigned, including its partners (if a partnership) or members (if a limited liability company), or to a trust the beneficiaries of which are the undersigned or members of the undersigned’s family; provided that it shall be a condition to any transfer pursuant to this clause (b) that (i) the transferee/donee agrees to be bound by the terms of this Lock-Up Letter Agreement (including, without limitation, the restrictions set forth in the preceding sentence) to the same extent as if the transferee/donee were a party hereto, (ii) each party (donor, donee, transferor or transferee) shall not be required by law (including without limitation the disclosure requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act ”), and the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “ Exchange Act ”)) to make, and shall agree to not voluntarily make, any filing or public announcement of the transfer or disposition prior to the expiration of the 180-day period referred to above, and (iii) the undersigned notifies Barclays Capital Inc. and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC at least two business days prior to the proposed transfer or disposition, (c) the exercise of warrants or the exercise of stock options granted pursuant to the Company’s stock option/incentive plans or otherwise outstanding on the date hereof; provided , that the restrictions shall apply to shares of Common Stock issued upon such exercise or conversion, (d) the establishment of any contract, instruction or plan that satisfies all of the requirements of Rule 10b5-1 (a “ Rule 10b5-1 Plan ”) under the Exchange Act; provided , however , that no sales of Common Stock or securities convertible into, or exchangeable or exercisable for, Common Stock, shall be made pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 Plan prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period (as the same may be extended pursuant to the provisions hereof); provided further , that the Company is not required to report the establishment of such Rule 10b5-1 Plan in any public report or filing with the Commission under the Exchange Act during the lock-up period and does not otherwise voluntarily effect any such public filing or report regarding such Rule 10b5-1 Plan, and (e) any demands or requests for, exercise any right with respect to, or take any action in preparation of, the registration by the Company under the Act of the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock, provided that no transfer of the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock registered pursuant to the exercise of any such right and no registration statement shall be filed under the Act with respect to any of the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock during the Lock-Up Period.

 

If the undersigned is an officer or director of the Company, (i) the undersigned agrees that the foregoing provisions shall be equally applicable to any issuer-directed Stock, as referred to in FINRA Rule 5131(d)(2)(A) that the undersigned may purchase in the Offering pursuant to an allocation of Stock that is directed in writing by the Company, (ii)  Barclays Capital Inc. agrees that, at least three business days before the effective date of any release or waiver of the foregoing restrictions in connection with a transfer of shares of Common Stock, Barclays Capital Inc. will notify the Company of the impending release or waiver, and (iii) the Company has agreed in the Underwriting

 

Exhibit A-2



 

Agreement to announce the impending release or waiver by issuing a press release through a major news service (as referred to in FINRA Rule 5131(d)(2)(B)) at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver.  Any release or waiver granted by Barclays Capital Inc. hereunder to any such officer or director shall only be effective two business days after the publication date of such press release.  The provisions of this paragraph will not apply if both (a) the release or waiver is effected solely to permit a transfer not for consideration, and (b) the transferee has agreed in writing to be bound by the same terms described in this letter that are applicable to the transferor, to the extent and for the duration that such terms remain in effect at the time of the transfer.

 

In furtherance of the foregoing, the Company and its transfer agent are hereby authorized to decline to make any transfer of securities if such transfer would constitute a violation or breach of this Lock-Up Letter Agreement.

 

It is understood that, if the Company notifies the Underwriters that it does not intend to proceed with the Offering, if the Underwriters notify the Company that they do not intend to proceed with the Offering, if the Underwriting Agreement does not become effective, or if the Underwriting Agreement (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination) shall terminate or be terminated prior to payment for and delivery of the Stock, the undersigned will be released from its obligations under this Lock-Up Letter Agreement.

 

The undersigned understands that the Company and the Underwriters will proceed with the Offering in reliance on this Lock-Up Letter Agreement.

 

Whether or not the Offering actually occurs depends on a number of factors, including market conditions.  Any Offering will only be made pursuant to an Underwriting Agreement, the terms of which are subject to negotiation between the Company the Selling Stockholders named therein and the Underwriters.

 

This Lock-Up Letter Agreement shall automatically terminate upon the earliest to occur, if any, of (1) the termination of the Underwriting Agreement before the sale of any Stock to the Underwriters or (2) 90 days, in the event that the Underwriting Agreement has not been executed by that date.

 

[Signature page follows]

 

Exhibit A-3



 

The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power and authority to enter into this Lock-Up Letter Agreement and that, upon request, the undersigned will execute any additional documents necessary in connection with the enforcement hereof.  Any obligations of the undersigned shall be binding upon the heirs, personal representatives, successors and assigns of the undersigned.

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

Dated:

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit A-4



 

EXHIBIT B

 

FORM OF PRESS RELEASE

 

RSP Permian, Inc.

[Insert date]

 

RSP Permian, Inc., (the “Company”) announced today that Barclays Capital Inc. and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, the lead book-running managers in the Company’s recent public sale of 20,000,000 shares of common stock is [waiving]/[releasing] a lock-up restriction with respect to [ · ] shares of the Company’s common stock held by [certain officers or directors]/[an officer or director] of the Company. The [waiver]/[release] will take effect on [insert date], and the shares may be sold or otherwise disposed of on or after such date.

 

This press release is not an offer for sale of the securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction where such offer is prohibited, and such securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

Exhibit B-1



 

EXHIBIT C-1

 

FORM OF OPINION OF COMPANY’S COUNSEL

 

Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. shall have furnished to the Underwriters its written opinion, as counsel to the Company, addressed to the Underwriters and dated the Delivery Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect that:

 

(i)                                      The Company is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, with the corporate power and authority to own or lease, as the case may be, and to operate its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing in each jurisdiction set forth opposite its name on Schedule 1 .

 

(ii)                                   RSP Permian, L.L.C. is validly existing and in good standing under the laws of Delaware, with the limited liability company power and authority to own or lease its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and is duly qualified to do business as a foreign limited liability company and is in good standing in each jurisdiction set forth opposite its name on Schedule 1 ; and all of the limited liability company interests of RSP Permian, L.L.C. are owned by the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims in respect of which a financing statement under the Uniform Commercial Code of the State of Delaware naming the Company as debtor, is on file in the office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware.

 

(iii)                                The Company directly owns 100% of the issued and outstanding membership interests in RSP Permian, L.L.C.; such membership interests have been duly authorized and validly issued in accordance with the Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of RSP Permian, L.L.C. and are fully paid (to the extent required by the Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement of RSP Permian, L.L.C.) and non-assessable (except as such non-assessability may be limited by sections 18-303, 18-607 and 18-804 of the Delaware LLC Act); and the Company owns such membership interests free and clear of all Liens (other than Liens arising under or in connection with the Revolving Credit Agreement and Term Loan) (A) in respect of which a financing statement under the Uniform Commercial Code of the State of Delaware naming the Company as debtor is on file in the office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware as of January [ · ], 2014 or (B) otherwise known to us, without independent investigation other than those created by or arising under the Delaware LLC Act.

 

(iv)                               The shares of the Stock to be issued and sold by the Company to the Underwriters under the Underwriting Agreement has been duly authorized in accordance with the Governing Documents and, when issued and delivered by the Company to the Underwriters upon payment therefore in accordance with the Underwriting Agreement, will be validly issued in accordance with the Governing Documents, free of preemptive rights under federal law, the Delaware General Corporation Law or the Company’s charter or bylaws, fully paid and non-assessable; the shares of the Stock to be sold by the Selling Stockholders in accordance with the Underwriting Agreement has been duly authorized and validly issued in accordance with the

 

Exhibit C-1-1



 

Governing Documents and is free of preemptive rights under federal law, the Delaware General Corporation Law or the Company’s charter or bylaws, fully paid and non-assessable.

 

(v)                                  Except as set forth in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there are no persons with registration rights or other similar rights described in or created pursuant to any agreement filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement to have any securities registered pursuant to the Registration Statement or registered by the Company under the Securities Act or otherwise; and, except as set forth in the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no options, warrants or other rights to purchase, agreements or other obligations to issue, or convert any obligations into or exchange any securities for, shares of capital stock of or ownership interests in the Company are outstanding.

 

(vi)                               The execution, delivery and performance of the Underwriting Agreement by the Company Parties, the offering, issuance and sale of the Stock pursuant to the terms of the Underwriting Agreement and the application of the proceeds from the sale of the Stock as described under “Use of Proceeds” in the Prospectus do not and will not (a) result in a breach or result in a default (or an event that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such an event) under any agreement that is filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement; (b) violate the provisions of the charter or by-laws (or similar organizational documents) of the Company or its subsidiary; (c) violate any federal, New York, Delaware or Texas statute, rule or regulation applicable to the Company, or (d) result in the creation of any additional lien upon any property or assets of the Company Parties under the Credit Agreement except, with respect to clauses (c) and (d), as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to materially impair the ability of the Company and its subsidiaries to consummate the Reorganization or the transactions contemplated by the Underwriting Agreement in connection with the offering, issuance and sale of the Stock by the Company (a “Material Adverse Effect”); it being understood that we express no opinion in clause (c) of this paragraph (v) with respect to any federal or state securities, Blue Sky or anti-fraud laws, rules or regulations.

 

(vii)                            The Underwriting Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

 

(viii)                         The Reorganization Transactions have been duly authorized by the Company Parties.

 

(ix)                               Each of the Contribution Agreements has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company Parties and constitutes a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company Parties, enforceable against the Company Parties in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited (A) by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally or by equitable principles (whether considered in a proceeding at law or in equity) relating to enforceability and (B) public policy, applicable law relating to fiduciary duties and indemnification and an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.

 

(x)                                  No consent, approval, authorization or order of, registration or qualification with any federal, Delaware, Texas or New York court or governmental agency is required to be obtained or made by the Company or its subsidiary for the execution, delivery and

 

Exhibit C-1-2



 

performance by the Company of the Underwriting Agreement, the compliance by the Company with the terms thereof and the issuance and sale of the Stock by the Company being delivered on the date hereof pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, except (i) as have been obtained or made, (ii) for the registration of the offering and sale of the Stock under the Securities Act, (iii) for such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, registrations or qualifications as may be required under applicable federal or state securities or Blue Sky laws and the approval by FINRA of the underwriting terms and arrangements in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Stock by the Underwriters or (iv) for such consents that, if not obtained, have not or would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xi)                               The Registration Statement has been declared effective under the Act; to our knowledge, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or threatened by the Commission; and any required filing of the Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Act has been made in the manner and within the time period required by such rule.

 

(xii)                            The statements set forth in the Prospectus under the headings “Business—Regulation of the Oil and Natural Gas Industry,” “Business—Regulation of Environmental and Occupational Safety and Health Matters,” “Description of Capital Stock,” “Material U.S. Federal Income and Estate Tax Considerations for Non-U.S. Holders” and “Shares Eligible for Future Sale,” and in the Registration Statement in Item 14, to the extent that they constitute descriptions or summaries of the terms of the Common Stock or the documents referred to therein, or refer to statements of federal law, the laws of the State of Delaware or legal conclusions, are accurate in all material respects.

 

(xiii)                         None of the Company or its subsidiary is, and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Stock pursuant to the terms of the Underwriting Agreement and application of the net proceeds thereof as described in the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds,” will be, required to register as an “investment company,” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act.

 

(xiv)                        Each of the Registration Statement, at the time it was declared effective, the Pricing Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, and the Prospectus, when filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act and at the Closing Date or the Additional Closing Date, as the case may be (in each case other than (a) the financial statements and related schedules, including the notes and schedules thereto and the auditor’s report thereon, (b) the other financial data derived therefrom and (c) oil and natural gas reserve data or reports, in each case included in or omitted from the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, as to which we express no opinion), appeared on their face to comply as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act.

 

We have participated in conferences with representatives of the Company and with representatives of its independent accountants and counsel for the Underwriters at which conferences the contents of the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and any amendment and supplement thereto and related matters were discussed and, responsibility for, or express opinion regarding (other than listed in paragraph (xiii) above) the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements contained in the Registration Statement, the

 

Exhibit C-1-3



 

Pricing Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, based upon the participation described above (relying as to factual matters upon statements of fact made to us by representatives of the Company) and nothing has come to our attention to cause us to believe that:

 

(a)  the Registration Statement, at the time it was declared effective (including the information, if any, deemed pursuant to Rule 430A to be part of the Registration Statement at the time of effectiveness), contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading;

 

(b)  the Pricing Disclosure Package, as of the Applicable Time, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; or

 

(c)  the Prospectus, as of its date and as of the date hereof, contained or contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

 

except that in each case, we do not express any belief with respect to (i) the financial statements and related schedules, including the notes and schedules thereto and the auditor’s report thereon, (ii) any other financial or accounting information; or (iii) oil and natural gas reserve data or reports, in each case included in or omitted form the Registration Statement, the Pricing Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

Exhibit C-1-4



 

EXHIBIT C-2

 

FORM OF OPINION OF SELLING STOCKHOLDERS’ COUNSEL

 

Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. shall have furnished to the Underwriters its written opinion, as counsel to the Selling Stockholders, addressed to the Underwriters and dated the Delivery Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect that:

 

(i)                                      Each Selling Stockholder that is not a natural person is validly existing as an entity under the laws of its state of organization.

 

(ii)                                   Upon (a) payment for the Stock to be sold by the Selling Stockholders pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, (b) delivery of such Stock, as directed by the Underwriters, to Cede & Co. (“ Cede ”) or such other nominee as may be designated by DTC, (c) registration of such Stock in the name of DTC, Cede or such other nominee and (d) appropriate crediting (by book entry) of such Stock on the books of DTC to securities accounts (within the meaning of Section 8-501 of the New York Uniform Commercial Code, the “ UCC ”) of the Underwriters maintained by the Underwriters with DTC (assuming that neither DTC nor any such Underwriter has notice of any adverse claim within the meaning of Section 8-105 of the UCC to such Option Stock), (1) under Section 8-501 of the UCC, each Underwriter will acquire a valid security entitlement (within the meaning of Section 8-102 of the UCC) in respect of the Stock purchased by such Underwriter and (2) no action based on any “adverse claim” (within the meaning of Section 8-502 of the UCC), whether framed in conversion, replevin, constructive trust, equitable lien or other theory, to such Stock may be asserted against such Underwriter, as the holder of such security entitlement with respect to such Stock. In giving this opinion, we have assumed that when such payment, delivery and crediting occur, (w) such Stock will have been registered in the name of Cede or another nominee designated by DTC, in each case on the Company’s share registry in accordance with its certificate of incorporation, bylaws and applicable law, (x) DTC will be registered as a “clearing corporation” within the meaning of Section 8-102 of the UCC, (y) appropriate book entries to the accounts of the several Underwriters on the records of DTC will have been made pursuant to the UCC, and (z) no rule adopted by DTC (in its capacity as a clearing corporation) governing the rights and obligations among DTC and its participants conflicts (within the meaning of Section 8-111 of the UCC) with the provisions of Article 8 of the UCC that apply to any of the transactions described in this paragraph.

 

(iii)                                No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or registration or qualification with, any federal, Delaware, Texas or New York court or governmental agency is required to be obtained or made by any Selling Stockholder for the sale of the Stock by the Selling Stockholder pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, except (i) as have been obtained and made, (ii) for the registration of the offering and sale of the Stock under the Securities Act, (iii) for such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, registrations or qualifications as may be required under applicable federal or state securities or Blue Sky laws and the approval by FINRA of the underwriting terms and arrangements in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Stock by the Underwriters, or (iv) for such consents that, if not obtained, have not or would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

Exhibit C-2-1



 

(iv)                               Neither the execution, delivery and performance of the Underwriting Agreement nor the sale of the Stock by a Selling Stockholder pursuant to the terms of the Underwriting Agreement will (a) result in a breach or result in a default (or an event that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such an event) under any agreement that is filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, (b) violate the provisions of the charter or by-laws (or similar organizational documents) of such Selling Stockholder, if such Selling Stockholder is not a natural person, or (c) violate any federal, New York, Delaware or Texas statute, rule or regulation applicable to the Selling Stockholder, except, with respect to clauses (a) and (c), as would not, individually or in the aggregate, materially impair the ability of the Selling Stockholder to consummate the transaction contemplated by the Underwriting Agreement in connection with the offering and sale of the Stock to be sold by the Selling Stockholder; with respect to clause (b) above, we express no opinion as to the application of any federal or state securities or Blue Sky laws or federal or state antifraud laws, rules or regulations.

 

(v)                                  Each of the Underwriting Agreement, the Custody Agreement and the Power of Attorney have been duly executed and delivered by each Selling Stockholder.

 

(vi)                               The Underwriting Agreement has been duly authorized by each Selling Stockholder that is not a natural person.

 

(vii)                            The Selling Stockholders have full right, power and authority, corporate or otherwise, to enter into the Custody Agreement and the Power of Attorney.

 

Exhibit C-2-2


Exhibit 10.1

 

Execution Version

 

RSP PERMIAN, INC.

 

2014 LONG TERM INCENTIVE PLAN

 



 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

Page

 

 

 

1.

Purpose

1

 

 

 

 

2.

Definitions

1

 

 

 

 

3.

Administration

5

 

(a)

Authority of the Committee

5

 

(b)

Manner of Exercise of Committee Authority

6

 

(c)

Limitation of Liability

6

 

 

 

 

4.

Stock Subject to Plan

7

 

(a)

Overall Number of Shares Available for Delivery

7

 

(b)

Application of Limitation to Grants of Awards

7

 

(c)

Availability of Shares Not Issued under Awards

7

 

(d)

Stock Offered

7

 

 

 

 

5.

Eligibility; Per Person Award Limitations

7

 

 

 

 

6.

Specific Terms of Awards

8

 

(a)

General

8

 

(b)

Options

8

 

(c)

Stock Appreciation Rights

9

 

(d)

Restricted Stock

10

 

(e)

Restricted Stock Units

11

 

(f)

Bonus Stock and Awards in Lieu of Obligations

11

 

(g)

Dividend Equivalents

12

 

(h)

Other Awards

12

 

 

 

 

7.

Certain Provisions Applicable to Awards

12

 

(a)

Termination of Employment

12

 

(b)

Stand-Alone, Additional, Tandem, and Substitute Awards

12

 

(c)

Term of Awards

13

 

(d)

Form and Timing of Payment under Awards; Deferrals

13

 

(e)

Exemptions from Section 16(b) Liability

13

 

(f)

Non-Competition Agreement

13

 

 

 

 

8.

Performance and Annual Incentive Awards

14

 

(a)

Performance Conditions

14

 

(b)

Performance Awards Granted to Designated Covered Employees

14

 

(c)

Annual Incentive Awards Granted to Designated Covered Employees

16

 

(d)

Written Determinations

17

 

(e)

Status of Section 8(b) and Section 8(c) Awards under Section 162(m) of the Code

17

 

i



 

9.

Subdivision or Consolidation; Recapitalization; Change in Control; Reorganization

17

 

(a)

Existence of Plans and Awards

17

 

(b)

Subdivision or Consolidation of Shares

18

 

(c)

Corporate Recapitalization

19

 

(d)

Additional Issuances

19

 

(e)

Change in Control

19

 

(f)

Change in Control Price

20

 

(g)

Impact of Corporate Events on Awards Generally

20

 

 

 

 

10.

General Provisions

20

 

(a)

Transferability

20

 

(b)

Taxes

22

 

(c)

Changes to this Plan and Awards

22

 

(d)

Limitation on Rights Conferred under Plan

22

 

(e)

Unfunded Status of Awards

23

 

(f)

Nonexclusivity of this Plan

23

 

(g)

Fractional Shares

23

 

(h)

Severability

23

 

(i)

Governing Law

23

 

(j)

Conditions to Delivery of Stock

24

 

(k)

Section 409A of the Code

24

 

(l)

Plan Effective Date and Term

24

 

ii



 

RSP PERMIAN, INC.

 

2014 Long Term Incentive Plan

 

1.                                       Purpose .  The purpose of the RSP Permian, Inc. 2014 Long Term Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) is to provide a means through which RSP Permian, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and its Subsidiaries may attract and retain able persons as employees, directors and consultants of the Company, and its Subsidiaries, and to provide a means whereby those persons upon whom the responsibilities of the successful administration and management of the Company, and its Subsidiaries, rest, and whose present and potential contributions to the welfare of the Company, and its Subsidiaries, are of importance, can acquire and maintain stock ownership, or awards the value of which is tied to the performance of the Company, thereby strengthening their concern for the welfare of the Company, and its Subsidiaries, and their desire to remain employed.  A further purpose of this Plan is to provide such employees, directors and consultants with additional incentive and reward opportunities designed to enhance the profitable growth of the Company.  Accordingly, this Plan primarily provides for the granting of Incentive Stock Options, options which do not constitute Incentive Stock Options, Restricted Stock Awards, Restricted Stock Units, Stock Appreciation Rights, Dividend Equivalents, Bonus Stock, Other Stock-Based Awards, Annual Incentive Awards, Performance Awards, or any combination of the foregoing, as is best suited to the circumstances of the particular individual as provided herein.

 

2.                                       Definitions .  For purposes of this Plan, the following terms shall be defined as set forth below, in addition to such terms defined in Section 1 hereof:

 

(a)                                  “Annual Incentive Award” means a conditional right granted to an Eligible Person under Section 8(c) hereof to receive a cash payment, Stock or other Award, unless otherwise determined by the Committee, after the end of a specified year.

 

(b)                                  “Award” means any Option, SAR, Restricted Stock Award, Restricted Stock Unit, Bonus Stock, Dividend Equivalent, Other Stock-Based Award, Performance Award or Annual Incentive Award, together with any other right or interest granted to a Participant under this Plan.

 

(c)                                   “Beneficiary” means one or more persons, trusts or other entities which have been designated by a Participant, in his or her most recent written beneficiary designation filed with the Committee, to receive the benefits specified under this Plan upon such Participant’s death or to which Awards or other rights are transferred if and to the extent permitted under Section 10(a) hereof.  If, upon a Participant’s death, there is no designated Beneficiary or surviving designated Beneficiary, then the term Beneficiary means the persons, trusts or other entities entitled by will or the laws of descent and distribution to receive such benefits.

 

(d)                                  “Board” means the Company’s Board of Directors.

 

(e)                                   “Bonus Stock” means Stock granted as a bonus pursuant to Section 6(f).

 

1



 

(f)                                    “Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday, or a day on which banking institutions in the state of Texas are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

 

(g)                                   “Change in Control” means, except as otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, the occurrence of any of the following events:

 

(i)                                      The consummation of an agreement to acquire or a tender offer for beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act by any Person, of 50% or more of either (x) the then outstanding shares of Stock (the “Outstanding Stock”) or (y) the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (the “Outstanding Company Voting Securities”); provided , however , that for purposes of this subsection (i), the following acquisitions shall not constitute a Change in Control:  (A) any acquisition directly from the Company, (B) any acquisition by the Company, (C) any acquisition by any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Company or any entity controlled by the Company or (D) any acquisition by any entity pursuant to a transaction that complies with clauses (A), (B) and (C) of paragraph (iii) below;

 

(ii)                                   Individuals who constitute the Incumbent Board cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board;

 

(iii)                                Consummation of a reorganization, merger or consolidation or sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company or an acquisition of assets of another entity (a “Business Combination”), in each case, unless, following such Business Combination, (A) the Outstanding Stock and Outstanding Company Voting Securities immediately prior to such Business Combination represent or are converted into or exchanged for securities which represent or are convertible into more than 50% of, respectively, the then outstanding shares of common stock or common equity interests and the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors or other governing body, as the case may be, of the entity resulting from such Business Combination (including, without limitation, an entity which as a result of such transaction owns the Company, or all or substantially all of the Company’s assets either directly or through one or more subsidiaries), (B) no Person (excluding any employee benefit plan (or related trust) of the Company or the entity resulting from such Business Combination) beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, 20% or more of, respectively, the then outstanding shares of common stock or common equity interests of the entity resulting from such Business Combination or the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors or other governing body of such entity to the extent that such ownership results solely from ownership of the Company that existed prior to the Business Combination, and (C) at least a majority of the members of the board of directors or similar governing body of the entity resulting from such Business Combination were members of the Incumbent Board at the time of the execution of the initial agreement, or of the action of the Board, providing for such Business Combination; or

 

(iv)                               Approval by the stockholders of the Company of a complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company.

 

2



 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, with respect to an Award that provides for a deferral of compensation under the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules and with respect to which a Change in Control would accelerate vesting, “Change in Control” shall mean an event that qualifies both as a “Change in Control” as defined in this Section 2(g) as well as a “change of control event” as defined in the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules.

 

(h)                                  “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, including regulations thereunder and successor provisions and regulations thereto.

 

(i)                                      “Committee” means a committee of two or more directors designated by the Board to administer this Plan; provided , however , that, unless otherwise determined by the Board, the Committee shall consist solely of two or more directors, each of whom shall be a Qualified Member (except to the extent administration of this Plan by “outside directors” is not then required in order to qualify for tax deductibility under section 162(m) of the Code).

 

(j)                                     “Covered Employee” means an Eligible Person who is a Covered Employee as specified in Section 8(e) of this Plan.

 

(k)                                  “Dividend Equivalent” means a right, granted to an Eligible Person under Section 6(g), to receive cash, Stock, other Awards or other property equal in value to dividends paid with respect to a specified number of shares of Stock, or other periodic payments.

 

(l)                                      “Effective Date” means January 16, 2014.

 

(m)                              “Eligible Person” means all officers and employees of the Company or of any of its Subsidiaries, and other persons who provide services to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, including directors of the Company.  An employee on leave of absence may be considered as still in the employ of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries for purposes of eligibility for participation in this Plan.

 

(n)                                  “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time, including rules thereunder and successor provisions and rules thereto.

 

(o)                                  “Fair Market Value” means, as of any specified date, (i) if the Stock is listed on a national securities exchange, the closing sales price of the Stock, as reported on the stock exchange composite tape on that date (or if no sales occur on that date, on the last preceding date on which such sales of the Stock are so reported); (ii) if the Stock is not traded on a national securities exchange but is traded over the counter at the time a determination of its fair market value is required to be made under the Plan, the average between the reported high and low bid and asked prices of Stock on the most recent date on which Stock was publicly traded; (iii) in the event Stock is not publicly traded at the time a determination of its value is required to be made under the Plan, the amount determined by the Committee in its discretion in such manner as it deems appropriate, taking into account all factors the Committee deems appropriate including, without limitation, the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules; or (iv) on the date of a Qualifying Public Offering of Stock, the offering price under such Qualifying Public Offering.

 

3



 

(p)                                  “Incentive Stock Option” or “ISO” means any Option intended to be and designated as an incentive stock option within the meaning of section 422 of the Code or any successor provision thereto.

 

(q)                                  “Incumbent Board” means the portion of the Board constituted of the individuals who are members of the Board as of the Effective Date and any other individual who becomes a director of the Company after the Effective Date and whose election or appointment by the Board or nomination for election by the Company’s stockholders was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the directors then comprising the Incumbent Board, but excluding, for this purpose, any such individual whose initial assumption of office occurs as a result of an actual or threatened election contest with respect to the election or removal of directors or other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of a Person other than the Incumbent Board.

 

(r)                                     “Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules” means the limitations or requirements of section 409A of the Code and the guidance and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

(s)                                    “Option” means a right, granted to an Eligible Person under Section 6(b) hereof, to purchase Stock or other Awards at a specified price during specified time periods.

 

(t)                                     “Other Stock-Based Awards” means Awards granted to an Eligible Person under Section 6(i) hereof.

 

(u)                                  “Participant” means a person who has been granted an Award under this Plan which remains outstanding, including a person who is no longer an Eligible Person.

 

(v)                                  “Performance Award” means a right, granted to an Eligible Person under Section 8 hereof, to receive Awards based upon performance criteria specified by the Committee.

 

(w)                                “Person” means any person or entity of any nature whatsoever, specifically including an individual, a firm, a company, a corporation, a partnership, a limited liability company, a trust or other entity; a Person, together with that Person’s Affiliates and Associates (as those terms are defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act, provided that “registrant” as used in Rule 12b-2 shall mean the Company), and any Persons acting as a partnership, limited partnership, joint venture, association, syndicate or other group (whether or not formally organized), or otherwise acting jointly or in concert or in a coordinated or consciously parallel manner (whether or not pursuant to any express agreement), for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting or disposing of securities of the Company with such Person, shall be deemed a single “Person.”

 

(x)                                  “Qualifying Public Offering” means a firm commitment underwritten public offering of Stock for cash where the shares of Stock registered under the Securities Act are listed on a national securities exchange.

 

4



 

(y)                                  “Qualified Member” means a member of the Committee who is a “nonemployee director” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3(b)(3) and an “outside director” within the meaning of Treasury Regulation 1.162-27 under section 162(m) of the Code.

 

(z)                                   “Restricted Stock” means Stock granted to an Eligible Person under Section 6(d) hereof, that is subject to certain restrictions and to a risk of forfeiture.

 

(aa)                           “Restricted Stock Unit” means a right, granted to an Eligible Person under Section 6(e) hereof, to receive Stock, cash or a combination thereof at the end of a specified deferral period.

 

(bb)                           “Rule 16b-3” means Rule 16b-3, promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission under section 16 of the Exchange Act, as from time to time in effect and applicable to this Plan and Participants.

 

(cc)                             “Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933 and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, or any successor law, as it may be amended from time to time.

 

(dd)                           “Stock” means the Company’s Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share, and such other securities as may be substituted (or resubstituted) for Stock pursuant to Section 9.

 

(ee)                             “Stock Appreciation Rights” or “SAR” means a right granted to an Eligible Person under Section 6(c) hereof.

 

(ff)                               “Subsidiary” means with respect to the Company, any corporation or other entity of which a majority of the voting power of the voting equity securities or equity interest is owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company.

 

3.                                       Administration .

 

(a)                                  Authority of the Committee .  This Plan shall be administered by the Committee except to the extent the Board elects to administer this Plan, in which case references herein to the “Committee” shall be deemed to include references to the “Board.”  Subject to the express provisions of the Plan and Rule 16b-3, the Committee shall have the authority, in its sole and absolute discretion, to (i) adopt, amend, and rescind administrative and interpretive rules and regulations relating to the Plan; (ii) determine the Eligible Persons to whom, and the time or times at which, Awards shall be granted; (iii) determine the amount of cash and/or the number of shares of Stock, as applicable Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock Units, Restricted Stock Awards, Dividend Equivalents, Bonus Stock, Other Stock-Based Awards, Annual Incentive Awards, Performance Awards, or any combination thereof, that shall be the subject of each Award; (iv) determine the terms and provisions of each Award agreement (which need not be identical), including provisions defining or otherwise relating to (A) the term and the period or periods and extent of exercisability of the Options, (B) the extent to which the transferability of shares of Stock issued or transferred pursuant to any Award is restricted, (C) except as otherwise provided herein, the effect of termination of employment, or the service relationship with the Company, of a Participant on the Award, and (D) the effect of approved leaves of absence (consistent with any applicable regulations of the Internal Revenue Service);

 

5



 

(v) accelerate the time of vesting or exercisability of any Award that has been granted; (vi) construe the respective Award agreements and the Plan; (vii) make determinations of the Fair Market Value of the Stock pursuant to the Plan; (viii) delegate its duties under the Plan (including, but not limited to, the authority to grant Awards) to such agents as it may appoint from time to time, provided that the Committee may not delegate its duties where such delegation would violate state corporate law, or with respect to making Awards to, or otherwise with respect to Awards granted to, Eligible Persons who are subject to section 16(b) of the Exchange Act or who are Covered Employees receiving Awards that are intended to constitute “performance-based compensation” within the meaning of section 162(m) of the Code; (ix) subject to Section 10(c), terminate, modify or amend the Plan; and (x) make all other determinations, perform all other acts, and exercise all other powers and authority necessary or advisable for administering the Plan, including the delegation of those ministerial acts and responsibilities as the Committee deems appropriate.  Subject to Rule 16b-3 and section 162(m) of the Code, the Committee may correct any defect, supply any omission, or reconcile any inconsistency in the Plan, in any Award, or in any Award agreement in the manner and to the extent it deems necessary or desirable to carry the Plan into effect, and the Committee shall be the sole and final judge of that necessity or desirability.  The determinations of the Committee on the matters referred to in this Section 3(a) shall be final and conclusive.

 

(b)                                  Manner of Exercise of Committee Authority .  At any time that a member of the Committee is not a Qualified Member, any action of the Committee relating to an Award granted or to be granted to an Eligible Person who is then subject to section 16 of the Exchange Act in respect of the Company, or relating to an Award intended by the Committee to qualify as “performance-based compensation” within the meaning of section 162(m) of the Code and regulations thereunder, may be taken either (i) by a subcommittee, designated by the Committee, composed solely of two or more Qualified Members, or (ii) by the Committee but with each such member who is not a Qualified Member abstaining or recusing himself or herself from such action; provided , however , that, upon such abstention or recusal, the Committee remains composed solely of two or more Qualified Members.  Such action, authorized by such a subcommittee or by the Committee upon the abstention or recusal of such non-Qualified Member(s), shall be the action of the Committee for purposes of this Plan.  Any action of the Committee shall be final, conclusive and binding on all Persons, including the Company, its Subsidiaries, stockholders, Participants, Beneficiaries, and transferees under Section 10(a) hereof or other persons claiming rights from or through a Participant.  The express grant of any specific power to the Committee, and the taking of any action by the Committee, shall not be construed as limiting any power or authority of the Committee.  The Committee may delegate to officers or managers of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or committees thereof, the authority, subject to such terms as the Committee shall determine, to perform such functions, including administrative functions, as the Committee may determine, to the extent that such delegation will not result in the loss of an exemption under Rule 16b-3(d)(1) for Awards granted to Participants subject to section 16 of the Exchange Act in respect of the Company and will not cause Awards intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” under section 162(m) of the Code to fail to so qualify.  The Committee may appoint agents to assist it in administering the Plan.

 

(c)                                   Limitation of Liability .  The Committee and each member thereof shall be entitled to, in good faith, rely or act upon any report or other information furnished to him or her by any officer or employee of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, the Company’s legal

 

6



 

counsel, independent auditors, consultants or any other agents assisting in the administration of this Plan.  Members of the Committee and any officer or employee of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries acting at the direction or on behalf of the Committee shall not be personally liable for any action or determination taken or made in good faith with respect to this Plan, and shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be indemnified and held harmless by the Company with respect to any such action or determination.

 

4.                                       Stock Subject to Plan .

 

(a)                                  Overall Number of Shares Available for Delivery .  Subject to adjustment in a manner consistent with any adjustment made pursuant to Section 9, the total number of shares of Stock reserved and available for issuance in connection with Awards under this Plan shall not exceed 10,000,000 shares, and such total will be available for the issuance of Incentive Stock Options.

 

(b)                                  Application of Limitation to Grants of Awards .  Subject to Section 4(c), no Award may be granted if the number of shares of Stock to be delivered in connection with such Award exceeds the number of shares of Stock remaining available under this Plan minus the number of shares of Stock issuable in settlement of or relating to then-outstanding Awards.  The Committee may adopt reasonable counting procedures to ensure appropriate counting, avoid double counting (as, for example, in the case of tandem or substitute awards) and make adjustments if the number of shares of Stock actually delivered differs from the number of shares previously counted in connection with an Award.

 

(c)                                   Availability of Shares Not Issued under Awards .  Shares of Stock subject to an Award under this Plan that expire or are canceled, forfeited, exchanged, settled in cash or otherwise terminated, including (i) shares forfeited with respect to Restricted Stock, (ii) the number of shares withheld in payment of any exercise or purchase price of an Award or taxes relating to Awards, and (iii) the number of shares surrendered in payment of any exercise or purchase price of an Award or taxes relating to any Award, will again be available for Awards under this Plan, except that if any such shares could not again be available for Awards to a particular Participant under any applicable law or regulation, such shares shall be available exclusively for Awards to Participants who are not subject to such limitation.

 

(d)                                  Stock Offered .  The shares to be delivered under the Plan shall be made available from (i) authorized but unissued shares of Stock, (ii) Stock held in the treasury of the Company, or (iii) previously issued shares of Stock reacquired by the Company, including shares purchased on the open market.

 

5.                                       Eligibility; Per Person Award Limitations .  Awards may be granted under this Plan only to Persons who are Eligible Persons at the time of grant thereof.  In each calendar year, during any part of which this Plan is in effect, a Covered Employee may not be granted (a) Awards (other than Awards designated to be paid only in cash or the settlement of which is not based on a number of shares of Stock) relating to more than 500,000 shares of Stock, subject to adjustment in a manner consistent with any adjustment made pursuant to Section 9 and (b) Awards designated to be paid only in cash, or the settlement of which is not based on a number of shares of Stock, having a value determined on the date of grant in excess of $6,000,000.

 

7



 

6.                                       Specific Terms of Awards .

 

(a)                                  General .  Awards may be granted on the terms and conditions set forth in this Section 6.  In addition, the Committee may impose on any Award or the exercise thereof, at the date of grant or thereafter (subject to Section 10(c)), such additional terms and conditions, not inconsistent with the provisions of this Plan, as the Committee shall determine, including terms requiring forfeiture of Awards in the event of termination of employment by the Participant, or termination of the Participant’s service relationship with the Company, and terms permitting a Participant to make elections relating to his or her Award.  The Committee shall retain full power and discretion to accelerate, waive or modify, at any time, any term or condition of an Award that is not mandatory under this Plan; provided , however , that the Committee shall not have any discretion to accelerate, waive or modify any term or condition of an Award that is intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” for purposes of section 162(m) of the Code if such discretion would cause the Award to not so qualify or to accelerate the terms of payment of any Award that provides for a deferral of compensation under the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules if such acceleration would subject a Participant to additional taxes under the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules.

 

(b)                                  Options .  The Committee is authorized to grant Options to Eligible Persons on the following terms and conditions:

 

(i)                                      Exercise Price .  Each Option agreement shall state the exercise price per share of Stock (the “Exercise Price”); provided , however , that the Exercise Price per share of Stock subject to an ISO shall not be less than the greater of (A) the par value per share of the Stock or (B) 100% of the Fair Market Value per share of the Stock as of the date of grant of the Option (or in the case of an individual who owns stock possessing more than 10 percent of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or its parent or any subsidiary, 110% of the Fair Market Value per share of the Stock on the date of grant).

 

(ii)                                   Time and Method of Exercise .  The Committee shall determine the time or times at which or the circumstances under which an Option may be exercised in whole or in part (including based on achievement of performance goals and/or future service requirements), the methods by which such Exercise Price may be paid or deemed to be paid, the form of such payment, including without limitation cash, Stock, other Awards or awards granted under other plans of the Company or any Subsidiary, or other property (including notes or other contractual obligations of Participants to make payment on a deferred basis), and the methods by or forms in which Stock will be delivered or deemed to be delivered to Participants, including, but not limited to, the delivery of Restricted Stock subject to Section 6(d).  In the case of an exercise whereby the Exercise Price is paid with Stock, such Stock shall be valued as of the date of exercise.

 

(iii)                                ISOs .  The terms of any ISO granted under this Plan shall comply in all respects with the provisions of section 422 of the Code.  Except as otherwise provided in Section 9, no term of this Plan relating to ISOs (including any SAR in tandem therewith) shall be interpreted, amended or altered, nor shall any discretion or authority granted under this Plan be exercised, so as to disqualify either this Plan or any ISO under section 422 of the Code, unless the Participant has first requested the change that will result in such disqualification.  ISOs shall

 

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not be granted more than ten years after the earlier of the adoption of this Plan or the approval of this Plan by the Company’s stockholders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Fair Market Value of shares of Stock subject to an ISO and the aggregate Fair Market Value of shares of stock of any parent or subsidiary corporation (within the meaning of sections 424(e) and (f) of the Code) subject to any other ISO (within the meaning of section 422 of the Code)) of the Company or a parent or subsidiary corporation (within the meaning of sections 424(e) and (f) of the Code) that first becomes purchasable by a Participant in any calendar year may not (with respect to that Participant) exceed $100,000, or such other amount as may be prescribed under section 422 of the Code or applicable regulations or rulings from time to time.  As used in the previous sentence, Fair Market Value shall be determined as of the date the ISOs are granted.  Failure to comply with this provision shall not impair the enforceability or exercisability of any Option, but shall cause the excess amount of shares to be reclassified in accordance with the Code.

 

(c)                                   Stock Appreciation Rights .  The Committee is authorized to grant SARs to Eligible Persons on the following terms and conditions:

 

(i)                                      Right to Payment .  An SAR shall confer on the Participant to whom it is granted a right to receive, upon exercise thereof, the excess of (A) the Fair Market Value of one share of Stock on the date of exercise over (B) the grant price of the SAR as determined by the Committee.

 

(ii)                                   Rights Related to Options .  An SAR granted pursuant to an Option shall entitle a Participant, upon exercise, to surrender that Option or any portion thereof, to the extent unexercised, and to receive payment of an amount computed pursuant to Section 6(c)(ii)(B).  That Option shall then cease to be exercisable to the extent surrendered.  SARs granted in connection with an Option shall be subject to the terms of the Award agreement governing the Option, which shall comply with the following provisions in addition to those applicable to Options:

 

(A)                                An SAR granted in connection with an Option shall be exercisable only at such time or times and only to the extent that the related Option is exercisable and shall not be transferable except to the extent that the related Option is transferable.

 

(B)                                Upon the exercise of an SAR related to an Option, a Participant shall be entitled to receive payment from the Company of an amount determined by multiplying:

 

(1)                                  the difference obtained by subtracting the Exercise Price with respect to a share of Stock specified in the related Option from the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the date of exercise of the SAR, by

 

(2)                                  the number of shares as to which that SAR has been exercised.

 

(iii)                                Right Without Option .  An SAR granted independent of an Option shall be exercisable as determined by the Committee and set forth in the Award agreement governing the SAR, which Award agreement shall comply with the following provisions:

 

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(A)                                Each Award agreement shall state the total number of shares of Stock to which the SAR relates.

 

(B)                                Each Award agreement shall state the time or periods in which the right to exercise the SAR or a portion thereof shall vest and the number of shares of Stock for which the right to exercise the SAR shall vest at each such time or period.

 

(C)                                Each Award agreement shall state the date at which the SARs shall expire if not previously exercised.

 

(D)                                Each SAR shall entitle a Participant, upon exercise thereof, to receive payment of an amount determined by multiplying:

 

(1)                                  the difference obtained by subtracting the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the date of grant of the SAR from the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the date of exercise of that SAR, by

 

(2)                                  the number of shares as to which the SAR has been exercised.

 

(iv)                               Terms .  Except as otherwise provided herein, the Committee shall determine at the date of grant or thereafter, the time or times at which and the circumstances under which an SAR may be exercised in whole or in part (including based on achievement of performance goals and/or future service requirements), the method of exercise, method of settlement, form of consideration payable in settlement, method by or forms in which Stock will be delivered or deemed to be delivered to Participants, whether or not an SAR shall be in tandem or in combination with any other Award, and any other terms and conditions of any SAR.  SARs may be either freestanding or in tandem with other Awards.

 

(d)                                  Restricted Stock .  The Committee is authorized to grant Restricted Stock to Eligible Persons on the following terms and conditions:

 

(i)                                      Grant and Restrictions .  Restricted Stock shall be subject to such restrictions on transferability, risk of forfeiture and other restrictions, if any, as the Committee may impose, which restrictions may lapse separately or in combination at such times, under such circumstances (including based on achievement of performance goals and/or future service requirements), in such installments or otherwise, as the Committee may determine at the date of grant or thereafter.  During the restricted period applicable to the Restricted Stock, the Restricted Stock may not be sold, transferred, pledged, hypothecated, margined or otherwise encumbered by the Participant.

 

(ii)                                   Certificates for Stock .  Restricted Stock granted under this Plan may be evidenced in such manner as the Committee shall determine.  If certificates representing Restricted Stock are registered in the name of the Participant, the Committee may require that such certificates bear an appropriate legend referring to the terms, conditions and restrictions applicable to such Restricted Stock, that the Company retain physical possession of the certificates, and that the Participant deliver a stock power to the Company, endorsed in blank, relating to the Restricted Stock.

 

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(iii)                                Dividends and Splits .  As a condition to the grant of an Award of Restricted Stock, the Committee may require or permit a Participant to elect that any cash dividends paid on a share of Restricted Stock be automatically reinvested in additional shares of Restricted Stock, applied to the purchase of additional Awards under this Plan or deferred without interest to the date of vesting of the associated Award of Restricted Stock; provided , that, to the extent applicable, any such election shall comply with the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules.  Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, Stock distributed in connection with a Stock split or Stock dividend, and other property (other than cash) distributed as a dividend, shall be subject to restrictions and a risk of forfeiture to the same extent as the Restricted Stock with respect to which such Stock or other property has been distributed.

 

(e)                                   Restricted Stock Units .  The Committee is authorized to grant Restricted Stock Units, which are rights to receive Stock or cash (or a combination thereof) at the end of a specified deferral period (which may or may not be coterminous with the vesting schedule of the Award), to Eligible Persons, subject to the following terms and conditions:

 

(i)                                      Award and Restrictions .  Settlement of an Award of Restricted Stock Units shall occur upon expiration of the deferral period specified for such Restricted Stock Unit by the Committee (or, if permitted by the Committee, as elected by the Participant).  In addition, Restricted Stock Units shall be subject to such restrictions (which may include a risk of forfeiture) as the Committee may impose, if any, which restrictions may lapse at the expiration of the deferral period or at earlier specified times (including based on achievement of performance goals and/or future service requirements), separately or in combination, in installments or otherwise, as the Committee may determine.  Restricted Stock Units shall be satisfied by the delivery of cash or Stock in the amount equal to the Fair Market Value of the specified number of shares of Stock covered by the Restricted Stock Units, or a combination thereof, as determined by the Committee at the date of grant or thereafter.

 

(ii)                                   Dividend Equivalents .  Unless otherwise determined by the Committee at date of grant, Dividend Equivalents on the specified number of shares of Stock covered by an Award of Restricted Stock Units shall be either (A) paid with respect to such Restricted Stock Units on the dividend payment date in cash or in shares of unrestricted Stock having a Fair Market Value equal to the amount of such dividends, or (B) deferred with respect to such Restricted Stock Units and the amount or value thereof automatically deemed reinvested in additional Restricted Stock Units.

 

(f)                                    Bonus Stock and Awards in Lieu of Obligations .  The Committee is authorized to grant Stock as a bonus, or to grant Stock or other Awards in lieu of obligations to pay cash or deliver other property under this Plan or under other plans or compensatory arrangements, provided that, in the case of Participants subject to section 16 of the Exchange Act, the amount of such grants remains within the discretion of the Committee to the extent necessary to ensure that acquisitions of Stock or other Awards are exempt from liability under section 16(b) of the Exchange Act.  Stock or Awards granted hereunder shall be subject to such other terms as shall be determined by the Committee.  In the case of any grant of Stock to an officer of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in lieu of salary or other cash compensation, the number of shares granted in place of such compensation shall be reasonable, as determined by the Committee.

 

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(g)                                   Dividend Equivalents .  The Committee is authorized to grant Dividend Equivalents to a Participant, entitling the Participant to receive cash, Stock, other Awards, or other property equal in value to dividends paid with respect to a specified number of shares of Stock, or other periodic payments.  Dividend Equivalents may be awarded on a free-standing basis or in connection with another Award.  The Committee may provide that Dividend Equivalents shall be paid or distributed when accrued or shall be deemed to have been reinvested in additional Stock, Awards, or other investment vehicles, and subject to such restrictions on transferability and risks of forfeiture, as the Committee may specify.

 

(h)                                  Other Awards .  The Committee is authorized, subject to limitations under applicable law, to grant to Participants such other Awards that may be denominated or payable in, valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on, or related to, Stock, as deemed by the Committee to be consistent with the purposes of this Plan, including without limitation convertible or exchangeable debt securities, other rights convertible or exchangeable into Stock, purchase rights for Stock, Awards with value and payment contingent upon performance of the Company or any other factors designated by the Committee, and Awards valued by reference to the book value of Stock or the value of securities of or the performance of specified Subsidiaries of the Company.  The Committee shall determine the terms and conditions of such other Stock-Based Awards.  Stock delivered pursuant to an Award in the nature of a purchase right granted under this Section 6(h) shall be purchased for such consideration, paid for at such times, by such methods, and in such forms, including, without limitation, cash, Stock, other Awards, or other property, as the Committee shall determine.  Cash awards, as an element of or supplement to any other Award under this Plan, may also be granted pursuant to this Section 6(h).

 

7.                                       Certain Provisions Applicable to Awards .

 

(a)                                  Termination of Employment .  Except as provided herein, the treatment of an Award upon a termination of employment or any other service relationship by and between a Participant and the Company or any Subsidiary shall be specified in the agreement controlling such Award.

 

(b)                                  Stand-Alone, Additional, Tandem, and Substitute Awards .  Awards granted under this Plan may, in the discretion of the Committee, be granted either alone or in addition to, in tandem with, or in substitution or exchange for, any other Award or any award granted under another plan of the Company, or any of its Subsidiaries, or of any business entity to be acquired by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or any other right of an Eligible Person to receive payment from the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.  Such additional, tandem and substitute or exchange Awards may be granted at any time.  If an Award is granted in substitution or exchange for another Award, the Committee shall require the surrender of such other Award in consideration for the grant of the new Award.  Awards under this Plan may be granted in lieu of cash compensation, including in lieu of cash amounts payable under other plans of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, in which the value of Stock subject to the Award is equivalent in value to the cash compensation, or in which the exercise price, grant price or purchase price of the Award in the nature of a right that may be exercised is equal to the Fair Market Value of the underlying Stock minus the value of the cash compensation surrendered.  Awards granted pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be designed, awarded and settled in a

 

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manner that does not result in additional taxes under the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules.

 

(c)                                   Term of Awards .  Except as specified herein, the term of each Award shall be for such period as may be determined by the Committee; provided , that in no event shall the term of any Option or SAR exceed a period of ten years (or such shorter term as may be required in respect of an ISO under section 422 of the Code).

 

(d)                                  Form and Timing of Payment under Awards; Deferrals .  Subject to the terms of this Plan and any applicable Award agreement, payments to be made by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries upon the exercise of an Option or other Award or settlement of an Award may be made in such forms as the Committee shall determine, including without limitation cash, Stock, other Awards or other property, and may be made in a single payment or transfer, in installments, or on a deferred basis; provided , however , that any such deferred payment will be set forth in the agreement evidencing such Award and/or otherwise made in a manner that will not result in additional taxes under the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules.  Except as otherwise provided herein, the settlement of any Award may be accelerated, and cash paid in lieu of Stock in connection with such settlement, in the discretion of the Committee or upon occurrence of one or more specified events (in addition to a Change in Control).  Installment or deferred payments may be required by the Committee (subject to Section 10(c) of this Plan, including the consent provisions thereof in the case of any deferral of an outstanding Award not provided for in the original Award agreement) or permitted at the election of the Participant on terms and conditions established by the Committee and in compliance with the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules.  Payments may include, without limitation, provisions for the payment or crediting of reasonable interest on installment or deferred payments or the grant or crediting of Dividend Equivalents or other amounts in respect of installment or deferred payments denominated in Stock.  Any deferral shall only be allowed as is provided in a separate deferred compensation plan adopted by the Company and shall be made pursuant to the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules.  This Plan shall not constitute an “employee benefit plan” for purposes of section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended.

 

(e)                                   Exemptions from Section 16(b) Liability .  It is the intent of the Company that the grant of any Awards to or other transaction by a Participant who is subject to section 16 of the Exchange Act shall be exempt from such section pursuant to an applicable exemption (except for transactions acknowledged in writing to be non-exempt by such Participant).  Accordingly, if any provision of this Plan or any Award agreement does not comply with the requirements of Rule 16b-3 as then applicable to any such transaction, such provision shall be construed or deemed amended to the extent necessary to conform to the applicable requirements of Rule 16b-3 so that such Participant shall avoid liability under section 16(b) of the Exchange Act.

 

(f)                                    Non-Competition Agreement .  Each Participant to whom an Award is granted under this Plan may be required to agree in writing as a condition to the granting of such Award not to engage in conduct in competition with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries for a period after the termination of such Participant’s employment with the Company and its Subsidiaries as determined by the Committee (a “Non-Competition Agreement”); provided,

 

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however, to the extent a legally binding right to an Award within the meaning of the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules is created with respect to a Participant, the Non-Competition Agreement must be entered into by such Participant within 30 days following the creation of such legally binding right.

 

8.                                       Performance and Annual Incentive Awards .

 

(a)                                  Performance Conditions .  The right of an Eligible Person to receive a grant, and the right of a Participant to exercise or receive a grant or settlement of any Award, and the timing thereof, may be subject to such performance conditions as may be specified by the Committee.  The Committee may use such business criteria and other measures of performance as it may deem appropriate in establishing any performance conditions, and may exercise its discretion to reduce or increase the amounts payable under any Award subject to performance conditions, except as limited under Sections 8(b) and 8(c) hereof in the case of a Performance Award or Annual Incentive Award intended to qualify under section 162(m) of the Code.

 

(b)                                  Performance Awards Granted to Designated Covered Employees .  If the Committee determines that a Performance Award to be granted to an Eligible Person who is designated by the Committee as likely to be a Covered Employee should qualify as “performance-based compensation” for purposes of section 162(m) of the Code, the grant, exercise and/or settlement of such Performance Award may be contingent upon achievement of preestablished performance goals and other terms set forth in this Section 8(b).

 

(i)                                      Performance Goals Generally .  The performance goals for such Performance Awards shall consist of one or more business criteria or individual performance criteria and a targeted level or levels of performance with respect to each of such criteria, as specified by the Committee consistent with this Section 8(b).  Performance goals shall be objective and shall otherwise meet the requirements of section 162(m) of the Code and regulations thereunder (including Treasury Regulation §1.162-27 and successor regulations thereto), including the requirement that the level or levels of performance targeted by the Committee result in the achievement of performance goals being “substantially uncertain” at the time the Committee actually establishes the performance goal or goals.  The Committee may determine that such Performance Awards shall be granted, exercised, and/or settled upon achievement of any one performance goal or that two or more of the performance goals must be achieved as a condition to grant, exercise and/or settlement of such Performance Awards.  Performance goals may differ for Performance Awards granted to any one Participant or to different Participants.

 

(ii)                                   Business and Individual Performance Criteria

 

(A)                                Business Criteria .  One or more of the following business criteria for the Company, on a consolidated basis, and/or for specified Subsidiaries or business or geographical units of the Company (except with respect to the total stockholder return and earnings per share criteria), shall be used by the Committee in establishing performance goals for such Performance Awards:  (1) earnings per share; (2) increase in revenues; (3) increase in cash flow; (4) increase in cash flow from operations; (5) increase in cash flow return; (6) return on net assets; (7) return on assets; (8) return on investment; (9) return on capital; (10) return on equity;

 

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(11) economic value added; (12) operating margin; (13) contribution margin; (14) net income; (15) net income per share; (16) pretax earnings; (17) pretax earnings before interest, depreciation and amortization; (18) pretax operating earnings after interest expense and before incentives, service fees, and extraordinary or special items; (19) total stockholder return; (20) debt reduction; (21) market share; (22) change in the Fair Market Value of the Stock; (23) operating income; (24) lease operating expenses; and (25) any of the above goals determined on an absolute or relative basis or as compared to the performance of a published or special index deemed applicable by the Committee including, but not limited to, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Stock Index or a group of comparable companies. The Committee may exclude the impact of any of the following events or occurrences which the Committee determines should appropriately be excluded: (a) asset write-downs; (b) litigation, claims, judgments or settlements; (c) the effect of changes in tax law or other such laws or regulations affecting reported results; (d) accruals for reorganization and restructuring programs; (e) any extraordinary, unusual or nonrecurring items as described in the Accounting Standards Codification Topic 225, as the same may be amended or superseded from time to time; (f) any change in accounting principles as defined in the Accounting Standards Codification Topic 250, as the same may be amended or superseded from time to time; (g) any loss from a discontinued operation as described in the Accounting Standards Codification Topic 360, as the same may be amended or superseded from time to time; (h) goodwill impairment charges; (i) operating results for any business acquired during the calendar year; (j) third party expenses associated with any acquisition by us or any subsidiary; and (k) to the extent set forth with reasonable particularity in connection with the establishment of performance goals, any other extraordinary events or occurrences identified by the Committee.  One or more of the foregoing business criteria shall also be exclusively used in establishing performance goals for Annual Incentive Awards granted to a Covered Employee under Section 8(c) hereof that are intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” under section 162(m) of the Code.

 

(B)                                Individual Performance Criteria .  The grant, exercise and/or settlement of Performance Awards may also be contingent upon individual performance goals established by the Committee.  If required for compliance with section 162(m) of the Code, such criteria shall be approved by the stockholders of the Company.

 

(iii)                                Performance Period; Timing for Establishing Performance Goals .  Achievement of performance goals in respect of such Performance Awards shall be measured over a performance period of up to ten years, as specified by the Committee.  Performance goals shall be established not later than 90 days after the beginning of any performance period applicable to such Performance Awards, or at such other date as may be required or permitted for “performance-based compensation” under section 162(m) of the Code.

 

(iv)                               Performance Award Pool .  The Committee may establish a Performance Award pool, which shall be an unfunded pool, for purposes of measuring performance of the Company in connection with Performance Awards.  The amount of such Performance Award pool shall be based upon the achievement of a performance goal or goals based on one or more of the criteria set forth in Section 8(b)(ii) hereof during the given performance period, as specified by the Committee in accordance with Section 8(b)(iii) hereof.  The Committee may specify the amount of the Performance Award pool as a percentage of any

 

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of such criteria, a percentage thereof in excess of a threshold amount, or as another amount which need not bear a strictly mathematical relationship to such criteria.

 

(v)                                  Settlement of Performance Awards; Other Terms .  After the end of each performance period, the Committee shall determine the amount, if any, of (A) the Performance Award pool, and the maximum amount of the potential Performance Award payable to each Participant in the Performance Award pool, or (B) the amount of the potential Performance Award otherwise payable to each Participant.  Settlement of such Performance Awards shall be in cash, Stock, other Awards or other property, in the discretion of the Committee.  The Committee may, in its discretion, reduce the amount of a settlement otherwise to be made in connection with such Performance Awards, but may not exercise discretion to increase any such amount payable to a Covered Employee in respect of a Performance Award subject to this Section 8(b).  The Committee shall specify the circumstances in which such Performance Awards shall be paid or forfeited in the event of termination of employment by the Participant prior to the end of a performance period or settlement of Performance Awards.

 

(c)                                   Annual Incentive Awards Granted to Designated Covered Employees .  If the Committee determines that an Annual Incentive Award to be granted to an Eligible Person who is designated by the Committee as likely to be a Covered Employee should qualify as “performance-based compensation” for purposes of section 162(m) of the Code, the grant, exercise and/or settlement of such Annual Incentive Award shall be contingent upon achievement of preestablished performance goals and other terms set forth in this Section 8(c).

 

(i)                                      Potential Annual Incentive Awards .  Not later than the end of the 90 th  day of each applicable year, or at such other date as may be required or permitted in the case of Awards intended to be “performance-based compensation” under section 162(m) of the Code, the Committee shall determine the Eligible Persons who will potentially receive Annual Incentive Awards, and the amounts potentially payable thereunder, for that fiscal year, either out of an Annual Incentive Award pool established by such date under Section 8(c)(ii) hereof or as individual Annual Incentive Awards.  The amount potentially payable, with respect to Annual Incentive Awards, shall be based upon the achievement of a performance goal or goals based on one or more of the business criteria set forth in Section 8(b)(ii) hereof in the given performance year, as specified by the Committee.

 

(ii)                                   Annual Incentive Award Pool .  The Committee may establish an Annual Incentive Award pool, which shall be an unfunded pool, for purposes of measuring performance of the Company in connection with Annual Incentive Awards.  The amount of such Annual Incentive Award pool shall be based upon the achievement of a performance goal or goals based on one or more of the business criteria set forth in Section 8(b)(ii) hereof during the given performance period, as specified by the Committee in accordance with Section 8(b)(iii) hereof.  The Committee may specify the amount of the Annual Incentive Award pool as a percentage of any of such business criteria, a percentage thereof in excess of a threshold amount, or as another amount which need not bear a strictly mathematical relationship to such business criteria.

 

(iii)                                Payout of Annual Incentive Awards .  After the end of each applicable year, the Committee shall determine the amount, if any, of (A) the Annual Incentive

 

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Award pool, and the maximum amount of the potential Annual Incentive Award payable to each Participant in the Annual Incentive Award pool, or (A) the amount of the potential Annual Incentive Award otherwise payable to each Participant.  The Committee may, in its discretion, determine that the amount payable to any Participant as a final Annual Incentive Award shall be reduced from the amount of his or her potential Annual Incentive Award, including a determination to make no final Award whatsoever, but may not exercise discretion to increase any such amount in the case of an Annual Incentive Award intended to qualify under section 162(m) of the Code.  The Committee shall specify the circumstances in which an Annual Incentive Award shall be paid or forfeited in the event of termination of employment by the Participant prior to the end of the applicable year or settlement of such Annual Incentive Award.

 

(d)                                  Written Determinations .  All determinations by the Committee as to the establishment of performance goals, the amount of any Performance Award pool or potential individual Performance Awards, the achievement of performance goals relating to and final settlement of Performance Awards under Section 8(b), the amount of any Annual Incentive Award pool or potential individual Annual Incentive Awards, the achievement of performance goals relating to and final settlement of Annual Incentive Awards under Section 8(c) shall be made in writing in the case of any Award intended to qualify under section 162(m) of the Code.  The Committee may not delegate any responsibility relating to such Performance Awards or Annual Incentive Awards.

 

(e)                                   Status of Section 8(b) and Section 8(c) Awards under Section 162(m) of the Code .  It is the intent of the Company that Performance Awards and Annual Incentive Awards under Sections 8(b) and 8(c) hereof granted to Persons who are designated by the Committee as likely to be Covered Employees within the meaning of section 162(m) of the Code and the regulations thereunder (including Treasury Regulation §1.162-27 and successor regulations thereto) shall, if so designated by the Committee, constitute “performance-based compensation” within the meaning of section 162(m) of the Code and regulations thereunder.  Accordingly, the terms of Sections 8(b), (c), (d) and (e), including the definitions of Covered Employee and other terms used therein, shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with section 162(m) of the Code and regulations thereunder.  The foregoing notwithstanding, because the Committee cannot determine with certainty whether a given Eligible Person will be a Covered Employee with respect to a fiscal year that has not yet been completed, the term Covered Employee as used herein shall mean only a Person designated by the Committee, at the time of grant of a Performance Award or an Annual Incentive Award, who is likely to be a Covered Employee with respect to that fiscal year.  If any provision of this Plan as in effect on the date of adoption of any agreements relating to Performance Awards or Annual Incentive Awards that are designated as intended to comply with section 162(m) of the Code does not comply or is inconsistent with the requirements of section 162(m) of the Code or regulations thereunder, such provision shall be construed or deemed amended to the extent necessary to conform to such requirements.

 

9.                                       Subdivision or Consolidation; Recapitalization; Change in Control; Reorganization .

 

(a)                                  Existence of Plans and Awards .  The existence of this Plan and the Awards granted hereunder shall not affect in any way the right or power of the Board or the

 

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stockholders of the Company to make or authorize any adjustment, recapitalization, reorganization or other change in the Company’s capital structure or its business, any merger or consolidation of the Company, any issue of debt or equity securities ahead of or affecting Stock or the rights thereof, the dissolution or liquidation of the Company or any sale, lease, exchange or other disposition of all or any part of its assets or business or any other corporate act or proceeding.  In no event will any action taken by the Committee pursuant to this Section 9 result in the creation of deferred compensation within the meaning of section 409A of the Code and the regulations and other guidance promulgated thereunder.

 

(b)                                  Subdivision or Consolidation of Shares .  The terms of an Award and the number of shares of Stock authorized pursuant to Section 4 for issuance under the Plan shall be subject to adjustment from time to time, in accordance with the following provisions:

 

(i)                                      If at any time, or from time to time, the Company shall subdivide as a whole (by reclassification, by a Stock split, by the issuance of a distribution on Stock payable in Stock, or otherwise) or in the event the Company distributes an extraordinary cash dividend the number of shares of Stock then outstanding into a greater number of shares of Stock, then, as appropriate, (A) the maximum number of shares of Stock available for the Plan or in connection with Awards as provided in Sections 4 and 5 shall be increased proportionately, and the kind of shares or other securities available for the Plan shall be appropriately adjusted, (B) the number of shares of Stock (or other kind of shares or securities) that may be acquired under any then outstanding Award shall be increased proportionately, and (C) the price (including the exercise price) for each share of Stock (or other kind of shares or securities) subject to then outstanding Awards shall be reduced proportionately, without changing the aggregate purchase price or value as to which outstanding Awards remain exercisable or subject to restrictions.

 

(ii)                                   If at any time, or from time to time, the Company shall consolidate as a whole (by reclassification, by reverse Stock split, or otherwise) the number of shares of Stock then outstanding into a lesser number of shares of Stock, (A) the maximum number of shares of Stock for the Plan or available in connection with Awards as provided in Sections 4 and 5 shall be decreased proportionately, and the kind of shares or other securities available for the Plan shall be appropriately adjusted, (B) the number of shares of Stock (or other kind of shares or securities) that may be acquired under any then outstanding Award shall be decreased proportionately, and (C) the price (including the exercise price) for each share of Stock (or other kind of shares or securities) subject to then outstanding Awards shall be increased proportionately, without changing the aggregate purchase price or value as to which outstanding Awards remain exercisable or subject to restrictions.

 

(iii)                                Whenever the number of shares of Stock subject to outstanding Awards and the price for each share of Stock subject to outstanding Awards are required to be adjusted as provided in this Section 9(b), the Committee shall promptly prepare a notice setting forth, in reasonable detail, the event requiring adjustment, the amount of the adjustment, the method by which such adjustment was calculated, and the change in price and the number of shares of Stock, other securities, cash, or property purchasable subject to each Award after giving effect to the adjustments.  The Committee shall promptly provide each affected Participant with such notice.

 

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(iv)                               Adjustments under Sections 9(b)(i) and (ii) shall be made by the Committee, and its determination as to what adjustments shall be made and the extent thereof shall be final, binding, and conclusive.  No fractional interest shall be issued under the Plan on account of any such adjustments.

 

(c)                                   Corporate Recapitalization .  If the Company recapitalizes, reclassifies its capital stock, or otherwise changes its capital structure (a “recapitalization”) without the occurrence of a Change in Control, the number and class of shares of Stock covered by an Option or an SAR theretofore granted shall be adjusted so that such Option or SAR shall thereafter cover the number and class of shares of stock and securities to which the holder would have been entitled pursuant to the terms of the recapitalization if, immediately prior to the recapitalization, the holder had been the holder of record of the number of shares of Stock then covered by such Option or SAR and the share limitations provided in Sections 4 and 5 shall be adjusted in a manner consistent with the recapitalization.

 

(d)                                  Additional Issuances .  Except as hereinbefore expressly provided, the issuance by the Company of shares of stock of any class or securities convertible into shares of stock of any class, for cash, property, labor or services, upon direct sale, upon the exercise of rights or warrants to subscribe therefor, or upon conversion of shares or obligations of the Company convertible into such shares or other securities, and in any case whether or not for fair value, shall not affect, and no adjustment by reason thereof shall be made with respect to, the number of shares of Stock subject to Awards theretofore granted or the purchase price per share, if applicable.

 

(e)                                   Change in Control .  Upon a Change in Control the Committee, acting in its sole discretion without the consent or approval of any holder, shall affect one or more of the following alternatives, which may vary among individual holders and which may vary among Options or SARs (collectively “Grants”) held by any individual holder: (i) accelerate the time at which Grants then outstanding may be exercised so that such Grants may be exercised in full for a limited period of time on or before a specified date (before or after such Change in Control) fixed by the Committee, after which specified date all unexercised Grants and all rights of holders thereunder shall terminate, (ii) require the mandatory surrender to the Company by selected holders of some or all of the outstanding Grants held by such holders (irrespective of whether such Grants are then exercisable under the provisions of this Plan) as of a date, before or after such Change in Control, specified by the Committee, in which event the Committee shall thereupon cancel such Grants and pay to each holder an amount of cash (or other consideration including securities or other property) per share equal to the excess, if any, of the amount calculated in Section 9(f) (the “Change in Control Price”) of the shares subject to such Grants over the Exercise Price(s) under such Grants for such shares (except that to the extent the Exercise Price under any such Grant is equal to or exceeds the Change in Control Price, in which case no amount shall be payable with respect to such Grant), or (iii) make such adjustments to Grants then outstanding as the Committee deems appropriate to reflect such Change in Control; provided , however , that the Committee may determine in its sole discretion that no adjustment is necessary to Grants then outstanding; provided , further, however, that the right to make such adjustments shall include, but not require or be limited to, the modification of Grants such that the holder of the Grant shall be entitled to purchase or receive (in lieu of the total number of shares of Stock as to which an Option or SAR is exercisable (the “Total Shares”) or other

 

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consideration that the holder would otherwise be entitled to purchase or receive under the Grant (the “Total Consideration”)), the number of shares of stock, other securities, cash or property to which the Total Consideration would have been entitled to in connection with the Change in Control (A) (in the case of Options), at an aggregate exercise price equal to the exercise price that would have been payable if the Total Shares had been purchased upon the exercise of the Grant immediately before the consummation of the Change in Control and (B) in the case of SARs, if the SARs had been exercised immediately before the occurrence of the Change in Control.

 

(f)                                    Change in Control Price .  The “Change in Control Price” shall equal the amount determined in the following clause (i), (ii), (iii), (iv) or (v), whichever is applicable, as follows:  (i) the price per share offered to holders of Stock in any merger or consolidation, (ii) the per share Fair Market Value of the Stock immediately before the Change in Control without regard to assets sold in the Change in Control and assuming the Company has received the consideration paid for the assets in the case of a sale of the assets, (iii) the amount distributed per share of Stock in a dissolution transaction, (iv) the price per share offered to holders of Stock in any tender offer or exchange offer whereby a Change in Control takes place, or (v) if such Change in Control occurs other than pursuant to a transaction described in clauses (i), (ii), (iii), or (iv) of this Section 9(f), the Fair Market Value per share of the Stock that may otherwise be obtained with respect to such Grants or to which such Grants track, as determined by the Committee as of the date determined by the Committee to be the date of cancellation and surrender of such Grants.  In the event that the consideration offered to stockholders of the Company in any transaction described in this Section 9(f) or in Section 9(e) consists of anything other than cash, the Committee shall determine the fair cash equivalent of the portion of the consideration offered which is other than cash and such determination shall be binding on all affected Participants to the extent applicable to Awards held by such Participants.

 

(g)                                   Impact of Corporate Events on Awards Generally .  In the event of a Change in Control or changes in the outstanding Stock by reason of a recapitalization, reorganization, merger, consolidation, combination, exchange or other relevant change in capitalization occurring after the date of the grant of any Award and not otherwise provided for by this Section 9, any outstanding Awards and any Award agreements evidencing such Awards shall be subject to adjustment by the Committee at its discretion, which adjustment may, in the Committee’s discretion, be described in the Award agreement and may include, but not be limited to, adjustments as to the number and price of shares of Stock or other consideration subject to such Awards, accelerated vesting (in full or in part) of such Awards, conversion of such Awards into awards denominated in the securities or other interests of any successor Person, or the cash settlement of such Awards in exchange for the cancellation thereof.  In the event of any such change in the outstanding Stock, the aggregate number of shares of Stock available under this Plan may be appropriately adjusted by the Committee, whose determination shall be conclusive.

 

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10.                                General Provisions .

 

(a)                                  Transferability .

 

(i)                                      Permitted Transferees .  The Committee may, in its discretion, permit a Participant to transfer all or any portion of an Option or SAR, or authorize all or a portion of an Option or SAR to be granted to an Eligible Person to be on terms which permit transfer by such Participant; provided that, in either case the transferee or transferees must be any child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, former spouse, sibling, niece, nephew, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law, including adoptive relationships, in each case with respect to the Participant, an individual sharing the Participant’s household (other than a tenant or employee of the Company), a trust in which any of the foregoing individuals have more than fifty percent of the beneficial interest, a foundation in which any of the foregoing individuals (or the Participant) control the management of assets, and any other entity in which any of the foregoing individuals (or the Participant) own more than fifty percent of the voting interests (collectively, “Permitted Transferees”); provided further that, (X) there may be no consideration for any such transfer and (Y) subsequent transfers of Options or SARs transferred as provided above shall be prohibited except subsequent transfers back to the original holder of the Option or SAR and transfers to other Permitted Transferees of the original holder.  Agreements evidencing Options or SARs with respect to which such transferability is authorized at the time of grant must be approved by the Committee, and must expressly provide for transferability in a manner consistent with this Section 10(a)(i).

 

(ii)                                   Qualified Domestic Relations Orders .  An Option, Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock Unit Award, Restricted Stock Award or other Award may be transferred, to a Permitted Transferee, pursuant to a domestic relations order entered or approved by a court of competent jurisdiction upon delivery to the Company of written notice of such transfer and a certified copy of such order.

 

(iii)                                Other Transfers .  Except as expressly permitted by Sections 10(a)(i) and 10(a)(ii), Awards shall not be transferable other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 10, an Incentive Stock Option shall not be transferable other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution.

 

(iv)                               Effect of Transfer .  Following the transfer of any Award as contemplated by Sections 10(a)(i), 10(a)(ii) and 10(a)(iii), (A) such Award shall continue to be subject to the same terms and conditions as were applicable immediately prior to transfer, provided that the term “Participant” shall be deemed to refer to the Permitted Transferee, the recipient under a qualified domestic relations order, or the estate or heirs of a deceased Participant or other transferee, as applicable, to the extent appropriate to enable the Participant to exercise the transferred Award in accordance with the terms of this Plan and applicable law and (B) the provisions of the Award relating to exercisability shall continue to be applied with respect to the original Participant and, following the occurrence of any applicable events described therein the Awards shall be exercisable by the Permitted Transferee, the recipient under a qualified domestic relations order, or the estate or heirs of a deceased Participant, as applicable, only to the extent and for the periods that would have been applicable in the absence of the transfer.

 

(v)                                  Procedures and Restrictions .  Any Participant desiring to transfer an Award as permitted under Sections 10(a)(i), 10(a)(ii) or 10(a)(iii) shall make application

 

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therefor in the manner and time specified by the Committee and shall comply with such other requirements as the Committee may require to assure compliance with all applicable securities laws.  The Committee shall not give permission for such a transfer if (A) it would give rise to short swing liability under section 16(b) of the Exchange Act or (B) it may not be made in compliance with all applicable federal, state and foreign securities laws.

 

(vi)                               Registration .  To the extent the issuance to any Permitted Transferee of any shares of Stock issuable pursuant to Awards transferred as permitted in this Section 10(a) is not registered pursuant to the effective registration statement of the Company generally covering the shares to be issued pursuant to this Plan to initial holders of Awards, the Company shall not have any obligation to register the issuance of any such shares of Stock to any such transferee.

 

(b)                                  Taxes .  The Company and any of its Subsidiaries are authorized to withhold from any Award granted, or any payment relating to an Award under this Plan, including from a distribution of Stock, amounts of withholding and other taxes due or potentially payable in connection with any transaction involving an Award, and to take such other action as the Committee may deem advisable to enable the Company and Participants to satisfy obligations for the payment of withholding taxes and other tax obligations relating to any Award.  This authority shall include authority to withhold or receive Stock or other property and to make cash payments in respect thereof in satisfaction of a Participant’s tax obligations, either on a mandatory or elective basis in the discretion of the Committee.

 

(c)                                   Changes to this Plan and Awards .  The Board may amend, alter, suspend, discontinue or terminate this Plan or the Committee’s authority to grant Awards under this Plan without the consent of stockholders or Participants, except that any amendment or alteration to this Plan, including any increase in any share limitation, shall be subject to the approval of the Company’s stockholders not later than the annual meeting next following such Board action if such stockholder approval is required by any federal or state law or regulation or the rules of any stock exchange or automated quotation system on which the Stock may then be listed or quoted, and the Board may otherwise, in its discretion, determine to submit other such changes to this Plan to stockholders for approval; provided , that, without the consent of an affected Participant, no such Board action may materially and adversely affect the rights of such Participant under any previously granted and outstanding Award.  The Committee may waive any conditions or rights under, or amend, alter, suspend, discontinue or terminate any Award theretofore granted and any Award agreement relating thereto, except as otherwise provided in this Plan; provided , however , that, without the consent of an affected Participant, no such Committee action may materially and adversely affect the rights of such Participant under such Award.  For purposes of clarity, any adjustments made to Awards pursuant to Section 9 will be deemed not to materially and adversely affect the rights of any Participant under any previously granted and outstanding Award and therefore may be made without the consent of affected Participants.

 

(d)                                  Limitation on Rights Conferred under Plan .  Neither this Plan nor any action taken hereunder shall be construed as (i) giving any Eligible Person or Participant the right to continue as an Eligible Person or Participant or in the employ or service of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, (ii) interfering in any way with the right of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to terminate any Eligible Person’s or Participant’s employment or service

 

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relationship at any time, (iii) giving an Eligible Person or Participant any claim to be granted any Award under this Plan or to be treated uniformly with other Participants and/or employees and/or other service providers, or (iv) conferring on a Participant any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company unless and until the Participant is duly issued or transferred shares of Stock in accordance with the terms of an Award.

 

(e)                                   Unfunded Status of Awards .  This Plan is intended to constitute an “unfunded” plan for certain incentive awards.

 

(f)                                    Nonexclusivity of this Plan .  Neither the adoption of this Plan by the Board nor its submission to the stockholders of the Company for approval shall be construed as creating any limitations on the power of the Board or a committee thereof to adopt such other incentive arrangements as it may deem desirable, including incentive arrangements and awards which do not qualify under section 162(m) of the Code.  Nothing contained in this Plan shall be construed to prevent the Company or any of its Subsidiaries from taking any corporate action which is deemed by the Company or such Subsidiary to be appropriate or in its best interest, whether or not such action would have an adverse effect on this Plan or any Award made under this Plan. No employee, beneficiary or other person shall have any claim against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries as a result of any such action.

 

(g)                                   Fractional Shares .  No fractional shares of Stock shall be issued or delivered pursuant to this Plan or any Award.  The Committee shall determine whether cash, other Awards or other property shall be issued or paid in lieu of such fractional shares or whether such fractional shares or any rights thereto shall be forfeited or otherwise eliminated.

 

(h)                                  Severability .  If any provision of this Plan is held to be illegal or invalid for any reason, the illegality or invalidity shall not affect the remaining provisions hereof, but such provision shall be fully severable and the Plan shall be construed and enforced as if the illegal or invalid provision had never been included herein.  If any of the terms or provisions of this Plan or any Award agreement conflict with the requirements of Rule 16b-3 (as those terms or provisions are applied to Eligible Persons who are subject to section 16(b) of the Exchange Act) or section 422 of the Code (with respect to Incentive Stock Options), then those conflicting terms or provisions shall be deemed inoperative to the extent they so conflict with the requirements of Rule 16b-3 (unless the Board or the Committee, as appropriate, has expressly determined that the Plan or such Award should not comply with Rule 16b-3) or section 422 of the Code.  With respect to Incentive Stock Options, if this Plan does not contain any provision required to be included herein under section 422 of the Code, that provision shall be deemed to be incorporated herein with the same force and effect as if that provision had been set out at length herein; provided , further, that, to the extent any Option that is intended to qualify as an Incentive Stock Option cannot so qualify, that Option (to that extent) shall be deemed an Option not subject to section 422 of the Code for all purposes of the Plan.

 

(i)                                      Governing Law .  All questions arising with respect to the provisions of the Plan and Awards shall be determined by application of the laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to any conflict of law provisions thereof, except to the extent Delaware law is preempted by federal law.  The obligation of the Company to sell and deliver Stock hereunder

 

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is subject to applicable federal and state laws and to the approval of any governmental authority required in connection with the authorization, issuance, sale, or delivery of such Stock.

 

(j)                                     Conditions to Delivery of Stock .  Nothing herein or in any Award granted hereunder or any Award agreement shall require the Company to issue any shares with respect to any Award if that issuance would, in the opinion of counsel for the Company, constitute a violation of the Securities Act or any similar or superseding statute or statutes, any other applicable statute or regulation, or the rules of any applicable securities exchange or securities association, as then in effect.  At the time of any exercise of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right, or at the time of any grant of a Restricted Stock Award, Restricted Stock Unit, or other Award the Company may, as a condition precedent to the exercise of such Option or Stock Appreciation Right or settlement of any Restricted Stock Award, Restricted Stock Unit or other Award, require from the Participant (or in the event of his or her death, his or her legal representatives, heirs, legatees, or distributees) such written representations, if any, concerning the holder’s intentions with regard to the retention or disposition of the shares of Stock being acquired pursuant to the Award and such written covenants and agreements, if any, as to the manner of disposal of such shares as, in the opinion of counsel to the Company, may be necessary to ensure that any disposition by that holder (or in the event of the holder’s death, his or her legal representatives, heirs, legatees, or distributees) will not involve a violation of the Securities Act or any similar or superseding statute or statutes, any other applicable state or federal statute or regulation, or any rule of any applicable securities exchange or securities association, as then in effect.  No Option or Stock Appreciation Right shall be exercisable and no settlement of any Restricted Stock Award or Restricted Stock Unit shall occur with respect to a Participant unless and until the holder thereof shall have paid cash or property to, or performed services for, the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that the Committee believes is equal to or greater in value than the par value of the Stock subject to such Award.

 

(k)                                  Section 409A of the Code .  In the event that any Award granted pursuant to this Plan provides for a deferral of compensation within the meaning of the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules, it is the general intention, but not the obligation, of the Company to design such Award to comply with the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules and such Award should be interpreted accordingly.

 

(l)                                      Plan Effective Date and Term .  This Plan was adopted by the Board on the Effective Date.  No Awards may be granted under this Plan on and after January 15, 2024.

 

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