UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 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): November 15, 2017

 


 

MB FINANCIAL, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 


 

Maryland

 

001-36599

 

36-4460265

(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation)

 

(Commission File No.)

 

(IRS Employer
Identification No.)

 

800 West Madison Street, Chicago, Illinois

 

60607

(Address of principal executive offices)

 

(Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (888) 422-6562

 

N/A

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

 


 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

 

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))

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

 

Emerging growth company   o

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.   o

 

 

 



 

Item 1.01                                            Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement

 

On November 15, 2017, MB Financial, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), entered into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, UBS Securities LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P., as representatives of the several underwriters named therein, relating to the issuance and sale by the Company of 8,000,000 depositary shares (the “Depositary Shares”), each representing a 1/40 th  interest in a share of the Company’s 6.00% Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series C (the “Series C Preferred Stock”), par value $0.01 per share and with a liquidation value of $1,000 per share ($25 per Depositary Share), at a public offering price of $25 per Depositary Share (the “Offering”).  The Company estimates that the net proceeds from the Offering will be approximately $194.4 million, after deducting underwriting commissions and expenses.  The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering to fund the redemption of some or all of the 4,000,000 outstanding shares of the Company’s Perpetual Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series A (the “Series A Preferred Stock”), at a per share redemption price of $25 plus the per share amount of any dividends that have been declared but not paid prior to the redemption date, and for general corporate purposes, which may include the repayment of indebtedness. The Company must obtain the approval of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”) to redeem its Series A Preferred Stock. The Offering is expected to be completed on November 22, 2017.

 

The Underwriting Agreement contains customary representations, warranties and covenants between the parties as of the date of entering into the Underwriting Agreement. These representations, warranties and covenants are not representations of factual information to investors about the Underwriting Agreement, and the sale of any Depositary Shares pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement is not a representation that there has not been any change in the condition of the Company.  A copy of the Underwriting Agreement is attached hereto as Exhibit 1.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 3.03                                            Material Modification to Rights of Security Holders

 

On November 21, 2017, in connection with the Offering, the Company filed articles supplementary to its charter (the “Articles Supplementary”) with the Department of Assessments and Taxation of the State of Maryland (the “Maryland Department”), establishing the rights, preferences, privileges, qualifications, restrictions and limitations of the Series C Preferred Stock.  Each holder of a Depositary Share will be entitled to the proportional rights of a share of Series C Preferred Stock represented by the Depositary Share.

 

The Series C Preferred Stock ranks senior to the Company’s junior stock, including the Company’s common stock and any other class or series of stock of the Company authorized in the future over which the Series C Preferred Stock has preference or priority in the payment of dividends or in the distribution of assets on any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company; equally with each other series of parity stock, including the Series A Preferred Stock, and any other class or series of stock the Company may issue in the future that, by its terms, ranks equally to the Series C Preferred Stock in the payment of dividends and in the distribution of assets on any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company; and junior to any class or series of stock the Company may issue in the future that ranks senior to the Series C Preferred Stock in the payment of dividends or in the distribution of assets on any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, and to all of the Company’s existing and future debt obligations.

 

Under the terms of the Series C Preferred Stock, the ability of the Company to pay dividends on, make distributions with respect to, or to redeem, purchase or acquire, or make a distribution on its common stock or any

 

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stock ranking on a parity with or junior to the Series C Preferred Stock, is subject to restrictions in the event that the Company does not declare and either pay or set aside a sum sufficient for payment of dividends on the Series C Preferred Stock for the most recently completed dividend period (described below), or, in the case of a liquidation payment, does not pay to holders of the Series C Preferred Stock the liquidation value of $1,000 per share, plus any declared and unpaid dividends, without accumulation of any undeclared dividends.

 

The foregoing description of the terms of the Series C Preferred Stock is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Articles Supplementary, which are included as Exhibit 3.1 hereto and are incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 5.03                                            Amendments to Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year

 

On November 21, 2017, the Company filed the Articles Supplementary with the Maryland Department, which became effective upon the acceptance of the Articles Supplementary for record by the Maryland Department, supplementing the Company’s charter by establishing the newly authorized Series C Preferred Stock of the Company consisting of 200,000 authorized shares.

 

Holders of Series C Preferred Stock will be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) or a duly authorized committee of the Board, non-cumulative cash dividends based on the liquidation preference at a rate equal to 6.00% per annum for each dividend period from the original issue date of the Series C Preferred Stock to, but excluding, the redemption date of the Series C Preferred Stock, if any. If declared by the Board or a duly authorized committee of the Board, dividends will be payable on the Series C Preferred Stock quarterly, in arrears, on, February 25, May 25, August 25 and November 25 of each year, beginning on February 25, 2018.  A dividend period is the period from and including a dividend payment date to but excluding the next dividend payment date, except that the initial dividend period will commence on and include the original issue date of the Series C Preferred Stock and will end on and include February 24, 2018.

 

The Series C Preferred Stock has a liquidation preference of $1,000 per share (equivalent to $25 per Depositary Share), plus any declared and unpaid dividends, without accumulation of any undeclared dividends. Liquidating distributions will be made on the Series C Preferred Stock only to the extent the Company’s assets are available after satisfaction of all liabilities to creditors and subject to the rights of holders of any security ranking senior to the Series C Preferred Stock, and pro rata with any other shares of the Company’s stock ranking on parity with the Series C Preferred Stock.

 

The Series C Preferred Stock does not have any maturity date. The Series C Preferred Stock is redeemable (i) in whole or in part, from time to time, on any dividend payment date on or after November 25, 2022 at a redemption price equal to $1,000 per share (equivalent to $25 per Depositary Share), plus any declared and unpaid dividends, without accumulation of any undeclared dividends, to but excluding the redemption date or (ii) in whole but not in part, at any time within 90 days following a Regulatory Capital Treatment Event (as defined in the Articles Supplementary), at a redemption price equal to $1,000 per share (equivalent to $25 per Depositary Share), plus any declared and unpaid dividends, without accumulation of any undeclared dividends, to but excluding the redemption date. If the Company redeems the Series C Preferred Stock, the depositary under the deposit agreement for the Depositary Shares will redeem a proportionate number of Depositary Shares. Redemption of the Series C Preferred Stock is subject to the Company’s receipt of any required prior approvals from the Federal Reserve and to the satisfaction of any conditions set forth in the capital regulations or guidelines

 

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of the Federal Reserve applicable to the redemption of the Series C Preferred Stock. The Series C Preferred Stock has no preemptive or conversion rights.

 

The Series C Preferred Stock has no voting rights except with respect to (i) authorizing or increasing the authorized amount of stock senior to the Series C Preferred Stock, (ii) certain share exchanges, reclassifications, mergers or consolidations; (iii) certain changes in the terms of the Series C Preferred Stock; (iv) in the case of certain dividend non-payments; and (v) as otherwise required by Maryland law. The foregoing description of the terms of the Series C Preferred Stock is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Articles Supplementary, which are included as Exhibit 3.1 hereto and are incorporated by reference herein.

 

Forward-Looking Statements

 

Statements in this report that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. By their nature, such statements are subject to numerous factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in such statements, including the anticipated amount and use of the net proceeds of the Offering, the expected completion date of the Offering and various other factors, including those set forth in the prospectus supplement filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on November 17, 2017 for the Offering and in other documents filed by the Company with the SEC.  You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any such statements to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date on which the forward-looking statement is made.

 

Item 9.01                                            Financial Statements and Exhibits

 

(d)                                  Exhibits

 

The following exhibits are being filed herewith:

 

1.1

 

Underwriting Agreement, dated as of November 15, 2017, between MB Financial, Inc. and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, UBS Securities LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P., as representatives of the several underwriters named therein

 

 

 

3.1

 

Articles Supplementary for 6.00% Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series C

 

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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.

 

 

MB FINANCIAL, INC.

 

 

 

 

Date: November 21, 2017

By:

/s/ Randall T. Conte

 

 

Randall T. Conte

 

 

Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

 

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Exhibit 1.1

 

EXECUTION VERSION

 

MB FINANCIAL, INC.

 

(Maryland Corporation)

 

8,000,000 Depositary Shares, Each Representing 1/40th Interest in a Share of 6.00% Fixed-Rate Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series C

 

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

Dated:  November 15, 2017

 



 

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

November 15, 2017

 

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated

UBS Securities LLC

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P.

 

as Representatives of the several Underwriters

c/o Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated

One Bryant Park
New York, New York 10036

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

MB Financial, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), confirms its agreement with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (“Merrill Lynch”) and each of the other Underwriters named in Schedule A to this agreement (this “Agreement”) (collectively, the “Underwriters,” which term shall also include any underwriter substituted as hereinafter provided in Section 10 hereof), for whom Merrill Lynch, UBS Securities LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. are acting as Representatives (in such capacity, the “Representatives”), with respect to  the sale by the Company and the purchase by the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of the respective numbers of depositary shares (the “Depositary Shares”), each representing 1/40th interest in a share of 6.00% Fixed-Rate Noncumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series C, par value $.01 per share, of the Company (the “Preferred Stock”) set forth in Schedule A hereto.  The Preferred Stock will, when issued, be deposited by the Company against delivery of depositary receipts (the “Depositary Receipts”) to be issued by Computershare, Inc. and Computershare Trust Company, N.A. (collectively, the “Depositary”) under a Deposit Agreement (the “Deposit Agreement”) among the Company, the Depositary and the holders from time to time of the Depositary Receipts issued thereunder.  The aforesaid 8,000,000 Depositary Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters are referred to herein as the “Securities.”

 

The Company understands that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of the Securities as soon as the Representatives deem advisable after this Agreement has been executed and delivered.

 

The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) an “automatic shelf registration statement”, as defined under Rule 405 (“Rule 405”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), on Form S-3 (File No. 333-221322) covering the public offering and sale of certain securities of the Company, including the Securities, under the 1933 Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “1933 Act Regulations”), which automatic shelf registration statement became effective under Rule 462(e) of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 462(e)”). Such registration statement, as of any time, means such registration statement as amended by any post-effective amendments thereto at such time, including the exhibits and any schedules thereto at such time, the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein at such time pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act and the documents otherwise deemed to be a part thereof as of such time pursuant to Rule 430B of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 430B”), is referred to herein as the “Registration Statement;” provided, however, that the “Registration Statement” without reference to a time means such registration statement as amended by any post-effective amendments thereto as of the time of the first contract of sale for the Securities, which time shall be considered the “new effective date” of the Registration Statement with respect to the Securities within the

 



 

meaning of Rule 430B(f)(2), including the exhibits and schedules thereto as of such time, the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein at such time pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act and the documents otherwise deemed to be a part thereof as of such time pursuant to the Rule 430B.  Each preliminary prospectus supplement and the base prospectus used in connection with the offering of the Securities, including the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act immediately prior to the Applicable Time (as defined below), are collectively referred to herein as a “preliminary prospectus.”  Promptly after execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will prepare and file a final prospectus supplement relating to the Securities in accordance with the provisions of Rule 424(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 424(b)”).  The final prospectus supplement and the base prospectus, in the form first furnished to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities, including the documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act immediately prior to the Applicable Time, are collectively referred to herein as the “Prospectus.”  For purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (or any successor system)(“EDGAR”).

 

As used in this Agreement:

 

“Applicable Time” means 4:41 p.m., New York City time, on November 15, 2017  or such other time as agreed by the Company and the Representatives.

 

“General Disclosure Package” means each Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus and the most recent preliminary prospectus furnished to the Underwriters for general distribution to investors prior to the Applicable Time, all considered together.

 

“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 433”), including, without limitation, any “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405) relating to the Securities that is (i) required to be filed with the Commission by the Company, (ii) a “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i), whether or not required to be filed with the Commission, or (iii) exempt from filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because it contains a description of the Securities or of the offering thereof that does not reflect the final terms, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).

 

“Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to investors, as evidenced by its being specified in Schedule B hereto.

 

“Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not an Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus.

 

All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is “contained,” “included” or “stated” (or other references of like import) in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to include all such financial statements and schedules and other information incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, prior to the Applicable Time; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to include any document filed

 

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under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “1934 Act Regulations”) incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, such preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, at or after the Applicable Time.

 

This Agreement, the Company’s Charter, as amended by the Articles Supplementary to the Charter with respect to the Securities (collectively, the “Charter”), and the Company’s By-Laws (the “By-Laws”) are referred to herein, collectively, as the “Operative Documents.”

 

SECTION 1.         Representations and Warranties .

 

(a)           Representations and Warranties by the Company .  The Company represents and warrants to each Underwriter at the date hereof, the Applicable Time and  the Closing Time (as defined below), and agrees with each Underwriter, as follows:

 

(i)            Compliance of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and Incorporated Documents .  The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act.  The Registration Statement is an automatic shelf registration statement under Rule 405 and the Securities have been and remain eligible for registration by the Company on such automatic shelf registration statement.  Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto has become effective under the 1933 Act.  No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued under the 1933 Act, no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 401(g)(2)”) has been received by the Company, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, contemplated.  The Company has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information.

 

Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time of its effectiveness and as of each deemed effective date with respect to the Underwriters pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(2), complied in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations.  Each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, at the time each was filed with the Commission, complied in all material respects with the requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations and are identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

 

The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, when they became effective or at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations.

 

(ii)           Accurate Disclosure .  Neither the Registration Statement nor any amendment thereto, at its effective time or at the Closing Time contained, contains or will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.  At the Applicable Time, neither (A) the General Disclosure Package, (B) any individual Issuer Limited Use Free Writing Prospectus nor (C) any road show or investor presentations, when considered together

 

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with the General Disclosure Package, included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.  Neither the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto (including any prospectus wrapper), as of its issue date, at the time of any filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) or at the Closing Time included, includes or will include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, omits or will omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, at the time the Registration Statement became effective or when such incorporated documents were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, when read together with the other information in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, did not, does not and will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.

 

The representations and warranties in this subsection shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement or any amendment thereto or the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein.  For purposes of this Agreement, the only information so furnished shall be the information set forth in the second paragraph under the heading “Underwriting-Delivery” and the information set forth in the first, second and third paragraphs under the heading “Underwriting-Price Stabilization, Short Positions”, in each case, contained in the preliminary prospectus contained in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (collectively, the “Underwriter Information”).

 

(iii)          Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses .  No Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein, that has not been superseded or modified.   Any offer that is a written communication relating to the Securities made prior to the initial filing of the Registration Statement by the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this paragraph only, of paragraph (c) of Rule 163 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 163”)) has been filed with the Commission in accordance with the exemption provided by Rule 163 and otherwise complied with the requirements of Rule 163, including, without limitation, the legending requirement, to qualify such offer for the exemption from Section 5(c) of the 1933 Act provided by Rule 163.

 

(iv)          Well-Known Seasoned Issuer.   (A) At the original effectiveness of the Registration Statement, (B) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the 1933 Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act or form of prospectus), (C) at the time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c)) made any offer relating to the  Securities in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163, (D) at the date of this Agreement and (E) at the Applicable Time, the Company was and is a “well-known seasoned issuer”, as defined in Rule 405.

 

(v)           Company Not Ineligible Issuer .  (A) At the time of filing the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, (B) at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the 1933 Act Regulations) of the Securities, (C) at the date of this Agreement and

 

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(D) at the Applicable Time, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405, without taking account of any determination by the Commission pursuant to Rule 405 that it is not necessary that the Company be considered an ineligible issuer.

 

(vi)          Independent Accountants .  The accountants who certified the financial statements and supporting schedules included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus are independent public accountants as required by the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act, the 1934 Act Regulations and the Public Accounting Oversight Board.

 

(vii)         Financial Statements; Non-GAAP Financial Measures . The financial statements of the Company included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries at the dates indicated and the statement of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries for the periods specified; said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved (except for footnote disclosure that has been condensed and omitted pursuant to the rules of the Commission in the Company’s quarterly reports). The supporting schedules, if any, present fairly in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated therein.  The selected financial data and the summary financial information included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly, in all material respects, the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements included therein.    The pro forma information included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly, in all material respects, the information shown therein, and have been properly compiled on the bases described therein, and the assumptions used in the preparation thereof are reasonable and the adjustments used therein are appropriate to give effect to the transactions and circumstances referred to therein.  Except as included therein, no historical or pro forma financial statements or supporting schedules are required to be included in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus under the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act or the 1934 Act Regulations.  All disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, if any, regarding “non-GAAP financial measures” (as such term is defined by the rules and regulations of the Commission) comply in all material respects with Regulation G under the 1934 Act and Item 10(e) of Regulation S-K under the 1933 Act, to the extent applicable.  The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly present, in all material respects, the required information and has been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.

 

(viii)        No Material Adverse Change .  Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, (A) there has been no material adverse change in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business (a “Material Adverse Change”), (B) there have been no transactions entered into by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, other than those in the ordinary course of business, which are material with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, and (C) except for regular quarterly dividends on the Company’s common stock and preferred stock in amounts per share that are consistent with past practice, there has been no dividend or

 

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distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class or series of its capital stock.

 

(ix)          Good Standing of the Company .  The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Maryland and has all requisite power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under, and to consummate the transactions contemplated in, the Operative Documents.  The Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure so to qualify or to be in good standing would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a material adverse effect (A) in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business affairs or business prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as one enterprise, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, or (B) on the ability of the Company to enter into and perform its obligations under, or consummate the transactions contemplated in, the Operative Documents (a “Material Adverse Effect”).  The Company has furnished to the Representatives complete and correct copies of the Charter and By-Laws and all amendments thereto, and no change thereto is contemplated or has been authorized or approved by the Company or its stockholders.

 

(x)           Good Standing of Subsidiaries .  MB Financial Bank, N.A. (the “Bank”) is the only “significant subsidiary” of the Company (as such term is defined in and calculated in accordance with Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X).   The Bank has been duly organized and is validly existing as a national banking association and has all requisite power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except where the failure to so qualify or to be in good standing would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.  Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of or other equity interests in the Bank have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned by the Company, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance, claim or equity.  None of the outstanding shares of capital stock of or other equity interests in the Bank were issued in violation of the preemptive or similar rights of any securityholder of the Bank.

 

(xi)          Financial Holding Company .  The Company has been duly organized and is validly existing as a registered financial holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (“BHCA”).  The activities of the Company’s subsidiaries are permitted of subsidiaries of a financial holding company under applicable law and the rules and regulations of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “FRB”).

 

(xii)         Insured Depository Institution .  The Bank is an insured depository institution under the provisions of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the deposit accounts of the Bank are insured up to the applicable limits by the FDIC and no proceedings for the termination or revocation of such insurance are pending or, to the knowledge of the Bank, threatened.

 

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(xiii)        Capitalization .  The authorized, issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are as set forth in the Registration Statement, the preliminary prospectus contained in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus in the column entitled “Actual” under the caption “Capitalization” (except for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to this Agreement, pursuant to reservations, agreements or employee benefit plans referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or pursuant to the exercise of convertible securities or options referred to in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus). The outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable.  None of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company were issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company or any other entity.  The outstanding capital stock of the Company and the rights set forth in the instruments defining the same conform in all material respects to all statements relating thereto contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(xiv)        Authorization of Agreement .  This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

 

(xv)         Authorization of Deposit Agreement .  The Deposit Agreement has been duly authorized by the Company and, when duly executed and delivered by the Company and the Depositary at the Closing Time, shall constitute a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar rights affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and except as enforcement thereof is subject to general principles of equity.

 

(xvi)        Authorization and Description of Securities .  The Securities have been duly authorized for issuance and sale by the Company to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement and, when issued and delivered by the Company pursuant to this Agreement against payment of the consideration set forth herein, will be validly issued.  The issuance of the Securities is not subject to the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company or other entity.  No holder of Securities will be subject to personal liability by reason of being such a holder.  The Securities conform to all statements relating thereto contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and such statements conform to the rights set forth in the instruments defining the same.

 

(xvii)       Authorization and Description of Preferred Stock .  The Preferred Stock has been duly authorized for issuance and, when issued and delivered by the Company pursuant to this Agreement against payment of the consideration set forth herein, will be validly issued and fully paid and non-assessable. The issuance of the Preferred Stock is not subject to the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company or other entity.  No holder of Preferred Stock will be subject to personal liability by reason of being such a holder.  Prior to the Closing Time, the Articles Supplementary for the Preferred Stock will have been duly filed with the Department of Assessments and Taxation of the State of Maryland.  The form of certificate representing the Preferred Stock complies with the requirements of Maryland state law, the Charter, the By-Laws and the rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market.  The Preferred Stock conforms to all statements relating thereto contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and such statements conform to the rights set forth in the instruments defining the same.

 

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(xviii)      Registration Rights .  There are no persons with registration rights or other similar rights to have any securities registered for sale pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise registered for sale or sold by the Company under the 1933 Act pursuant to this Agreement other than any rights that have been disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and have been waived.

 

(xix)        Absence of Violations, Defaults and Conflicts .  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (A) in violation of its charter, by-laws or similar organizational document, (B) in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any contract, indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan or credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any of them may be bound or to which any of the properties, assets or operations of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject (collectively, “Agreements and Instruments”), except for such defaults that would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, or (C) in violation of any law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree (including, without limitation, all regulations and orders of, or agreements with, the FRB, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (the “OCC”), the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (the “CFPB”) and the FDIC, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Housing Act, the Community Reinvestment Act, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, all other applicable fair lending laws or other laws relating to discrimination and the Bank Secrecy Act and Title III of the USA Patriot Act), of any arbitrator, court, governmental body, regulatory body, administrative agency or other authority, body or agency having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of their respective properties, assets or operations (each, a “Governmental Entity”), except for such violations that would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.  The execution and delivery of, and performance under, the Operative Documents and the consummation of the transactions contemplated therein and in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus (including the issuance and sale of the Securities and the Preferred Stock and the use of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described therein under the caption “Use of Proceeds”) and compliance by the Company with its obligations under the Operative Documents have been duly authorized by all requisite action and do not and will not, whether with or without the giving of notice or passage of time or both, conflict with or constitute a breach of, or default or Repayment Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any properties, assets or operations of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, the Agreements and Instruments (except for such conflicts, breaches, defaults or Repayment Events or liens, charges or encumbrances that would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect), nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the charter, by-laws or similar organizational document of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any law, statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ or decree of any Governmental Entity.  As used herein, a “Repayment Event” means any event or condition which gives the holder of any note, debenture or other financing instrument (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of the related financing by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

 

(xx)         Absence of Labor Dispute .  No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent, and the Company is not aware of any existing or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its or any subsidiary’s principal suppliers, manufacturers, customers or contractors, which, in either case, would, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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(xxi)        Absence of Proceedings .  Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or brought by any Governmental Entity now pending, or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries, which could, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, or that could reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect their respective properties, assets or operations, or the consummation of the transactions contemplated in the Operative Documents or the performance by the Company of its obligations thereunder.  The aggregate of all pending legal or governmental proceedings to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries are a party or of which any of their respective properties, assets or operations are the subject which are not described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, including ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business, would not, singly or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xxii)       No MOU or Decrees . Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, or as would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is a party to or subject to any order, decree, agreement, memorandum of understanding or similar arrangement with, or a commitment letter, supervisory letter or similar submission to, any federal, state, local or foreign governmental agency or authority charged with the supervision or regulation of depository institutions or engaged in the insurance of deposits (including, without limitation, the FRB, the OCC and the FDIC) or the supervision or regulation of it or any of its subsidiaries and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has been advised by any such governmental agency or authority that such governmental agency or authority is contemplating issuing or requesting (or is considering the appropriateness of issuing or requesting) any such order, decree, agreement, memorandum of understanding, commitment letter, supervisory letter or similar submission.

 

(xxiii)      Accuracy of Contracts; Filing of Exhibits .  All descriptions in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus of contracts and other documents to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries are a party are complete and accurate in all material respects.  There are no contracts, instruments or other documents which are required to be described in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement which have not been so described and filed as required.

 

(xxiv)     Absence of Further Requirements . No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any Governmental Entity is necessary or required for the performance by the Company of its obligations under the Operative Documents, in connection with the offering, issuance or sale of the Securities or the consummation of the transactions contemplated in Operative Documents, except the filing of the Articles Supplementary to the Charter for the Preferred Stock with the Department of Assessments and Taxation of the State of Maryland prior to the Closing Time or such as have been already obtained or as may be required under the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the rules of the NASDAQ Stock Market, the securities laws of any state or non-U.S. jurisdiction or the rules of Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”).

 

(xxv)      Possession of Licenses and Permits .  The Company and its subsidiaries possess such permits, licenses, approvals, consents and other authorizations (collectively, “Governmental Licenses”) issued by the appropriate Governmental Entities necessary to conduct the business now operated by them, except where the failure so to possess would not, singly or in the

 

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aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.  The Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms and conditions of all Governmental Licenses, except where the failure so to comply would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.  All of the Governmental Licenses are valid and in full force and effect, except when the invalidity of such Governmental Licenses or the failure of such Governmental Licenses to be in full force and effect would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Governmental Licenses which, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xxvi)     Title to Property .  The Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all real property owned by them and good title to all other properties owned by them, in each case, free and clear of all mortgages, pledges, liens, security interests, claims, restrictions or encumbrances of any kind except such as (A) are described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or (B) do not, singly or in the aggregate, materially affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.  All of the leases and subleases material to the business of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one enterprise, and under which the Company or any of its subsidiaries holds properties described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, are in full force and effect, and neither the Company nor any such subsidiary has any notice of any material claim of any sort that has been asserted by anyone adverse to its rights under any of the leases or subleases mentioned above or affecting or questioning its rights to the continued possession of the leased or subleased premises under any such lease or sublease and that, in any such case, would have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xxvii)    Possession of Intellectual Property .  The Company and its subsidiaries own or possess, or can acquire on reasonable terms, adequate patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions, copyrights, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks, trade names or other intellectual property (collectively, “Intellectual Property”) necessary to carry on the business now operated by them, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice or is otherwise aware of any infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any Intellectual Property or of any facts or circumstances which would render any Intellectual Property invalid or inadequate to protect the interest of the Company or any of its subsidiaries therein, and which infringement or conflict, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, or invalidity or inadequacy, would, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xxviii)   Environmental Laws .  Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus or would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, (A) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of any federal, state, local or foreign statute, law, rule, regulation, ordinance, code, policy or rule of common law or any judicial or administrative interpretation thereof, including any judicial or administrative order, consent, decree or judgment, relating to pollution or protection of human health, the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata) or wildlife, including, without limitation, laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened release of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, wastes, toxic substances, hazardous substances, petroleum or petroleum products, asbestos-containing materials or mold (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) or to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials

 

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(collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (B) the Company and its subsidiaries have all permits, authorizations and approvals required under any applicable Environmental Laws and are each in compliance with their requirements, (C) there are no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, demands, demand letters, claims, liens, notices of noncompliance or violation, investigation or proceedings relating to any Environmental Law against the Company or any of its subsidiaries and (D) there are no events or circumstances that would reasonably be expected to form the basis of an order for clean-up or remediation, or an action, suit or proceeding by any private party or Governmental Entity, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries relating to Hazardous Materials or any Environmental Laws.

 

(xxix)     Accounting Controls and Disclosure Controls .  The Company and its subsidiaries maintain effective internal control over financial reporting (as defined under Rule 13-a15 and 15d-15 of the 1934 Act Regulations) and a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that: (A) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (B) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (C) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (D) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences; and (E) the interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly present, in all material respects, the required information and is prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.  Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (1) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (2) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. The Company and its subsidiaries maintain an effective system of disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15 and Rule 15d-15 of the 1934 Act Regulations) that are designed to ensure that the information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the 1934 Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, and is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including its principal executive officer or officers and principal financial officer or officers, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding disclosure.

 

(xxx)      Compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.   There is and has been no failure on the part of the Company or, to the knowledge of the Company, any of the Company’s directors or officers, in their capacities as such, to comply in all material respects with any provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the rules and regulations promulgated in connection therewith, including Section 402 related to loans and Sections 302 and 906 related to certifications.

 

(xxxi)     Payment of Taxes .  All United States federal income tax returns of the Company and its subsidiaries required by law to be filed have been filed and all taxes shown by such returns or otherwise assessed, which are due and payable, have been paid, except assessments against which appeals have been or will be promptly taken and as to which adequate reserves have been provided or which if not paid would not singly or in the aggregate result in a Material Adverse Effect. The United States federal income tax returns of the Company and its subsidiaries through the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016 have been settled and no assessment in connection therewith has been made against the Company or any of its subsidiaries. The Company and its

 

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subsidiaries have filed all other tax returns that are required to have been filed by them pursuant to applicable foreign, state, local or other law except insofar as the failure to file such returns would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect, and has paid all taxes due pursuant to such returns or pursuant to any assessment received by the Company or any of its subsidiaries, except for such taxes, if any, as are being contested in good faith and as to which adequate reserves have been established by the Company or which if not paid would not singly or in the aggregate result in a Material Adverse Effect. The charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the Company in respect of any income and corporation tax liability for any years not finally determined are adequate to meet any assessments or re-assessments for additional income tax for any years not finally determined, except to the extent of any inadequacy that would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(xxxii)    Insurance .  The Company and its subsidiaries carry or are entitled to the benefits of insurance, with insurers of recognized financial responsibility in such amounts and covering such risks as is generally maintained by companies of established repute engaged in the same or similar business, and all such insurance is in full force and effect.  The Company has no reason to believe that it or any of its subsidiaries will not be able (A) to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such policies expire or (B) to obtain comparable coverage from similar institutions as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct its business as now conducted and at a cost that would not, singly or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has been denied any insurance coverage which it has sought or for which it has applied.

 

(xxxiii)   Investment Company Act .  The Company is not required, and upon the issuance and sale of the Securities and the Preferred Stock as herein contemplated and the application of the net proceeds therefrom as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus will not be required, to register as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).

 

(xxxiv)   Absence of Manipulation .  Neither the Company nor any subsidiary or other affiliate (as defined in Rule 405 of the Act) of the Company has taken, nor will the Company or any such subsidiary or, to the knowledge of the Company, its other affiliates take, directly or indirectly, any action which is designed, or would be expected, to cause or result in, or which constitutes, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities or to result in a violation of Regulation M under the 1934 Act.

 

(xxxv)    Foreign Corrupt Practices Act .  None of the Company, any of its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of either (i) the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “FCPA”), including, without limitation, making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any “foreign official” (as such term is defined in the FCPA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the FCPA or (ii) the U.K. Bribery Act  2010 (the “Bribery Act”) and the Company, its subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company, its other affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA and the Bribery Act and have

 

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instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.

 

(xxxvi)   Money Laundering Laws .  The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance in all material respects with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any Governmental Entity (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”).  To the Company’s knowledge, the Company is not aware of any current non-compliance with any Money Laundering Laws.  No action, suit or proceeding by or before any Governmental Entity involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.

 

(xxxvii)  Sanctions .  None of the Company, any of its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is (A) an individual or entity (“Person”) currently the subject or target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the United States Government, including, without limitation, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”), the United Nations Security Council (“UNSC”), the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury (“HMT”), or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”) or (B) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of Sanctions.  The Company will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the sale of the Securities, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiaries, joint venture partners or other Person, to fund any activities of or business with any Person, or in any country or territory, that, at the time of such funding, is the subject of Sanctions or 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.

 

(xxxviii) Lending and Other Relationships Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company (A) does not have any material lending or other relationship with any Underwriter or any bank, lending or other affiliate of any Underwriter and (B) does not intend to use any of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities to repay any outstanding debt owed to the Underwriter or any bank, lending or other affiliate of any Underwriter.

 

(xxxix)   Statistical and Market-Related Data .  Any statistical and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company reasonably believes to be reliable and accurate and, to the extent required, the Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources.

 

(b)           Officer’s Certificates .  Any certificate signed by any authorized officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries delivered to the Representatives or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to the Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.

 

SECTION 2.         Sale and Delivery to Underwriters; Closing .

 

(a)           Securities .  On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter,

 

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severally and not jointly, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company, at the price per share set forth in Schedule A, the number of Securities set forth in Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter, plus any additional number of Securities which such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 10 hereof, subject, in each case, to such adjustments among the Underwriters as the Representatives in their sole discretion shall make to eliminate any sales or purchases of fractional shares.

 

(b)           Payment .  Payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of certificates for, the Securities shall be made at the offices of McDermott Will & Emery LLP, 444 West Lake Street, Suite 4000, Chicago, IL 60606 or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company, at 10:00 A.M. (New York City time) on November 22, 2017 (unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10), or such other time not later than ten business days after such date as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company (such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called “Closing Time”).

 

Payment shall be made to the Company by wire transfer of immediately available funds to a bank account designated by the Company against delivery to the Representatives for the respective accounts of the Underwriters of certificates for the Securities to be purchased by them.  It is understood that each Underwriter has authorized the Representatives, for its account, to accept delivery of, receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Securities which it has agreed to purchase.  Merrill Lynch, individually and not as representative of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment of the purchase price for the Securities to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds have not been received by the Closing Time, but such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from its obligations hereunder.

 

SECTION 3.         Covenants of the Company .  The Company covenants with each Underwriter as follows:

 

(a)           Compliance with Commission Requests .  The Company, subject to Section 3(b), hereof will comply with the requirements of Rule 430B, and will notify the Representatives immediately, and confirm the notice in writing, (i) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or any new registration statement relating to the Securities shall become effective or any amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus shall have been used or filed, as the case may be, including any document incorporated by reference therein, in each case only as permitted by Section 3 hereof, (ii) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission, (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, including any document incorporated by reference therein, or for additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or any notice of objection to the use of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) or of the issuance of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the 1933 Act concerning the Registration Statement and (v) if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the 1933 Act in connection with the offering of the Securities.  The Company will effect all filings required under Rule 424(b), in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)), and will take such steps as it deems necessary to ascertain promptly whether the form of prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 424(b) was received for filing by the Commission and, in the event that it was not, it will promptly file such prospectus.  The Company will make every reasonable effort to prevent the issuance of any stop,

 

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prevention or suspension order and, if any such order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment.  The Company shall pay the required Commission filing fees relating to the Securities within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1)(i) of the 1933 Act Regulations without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) of the 1933 Act Regulations (including, if applicable, by updating the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in accordance with Rule 456(b)(1)(ii) either in a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or on the cover page of a prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)).

 

(b)           Continued Compliance with Securities Laws .  The Company will comply with the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act and the 1934 Act Regulations so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Securities as contemplated in this Agreement and in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.  If at any time when a prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172 of the 1933 Act Regulations (“Rule 172”), would be) required by the 1933 Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Securities any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which it is necessary, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters or for the Company, to (i) amend the Registration Statement in order that the Registration Statement will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus in order that the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances existing at the time it is delivered to a purchaser or (iii) amend the Registration Statement or amend or supplement the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, as the case may be, including, without limitation, any document incorporated therein by reference, in order to comply with the requirements of the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act or the 1934 Act Regulations, the Company will promptly (A) give the Representatives written notice of such event or condition, (B) prepare any amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such statement or omission or to make the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus comply with such requirements and, a reasonable amount of time prior to any proposed filing or use, furnish the Representatives with copies of any such amendment or supplement and (C) file with the Commission any such amendment or supplement and use its best efforts to have any amendment to the Registration Statement declared effective by the Commission as soon as possible if the Company is no longer eligible to file an automatic shelf registration statement, provided that the Company shall not file or use any such amendment or supplement to which the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters shall object.

 

(c)           Filing or Use of Amendments or Supplements .  The Company has given the Representatives written notice of any filings made pursuant to the 1934 Act or 1934 Act Regulations within 48 hours prior to the Applicable Time and will give the Representatives written notice of its intention to file or use any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, whether pursuant to the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations, the 1934 Act or the 1934 Act Regulations or otherwise, from the Applicable Time to the later of (i) the time when a prospectus relating to the Securities is no longer required by the 1933 Act (without giving effect to Rule 172) to be delivered in connection with sales of the Securities, (ii) the Closing Time and (iii) the last day on which the exercise of the option described in Section 2(b) hereof may be settled, and will furnish the Representatives with copies of any such amendment or supplement a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing or use, as the case may be, and will not file or use any such amendment or supplement to which the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object.

 

(d)           Delivery of Registration Statements .  The Company has furnished or will deliver to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters, without charge, signed copies of the Registration

 

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Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (including exhibits filed therewith or incorporated by reference therein and documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference therein) and signed copies of all consents and certificates of experts, and will also deliver to the Representatives, without charge, a conformed copy of the Registration Statement as originally filed and each amendment thereto (without exhibits) for each of the Underwriters.  The signed copies of the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

 

(e)           Delivery of Prospectuses .  The Company has delivered to each Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of each preliminary prospectus as such Underwriter reasonably requested, and the Company hereby consents to the use of such copies for purposes permitted by the 1933 Act.  The Company will furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) required by the 1933 Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Securities, such number of copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as such Underwriter may reasonably request.  The Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Underwriters will be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

 

(f)            Blue Sky Qualifications .  The Company will use its best efforts, in cooperation with the Underwriters, to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and non-U.S. jurisdictions as the Representatives may designate and to maintain such qualifications in effect so long as required to complete the distribution of the Securities; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to file any general consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject.

 

(g)           Earnings Statements .  The Company will timely file such reports pursuant to the 1934 Act as are necessary in order to make generally available to its securityholders as soon as practicable an earnings statement for the purposes of, and to provide to the Underwriters the benefits contemplated by, the last paragraph of Section 11(a) of the 1933 Act.

 

(h)           Use of Proceeds .  The Company will use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Securities in the manner specified in the Registration Statement, the preliminary prospectus contained in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under “Use of Proceeds.”

 

(i)            Listing .  The Company will use its best efforts to effect the listing of the Securities on the Nasdaq Global Market within 30 days after the Closing Time and, upon such listing, will use its best efforts to maintain such listing and satisfy the requirements for such continued listing.

 

(j)            Restriction on Sale of Securities .  During a period of 30 days from the date of this Agreement, the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, (i) directly or indirectly, offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant for the sale of, or lend or otherwise transfer or dispose of, the Securities or the Preferred Stock or any securities that are substantially similar to the Securities or the Preferred Stock, whether owned as of the date hereof or hereafter acquired or with respect to which such person has or hereafter acquires the power of disposition, or file, or cause to be filed, any registration statement under the 1933 Act with respect to any of the foregoing or (ii) enter into any swap or any other agreement or any transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the economic consequence of ownership of the Securities or the Preferred Stock or such other

 

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securities that are substantially similar to the Securities or the Preferred Stock, whether any such swap or transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of any Securities or Preferred Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise.  The foregoing sentence shall not apply to the Securities to be sold hereunder.

 

(k)           Reporting Requirements .  The Company, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Securities is (or, but for the exception afforded by Rule 172, would be) required by the 1933 Act to be delivered in connection with sales of the Securities, will file all documents required to be filed with the Commission pursuant to the 1934 Act within the time periods required by, and each such document will meet the requirements of, the 1934 Act and 1934 Act Regulations.  Additionally, the Company shall report the use of proceeds from the sale of the Securities as may be required under Rule 463 of the 1933 Act Regulations.

 

(l)            Final Term Sheet .  The Company will prepare a final term sheet (the “Final Term Sheet”) containing only a description of the final terms of the Securities and their offering, in a form approved by the Underwriters and attached as Schedule C hereto, and acknowledges that the Final Term Sheet is an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and will comply with its related obligations set forth in Section 3(m) hereof.  The Company will furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, copies of the Final Term Sheet promptly upon its completion.

 

(m)          Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses .  The Company agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Representatives, and each Underwriter represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Company and the Representatives, it will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” or a portion thereof, required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433; provided that the Company and the Representatives will be deemed to have consented to the Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectuses listed on Schedule B hereto and any “road show that is a written communication” within the meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i) that has been reviewed by the Representatives.  The Company represents that it has treated or agrees that it will treat each such free writing prospectus consented to, or deemed consented to, by the Representatives as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and that it has complied and will comply with the applicable requirements of Rule 433 with respect thereto, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping.  If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or condition as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives in writing and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.

 

(n)           Reserved.

 

(o)           Eligibility of Automatic Shelf Registration Statement Form.   If at any time when Securities remain unsold by the Underwriters the Company receives a notice from the Commission pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) or otherwise ceases to be eligible to use the automatic shelf registration statement form, the Company will (i) promptly notify the Representatives in writing, (ii) promptly file a new registration statement or post-effective amendment on the proper form relating to such Securities, in a form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, (iii) use its best efforts to cause such registration statement or post-effective amendment to be declared effective as soon as practicable and (iv) promptly

 

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notify the Representatives in writing of such effectiveness.  The Company will take all other action necessary or appropriate to permit the public offering and sale of the Securities to continue as contemplated in the Registration Statement that was the subject of the Rule 401(g)(2) notice or for which the Company has otherwise become ineligible.  References herein to the “Registration Statement” shall include such new registration statement or post-effective amendment, as the case may be.

 

(p)           Filing of Articles Supplementary to the Charter . The Company will use its best efforts to file, prior to the Closing Time, the Articles Supplementary to the Charter for the Preferred Stock with the Department of Assessments and Taxation of the State of Maryland.

 

(q)           DTC . The Company will cooperate with the Underwriters and use its best efforts to permit the Securities to be eligible for clearance, settlement and trading through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”).

 

SECTION 4.         Payment of Expenses .

 

(a)           Expenses .  Except as otherwise agreed by the Company and the Underwriters, the Company will pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including (i) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and each amendment thereto, (ii) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of each preliminary prospectus, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto and any costs associated with electronic delivery of any of the foregoing by the Underwriters to investors, (iii) the preparation and filing of the Articles Supplementary to the Charter for the Preferred Stock with the Department of Assessments and Taxation of the State of Maryland and the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificates for the Securities to the Underwriters, including any stock or other transfer taxes and any stamp or other duties payable upon the sale, issuance or delivery of the Securities to the Underwriters, (iv) the fees and disbursements of the Company’s counsel, accountants and other advisors, (v) the qualification of the Securities under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(f) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection therewith and in connection with the preparation of the Blue Sky Survey and any supplement thereto, (vi) the fees and expenses of any depositary, transfer agent or registrar for the Securities, (vii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the Securities, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the production of road show slides and graphics, fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations, travel and lodging expenses of the Representatives and officers of the Company and any such consultants, and the cost of aircraft and other transportation chartered in connection with the road show, (viii) the filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters in connection with, the review by FINRA, if required, of the terms of the sale of the Securities, (ix) any fees payable in connection with the rating of the Securities by the rating agencies, (x) the fees and expenses of making the Securities eligible for clearance, settlement and trading through the facilities of DTC, and (xi) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Securities on the Nasdaq Global Market the costs and expenses (including, without limitation, any damages or other amounts payable in connection with legal or contractual liability) associated with the reforming of any contracts for sale of the Securities made by the Underwriters caused by a breach of the representation contained in the second sentence of Section 1(a)(ii).

 

(b)           Termination of Agreement .  If this Agreement is terminated by the Representatives in accordance with the provisions of Section 5 or Section 9(a) hereof, the Company shall reimburse the

 

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Underwriters for all of their out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters.

 

SECTION 5.         Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations .  The obligations of the several Underwriters hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein or in certificates of any authorized officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to the following further conditions:

 

(a)           Effectiveness of Registration Statement, etc .  The Registration Statement was filed by the Company with the Commission not earlier than three years prior to the date hereof and became effective upon filing in accordance with Rule 462(e).  Each preliminary prospectus, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus have been filed as required by Rule 424(b) (without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)) and Rule 433, as applicable, within the time period prescribed by, and in compliance with, the 1933 Act Regulations.  No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued under the 1933 Act, no notice of objection to the use of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) has been received by the Company, no order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto has been issued and no proceedings for any of those purposes have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, contemplated.  The Company has complied with each request (if any) from the Commission for additional information.  The Company shall have paid the required Commission filing fees relating to the Securities within the time period required by Rule 456(b)(1)(i) of the 1933 Act Regulations without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) of the 1933 Act Regulations and, if applicable, shall have updated the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in accordance with Rule 456(b)(1)(ii) either in a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or on the cover page of a prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b).

 

(b)           Opinion of Counsel for Company .  At the Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received the favorable opinion, dated the Closing Time, of Silver, Freedman, Taff &Tiernan LLP counsel for the Company, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters, to the effect set forth in Exhibit A hereto.  Such counsel may also state that insofar as such opinion involves factual matters, they have relied, to the extent they deem proper, upon certificates of officers of the Company and its subsidiaries and certificates of public officials

 

(c)           Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters .  At the Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received the favorable opinion, dated the Closing Time, of McDermott Will & Emery LLP, counsel for the Underwriters with respect to the matters reasonably requested by the Representatives.  In giving such opinion, such counsel may rely, as to all matters governed by the laws of jurisdictions other than the law of the State of New York and the federal securities laws of the United States, upon the opinions of counsel satisfactory to the Representatives.  Such counsel may also state that, insofar as such opinion involves factual matters, they have relied, to the extent they deem proper, upon certificates of officers and other representatives of the Company and its subsidiaries and certificates of public officials.

 

(d)           Officers’ Certificate .  At the Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received a certificate of the Chief Executive Officer or the President of the Company and of the chief financial or chief accounting officer of the Company, dated the Closing Time, to the effect that (i) there has been no Material Adverse Change, (ii) the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of the Closing Time, (iii) the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be

 

19



 

performed or satisfied at or prior to the Closing Time, and (iv) the conditions specified in Section 5(a) hereof have been satisfied.

 

(e)           Accountant’s Comfort Letter .  At the time of the execution of this Agreement, the Representatives shall have received from RSM, US LLP a letter, dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, together with signed or reproduced copies of such letter for each of the other Underwriters, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus.

 

(f)          Bring-down Comfort Letter .  At the Closing Time, the Representatives shall have received from RSM, US LLP a letter, dated as of the Closing Time, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to Section 5(e) hereof, except that the specified date referred to shall be a date not more than three business days prior to the Closing Time.

 

(g)       Approval of Listing .  At the Closing Time, the Company shall have taken all necessary action for listing of the Securities on the Nasdaq Global Market within 30 days after the Closing Time.

 

(h)       No Objection .  If a filing with FINRA is required, FINRA has confirmed that it has not raised any objection with respect to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements relating to the offering of the Securities.

 

(i)          No Important Changes .  Since the execution of this Agreement, (i) in the judgment of the Representatives, since the date hereof or the respective dates of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, there shall not have occurred any Material Adverse Change, (ii) there shall not have been any change or decrease specified in the letter or letters referred to in Section 5(j) hereof which is, in the sole judgment of the Representatives, so material and adverse as to make it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or delivery of the Securities and (iii) there shall not have been any decrease in or withdrawal of the rating of any securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as defined for purposes of Section 3(a)(62) of the 1934 Act) or any notice given of any intended or potential decrease in or withdrawal of any such rating or of a possible change in any such rating that does not indicate the direction of the possible change.

 

(j)        Ratings Letters .  At the time of execution of this Agreement, the Company shall have delivered to the Representatives letters from Moody’s Investor Services Inc., Kroll Bond Rating Agency and Egan-Jones Rating Company assigning a rating to the Securities as set forth in the Final Term Sheet.

 

(k)         Filing of Articles Supplementary to the Charter .  Prior to the Closing Time, the Articles Supplementary to the Charter for the Preferred Stock shall have been duly filed with the Department of Assessments and Taxation of the State of Maryland and shall be in full force and effect

 

(l)          Clearance, Settlement and Trading .  Prior to the Closing Time, the Company, Computershare (or another transfer agent acceptable to the Underwriters) and DTC shall have executed and delivered the Letter of Representations, dated the Closing Time, and the Securities shall be eligible for clearance, settlement and trading through the facilities of DTC.

 

(m)          Additional Documents .  At the Closing Time, counsel for the Underwriters shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as they may reasonably require for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated, or in order to

 

20



 

evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters.

 

(n)           Termination of Agreement .  If any condition specified in this Section shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representatives by notice to the Company at any time at or prior to Closing Time, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 and except that Sections 1, 6, 7, 8, 14, 15 and 16 shall survive any such termination and remain in full force and effect.

 

SECTION 6.         Indemnification .

 

(a)           Indemnification of Underwriters .  The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates (as such term is defined in Rule 501(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations (each, an “Affiliate”)), selling agents, partners, officers and directors and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act as follows:

 

(i)            against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or arising out of any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included (A) in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or (B) in 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 Securities (“Marketing Materials”), including any roadshow or investor presentations made to investors by the Company (whether in person or electronically) (including the Investor Presentation dated November 13, 2017), or the omission or alleged omission in any preliminary prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) or in any Marketing Materials of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

 

(ii)           against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense whatsoever, as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate amount paid in settlement of any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any Governmental Entity, commenced or threatened, or of any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission; provided that (subject to Section 6(d) hereof) any such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company;

 

(iii)          against any and all expense whatsoever, as incurred (including the fees and disbursements of counsel chosen by the Representatives), reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any Governmental Entity, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission, to the extent that any such expense is not paid under (i) or (ii) above;

 

provided, however, that this indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, liability, claim, damage or expense to the extent arising out of any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or

 

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omission made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B, or in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.

 

(b)           Indemnification of Company, Directors and Officers.   Each Underwriter severally agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act against any and all loss, liability, claim, damage and expense described in the indemnity contained in Section 6(a) hereof, as incurred, but only with respect to untrue statements or omissions, or alleged untrue statements or omissions, made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including any information deemed to be a part thereof pursuant to Rule 430B, or in the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto) in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.

 

(c)           Actions against Parties; Notification .  Each indemnified party shall give notice as promptly as reasonably practicable to each indemnifying party of any action commenced against it in respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder, but failure to so notify an indemnifying party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability hereunder to the extent it is not materially prejudiced as a result thereof and in any event shall not relieve it from any liability which it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement.  In the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(a) hereof, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Representatives, and, in the case of parties indemnified pursuant to Section 6(b) hereof, counsel to the indemnified parties shall be selected by the Company.  An indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in the defense of any such action; provided, however, that counsel to the indemnifying party shall not (except with the prior written consent of the indemnified party) also be counsel to the indemnified party.  In no event shall the indemnifying parties be liable for fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for all indemnified parties in connection with any one action or separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances.  No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any Governmental Entity, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this Section 6 or Section 7 hereof (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an unconditional release of each indemnified party from all liability arising out of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

 

(d)       Settlement without Consent if Failure to Reimburse .  If at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel, such indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of the nature contemplated by Section 6(a)(ii) effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 45 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered into and (iii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed such indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.

 

SECTION 7.         Contribution .  If the indemnification provided for in Section 6 hereof is for any reason unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute

 

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to the aggregate amount of such losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by such indemnified party, as incurred, (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, liabilities, claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.

 

The relative benefits received by the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total net proceeds from the offering of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company, on the one hand, and the total underwriting discount received by the Underwriters, on the other hand, in each case as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of the Securities as set forth on the cover of the Prospectus.

 

The relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any such untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

 

The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this Section 7.  The aggregate amount of losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by an indemnified party and referred to above in this Section 7 shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in investigating, preparing or defending against any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any Governmental Entity, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.

 

Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting discount received by such Underwriter in connection with the Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public.

 

No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

 

For purposes of this Section 7, each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act and each Underwriter’s Affiliates, partners, officers, directors and selling agents shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company.  The Underwriters’ respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are several in proportion to the number of Securities set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule A hereto and not joint.

 

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SECTION 8.         Representations, Warranties and Agreements to Survive .  All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement or in certificates of officers of the Company or any of its subsidiaries submitted pursuant hereto shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or its Affiliates, partners, officers, directors and or selling agents, any person controlling any Underwriter or the Company’s officers or directors or any person controlling the Company and (ii) delivery of and payment for the Securities.

 

SECTION 9.         Termination of Agreement .

 

(a)           Termination .  The Representatives may terminate this Agreement, by notice to the Company, at any time at or prior to the Closing Time, (i) if there has been, in the judgment of the Representatives, since the time of execution of this Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, any Material Adverse Change, or (ii) if there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States or the international financial markets, any outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof or other calamity or crisis or any change or development involving a prospective change in national or international political, financial or economic conditions, in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representatives, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the completion of the offering of the Securities or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities, or (iii) if trading in any securities of the Company has been suspended or materially limited by the Commission or the Nasdaq Global Market, or (iv) if trading generally on the New York Stock Exchange or in the Nasdaq Global Market has been suspended or materially limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by any of said exchanges or by order of the Commission, FINRA or any other Governmental Entity, or (v)  if a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement or clearance services in the United States or with respect to Clearstream or Euroclear systems in Europe, or (vi) if a banking moratorium has been declared by either Federal, New York, Maryland or Illinois authorities.

 

(b)           Liabilities .  If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to this Section, such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Section 4 hereof, and provided further that Sections 1, 6, 7, 8, 14, 15 and 16 shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.

 

SECTION 10.       Default by One or More of the Underwriters .  If one or more of the Underwriters shall fail at the Closing Time to purchase the Securities which it or they are obligated to purchase under this Agreement (the “Defaulted Securities”), the Representatives shall have the right, within 24 hours thereafter, to make arrangements for one or more of the non-defaulting Underwriters, or any other underwriters, to purchase all, but not less than all, of the Defaulted Securities in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms herein set forth; if, however, the Representatives shall not have completed such arrangements within such 24-hour period, then:

 

(i)            if the number of Defaulted Securities does not exceed 10% of the number of Securities to be purchased hereunder, each of the non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated, severally and not jointly, to purchase the full amount thereof in the proportions that their respective underwriting obligations hereunder bear to the underwriting obligations of all non-defaulting Underwriters, or

 

(ii)           if the number of Defaulted Securities exceeds 10% of the number of Securities to be purchased on such date, this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter.

 

24



 

No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of its default.

 

In the event of any such default which does not result in a termination of this Agreement, either the Representatives or the Company shall have the right to postpone Closing Time for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements.  As used herein, the term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section 10.

 

SECTION 11.       Notices .  All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication.  Notices to the Underwriters shall be directed to the Representatives care of Merrill Lynch at 50 Rockefeller Plaza, NY1-050-12-02, New York, New York 10020, attention of High Grade Transaction Management/Legal, fax 212-901-7881; UBS Securities LLC 1285 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019, attention Fixed Income Syndicate, fax (203) 719-0495; J.P. Morgan Securities LLC 277 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10172 attention of Investment Grade Finance; and Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P. 1251 Avenue of the Americas, 6 th  Floor New York, New York 10020 attention of General Counsel; and notices to the Company shall be directed to it at  MB Financial, Inc., 6111 N. River Road, Rosemont, IL 60018 attention of Donald Gibson, General Counsel.

 

SECTION 12.       No Advisory or Fiduciary Relationship .  The Company acknowledges and agrees that (a) the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the initial public offering price of the Securities and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other hand, (b) in connection with the offering of the Securities and the process leading thereto, each Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or its stockholders, creditors, employees or any other party, (c) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company with respect to the offering of the Securities or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company or any of its subsidiaries on other matters) or any other obligation to the Company with respect to the offering of the Securities except the obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (d) the Underwriters and their respective Affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Company, and (e) the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, financial, regulatory or tax advice with respect to the offering of the Securities and the Company has consulted its own respective legal, accounting, financial, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed appropriate.

 

SECTION 13.       Parties .  This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon each of the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors.  Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors and the controlling persons, Affiliates, selling agents, partners, officers and directors referred to in Sections 6 and 7 and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained.  This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors, and said controlling persons, Affiliates, selling agents, partners, officers and directors and their heirs and legal Representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation.  No purchaser of Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.

 

SECTION 14.       Trial by Jury .  Each of the Company (on its behalf and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, on behalf of its stockholders and affiliates) and the Underwriters hereby irrevocably

 

25



 

waives, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

SECTION 15.       GOVERNING LAW .  THIS AGREEMENT AND ANY CLAIM, CONTROVERSY OR DISPUTE ARISING UNDER OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF, THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO ITS CHOICE OF LAW PROVISIONS.

 

SECTION 16.       Consent to Jurisdiction .  Each of the parties hereto agrees that any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby (“Related Proceedings”) shall be instituted in (i) the federal courts of the United States of America located in the City and County of New York, Borough of Manhattan or (ii) the courts of the State of New York located in the City and County of New York, Borough of Manhattan (collectively, the “Specified Courts”), and irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction (except for proceedings instituted in regard to the enforcement of a judgment of any Specified Court (a “Related Judgment”), as to which such jurisdiction is non-exclusive) of the Specified Courts in any such suit, action or proceeding.  Service of any process, summons, notice or document by mail to such party’s address set forth above shall be effective service of process for any suit, action or proceeding brought in any Specified Court.  Each of the parties hereto irrevocably and unconditionally waives any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or proceeding in the Specified Courts and irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim in any Specified Court that any such suit, action or proceeding brought in any Specified Court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.

 

SECTION 17.       TIME . TIME SHALL BE OF THE ESSENCE OF THIS AGREEMENT. EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE SET FORTH HEREIN, SPECIFIED TIMES OF DAY REFER TO NEW YORK CITY TIME.

 

SECTION 18.       Counterparts .  This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same Agreement.

 

SECTION 19.       Effect of Headings .  The Section headings herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

 

26



 

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the Company a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement between the Underwriters and the Company in accordance with its terms.

 

 

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

 

 

MB FINANCIAL, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Randall T. Conte

 

 

Name: Randall T. Conte

 

 

Title: Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED,

 

 

as of the date first above written:

 

 

 

 

 

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith

 

 

Incorporated

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Jacqueline Cleary

 

 

 

Authorized Signatory

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UBS Securities LLC

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Mehdi Manii

 

 

 

Mehdi Manii, Director

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Ahmet Yetis

 

 

 

Ahmet Yetis, Executive Director

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Stephen L. Sheiner

 

 

 

Stephen L. Sheiner, Executive Director

 

 

 

 

 

Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P.

 

 

 

 

 

By: Sandler O’Neill & Partners Corp., the sole general partner

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ William E. Burgess

 

 

 

William E. Burgess

 

 

 

An Officer of the Corporation

 

 

 

27



 

SCHEDULE A

 

The initial public offering price per share for the Depositary Share shall be $25.00.

 

The purchase price per Depositary Share to be paid by the several Underwriters shall be $24.2125 (in the case of Securities sold to retail investors) and $24.50 (in the case of Securities sold to institutional investors), being an amount equal to the initial public offering price set forth above less a discount of $0.7875 per Depositary Share (in the case of Securities sold to retail investors) and $0.50 per Depositary Share (in the case of Securities sold to institutional investors).

 

Name of Underwriters

 

Number of
Securities

 

 

 

 

 

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith

 

 

 

Incorporated

 

2,400,000

 

 

 

 

 

UBS Securities LLC

 

2,400,000

 

 

 

 

 

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

 

1,600,000

 

 

 

 

 

Sandler O’Neill & Partners, L.P.

 

1,600,000

 

 

 

 

 

Total

 

8,000,000

 

 



 

SCHEDULE B

 

Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses

 

1.             Final Term Sheet

 

2.             Investor Presentation, dated November 13, 2017, of the Company

 

3.             Press Release, dated November 13, 2017, of the Company regarding public announcement of the offering of the Securities

 


Exhibit 3.1

 

MB FINANCIAL, INC.

ARTICLES SUPPLEMENTARY

 

MB Financial, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “ Corporation ”), hereby certifies to the Department of Assessments and Taxation of the State of Maryland that:

 

FIRST: Under a power contained in Article 5 of the charter of the Corporation, the board of directors (the “ Board ”) of the Corporation, by the following resolution duly adopted by the Board, classified and designated 200,000 shares (the “ Securities ”) of the Corporation’s preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “ Preferred Stock ”), as “6.00% Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series C,” with the preferences, voting powers and other rights, restrictions, limitations as to dividends and other distributions, qualifications and terms and condition of redemption, as follows:

 

RESOLVED , that pursuant to the provisions of the charter of the Corporation and applicable law, a series of Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Corporation be and hereby is created, and that the designation and number of shares of such series, and the voting and other powers, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other rights, and the qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof, of the shares of such series, are as follows:

 

Part 1.  Designation and Number of Shares . There is hereby created out of the authorized and unissued shares of Preferred Stock a series of Preferred Stock designated as the “6.00% Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series C” (“ Series C Preferred Stock ”). The authorized number of shares of Series C Preferred Stock shall be 200,000 shares, par value $0.01 per share, having a liquidation preference of $1,000 per share. The number of shares constituting Series C Preferred Stock may be increased from time to time in accordance with Maryland law up to the maximum number of shares of Preferred Stock authorized to be issued under the charter of the Corporation, as amended or supplemented, less all shares at the time authorized of any other series of Preferred Stock, and any such additional shares of Series C Preferred Stock would form a single series with the shares of Series C Preferred Stock already then issued. Shares of Series C Preferred Stock will be dated the date of issue. Shares of outstanding Series C Preferred Stock that are redeemed, purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation, or converted into another series of Preferred Stock, shall be cancelled and shall revert to authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock undesignated as to series.

 

Part 2.  Standard Provisions . The Standard Provisions contained in  Annex A  attached hereto are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety and shall be deemed to be a part of these Articles Supplementary to the same extent as if such provisions had been set forth in full herein.

 

Part 3.  Definitions . The following terms are used in these Articles Supplementary (including the Standard Provisions in  Annex A  hereto) as defined below:

 

(a) “ Common Stock ” means the common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Corporation.

 

(b) “ Original Issue Date ” means the date of issue of the Series C Preferred Stock.

 



 

Part 4.  Certain Voting Matters . Holders of shares of Series C Preferred Stock will be entitled to one vote for each such share on any matter on which holders of Series C Preferred Stock are entitled to vote, including any action by written consent, in accordance with the provisions of Annex A and applicable law.

 

SECOND: The Securities have been classified and designated by the Board under the authority contained in the charter of the Corporation.

 

THIRD: These Articles Supplementary have been approved by the Board in the manner and by the vote required by law.

 

FOURTH: The undersigned President and Chief Executive Officer acknowledges these Articles Supplementary to be the corporate act of the Corporation and, as to all matters or facts required to be verified under oath, the undersigned President and Chief Executive Officer acknowledges that to the best of his knowledge, information and belief, these matters and facts are true in all material respects and that this statement is made under the penalties for perjury.

 

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

 

2



 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, MB Financial, Inc. has caused these Articles Supplementary to be signed in its name and on its behalf by its Chief Executive Officer and witnessed by its Secretary on November 21, 2017.

 

WITNESS

MB FINANCIAL, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Doria L. Koros

 

By:

/s/ Mitchell Feiger

Name:

Doria L. Koros

Name:

Mitchell Feiger

Title:

Vice President and Secretary

Title:

President and Chief Executive Officer

 

3



 

Annex A

 

STANDARD PROVISIONS

 

Section 1.  Definitions .

 

(a) “ Business Day ” means any weekday that is not a legal holiday in New York, New York and that is not a day on which banking institutions in New York, New York or Chicago, Illinois are closed.

 

(b) “ DTC ” means The Depository Trust Company.

 

(c) “ Regulatory Capital Treatment Event ” means the good faith determination by the Corporation that, as a result of (1) any amendment to, or change in, the laws or regulations of the United States or any political subdivision of or in the United States that is enacted or becomes effective after the initial issuance of any share of Series C Preferred Stock; (2) any proposed change in those laws or regulations that is announced after the initial issuance of any share of Series C Preferred Stock; or (3) any official administrative decision or judicial decision or administrative action or other official pronouncement interpreting or applying those laws or regulations that is announced after the initial issuance of any share of Series C Preferred Stock, there is more than an insubstantial risk that the Corporation will not be entitled to treat the full liquidation value of the shares of Series C Preferred Stock then outstanding as “Tier 1 Capital” (or its equivalent) for purposes of the capital adequacy regulations and guidelines of Regulation Q of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (or, as and if applicable, the capital adequacy guidelines or regulations of any successor appropriate federal banking agency), as then in effect and applicable, for as long as any share of Series C Preferred Stock is outstanding.

 

(d) “ Series C Dividend Payment Date ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3(b).

 

(e) “ Series C Dividend Period ” means the period from and including a Series C Dividend Payment Date to but excluding the next Series C Dividend Payment Date, except that the initial Series C Dividend Period will commence on and include the Original Issue Date of the Series C Preferred Stock and will end on and include February 24, 2018.

 

(f) “ Series C Junior Securities ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(a).

 

(g) “ Series C Parity Securities ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(b).

 

(h) “ Series C Senior Securities ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2(c).

 

Section 2.  Ranking . The shares of Series C Preferred Stock shall rank:

 

(a) senior, as to dividends and, upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, in the distribution of assets, to the Common Stock, and to any other class or series of capital stock of the Corporation now or hereafter authorized, issued or outstanding (other than the Perpetual Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series A of the Corporation) that, by its terms, does not expressly provide that it ranks  pari passu  with or senior to the Series C Preferred Stock as to dividends and upon liquidation, dissolution and winding up of the Corporation, in the distribution of assets, as the case may be (collectively, “ Series C Junior Securities ”);

 

A- 1



 

(b) on a parity, as to dividends and, upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, in the distribution of assets, with the Perpetual Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series A of the Corporation and any other class or series of capital stock of the Corporation now or hereafter authorized, issued or outstanding that, by its terms, expressly provides that it ranks  pari passu  with the Series C Preferred Stock as to dividends and, upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, in the distribution of assets, as the case may be (collectively, “ Series C Parity Securities ”); and

 

(c) junior, to each other class or series of capital stock of the Corporation, now or hereafter authorized, issued or outstanding that, by its terms, expressly provides that it ranks senior to the Series C Preferred Stock as to dividends or, upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, in the distribution of assets (collectively, “ Series C Senior Securities ”).

 

The Corporation may authorize and issue additional shares of Series C Junior Securities and Series C Parity Securities without the consent of the holders of the Series C Preferred Stock.

 

Section 3.  Dividends .

 

(a) Holders of Series C Preferred Stock will be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board or a duly authorized committee of the Board, out of assets legally available for the payment of dividends under Maryland law, non-cumulative cash dividends based on the liquidation preference of the Series C Preferred Stock at a rate equal to 6.00% per annum for each Series C Dividend Period from the Original Issue Date of the Series C Preferred Stock to, but excluding, the redemption date of the Series C Preferred Stock, if any.

 

(b) If declared by the Board or a duly authorized committee of the Board, dividends will be payable on the Series C Preferred Stock (each such date, a “ Series C Dividend Payment Date ”) quarterly, in arrears, on February 25, May 25, August 25 and November 25 of each year, beginning on February 25, 2018. If any Series C Dividend Payment Date is not a Business Day, then the payment will be made on the next Business Day without any adjustment to the amount of dividends paid.

 

(c) Dividends will be payable to holders of record of Series C Preferred Stock as they appear on the Corporation’s books on the applicable record date, which shall be the 15th calendar day before the applicable Series C Dividend Payment Date, or such other record date, no earlier than 30 calendar days before the applicable Series C Dividend Payment Date, as shall be fixed by the Board or a duly authorized committee of the Board.

 

(d) Dividends payable on Series C Preferred Stock will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months. Dollar amounts resulting from that calculation will be rounded to the nearest cent, with one-half cent being rounded upwards. Dividends on the Series C Preferred Stock will cease to accrue on the redemption date, if any, unless the Corporation defaults in the payment of the redemption price of the Series C Preferred Stock called for redemption.

 

(e) Dividends on the Series C Preferred Stock will not be cumulative. If the Board or a duly authorized committee of the Board does not declare a dividend on the Series C Preferred Stock in respect of a Series C Dividend Period, then no dividend shall be deemed to have accrued for such Series C Dividend Period, be payable on the applicable Series C Dividend Payment Date or be cumulative, and the Corporation will have no obligation to pay any dividend for that Series C

 

A- 2



 

Dividend Period, whether or not the Board or a duly authorized committee of the Board declares a dividend for any future Series C Dividend Period with respect to the Series C Preferred Stock or any other class or series of the Corporation’s Preferred Stock.

 

(f) So long as any share of Series C Preferred Stock remains outstanding, unless the full dividends for the most recently completed Series C Dividend Period have been declared and paid (or declared and a sum sufficient for the payment thereof has been set aside) on all outstanding shares of Series C Preferred Stock, during a Series C Dividend Period:

 

(1) no dividend shall be declared or paid or set aside for payment and no distribution shall be declared or made or set aside for payment on any Series C Junior Securities (other than (i) a dividend payable solely in Series C Junior Securities or (ii) any dividend in connection with the implementation of a stockholders’ rights plan, or the redemption or repurchase of any rights under any such plan);

 

(2) no shares of Series C Junior Securities shall be repurchased, redeemed or otherwise acquired for consideration by the Corporation, directly or indirectly (other than (i) as a result of a reclassification of Series C Junior Securities for or into other Series C Junior Securities, (ii) the exchange or conversion of one share of Series C Junior Securities for or into another share of Series C Junior Securities, (iii) through the use of the proceeds of a substantially contemporaneous sale of other shares of Series C Junior Securities, (iv) purchases, redemptions or other acquisitions of shares of Series C Junior Securities in connection with any employment contract, benefit plan or other similar arrangement with or for the benefit of employees, officers, directors or consultants, (v) purchases of shares of Series C Junior Securities pursuant to a contractually binding requirement to buy Series C Junior Securities existing prior to the most recently completed Series C Dividend Period, including under a contractually binding stock repurchase plan or (vi) the purchase of fractional interests in shares of Series C Junior Securities pursuant to the conversion or exchange provisions of such stock or the security being converted or exchanged), nor shall any monies be paid to or made available for a sinking fund for the redemption of any such securities by the Corporation; and

 

(3) no shares of Series C Parity Securities shall be repurchased, redeemed or otherwise acquired for consideration by the Corporation, other than pursuant to  pro rata  offers to purchase all, or a  pro rata  portion, of the Series C Preferred Stock and such Series C Parity Securities, except by conversion into or exchange for Series C Junior Securities.

 

(g) When dividends are not paid in full upon the shares of Series C Preferred Stock and Series C Parity Securities, if any, all dividends declared upon shares of Series C Preferred Stock and Series C Parity Securities, if any, will be declared on a proportional basis so that the amount of dividends declared per share will bear to each other the same ratio that accrued dividends for the Series C Preferred Stock, and accrued dividends, including any accumulations, on Series C Parity Securities, if any, bear to each other for the then-current Series C Dividend Period.

 

(h) Subject to the foregoing, and not otherwise, dividends (payable in cash, stock or otherwise), as may be determined by the Board or a duly authorized committee of the Board, may be declared and paid on the Common Stock and any other Series C Junior Securities or any Series C Parity Securities from time to time out of any assets legally available for such payment, and the holders of Series C Preferred Stock shall not be entitled to participate in any such dividend.

 

A- 3



 

(i) Dividends on the Series C Preferred Stock will not be declared, paid or set aside for payment to the extent such act would cause the Corporation to fail to comply with applicable laws and regulations, including applicable capital adequacy guidelines.

 

Section 4.  Liquidation .

 

(a) Upon any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, holders of Series C Preferred Stock are entitled to receive out of assets of the Corporation available for distribution to stockholders, after satisfaction of liabilities to creditors and subject to the rights of holders of any Series C Senior Securities, before any distribution of assets is made to holders of Common Stock or any other Series C Junior Securities, a liquidating distribution in the amount of the liquidation preference of $1,000 per share plus any declared and unpaid dividends, without regard to, or accumulation of, any undeclared dividends. Holders of Series C Preferred Stock will not be entitled to any other amounts from the Corporation after they have received their full liquidating distribution.

 

(b) In any such distribution, if the assets of the Corporation are not sufficient to pay the liquidation preferences plus declared and unpaid dividends in full to all holders of Series C Preferred Stock and all holders of Series C Parity Securities, if any, as to such distribution with the Series C Preferred Stock, the amounts paid to the holders of Series C Preferred Stock and to the holders of all Series C Parity Securities, if any, will be paid  pro rata  in accordance with the respective aggregate liquidating distribution owed to those holders. If the liquidation preference plus declared and unpaid dividends has been paid in full to all holders of Series C Preferred Stock and Series C Parity Securities, if any, the holders of the Corporation’s Series C Junior Securities shall be entitled to receive all remaining assets of the Corporation according to their respective rights and preferences.

 

(c) For purposes of this section, the merger or consolidation of the Corporation with any other entity, including a merger or consolidation in which the holders of Series C Preferred Stock receive cash, securities or property for their shares, or the sale, lease or exchange of all or substantially all of the assets of the Corporation for cash, securities or other property, shall not constitute a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation.

 

Section 5.  Redemption .

 

(a) Series C Preferred Stock is perpetual and has no maturity date. Series C Preferred Stock is not subject to any mandatory redemption, sinking fund or other similar provisions. On and after November 25, 2022, Series C Preferred Stock will be redeemable at the option of the Corporation, in whole or in part, from time to time, on any Series C Dividend Payment Date, at a redemption price equal to $1,000 per share, plus any declared and unpaid dividends, without regard to, or accumulation of, any undeclared dividends, on the shares of Series C Preferred Stock called for redemption, to but excluding the redemption date, upon notice given as provided in Subsection (b) below. Holders of Series C Preferred Stock will have no right to require the redemption or repurchase of Series C Preferred Stock. Notwithstanding the foregoing, within 90 days following the occurrence of a Regulatory Capital Treatment Event, the Corporation, at its option, may redeem, at any time, all (but not less than all) of the shares of the Series C Preferred Stock at the time outstanding, at a redemption price equal to $1,000 per share, plus any declared and unpaid dividends, without regard to, or accumulation of, any undeclared dividends, on the shares of Series C Preferred Stock called for redemption, to but excluding the redemption date, upon notice given as provided in Subsection (b) below.

 

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(b) If shares of Series C Preferred Stock are to be redeemed, the notice of redemption shall be given by first class mail to the holders of record of Series C Preferred Stock to be redeemed, mailed not less than 30 days nor more than 60 days prior to the date fixed for redemption thereof (provided that, if the depositary shares representing Series C Preferred Stock are held in book-entry form through DTC, the Corporation may give such notice in any manner permitted by DTC). Each notice of redemption will include a statement setting forth: (i) the redemption date; (ii) the number of shares of Series C Preferred Stock to be redeemed and, if less than all the shares held by such holder are to be redeemed, the number of such shares to be redeemed from such holder; (iii) the redemption price; (iv) the place or places where the certificates evidencing shares of Series C Preferred Stock are to be surrendered for payment of the redemption price; and (v) that dividends on the shares to be redeemed will cease to accrue on the redemption date. If notice of redemption of any shares of Series C Preferred Stock has been duly given and if the funds necessary for such redemption have been set aside by the Corporation for the benefit of the holders of any shares of Series C Preferred Stock so called for redemption, then, on and after the redemption date, dividends will cease to accrue on such shares of Series C Preferred Stock, and such shares of Series C Preferred Stock shall no longer be deemed outstanding and all rights of the holders of such shares of Series C Preferred Stock will terminate, except the right to receive the redemption price plus any declared and unpaid dividends, to but excluding the redemption date.

 

(c) In case of any redemption of only part of the shares of Series C Preferred Stock at the time outstanding, the shares to be redeemed shall be selected either  pro rata  or by lot. Subject to the provisions hereof, the Board shall have full power and authority to prescribe the terms and conditions upon which shares of Series C Preferred Stock shall be redeemed from time to time.

 

(d) Any redemption of the Series C Preferred Stock is subject to receipt by the Corporation of any required prior approval by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (including any successor appropriate federal banking agency) and to the satisfaction of any conditions set forth in the capital regulations or guidelines of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (including any successor appropriate federal banking agency) applicable to redemption of the Series C Preferred Stock.

 

Section 6.  Voting Rights .

 

(a) Except as provided below or as expressly required by law, the holders of shares of Series C Preferred Stock shall have no voting power, and no right to vote on any matter at any time, either as a separate series or class or together with any other series or class of shares of capital stock.

 

(b) So long as any shares of Series C Preferred Stock remain outstanding, the affirmative vote or consent of the holders of at least two-thirds of all of the shares of Series C Preferred Stock at the time outstanding, voting separately as a class, shall be required to: (1) amend, alter or repeal the provisions of the Corporation’s charter (including the Articles Supplementary creating the Series C Preferred Stock), or the Corporation’s bylaws, whether by merger, consolidation or otherwise, so as to adversely affect the powers, preferences, privileges or special rights of the Series C Preferred Stock; provided, that any of the following will not be deemed to adversely affect such powers, preferences, privileges or special rights: (A) increases in the amount of the authorized Common Stock or, except as provided in subclause (2), Preferred Stock; (B) increases or decreases in the number of shares of any series of Preferred Stock, which series is of Series C Parity Securities or Series C Junior Securities; or (C) the authorization, creation and issuance of other classes or series of capital stock (or securities convertible or exchangeable into such capital stock),

 

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which series or class is of Series C Parity Securities or Series C Junior Securities; (2) amend or alter the Corporation’s charter to authorize or increase the authorized amount of or issue shares of any class or series of stock, or reclassify any of the Corporation’s authorized capital stock into any shares of capital stock, ranking senior to the Series C Preferred Stock with respect to payment of dividends or the distribution of assets upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation or issue any obligation or security convertible into or evidencing the right to purchase any such shares of senior stock; or (3) consummate a binding share exchange, a reclassification involving the Series C Preferred Stock or a merger or consolidation of the Corporation with or into another entity, provided, however, that the holders of Series C Preferred Stock will have no right to vote under this clause (3) if in each case: (i) the Series C Preferred Stock remains outstanding or, in the case of any such merger or consolidation with respect to which the Corporation is not the surviving or resulting entity, is converted into or exchanged for preferred securities of the surviving or resulting entity (or its ultimate parent); and (ii) the Series C Preferred Stock remaining outstanding or the new preferred securities, as the case may be, have such powers, preferences and special rights as are not materially less favorable to the holders thereof than the powers, preferences and special rights of the Series C Preferred Stock, taken as a whole. The foregoing voting provisions will not apply if, at or prior to the time when the act with respect to which such vote would otherwise be required shall be effected, all outstanding shares of Series C Preferred Stock shall have been redeemed or called for redemption upon proper notice and sufficient funds shall have been set aside by the Corporation for the benefit of the holders of Series C Preferred Stock to effect such redemption.

 

(c) If and whenever dividends payable on Series C Preferred Stock shall have not been paid in an aggregate amount equal to full dividends for six or more Series C Dividend Periods (whether or not consecutive) (a “ Nonpayment Event ”), the authorized number of directors then constituting the Board shall be automatically increased by two and the holders of Series C Preferred Stock, together with the holders of any other class or series of outstanding preferred stock upon which similar voting rights as described in this subsection have been conferred and are exercisable with respect to such matter (any such other class or series being herein referred to as “ Voting Parity Stock ”), voting together as a single class in proportion to their respective liquidation preferences, shall be entitled to elect by a plurality of the votes cast the two additional directors (the “ Preferred Stock Directors ”); provided that it shall be a qualification for election for any Preferred Stock Director that the election of such director shall not cause the Corporation to violate the corporate governance requirements of any securities exchange or other trading facility on which securities of the Corporation may then be listed or traded that listed or traded companies must have a majority of independent directors; provided, further, that the Board shall at no time include more than two such Preferred Stock Directors, including all directors that the holders of any series of Voting Parity Stock are entitled to elect pursuant to their voting rights.

 

In the event that the holders of Series C Preferred Stock and the holders of such Voting Parity Stock shall be entitled to vote for the election of the Preferred Stock Directors following a Nonpayment Event, such directors shall be initially elected following such Nonpayment Event only at a special meeting called at the request of the holders of record of shares representing at least 20% of the combined liquidation preference of the Series C Preferred Stock and each series of Voting Parity Stock then outstanding, voting together as a single class in proportion to their respective liquidation preferences (unless such request for a special meeting is received less than 90 days before the date fixed for the next annual or special meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation, in which event such election shall be held only at such next annual or special meeting of stockholders), and at each subsequent annual meeting of stockholders of the Corporation. Such

 

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request to call a special meeting for the initial election of the Preferred Stock Directors after a Nonpayment Event shall be made by written notice, signed by the requisite holders of Series C Preferred Stock or Voting Parity Stock, and delivered to the Corporate Secretary of the Corporation in such manner as provided for in Section 12 below, or as may otherwise be required by applicable law. If the Corporate Secretary of the Corporation fails to call a special meeting for the election of the Preferred Stock Directors within 20 days of receiving proper notice, any holder of Series C Preferred Stock may call such a meeting at the Corporation’s expense solely for the election of the Preferred Stock Directors, and for this purpose only such Series C Preferred Stock holder shall have access to the Corporation’s stock ledger. The Preferred Stock Directors elected at any such special meeting shall hold office until the next annual meeting of the stockholders if such office shall not have previously terminated as provided below.

 

Any Preferred Stock Director may be removed at any time without cause by the holders of record of shares of Series C Preferred Stock and Voting Parity Stock representing at least a majority of the combined liquidation preference of the Series C Preferred Stock and each series of Voting Parity Stock then outstanding, when they have the voting rights described above (voting together as a single class in proportion to their respective liquidation preferences). In case any vacancy shall occur among the Preferred Stock Directors, a successor shall be elected by the then remaining Preferred Stock Director or, if no Preferred Stock Director remains in office, by a plurality of the votes cast by the holders of the outstanding shares of Series C Preferred Stock and such Voting Parity Stock, voting as a single class in proportion to their respective liquidation preferences. The Preferred Stock Directors shall each be entitled to one vote per director on any matter that shall come before the Board for a vote.

 

When dividends have been paid in full on the Series C Preferred Stock for at least four consecutive Series C Dividend Periods, then the right of the holders of Series C Preferred Stock to elect the Preferred Stock Directors shall terminate (but subject always to revesting of such voting rights in the case of any future Nonpayment Event), and, if and when any rights of holders of Series C Preferred Stock and Voting Parity Stock to elect the Preferred Stock Directors shall have ceased, the terms of office of all the Preferred Stock Directors shall forthwith terminate and the number of directors constituting the Board shall automatically be reduced accordingly.

 

(d) Except as expressly provided in this Section 6, each holder of Series C Preferred Stock shall have one vote per share on any matter on which holders of Series C Preferred Stock are entitled to vote under this Section 6. The holders of the Series C Preferred Stock shall have exclusive voting rights on any charter amendment that would alter only the contract rights, as expressly set forth in the Corporation’s charter, of the Series C Preferred Stock.

 

Section 7.  Conversion Rights . The holders of shares of Series C Preferred Stock shall not have any rights to convert such shares into shares of any other class or series of securities of the Corporation.

 

Section 8.  Preemptive Rights . The holders of shares of Series C Preferred Stock will have no preemptive rights with respect to any shares of the Corporation’s capital stock or any of its other securities convertible into or carrying rights or options to purchase any such capital stock.

 

Section 9.  Certificates . The Corporation may at its option issue shares of Series C Preferred Stock without certificates.

 

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Section 10.  Transfer Agent . The duly appointed transfer agent for the Series C Preferred Stock shall be Computershare Trust Company, N.A. The Corporation may, in its sole discretion, remove the transfer agent in accordance with the agreement between the Corporation and the transfer agent; provided that the Corporation shall appoint a successor transfer agent who shall accept such appointment prior to the effectiveness of such removal. Upon any such removal or appointment, the Corporation shall send notice thereof by first-class mail, postage prepaid, to the holders of the Series C Preferred Stock.

 

Section 11.  Registrar . The duly appointed registrar for the Series C Preferred Stock shall be Computershare Trust Company, N.A. The Corporation may, in its sole discretion, remove the registrar in accordance with the agreement between the Corporation and the registrar; provided that the Corporation shall appoint a successor registrar who shall accept such appointment prior to the effectiveness of such removal. Upon any such removal or appointment, the Corporation shall send notice thereof by first-class mail, postage prepaid, to the holders of the Series C Preferred Stock.

 

Section 12.  Notices . All notices or communications in respect of the Series C Preferred Stock shall be sufficiently given if given in writing and delivered in person or by first class mail, postage prepaid, or if given in such other manner as may be permitted herein, in the charter or bylaws of the Corporation or by applicable law. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if shares of Series C Preferred Stock or depositary shares representing an interest in shares of Series C Preferred Stock are issued or held in book-entry form through DTC or any other similar facility, notice of redemption may be given to the holders thereof at such time and in any manner permitted by such facility.

 

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