As filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on June 23, 2025.
Registration No. 333-287488
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
AMENDMENT NO. 3 TO
FORM S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
Jefferson Capital, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
6153
(Primary Standard Industrial
Classification Code Number)
33-1923926
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)
600 South Highway 169, Suite 1575
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55426
Phone Number: (320) 229-8505
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
David Burton
Chief Executive Officer
600 South Highway 169, Suite 1575
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55426
Phone Number: (320) 229-8505
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copies to:
Marc D. Jaffe
Erika Weinberg
Latham & Watkins LLP
1271 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10020
(212) 906-1200
Matthew Pfohl
Chief Administrative Officer and
General Counsel
Jefferson Capital, Inc.
600 South Highway 169, Suite 1575
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55426
(320) 229-8505
Alexander D. Lynch
Michael Stein
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
767 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10153
(212) 310-8000
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to public: As soon as practicable after this Registration Statement is declared effective.
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box.
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer
Accelerated filer
Non-accelerated filer
Smaller reporting company
Emerging growth company
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 to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.
The Registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act, or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Jefferson Capital, Inc. is filing this Amendment No. 3 to its Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-287488) as an exhibits-only filing. Accordingly, this Amendment No. 3 consists only of the facing page, this explanatory note, Item 16(a) of Part II of the Registration Statement, the signature page to the Registration Statement and the filed exhibits. The remainder of the Registration Statement is unchanged and has therefore been omitted.
 

 
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 16. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
(a)
Exhibits
A list of exhibits required to be filed under this item is set forth on the Exhibit Index of this registration statement and is incorporated in this Item 16(a) by reference.
 
II-1

 
INDEX TO EXHIBITS
The following exhibits are filed as part of this registration statement.
Exhibit 
No.
1.1
3.1*
3.2
3.3
4.1*
4.2*
4.3*
4.4*
4.5*
4.6*
4.7*
4.8
5.1*
10.1*
10.2*
10.3*
10.4†*
10.5†*
10.6†*
10.7†*
10.8†*
10.9†*
10.10†*
10.11†*
10.12*
21.1*
23.1*
 
II-2

 
Exhibit 
No.
23.2*
23.3*
24.1*
107*
*
Previously filed.

Indicates a management contract or compensatory plan.
 
II-3

 
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant has duly caused this Amendment No. 3 to Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the city of Minneapolis, state of Minnesota on June 23, 2025.
Jefferson Capital, Inc.
By:
/s/ David Burton
David Burton
President and Chief Executive Officer
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Amendment No. 3 to Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature
Title
Date
/s/ David Burton
David Burton
President and Chief Executive Officer
(Principal Executive Officer)
June 23, 2025
/s/ Christo Realov
Christo Realov
Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial and Accounting
Officer)
June 23, 2025
*
Thomas Harding
Director
June 23, 2025
*
John Oros
Director
June 23, 2025
*
Thomas Lydon, Jr.
Director
June 23, 2025
*
Christopher Giles
Director
June 23, 2025
*
Ronald Vaske
Director
June 23, 2025
*
Beth Leonard
Director
June 23, 2025
* By: /s/ David Burton
David Burton
Attorney-in-fact
 
II-4

 

Exhibit 1.1

 

[●] Shares

 

Jefferson Capital, Inc.

 

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

[●], 2025

 

JEFFERIES LLC
KEEFE, BRUYETTE & WOODS, INC.

 

As Representatives of the several Underwriters

 

c/o JEFFERIES LLC
520 Madison Avenue
New York, New York 10022

 

c/o KEEFE, BRUYETTE & WOODS, INC.

787 Seventh Avenue

New York, New York 10019

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Introductory. Jefferson Capital, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the several underwriters named in Schedule A (the “Underwriters”) an aggregate of 625,000 shares of its common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Shares”); and the stockholders of the Company named in Schedule B (collectively, the “Selling Stockholders”) severally and not jointly propose to sell to the Underwriters an aggregate of 9,375,000 Shares. The 625,000 Shares to be sold by the Company and the 9,375,000 Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholders are collectively called the “Firm Shares.” In addition, the Selling Stockholders have severally granted to the Underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional 1,500,000 Shares, with each Selling Stockholder selling up to the amount set forth opposite such Selling Stockholder’s name in Schedule B, all as provided in Section 2. The additional 1,500,000 Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholders pursuant to such option are collectively called the “Optional Shares.” The Firm Shares and, if and to the extent such option is exercised, the Optional Shares are collectively called the “Offered Shares.” Jefferies LLC (“Jefferies”) and Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc. (“KBW”) have agreed to act as representatives of the several Underwriters (in such capacity, the “Representatives”) in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Shares. To the extent there are no additional underwriters listed on Schedule A, the term “Representatives” as used herein shall mean you, as Underwriters, and the term “Underwriters” shall mean either the singular or the plural, as the context requires.

 

Jefferies agrees that up to 5% of the Firm Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters (the “Directed Shares”) shall be reserved for sale to certain eligible directors, officers and employees of the Company and persons having business relationships with the Company (collectively, the “Participants”), as part of the distribution of the Offered Shares by the Underwriters (the “Directed Share Program”) subject to the terms of this Agreement, the applicable rules, regulations and interpretations of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) and all other applicable laws, rule and regulations. The Directed Share Program shall be administered by Jefferies. To the extent that the Directed Shares are not orally confirmed for purchase by the Participants by the end of the first business day after the date of this Agreement, such Directed Shares may be offered to the public by the Underwriters as part of the public offering contemplated hereby.

 

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The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-1, File No. 333-287488 which contains a form of prospectus to be used in connection with the public offering and sale of the Offered Shares. Such registration statement, as amended, including the financial statements, exhibits, in the form in which it became effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”), including any information deemed to be a part thereof at the time of effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430A under the Securities Act, is called the “Registration Statement.” Any registration statement filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act in connection with the offer and sale of the Offered Shares is called the “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement,” and from and after the date and time of filing of any such Rule 462(b) Registration Statement the term “Registration Statement” shall include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. The prospectus, in the form first used by the Underwriters to confirm sales of the Offered Shares or in the form first made available to the Underwriters by the Company to meet requests of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act, is called the “Prospectus.” The preliminary prospectus dated [●], 2025 describing the Offered Shares and the offering thereof is called the “Preliminary Prospectus,” and the Preliminary Prospectus and any other prospectus in preliminary form that describes the Offered Shares and the offering thereof and is used prior to the filing of the Prospectus is called a “preliminary prospectus.” As used herein, “Applicable Time” is [●] p.m. (New York City time) on [●], 2025. As used herein, “free writing prospectus” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, and “Time of Sale Prospectus” means the Preliminary Prospectus together with the free writing prospectuses, if any, identified in Schedule C hereto. As used herein, “Road Show” means a “road show” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act) relating to the offering of the Offered Shares contemplated hereby that is a “written communication” (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act). As used herein, “Section 5(d) Written Communication” means each written communication (within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act) that is made in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Securities Act by the Company or any person authorized to act on behalf of the Company to one or more potential investors that are qualified institutional buyers (“QIBs”) and/or institutions that are accredited investors (“IAIs”), as such terms are respectively defined in Rule 144A and Rule 501(a) under the Securities Act, to determine whether such investors might have an interest in the offering of the Offered Shares; “Section 5(d) Oral Communication” means each oral communication, if any, made in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Securities Act by the Company or any person authorized to act on behalf of the Company made to one or more QIBs and/or one or more IAIs to determine whether such investors might have an interest in the offering of the Offered Shares; “Marketing Materials” means 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 Offered Shares, including any roadshow or investor presentations made to investors by the Company (whether in person or electronically); and “Permitted Section 5(d) Communication” means the Section 5(d) Written Communication(s) and Marketing Materials listed on Schedule D attached hereto.

 

All references in this Agreement to (i) the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus (including the Preliminary Prospectus), or the Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing, or any free writing prospectus, shall include any copy thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System (“EDGAR”) and (ii) the Prospectus shall be deemed to include any “electronic Prospectus” provided for use in connection with the offering of the Offered Shares as contemplated by Section 3(A)(n) of this Agreement.

 

In the event that the Company has only one subsidiary, then all references herein to “subsidiaries” of the Company shall be deemed to refer to such single subsidiary, mutatis mutandis.

 

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The Company and each of the Selling Stockholders, severally and not jointly, hereby confirm their respective agreements with the Underwriters as follows:

 

Section 1.                  Representations and Warranties.

 

A.             Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company hereby represents, warrants and covenants to each Underwriter, as of the date of this Agreement, as of the First Closing Date (as hereinafter defined) and as of each Option Closing Date (as hereinafter defined), if any, as follows:

 

(a)           Compliance with Registration Requirements. The Registration Statement has become effective under the Securities Act. The Company has complied, to the Commission’s satisfaction with all requests of the Commission for additional or supplemental information, if any. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement is in effect and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the actual knowledge of the Company, are contemplated or threatened by the Commission.

 

(b)            Disclosure. Each preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus when filed complied in all material respects with the Securities Act and, if filed by electronic transmission pursuant to EDGAR, was identical (except as may be permitted by Regulation S-T under the Securities Act) to the copy thereof delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offer and sale of the Offered Shares. Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time it became or becomes effective, complied and will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. As of the Applicable Time, the Time of Sale Prospectus (including any preliminary prospectus wrapper) did not, and at the First Closing Date (as defined in Section 2) and at each applicable Option Closing Date (as defined in Section 2), will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Prospectus (including any Prospectus wrapper), as of its date, did not, and at the First Closing Date and at each applicable Option Closing Date, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The representations and warranties set forth in the three immediately preceding sentences do not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto, or the Prospectus or the Time of Sale Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements thereto, made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by the Representatives expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information consists of the information described in Section 9(c) below. There are no contracts or other documents required to be described in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus or to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement which have not been described or filed as required.

 

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(c)            Free Writing Prospectuses; Road Show. As of the determination date referenced in Rule 164(h) under the Securities Act, the Company was not, is not or will not be (as applicable) an “ineligible issuer” in connection with the offering of the Offered Shares pursuant to Rules 164, 405 and 433 under the Securities Act. Each free writing prospectus that the Company is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act has been, or will be, filed with the Commission in accordance with the requirements of the Securities Act. Each free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act or that was prepared by or on behalf of or used or referred to by the Company complies or will comply in all material respects with the requirements of Rule 433 under the Securities Act, including timely filing with the Commission, retention and legending, as applicable, and each such free writing prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Offered Shares did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any preliminary prospectus unless such information has been superseded or modified as of such time. Except for the free writing prospectuses, if any, identified in Schedule C, and electronic road shows, if any, furnished to you before first use, the Company has not prepared, used or referred to, and will not, without your prior written consent (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), prepare, use or refer to, any free writing prospectus. Each Road Show, when considered together with the Time of Sale Prospectus, did not, as of the Applicable Time, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

(d)            Directed Share Program. (i) The Registration Statement, the Prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus and any preliminary prospectus comply, and any further amendments or supplements thereto will comply, with any applicable laws or regulations of foreign jurisdictions in which the Prospectus, Time of Sale Prospectus or any preliminary prospectus, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, are distributed in connection with the Directed Share Program, and (ii) no authorization, approval, consent, license, order registration or qualification of or with any government, governmental instrumentality or court, other than such as have been obtained, is necessary under the securities laws and regulations of foreign jurisdictions in which the Directed Shares are offered outside the United States. The Company has not offered, or caused the Underwriters to offer, any Offered Shares to any person pursuant to the Directed Share Program with the intent to unlawfully influence (i) a customer or supplier of the Company to alter the customer’s or supplier’s level or type of business with the Company or (ii) a trade journalist or publication to write or publish favorable information about the Company or its products.

 

(e)            Distribution of Offering Material By the Company. Prior to the later of (i) the expiration or termination of the option granted to the several Underwriters in Section 2, (ii) the completion of the Underwriters’ distribution of the Offered Shares and (iii) the expiration of 25 days after the date of the Prospectus, the Company has not distributed and will not distribute any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Shares other than the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus or any free writing prospectus reviewed and consented to by the Representatives, the free writing prospectuses, if any, identified on Schedule C hereto and any Permitted Section 5(d) Communications.

 

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

 

(g)            No Applicable Registration or Other Similar Rights. There are no persons with: (i) any registration or other similar rights to have any securities registered for sale by the Company under the Registration Statement or included in the offering contemplated by this Agreement, except for such rights as are described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus under “Shares Eligible for Future Sale;” (ii) any preemptive right, co-sale right, right of first refusal or other similar right to purchase any of the Offered Shares that are to be sold by the Company or any of the Selling Stockholders to the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement, except for such rights as such Selling Stockholder has waived prior to the date hereof and are described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus; and (iii) any warrants, options or similar rights to acquire, and does not have any right or arrangement to acquire, any capital stock, right, warrants, options or other securities from the Company, other than those described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.

 

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(h)            No Material Adverse Change. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus: (i) there has been no material adverse change, or any development that would reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse change, in (A) the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business, properties, operations, operating results, assets, liabilities or prospects, whether or not arising from transactions in the ordinary course of business, of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one entity or (B) the ability of the Company to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or perform its obligations hereunder (any such change being referred to herein as a “Material Adverse Change”); (ii) the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one entity, have not incurred any material liability or obligation, indirect, direct or contingent, including without limitation any losses or interference with their business from fire, explosion, flood, earthquakes, accident or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any strike, labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, that are material, individually or in the aggregate, to the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as one entity, and have not entered into any material transactions not in the ordinary course of business; and (iii) there has not been any material decrease in the capital stock or any material increase in any short-term or long-term indebtedness of the Company or its subsidiaries and there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company or, except for dividends paid to the Company or other subsidiaries, by any of the Company’s subsidiaries on any class of capital stock, or any repurchase or redemption by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of any class of capital stock.

 

(i)             Independent Accountants. Deloitte & Touche LLP, which has expressed its opinion with respect to the financial statements (which term as used in this Agreement includes the related notes thereto) filed with the Commission as a part of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, is (i) an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the Securities Act, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (collectively, the “Exchange Act”), and the rules of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”), (ii) in compliance with the applicable requirements relating to the qualification of accountants under Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act and (iii) a registered public accounting firm as defined by the PCAOB whose registration has not been suspended or revoked and who has not requested such registration to be withdrawn. BDO USA, P.C., who have certified certain financial statements of Jefferson Capital Holdings, LLC, an indirect subsidiary of the Company, and its consolidated subsidiaries is an independent certified public accountant as required by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (“AICPA”) Code of Professional Conduct, including during the period in which BDO USA, P.C. was the Company’s auditor.

 

(j)            Financial Statements. The financial statements filed with the Commission as a part of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the results of their operations, changes in stockholders’ equity and cash flows for the periods specified. Such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles as applied in the United States applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved, except as may be expressly stated in the related notes thereto. No other financial statements are required to be included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus. The financial data set forth in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus under the captions “Prospectus Summary—Summary Consolidated Financial and Operating Information” and “Capitalization” fairly present, in all materials respects, the information set forth therein on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus. The pro forma consolidated financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries and the related notes thereto included under the caption “Unaudited Pro Forma Consolidated Financial Information” and elsewhere in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus present fairly, in all material respects, the information contained therein, have been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines with respect to pro forma financial statements and have been properly presented on the bases described therein, and the assumptions used in the preparation thereof are reasonable and the adjustments used therein are appropriate, in all material respects, to give effect to the transactions and circumstances referred to therein. All disclosures contained in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus and any free writing prospectus, that constitute non-GAAP financial measures (as defined by the rules and regulations under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act) comply with Regulation G under the Exchange Act and Item 10 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act, as applicable.

 

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(k)           Company’s Accounting System. The Company and each of its subsidiaries make and keep accurate books and records and maintain a system of internal accounting controls designed to provide reasonable assurance that: (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles as applied in the United States and to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.

 

(l)             Disclosure Controls and Procedures; Deficiencies in or Changes to Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. The Company has established and maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act), which (i) are designed to ensure that material information relating to the Company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to the Company’s principal executive officer and its principal financial officer by others within those entities, particularly during the periods in which the periodic reports required under the Exchange Act are being prepared; (ii) have been evaluated by management of the Company for effectiveness as of the end of the Company’s most recent fiscal quarter; and (iii) are effective in all material respects to perform the functions for which they were established. Since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there have been no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and 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 is not aware of any change in its internal control over financial reporting that has occurred during its most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

(m)           Incorporation and Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation and has the corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement. The Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing in the State of Minnesota and each other jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the leasing of property or the conduct of business.

 

(n)           Subsidiaries. Each of the Company’s subsidiaries (for purposes of this Agreement, as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) has been duly incorporated or organized, as the case may be, and is validly existing as a corporation, partnership or limited liability company, as applicable, in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization and has the power and authority (corporate or other) to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus. Each of the Company’s subsidiaries is duly qualified as a foreign corporation, partnership or limited liability company, as applicable, 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 be so qualified would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Change. All of the issued and outstanding capital stock or other equity or ownership interests of each of the Company’s subsidiaries have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable and are owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance or adverse claim. None of the outstanding capital stock or equity interest in any subsidiary was issued in violation of preemptive or similar rights of any security holder of such subsidiary. The constitutive or organizational documents of each of the subsidiaries comply in all material respects with the requirements of applicable laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation or organization and are in full force and effect. The Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity other than the subsidiaries listed in Exhibit 21 to the Registration Statement.

 

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(o)            Capitalization and Other Capital Stock Matters. The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company is as set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus under the caption “Capitalization” (other than for subsequent issuances, if any, pursuant to employee benefit plans, or upon the exercise of outstanding options or warrants, in each case described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus). The Shares (including the Offered Shares) conform in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Time of Sale Prospectus. All of the issued and outstanding Shares (including the Shares owned by Selling Stockholders) have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable and have been issued in compliance with all federal and state securities laws. None of the outstanding Shares were issued in violation of any preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities of the Company. There are no authorized or outstanding options, warrants, preemptive rights, rights of first refusal or other rights to purchase, or equity or debt securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for, any capital stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries other than those described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus. The descriptions of the Company’s stock option, stock bonus and other stock plans or arrangements, and the options or other rights granted thereunder, set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus accurately and fairly presents, in all material respects, the information required to be shown with respect to such plans, arrangements, options and rights.

 

(p)           Stock Exchange Listing. The Offered Shares have been approved for listing on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (the “Nasdaq”), subject only to official notice of issuance.

 

(q)            Non-Contravention of Existing Instruments; No Further Authorizations or Approvals Required. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of its charter or by-laws, partnership agreement or operating agreement or similar organizational documents, as applicable, or is in default (or, with the giving of notice or lapse of time, would be in default) (“Default”) under any indenture, loan, credit agreement, note, lease, license agreement, contract, franchise or other instrument (including, without limitation, any pledge agreement, security agreement, mortgage or other instrument or agreement evidencing, guaranteeing, securing or relating to indebtedness) 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 their respective properties or assets are subject (each, an “Existing Instrument”), except for such Defaults as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Change. The Company’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and the issuance and sale of the Offered Shares (including the use of proceeds from the sale of the Offered Shares as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds”) (i) have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action and will not result in any violation of the provisions of the charter or by-laws, partnership agreement or operating agreement or similar organizational documents, as applicable, of the Company or any subsidiary, (ii) will not conflict with or constitute a breach of, or Default or a Debt Repayment Triggering Event (as defined below) under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to, or require the consent of any other party to, any Existing Instrument and (iii) will not result in any violation of any law, administrative regulation or administrative or court decree applicable to the Company or any of its subsidiaries, except, in the cases of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, where such breach, violation or default would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Change. No consent, approval, authorization or other order of, or registration or filing with, any court or other governmental or regulatory authority or agency, is required for the Company’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, except (A) such as have been obtained or made by the Company and are in full force and effect under the Securities Act and such as may be required under applicable state securities or blue sky laws or the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) and (B) such as have been obtained under the laws and regulations of jurisdictions outside the United States in which Directed Shares are offered. As used herein, a “Debt Repayment Triggering Event” means any event or condition which gives, or with the giving of notice or lapse of time would give, the holder of any note, debenture or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

 

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(r)            Compliance with Laws. The Company and its subsidiaries have been and are in compliance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations, except where failure to be so in compliance would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Change.

 

(s)            No Material Actions or Proceedings. There is no action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation brought by or before any legal or governmental entity now pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries, which would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Change.

 

(t)             Intellectual Property RightsExcept as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Change, (i) the Company and its subsidiaries own, license or have other rights to use all patents, trademarks and service marks, trade names, copyrights, domain names (in each case whether registered or unregistered), inventions, trade secrets, technology, know-how, and other intellectual property (collectively, the “Intellectual Property”) necessary for the conduct of the Company’s business as now conducted as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus; (ii) to the knowledge of the Company, there is no infringement by third parties of any Intellectual Property owned by the Company or its subsidiaries; (iii) there is no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by any third party challenging the Company’s or its subsidiaries’ rights in or to any Intellectual Property, and the Company is unaware of any facts which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; (iv) there is no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by any third party challenging the validity, scope or enforceability of any registered Intellectual Property owned by the Company or its subsidiaries, and the Company is unaware of any facts that would form a reasonable basis for any such claim; and (v) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has infringed or is infringing the intellectual property of a third party and there is no pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened action, suit, proceeding or claim by any third party that the Company or any subsidiary infringes or otherwise violates any patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret or other intellectual property rights of any third party, and the Company is unaware of any fact which would form a reasonable basis for any such claim.

 

(u)            All Necessary Permits, etc. The Company and its subsidiaries possess such valid and current licenses, certificates, authorizations, approvals, consents or permits required by state, federal or foreign regulatory agencies or bodies to conduct their respective businesses as currently conducted and as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus (“Permits”) except where the failure to possess the same or so qualify would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Change. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is in violation of, or in default under, any of the Permits or has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of, or non-compliance with, any such license, certificate, authorization, approval, consent or permit which, if resolved unfavorably, would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Change.

 

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(v)            Title to Properties. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, the Company and its subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all of the real and personal property and other assets reflected as owned in the financial statements referred to in Section 1(A)(j) above (or elsewhere in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus), in each case free and clear of any security interests, mortgages, liens, encumbrances, equities, adverse claims and other defects, except as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Change.

 

(w)           Tax Law Compliance. Except as would not be reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Change, the Company and each of its subsidiaries have timely filed all applicable tax returns that are required to be filed (taking into account any validly obtained extensions) and has paid all taxes required to be paid by it and any other assessment, fine or penalty levied against it, to the extent that any of the foregoing is due and payable, except for any such assessment, fine or penalty that is currently being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings. Except as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Change, the Company has made adequate charges, accruals and reserves in the applicable financial statements referred to in Section 1(A)(j) above in respect of all federal, state and foreign income and franchise taxes for all periods as to which the tax liability of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has not been finally determined.

 

(x)            Insurance. The Company and each of its subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which they are engaged; all policies of insurance and fidelity or surety bonds insuring the Company or any of its subsidiaries or their respective businesses, assets, employees, officers and directors are in full force and effect, except as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Change; the Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms of such policies and instruments; there are no claims by the Company or any of its subsidiaries under any such policy or instrument as to which any insurance company is denying liability or defending under a reservation of rights clause; neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied for; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Change. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has been denied any insurance coverage which it has sought or for which it has applied.

 

(y)            Compliance with Environmental Laws. The Company and its subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with any and all applicable laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (“Environmental Laws”); (ii) have received and are in compliance with all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses; and (iii) have not received notice of any actual or potential liability under any Environmental Law, except where such non-compliance with Environmental Laws, failure to receive required permits, licenses or other approvals, or liability would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Change. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has been named as a “potentially responsible party” under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended.

 

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(z)            ERISA Compliance. The Company and its subsidiaries and any “employee benefit plan” (as defined under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (collectively, “ERISA”)) established or maintained by the Company, its subsidiaries or their “ERISA Affiliates” (as defined below) are in compliance in all material respects with ERISA. “ERISA Affiliate” means, with respect to the Company, any member of any group of organizations described in Sections 414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations and published interpretations thereunder (the “Code”) of which the Company is a member. (i) No “reportable event” (as defined under ERISA) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur with respect to any “employee benefit plan” established or maintained by the Company or any of its ERISA Affiliates, (ii) no “employee benefit plan” established or maintained by the Company or any of its ERISA Affiliates, if such “employee benefit plan” were terminated, would have any “amount of unfunded benefit liabilities” (as defined under ERISA), (iii) neither the Company nor any of its ERISA Affiliates has incurred or reasonably expects to incur any liability under (a) Title IV of ERISA with respect to termination of, or withdrawal from, any “employee benefit plan” or (b) Sections 412, 4971, 4975 or 4980B of the Code, or (iv) each employee benefit plan established or maintained by the Company or its subsidiaries that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified and nothing has occurred, whether by action or failure to act, which would cause the loss of such qualification, except in each case with respect to the events or conditions set forth in (i) through (iv) hereof, as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Change.

 

(aa)         Company Not an “Investment Company.” The Company is not, and will not be, either after receipt of payment for the Offered Shares or after the application of the proceeds therefrom as described under “Use of Proceeds” in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, required to register as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”).

 

(bb)          No Price Stabilization or Manipulation; Compliance with Regulation M. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would reasonably be expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares or of any “reference security” (as defined in Rule 100 of Regulation M under the Exchange Act (“Regulation M”)) with respect to the Shares, whether to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Shares or otherwise, and has taken no action which would directly or indirectly violate Regulation M.

 

(cc)          Related-Party Transactions. There are no business relationships or related-party transactions involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any other person required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus that have not been described as required.

 

(dd)          FINRA Matters. All of the information provided to the Underwriters or to counsel for the Underwriters by the Company, its counsel, its officers and directors and the holders of any securities (debt or equity) or options to acquire any securities of the Company in connection with the offering of the Offered Shares is true, complete, correct and compliant, in all material respects, with FINRA’s rules and any letters, filings or other supplemental information provided to FINRA pursuant to FINRA Rules or NASD Conduct Rules is true, complete and correct, in all material respects.

 

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(ee)         Parties to Lock-up Agreements. The Company has furnished to the Underwriters a letter agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Lock-up Agreement”) from the Selling Stockholders and each of the persons listed on Exhibit B. Such Exhibit B lists under an appropriate caption the directors and executive officers of the Company. If any additional persons shall become directors or executive officers of the Company prior to the end of the Company Lock-up Period (as defined below), the Company shall cause each such person, prior to or contemporaneously with their appointment or election as a director or executive officer of the Company, to execute and deliver to the Representatives a Lock-up Agreement. 

 

(ff)           Statistical and Market-Related Data. All statistical, demographic and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Company believes, after reasonable inquiry, to be reliable and accurate. To the extent required and practicable, the Company has obtained the written consent to the use of such data from such sources.

 

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

 

(hh)          No Unlawful Contributions or Other Payments. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, any employee or agent of the Company or any subsidiary, has made any contribution or other payment to any official of, or candidate for, any federal, state or foreign office in violation of any law or of the character required to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus.

 

(ii)           Anti-Corruption and Anti-Bribery Laws. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, or employee of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, or any agent, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries has, in the course of its actions for, or on behalf of, the Company or any of its subsidiaries (i) used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expenses relating to political activity; (ii) made or taken any act in furtherance of an offer, promise, or authorization of any direct or indirect unlawful payment or benefit to any foreign or domestic government official or employee, including of any government-owned or controlled entity or public international organization, or any political party, party official, or candidate for political office; (iii) violated or is in violation of any provision of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended (the “FCPA”), the UK Bribery Act 2010, or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption law; or (iv) made, offered, authorized, requested, or taken an act in furtherance of any unlawful bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment or benefit. The Company and its subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company, the Company’s affiliates have conducted their respective businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.

 

(jj)           Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are, and have been conducted at all times, in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, the money laundering statutes of all applicable jurisdictions, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar applicable rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened.

 

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(kk)        Sanctions. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor any director or officer of the Company or of any of its subsidiaries, nor to the knowledge of the Company, after due inquiry, any employee of the Company or of any of its subsidiaries or, any agent, affiliate or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently the subject or the target of any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“OFAC”) or the U.S. Department of State, the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, His Majesty’s Treasury of the United Kingdom, or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”); nor is the Company or any of its subsidiaries located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject or the target of Sanctions, including, without limitation, the Donetsk People’s Republic, Luhansk People’s Republic, Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Syria (each, a “Sanctioned Country”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of this offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, or any joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of or business with any person, or in any country or territory, that at the time of such financing, is the subject or the target 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 applicable Sanctions. Since April 24, 2019, the Company and its subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in and are not now knowingly engaged in any dealings or transactions with any person that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject or the target of Sanctions or with any Sanctioned Country.

 

(ll)           Brokers. Except pursuant to this Agreement, there is no broker, finder or other party that is entitled to receive from the Company any brokerage or finder’s fee or other fee or commission as a result of any transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

(mm)       Forward-Looking Statements. Each financial or operational projection or other “forward-looking statement” (as defined by Section 27A of the Securities Act or Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus (i) was so included by the Company in good faith and with reasonable basis after due consideration by the Company of the underlying assumptions, estimates and other applicable facts and circumstances and (ii) is accompanied by meaningful cautionary statements identifying those factors that would reasonably be expected to cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statement. No such statement was made with the knowledge of an executive officer or director of the Company that it was false or misleading.

 

(nn)         No Outstanding Loans or Other Extensions of Credit. The Company does not have any outstanding extension of credit, in the form of a personal loan, to or for any director or executive officer (or equivalent thereof) of the Company except for such extensions of credit as are expressly permitted by Section 13(k) of the Exchange Act.

 

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(oo)          Cybersecurity. To the knowledge of the Company, the Company and its subsidiaries’ information technology assets and equipment, computers, systems, networks, hardware, software, websites, applications, and databases (collectively, “IT Systems”) are adequate for, and operate and perform in all material respects as required in connection with the operation of the business of the Company and its subsidiaries as currently conducted, free and clear of all material bugs, errors, defects, Trojan horses, time bombs, malware and other corruptants. The Company and its subsidiaries have implemented and maintained commercially reasonable physical, technical and administrative controls, policies, procedures, and safeguards to maintain and protect their material confidential information and the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems and data, including “Personal Data,” used in connection with their businesses. “Personal Data” means (i) a natural person’s name, street address, telephone number, e-mail address, photograph, social security number or tax identification number, driver’s license number, passport number, credit card number, bank information, or customer or account number; (ii) any information which would qualify as “personally identifying information” under the Federal Trade Commission Act, as amended; and (iii) “personal data” as defined by GDPR. To the knowledge of the Company, there have been no breaches, violations, outages or unauthorized uses of or accesses to same, except for those that have been remedied without material cost or liability or the duty to notify any other person, nor any incidents under internal review or investigations relating to the same. The Company and its subsidiaries (i) are presently in material compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, external, published policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Personal Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Personal Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification and (ii) have not received notice of any actual or potential material liability under or relating to, or actual or potential violation of, any applicable state and federal data privacy and security laws and regulations and have no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in any such notice.

 

(pp)          Emerging Growth Company Status. From the time of initial confidential submission of the Registration Statement to the Commission (or, if earlier, the first date on which the Company engaged in any Section 5(d) Written Communication or any Section 5(d) Oral Communication) through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act (an “Emerging Growth Company”).

 

(qq)          Communications. The Company (i) has not alone engaged in communications with potential investors in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Securities Act other than Permitted Section 5(d) Communications with the consent of the Representatives with entities reasonably believed to be QIBs or IAIs and (ii) has not authorized anyone other than the Representatives to engage in such communications; the Company reconfirms that the Representatives have been authorized to act on its behalf in undertaking Marketing Materials, Section 5(d) Oral Communications and Section 5(d) Written Communications; as of the Applicable Time, each Permitted Section 5(d) Communication, when considered together with the Time of Sale Prospectus, did not, as of the Applicable Time, include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and each Permitted Section 5(d) Communication, if any, does not, as of the date hereof, conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus; and the Company has filed publicly on EDGAR at least 15 calendar days prior to any “road show” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act), any confidentially submitted registration statement and registration statement amendments relating to the offer and sale of the Offered Shares.

 

(rr)          Dividend Restrictions. No subsidiary of the Company is prohibited or restricted, directly or indirectly, from paying dividends to the Company, or from making any other distribution with respect to such subsidiary’s equity securities or from repaying to the Company or any other subsidiary of the Company any amounts that may from time to time become due under any loans or advances to such subsidiary from the Company or from transferring any property or assets to the Company or to any other subsidiary, except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.

 

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

 

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The Company has a reasonable basis for making each of the representations set forth in this Section 1(A). The Company acknowledges that the Underwriters and, for purposes of the opinions to be delivered pursuant to Section 6 hereof, counsel to the Company and counsel to the Underwriters, will rely upon the accuracy and truthfulness of the foregoing representations and hereby consents to such reliance.

 

B.            Representations and Warranties of the Selling Stockholders. Each Selling Stockholder represents, warrants and covenants to each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, as follows:

 

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

 

(b)            The Custody Agreement and Power of Attorney. Each of the Selling Stockholders party to (i) the Custody Agreement signed by such Selling Stockholder and Equiniti Trust Company, LLC, as custodian (the “Custodian”), relating to the deposit of the Offered Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholder (the “Custody Agreement”) and (ii) the Power of Attorney appointing certain individuals named therein as such Selling Stockholder’s attorneys-in-fact (each, an “Attorney-in-Fact”) to the extent set forth therein relating to the transactions contemplated hereby and by the Prospectus (the “Power of Attorney”), of such Selling Stockholder has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by such Selling Stockholder and is a valid and binding agreement of such Selling Stockholder, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as rights to indemnification thereunder may be limited by applicable law and except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by general equitable principles.

 

(c)            Title to Offered Shares to be Sold. Such Selling Stockholder has, and on the First Closing Date and each applicable Option Closing Date (as defined below) will have, good and valid title to, or a valid “security entitlement” within the meaning of Section 8-501 of the New York Commercial Code in respect of, all of the Offered Shares subject to sale by such Selling Stockholder pursuant to this Agreement on such date and the legal right and power to sell, transfer and deliver all of the Offered Shares which may be sold by such Selling Stockholder pursuant to this Agreement and to comply with its other obligations hereunder.

 

(d)            Delivery of the Offered Shares to be Sold. Upon delivery of Offered Shares by such Selling Stockholder, payment therefor by the several Underwriters (or any Representative on behalf of any such Underwriter) pursuant to this Agreement will pass good and valid title to such Offered Shares, free and clear of any security interest, mortgage, pledge, lien, encumbrance or other adverse claim.

 

(e)            Non-Contravention; No Further Authorizations or Approvals Required. The execution and delivery by such Selling Stockholder of, and the performance by such Selling Stockholder of its obligations under, this Agreement, the Custody Agreement (if any) and the Power of Attorney (if any) will not contravene or conflict with, result in a breach of, or constitute a Default under, or require the consent of any other party to (i) the charter or by-laws, partnership agreement, limited liability agreement, trust agreement or other organizational documents of such Selling Stockholder, (ii) any other agreement or instrument to which such Selling Stockholder is a party or by which it is bound or under which it is entitled to any right or benefit, (iii) any provision of applicable law or (iv) any judgment, order, decree or regulation applicable to such Selling Stockholder of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body or arbitrator having jurisdiction over such Selling Stockholder; except in the case of clauses (ii), (iii) and (iv) hereof, such contraventions, conflicts, breaches or defaults as would not, individually or in the aggregate, impair in any material respect the Selling Stockholder’s ability to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. No consent, approval, authorization or other order of, or registration or filing with, any court or other governmental authority or agency, is required for the consummation by such Selling Stockholder of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement, except (x) where the failure to obtain any such consent, approval, authorization or other order to register or file, as the case may be, would not, individually or in the aggregate, impair in any material respect the Selling Stockholder’s ability to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or (y) such as may be required under the Securities Act, applicable state securities or blue sky laws and from the FINRA.

 

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(f)             No Further Consents, etc. Except for such consents, approvals and waivers as have been obtained by such Selling Stockholder on or prior to the date of this Agreement, no consent, approval or waiver is required under any instrument or agreement to which such Selling Stockholder is a party or by which it is bound or under which it is entitled to any right or benefit, in connection with the offering, sale or purchase by the Underwriters of any of the Offered Shares which may be sold by such Selling Stockholder under this Agreement or the consummation by such Selling Stockholder of any of the other transactions contemplated hereby.

 

(g)            Disclosure Made by Such Selling Stockholder in the Prospectus. All information relating to such Selling Stockholder furnished to the Company or any Underwriter by or on behalf of such Selling Stockholder in writing expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus is, and on the First Closing Date and each applicable Option Closing Date will be, true, correct, and complete in all material respects, and did not, as of the Applicable Time, and on the First Closing Date and each applicable Option Closing Date will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make such information not misleading, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by each Selling Stockholder consists of (A) the legal name and address of such Selling Stockholder and the other information about such Selling Stockholder set forth in the footnote relating to such Selling Stockholder under the caption “Principal and Selling Stockholders” and (B) the number of Shares beneficially owned by such Selling Stockholder before and after the offering (excluding percentages) that appears in the table (and corresponding footnotes) under the caption “Principal and Selling Stockholders” (collectively, the “Selling Stockholder Information”).

 

(h)           Company Information. Such Selling Stockholder is not prompted to sell Shares by any information concerning the Company which is not set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.

 

(i)             No Price Stabilization or Manipulation; Compliance with Regulation M. Such Selling Stockholder has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would reasonably be expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares or any reference security with respect to the Shares, whether to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Shares or otherwise, and has taken no action which would directly or indirectly violate Regulation M.

 

(j)             Distribution of Offering Materials by the Selling Stockholders. Prior to the later of (i) the expiration or termination of the option granted to the several Underwriters under Section 2, (ii) the completion of the Underwriters’ distribution of the Offered Shares and (iii) the expiration of 25 days after the date of the Prospectus, such Selling Stockholder has not distributed and will not distribute any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Shares other than the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the free writing prospectus(es) listed on Schedule C and the Prospectus.

 

(k)           Sanctions. Such Selling Stockholder is not currently the subject or the target of Sanctions and will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of this offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, or any joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person that at the time of such financing, is the subject or the target 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 applicable Sanctions.

 

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Any certificate signed by such Selling Stockholder and delivered to any Underwriter or to counsel for the Underwriters shall be deemed a representation and warranty by such Selling Stockholder to each Underwriter as to the matters covered thereby.

 

Such Selling Stockholder acknowledges that the Underwriters and, for purposes of the opinion to be delivered pursuant to Section 6 hereof, counsel to the Selling Stockholder and counsel to the Underwriters, will rely upon the accuracy and truthfulness of the foregoing representations and hereby consents to such reliance.

 

Section 2.                  Purchase, Sale and Delivery of the Offered Shares.

 

(a)            The Firm Shares. Upon the terms herein set forth, (i) the Company agrees to issue and sell to the several Underwriters an aggregate of 625,000 Firm Shares and (ii) the Selling Stockholders agree to sell to the several Underwriters an aggregate of 9,375,000 Firm Shares, with each Selling Stockholder selling the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite such Selling Stockholder’s name on Schedule B. On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, and upon the terms but subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Underwriters agree, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company and the Selling Stockholders the respective number of Firm Shares set forth opposite their names on Schedule A. The purchase price per Firm Share to be paid by the several Underwriters to the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall be $[●] per share.

 

(b)            The First Closing Date. Delivery of the Firm Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters and payment therefor shall be made at the offices of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP (or such other place as may be agreed to by the Company and the Representatives) at 9:00 a.m. New York City time, on [●], 2025, or such other time and date not later than 1:30 p.m. New York City time, on [●], 2025 as the Representatives shall designate by notice to the Company (the time and date of such closing are called the “First Closing Date”). The Company and the Selling Stockholders hereby acknowledge that circumstances under which the Representatives may provide notice to postpone the First Closing Date as originally scheduled include, but are not limited to, any determination by the Company, the Selling Stockholders or the Representatives to recirculate to the public copies of an amended or supplemented Prospectus or a delay as contemplated by the provisions of Section 11 and Section 20.

 

(c)            The Optional Shares; Option Closing Date. In addition, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, and upon the terms but subject to the conditions herein set forth, the Selling Stockholders hereby grant an option to the several Underwriters to purchase, severally and not jointly, up to an aggregate of 1,500,000 Optional Shares from the Selling Stockholders at the purchase price per share to be paid by the Underwriters for the Firm Shares. The option granted hereunder may be exercised at any time and from time to time in whole or in part upon notice by the Representatives to the Selling Stockholders (with a copy to the Company), which notice may be given at any time within 30 days from the date of this Agreement. Such notice shall set forth (i) the aggregate number of Optional Shares as to which the Underwriters are exercising the option and (ii) the time, date and place at which the Optional Shares will be delivered (which time and date may be simultaneous with, but not earlier than, the First Closing Date; and in the event that such time and date are simultaneous with the First Closing Date, the term “First Closing Date” shall refer to the time and date of delivery of the Firm Shares and such Optional Shares). Any such time and date of delivery, if subsequent to the First Closing Date, is called an “Option Closing Date,” and shall be determined by the Representatives and shall not be earlier than two or later than five full business days after delivery of such notice of exercise. If any Optional Shares are to be purchased, (a) each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase the number of Optional Shares (subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as the Representatives may determine) that bears the same proportion to the total number of Optional Shares to be purchased as the number of Firm Shares set forth on Schedule A opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Firm Shares and (b) each Selling Stockholder agrees, severally and not jointly, to sell the number of Optional Shares (subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as the Representatives may determine) that bears the same proportion to the total number of Optional Shares to be sold as the number of Optional Shares set forth in Schedule B opposite the name of such Selling Stockholder. The Representatives may cancel the option at any time prior to its expiration by giving written notice of such cancellation to the Selling Stockholders (with a copy to the Company).

 

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(d)            Public Offering of the Offered Shares. The Representatives hereby advise the Company and the Selling Stockholders that the Underwriters intend to offer for sale to the public, initially on the terms set forth in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, their respective portions of the Offered Shares as soon after this Agreement has been executed and the Registration Statement has been declared effective as the Representatives, in their sole judgment, have determined is advisable and practicable.

 

(e)             Payment for the Offered Shares. (i) Payment for the Offered Shares to be sold by the Company shall be made at the First Closing Date (and, if applicable, at each Option Closing Date) by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the order of the Company. Payment for the Offered Shares to be sold by the Selling Stockholders shall be made at the First Closing Date (and, if applicable, at each Option Closing Date) by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the order of the Custodian.

 

(ii)               It is understood that the Representatives have been authorized, for their own account and the accounts of the several Underwriters, to accept delivery of and receipt for, and make payment of the purchase price for, the Firm Shares and any Optional Shares the Underwriters have agreed to purchase. Each of Jefferies and KBW, individually and not as the Representatives of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment for any Offered Shares to be purchased by any Underwriter whose funds shall not have been received by the Representatives by the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, for the account of such Underwriter, but any such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from any of its obligations under this Agreement.

 

(f)             Delivery of the Offered Shares. The Company and the Selling Stockholders shall deliver, or cause to be delivered to the Representatives for the accounts of the several Underwriters the Firm Shares to be sold by them through the facilities of DTC at the First Closing Date, against release of a wire transfer of immediately available funds for the amount of the purchase price therefor. The Company and the Selling Stockholders shall also deliver, or cause to be delivered to the Representatives for the accounts of the several Underwriters, the Optional Shares the Underwriters have agreed to purchase from them through the facilities of DTC at the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, against the release of a wire transfer of immediately available funds for the amount of the purchase price therefor. If Jefferies so elects, delivery of the Offered Shares may be made by credit to the accounts designated by Jefferies through The Depository Trust Company’s full fast transfer or DWAC programs. If Jefferies so elects, the Offered Shares shall be registered in such names and denominations as the Representatives shall have requested at least two full business days prior to the First Closing Date (or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be) and shall be made available for inspection on the business day preceding the First Closing Date (or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be) at a location in New York City as the Representatives may designate. Time shall be of the essence, and delivery at the time and place specified in this Agreement is a further condition to the obligations of the Underwriters.

 

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Section 3.                  Additional Covenants.

 

A.            Covenants of the Company. The Company further covenants and agrees with each Underwriter as follows:

 

(a)            Delivery of Registration Statement, Time of Sale Prospectus and Prospectus. The Company shall furnish to you in New York City, without charge, prior to 10:00 a.m. New York City time on the business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement and during the period when a prospectus relating to the Offered Shares is required by the Securities Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule) in connection with sales of the Offered Shares, as many copies of the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus and any supplements and amendments thereto or to the Registration Statement as you may reasonably request.

 

(b)            Representatives’ Review of Proposed Amendments and Supplements. During the period when a prospectus relating to the Offered Shares is required by the Securities Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule), the Company (i) will furnish to the Representatives for review, a reasonable period of time prior to the proposed time of filing of any proposed amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, a copy of each such amendment or supplement and (ii) will not amend or supplement the Registration Statement without the Representatives’ prior written consent. Prior to amending or supplementing any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, the Company shall furnish to the Representatives for review, a reasonable amount of time prior to the time of filing or use of the proposed amendment or supplement, a copy of each such proposed amendment or supplement. The Company shall not file or use any such proposed amendment or supplement without the Representatives’ prior written consent. The Company shall file with the Commission within the applicable period specified in Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act any prospectus required to be filed pursuant to such Rule.

 

(c)            Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company shall furnish to the Representatives for review, a reasonable amount of time prior to the proposed time of filing or use thereof, a copy of each proposed free writing prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company, and the Company shall not file, use or refer to any proposed free writing prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto without the Representatives’ prior written consent. The Company shall furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, as many copies of any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by or referred to by the Company as such Underwriter may reasonably request. If at any time when a prospectus is required by the Securities Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule) in connection with sales of the Offered Shares (but in any event if at any time through and including the First Closing Date) there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement 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 prevailing at such time, not misleading, the Company shall promptly amend or supplement such free writing prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict so that the statements in such free writing prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at such time, not misleading, as the case may be; provided, however, that prior to amending or supplementing any such free writing prospectus, the Company shall furnish to the Representatives for review, a reasonable amount of time prior to the proposed time of filing or use thereof, a copy of such proposed amended or supplemented free writing prospectus, and the Company shall not file, use or refer to any such amended or supplemented free writing prospectus without the Representatives’ prior written consent.

 

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(d)           Filing of Underwriter Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company shall not take any action that would result in an Underwriter or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter that such Underwriter otherwise would not have been required to file thereunder.

 

(e)            Amendments and Supplements to Time of Sale Prospectus. If the Time of Sale Prospectus is being used to solicit offers to buy the Offered Shares at a time when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers, and any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus so that the Time of Sale Prospectus does not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when delivered to a prospective purchaser, not misleading, or if any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which the Time of Sale Prospectus conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus to comply with applicable law, the Company shall (subject to Section 3(A)(b) and Section 3(A)(c) hereof) promptly prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to any dealer upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Time of Sale Prospectus so that the statements in the Time of Sale Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when delivered to a prospective purchaser, not misleading or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will no longer conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law.

 

(f)            Certain Notifications and Required Actions. After the date of this Agreement, the Company shall promptly advise the Representatives in writing of: (i) the receipt of any comments of, or requests for additional or supplemental information from, the Commission; (ii) the time and date of any filing of any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus or the Prospectus; (iii) the time and date that any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement becomes effective; and (iv) the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or any amendment or supplement to any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus or the Prospectus, or of any proceedings to remove, suspend or terminate from listing or quotation the Shares from any securities exchange upon which they are listed for trading or included or designated for quotation, or of the threatening or initiation of any proceedings for any of such purposes. If the Commission shall enter any such stop order at any time, the Company will use its best efforts to obtain the lifting of such order at the earliest possible moment. Additionally, the Company agrees that it shall comply with all applicable provisions of Rule 424(b), Rule 433 and Rule 430A under the Securities Act and will use its reasonable efforts to confirm that any filings made by the Company under Rule 424(b) or Rule 433 were received in a timely manner by the Commission.

 

(g)            Amendments and Supplements to the Prospectus and Other Securities Act Matters. If any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus so that the Prospectus does not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus is delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule) to a purchaser, not misleading, or if in the opinion of the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters it is otherwise necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with applicable law, the Company agrees (subject to Section 3(A)(b) and Section 3(A)(c)) hereof to promptly prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to any dealer upon request, amendments or supplements to the Prospectus so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus is delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule) to a purchaser, not misleading or so that the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law. Neither the Representatives’ consent to, nor delivery of, any such amendment or supplement shall constitute a waiver of any of the Company’s obligations under Section 3(A)(b) or Section 3(A)(c).

 

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(h)            Blue Sky Compliance. The Company shall cooperate with the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters to qualify or register the Offered Shares for sale under (or obtain exemptions from the application of) the state securities or blue sky laws or Canadian provincial securities laws (or other foreign laws) of those jurisdictions designated by the Representatives, shall comply with such laws and shall continue such qualifications, registrations and exemptions in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Offered Shares. The Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to take any action that would subject it to general service of process in any such jurisdiction where it is not presently qualified or where it would be subject to taxation as a foreign corporation. The Company will advise the Representatives promptly of the suspension of the qualification or registration of (or any such exemption relating to) the Offered Shares for offering, sale or trading in any jurisdiction or any initiation or threat of any proceeding for any such purpose, and in the event of the issuance of any order suspending such qualification, registration or exemption, the Company shall use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal thereof at the earliest possible moment.

 

(i)            Use of Proceeds. The Company shall apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Offered Shares sold by it in the manner described under the caption “Use of Proceeds” in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.

 

(j)            Transfer Agent. The Company shall engage and maintain, at its expense, a registrar and transfer agent for the Shares.

 

(k)           Earnings Statement. The Company will make generally available to its security holders and to the Representatives as soon as practicable an earnings statement (which need not be audited) covering a period of at least twelve months beginning with the first fiscal quarter of the Company commencing after the date of this Agreement that will satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

 

(l)             Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. The Company will comply with the Securities Act and the Exchange Act so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Offered Shares as contemplated by this Agreement, the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company will, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Offered Shares is required by the Securities Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule), file on a timely basis with the Commission and the Nasdaq all reports and documents required to be filed under the Exchange Act.

 

(m)           Directed Share Program. In connection with the Directed Share Program, the Company will ensure that the Directed Shares will be restricted to the extent required by FINRA or its rules from sale, transfer, assignment, pledge or hypothecation for a period of three months following the date of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement. Jefferies will notify the Company as to which Participants will need to be so restricted. The Company will direct the transfer agent to place stop transfer restrictions upon such securities for such period of time. Should the Company release, or seek to release, from such restrictions any of the Directed Shares, the Company agrees to reimburse the Underwriters for any reasonable expenses (including, without limitation, legal expenses) they incur in connection with such release.

 

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(n)            Listing. The Company will use its best efforts to list, subject to notice of issuance, the Offered Shares on the Nasdaq.

 

(o)            Company to Provide Copy of the Prospectus in Form That May be Downloaded from the Internet. If requested by the Representatives, the Company shall cause to be prepared and delivered, at its expense, within one business day from the effective date of this Agreement, to the Representatives an “electronic Prospectus” to be used by the Underwriters in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Shares. As used herein, the term “electronic Prospectus” means a form of Prospectus, and any amendment or supplement thereto, that meets each of the following conditions: (i) it shall be encoded in an electronic format, satisfactory to the Representatives, that may be transmitted electronically by the Representatives and the other Underwriters to offerees and purchasers of the Offered Shares; (ii) it shall disclose the same information as the paper Prospectus, except to the extent that graphic and image material cannot be disseminated electronically, in which case such graphic and image material shall be replaced in the electronic Prospectus with a fair and accurate narrative description or tabular representation of such material, as appropriate; and (iii) it shall be in or convertible into a paper format or an electronic format, satisfactory to Jefferies, that will allow investors to store and have continuously ready access to the Prospectus at any future time, without charge to investors (other than any fee charged for subscription to the Internet as a whole and for on-line time). The Company hereby confirms that it has included or will include in the Prospectus filed pursuant to EDGAR or otherwise with the Commission and in the Registration Statement at the time it was declared effective an undertaking that, upon receipt of a request by an investor or his or her representative, the Company shall transmit or cause to be transmitted promptly, without charge, a paper copy of the Prospectus.

 

(p)            Agreement Not to Offer or Sell Additional Shares. During the period commencing on and including the date hereof and continuing through and including the 180th day following the date of the Prospectus (such period, as extended as described below, being referred to herein as the “Lock-up Period”), the Company will not, without the prior written consent of Jefferies and KBW (which consent may be withheld in their sole discretion), directly or indirectly: (i) sell, offer to sell, contract to sell or lend any Shares or Related Securities (as defined below); (ii) effect any short sale, or establish or increase any “put equivalent position” (as defined in Rule 16a-1(h) under the Exchange Act) or liquidate or decrease any “call equivalent position” (as defined in Rule 16a-1(b) under the Exchange Act) of any Shares or Related Securities; (iii) pledge, hypothecate or grant any security interest in any Shares or Related Securities; (iv) in any other way transfer or dispose of any Shares or Related Securities; (v) enter into any swap, hedge or similar arrangement or agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, the economic risk of ownership of any Shares or Related Securities, regardless of whether any such transaction is to be settled in securities, in cash or otherwise; (vi) announce the offering of any Shares or Related Securities; (vii) submit or file any registration statement under the Securities Act in respect of any Shares or Related Securities (other than as contemplated by this Agreement with respect to the Offered Shares); (viii) effect a reverse stock split, recapitalization, share consolidation, reclassification or similar transaction affecting the outstanding Shares; or (ix) publicly announce the intention to do any of the foregoing; provided, however, that the Company may (A) effect the transactions contemplated hereby, (B) issue Shares or options to purchase Shares, restricted stock, restricted stock units, or other compensatory equity-based awards, or issue Shares upon exercise of options, pursuant to any stock option, stock bonus or other stock plan or arrangement described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, but only if the holders of such Shares or options agree in writing with the Underwriters not to sell, offer, dispose of or otherwise transfer any such Shares or options during such Lock-up Period without the prior written consent of Jefferies (which consent may be withheld in its sole discretion), (C) issue Shares or Related Securities to any non-employee director pursuant to any non-employee director compensation plan or program described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, (D) issue Shares pursuant to the exercise or settlement of Related Securities that are described in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, (E) file one or more registration statements on Form S-8 relating to securities granted or to be granted pursuant to any plan in effect on the date of this Agreement that is described in the Registration Statement, (F) issue Shares or Related Securities in connection with the acquisition or license by the Company of the securities, business, property, technology or other assets of another person or business entity or pursuant to any employee benefit plan assumed by the Company in connection with any such merger or acquisition, (G) issue Shares or Related Securities in connection with any merger, joint venture, strategic alliances, commercial relationship or other strategic or collaborative transactions; provided, that the aggregate number of Shares or Related Securities that the Company may issue or agree to issue pursuant to the foregoing clauses (F) and (G) shall not exceed 10% of the total outstanding capital stock of the Company immediately following the issuance of the Offered Shares, and provided further, in the case of clauses (F) and (G), that the recipients thereof provide to the Representatives a signed Lock-up Agreement. For purposes of the foregoing, “Related Securities” shall mean any options or warrants or other rights to acquire Shares or any securities exchangeable or exercisable for or convertible into Shares, or to acquire other securities or rights ultimately exchangeable or exercisable for, or convertible into, Shares.

 

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(q)            Future Reports to the Representatives. During the period of five years hereafter, the Company will furnish to the Representatives, c/o Jefferies, at 520 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10022, Attention: Global Head of Syndicate, and Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc., 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10019, Attention: Capital Markets (email: USCapitalMarkets@kbw.com): (i) as soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year, copies of the Annual Report of the Company containing the balance sheet of the Company as of the close of such fiscal year and statements of income, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for the year then ended and the opinion thereon of the Company’s independent public or certified public accountants; (ii) as soon as practicable after the filing thereof, copies of each proxy statement, Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, Current Report on Form 8-K or other report filed by the Company with the Commission, FINRA or any securities exchange; and (iii) as soon as available, copies of any report or communication of the Company furnished or made available generally to holders of its capital stock; provided, however, that the requirements of this Section 3(A)(q) shall be satisfied to the extent that such reports, statement, communications, financial statements or other documents are available on EDGAR.

 

(r)            Investment Limitation. The Company shall not invest or otherwise use the proceeds received by the Company from its sale of the Offered Shares in such a manner as would require the Company or any of its subsidiaries to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.

 

(s)            No Stabilization or Manipulation; Compliance with Regulation M. The Company will not take, and will use its best efforts to ensure that no affiliate of the Company will take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that might cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares or any reference security with respect to the Shares, whether to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Shares or otherwise, and the Company will, and shall use its best efforts to cause each of its affiliates to, comply with all applicable provisions of Regulation M.

 

(t)             Enforce Lock-up Agreements. During the Lock-up Period, the Company will enforce all agreements between the Company and any of its securityholders that restrict or prohibit, expressly or in operation, the offer, sale or transfer of Shares or Related Securities or any of the other actions restricted or prohibited under the terms of the form of Lock-up Agreement. In addition, the Company will direct the transfer agent to place stop transfer restrictions upon any such securities of the Company that are bound by such “lock-up” agreements for the duration of the periods contemplated in such agreements, including, without limitation, “lock-up” agreements entered into by the Company’s officers and directors and securityholders pursuant to Section 6(k) hereof.

 

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(u)           Company to Provide Interim Financial Statements. Prior to the First Closing Date and each applicable Option Closing Date, the Company will furnish the Underwriters, as soon as they have been prepared by or are available to the Company, a copy of any unaudited interim financial statements of the Company for any period subsequent to the period covered by the most recent financial statements appearing in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.

 

(v)            Amendments and Supplements to Permitted Section 5(d) Communications. If at any time following the distribution of any Permitted Section 5(d) Communication, there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Permitted Section 5(d) Communication included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Permitted Section 5(d) Communication to eliminate or correct such untrue statement or omission.

 

(w)           Emerging Growth Company Status. The Company will promptly notify the Representatives if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the later of (i) the time when a prospectus relating to the Offered Shares is not required by the Securities Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule) and (ii) the expiration of the Lock-up Period (as defined herein).

 

(x)            Announcement Regarding Lock-ups. The Company agrees to announce Jefferies’ intention to release any director or “officer” (within the meaning of Rule 16a-1(f) under the Exchange Act) of the Company from any of the restrictions imposed by any Lock-up Agreement, by issuing, through a major news service, a press release in form and substance satisfactory to Jefferies or, if consented to by Jefferies, in a registration statement that is publicly filed in connection with a secondary offering of the Company’s shares promptly following the Company’s receipt of any notification from Jefferies in which such intention is indicated, but in any case not later than the close of the third business day prior to the date on which such release or waiver is to become effective; provided, however, that nothing shall prevent Jefferies, on behalf of the Underwriters, from announcing the same through a major news service, irrespective of whether the Company has made the required announcement; and provided, further, that no such announcement shall be made of any release or waiver granted solely to permit a transfer of securities that is not for consideration and where the transferee has agreed in writing to be bound by the terms of a Lock-up Agreement in the form set forth as Exhibit A hereto.

 

B.            Covenants of the Selling Stockholders. Each Selling Stockholder further covenants and agrees with each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, as follows:

 

(a)            Agreement Not to Offer or Sell Additional Shares. On or prior to the date hereof, each of the Selling Stockholders shall have furnished to the Representative an agreement in the form of Exhibit A hereto and such agreement shall be in full force and effect on each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date.

 

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(b)            No Stabilization or Manipulation; Compliance with Regulation M. Such Selling Stockholder will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would reasonably be expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Shares or any reference security of the Company with respect to the Shares, whether to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Shares or otherwise, and such Selling Stockholder will, and shall cause each of its affiliates to, comply with all applicable provisions of Regulation M.

 

(c)            Notification. Such Selling Stockholder will advise you promptly, and if requested by you, will confirm such advice in writing, during the period when a prospectus relating to the Offered Shares is required by the Securities Act to be delivered (whether physically or through compliance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act or any similar rule), of (i) any Material Adverse Change, (ii) any change in information in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, any free writing prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto relating to such Selling Stockholder, or (iii) any new material information relating to the Company or relating to any matter stated in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus that comes to the attention of such Selling Stockholder.

 

(d)            Delivery of Forms W-8 and W-9. To deliver to the Representatives prior to the First Closing Date a properly completed and executed United States Treasury Department Form W-8 (if the Selling Stockholder is not a United States person for U.S. federal income tax purposes) or Form W-9 (if the Selling Stockholder is a United States person for U.S. federal income tax purposes).

 

The Representatives, on behalf of the several Underwriters, may, in their sole discretion, waive in writing the performance by the Company or any Selling Stockholder of any one or more of the foregoing covenants or extend the time for their performance.

 

Section 4.                  Payment of Expenses. The Company agrees to pay all costs, fees and expenses incurred in connection with the performance of its and the Selling Stockholders’ obligations hereunder and in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including without limitation (i) all expenses incident to the issuance and delivery of the Offered Shares (including all printing and engraving costs), (ii) all fees and expenses of the registrar and transfer agent of the Shares, (iii) all necessary issue, transfer and other stamp taxes in connection with the issuance and sale of the Offered Shares to the Underwriters, (iv) all fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel, independent public or certified public accountants and other advisors, (v) all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation, printing, filing, shipping and distribution of the Registration Statement (including financial statements, exhibits, schedules, consents and certificates of experts), the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, each free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company, and each preliminary prospectus, each Permitted Section 5(d) Communication, and all amendments and supplements thereto, and this Agreement, (vi) all filing fees, attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred by the Company or the Underwriters in connection with qualifying or registering (or obtaining exemptions from the qualification or registration of) all or any part of the Offered Shares for offer and sale under the state securities or blue sky laws or the provincial securities laws of Canada, and, if requested by the Representatives, preparing and printing a “Blue Sky Survey” or memorandum and a “Canadian wrapper”, and any supplements thereto, advising the Underwriters of such qualifications, registrations and exemptions, (vii) the costs, fees and expenses incurred by the Underwriters in connection with determining their compliance with the rules and regulations of FINRA related to the Underwriters’ participation in the offering and distribution of the Offered Shares, including any related filing fees and the legal fees of, and disbursements by, counsel to the Underwriters, provided that the amount payable by the Company with respect to such fees and expenses of counsel pursuant to clauses (vi) and (vii) shall not, in the aggregate, exceed $40,000, (viii) the costs and expenses of the Company relating to investor presentations on any “road show”, any Permitted Section 5(d) Communication or any Section 5(d) Oral Communication undertaken in connection with the offering of the Offered Shares, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the preparation or dissemination of any electronic road show, 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 with the prior approval of the Company, travel and lodging expenses of the representatives, employees and officers of the Company and any such consultants (it being understood that the Underwriters will pay or cause to be paid the travel and lodging expenses of their representatives), and the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the road show; provided, however, that the cost of any aircraft chartered in connection with the road show shall be paid 50% by the Company and 50% by the Underwriters, (ix) the fees and expenses associated with listing the Offered Shares on the Nasdaq, (x) all other fees, costs and expenses of the nature referred to in Item 13 of Part II of the Registration Statement, (xi) all costs and expenses of the Underwriters, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters, in connection with matters related to the Directed Shares which are designated by the Company for sale to Participants. Except as provided in this Section 4 or in Section 7, Section 9 or Section 10 hereof, the Underwriters shall pay their own expenses, including the fees and disbursements of their counsel.

 

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The Selling Stockholders further agree with each Underwriter to pay (directly or by reimbursement) all fees and expenses incident to the performance of their obligations under this Agreement that are not otherwise specifically provided for herein, including but not limited to (i) fees and expenses of counsel and other advisors for such Selling Stockholders, (ii) fees and expenses of the Custodian and the Attorneys-in-Fact and (iii) expenses and transfer taxes incident to the sale and delivery of the Offered Shares to be sold by such Selling Stockholders to the Underwriters hereunder.

 

This Section 4 shall not affect or modify any separate, valid agreement relating to the allocation of payment of expenses between the Company, on the one hand, and the Selling Stockholders, on the other hand.

 

Section 5.                  Covenant of the Underwriters. Each Underwriter severally and not jointly covenants with the Company not to take any action that would result in the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter that otherwise would not, but for such actions, be required to be filed by the Company under Rule 433(d).

 

Section 6.                  Conditions of the Obligations of the Underwriters. The respective obligations of the several Underwriters hereunder to purchase and pay for the Offered Shares as provided herein on the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional Shares, each Option Closing Date, shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company and the Selling Stockholders set forth in Section 1 hereof as of the date hereof and as of the First Closing Date as though then made and, with respect to the Optional Shares, as of each Option Closing Date as though then made, to the timely performance by the Company and the Selling Stockholders of their respective covenants and other obligations hereunder, and to each of the following additional conditions:

 

(a)            Comfort Letter. On the date hereof, the Representatives shall have received from each of (i) BDO USA, P.C. and (ii) Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent registered public accountants for the Company, a letter dated the date hereof addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountant’s “comfort letters” to underwriters, delivered according to Statement of Auditing Standards No. 72 (or any successor bulletin), with respect to the audited and unaudited financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, and each free writing prospectus, if any.

 

(b)            Compliance with Registration Requirements; No Stop Order; No Objection from FINRA. For the period from and after the date of this Agreement and through and including the First Closing Date and, with respect to any Optional Shares purchased after the First Closing Date, each Option Closing Date:

 

(i)               The Company shall have filed the Prospectus with the Commission (including the information required by Rule 430A under the Securities Act) in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act; or the Company shall have filed a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement containing the information required by such Rule 430A, and such post-effective amendment shall have become effective.

 

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(ii)              No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement shall be in effect, and no proceedings for such purpose shall have been instituted or threatened by the Commission.

 

(iii)             FINRA shall have raised no objection to the fairness and reasonableness of the underwriting terms and arrangements.

 

(c)                No Material Adverse Change or Ratings Agency Change. For the period from and after the date of this Agreement and through and including the First Closing Date and, with respect to any Optional Shares purchased after the First Closing Date, each Option Closing Date:

 

(i)               in the judgment of the Representatives there shall not have occurred any Material Adverse Change; and

 

(ii)              there shall not have occurred any downgrading, nor shall any notice have been given of any intended or potential downgrading or of any review for a possible change that does not indicate the direction of the possible change, in the rating accorded any securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” as that term is used in Rule 15c3-1(c)(2)(vi)(F) under the Exchange Act.

 

(d)            Opinion of Counsel for the Company. On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date the Representatives shall have received the opinion and negative assurance letter of Latham & Watkins LLP, counsel for the Company, dated as of such date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.

 

(e)            Opinion of Counsel for the Underwriters. On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date the Representatives shall have received the opinion and negative assurance letter of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the offer and sale of the Offered Shares, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, dated as of such date.

 

(f)            Officers’ Certificate. On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received a certificate executed by the Chief Executive Officer or President of the Company and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, dated as of such date, to the effect set forth in Section 6(b)(ii) and further to the effect that:

 

(i)               for the period from and including the date of this Agreement through and including such date, there has not occurred any Material Adverse Change;

 

(ii)              the representations, warranties and covenants of the Company set forth in Section 1(A) of this Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made on and as of such date; and

 

(iii)             the Company has complied with all the agreements hereunder and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such date.

 

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(g)           Bring-down Comfort Letter. On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date the Representatives shall have received from each of (i) BDO USA, P.C. and (ii) Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent registered public accountants for the Company, a letter dated such date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives, which letter shall: (i) reaffirm the statements made in the letters furnished by them pursuant to Section 6(a), except that the specified date referred to therein for the carrying out of procedures shall be no more than three business days prior to the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be; and (ii) cover certain financial information contained in the Prospectus.

 

(h)           Opinion of Counsel for the Selling Stockholders. (i) On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received the opinion of (A) Walkers (Cayman) LLP, Cayman counsel for JCF IV Coinvest JCAP L.P. (Cayman) and J.C. Flowers IV L.P. (Cayman), (B) Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, New York counsel for JCF IV Coinvest JCAP L.P. (Cayman) and J.C. Flowers IV L.P. (Cayman), (C) Miller Thomson LLP, Canadian counsel for 1000578315 Ontario Inc., Anvic Capital Inc., Szemenyei Holdings Inc., Maverick Inc. and Marl-J Holdings Inc. and (D) Latham & Watkins LLP, covering certain New York law matters with respect to 1000578315 Ontario Inc., Anvic Capital Inc., Szemenyei Holdings Inc., Maverick Inc. and Marl-J Holdings Inc. (such opinion may be included in the opinion described in Section 6(d) above), in each case, dated as of such date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives and their counsel; and (ii) on each Option Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received the opinion of Latham & Watkins LLP, counsel for David Burton (such opinion may be included in the opinion described in Section 6(d) above), dated as of such date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives and their counsel.

 

(i)            Selling Stockholders’ Certificate. On each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, the Representatives shall receive a written certificate executed by the Attorney-in-Fact of each Selling Stockholder, dated as of such date, to the effect that:

 

(i)               the representations, warranties and covenants of such Selling Stockholder set forth in Section 1(B) of this Agreement are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made by such Selling Stockholder on and as of such date; and

 

(ii)              such Selling Stockholder has complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to such date.

 

(j)            Selling Stockholders’ Documents. On the date hereof, the Selling Stockholders shall have furnished for review by the Representatives copies of the Powers of Attorney and Custody Agreements executed by the applicable Selling Stockholders and such further information, certificates and documents as the Representatives may reasonably request.

 

(k)           Lock-up Agreements. On or prior to the date hereof, the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives an agreement in the form of Exhibit A hereto from each director, officer and each beneficial owner (as defined and determined according to Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act, except that a one hundred eighty day period shall be used rather than the sixty day period set forth therein) of one or more percent of the outstanding issued share capital of the Company, and each such agreement shall be in full force and effect on each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date.

 

(l)             Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. In the event that a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement is filed in connection with the offering contemplated by this Agreement, such Rule 462(b) Registration Statement shall have been filed with the Commission on the date of this Agreement and shall have become effective automatically upon such filing.

 

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(m)          Approval of Listing. At the First Closing Date, the Offered Shares shall have been approved for listing on the Nasdaq, subject only to official notice of issuance.

 

(n)           CFO Certificate. On the date of this Agreement and on the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives a certificate, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof and addressed to the Underwriters, of its chief financial officer with respect to certain financial data contained in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, providing “management comfort” with respect to such information, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives.

 

(o)            Additional Documents. On or before each of the First Closing Date and each Option Closing Date, the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters shall have received such information, documents and opinions as they may reasonably request for the purposes of enabling them to pass upon the sale of the Offered Shares as contemplated herein, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations and warranties, or the satisfaction of any of the conditions or agreements, herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the sale of the Offered Shares as contemplated herein and in connection with the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters.

 

If any condition specified in this Section 6 is not satisfied when and as required to be satisfied, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representatives by notice from the Representatives to the Company and the Selling Stockholders at any time on or prior to the First Closing Date and, with respect to the Optional Shares, at any time on or prior to the applicable Option Closing Date, which termination shall be without liability on the part of any party to any other party, except that Section 4, Section 7, Section 9 and Section 10 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.

 

Section 7.                  Reimbursement of Underwriters’ Expenses. If this Agreement is terminated by the Representatives pursuant to Section 6, Section 11, Section 12 or Section 20, or if the sale to the Underwriters of the Offered Shares on the First Closing Date is not consummated because of any refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company or the Selling Stockholders to perform any agreement herein or to comply with any provision hereof, the Company agrees to reimburse the Representatives and the other Underwriters (or such Underwriters as have terminated this Agreement with respect to themselves), severally, upon demand for all out-of-pocket expenses that shall have been reasonably incurred by the Representatives and the Underwriters in connection with the proposed purchase and the offering and sale of the Offered Shares, including, but not limited to, fees and disbursements of counsel, printing expenses, travel expenses, postage, facsimile and telephone charges.

 

Section 8.                  Effectiveness of this Agreement. This Agreement shall become effective upon the execution and delivery hereof by the parties hereto.

 

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Section 9.                  Indemnification.

 

(a)            Indemnification of the Underwriters by the Company. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, directors, officers, employees and agents, and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which such Underwriter or such affiliate, director, officer, employee, agent or controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, other federal or state statutory law or regulation, or the laws or regulations of foreign jurisdictions where Offered Shares have been offered or sold or at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation, if such settlement is effected with the written consent of the Company), insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based upon (A) (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, or any amendment thereto, or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus that the Company has used, referred to or filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act, any Marketing Material, any Section 5(d) Written Communication or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement to the foregoing) or any prospectus wrapper material distributed in connection with the reservation and sale of Directed Shares to the Participants, or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary in order to make the statements, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; or (iii) any act or failure to act or any alleged act or failure to act by any Underwriter in connection with, or relating in any manner to, the Shares or the offering contemplated hereby, and which is included as part of or referred to in any loss, claim, damage, liability or action arising out of or based upon any matter covered by clause (i) or (ii) above, or (B) the violation of any laws or regulations of foreign jurisdictions where Offered Shares have been offered or sold; and to reimburse each Underwriter and each such affiliate, director, officer, employee, agent and controlling person for any and all expenses (including the fees and disbursements of counsel) as such expenses are incurred by such Underwriter or such affiliate, director, officer, employee, agent or controlling person in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action; provided, however, that the foregoing indemnity agreement shall not apply to any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense to the extent, but only to the extent, arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company by the Representatives in writing expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any such free writing prospectus, any Marketing Material, any Section 5(d) Written Communication or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), it being understood and agreed that the only such information consists of the information described in Section 9(c) below. The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 9(a) shall be in addition to any liabilities that the Company may otherwise have.

 

(b)            Indemnification of the Underwriters by the Selling Stockholders. Each of the Selling Stockholders severally, and not jointly, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, directors, officers, employees and agents, and each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which such Underwriter or such affiliate, director, officer, employee, agent or controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, other federal or state statutory law or regulation, or the laws or regulations of foreign jurisdictions where Offered Shares have been offered or sold or at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation, if such settlement is effected with the written consent of such Selling Stockholder), to the same extent as the indemnity set forth in Section 9(a) above, but only with respect to, in each case, losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated above) arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any Selling Stockholder Information. No Selling Stockholder shall be liable under the indemnity agreement contained in this paragraph and the contribution provisions of this Section 9 in excess of an amount equal to the aggregate net proceeds (after deducting underwriting commissions and discounts, but before deducting expenses) applicable to the Offered Shares sold by such Selling Stockholder pursuant to this Agreement (the “Selling Stockholder Proceeds”). The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 9(b) shall be in addition to any liabilities that each Selling Stockholder may otherwise have.

 

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(c)           Indemnification of the Company, its Directors and Officers and the Selling Stockholders. Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each of its officers who signed the Registration Statement, the Selling Stockholders and each person, if any, who controls the Company or any Selling Stockholder within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which the Company, or any such director, officer, Selling Stockholder or controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, or other federal or state statutory law or regulation, or at common law or otherwise (including in settlement of any litigation, if such settlement is effected with the written consent of such Underwriter), insofar as such loss, claim, damage, liability or expense (or actions in respect thereof as contemplated below) arises out of or is based upon (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, or any amendment thereto, or any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact included in any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus, that the Company has used, referred to or filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433 of the Securities Act, any Section 5(d) Written Communication or the Prospectus (or any such amendment or supplement) or the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary in order to make the statements, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in the Registration Statement, such preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, such free writing prospectus, such Section 5(d) Written Communication or the Prospectus (or any such amendment or supplement), in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company by the Representatives in writing expressly for use therein; and to reimburse the Company, or any such director, officer, Selling Stockholder or controlling person for any and all expenses (including the fees and disbursements of counsel) as such expenses are incurred by the Company, or any such director, officer, Selling Stockholder or controlling person in connection with investigating, defending, settling, compromising or paying any such loss, claim, damage, liability, expense or action. Each of the Company and each of the Selling Stockholders, hereby acknowledges that the only information that the Representatives have furnished to the Company expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any free writing prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) of the Securities Act, any Section 5(d) Written Communication or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement to the foregoing) are the statements set forth in [●] under the caption “Underwriting” in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus. The indemnity agreement set forth in this Section 9(c) shall be in addition to any liabilities that each Underwriter may otherwise have.

 

(d)               Notifications and Other Indemnification Procedures. Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 9 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against an indemnifying party under this Section 9, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof, but the omission to so notify the indemnifying party will not relieve the indemnifying party from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party to the extent the indemnifying party is not materially prejudiced as a proximate result of such failure and shall not in any event relieve the indemnifying party from any liability that it may have otherwise than on account of this indemnity agreement. In case any such action is brought against any indemnified party and such indemnified party seeks or intends to seek indemnity from an indemnifying party, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate in, and, to the extent that it shall elect, jointly with all other indemnifying parties similarly notified, by written notice delivered to the indemnified party promptly after receiving the aforesaid notice from such indemnified party, to assume the defense thereof with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party; provided, however, that if the defendants in any such action include both the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that a conflict may arise between the positions of the indemnifying party and the indemnified party in conducting the defense of any such action or that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party, the indemnified party or parties shall have the right to select separate counsel to assume such legal defenses and to otherwise participate in the defense of such action on behalf of such indemnified party or parties. Upon receipt of notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of such indemnifying party’s election to so assume the defense of such action and approval by the indemnified party of counsel, the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party under this Section 9 for any documented legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof unless (i) the indemnified party shall have employed separate counsel in accordance with the proviso to the preceding sentence (it being understood, however, that the indemnifying party shall not be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate counsel (together with local counsel), representing the indemnified parties who are parties to such action), which counsel (together with any local counsel) for the indemnified parties shall be selected by Jefferies (in the case of counsel for the indemnified parties referred to in Section 9(a) and Section 9(b) above) or by the Company (in the case of counsel for the indemnified parties referred to in Section 9(c) above)) or (ii) the indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party within a reasonable time after notice of commencement of the action or (iii) the indemnifying party has authorized in writing the employment of counsel for the indemnified party at the expense of the indemnifying party, in each of which cases the fees and expenses of counsel shall be at the expense of the indemnifying party and shall be paid as they are incurred.

 

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(e)           Settlements. The indemnifying party under this Section 9 shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by Section 9(d) hereof, the indemnifying party shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request and (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement, compromise or consent to the entry of judgment in any pending or threatened action, suit or proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity was or could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement, compromise or consent includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such action, suit or proceeding and does not include an admission of fault or culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of such indemnified party.

 

(f)             Indemnification for Directed Shares. In connection with the offer and sale of the Directed Shares, the Company agrees, promptly upon a request in writing, to indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriters from and against any and all losses, liabilities, claims, damages and expenses incurred by any of them as a result of the failure of the Participants to pay for and accept delivery of Directed Shares which, by the end of the first business day following the date of this Agreement, were subject to a properly confirmed agreement to purchase. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriters and their respective affiliates, directors, officers, employees and agents, and each person, if any, who controls any of the Underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act against any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense, as incurred, to which the Underwriters or such controlling person may become subject, which is (i) caused by any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any material prepared by or with the consent of the Company for distribution to Participants in connection with the Directed Share Program (including any prospectus wrapper material distributed in connection with the reservation and sale of Directed Shares) or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; (ii) caused by the failure of any Participant to pay for and accept delivery of Directed Shares that such Participant agreed to purchase; or (iii) related to, arising out of, or in connection with the Directed Share Program. The indemnity agreement set forth in this paragraph shall be in addition to any liabilities that the Company may otherwise have.

 

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(g)           Other Agreements with Respect to Indemnification. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the provisions of this Section 9 shall not affect any agreement between the Company and the Selling Stockholders with respect to indemnification in effect as of the date hereof.

 

Section 10.              Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in Section 9 is for any reason held to be unavailable to or otherwise insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the aggregate amount paid or payable by such indemnified party, as incurred, as a result of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses referred to therein (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, from the offering of the Offered Shares pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company and the Selling Stockholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders, on the one hand, and the Underwriters, on the other hand, in connection with the offering of the Offered Shares pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the total proceeds from the offering of the Offered Shares pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting expenses) received by the Company and the Selling Stockholders, and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth on the front cover page of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate initial public offering price of the Offered Shares as set forth on such cover. The relative fault of the Company and the Selling Stockholders, 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 the Selling Stockholders, on the one hand, or the Underwriters, on the other hand, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.

 

The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses referred to above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth in Section 9(d), any legal or other fees or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with investigating or defending any action or claim. The provisions set forth in Section 9(d) with respect to notice of commencement of any action shall apply if a claim for contribution is to be made under this Section 10; provided, however, that no additional notice shall be required with respect to any action for which notice has been given under Section 9(d) for purposes of indemnification.

 

The Company, the Selling Stockholders and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 10 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 in this Section 10.

 

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Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 10, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriter in connection with the Offered Shares underwritten by it and distributed to the public. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 10, no Selling Stockholder shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of Selling Stockholder Proceeds received by it. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 10 are several, and not joint, in proportion to their respective underwriting commitments as set forth opposite their respective names on Schedule A. For purposes of this Section 10, (i) each affiliate, director, officer, employee and agent of an Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as such Underwriter, and each director of the Company, (ii) each officer of the Company who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company and (iii) each affiliate (other than the Company), director, officer, employee and agent of each Selling Stockholder and each person, if any, who controls such Selling Stockholder within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Selling Stockholder.

 

Section 11.              Default of One or More of the Several Underwriters. If, on the First Closing Date or any Option Closing Date any one or more of the several Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Offered Shares that it or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, and the aggregate number of Offered Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase does not exceed 10% of the aggregate number of the Offered Shares to be purchased on such date, the Representatives may make arrangements satisfactory to the Company and the Selling Stockholders for the purchase of such Offered Shares by other persons, including any of the Underwriters, but if no such arrangements are made by such date, the other Underwriters shall be obligated, severally and not jointly, in the proportions that the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite their respective names on Schedule A bears to the aggregate number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the names of all such non-defaulting Underwriters, or in such other proportions as may be specified by the Representatives with the consent of the non-defaulting Underwriters, to purchase the Offered Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase on such date. If, on the First Closing Date or any Option Closing Date any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Offered Shares and the aggregate number of Offered Shares with respect to which such default occurs exceeds 10% of the aggregate number of Offered Shares to be purchased on such date, and arrangements satisfactory to the Representatives, the Company and the Selling Stockholders for the purchase of such Offered Shares are not made within 48 hours after such default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability of any party to any other party except that the provisions of Section 4, Section 7, Section 9 and Section 10 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination. In any such case either the Representatives, the Selling Stockholders or the Company shall have the right to postpone the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, but in no event for longer than seven days in order that the required changes, if any, to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or any other documents or arrangements may be effected.

 

As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” shall be deemed to include any person substituted for a defaulting Underwriter under this Section 11. Any action taken under this Section 11 shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.

 

33

 

 

Section 12.              Termination of this Agreement. Prior to the purchase of the Firm Shares by the Underwriters on the First Closing Date, this Agreement may be terminated by Jefferies and KBW by notice given to the Company and the Selling Stockholders if at any time: (i) trading or quotation in any of the Company’s securities shall have been suspended or limited by the Commission or by the Nasdaq, or trading in securities generally on either the Nasdaq or the New York Stock Exchange shall have been suspended or limited, or minimum or maximum prices shall have been generally established on any of such stock exchanges; (ii) a general banking moratorium shall have been declared by any of federal, New York or Minnesota authorities; (iii) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of national or international hostilities or any crisis or calamity, or any change in the United States or international financial markets, or any substantial change or development involving a prospective substantial change in United States’ or international political, financial or economic conditions, as in the judgment of Jefferies and KBW is material and adverse and makes it impracticable to market the Offered Shares in the manner and on the terms described in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus or to enforce contracts for the sale of securities; (iv) in the judgment of Jefferies and KBW there shall have occurred any Material Adverse Change; or (v) the Company shall have sustained a loss by strike, fire, flood, earthquake, accident or other calamity of such character as in the judgment of Jefferies and KBW may interfere materially with the conduct of the business and operations of the Company regardless of whether or not such loss shall have been insured. Any termination pursuant to this Section 12 shall be without liability on the part of (a) the Company or the Selling Stockholders to any Underwriter, except that the Company and the Selling Stockholders shall be obligated to reimburse the expenses of the Representatives and the Underwriters pursuant to Section 4 or Section 7 hereof or (b) any Underwriter to the Company or the Selling Stockholders; provided, however, that the provisions of Section 9 and Section 10 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.

 

Section 13.              No Advisory or Fiduciary Relationship. The Company and the Selling Stockholders acknowledge and agree that (a) the purchase and sale of the Offered Shares pursuant to this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price of the Offered Shares and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm's-length commercial transaction between the Company and the Selling Stockholders, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters, on the other hand and does not constitute a recommendation, investment advice, or solicitation of any action by the Underwriters, (b) in connection with the offering contemplated hereby and the process leading to such transaction, each Underwriter is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Company or the Selling Stockholders, or the Company's other stockholders, or its creditors, employees or any other party, (c) no Underwriter has assumed or will assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Company or the Selling Stockholders with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently advising the Company or the Selling Stockholders on other matters) and no Underwriter has any obligation to the Company or the Selling Stockholders with respect to the offering contemplated hereby 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 the Selling Stockholders, (e) the Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory, investment or tax advice with respect to the offering contemplated hereby and the Company and the Selling Stockholders have consulted their own legal, accounting, financial, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent they deemed appropriate, and (f) none of the activities of the Underwriters in connection with the transactions contemplated herein constitutes a recommendation, investment advice or solicitation of any action by the Underwriters with respect to any entity or natural person.

 

Section 14.              Representations and Indemnities to Survive Delivery. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company, of its officers, of the Selling Stockholders and of the several Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or the Company or any of its or their partners, officers or directors or any controlling person, or the Selling Stockholders, as the case may be, and, anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, will survive delivery of and payment for the Offered Shares sold hereunder and any termination of this Agreement.

 

34

 

 

Section 15.              Notices. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be mailed, hand delivered or telecopied and confirmed to the parties hereto as follows:

 

If to the Representatives: Jefferies LLC
  520 Madison Avenue
  New York, New York 10022
  Facsimile: (646) 619-4437
  Attention: General Counsel
   
  Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc.
  787 Seventh Avenue
  New York, New York 10019
  Attention: General Counsel
   
with a copy to: Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
  767 Fifth Avenue
  New York, New York 10153
  Attention: Alexander D. Lynch, Esq., Michael Stein, Esq.
   
If to the Company: Jefferson Capital, Inc.
  600 South Highway 169, Suite 1575
  Minneapolis, MN 55426
  Attention: General Counsel
   
with a copy to: Latham & Watkins LLP
  1271 Avenue of the Americas
  New York, NY 10020
  Facsimile: (212) 751-4864
  Attention: Marc D. Jaffe, Esq., Erika L. Weinberg, Esq.
   
If to the JCF IV Coinvest JCAP L.P. (Cayman) and J.C. Flowers IV L.P. (Cayman):
   
  J.C. Flowers & Co.
  1301 Avenue of the Americas, 16th Floor
  New York, NY 10019
  Attention: Thomas Harding and Sally Rocker
   
with a copy to: Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
  425 Lexington Avenue
  New York, NY 10017
  Attention: Edgar J. Lewandowski, Esq.

 

If to 1000578315 Ontario Inc., Anvic Capital Inc., Szemenyei Holdings Inc., Maverick Inc. and Marl-J Holdings Inc., the addresses listed on Schedule B

 

with a copy to: Miller Thomson LLP
  40 King Street West, Suite 6600
  Toronto, Ontario M5H 3S1
  Canada
  Attention: Florind Polo, Esq.

 

35

 

 

If to David Burton, as a Selling Stockholder:
   
  David Burton
  c/o Jefferson Capital, Inc.
  600 South Highway 169, Suite 1575
  Minneapolis, MN 55426
   
with a copy to: Latham & Watkins LLP
  1271 Avenue of the Americas
  New York, NY 10020
  Facsimile: (212) 751-4864
  Attention: Marc D. Jaffe, Esq., Erika L. Weinberg, Esq.

 

Any party hereto may change the address for receipt of communications by giving written notice to the others.

 

Section 16.              Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto, including any substitute Underwriters pursuant to Section 11 hereof, and to the benefit of the affiliates, directors, officers, employees, agents and controlling persons referred to in Section 9 and Section 10, and in each case their respective successors, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder. The term “successors” shall not include any purchaser of the Offered Shares as such from any of the Underwriters merely by reason of such purchase.

 

Section 17.              Partial Unenforceability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other section, paragraph or provision hereof. If any section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.

 

Section 18.              Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes.

 

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

 

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

 

For purposes of this Agreement, (A) “BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k); (B) “Covered Entity” means any of the following: (i) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b); (ii) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or (iii) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b); (C) “Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable; and (D) “U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

36

 

 

Section 19.              Governing Law Provisions. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made and to be performed in such state. Any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby (“Related Proceedings”) may be instituted in the federal courts of the United States of America located in the Borough of Manhattan in the City of New York or the courts of the State of New York in each case located in the Borough of Manhattan in the City of New York (collectively, the “Specified Courts”), and each party irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction (except for proceedings instituted in regard to the enforcement of a judgment of any such court (a “Related Judgment”), as to which such jurisdiction is non-exclusive) of such 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 other proceeding brought in any such court. The parties irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or other proceeding in the Specified Courts and irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim in any such court that any such suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.

 

Section 20.              Failure of One or More of the Selling Stockholders to Sell and Deliver Offered Shares. If one or more of the Selling Stockholders shall fail to sell and deliver to the Underwriters the Offered Shares to be sold and delivered by such Selling Stockholders at the First Closing Date pursuant to this Agreement, then the Underwriters may at their option, by written notice from the Representatives to the Company and the Selling Stockholders, either (i) terminate this Agreement without any liability on the part of any Underwriter or, except as provided in Section 4, Section 7, Section 9 and Section 10 hereof, the Company or the other Selling Stockholders, or (ii) purchase the shares which the Company and other Selling Stockholders have agreed to sell and deliver in accordance with the terms hereof. If one or more of the Selling Stockholders shall fail to sell and deliver to the Underwriters the Offered Shares to be sold and delivered by such Selling Stockholders pursuant to this Agreement at the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, then the Underwriters shall have the right, by written notice from the Representatives to the Company and the Selling Stockholders, to postpone the First Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be, but in no event for longer than seven days in order that the required changes, if any, to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or any other documents or arrangements may be effected.

 

Section 21.              General Provisions. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all prior written or oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each one of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument. This Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit. The section headings herein are for the convenience of the parties only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.

 

37

 

 

Each of the parties hereto acknowledges that it is a sophisticated business person who was adequately represented by counsel during negotiations regarding the provisions hereof, including, without limitation, the indemnification provisions of Section 9 and the contribution provisions of Section 10, and is fully informed regarding said provisions. Each of the parties hereto further acknowledges that the provisions of Section 9 and Section 10 hereof fairly allocate the risks in light of the ability of the parties to investigate the Company, its affairs and its business in order to assure that adequate disclosure has been made in the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, each free writing prospectus and the Prospectus (and any amendments and supplements to the foregoing), as contemplated by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act.

 

[Signature Pages Follow]

 

38

 

 

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, kindly sign and return to the Company and the Custodian the enclosed copies hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts hereof, shall become a binding agreement in accordance with its terms.

 

  Very truly yours,
   
  JEFFERSON CAPITAL, INC.
   
  By:  
    Name: Christo Realov
    Title: Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]

 

 

 

 

  THE SELLING STOCKHOLDERS
   
  J.C. FLOWERS IV L.P.
    By: JCF Associates IV L.P., its general partner
    By: JCF Associates IV Ltd, its general partner
   
  By:  ,
    Name: J. Christopher Flowers
    Title: Director
   
  JCF IV COINVEST JCAP L.P.
  By: JCF Associates IV L.P., its general partner
    By: JCF Associates IV Ltd, its general partner
   
  By:  ,
    Name: J. Christopher Flowers
    Title: Director
   
  1000578315 ONTARIO INC.
   
  By:  ,
    Name: Suzanne Larouche
    Title: Authorized Signatory
   
  ANVIC CAPITAL INC.
   
  By:  ,
    Name: Andrew Szemenyei
    Title: Authorized Signatory
   
  SZEMENYEI HOLDINGS INC.
   
  By:  ,
    Name: Bryan Szemenyei
    Title: Authorized Signatory
   
  MAVERICK INC.
   
  By:  ,
    Name: David Sharpless
    Title: Authorized Signatory

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]

 

 

 

 

  MARL-J HOLDINGS INC.
   
  By:             ,
    Name: Scott Coffin
    Title: Authorized Signatory
   
  By: ,
    Name: David Burton

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]

 

 

 

 

The foregoing Underwriting Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted by the Representatives in New York, New York as of the date first above written.

 

JEFFERIES LLC  
KEEFE, BRUYETTE & WOODS, INC.  
Acting individually and as Representatives  
of the several Underwriters named in  
the attached Schedule A.  
   
JEFFERIES LLC  
   
By:          
  Name:  
  Title:  

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]

 

 

 

 

KEEFE, BRUYETTE & WOODS, INC.  
   
By:           
  Name:  
  Title:  

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]

 

 

 

 

Schedule A

 

Underwriters   Number of
Firm Shares
to be Purchased
Jefferies LLC   [●]
Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc.   [●]
Citizens JMP Securities, LLC     [●]
Raymond James & Associates, Inc.  [●]
Truist Securities, Inc.  [●]
Capital One Securities, Inc.  [●]
DNB Markets, Inc.  [●]
Regions Securities LLC  [●]
Synovus Securities, Inc.  [●]
FHN Financial Securities Corp  [●]
ING Financial Markets LLC  [●]
Total  [●]

 

 

 

 

Schedule B

 

Selling Stockholders    Number of
Firm Shares
to be Sold
   Maximum Number
of Optional Shares
to be Sold
 
J.C. Flowers IV L.P.

c/o J.C. Flowers & Co. LLC
1301 Avenue of the Americas, 16th Floor
New York, NY 10019
Attention: Sally Rocker and Thomas Harding
   2,395,494    292,138 
           
JCF IV Coinvest JCAP L.P.

c/o J.C. Flowers & Co. LLC
1301 Avenue of the Americas, 16th Floor
New York, NY 10019
Attention: Sally Rocker and Thomas Harding
   5,366,786    654,495 
           
1000578315 Ontario Inc.

240 Villagewalk Boulevard, Suite 1103
London, Ontario, Canada N6G 0P6
Attention: Larouche Family Trust
Suzanne Larouche
Email: larosuz@yahoo.ca
   145,534    0 
           
Anvic Capital Inc.

33 Kingspark Crescent
London, Ontario, Canada N6H 4C3
Attention: Andrew Szemenyei
Email: andy@szemenyei.com
   667,148    0 
           
Szemenyei Holdings Inc.

1065 Logan Avenue
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4K 3G2
Attention: Bryan Szemenyei
Email: bryan@szemenyei.com
   0    129,071 
           
Maverick Inc.

80 Duggan Avenue
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4V 1Y2
Attention: David Sharpless
Email: sharpless3796@rogers.com
   318,749    0 
           
Marl-J Holdings Inc.

449 Sherin Dr
Oakville, Ontario, Canada, L6L 4J6
Attention: Scott Coffin
Email: Scott.Coffin@Marl-J.com
   481,291    0 
           
David Burton

c/o Jefferson Capital, Inc.
600 South Highway 169, Suite 1575
Minneapolis, MN 55426
Attn: David Burton
   0    424,296 
Total:   9,375,000    10,875,000 

 

 

 

 

Schedule C

 

Free Writing Prospectuses Included in the Time of Sale Prospectus

 

[●]

 

 

 

 

Schedule D

 

Permitted Section 5(d) Communications

 

[●]

 

 

 

 

Exhibit A

 

Form of Lock-up Agreement

 

· ], 2025

 

Jefferies LLC

Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc.

 

As Representatives of the Several Underwriters

 

c/o Jefferies LLC

520 Madison Avenue

New York, New York 10022

 

and

 

c/o Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc.

787 Seventh Avenue

New York, New York 10019

 

RE:Jefferson Capital, Inc. (the “Company”)

 

Ladies & Gentlemen:

 

The undersigned is or will be an owner of shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of the Company (“Shares”) or of securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Shares. The Company proposes to conduct a public offering of Shares (the “Offering”) for which Jefferies LLC and Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc. will act as the representatives of the underwriters (together, the “Representatives”). The undersigned recognizes that the Offering will benefit each of the Company, the selling stockholders named in the Underwriting Agreement (the “Selling Stockholders”) and the undersigned. The undersigned acknowledges that the underwriters are relying on the representations and agreements of the undersigned contained in this lock-up agreement in conducting the Offering and, at a subsequent date, in entering into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) and other underwriting arrangements with the Company and the Selling Stockholders with respect to the Offering.

 

Annex A sets forth definitions for capitalized terms used in this lock-up agreement that are not defined in the body of this lock-up agreement. Those definitions are a part of this lock-up agreement.

 

In consideration of the foregoing, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the undersigned hereby agrees that, during the Lock-up Period, the undersigned will not (and will, if the undersigned is a natural person, cause any Family Member not to), subject to the exceptions set forth in this lock-up agreement, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, which may withhold their consent in their sole discretion:

 

·Sell or Offer to Sell any Shares or Related Securities currently or hereafter owned either of record or beneficially (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) by the undersigned or any Family Member,

 

·enter into any Swap,

 

 

 

 

·make any demand for, or exercise any right with respect to, the registration under the Securities Act of the offer and sale of any Shares or Related Securities, or cause to be filed a registration statement, prospectus or prospectus supplement (or an amendment or supplement thereto) with respect to any such registration (other than in connection with the exercise of registration rights under the registration rights agreement referred to in the Prospectus; provided that such exercise of registration rights does not result in the public filing of a registration statement or any public announcement during the Lock-up Period and, for the avoidance of doubt, a confidential submission of such registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission shall not constitute a public filing during the Lock-up Period), or

 

·publicly announce any intention to do any of the foregoing.

 

The foregoing restrictions will not apply to the registration of the offer and sale of the Shares, and the sale of the Shares to the underwriters, in each case as contemplated by the Underwriting Agreement. In addition, the foregoing restrictions shall not apply to the transfer of Shares or Related Securities:

 

(i)as a bona fide gift or charitable contribution;
   
(ii)by will, other testamentary document or intestate succession upon the death of the undersigned or for bona fide estate planning purposes;

 

(iii)to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or a Family Member;

 

(iv)to any Family Member;

 

(v)by operation of law pursuant to a court order or a settlement agreement related to the distribution of assets in connection with the dissolution of a marriage or civil union;

 

(vi)to any corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity all of the beneficial ownership interests of which, in each case, are held by the undersigned and/or by Family Members;

 

(vii)if the undersigned is a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or other business entity, as part of a distribution by the undersigned to its stockholders, partners, members or other equityholders or to the estate of any such stockholders, partners, members or other equityholders;

 

(viii)to any Affiliate of the undersigned, including investment funds or other entities under common control or management that are Affiliates of the undersigned (including, for the avoidance of doubt, where the undersigned is a partnership, to its general partner or a successor partnership or fund, or any other funds managed by such partnership);

 

(ix)acquired in the Offering or in open market transactions on or after the completion of the Offering, if the undersigned is not an officer or director of the Company;

 

(x)in connection with the vesting or settlement of restricted stock units or the exercise of options or other rights to purchase the Shares (including, in each case, by way of “net” or “cashless” exercise), including any transfer, sale or other disposition to the Company for the payment of exercise price, tax withholdings or remittance payments due as a result of the vesting, settlement or exercise of such restricted stock units, options or rights; provided that any such restricted stock units and options to purchase Shares were granted under an equity incentive plan or other equity award plan that is described in the Prospectus and provided, further, that, in each case, any such Shares received by the undersigned upon such vesting, settlement or exercise that are not so transferred, sold or otherwise disposed shall be subject to the restrictions set forth in this lock-up agreement;

 

2

 

 

(xi)to the Company in connection with (A) the termination of the undersigned’s employment with the Company or (B) pursuant to agreements under which the Company has the option to repurchase such Shares;

 

(xii)in connection with the Reorganization (as defined in the Prospectus for the Offering) prior to the completion of the Offering; and

 

(xiii)pursuant to a bona fide third-party tender offer for securities of the Company, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction that is approved by the Board of Directors of the Company and made to all holders of the Company’s securities involving a Change of Control, provided that in the event that such tender offer, merger, consolidation or other similar transaction is not completed, the undersigned’s securities, subject to this lock-up agreement, shall remain subject to the restrictions set forth herein;

 

provided, however, that it shall be a condition that:

 

·in the case of any transfer pursuant to clauses (i) through (viii) above, each transferee executes and delivers to the Representatives an agreement in form and substance satisfactory to the Representatives stating that such transferee is receiving and holding such Shares and/or Related Securities subject to the provisions of this lock-up agreement and agrees not to, during the Lock-up Period, Sell or Offer to Sell such Shares and/or Related Securities, engage in any Swap or engage in any other activities restricted under this lock-up agreement except in accordance with this lock-up agreement (as if such transferee had been an original signatory hereto) and such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value,

 

·in the case of any transfer pursuant to clause (ix) above, prior to the expiration of the Lock-up Period, no public disclosure or filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act by any party to the transfer (donor, donee, transferor or transferee) shall be required, or made voluntarily, reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of Shares in connection with such transfer,

 

·in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clauses (vi) through (viii), it shall be a condition to such transfer that any required filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, or other required public filing, report or announcement reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of Shares or Related Securities shall indicate in the footnotes thereto that the shares distributed or transferred are subject to a lock-up agreement with the Underwriters, and

 

·in the case of any transfer pursuant to clauses (i) through (viii) and (x) through (xiii) above, prior to the expiration of the Lock-up Period, no public disclosure or filing under the Exchange Act by any party to the transfer (donor, donee, transferor or transferee) shall be made voluntarily, and if the undersigned is required to file a report under the Exchange Act reporting a change in beneficial ownership of Shares or Related Securities during the Lock-up Period, the undersigned shall include a statement in such report indicating the circumstances of such transfer.

 

3

 

 

Furthermore, notwithstanding the restrictions imposed by this lock-up agreement, the undersigned may establish or amend a written trading plan meeting the requirements of Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act relating to the transfer of Shares or Related Securities, provided that no transfers of Shares or Related Securities occur during the Lock-up Period and any public disclosure, announcement or filing under the Exchange Act made by the Company or any person regarding the establishment or amendment of such plan during the Lock-up Period shall include a statement that the undersigned is not permitted to transfer, sell or otherwise dispose of securities under such plan during the Lock-up Period in contravention of this lock up agreement, and any public announcement, shall be voluntarily made regarding the establishment or amendment of such plan during the Lock-up Period.

 

If the undersigned is an officer or director of the Company, the undersigned further agrees that the foregoing provisions shall be equally applicable to any Company-directed Shares the undersigned may purchase or otherwise receive in the Offering (including pursuant to a directed share program).

 

In addition, if the undersigned is an officer or director of the Company, (i) the Representatives agree that, at least three business days before the effective date of any release or waiver of the foregoing restrictions in connection with a transfer of Shares, they will notify the Company of the impending release or waiver, and (ii) the Company (in accordance with the provisions of the Underwriting Agreement) will announce the impending release or waiver by press release through a major news service at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver. Any release or waiver granted by the Representatives hereunder to any such officer or director shall only be effective two business days after the publication date of such press release. The provisions of this paragraph will not apply if both (a) the release or waiver is effected solely to permit a transfer not for consideration and (b) the transferee has agreed in writing to be bound by the same terms described in this lock-up agreement that are applicable to the transferor to the extent and for the duration that such terms remain in effect at the time of the transfer.

 

The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of Shares or Related Securities held by the undersigned and, if the undersigned is a natural person, the undersigned’s Family Members, if any, except in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.

 

With respect to the Offering only, the undersigned waives any registration rights relating to registration under the Securities Act of the offer and sale of any Shares and/or any Related Securities owned either of record or beneficially by the undersigned, including any rights to receive notice of the Offering.

 

The undersigned confirms that the undersigned has not, and has no knowledge that any Family Member has, directly or indirectly, taken any action designed to or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale of the Shares. The undersigned will not, and will use its best efforts to cause any Family Member not to take, directly or indirectly, any such action.

 

The undersigned acknowledges and agrees that the underwriters have not provided any recommendation or investment advice nor have the underwriters solicited any action from the undersigned with respect to the Offering and the undersigned has consulted their own legal, accounting, financial, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent deemed appropriate.

 

Whether or not the Offering occurs as currently contemplated or at all depends on market conditions and other factors. The Offering will only be made pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, the terms of which are subject to negotiation between the Company, the Selling Stockholders and the underwriters.

 

4

 

 

This lock-up agreement shall automatically terminate and the undersigned shall be released from all of his, her or its obligations hereunder upon the earlier of (i) the date of the filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission of a notice of withdrawal of the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (which covers Shares) pursuant to Rule 477 promulgated under the Securities Act, (ii) the date on which for any reason the Underwriting Agreement is terminated (other than the provisions thereof that survive termination) prior to payment for and delivery of the Shares to be sold thereunder (other than pursuant to the underwriters’ option thereunder to purchase additional Shares), (iii) the date on which the Company or the Representatives notifies the other, in writing and prior to the execution of the Underwriting Agreement, that it does not intend to proceed with the Offering and (iv) August 31, 2025, in the event that the Underwriting Agreement has not been executed by such date (provided, however, that the Company may, by written notice to the undersigned prior to such date, extend such date by a period of up to an additional three months).

 

The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power, capacity and authority to enter into this lock-up agreement. This lock-up agreement is irrevocable and will be binding on the undersigned and the successors, heirs, personal representatives and assigns of the undersigned.

 

This lock-up agreement may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including pdf or any electronic signature complying with the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, the Electronic Signatures and Records Act or other applicable law, e.g., www.docusign.com or www.echosign.com) or other transmission method, and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.

 

This lock-up agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.

 

5

 

 

   
Signature  
   
   
Printed Name of Person Signing  
   
(Indicate capacity of person signing if signing as custodian or trustee, or on behalf of an entity)  

 

 

 

 

Certain Defined Terms

Used in Lock-up Agreement

 

For purposes of the letter agreement to which this Annex A is attached and of which it is made a part:

 

·Affiliate” shall have the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act.

 

·Call Equivalent Position” shall have the meaning set forth in Rule 16a-1(b) under the Exchange Act.

 

·Change of Control” shall mean the consummation of any bona fide third party tender offer, merger, amalgamation, consolidation or other similar transaction following the completion of the Offering and approved by the Board of Directors of the Company, the result of which is that any “person” (as defined in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), or group of persons, other than the Company or its subsidiaries, becomes the beneficial owner (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 of the Exchange Act) of more than 50% of the total voting power of the voting stock of the Company.

 

·Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

·Family Member” shall mean the spouse of the undersigned, an immediate family member of the undersigned or an immediate family member of the undersigned’s spouse, in each case living in the undersigned’s household or whose principal residence is the undersigned’s household (regardless of whether such spouse or family member may at the time be living elsewhere due to educational activities, health care treatment, military service, temporary internship or employment or otherwise). “Immediate family member” as used above shall have the meaning set forth in Rule 16a-1(e) under the Exchange Act.

 

·Lock-up Period” shall mean the period beginning on the date hereof and continuing through the close of trading on the date that is 180 days after the date of the Prospectus (as defined in the Underwriting Agreement).

 

·Put Equivalent Position” shall have the meaning set forth in Rule 16a-1(h) under the Exchange Act.

 

·Related Securities” shall mean any options or warrants or other rights to acquire Shares or any securities exchangeable or exercisable for or convertible into Shares, or to acquire other securities or rights ultimately exchangeable or exercisable for or convertible into Shares.

 

·Securities Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

·Sell or Offer to Sell” shall mean to:

 

sell, offer to sell, contract to sell or lend,

 

effect any short sale or establish or increase a Put Equivalent Position or liquidate or decrease any Call Equivalent Position

 

pledge, hypothecate or grant any security interest in, or

 

in any other way transfer or dispose of,

 

 

 

 

in each case whether effected directly or indirectly.

 

·Swap” shall mean any swap, hedge or similar arrangement or agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, the economic risk of ownership of Shares or Related Securities, regardless of whether any such transaction is to be settled in securities, in cash or otherwise.

 

Capitalized terms not defined in this Annex A shall have the meanings given to them in the body of this lock-up agreement.

 

 

 

 

Exhibit B

 

Directors, Executive Officers and Others
           Signing Lock-up Agreement            

 

Directors:

 

David Burton

Thomas Harding

John Oros

Thomas Lydon, Jr.

Christopher Giles

Ronald Vaske

Beth Leonard

 

Executive Officers:

 

David Burton

Christo Realov

Matthew Pfohl

Mark Zellmann

Penelope Person

 

Others:

 

[●]

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 3.2

 

AMENDED AND RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

 

OF

 

JEFFERSON CAPITAL, INC.

 

Jefferson Capital, Inc. (the “Corporation”), a corporation organized and existing under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”), does hereby certify as follows:

 

1.           The name of the Corporation is Jefferson Capital, Inc. The Corporation was incorporated by the filing of its original Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on November 12, 2024.

 

2.           This Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (this “Restated Certificate”), which amends, restates and further integrates the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation as heretofore in effect, has been approved by the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board of Directors”) in accordance with Sections 242 and 245 of the DGCL, and has been adopted by the written consent of the stockholders of the Corporation in accordance with Section 228 of the DGCL.

 

3.           The text of the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation, as heretofore amended, is hereby amended and restated by this Restated Certificate to read in its entirety as set forth in EXHIBIT A attached hereto.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Jefferson Capital, Inc. has caused this Restated Certificate to be signed by a duly authorized officer of the Corporation, on June ________, 2025.

 

  Jefferson Capital, Inc., a Delaware corporation
   
    By:          
    Name:
    Title:

 

[Signature Page to Jefferson Capital, Inc. Certificate of Incorporation]

 

 

 

 

EXHIBIT A

 

ARTICLE I

 

The name of the corporation is Jefferson Capital, Inc. (the “Corporation”).

 

ARTICLE II

 

The address of the Corporation’s registered office in the State of Delaware is 251 Little Falls Drive, Wilmington, County of New Castle, Delaware 19808, and the name of its registered agent at such address is Corporation Service Company.

 

ARTICLE III

 

The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”) as it now exists or may hereafter be amended and supplemented.

 

ARTICLE IV

 

The Corporation is authorized to issue two classes of stock to be designated, respectively, “Common Stock” and “Preferred Stock.” The total number of shares of capital stock which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is 380,000,000. The total number of shares of Common Stock that the Corporation is authorized to issue is 330,000,000, having a par value of $0.0001 per share, and the total number of shares of Preferred Stock that the Corporation is authorized to issue is 50,000,000, having a par value of $0.0001 per share.

 

ARTICLE V

 

The designations and the powers, privileges and rights, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof in respect of each class of capital stock of the Corporation are as follows:

 

A.COMMON STOCK.

 

1.           General. The voting, dividend, liquidation and other rights and powers of the Common Stock are subject to and qualified by the rights, powers and preferences of any series of Preferred Stock as may be designated by the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board of Directors”) and outstanding from time to time.

 

2.           Voting. Except as otherwise provided herein or expressly required by law, each holder of Common Stock, as such, shall be entitled to vote on each matter submitted to a vote of stockholders and shall be entitled to one (1) vote for each share of Common Stock held of record by such holder as of the record date for determining stockholders entitled to vote on such matter. Except as otherwise required by law, holders of Common Stock, as such, shall not be entitled to vote on any amendment to this Restated Certificate (including any Certificate of Designation (as defined below)) that relates solely to the rights, powers, preferences (or the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof) or other terms of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock if the holders of such affected series are entitled, either separately or together with the holders of one or more other such series, to vote thereon pursuant to this Restated Certificate (including any Certificate of Designation) or pursuant to the DGCL.

 

 

 

 

Subject to the rights of any holders of any outstanding series of Preferred Stock, the number of authorized shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by the requisite vote of the stockholders entitled to vote thereon, voting as a single class, irrespective of the provisions of Section 242(b)(2) of the DGCL.

 

3.           Dividends. Subject to applicable law and the rights and preferences of any holders of any outstanding series of Preferred Stock, the holders of Common Stock, as such, shall be entitled to the payment of dividends on the Common Stock ratably when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors in accordance with applicable law.

 

4.           Liquidation. Subject to the rights and preferences of any holders of any shares of any outstanding series of Preferred Stock, in the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary, the funds and assets of the Corporation remaining after payment of all debts and other liabilities that may be legally distributed to the Corporation’s stockholders shall be distributed among the holders of the then outstanding Common Stock pro rata in accordance with the number of shares of Common Stock held by each such holder.

 

B.PREFERRED STOCK

 

Shares of Preferred Stock may be issued from time to time in one or more series, each of such series to have such terms as stated or expressed herein and in the resolution or resolutions providing for the creation and issuance of such series adopted by the Board of Directors as hereinafter provided.

 

Authority is hereby expressly granted to the Board of Directors from time to time to issue the Preferred Stock in one or more series, and in connection with the creation of any such series, by adopting a resolution or resolutions providing for the issuance of the shares thereof and by filing a certificate of designation relating thereto in accordance with the DGCL (a “Certificate of Designation”), to determine and fix the number of shares of such series and such voting powers, full or limited, or no voting powers, and such designations, preferences and relative participating, optional or other special rights, and qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, including without limitation thereof, dividend rights, conversion rights, redemption privileges and liquidation preferences, and to increase or decrease (but not below the number of shares of such series then outstanding) the number of shares of any series as shall be stated and expressed in such resolutions, all to the fullest extent now or hereafter permitted by the DGCL. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the resolution or resolutions providing for the creation and issuance of any series of Preferred Stock may provide that such series shall be superior or rank equally or be junior to any other series of Preferred Stock to the extent permitted by law and this Restated Certificate (including any Certificate of Designation). Except as otherwise required by law, holders of any series of Preferred Stock shall be entitled only to such voting rights, if any, as shall expressly be granted thereto by this Restated Certificate (including any Certificate of Designation).

 

 

 

 

The number of authorized shares of Preferred Stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by a majority vote of the Board of Directors or by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the votes, irrespective of the provisions of Section 242(b)(2) of the DGCL.

 

ARTICLE VI

 

For the management of the business and for the conduct of the affairs of the Corporation it is further provided that:

 

A. Subject to the special rights of the holders of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock to elect directors, the directors of the Corporation shall be classified with respect to the time for which they severally hold office into three classes, designated as Class I, Class II and Class III. The initial Class I directors shall serve for a term expiring at the first annual meeting of stockholders following the initial registration of the Corporation’s Common Stock pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”); the initial Class II directors shall serve for a term expiring at the second annual meeting of stockholders following such registration; and the initial Class III directors shall serve for a term expiring at the third annual meeting of stockholders following such registration. At each annual meeting of stockholders of the Corporation beginning with the first annual meeting of stockholders following the filing and effectiveness of this Restated Certificate with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, subject to any special rights of the holders of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock to elect directors, the successors of the class of directors whose term expires at that meeting shall be elected to hold office for a term expiring at the annual meeting of stockholders held in the third year following the year of their election. Each director shall hold office until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation, disqualification or removal. No decrease in the number of directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent director. Subject to the terms of the Stockholders Agreement (as defined below), the Board of Directors is authorized to designate members of the Board of Directors already in office as Class I, Class II and Class III.

 

B. Except as otherwise expressly provided by the DGCL or this Restated Certificate, the business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board of Directors. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for so long as the JCF Stockholders (as defined below) and their Affiliates (as defined in the Stockholders Agreement) hold, in the aggregate, at least 10% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock and the Stockholders Agreement remains in effect:

 

i.subject to applicable laws and stock exchange regulations, and subject to requisite independence requirements applicable to a committee of the Board of Directors, the JCF Stockholders shall have the right to have one (1) JCF Director appointed to serve on each committee of the Board of Directors;

 

ii.unless otherwise agreed to by the JCF Stockholders, the Corporation shall avail itself of all available “controlled company” exceptions to the corporate governance listing standards of any securities exchange on which shares of Common Stock are listed;

 

 

 

 

iii.in addition to any vote required by law or this Restated Certificate, the prior written consent of the JCF Stockholders shall be required for the Corporation or its subsidiaries to effect, directly or indirectly (whether by amendment, merger, consolidation, reorganization or otherwise):

 

a.any acquisition or disposition where aggregate consideration is greater than $100,000,000 in a single transaction or series of related transactions;

 

b.any transaction in which any person or group acquires more than 50% of the then outstanding capital stock of the Corporation or the power to elect a majority of the members of the Board of Directors;

 

c.any incurrence or refinancing of indebtedness of the Corporation and its subsidiaries to the extent such incurrence or refinancing would result in the Corporation and its subsidiaries having indebtedness in excess of $150,000,000 million in the aggregate;

 

d.any reorganization, recapitalization, voluntary bankruptcy, liquidation, dissolution or winding-up; or

 

e.any amendment, alteration or repeal of any provision of this Restated Certificate or of the Bylaws of the Corporation in a manner that adversely affects the powers, preferences or rights of the JCF Stockholders.

 

C. The number of directors which shall constitute the whole Board of Directors shall be fixed exclusively by one or more resolutions adopted from time to time by the Board of Directors; provided, however, that for so long as the JCF Stockholders and their Affiliates hold, in the aggregate, at least 10% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock and the Stockholders Agreement remains in effect, any increases or decreases in the number of directors constituting the whole Board of Directors shall be subject to the JCF Stockholders’ prior written consent.

 

D. Subject to the special rights of the holders of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock to elect directors, the Board of Directors or any individual director may be removed from office at any time either with or without cause only by the holders of at least a majority of the voting power of the outstanding shares of the Common Stock entitled to vote on the election and removal of directors; provided, however, that from and after the Trigger Date, any such director or all such directors may be removed only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the voting power of the Common Stock then outstanding and entitled to vote on the election and removal of directors; and provided, further that the consent of the JCF Stockholders shall be required to remove any JCF Director.

 

E. Except as otherwise expressly required by law, and subject to any special rights of the holders of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock, any vacancies on the Board of Directors resulting from death, resignation, disqualification, retirement, removal or other causes and any newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the number of directors shall be filled exclusively by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors then in office, even though less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director (other than any directors elected by the separate vote of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock), and shall not be filled by the stockholders. Any director appointed in accordance with the preceding sentence shall hold office until the expiration of the term of the class to which such director shall have been appointed or until his or her earlier death, resignation, retirement, disqualification or removal. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for so long as the Stockholders Agreement remains in effect, the JCF Stockholders shall have the right to fill any vacancy with a person designated by the JCF Stockholders in the event that such vacancy is created at any time by the death, removal, or resignation of any JCF Director pursuant to this Restated Certificate and the Stockholders Agreement, and the vacancy so created may be filled solely by the JCF Stockholders, and may not be filled by the Board of Directors or any other person.

 

 

 

 

F. Whenever the holders of any one or more series of Preferred Stock issued by the Corporation shall have the right, voting separately as a series or separately as a class with one or more such other series, to elect directors at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, the election, term of office, removal and other features of such directorships shall be governed by the terms of this Restated Certificate (including any Certificate of Designation). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Article VI, the number of directors that may be elected by the holders of any such series of Preferred Stock shall be in addition to the number fixed pursuant to Part C of this Article VI, and the total number of directors constituting the whole Board of Directors shall be automatically adjusted accordingly. Except as otherwise provided in the Certificate of Designation(s) in respect of one or more series of Preferred Stock, whenever the holders of any series of Preferred Stock having such right to elect additional directors are divested of such right pursuant to the provisions of such Certificate of Designation(s), the terms of office of all such additional directors elected by the holders of such series of Preferred Stock, or elected to fill any vacancies resulting from the death, resignation, disqualification or removal of such additional directors, shall forthwith terminate (in which case each such director thereupon shall cease to be qualified as, and shall cease to be, a director) and the total authorized number of directors of the Corporation shall automatically be reduced accordingly.

 

G. In furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred by statute, the Board of Directors is expressly authorized to adopt, amend or repeal Bylaws of the Corporation. In addition to any vote of the holders of any class or series of stock of the Corporation required by applicable law or by this Restated Certificate (including any Certificate of Designation in respect of one or more series of Preferred Stock) or the Bylaws of the Corporation, the adoption, amendment or repeal of the Bylaws of the Corporation by the stockholders of the Corporation shall, (i) prior to the Trigger Date, require the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the voting power of the then outstanding shares of the Common Stock entitled to vote generally in an election of directors and (ii) from and after the Trigger Date, require the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the voting power of all of the then outstanding shares of voting stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in an election of directors.

 

H. The directors of the Corporation need not be elected by written ballot unless the Bylaws of the Corporation so provide.

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE VII

 

A. Prior to the Trigger Date, any action required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, if a consent or consents, setting forth the action so taken, are (1) signed by the holders of outstanding shares of stock of the Corporation representing not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares of stock of the Corporation then issued and outstanding entitled to vote thereon were present and voted, and (2) delivered to the Corporation in accordance with applicable law. Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock, from and after the Trigger Date, any action required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation must be effected at an annual or special meeting of stockholders of the Corporation, and shall not be taken by written consent in lieu of a meeting.

 

B. Subject to the special rights of the holders of one or more series of Preferred Stock, special meetings of stockholders of the Corporation may be called, for any purpose or purposes, at any time only by or at the direction of the Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer, the President or another officer selected by a majority of the Board of Directors, and shall not be called by any other person or persons; provided, however, that prior to the Trigger Date, special meetings of the stockholders for any purpose may also be called by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or the Chairman of the Board of Directors at the request of the JCF Stockholders.

 

C. Advance notice of stockholder nominations for the election of directors and of other business proposed to be brought by stockholders before any meeting of stockholders of the Corporation shall be given in the manner provided in the Bylaws of the Corporation.

 

ARTICLE VIII

 

No director or officer of the Corporation shall have any personal liability to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty as a director or officer, except to the extent such exemption from liability or limitation thereof is not permitted under the DGCL as the same exists or hereafter may be amended. Any amendment, repeal or modification of this Article VIII, or the adoption of any provision of the Restated Certificate inconsistent with this Article VIII, shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a director or officer of the Corporation with respect to any act or omission occurring prior to such amendment, repeal, modification or adoption. If the DGCL is amended after approval by the stockholders of this Article VIII to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors or officers, then the liability of a director or officer of the Corporation shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL as so amended.

 

ARTICLE IX

 

The Corporation shall have the power to provide rights to indemnification and advancement of expenses to its current and former officers, directors, employees and agents and to any person who is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise.

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE X

 

Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, (a) the Court of Chancery (the “Chancery Court”) of the State of Delaware (or, in the event that the Chancery Court does not have jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware or other state courts of the State of Delaware) shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action, suit or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation, (ii) any action, suit or proceeding asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer, other employee or stockholder of the Corporation to the Corporation or to the Corporation’s stockholders, (iii) any action, suit or proceeding arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or the Bylaws of the Corporation or this Restated Certificate (as either may be amended from time to time) or (iv) any action, suit or proceeding asserting a claim against the Corporation governed by the internal affairs doctrine; and (b) subject to the preceding provisions of this Article X, the federal district courts of the United States of America shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause or causes of action arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, including all causes of action asserted against any defendant to such complaint. If any action the subject matter of which is within the scope of clause (a) of the immediately preceding sentence is filed in a court other than the courts in the State of Delaware (a “Foreign Action”) in the name of any stockholder, such stockholder shall be deemed to have consented to (x) the personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts in the State of Delaware in connection with any action brought in any such court to enforce the provisions of clause (a) of the immediately preceding sentence and (y) having service of process made upon such stockholder in any such action by service upon such stockholder’s counsel in the Foreign Action as agent for such stockholder.

 

Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any security of the Corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to this Article X. This Article X is intended to benefit and may be enforced by the Corporation, its officers and directors, the underwriters to any offering giving rise to such complaint, and any other professional or entity whose profession gives authority to a statement made by that person or entity and who has prepared or certified any part of the documents underlying the offering. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the provisions of this Article X shall not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act, or any other claim for which the federal courts of the United States have exclusive jurisdiction.

 

If any provision or provisions of this Article X shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable as applied to any circumstance for any reason whatsoever, (a) the validity, legality and enforceability of such provisions in any other circumstance and of the remaining provisions of this Article X (including, without limitation, each portion of any paragraph of this Article X containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable that is not itself held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and (b) the application of such provision to other persons or entities and circumstances shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

 

ARTICLE XI

 

A. The Corporation hereby expressly elects not to be governed by Section 203 of the DGCL.

 

 

 

 

B. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Corporation shall not engage in any business combination (as defined below), at any point in time at which the Corporation’s Common Stock is registered under Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act, with any interested stockholder (as defined below) for a period of three years following the time that such stockholder became an interested stockholder, unless:

 

iv.prior to such time, the Board of Directors approved either the business combination or the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, or

 

v.upon consummation of the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock (as defined below) of the Corporation outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding for purposes of determining the voting stock outstanding (but not the outstanding voting stock owned by the interested stockholder) those shares owned by (i) persons who are directors and also officers and (ii) employee stock plans in which employee participants do not have the right to determine confidentially whether shares held subject to the plan will be tendered in a tender or exchange offer, or

 

vi.at or subsequent to such time, the business combination is approved by the Board of Directors and authorized at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, and not by written consent, by the affirmative vote of at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding voting stock of the Corporation which is not owned by the interested stockholder.

 

C. The restrictions contained in this Article XI shall not apply if a stockholder becomes an interested stockholder inadvertently and (a) as soon as practicable divests itself of ownership of sufficient shares so that the stockholder ceases to be an interested stockholder; and (b) would not, at any time within the three-year period immediately prior to a business combination between the Corporation and such stockholder, have been an interested stockholder but for the inadvertent acquisition of ownership.

 

D. For purposes of this Article XI, references to:

 

i.Affiliate” means a person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, another person.

 

ii.associate,” when used to indicate a relationship with any person, means: (i) any corporation, partnership, unincorporated association or other person of which such person is a director, officer or partner or is, directly or indirectly, the owner of 20% or more of any class of voting stock; (ii) any trust or other estate in which such person has at least a 20% beneficial interest or as to which such person serves as trustee or in a similar fiduciary capacity; and (iii) any relative or spouse of such person, or any relative of such spouse, who has the same residence as such person.

 

iii.JCF Stockholder Direct Transferee” means any person that acquires (other than in a registered public offering or through a broker’s transaction executed on any securities exchange or other over-the-counter market) directly from any of the JCF Stockholders beneficial ownership of 5% or more of the then-outstanding voting stock of the Corporation.

 

 

 

 

iv.JCF Stockholder Indirect Transferee” means any person that acquires (other than in a registered public offering or through a broker’s transaction executed on any securities exchange or other over-the-counter market) directly from any JCF Stockholder Direct Transferee or any other JCF Stockholder Indirect Transferee beneficial ownership of 5% or more of the then-outstanding voting stock of the Corporation.

 

v.business combination,” when used in reference to the Corporation and any interested stockholder of the Corporation, means:

 

a.any merger or consolidation of the Corporation or any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation (A) with the interested stockholder, or (B) with any other corporation, partnership, unincorporated association or other person if the merger or consolidation is caused by the interested stockholder and as a result of such merger or consolidation Part B of this Article XI is not applicable to the surviving entity;

 

b.any sale, lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or other disposition (in one transaction or a series of transactions), except proportionately as a stockholder of the Corporation, to or with the interested stockholder, whether as part of a dissolution or otherwise, of assets of the Corporation or of any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation which assets have an aggregate market value equal to 10% or more of either the aggregate market value of all the assets of the Corporation determined on a consolidated basis or the aggregate market value of all the outstanding stock of the Corporation;

 

c.any transaction which results in the issuance or transfer by the Corporation or by any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation of any stock of the Corporation or of such subsidiary to the interested stockholder, except: (A) pursuant to the exercise, exchange or conversion of securities exercisable for, exchangeable for or convertible into stock of the Corporation or any such subsidiary which securities were outstanding prior to the time that the interested stockholder became such; (B) pursuant to a merger under Section 251(g) of the DGCL; (C) pursuant to a dividend or distribution paid or made, or the exercise, exchange or conversion of securities exercisable for, exchangeable for or convertible into stock of the Corporation or any such subsidiary which security is distributed, pro rata to all holders of a class or series of stock of the Corporation subsequent to the time the interested stockholder became such; (D) pursuant to an exchange offer by the Corporation to purchase stock made on the same terms to all holders of said stock; or (E) any issuance or transfer of stock by the Corporation; provided, however, that in no case under items (C)-(E) of this subsection (c) shall there be an increase in the interested stockholder’s proportionate share of the stock of any class or series of the Corporation or of the voting stock of the Corporation (except as a result of immaterial changes due to fractional share adjustments);

 

 

 

 

d.any transaction involving the Corporation or any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation which has the effect, directly or indirectly, of increasing the proportionate share of the stock of any class or series, or securities convertible into the stock of any class or series, of the Corporation or of any such subsidiary which is owned by the interested stockholder, except as a result of immaterial changes due to fractional share adjustments or as a result of any purchase or redemption of any shares of stock not caused, directly or indirectly, by the interested stockholder; or

 

e.any receipt by the interested stockholder of the benefit, directly or indirectly (except proportionately as a stockholder of the Corporation), of any loans, advances, guarantees, pledges, or other financial benefits (other than those expressly permitted in subsections (a)-(d) above) provided by or through the Corporation or any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary.

 

vi.control,” including the terms “controlling,” “controlled by” and “under common control with,” means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a person, whether through the ownership of voting stock, by contract, or otherwise. A person who is the owner of 20% or more of the outstanding voting stock of the Corporation, partnership, unincorporated association or other person shall be presumed to have control of such person, in the absence of proof by a preponderance of the evidence to the contrary. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a presumption of control shall not apply where such person holds voting stock, in good faith and not for the purpose of circumventing this Article XI, as an agent, bank, broker, nominee, custodian or trustee for one or more owners who do not individually or as a group have control of such person.

 

vii.interested stockholder” means any person (other than the Corporation or any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation) that (i) is the owner of 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of the Corporation, or (ii) is an Affiliate or associate of the Corporation and was the owner of 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of the Corporation at any time within the three-year period immediately prior to the date on which it is sought to be determined whether such person is an interested stockholder; and the Affiliates and associates of such person; but “interested stockholder” shall not include or be deemed to include, in any case, (A) the JCF Stockholders or any of respective current and future Affiliates (so long as such Affiliates remain an Affiliate) or successors or any “group,” or any member of any such group, to which such persons are a party under Rule 13d-5 of the Exchange Act, any JCF Stockholder Direct Transferee and any JCF Stockholder Indirect Transferee or (B) any person whose ownership of shares in excess of the 15% limitation set forth herein is the result of any action taken solely by the Corporation, provided that such person shall be an interested stockholder if thereafter such person acquires additional shares of voting stock of the Corporation, except as a result of further corporate action not caused, directly or indirectly, by such person. For the purpose of determining whether a person is an interested stockholder, the voting stock of the Corporation deemed to be outstanding shall include stock deemed to be owned by the person through application of the definition of “owner” below but shall not include any other unissued stock of the Corporation which may be issuable pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding, or upon exercise of conversion rights, warrants or options, or otherwise.

 

 

 

 

viii.owner,” including the terms “own” and “owned,” when used with respect to any stock, means a person that individually or with or through any of its Affiliates or associates:

 

a.beneficially owns such stock, directly or indirectly; or

 

b.has (A) the right to acquire such stock (whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding, or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, warrants or options, or otherwise; provided, however, that a person shall not be deemed the owner of stock tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by such person or any of such person’s Affiliates or associates until such tendered stock is accepted for purchase or exchange; or (B) the right to vote such stock pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding; provided, however, that a person shall not be deemed the owner of any stock because of such person’s right to vote such stock if the agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such stock arises solely from a revocable proxy or consent given in response to a proxy or consent solicitation made to ten or more persons; or

 

c.has any agreement, arrangement or understanding for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except voting pursuant to a revocable proxy or consent as described in item (B) of subsection (b) of the definition of “owner” above), or disposing of such stock with any other person that beneficially owns, or whose Affiliates or associates beneficially own, directly or indirectly, such stock.

 

ix.person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, unincorporated association or other entity.

 

x.stock” means, with respect to any corporation, capital stock and, with respect to any other person, any equity interest.

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE XII

 

A. In recognition and anticipation that (a) certain directors, principals, members, officers, associated funds, employees and/or other representatives of the JCF Stockholders and their Affiliates may serve as directors, officers or agents of the Corporation and (b) the JCF Stockholders and their Affiliates may now engage and may continue to engage in the same or similar activities or related lines of business as those in which the Corporation, directly or indirectly, may engage and/or other business activities that overlap with or compete with those in which the Corporation, directly or indirectly, may engage, the provisions of this Article XII are set forth to regulate and define the conduct of certain affairs of the Corporation with respect to certain classes or categories of business opportunities as they may involve any of the JCF Stockholders or any of their Affiliates (such persons being referred to, collectively, as “Identified Persons” and, individually, as an “Identified Person”) and the powers, rights, duties and liabilities of the Corporation and its directors, officers and stockholders in connection therewith.

 

B. None of the Identified Persons shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, have any duty to refrain from directly or indirectly (a) engaging in the same or similar business activities or lines of business in which the Corporation or any of its Affiliates now engages or proposes to engage or (b) competing with the Corporation or any of its Affiliates, and, to the fullest extent permitted by law, no Identified Person shall be liable to the Corporation or its stockholders or to any Affiliate of the Corporation for breach of any fiduciary duty solely by reason of the fact that such Identified Person engages in any such activities. To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Corporation hereby renounces any interest or expectancy in, or right to be offered an opportunity to participate in, any business opportunity which may be a corporate opportunity for an Identified Person and the Corporation, except as provided in Part C of this Article XII. Subject to Part C of this Article XII, in the event that any Identified Person acquires knowledge of a potential transaction or other matter or business opportunity which may be a corporate opportunity for itself, herself or himself and the Corporation or any of its Affiliates, such Identified Person shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, have no fiduciary duty or other duty (contractual or otherwise) to communicate or offer such transaction or other business opportunity to the Corporation or any of its Affiliates and, to the fullest extent permitted by law, shall not be liable to the Corporation or its stockholders or to any Affiliate of the Corporation for breach of any fiduciary duty as a stockholder, director or officer of the Corporation solely by reason of the fact that such Identified Person pursues or acquires such corporate opportunity for itself, herself or himself, offers or directs such corporate opportunity to another person, or does not present such corporate opportunity to the Corporation or any of its Affiliates.

 

C. Except as otherwise agreed in writing between the Corporation and the JCF Stockholders, for so long as the JCF Stockholders and their Affiliates own, beneficially or of record, at least 10% of the total voting power of the outstanding Common Stock of the Corporation with respect to the election of directors or otherwise has one or more directors, officers or employees serving as a director, officer or employee of the Corporation, in the event that a director, officer or employee of the Corporation who is also a director, officer or employee of the JCF Stockholders acquires knowledge of a potential transaction or matter that may be a corporate opportunity for both the Corporation and the JCF Stockholders, such director, officer or employee shall to the fullest extent permitted by law have fully satisfied and fulfilled his or her fiduciary duty, if any, with respect to such corporate opportunity, and the Corporation to the fullest extent permitted by law renounces any interest or expectancy in such business opportunity and waives any claim that such business opportunity constituted a corporate opportunity that should have been presented to the Corporation or any of its Affiliates, if such director, officer or employee acts in a manner consistent with the following policy: such a corporate opportunity offered to any person who is a director, officer or employee of the Corporation and who is also a director, officer or employee of the JCF Stockholders shall belong to the Corporation only if such opportunity is expressly offered to such person solely in his or her capacity as a director, officer or employee of the Corporation and otherwise shall belong to the JCF Stockholders. The foregoing policy, and the action of any director, officer or employee of the JCF Stockholders taken in accordance with, or in reliance upon, the foregoing policy or in entering into or performing any agreement, transaction or arrangement is deemed and presumed to be fair to the Corporation.

 

 

 

 

D. In addition to and notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Article XII, a corporate opportunity shall not be deemed to be a potential corporate opportunity for the Corporation if it is a business opportunity that (a) the Corporation is neither financially or legally able, nor contractually permitted, to undertake, (b) from its nature, is not in the line of the Corporation’s business (or is not under development and projected to grow into a material business for the Corporation) or is of no practical advantage to the Corporation or (c) is one in which the Corporation has no interest or reasonable expectancy.

 

E. If, notwithstanding the provisions of this Article XII, it is deemed desirable by the JCF Stockholders, the Corporation or an Affiliate of the Corporation or any other party that the Corporation take action with specific regard to a particular transaction, corporate opportunity or a type or series of transactions or corporate opportunities to ensure, out of an abundance of caution, that such transaction or transactions are not voidable, or that such an opportunity or opportunities are effectively disclaimed, the Corporation may employ any of the following procedures:

 

i.the material facts of the transaction and the director’s, officer’s or employee’s interest are disclosed or known to the Board of Directors or a duly appointed committee of the Board of Directors and the Board of Directors or such committee authorizes, approves, or ratifies the transaction by the affirmative vote or consent of a majority of the directors (or committee members) who have no direct or indirect interest in the transaction and, in any event, of at least two directors (or committee members); or

 

ii.the material facts of the transaction and the director’s interest are disclosed or known to the stockholders entitled to vote and they authorize, approve or ratify such transaction.

 

The interested director or directors may be counted in determining the presence of a quorum at such meeting. The presence of, or a vote cast by, a director with a direct or indirect interest in the transaction does not affect the validity of any actions taken under clause (i) above.

 

One or more matters, transactions or corporate opportunities approved pursuant to any of the foregoing procedures are not void or voidable and shall not give rise to any equitable relief or damages or other sanctions against any director, officer, employee or stockholder (including the JCF Stockholders) of the Corporation on the ground that the matter, transaction or corporate opportunity should have first been offered to the Corporation. Nothing in this Article XII requires any matter to be considered by the Board of Directors or the stockholders of the Corporation and, in all cases, directors, officers and employees of the Corporation are authorized to refrain from bringing a matter otherwise addressed in this Article XII before the Board of Directors or the stockholders for consideration unless such matter is required to be considered by the Board of Directors or stockholders, as applicable, under Delaware law. This Article XII shall not be construed to invalidate any contract or other transaction which would otherwise be valid under the common, equitable, or statutory law applicable thereto.

 

 

 

 

F. For purposes of this Article XII, “Affiliate” shall mean (a) in respect of the JCF Stockholders, any person that, directly or indirectly, is controlled by the JCF Stockholders, controls the JCF Stockholders or is under common control with the JCF Stockholders and shall include (i) any principal, member, director, partner, stockholder, officer, employee or other representative of any of the foregoing (other than the Corporation and any person that is controlled by the Corporation) and (ii) any funds or vehicles advised by Affiliates of the JCF Stockholders, and (b) in respect of the Corporation, any person that, directly or indirectly, is controlled by the Corporation.

 

G. To the fullest extent permitted by law, any person purchasing or otherwise acquiring or holding any interest in any shares of capital stock of the Corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to the provisions of this Article XII. Neither the alteration, amendment, addition to or repeal of this Article XII, nor the adoption of any provision of this Restated Certificate (including any Certificate of Designation in respect of one or more series of Preferred Stock) inconsistent with this Article XII, shall eliminate or reduce the effect of this Article XII in respect of any business opportunity first identified or any other matter occurring, or any cause of action, suit or claim that, but for this Article XII, would accrue or arise, prior to such alteration, amendment, addition, repeal or adoption.

 

ARTICLE XIII

 

A. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Restated Certificate to the contrary, in addition to any vote required by applicable law, from and after the Trigger Date, the following provisions in this Restated Certificate may be amended, altered, repealed or rescinded, in whole or in part, or any provision inconsistent therewith or herewith may be adopted, only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the total voting power of all the then outstanding shares of stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class: Part B of Article V, Article VI, Article VII, Article VIII, Article IX, Article X, Article XI, Article XII, and this Article XIII.

 

B. If any provision or provisions of this Restated Certificate shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable as applied to any circumstance for any reason whatsoever: (i) the validity, legality and enforceability of such provisions in any other circumstance and of the remaining provisions of this Restated Certificate (including, without limitation, each portion of any paragraph of this Restated Certificate containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable that is not itself held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, in any way be affected or impaired thereby and (ii) to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the provisions of this Restated Certificate (including, without limitation, each such portion of any paragraph of this Restated Certificate containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to permit the Corporation to protect its directors, officers, employees and agents from personal liability in respect of their good faith service to or for the benefit of the Corporation to the fullest extent permitted by law.

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE XIV

 

For purposes of this Restated Certificate, references to:

 

JCF Director” means a JCF Nominee that is elected as a director of the Board of Directors or any person designated by the JCF Stockholders to replace such director.

 

JCF Nominee” means each person nominated by the JCF Stockholders to the Board of Directors pursuant to the terms of the Stockholders Agreement.

 

JCF Stockholders” means (i) J.C. Flowers IV L.P. and JCF IV Coinvest JCAP L.P. and any other investment funds affiliated with or advised by J.C. Flowers & Co. LLC and (ii) any Permitted Transferee or Affiliate (each as defined in the Stockholders Agreement) of J.C. Flowers IV L.P. or JCF IV Coinvest JCAP L.P. that (x) is issued Common Stock or becomes the beneficial owner of any Common Stock or is transferred any Common Stock by any other person and (y) becomes a party to the Stockholders Agreement by executing a Joinder Agreement.

 

Stockholders Agreement” means that certain Stockholders Agreement, dated as of June ______, 2025, and entered into by and between the Corporation and J.C. Flowers IV L.P. and JCF IV Coinvest JCAP L.P., as such agreement may be further amended, restated, amended and restated, supplemented, or otherwise modified from time to time.

 

Trigger Date” means from and after such time as the JCF Stockholders collectively cease to own (directly or indirectly) at least 40% of the shares of the Corporation’s outstanding Common Stock.

 

voting stock” means stock of any class or series entitled to vote generally in the election of directors.

 

 

 

Exhibit 3.3

 

Amended and Restated Bylaws of

 

Jefferson Capital, Inc.

 

(a Delaware corporation)

 

as of [_______], 2025

 

 

 

 

Table of Contents

 

Page

 

Article I - Corporate Offices 3
   
1.1 Registered Office 3
1.2 Other Offices 3
     
Article II - Meetings of Stockholders 3
   
2.1 Place of Meetings 3
2.2 Annual Meeting 3
2.3 Special Meeting 3
2.4 Notice of Business to be Brought Before a Meeting 4
2.5 Notice of Nominations for Election to the Board 8
2.6 Additional Requirements for Valid Nomination of Candidates to Serve as Director and, if Elected, to be Seated as Directors 11
2.7 Notice of Stockholders’ Meetings 13
2.8 Quorum 13
2.9 Adjourned Meeting; Notice 13
2.10 Conduct of Business 14
2.11 Voting 14
2.12 Record Date for Stockholder Meetings and Other Purposes 14
2.13 Proxies 15
2.14 List of Stockholders Entitled to Vote 15
2.15 Inspectors of Election 16
2.16 Delivery to the Corporation 16
     
Article III - Directors 17
   
3.1 Powers 17
3.2 Number of Directors 17
3.3 Election, Qualification and Term of Office of Directors 17
3.4 Resignation and Vacancies 17
3.5 Place of Meetings; Meetings by Telephone 17
3.6 Regular Meetings 18
3.7 Special Meetings; Notice 18
3.8 Quorum 18
3.9 Board Action without a Meeting 18
3.10 Fees and Compensation of Directors 19
     
Article IV - Committees 19
   
4.1 Committees of Directors 19
4.2 Committee Minutes 19
4.3 Meetings and Actions of Committees 19
4.4 Subcommittees 20
     
Article V - Officers 20
   
5.1 Officers 20
5.2 Appointment of Officers 20

 

i

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

(continued)

 

Page

 

5.3 Subordinate Officers 20
5.4 Removal and Resignation of Officers 21
5.5 Vacancies in Offices 21
5.6 Representation of Shares of Other Corporations 21
5.7 Authority and Duties of Officers 21
5.8 Compensation 21
     
Article VI - Records 22
   
Article VII - General Matters 22
   
7.1 Execution of Corporate Contracts and Instruments 22
7.2 Stock Certificates 22
7.3 Special Designation of Certificates 23
7.4 Lost Certificates 23
7.5 Shares Without Certificates 23
7.6 Construction; Definitions 23
7.7 Dividends 23
7.8 Fiscal Year 24
7.9 Seal 24
7.10 Transfer of Stock 24
7.11 Stock Transfer Agreements 24
7.12 Registered Stockholders 24
7.13 Waiver of Notice 24
     
Article VIII - Notice 25
   
8.1 Delivery of Notice; Notice by Electronic Transmission 25
     
Article IX - Indemnification 26
   
9.1 Indemnification of Directors and Officers 26
9.2 Indemnification of Others 26
9.3 Prepayment of Expenses 26
9.4 Determination; Claim 26
9.5 Non-Exclusivity of Rights 27
9.6 Insurance 27
9.7 Other Indemnification 27
9.8 Continuation of Indemnification 27
9.9 Amendment or Repeal; Interpretation 27
     
Article X - Amendments 28
   
Article XI - Definitions 28

 

ii

 

 

Amended and Restated Bylaws of

 

Jefferson Capital, Inc.

 

 

 

Article I - Corporate Offices

 

1.1            Registered Office.

 

The address of the registered office of Jefferson Capital, Inc. (the “Corporation”) in the State of Delaware, and the name of its registered agent at such address, shall be as set forth in the Corporation’s certificate of incorporation, as the same may be amended and/or restated from time to time (the “Certificate of Incorporation”).

 

1.2            Other Offices.

 

The Corporation may have additional offices at any place or places, within or outside the State of Delaware, as the Corporation’s board of directors (the “Board”) may from time to time establish or as the business of the Corporation may require.

 

Article II - Meetings of Stockholders

 

2.1            Place of Meetings.

 

Meetings of stockholders shall be held at any place within or outside the State of Delaware, designated by the Board. The Board may, in its sole discretion, determine that a meeting of stockholders shall not be held at any place, but may instead be held solely by means of remote communication as authorized by Section 211(a)(2) of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”). In the absence of any such designation or determination, stockholders’ meetings shall be held at the Corporation’s principal executive office.

 

2.2            Annual Meeting.

 

The Board shall designate the date and time of the annual meeting of stockholders. At the annual meeting of stockholders, directors shall be elected and other proper business properly brought before the meeting in accordance with Section 2.4 of these Bylaws (these “Bylaws”) may be transacted. The Board may postpone, reschedule or cancel any previously scheduled annual meeting of stockholders.

 

2.3            Special Meeting.

 

Special meetings of the stockholders may be called only by such persons and only in such manner as set forth in the Certificate of Incorporation.

 

No business may be transacted at any special meeting of stockholders other than the business specified in the notice of such meeting. The Board may postpone, reschedule or cancel any previously scheduled special meeting of stockholders.

 

 

 

2.4            Notice of Business to be Brought Before a Meeting.

 

This Section 2.4 shall apply to any business that may be brought before an annual meeting of stockholders other than nominations for election to the Board at such meeting, which shall be governing by Section 2.5 and Section 2.6. Stockholders seeking to nominate persons for election to the Board must comply with Section 2.5 and Section 2.6 and this Section 2.4 shall not be applicable to nominations except as expressly provided in Section 2.5 and Section 2.6.

 

(a)            At an annual meeting of stockholders, only such business shall be conducted as shall have been properly brought before the meeting. To be properly brought before an annual meeting, business must be (i) specified in a notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the Board, (ii) if not specified in a notice of meeting, otherwise brought before the meeting by the Board or the Chairperson of the Board, if any, or (iii) otherwise properly brought before the meeting by a stockholder present in person who (A) (1) was a record owner of shares of capital stock of the Corporation both at the time of giving the notice provided for in this Section 2.4 and at the time of the meeting, (2) is entitled to vote at the meeting, and (3) has complied with this Section 2.4 in all applicable respects or (B) properly made such proposal in accordance with Rule 14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (as so amended and inclusive of such rules and regulations, the “Exchange Act”). The foregoing clause (iii) shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to propose business to be brought before an annual meeting of the stockholders. The only matters that may be brought before a special meeting are the matters specified in the notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the person calling the meeting pursuant to Section 3.7, and stockholders shall not be permitted to propose business to be brought before a special meeting of the stockholders. For purposes of this Section 2.4, “present in person” shall mean that the stockholder proposing that the business be brought before the annual meeting of stockholders, or a qualified representative of such proposing stockholder, appear at such annual meeting, either in person or by means of remote communication. A “qualified representative” of such proposing stockholder shall be a duly authorized officer, manager or partner of such stockholder or any other person authorized by a writing executed by such stockholder or an electronic transmission delivered by such stockholder to act for such stockholder as proxy at the meeting of stockholders and such person must produce such writing or electronic transmission, or a reliable reproduction of the writing or electronic transmission, at the meeting of stockholders.

 

(b)            Without qualification, for business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder, the stockholder must (i) provide Timely Notice (as defined below) thereof in writing and in proper form to the Secretary of the Corporation and (ii) provide any updates or supplements to such notice at the times and in the forms required by this Section 2.4. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be delivered to, or mailed and received at, the principal executive offices of the Corporation not less than ninety (90) days nor more than one hundred twenty (120) days prior to the one-year anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting which, in the case of the first annual meeting of stockholders following the closing of the Corporation’s initial underwritten public offering of common stock, the date of the preceding year’s annual meeting shall be deemed to be June 10, 2025; provided, however, that if the date of the annual meeting is more than thirty (30) days before or more than sixty (60) days after such anniversary date, notice by the stockholder to be timely must be so delivered, or mailed and received, not more than the one hundred twentieth (120th) day prior to such annual meeting and not later than (i) the ninetieth (90th) day prior to such annual meeting or, (ii) if later, the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public disclosure (as defined below) of the date of such annual meeting was first made by the Corporation (such notice within such time periods, “Timely Notice”). In no event shall any adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting or the announcement thereof commence a new time period for the giving of Timely Notice as described above.

 

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(c)            To be in proper form for purposes of this Section 2.4, a stockholder’s notice to the Secretary shall set forth:

  

(i)            As to each Proposing Person (as defined below), (A) the name and address of such Proposing Person (including, if applicable, the name and address that appear on the Corporation’s books and records), (B) the class or series and number of shares of capital stock of the Corporation that are, directly or indirectly, owned of record or beneficially owned (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) by such Proposing Person, except that such Proposing Person shall in all events be deemed to beneficially own any shares of any class or series of capital stock of the Corporation as to which such Proposing Person has a right to acquire beneficial ownership at any time in the future, (C) the date or dates such shares were acquired, (D) the investment intent of such acquisition and (E) any pledge by such Proposing Person with respect to any of such shares (the disclosures to be made pursuant to the foregoing clauses (A) through (E) are referred to as “Stockholder Information”);

 

(ii)            As to each Proposing Person,

 

(A) the material terms and conditions of any “derivative security” (as such term is defined in Rule 16a-1(c) under the Exchange Act) that constitutes a “call equivalent position” (as such term is defined in Rule 16a-1(b) under the Exchange Act) or a “put equivalent position” (as such term is defined in Rule 16a-1(h) under the Exchange Act) or other derivative or synthetic arrangement in respect of any class or series of shares of capital stock of the Corporation (“Synthetic Equity Position”) that is, directly or indirectly, held or maintained by, held for the benefit of, or involving such Proposing Person, including, without limitation,

 

(1) any option, warrant, convertible security, stock appreciation right, future or similar right with an exercise or conversion privilege or a settlement payment or mechanism at a price related to any class or series of shares of capital stock of the Corporation or with a value derived in whole or in part from the value of any shares of any class or series of shares of capital stock of the Corporation,

 

(2) any derivative or synthetic arrangement having the characteristics of a long position or a short position in any class or series of shares of capital stock of the Corporation, including, without limitation, a stock loan transaction, a stock borrowing transaction, or a share repurchase transaction or

 

(3) any contract, derivative, swap or other transaction or series of transactions designed to

 

(x) produce economic benefits and risks that correspond substantially to the ownership of any class or series of shares of capital stock of the Corporation,

 

(y) mitigate any loss relating to, reduce the economic risk (of ownership or otherwise) of, or manage the risk of share price decrease in, any class or series of shares of capital stock of the Corporation, or

 

(z) increase or decrease the voting power in respect of any class or series of shares of capital stock of the Corporation held or maintained by, held for the benefit of, or involving such Proposing Person,

 

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including, without limitation, due to the fact that the value of such contract, derivative, swap or other transaction or series of transactions is determined by reference to the price, value or volatility of any class or series of shares of capital stock of the Corporation, whether or not such instrument, contract or right shall be subject to settlement in the underlying class or series of shares of capital stock of the Corporation, through the delivery of cash or other property, or otherwise, and without regard to whether the holder thereof may have entered into transactions that hedge or mitigate the economic effect of such instrument, contract or right, or any other direct or indirect opportunity to profit or share in any profit derived from any increase or decrease in the price or value of any shares of any class or series of shares of capital stock of the Corporation;

 

provided that, for the purposes of the definition of “Synthetic Equity Position,” the term “derivative security” shall also include any security or instrument that would not otherwise constitute a “derivative security” as a result of any feature that would make any conversion, exercise or similar right or privilege of such security or instrument becoming determinable only at some future date or upon the happening of a future occurrence, in which case the determination of the amount of securities into which such security or instrument would be convertible or exercisable shall be made assuming that such security or instrument is immediately convertible or exercisable at the time of such determination; and, provided, further, that any Proposing Person satisfying the requirements of Rule 13d-1(b)(1) under the Exchange Act (other than a Proposing Person that so satisfies Rule 13d-1(b)(1) under the Exchange Act solely by reason of Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(E)) shall not be required to disclose any Synthetic Equity Position that is, directly or indirectly, held or maintained by, held for the benefit of, or involving such Proposing Person as a hedge with respect to a bona fide derivatives trade or position of such Proposing Person arising in the ordinary course of such Proposing Person’s business as a derivatives dealer,

 

(B) any rights to dividends on the shares of any class or series of shares of capital stock of the Corporation owned beneficially by such Proposing Person that are separated or separable from the underlying shares of capital stock of the Corporation,

 

(C) any material pending or threatened legal proceeding in which such Proposing Person is a party or material participant involving the Corporation or any of its officers or directors, or any affiliate of the Corporation,

 

(D) any other material relationship between such Proposing Person, on the one hand, and the Corporation or any affiliate of the Corporation, on the other hand,

 

(E) any direct or indirect material interest in any material contract or agreement of such Proposing Person with the Corporation or any affiliate of the Corporation (including, in any such case, any employment agreement, collective bargaining agreement or consulting agreement),

 

(F) any proportionate interest in shares of capital stock of the Corporation or a Synthetic Equity Position held, directly or indirectly, by a general or limited partnership, limited liability company or similar entity in which any such Proposing Person (1) is a general partner or, directly or indirectly, beneficially owns an interest in a general partner of such general or limited partnership or (2) is the manager, managing member or, directly or indirectly, beneficially owns an interest in the manager or managing member of such limited liability company or similar entity;

 

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(G) a representation that such Proposing Person intends or is part of a group which intends to deliver a proxy statement or form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of the Corporation’s outstanding capital stock required to approve or adopt the proposal or otherwise solicit proxies from stockholders in support of such proposal and

 

(H) any other information relating to such Proposing Person that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filing required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies or consents by such Proposing Person in support of the business proposed to be brought before the meeting pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act

 

(the disclosures to be made pursuant to the foregoing clauses (A) through (H) are referred to as “Disclosable Interests”); provided, however, that Disclosable Interests shall not include any such disclosures with respect to the ordinary course business activities of any broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee who is a Proposing Person solely as a result of being the stockholder directed to prepare and submit the notice required by these Bylaws on behalf of a beneficial owner; and

 

(iii)            As to each item of business that the stockholder proposes to bring before the annual meeting, (A) a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the annual meeting, the reasons for conducting such business at the annual meeting and any material interest in such business of each Proposing Person, (B) the text of the proposal or business (including the text of any resolutions proposed for consideration and in the event that such business includes a proposal to amend the Bylaws, the language of the proposed amendment), (C) a reasonably detailed description of all agreements, arrangements and understandings (x) between or among any of the Proposing Persons or (y) between or among any Proposing Person and any other person or entity (including their names) in connection with the proposal of such business by such stockholder, and (D) any other information relating to such item of business that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filing required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies in support of the business proposed to be brought before the meeting pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act; provided, however, that the disclosures required by this paragraph (iii) shall not include any disclosures with respect to any broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee who is a Proposing Person solely as a result of being the stockholder directed to prepare and submit the notice required by these Bylaws on behalf of a beneficial owner.

 

For purposes of this Section 2.4, the term “Proposing Personshall mean (i) the stockholder providing the notice of business proposed to be brought before an annual meeting, (ii) the beneficial owner or beneficial owners, if different, on whose behalf the notice of the business proposed to be brought before the annual meeting is made, and (iii) any participant (as defined in paragraphs (a)(ii)-(vi) of Instruction 3 to Item 4 of Schedule 14A) with such stockholder in such solicitation.

 

(d)            The Board may request that any Proposing Person furnish such additional information as may be reasonably required by the Board. Such Proposing Person shall provide such additional information within ten (10) days after it has been requested by the Board.

 

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(e)            A Proposing Person shall update and supplement its notice to the Corporation of its intent to propose business at an annual meeting, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided in such notice pursuant to this Section 2.4 shall be true and correct as of the record date for stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting and as of the date that is ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and such update and supplement shall be delivered to, or mailed and received by, the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than five (5) business days after the record date for stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of such record date), and not later than eight (8) business days prior to the date for the meeting or, if practicable, any adjournment or postponement thereof (and, if not practicable, on the first practicable date prior to the date to which the meeting has been adjourned or postponed) (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof). For the avoidance of doubt, the obligation to update and supplement as set forth in this paragraph or any other Section of these Bylaws shall not limit the Corporation’s rights with respect to any deficiencies in any notice provided by a stockholder, extend any applicable deadlines hereunder or enable or be deemed to permit a stockholder who has previously submitted notice hereunder to amend or update any proposal or to submit any new proposal, including by changing or adding matters, business or resolutions proposed to be brought before a meeting of the stockholders.

  

(f)            Notwithstanding anything in these Bylaws to the contrary, no business shall be conducted at an annual meeting that is not properly brought before the meeting in accordance with this Section 2.4. The presiding officer of the meeting shall, if the facts warrant, determine that the business was not properly brought before the meeting in accordance with this Section 2.4, and if he or she should so determine, he or she shall so declare to the meeting and any such business not properly brought before the meeting shall not be transacted.

 

(g)            This Section 2.4 is expressly intended to apply to any business proposed to be brought before an annual meeting of stockholders other than any proposal made in accordance with Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act and included in the Corporation’s proxy statement. In addition to the requirements of this Section 2.4 with respect to any business proposed to be brought before an annual meeting, each Proposing Person shall comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act with respect to any such business. Nothing in this Section 2.4 shall be deemed to affect the rights of stockholders to request inclusion of proposals in the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act.

 

(h)            For purposes of these Bylaws, “public disclosure” shall mean disclosure in a press release reported by a national news service or in a document publicly filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Sections 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.

 

(i)            Notwithstanding anything in these Bylaws to the contrary, prior to the Trigger Date, the JCF Stockholders shall not be subject to this Section 2.4.

 

2.5            Notice of Nominations for Election to the Board.

 

(a)            Nominations of any person for election to the Board at an annual meeting or at a special meeting (but only if the election of directors is a matter specified in the notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the person calling such special meeting) may be made at such meeting only (i) by or at the direction of the Board, including by any committee or persons authorized to do so by the Board or these Bylaws, or (ii) by a stockholder present in person who (A) was a record owner of shares of capital stock of the Corporation both at the time of giving the notice provided for in this Section 2.5 and at the time of the meeting, (B) is entitled to vote at the meeting, and (C) has complied with this Section 2.5 and Section 2.6 as to such notice and nomination. For purposes of this Section 2.5, “present in person” shall mean that the stockholder nominating any person for election to the Board at the meeting of the Corporation, or a qualified representative of such stockholder, appear at such meeting, either in person or by means of remote communication. A “qualified representative” of such proposing stockholder shall be a duly authorized officer, manager or partner of such stockholder or any other person authorized by a writing executed by such stockholder or an electronic transmission delivered by such stockholder to act for such stockholder as proxy at the meeting of stockholders and such person must produce such writing or electronic transmission, or a reliable reproduction of the writing or electronic transmission, at the meeting of stockholders. The foregoing clause (ii) shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to make any nomination of a person or persons for election to the Board at an annual meeting or special meeting.

 

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(b)            (i) Without qualification, for a stockholder to make any nomination of a person or persons for election to the Board at an annual meeting, the stockholder must (1) provide Timely Notice (as defined in Section 2.4) thereof in writing and in proper form to the Secretary of the Corporation, (2) provide the information, agreements and questionnaires with respect to such stockholder and its candidate for nomination as required to be set forth by this Section 2.5 and Section 2.6 and (3) provide any updates or supplements to such notice at the times and in the forms required by this Section 2.5 and Section 2.6.

 

(ii)  Without qualification, if the election of directors is a matter specified in the notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the person calling a special meeting, then for a stockholder to make any nomination of a person or persons for election to the Board at a special meeting, the stockholder must (i) provide timely notice thereof in writing and in proper form to the Secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive offices of the Corporation, (ii) provide the information with respect to such stockholder and its candidate for nomination as required by this Section 2.5 and Section 2.6 and (iii) provide any updates or supplements to such notice at the times and in the forms required by this Section 2.5. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice for nominations to be made at a special meeting must be delivered to, or mailed and received at, the principal executive offices of the Corporation not earlier than the one hundred twentieth (120th) day prior to such special meeting and not later than the ninetieth (90th) day prior to such special meeting or, if later, the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public disclosure (as defined in Section 2.4) of the date of such special meeting was first made.

 

(iii)  In no event shall any adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting or special meeting or the announcement thereof commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above.

 

(iv)  In no event may a Nominating Person provide Timely Notice with respect to a greater number of director candidates than are subject to election by stockholders at the applicable meeting. If the Corporation shall, subsequent to such notice, increase the number of directors subject to election at the meeting, such notice as to any additional nominees shall be due on the later of (i) the conclusion of the time period for Timely Notice, (ii) the date set forth in Section 2.5(b)(ii) or (iii) the tenth day following the date of public disclosure (as defined in Section 2.4) of such increase.

 

(c)            To be in proper form for purposes of this Section 2.5, a stockholder’s notice to the Secretary shall set forth:

 

(i)            As to each Nominating Person (as defined below), the Stockholder Information (as defined in Section 2.4(c)(i), except that for purposes of this Section 2.5 the term “Nominating Person” shall be substituted for the term “Proposing Person” in all places it appears in Section 2.4(c)(i));

 

(ii)           As to each Nominating Person, any Disclosable Interests (as defined in Section 2.4(c)(ii), except that for purposes of this Section 2.5 the term “Nominating Person” shall be substituted for the term “Proposing Person” in all places it appears in Section 2.4(c)(ii) and the disclosure with respect to the business to be brought before the meeting in Section 2.4(c)(ii) shall be made with respect to the election of directors at the meeting); and provided that, in lieu of including the information set forth in Section 2.4(c)(ii)(G), the Nominating Person’s notice for purposes of this Section 2.5 shall include a representation as to whether the Nominating Person intends or is part of a group which intends to deliver a proxy statement and solicit the holders of shares representing at least 67% of the voting power of shares entitled to vote on the election of directors in support of director nominees other than the Corporation’s nominees in accordance with Rule 14a-19 promulgated under the Exchange Act; and

 

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(iii)            As to each candidate whom a Nominating Person proposes to nominate for election as a director, (A) all information relating to such candidate for nomination that is required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for election of directors in a contested election pursuant to Section 14(a) under the Exchange Act (including such candidate’s written consent to being named in a proxy statement and accompanying proxy card relating to the Corporation’s next meeting of stockholders at which directors are to be elected and to serving as a director for a full term if elected), (B) a description of any direct or indirect material interest in any material contract or agreement between or among any Nominating Person, on the one hand, and each candidate for nomination or his or her respective associates or any other participants in such solicitation, on the other hand, including, without limitation, all information that would be required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 under Regulation S-K if such Nominating Person were the “registrant” for purposes of such rule and the candidate for nomination were a director or executive officer of such registrant (the disclosures to be made pursuant to the foregoing clauses (A) and (B) are referred to as “Nominee Information”), and (C) a completed and signed questionnaire, representation and agreement as provided in Section 2.6(a).

 

For purposes of this Section 2.5, the term “Nominating Person” shall mean (i) the stockholder providing the notice of the nomination proposed to be made at the meeting, (ii) the beneficial owner or beneficial owners, if different, on whose behalf the notice of the nomination proposed to be made at the meeting is made, and (iii) any participant (as defined in paragraphs (a)(ii)-(vi) of Instruction 3 to Item 4 of Schedule 14A) with such stockholder in such solicitation.

 

(d)            The Board may request that any Nominating Person furnish such additional information as may be reasonably required by the Board. Such Nominating Person shall provide such additional information within ten (10) days after it has been requested by the Board.

 

(e)            A stockholder providing notice of any nomination proposed to be made at a meeting shall further update and supplement such notice, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided in such notice pursuant to this Section 2.5 shall be true and correct as of the record date for stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting and as of the date that is ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and such update and supplement shall be delivered to, or mailed and received by, the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than five (5) business days after the record date for stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of such record date), and not later than eight (8) business days prior to the date for the meeting or, if practicable, any adjournment or postponement thereof (and, if not practicable, on the first practicable date prior to the date to which the meeting has been adjourned or postponed) (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof). For the avoidance of doubt, the obligation to update and supplement as set forth in this paragraph or any other Section of these Bylaws shall not limit the Corporation’s rights with respect to any deficiencies in any notice provided by a stockholder, extend any applicable deadlines hereunder or enable or be deemed to permit a stockholder who has previously submitted notice hereunder to amend or update any nomination or to submit any new nomination.

 

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(f)            In addition to the requirements of this Section 2.5 with respect to any nomination proposed to be made at a meeting, each Nominating Person shall comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act with respect to any such nominations. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.5, unless otherwise required by law, (i) no Nominating Person shall solicit proxies in support of director nominees other than the Corporation’s nominees unless such Nominating Person has complied with Rule 14a-19 promulgated under the Exchange Act in connection with the solicitation of such proxies, including the provision to the Corporation of notices required thereunder in a timely manner and (ii) if any Nominating Person (1) provides notice pursuant to Rule 14a-19(b) promulgated under the Exchange Act and (2) subsequently fails to comply with the requirements of Rule 14a-19(a)(2) or Rule 14a-19(a)(3) promulgated under the Exchange Act, including the provision to the Corporation of notices required thereunder in a timely manner, or fails to timely provide reasonable evidence sufficient to satisfy the Corporation that such Nominating Person has met the requirements of Rule 14a-19(a)(3) promulgated under the Exchange Act in accordance with the following sentence, then the nomination of each such proposed nominee shall be disregarded, notwithstanding that the nominee is included as a nominee in the Corporation’s proxy statement, notice of meeting or other proxy materials for any annual meeting (or any supplement thereto) and notwithstanding that proxies or votes in respect of the election of such proposed nominees may have been received by the Corporation (which proxies and votes shall be disregarded). If any Nominating Person provides notice pursuant to Rule 14a-19(b) promulgated under the Exchange Act, such Nominating Person shall deliver to the Corporation, no later than seven (7) business days prior to the applicable meeting, reasonable evidence that it has met the requirements of Rule 14a-19(a)(3) promulgated under the Exchange Act.

 

2.6            Additional Requirements for Valid Nomination of Candidates to Serve as Director and, if Elected, to be Seated as Directors.

 

(a)            To be eligible to be a candidate for election as a director of the Corporation at an annual or special meeting, a candidate must be nominated in the manner prescribed in Section 2.5 and the candidate for nomination, whether nominated by the Board or by a stockholder of record, must have previously delivered, to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation, (i) a completed written questionnaire (in the form provided by the Corporation upon written request of any stockholder of record therefor) with respect to the background, qualifications, stock ownership and independence of such proposed nominee and (ii) a written representation and agreement (in the form provided by the Corporation upon written request of any stockholder of record therefor) that such candidate for nomination (A) is not and, if elected as a director during his or her term of office, will not become a party to (1) any agreement, arrangement or understanding with, and has not given and will not give any commitment or assurance to, any person or entity as to how such proposed nominee, if elected as a director of the Corporation, will act or vote on any issue or question (a “Voting Commitment”) or (2) any Voting Commitment that could limit or interfere with such proposed nominee’s ability to comply, if elected as a director of the Corporation, with such proposed nominee’s fiduciary duties under applicable law, (B) is not, and will not become a party to, any agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person or entity other than the Corporation with respect to any direct or indirect compensation or reimbursement for service as a director that has not been disclosed therein or to the Corporation, (C) if elected as a director of the Corporation, will comply with all applicable corporate governance, conflict of interest, confidentiality, stock ownership and trading and other policies and guidelines of the Corporation applicable to directors and in effect during such person’s term in office as a director (and, if requested by any candidate for nomination, the Secretary of the Corporation shall provide to such candidate for nomination all such policies and guidelines then in effect), and (D) if elected as a director of the Corporation, intends to serve the entire term until the next meeting at which such candidate would face re-election.

 

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(b)            The Board may also require any proposed candidate for nomination as a director to furnish such other information as may reasonably be requested by the Board in writing prior to the meeting of stockholders at which such candidate’s nomination is to be acted upon. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Board may request such other information in order for the Board to determine the eligibility of such candidate for nomination to be an independent director of the Corporation or to comply with the director qualification standards and additional selection criteria in accordance with the Corporation’s Corporate Governance Guidelines. Such other information shall be delivered to, or mailed and received by, the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation (or any other office specified by the Corporation in any public announcement) not later than five (5) business days after the request by the Board has been delivered to, or mailed and received by, the Nominating Person.

 

(c)            A candidate for nomination as a director shall further update and supplement the materials delivered pursuant to this Section 2.6, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided pursuant to this Section 2.6 shall be true and correct as of the record date for stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting and as of the date that is ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and such update and supplement shall be delivered to, or mailed and received by, the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation (or any other office specified by the Corporation in any public announcement) not later than five (5) business days after the record date for stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of such record date), and not later than eight (8) business days prior to the date for the meeting or, if practicable, any adjournment or postponement thereof (and, if not practicable, on the first practicable date prior to the date to which the meeting has been adjourned or postponed) (in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof). For the avoidance of doubt, the obligation to update and supplement as set forth in this paragraph or any other Section of these Bylaws shall not limit the Corporation’s rights with respect to any deficiencies in any notice provided by a stockholder, extend any applicable deadlines hereunder or enable or be deemed to permit a stockholder who has previously submitted notice hereunder to amend or update any nomination or to submit any new proposal, including by changing or adding nominees, matters, business or resolutions proposed to be brought before a meeting of the stockholders.

 

(d)            No candidate shall be eligible for nomination as a director of the Corporation unless such candidate for nomination and the Nominating Person seeking to place such candidate’s name in nomination has complied with Section 2.5 and this Section 2.6, as applicable. The presiding officer at the meeting shall, if the facts warrant, determine that a nomination was not properly made in accordance with Section 2.5 and this Section 2.6, and if he or she should so determine, he or she shall so declare such determination to the meeting, the defective nomination shall be disregarded and any ballots cast for the candidate in question (but in the case of any form of ballot listing other qualified nominees, only the ballots cast for the nominee in question) shall be void and of no force or effect.

 

(e)            Notwithstanding anything in these Bylaws to the contrary, no candidate for nomination shall be eligible to be seated as a director of the Corporation unless nominated and elected in accordance with Section 2.5 and this Section 2.6.

 

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(f)            Notwithstanding anything in these Bylaws to the contrary, for so long as the JCF Stockholders are entitled to designate a director for election pursuant to the Stockholders Agreement, the JCF Stockholders shall not be subject to Section 2.5 or this Section 2.6.

  

2.7            Notice of Stockholders’ Meetings.

 

Unless otherwise provided by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, the notice of any meeting of stockholders shall be sent or otherwise given in accordance with Section 8.1 of these Bylaws not less than ten (10) nor more than sixty (60) days before the date of the meeting to each stockholder entitled to vote at such meeting. The notice shall specify the place, if any, date and time of the meeting, the means of remote communication, if any, by which stockholders and proxy holders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such meeting, and, in the case of a special meeting of stockholders, the purpose or purposes for which such meeting is called.

 

2.8            Quorum.

 

Unless otherwise provided by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, the holders of a majority in voting power of the stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote, present in person, or by remote communication, if applicable, or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at all meetings of stockholders. A quorum, once established at a meeting, shall not be broken by the withdrawal of enough votes to leave less than a quorum. If, however, a quorum is not present or represented at any meeting of stockholders, then either (i) the person presiding over the meeting or (ii) a majority in voting power of the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, present in person, or by remote communication, if applicable, or represented by proxy, shall have power to recess the meeting or adjourn the meeting from time to time in the manner provided in Section 2.9 of these Bylaws until a quorum is present or represented. At any recessed or adjourned meeting at which a quorum is present or represented, any business may be transacted that might have been transacted at the meeting as originally noticed.

 

2.9            Adjourned Meeting; Notice.

 

When a meeting is adjourned to another time or place, unless these Bylaws otherwise require, notice need not be given of the adjourned meeting if the time, place, if any, thereof, and the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxy holders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such adjourned meeting are announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken or are provided in any other manner permitted by the DGCL. At any adjourned meeting, the Corporation may transact any business which might have been transacted at the original meeting. If the adjournment is for more than thirty (30) days, a notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at the meeting. If after the adjournment a new record date for determination of stockholders entitled to vote is fixed for the adjourned meeting, the Board shall fix as the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of such adjourned meeting the same or an earlier date as that fixed for determination of stockholders entitled to vote at the adjourned meeting, and shall give notice of the adjourned meeting to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at such meeting as of the record date so fixed for notice of such adjourned meeting.

 

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2.10          Conduct of Business.

 

Meetings of stockholders shall be presided over by the Chairperson of the Board, if any, or in his or her absence or at his or her direction by the Chief Executive Officer and President or in the absence or at the direction of either the foregoing persons by a director or officer of the Corporation selected by a majority of the Board. The date and time of the opening and the closing of the polls for each matter upon which the stockholders will vote at a meeting shall be announced at the meeting by the person presiding over the meeting. The Board may adopt by resolution such rules and regulations for the conduct of the meeting of stockholders as it shall deem appropriate. Except to the extent inconsistent with such rules and regulations as adopted by the Board, the person presiding over any meeting of stockholders shall have the right and authority to convene and (for any or no reason) to recess and/or adjourn the meeting, to prescribe such rules, regulations and procedures (which need not be in writing) and to do all such acts as, in the judgment of such presiding person, are appropriate for the proper conduct of the meeting. Such rules, regulations or procedures, whether adopted by the Board or prescribed by the person presiding over the meeting, may include, without limitation, the following: (i) the establishment of an agenda or order of business for the meeting; (ii) rules and procedures for maintaining order at the meeting and the safety of those present (including, without limitation, rules and procedures for removal of disruptive persons from the meeting); (iii) limitations on attendance at or participation in the meeting to stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, their duly authorized and constituted proxies or such other persons as the person presiding over the meeting shall determine; (iv) restrictions on entry to the meeting after the time fixed for the commencement thereof; and (v) limitations on the time allotted to questions or comments by participants. The presiding person at any meeting of stockholders, in addition to making any other determinations that may be appropriate to the conduct of the meeting (including, without limitation, determinations with respect to the administration and/or interpretation of any of the rules, regulations or procedures of the meeting, whether adopted by the Board or prescribed by the person presiding over the meeting), shall, if the facts warrant, determine and declare to the meeting that a matter of business was not properly brought before the meeting and if such presiding person should so determine, such presiding person shall so declare to the meeting and any such matter or business not properly brought before the meeting shall not be transacted or considered. Unless and to the extent determined by the Board or the person presiding over the meeting, meetings of stockholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with the rules of parliamentary procedure.

  

2.11          Voting.

 

Except as may be otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation or the DGCL, each stockholder shall be entitled to one (1) vote for each share of capital stock held by such stockholder.

 

Except as otherwise provided by the Certificate of Incorporation, at all duly called or convened meetings of stockholders at which a quorum is present, for the election of directors, a plurality of the votes cast shall be sufficient to elect a director. Except as otherwise provided by the Certificate of Incorporation, these Bylaws, the rules or regulations of any stock exchange applicable to the Corporation, or applicable law or pursuant to any regulation applicable to the Corporation or its securities, each other matter presented to the stockholders at a duly called or convened meeting at which a quorum is present shall be decided by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority in voting power of the votes cast (excluding abstentions and broker non-votes) on such matter.

 

2.12          Record Date for Stockholder Meetings and Other Purposes.

 

In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholders or any adjournment or postponement thereof, the Board may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board, and which record date shall, unless otherwise required by law, not be more than sixty (60) days nor less than ten (10) days before the date of such meeting. If the Board so fixes a date, such date shall also be the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at such meeting unless the Board determines, at the time it fixes such record date, that a later date on or before the date of the meeting shall be the date for making such determination. If no record date is fixed by the Board, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall be the close of business on the next day preceding the day on which notice is first given, or, if notice is waived, at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which the meeting is held. A determination of stockholders of record entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall apply to any adjournment or postponement of the meeting; provided, however, that the Board may fix a new record date for determination of stockholders entitled to vote at the adjourned or postponed meeting; and in such case shall also fix as the record date for stockholders entitled to notice of such adjourned or postponed meeting the same or an earlier date as that fixed for determination of stockholders entitled to vote in accordance herewith at the adjourned or postponed meeting.

 

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In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment or any rights or the stockholders entitled to exercise any rights in respect of any change, conversion or exchange of capital stock, or for the purposes of any other lawful action, the Board may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted, and which record date shall be not more than sixty (60) days prior to such action. If no record date is fixed, the record date for determining stockholders for any such purpose shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board adopts the resolution relating thereto.

 

2.13          Proxies.

 

Each stockholder entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders may authorize another person or persons to act for such stockholder by proxy authorized by an instrument in writing or by a transmission permitted by law, including Rule 14a-19 promulgated under the Exchange Act, filed in accordance with the procedure established for the meeting, but no such proxy shall be voted or acted upon after three (3) years from its date, unless the proxy provides for a longer period. The revocability of a proxy that states on its face that it is irrevocable shall be governed by the provisions of Section 212 of the DGCL. A proxy may be in the form of an electronic transmission which sets forth or is submitted with information from which it can be determined that the transmission was authorized by the stockholder.

 

Any stockholder directly or indirectly soliciting proxies from other stockholders must use a proxy card color other than white, which shall be reserved for the exclusive use by the Board.

 

2.14          List of Stockholders Entitled to Vote.

 

The Corporation shall prepare, no later than the tenth (10th) day before each meeting of stockholders, a complete list of the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting (provided, however, that if the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote is less than ten (10) days before the date of the meeting, the list shall reflect the stockholders entitled to vote as of the tenth (10th) day before the meeting date), arranged in alphabetical order, and showing the address of each stockholder and the number of shares registered in the name of each stockholder. The Corporation shall not be required to include electronic mail addresses or other electronic contact information on such list. Such list shall be open to the examination of any stockholder, for any purpose germane to the meeting for a period of ten (10) days ending on the day before the meeting date: (i) on a reasonably accessible electronic network, provided that the information required to gain access to such list is provided with the notice of the meeting, or (ii) during ordinary business hours, at the Corporation’s principal executive office. In the event that the Corporation determines to make the list available on an electronic network, the Corporation may take reasonable steps to ensure that such information is available only to stockholders of the Corporation. Such list shall presumptively determine the identity of the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting and the number of shares held by each of them. Except as otherwise provided by law, the stock ledger shall be the only evidence as to who are the stockholders entitled to examine the list of stockholders required by this Section 2.14 or to vote in person or by proxy at any meeting of stockholders.

 

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2.15          Inspectors of Election.

 

Before any meeting of stockholders, the Corporation shall appoint an inspector or inspectors of election to act at the meeting or its adjournment or postponement and make a written report thereof. The Corporation may designate one or more persons as alternate inspectors to replace any inspector who fails to act. If any person appointed as inspector or any alternate fails to appear or fails or refuses to act, then the person presiding over the meeting shall appoint a person to fill that vacancy.

 

Such inspectors shall:

 

(i)            determine the number of shares outstanding and the voting power of each, the number of shares represented at the meeting and the validity of any proxies and ballots;

 

(ii)           count all votes or ballots;

 

(iii)          count and tabulate all votes;

 

(iv)          determine and retain for a reasonable period a record of the disposition of any challenges made to any determination by the inspector(s); and

 

(v)            certify its or their determination of the number of shares represented at the meeting and its or their count of all votes and ballots.

 

Each inspector, before entering upon the discharge of the duties of inspector, shall take and sign an oath faithfully to execute the duties of inspection with strict impartiality and according to the best of such inspector’s ability. Any report or certificate made by the inspectors of election is prima facie evidence of the facts stated therein. The inspectors of election may appoint such persons to assist them in performing their duties as they determine.

 

2.16          Delivery to the Corporation.

 

Whenever this Article II requires one or more persons (including a record or beneficial owner of stock) to deliver a document or information to the Corporation or any officer, employee or agent thereof (including any notice, request, questionnaire, revocation, representation or other document or agreement), such document or information shall be in writing exclusively (and not in an electronic transmission) and shall be delivered exclusively by hand (including, without limitation, overnight courier service) or by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, and the Corporation shall not be required to accept delivery of any document not in such written form or so delivered. For the avoidance of doubt, the Corporation expressly opts out of Section 116 of the DGCL with respect to the delivery of information and documents to the Corporation required by this Article II.

 

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Article III - Directors

 

3.1            Powers.

 

Except as otherwise provided by the Certificate of Incorporation or the DGCL, the business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board.

 

3.2            Number of Directors.

 

Subject to the Certificate of Incorporation and the Stockholders Agreement, the total number of directors constituting the Board shall be determined from time to time by resolution of the Board. No reduction of the authorized number of directors shall have the effect of removing any director before that director’s term of office expires.

 

3.3            Election, Qualification and Term of Office of Directors.

 

Except as provided in Section 3.4 of these Bylaws, and subject to the Certificate of Incorporation, each director, including a director elected to fill a vacancy or newly created directorship, shall hold office until the expiration of the term of the class, if any, for which elected and until such director’s successor is elected and qualified or until such director’s earlier death, resignation, disqualification or removal. Directors need not be stockholders. The Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws may prescribe qualifications for directors.

 

3.4            Resignation and Vacancies.

 

Any director may resign at any time upon notice given in writing or by electronic transmission to the Corporation. The resignation shall take effect at the time specified therein or upon the happening of an event specified therein, and if no time or event is specified, at the time of its receipt. When one or more directors so resigns and the resignation is effective at a future date or upon the happening of an event to occur on a future date, subject to the Certificate of Incorporation and the Stockholders Agreement, a majority of the directors then in office, including those who have so resigned, shall have power to fill such vacancy or vacancies, the vote thereon to take effect when such resignation or resignations shall become effective, and each director so chosen shall hold office as provided in Section 3.3.

 

Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, these Bylaws or the Stockholders Agreement, vacancies resulting from the death, resignation, disqualification or removal of any director, and newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the authorized number of directors shall be filled only by a majority of the directors then in office, although less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director.

 

3.5            Place of Meetings; Meetings by Telephone.

 

The Board may hold meetings, both regular and special, either within or outside the State of Delaware.

 

Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, members of the Board, or any committee designated by the Board, may participate in a meeting of the Board, or any committee, by means of conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and such participation in a meeting pursuant to this Bylaw shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.

 

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3.6            Regular Meetings.

 

Regular meetings of the Board may be held within or outside the State of Delaware and at such time and at such place as which has been designated by the Board and publicized among all directors, either orally or in writing, by telephone, including a voice-messaging system or other system designed to record and communicate messages, facsimile, telegraph or telex, or by electronic mail or other means of electronic transmission. No further notice shall be required for regular meetings of the Board.

 

3.7            Special Meetings; Notice.

 

Special meetings of the Board for any purpose or purposes may be called at any time by the Chairperson of the Board, if any, the Chief Executive Officer, or a majority of the total number of directors constituting the Board.

 

Notice of the time and place of special meetings shall be:

 

(i)            delivered personally by hand, by courier, or by telephone;

 

(ii)           sent by United States first-class mail, postage prepaid;

 

(iii)          sent by facsimile or electronic mail; or

 

(iv)          sent by other means of electronic transmission,

 

directed to each director at that director’s address, telephone number, facsimile number, or electronic mail address, or other address for electronic transmission, as the case may be, as shown on the Corporation’s records.

 

If the notice is (i) delivered personally by hand, by courier, or by telephone, (ii) sent by facsimile or electronic mail, or (iii) sent by other means of electronic transmission, it shall be delivered or sent at least twenty-four (24) hours before the time of the holding of the meeting. If the notice is sent by U.S. mail, it shall be deposited in the U.S. mail at least four (4) days before the time of the holding of the meeting. The notice need not specify the place of the meeting (if the meeting is to be held at the Corporation’s principal executive office) nor the purpose of the meeting.

 

3.8            Quorum.

 

At all meetings of the Board, unless otherwise provided by the Certificate of Incorporation, a majority of the total number of directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The vote of a majority of the directors present at any meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Board, except as may be otherwise specifically provided by statute, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws. If a quorum is not present at any meeting of the Board, then the directors present thereat may adjourn the meeting from time to time, without notice other than announcement at the meeting, until a quorum is present.

 

3.9            Board Action without a Meeting.

 

Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board, or of any committee thereof, may be taken without a meeting if all members of the Board or committee, as the case may be, consent thereto in writing or by electronic transmission. After an action is taken, the consent or consents relating thereto shall be filed with the minutes of the proceedings of the Board, or the committee thereof, in the same paper or electronic form as the minutes are maintained. Such action by written consent or consent by electronic transmission shall have the same force and effect as a unanimous vote of the Board.

 

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3.10          Fees and Compensation of Directors.

 

Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, the Board shall have the authority to fix the compensation, including fees and reimbursement of expenses, of directors for services to the Corporation in any capacity. Any director of the Corporation may decline any or all such compensation payable to such director in his or her discretion.

 

Article IV - Committees

 

4.1           Committees of Directors.

 

The Board may designate one (1) or more committees, each committee to consist, of one (1) or more of the directors of the Corporation. Subject to the terms of the Certificate of Incorporation and the Stockholders Agreement, the Board may designate one (1) or more directors as alternate members of any committee, who may replace any absent or disqualified member at any meeting of the committee. In the absence or disqualification of a member of a committee, the member or members thereof present at any meeting and not disqualified from voting, whether or not such member or members constitute a quorum, may unanimously appoint another member of the Board to act at the meeting in the place of any such absent or disqualified member. Any such committee, to the extent permitted by applicable law or provided in the resolution of the Board or in these Bylaws, shall have and may exercise all the powers and authority of the Board in the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation, and may authorize the seal of the Corporation to be affixed to all papers that may require it; but no such committee shall have the power or authority to (i) approve or adopt, or recommend to the stockholders, any action or matter expressly required by the DGCL to be submitted to stockholders for approval, or (ii) adopt, amend or repeal any bylaw of the Corporation.

 

4.2            Committee Minutes.

 

Each committee shall keep regular minutes of its meetings and report the same to the Board when required.

 

4.3            Meetings and Actions of Committees.

 

Meetings and actions of committees shall be governed by, and held and taken in accordance with, the provisions of:

 

(i)            Section 3.5 (place of meetings; meetings by telephone);

 

(ii)           Section 3.6 (regular meetings);

 

(iii)          Section 3.7 (special meetings; notice);

 

(iv)          Section 3.9 (board action without a meeting); and

 

(v)           Section 7.13 (waiver of notice),

 

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with such changes in the context of those Bylaws as are necessary to substitute the committee and its members for the Board and its members. However:

 

(i)            the time of regular meetings of committees may be determined either by resolution of the Board or by resolution of the committee;

 

(ii)           special meetings of committees may also be called by resolution of the Board or the chairperson of the applicable committee; and

 

(iii)          the Board may adopt rules for the governance of any committee to override the provisions that would otherwise apply to the committee pursuant to this Section 4.3, provided that such rules do not violate the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation or applicable law.

 

4.4            Subcommittees.

 

Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, these Bylaws or the resolutions of the Board designating the committee, a committee may create one (1) or more subcommittees, each subcommittee to consist of one (1) or more members of the committee, and delegate to a subcommittee any or all of the powers and authority of the committee.

 

Article V - Officers

 

5.1            Officers.

 

The officers of the Corporation shall include a Chief Executive Officer, President and a Secretary. The Chief Executive Officer shall be the President of the Corporation unless the Board has designated one individual as the President and a different individual as the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation. The Corporation may also have, at the discretion of the Board, a Chief Financial Officer, a Treasurer, one (1) or more Vice Presidents, one (1) or more Assistant Vice Presidents, one (1) or more Assistant Treasurers, one (1) or more Assistant Secretaries, and any such other officers as may be appointed in accordance with the provisions of these Bylaws. Any number of offices may be held by the same person. No officer need be a stockholder or director of the Corporation.

 

5.2            Appointment of Officers.

 

The Board shall appoint the officers of the Corporation, except such officers as may be appointed in accordance with the provisions of Section 5.3 of these Bylaws.

 

5.3            Subordinate Officers.

 

The Board may appoint, or empower the Chief Executive Officer or, in the absence of any such Chief Executive Officer, the President, to appoint, such other officers and agents as the business of the Corporation may require. Each of such officers and agents shall hold office for such period, have such authority, and perform such duties as are provided in these Bylaws or as the Board may from time to time determine.

 

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5.4            Removal and Resignation of Officers.

 

Subject to the rights, if any, of an officer under any contract of employment, any officer may be removed, either with or without cause, by the Board or, except in the case of an officer chosen by the Board, by any officer upon whom such power of removal may be conferred by the Board.

 

Any officer may resign at any time by giving written notice to the Corporation. Any resignation shall take effect at the date of the receipt of that notice or at any later time specified in that notice. Unless otherwise specified in the notice of resignation, the acceptance of the resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective. If a resignation is made effective at a later date and the Corporation accepts the future effective date, the Board may fill the pending vacancy before the effective date if the Board provides that the successor shall not take office until the effective date. Any resignation is without prejudice to the rights, if any, of the Corporation under any contract to which the officer is a party.

 

5.5            Vacancies in Offices.

 

Any vacancy occurring in any office of the Corporation shall be filled by the Board or as provided in Section 5.2.

 

5.6            Representation of Shares of Other Corporations.

 

The Chairperson of the Board, if any, the Chief Executive Officer, or the President, or any other person authorized by the Board, the Chief Executive Officer or the President, is authorized to vote, represent and exercise on behalf of this Corporation all rights incident to any and all shares or voting securities of any other corporation or other person standing in the name of this Corporation. The authority granted herein may be exercised either by such person directly or by any other person authorized to do so by proxy or power of attorney duly executed by such person having the authority.

 

5.7            Authority and Duties of Officers.

 

All officers of the Corporation shall respectively have such authority and perform such duties in the management of the business of the Corporation as may be provided herein or designated from time to time by the Board and, to the extent not so provided, as generally pertain to their respective offices, subject to the oversight of the Board.

 

5.8            Compensation.

 

The compensation of the officers of the Corporation for their services as such shall be fixed from time to time by or at the direction of the Board. An officer of the Corporation shall not be prevented from receiving compensation by reason of the fact that he or she is also a director of the Corporation.

 

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Article VI - Records

  

A stock ledger consisting of one or more records in which the names of all of the Corporation’s stockholders of record, the address and number of shares registered in the name of each such stockholder, and all issuances and transfers of stock of the corporation are recorded in accordance with Section 224 of the DGCL shall be administered by or on behalf of the Corporation. Any records administered by or on behalf of the Corporation in the regular course of its business, including its stock ledger, books of account, and minute books, may be kept on, or by means of, or be in the form of, any information storage device, or method, or one or more electronic networks or databases (including one or more distributed electronic networks or databases), provided that the records so kept can be converted into clearly legible paper form within a reasonable time and, with respect to the stock ledger, that the records so kept (i) can be used to prepare the list of stockholders specified in Sections 219 and 220 of the DGCL, (ii) record the information specified in Sections 156, 159, 217(a) and 218 of the DGCL, and (iii) record transfers of stock as governed by Article 8 of the Uniform Commercial Code as adopted in the State of Delaware.

 

Article VII - General Matters

 

7.1            Execution of Corporate Contracts and Instruments.

 

The Board, except as otherwise provided in these Bylaws, may authorize any officer or officers, or agent or agents, to enter into any contract or execute any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation; such authority may be general or confined to specific instances.

 

7.2            Stock Certificates.

 

The shares of the Corporation shall be represented by certificates, provided that the Board by resolution may provide that some or all of the shares of any class or series of stock of the Corporation shall be uncertificated. Certificates for the shares of stock, if any, shall be in such form as is consistent with the Certificate of Incorporation and applicable law. Every holder of stock represented by a certificate shall be entitled to have a certificate signed by, or in the name of the Corporation by, any two (2) officers authorized to sign stock certificates representing the number of shares registered in certificate form. The Chairperson or Vice Chairperson of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, the President, Vice President, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary of the Corporation shall be specifically authorized to sign stock certificates. Any or all of the signatures on the certificate may be a facsimile. In case any officer, transfer agent or registrar who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed upon a certificate has ceased to be such officer, transfer agent or registrar before such certificate is issued, it may be issued by the Corporation with the same effect as if he or she were such officer, transfer agent or registrar at the date of issue.

 

The Corporation may issue the whole or any part of its shares as partly paid and subject to call for the remainder of the consideration to be paid therefor. Upon the face or back of each stock certificate issued to represent any such partly paid shares, or upon the books and records of the Corporation in the case of uncertificated partly paid shares, the total amount of the consideration to be paid therefor and the amount paid thereon shall be stated. Upon the declaration of any dividend on fully paid shares, the Corporation shall declare a dividend upon partly paid shares of the same class, but only upon the basis of the percentage of the consideration actually paid thereon.

 

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7.3            Special Designation of Certificates.

 

If the Corporation is authorized to issue more than one class of stock or more than one series of any class, then the powers, the designations, the preferences and the relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights shall be set forth in full or summarized on the face or on the back of the certificate that the Corporation shall issue to represent such class or series of stock (or, in the case of uncertificated shares, set forth in a notice provided pursuant to Section 151 of the DGCL); provided, however, that except as otherwise provided in Section 202 of the DGCL, in lieu of the foregoing requirements, there may be set forth on the face or back of the certificate that the Corporation shall issue to represent such class or series of stock (or, in the case of any uncertificated shares, included in the aforementioned notice) a statement that the Corporation will furnish without charge to each stockholder who so requests the powers, the designations, the preferences and the relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights.

 

7.4            Lost Certificates.

 

Except as provided in this Section 7.4, no new certificates for shares shall be issued to replace a previously issued certificate unless the latter is surrendered to the Corporation and cancelled at the same time. The Corporation may issue a new certificate of stock or uncertificated shares in the place of any certificate theretofore issued by it, alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed, and the Corporation may require the owner of the lost, stolen or destroyed certificate, or such owner’s legal representative, to give the Corporation a bond sufficient to indemnify it against any claim that may be made against it on account of the alleged loss, theft or destruction of any such certificate or the issuance of such new certificate or uncertificated shares.

 

7.5            Shares Without Certificates

 

The Corporation may adopt a system of issuance, recordation and transfer of its shares of stock by electronic or other means not involving the issuance of certificates, provided the use of such system by the Corporation is permitted in accordance with applicable law.

 

7.6            Construction; Definitions.

 

Unless the context requires otherwise, the general provisions, rules of construction and definitions in the DGCL shall govern the construction of these Bylaws. Without limiting the generality of this provision, the singular number includes the plural and the plural number includes the singular.

 

7.7            Dividends.

 

The Board, subject to any restrictions contained in either (i) the DGCL or (ii) the Certificate of Incorporation, may declare and pay dividends upon the shares of the Corporation’s capital stock. Dividends may be paid in cash, in property or in shares of the Corporation’s capital stock.

 

The Board may set apart out of any of the funds of the Corporation available for dividends a reserve or reserves for any proper purpose and may abolish any such reserve. Such purposes shall include but not be limited to equalizing dividends, repairing or maintaining any property of the Corporation, and meeting contingencies.

 

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7.8            Fiscal Year.

 

The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be fixed by resolution of the Board and may be changed by the Board.

 

7.9            Seal.

 

The Corporation may adopt a corporate seal, which shall be adopted and which may be altered by the Board. The Corporation may use the corporate seal by causing it or a facsimile thereof to be impressed or affixed or in any other manner reproduced.

 

7.10          Transfer of Stock.

 

Shares of the Corporation shall be transferable in the manner prescribed by law and in these Bylaws. Shares of stock of the Corporation shall be transferred on the books of the Corporation only by the holder of record thereof or by such holder’s attorney duly authorized in writing, upon surrender to the Corporation of the certificate or certificates representing such shares endorsed by the appropriate person or persons (or by delivery of duly executed instructions with respect to uncertificated shares), with such evidence of the authenticity of such endorsement or execution, transfer, authorization and other matters as the Corporation may reasonably require, and accompanied by all necessary stock transfer stamps. No transfer of stock shall be valid as against the Corporation for any purpose until it shall have been entered in the stock records of the Corporation by an entry showing the names of the persons from and to whom it was transferred.

 

7.11          Stock Transfer Agreements.

 

The Corporation shall have power to enter into and perform any agreement with any number of stockholders of any one or more classes or series of stock of the Corporation to restrict the transfer of shares of stock of the Corporation of any one or more classes owned by such stockholders in any manner not prohibited by the DGCL.

 

7.12          Registered Stockholders.

 

The Corporation:

 

(i)            shall be entitled to recognize the exclusive right of a person registered on its books as the owner of shares to receive dividends and to vote as such owner; and

 

(ii)           shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such share or shares on the part of another person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise provided by the laws of the State of Delaware.

 

7.13          Waiver of Notice.

 

Whenever notice is required to be given under any provision of the DGCL, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, a written waiver, signed by the person entitled to notice, or a waiver by electronic transmission by the person entitled to notice, whether before or after the time of the event for which notice is to be given, shall be deemed equivalent to notice. Attendance of a person at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except when the person attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any regular or special meeting of the stockholders need be specified in any written waiver of notice or any waiver by electronic transmission unless so required by the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws.

 

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Article VIII - Notice

 

8.1            Delivery of Notice; Notice by Electronic Transmission.

 

Without limiting the manner by which notice otherwise may be given effectively to stockholders, any notice to stockholders given by the Corporation under any provisions of the DGCL, the Certificate of Incorporation, or these Bylaws may be given in writing directed to the stockholder’s mailing address (or by electronic transmission directed to the stockholder’s electronic mail address, as applicable) as it appears on the records of the Corporation and shall be given (1) if mailed, when the notice is deposited in the U.S. mail, postage prepaid, (2) if delivered by courier service, the earlier of when the notice is received or left at such stockholder’s address or (3) if given by electronic mail, when directed to such stockholder’s electronic mail address unless the stockholder has notified the Corporation in writing or by electronic transmission of an objection to receiving notice by electronic mail. A notice by electronic mail must include a prominent legend that the communication is an important notice regarding the Corporation.

 

Without limiting the manner by which notice otherwise may be given effectively to stockholders, any notice to stockholders given by the Corporation under any provision of the DGCL, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws shall be effective if given by a form of electronic transmission consented to by the stockholder to whom the notice is given. Any such consent shall be revocable by the stockholder by written notice or electronic transmission to the Corporation. Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph, the Corporation may give a notice by electronic mail in accordance with the first paragraph of this section without obtaining the consent required by this paragraph.

 

Any notice given pursuant to the preceding paragraph shall be deemed given:

 

(i)if by facsimile telecommunication, when directed to a number at which the stockholder has consented to receive notice;

 

(ii)if by a posting on an electronic network together with separate notice to the stockholder of such specific posting, upon the later of (A) such posting and (B) the giving of such separate notice; and

 

(iii)if by any other form of electronic transmission, when directed to the stockholder.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, a notice may not be given by an electronic transmission from and after the time that (1) the Corporation is unable to deliver by such electronic transmission two (2) consecutive notices given by the Corporation and (2) such inability becomes known to the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Corporation or to the transfer agent, or other person responsible for the giving of notice, provided, however, the inadvertent failure to discover such inability shall not invalidate any meeting or other action.

 

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An affidavit of the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary or of the transfer agent or other agent of the Corporation that the notice has been given shall, in the absence of fraud, be prima facie evidence of the facts stated therein.

  

Article IX - Indemnification

 

9.1            Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

 

The Corporation shall indemnify and hold harmless, to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL as it presently exists or may hereafter be amended, any director or officer of the Corporation who was or is made or is threatened to be made a party or is otherwise involved in any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (a “Proceeding”) by reason of the fact that he or she, or a person for whom he or she is the legal representative, is or was a director or officer of the Corporation or, while serving as a director or officer of the Corporation, is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership (a “covered person”), joint venture, trust, enterprise or non-profit entity, including service with respect to employee benefit plans, against all liability and loss suffered and expenses (including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines ERISA excise taxes or penalties and amounts paid in settlement) reasonably incurred by such person in connection with any such Proceeding. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, except as otherwise provided in Section 9.4, the Corporation shall be required to indemnify a person in connection with a Proceeding initiated by such person only if the Proceeding was authorized in the specific case by the Board.

 

9.2            Indemnification of Others.

 

The Corporation shall have the power to indemnify and hold harmless, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law as it presently exists or may hereafter be amended, any employee or agent of the Corporation who was or is made or is threatened to be made a party or is otherwise involved in any Proceeding by reason of the fact that he or she, or a person for whom he or she is the legal representative, is or was an employee or agent of the Corporation or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or non-profit entity, including service with respect to employee benefit plans, against all liability and loss suffered and expenses reasonably incurred by such person in connection with any such Proceeding.

 

9.3            Prepayment of Expenses.

 

The Corporation shall to the fullest extent not prohibited by applicable law pay the expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by any covered person, and may pay the expenses incurred by any employee or agent of the Corporation, in defending any Proceeding in advance of its final disposition; provided, however, that such payment of expenses in advance of the final disposition of the Proceeding shall be made only upon receipt of an undertaking by the person to repay all amounts advanced if it should be ultimately determined that the person is not entitled to be indemnified under this Article IX or otherwise.

 

9.4            Determination; Claim.

 

If a claim for indemnification (following the final disposition of such Proceeding) under this Article IX is not paid in full within sixty (60) days, or a claim for advancement of expenses under this Article IX is not paid in full within thirty (30) days, after a written claim therefor has been received by the Corporation the claimant may thereafter (but not before) file suit to recover the unpaid amount of such claim and, if successful in whole or in part, shall be entitled to be paid the expense of prosecuting such claim to the fullest extent permitted by law. In any such action the Corporation shall have the burden of proving that the claimant was not entitled to the requested indemnification or payment of expenses under applicable law.

 

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9.5            Non-Exclusivity of Rights.

 

The rights conferred on any person by this Article IX shall not be exclusive of any other rights which such person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, provision of the Certificate of Incorporation, these Bylaws, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise.

 

9.6            Insurance.

 

The Corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust enterprise or non-profit entity against any liability asserted against him or her and incurred by him or her in any such capacity, or arising out of his or her status as such, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify him or her against such liability under the provisions of the DGCL.

 

9.7            Other Indemnification.

 

The Corporation’s obligation, if any, to indemnify or advance expenses to any person who was or is serving at its request as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or non-profit entity shall be reduced by any amount such person may collect as indemnification or advancement of expenses from such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise or non-profit enterprise.

 

9.8            Continuation of Indemnification.

 

The rights to indemnification and to prepayment of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, this Article IX shall continue notwithstanding that the person has ceased to be a director or officer of the Corporation and shall inure to the benefit of the estate, heirs, executors, administrators, legatees and distributees of such person.

 

9.9            Amendment or Repeal; Interpretation.

 

The provisions of this Article IX shall constitute a contract between the Corporation, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, each individual who serves or has served as a director or officer of the Corporation (whether before or after the adoption of these Bylaws), in consideration of such person’s performance of such services, and pursuant to this Article IX the Corporation intends to be legally bound to each such current or former director or officer of the Corporation. With respect to current and former directors and officers of the Corporation, the rights conferred under this Article IX are present contractual rights and such rights are fully vested, and shall be deemed to have vested fully, immediately upon adoption of these Bylaws. With respect to any directors or officers of the Corporation who commence service following adoption of these Bylaws, the rights conferred under this provision shall be present contractual rights and such rights shall fully vest, and be deemed to have vested fully, immediately upon such director or officer commencing service as a director or officer of the Corporation. Any repeal or modification of the foregoing provisions of this Article IX shall not adversely affect any right or protection (i) hereunder of any person in respect of any act or omission occurring prior to the time of such repeal or modification or (ii) under any agreement providing for indemnification or advancement of expenses to an officer or director of the Corporation in effect prior to the time of such repeal or modification.

 

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Any reference to an officer of the Corporation in this Article IX shall be deemed to refer exclusively to the Chief Executive Officer, President, and Secretary, or other officer of the Corporation appointed by (x) the Board pursuant to Article V of these Bylaws or (y) an officer to whom the Board has delegated the power to appoint officers pursuant to Article V of these Bylaws, and any reference to an officer of any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise shall be deemed to refer exclusively to an officer appointed by the board of directors (or equivalent governing body) of such other entity pursuant to the certificate of incorporation and Bylaws (or equivalent organizational documents) of such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise. The fact that any person who is or was an employee of the Corporation or an employee of any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise has been given or has used the title of “Vice President” or any other title that could be construed to suggest or imply that such person is or may be an officer of the Corporation or of such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise shall not result in such person being constituted as, or being deemed to be, an officer of the Corporation or of such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise for purposes of this Article IX.

 

Article X - Amendments

 

The Board is expressly empowered to adopt, amend or repeal the Bylaws. In addition to any of the holders of any class or series of stock of the Corporation required by applicable law or by the Certificate of Incorporation (including any certificate of designation in respect of one or more series of preferred stock) or these Bylaws, the adoption, amendment or repeal of these Bylaws by the stockholders of the Corporation shall, (i) prior to the Trigger Date, require the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the voting power of all the then-outstanding shares of voting stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in an election of directors, and (ii) from and after the Trigger Date, require the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the voting power of all of the then outstanding shares of voting stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in an election of directors.

 

Article XI - Definitions

 

As used in these Bylaws, unless the context otherwise requires, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

 

An “electronic transmission” means any form of communication, not directly involving the physical transmission of paper, including the use of, or participation in, one or more electronic networks or databases (including one or more distributed electronic networks or databases), that creates a record that may be retained, retrieved and reviewed by a recipient thereof, and that may be directly reproduced in paper form by such a recipient through an automated process.

 

An “electronic mail” means an electronic transmission directed to a unique electronic mail address (which electronic mail shall be deemed to include any files attached thereto and any information hyperlinked to a website if such electronic mail includes the contact information of an officer or agent of the Corporation who is available to assist with accessing such files and information).

 

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An “electronic mail address” means a destination, commonly expressed as a string of characters, consisting of a unique user name or mailbox (commonly referred to as the “local part” of the address) and a reference to an internet domain (commonly referred to as the “domain part” of the address), whether or not displayed, to which electronic mail can be sent or delivered.

 

The term “JCF Stockholders” means (i) J.C. Flowers IV L.P. and JCF IV Coinvest JCAP L.P. and any other investment funds affiliated with or advised by J.C. Flowers & Co. LLC and (ii) any Permitted Transferee or Affiliate (each as defined in the Stockholders Agreement) of J.C. Flowers IV L.P. or JCF IV Coinvest JCAP L.P. that (x) is issued common stock of the Corporation or becomes the beneficial owner of any common stock of the Corporation or is transferred any common stock of the Corporation by any other person and (y) becomes a party to the Stockholders Agreement by executing a Joinder Agreement.

 

The term “person” means any individual, general partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, corporation, trust, business trust, joint stock company, joint venture, unincorporated association, cooperative or association or any other legal entity or organization of whatever nature, and shall include any successor (by merger or otherwise) of such entity.

 

The term “Stockholders Agreement” means that certain Stockholders Agreement, dated as of June _____, 2025, and entered into by and between the Corporation and J.C. Flowers IV L.P. and JCF IV Coinvest JCAP L.P., as such agreement may be further amended, restated, amended and restated, supplemented, or otherwise modified from time to time.

 

The term “Trigger Date” means from and after such time as the JCF Stockholders collectively cease to own (directly or indirectly) at least 40% of the shares of the Corporation’s outstanding common stock.

 

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Exhibit 4.8

 

 

STOCKHOLDERS AGREEMENT

 

by and Among

 

Jefferson Capital, Inc.

 

And

 

The Initial Stockholders

 

June [ · ], 2025

 

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

    Page
     
SECTION I. DEFINITIONS 1
1.1 Drafting Conventions; No Construction Against Drafter 1
1.2 Defined Terms 2
     
SECTION II. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES 4
2.1 Representations and Warranties of the Initial Stockholders 4
2.2 Representations and Warranties of the Company 4
     
SECTION III. REGISTRATION RIGHTS 4
3.1 Demand and Piggyback Rights 4
3.2 Notices, Cutbacks and Other Matters 6
3.3 Facilitating Registrations and Offerings 7
3.4 Indemnification 11
3.5 Rule 144 13
     
SECTION IV. GOVERNANCE MATTERS 13
4.1 Board of Directors 13
4.2 Consent Rights 15
     
SECTION V. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS 16
5.1 Access Rights 16
5.2 Confidentiality 16
5.3 Reliance 16
5.4 Access to Agreement; Amendment and Waiver; Actions of the Board 17
5.5 Notices 17
5.6 Counterparts; Electronic Delivery 18
5.7 Remedies; Severability 18
5.8 Entire Agreement 18
5.9 Termination 18
5.10 Governing Law 18
5.11 Successors and Assigns; Beneficiaries 18
5.12 Consent to Jurisdiction; Specific Performance; WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL 19
5.13 Further Assurances 19
5.14 Regulatory Matters 19
5.15 No Third Party Liability 19
5.16 Removal of Legends 20
5.17 Inconsistent Agreements 20
       

EXHIBIT

 

Exhibit A: Form of Joinder Agreement

 

i

 

 

STOCKHOLDERS AGREEMENT

 

This Stockholders Agreement (this “Agreement”) is entered into as of June [ · ], 2025 by and among Jefferson Capital, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), J.C. Flowers IV L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (“JCF IV”), and JCF IV Coinvest JCAP L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (“JCF IV Coinvest” and together with JCF IV, the “Initial Stockholders”).

 

Recitals

 

A.            WHEREAS, the Company is proposing to consummate an initial public offering (the “IPO”) of its common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”), pursuant to an underwriting agreement, dated June [ · ], 2025 (the “Underwriting Agreement”).

 

B.             WHEREAS, the Initial Stockholders and the Company desire to enter into this Agreement and the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) has approved this Agreement.

 

C.             WHEREAS, the parties to this Agreement desire to agree upon the respective rights and obligations after the IPO with respect to the securities of the Company now or hereafter issued and outstanding and held by the parties to this Agreement and certain matters with respect to their investment in the Company.

 

Agreement

 

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing, and the mutual agreements and covenants contained herein, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties to this Agreement agree as follows:

 

SECTION I.           DEFINITIONS

 

1.1           Drafting Conventions; No Construction Against Drafter.

 

(a)           The headings in this Agreement are provided for convenience and do not affect its meaning. The words “include,” “includes” and “including” are to be read as if they were followed by the phrase “without limitation.” Unless specified otherwise, any reference to an agreement means that agreement as amended or supplemented, subject to any restrictions on amendment contained in such agreement. Unless specified otherwise, any reference to a statute or regulation means that statute or regulation as amended or supplemented from time to time and any corresponding provisions of successor statutes or regulations. If any date specified in this Agreement as a date for taking action falls on a day that is not a business day, then that action may be taken on the next business day. Unless specified otherwise, the words “party” and “parties” refer only to a party named in this Agreement or one who joins this Agreement as a party pursuant to the terms hereof.

 

(b)           The language used in this Agreement shall be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties to express their mutual intent. If an ambiguity or question of intent or interpretation arises, this Agreement is to be construed as if drafted jointly by the parties and there is to be no presumption or burden of proof or rule of strict construction favoring or disfavoring any party because of the authorship of any provision of this Agreement.

 

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1.2           Defined Terms. The following capitalized terms, as used in this Agreement, have the meanings set forth below.

 

Affiliate” means with respect to any specified Person, any other Person who or which, directly or indirectly, controls, is controlled by or is under common control with the specified Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates, including any stockholder, partner, officer, director, manager or member of the specified Person and any investment fund now or hereafter managed by, or which is controlled by or is under common control with, one or more general partners of the specified Person. For the purposes of this definition, “control” (including, with its correlative meanings, the terms “controlled by” and “under common control with”), as used with respect to any Person, shall mean the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct, or cause the direction of the management and policies of such Person, whether through the ownership of securities, by contract or otherwise. For purposes of this definition, the Company and its subsidiaries will not be deemed to be Affiliates of any specified Person.

 

Board” has the meaning set forth in the recitals.

 

Closing” means the closing of the IPO.

 

Common Stock” has the meaning set forth in the recitals.

 

Company” has the meaning set forth in the preamble and shall include any successor thereto.

 

Credit Agreement” means that certain Credit Agreement, as amended by Amendment No. 1 to the Credit Agreement, dated as of December 28, 2021, Amendment No. 2 to the Credit Agreement, dated as of February 28, 2022, Amendment No. 3 to the Credit Agreement, dated as of April 26, 2023, Amendment No. 4 to the Credit Agreement, dated as of September 29, 2023, Amendment No. 5 to the Credit Agreement, dated as of June 3, 2024, Amendment No. 6 to the Credit Agreement, dated as of November 13, 2024, and as amended, restated, amended and restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, with Citizens Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, and the lenders from time to time party thereto.

 

Director” means a member of the Board.

 

Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder.

 

Initial Stockholders” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

 

IPO” has the meaning set forth in the recitals.

 

JCF Director” means a JCF Nominee that is elected as a Director.

 

JCF IV” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

 

JCF IV Coinvest” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

 

JCF Majority Interest” means, at any given time, the JCF Stockholders holding a majority of the outstanding Shares held at that specified time by all JCF Stockholders.

 

JCF Nominee” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.1(b).

 

JCF Stockholders” means (i) JCF IV, JCF IV Coinvest and any other investment funds affiliated with or advised by J.C. Flowers & Co. LLC and (ii) any Permitted Transferee or Affiliate of JCF IV or JCF IV Coinvest that (x) is issued Common Stock or becomes the beneficial owner of any Common Stock or is Transferred any Common Stock by any other Person and (y) becomes a party hereto by executing a Joinder Agreement.

 

2

 

 

Joinder Agreement” means the joinder agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit A.

 

Necessary Action” means, with respect to a specified result, all commercially reasonable actions required to cause such result that are within the power of a specified Person, including (i) voting or providing a written consent or proxy with respect to shares of the Company’s capital stock, (ii) causing the adoption of stockholders’ resolutions and amendments to the organizational documents of the Company, (iii) executing agreements and instruments, (iv) making, or causing to be made, with governmental, administrative or regulatory authorities, all filings, registrations or similar actions that are required to achieve such result and (v) causing members of the Board, subject to any fiduciary duties that such members may have as Directors (including pursuant to Section 4.1(d)), to act in a certain manner, including causing members of the Board or any nominating or similar committee of the Board to recommend the appointment of any JCF Stockholders’ Nominees as provided by this Agreement.

 

Nominating Committee” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.1(c).

 

Permitted Transferee” means, with respect to any Stockholder, (i) any Affiliate of such Stockholder, (ii) any director, officer or employee of any Affiliate of such Stockholder, or (iii) any direct or indirect member or general or limited partner of such Stockholder that is the transferee of Shares pursuant to a pro rata distribution of Shares by such Stockholder to its partners or members, as applicable (or any subsequent Transfer of such Shares by the transferee to another Permitted Transferee).

 

Person” means an individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, association, trust, unincorporated organization, government (or agency or political subdivision thereof) or any other entity or group (as defined in Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act).

 

SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder.

 

Shares” means, at any time, (i) shares of Common Stock and (ii) any other equity securities now or hereafter issued by the Company, together with any options thereon and any other shares of stock or other equity securities issued or issuable with respect thereto (whether by way of a stock dividend, stock split or in exchange for or in replacement or upon conversion of such shares or otherwise in connection with a combination of shares, recapitalization, merger, consolidation or other corporate reorganization).

 

Stockholders” means the Initial Stockholders and any other stockholders who from time to time become party to this Agreement by execution of a Joinder Agreement.

 

Transfer” means any direct or indirect transfer, donation, sale, assignment, pledge, hypothecation, grant of a security interest in or other disposal or attempted disposal of all or any portion of a security, any interest or rights in a security, or any rights under this Agreement.

 

Underwriting Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the recitals.

 

WKSI” means a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act.

 

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SECTION II.          REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

 

2.1           Representations and Warranties of the Initial Stockholders. Each Initial Stockholder has the power and authority to enter into this Agreement and carry out its obligations hereunder. Each of the Initial Stockholders hereby represents, warrants and covenants to the Company as follows: (a) this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by such Initial Stockholder; (b) this Agreement constitutes the valid and binding obligation of such Initial Stockholder enforceable against it in accordance with its terms; and (c) the execution, delivery and performance by such Initial Stockholder of this Agreement: (i) does not and will not violate any laws, rules or regulations of the United States or any state or other jurisdiction applicable to such Initial Stockholder, or require such Initial Stockholder to obtain any approval, consent or waiver of, or to make any filing with, any Person that has not been obtained or made; and (ii) does not constitute a breach of or default under any material agreement to which such Initial Stockholder is a party.

 

2.2           Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company hereby represents, warrants and covenants to the Initial Stockholders as follows: (a) the Company has full corporate power and authority to enter into this Agreement and perform its obligations hereunder; (b) this Agreement constitutes the valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against it in accordance with its terms; and (c) the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement: (i) does not and will not violate any laws, rules or regulations of the United States or any state or other jurisdiction applicable to the Company, or require the Company to obtain any approval, consent or waiver of, or to make any filing with, any Person that has not been obtained or made; and (ii) does not and will not result in a breach of, constitute a default under, accelerate any obligation under or give rise to a right of termination of any indenture or loan or credit agreement or any other material agreement, contract, instrument, mortgage, lien, lease, permit, authorization, order, writ, judgment, injunction, decree, determination or arbitration award to which the Company is a party or by which the property of the Company is bound or affected, or result in the creation or imposition of any mortgage, pledge, lien, security interest or other charge or encumbrance on any of the assets or properties of the Company.

 

SECTION III.         REGISTRATION RIGHTS

 

3.1           Demand and Piggyback Rights.

 

(a)           Right to Demand a Registered Offering. Upon the demand of one or more JCF Stockholders made at any time after the 180th day after the date of the final prospectus relating to the IPO, the Company will facilitate in the manner described in this Agreement a registered offering of the Shares requested by the demanding JCF Stockholders to be included in such offering. A demand by JCF Stockholders for a registered underwritten offering may not be made unless the Shares requested to be sold by the demanding JCF Stockholder(s) in such offering have an aggregate market value (based on the most recent closing price of the Common Stock at the time of the demand and net of underwriting discounts and commissions) of at least $25.0 million. Any demanded registered offering may, at the Company’s option, include Shares to be sold by the Company for its own account and will also include Shares to be sold by other Stockholders or other holders of Shares with similar rights, if any, that exercise their related piggyback rights on a timely basis.

 

(b)           Right to Piggyback on a Non-Shelf Registered Offering. In connection with any registered offering of Common Stock covered by a non-shelf registration statement (whether pursuant to the exercise of demand rights or at the initiative of the Company), the Stockholders may exercise piggyback rights to have included in such offering Shares held by them. The Company will facilitate in the manner described in this Agreement any such non-shelf registered offering.

 

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(c)           Right to Demand and be Included in a Shelf Registration. Upon the demand of one or more JCF Stockholders, the Company will facilitate in the manner described in this Agreement a shelf registration of Shares held by them (such registration statement, a “Shelf Registration Statement”). If at any time or from time to time, the Company proposes to file a Shelf Registration Statement for itself or on behalf of any other stockholder, for a delayed or continuous offering pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act or any successor rule thereto, then the Company shall give each Stockholder written notice prior to filing a Shelf Registration Statement and, upon the written request of any Stockholder, the Company shall include in such Shelf Registration Statement a number of Shares held by such Stockholder equal to the aggregate number of Shares requested to be included by such Stockholder. If at the time of such request the Company is a WKSI, such shelf registration may cover an unspecified number of Shares to be sold by the Company and the Stockholders.

 

(d)           Demand and Piggyback Rights for Shelf Takedowns. Upon the demand of one or more JCF Stockholders made at any time and from time to time, the Company will facilitate in the manner described in this Agreement a “takedown” of Shares off of an effective Shelf Registration Statement. In connection with any underwritten shelf takedown (whether pursuant to the exercise of such demand rights or at the initiative of the Company), the Stockholders may exercise piggyback rights to have included in such takedown Shares held by them that are registered on such shelf. Notwithstanding the foregoing, JCF Stockholders may not demand an underwritten shelf takedown for an offering unless the Shares requested to be sold by the demanding JCF Stockholders in such takedown have an aggregate market value (based on the most recent closing price of the Common Stock at the time of the demand and net of underwriting discounts and commissions) of at least $25.0 million.

 

(e)           Limitations on Demand and Piggyback Rights.

 

(i)            The JCF Stockholders shall not be permitted to make a demand that the Company file a registration statement on Form S-1 pursuant to this Section 3.1 until at least one hundred and eighty (180) days after the effective date of the registration statement relating to the IPO, and the Company shall not be obligated to effect, or to take any action to effect, any registration on Form S-3 as a result of a demand made pursuant to this Section 3.1 until such time as the Company is eligible to file a registration statement on Form S-3.

 

(ii)           The Company shall not be obligated to effect, or to take any action to effect, any registration on Form S-1, after the Company has effected two (2) such registrations pursuant to this Section 3.1, and the Company shall not be obligated to effect, or to take any action to effect, any registration on Form S-3 if the Company has effected three (3) such registrations pursuant to this Section 3.1 within the 12-month period immediately preceding the date of such request.

 

(iii)          Any demand for the filing of a registration statement or for a registered offering or takedown will be subject to the constraints of any applicable lockup arrangements, and such demand must be deferred until such lockup arrangements no longer apply. If a demand has been made for a non-shelf registered offering or for an underwritten takedown, no further demands may be made so long as the related offering is still being pursued. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the Stockholders will not have piggyback or other registration rights with respect to any registration by the Company that consists of (i) a registration relating to the sale or grant of securities to employees of the Company or a subsidiary pursuant to a stock option, stock purchase, equity incentive or similar plan; (ii) a registration relating to transaction pursuant to Rule 145 under the Securities Act; (iii) a registration on any form that does not include substantially the same information as would be required to be included in a registration statement covering the sale of the Shares; or (iv) a registration in which the only Common Stock being registered is Common Stock issuable upon conversion of debt securities that are also being registered.

 

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(iv)          The Stockholders shall not be permitted to sell any securities pursuant to Section 3.1 at any time that the Board determines in good faith that it would be materially detrimental to the Company or its stockholders for sales of securities to be made; provided that all Stockholders shall be treated consistently in connection with each such determination; and provided, further, that the Company shall promptly notify each Stockholder in writing of any such action and provided, further, that any such delay may not last more than thirty (30) days and that the Company may not invoke this right more than once in any 12-month period.

 

3.2           Notices, Cutbacks and Other Matters.

 

(a)           Notifications Regarding Registration Statements and Shelf Takedowns. In order for one or more JCF Stockholders to exercise their right to demand that a registration statement be filed, they must so notify the Company in writing indicating the number of Shares sought to be registered and the proposed plan of distribution. The Company will use its best efforts to keep the JCF Stockholders reasonably apprised of all pertinent aspects of its pursuit of any registration or shelf takedown, whether pursuant to a JCF Stockholder demand or otherwise, with respect to which a piggyback opportunity is available (and in any event, provide written notice of such registration statement or shelf takedown at least five (5) business days before a filing of a registration statement or shelf takedown). Pending any required public disclosure and subject to applicable legal requirements, the parties will maintain the confidentiality of these discussions.

 

(b)           Notifications Regarding Registration Piggyback Rights. Any Stockholder wishing to exercise its piggyback rights with respect to a registration statement must notify the Company and the other Stockholders of the number of Shares it seeks to have included in such registration statement. Such notice must be given as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 5:00 pm, New York City time, on the second trading day prior to (i) if applicable, the date on which the preliminary prospectus intended to be used in connection with pre-effective marketing efforts for the relevant offering is expected to be finalized, and (ii) if no marketing takes place, the date on which the pricing of the relevant offering is expected to occur.

 

(c)           Plan of Distribution, Underwriters and Counsel. If (i) a majority of the Shares proposed to be sold in an underwritten offering through a non-shelf registration statement or through a shelf takedown are being sold by the Company for its own account and (ii) such offering was initiated by the Company and not by any JCF Stockholder, the Company will be entitled to determine the plan of distribution and select the managing underwriters for such offering. Otherwise, the Stockholders holding a majority of the Shares requested to be included in such offering will be entitled to determine the plan of distribution and select the managing underwriters, and such majority will also be entitled to select counsel for the selling Stockholders (which may be the same as counsel for the Company). In the case of a Shelf Registration Statement, the plan of distribution will provide as much flexibility as is reasonably possible, including with respect to resales by transferees of Stockholders.

 

(d)           Cutbacks. If the managing underwriters advise the Company and the selling Stockholders that, in their opinion, the number of Shares requested to be included in an underwritten offering exceeds the amount that can be sold in such offering without adversely affecting the distribution of the Shares being offered, such offering will include only the number of Shares that the underwriters advise can be sold in such offering.

 

(i)            In the case of a registered offering upon the demand of one or more JCF Stockholders, the selling Stockholders (including those Stockholders exercising piggyback rights pursuant to Section 3.1(b)) collectively will have first priority and will be subject to cutback pro rata based on the number of Shares initially requested by them to be included in such offering. To the extent of any remaining capacity, all other stockholders having similar registration rights will have second priority and will be subject to cutback pro rata based on the number of Shares initially requested by them to be included in such offering. To the extent of any remaining capacity, the Company will have third priority.

 

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(ii)           In the case of a registered offering upon the initiative of the Company, the Company will have first priority. To the extent of any remaining capacity, the selling Stockholders as a group will have second priority and will be subject to cutback pro rata based on the number of Shares initially requested by such selling Stockholders to be included in such offering. To the extent of any remaining capacity, all other stockholders having similar registration rights as a group will have third priority and will be subject to cutback pro rata based on the number of Shares initially requested by such group to be included in such offering.

 

(e)           Withdrawals. Even if Shares held by a JCF Stockholder have been part of a registered underwritten offering, such JCF Stockholder may, no later than the time at which the public offering price and underwriters’ discount are determined with the managing underwriter, decline to sell all or any portion of the Shares being offered for its account.

 

(f)            Lockups. In connection with any underwritten offering of Shares following the IPO, the Company and each participating Stockholder hereby agree to be bound by the underwriting agreement’s lockup restrictions (which must apply, and continue to apply, in like manner to all of them) that are agreed to by the Company or by Directors, officers and other selling stockholders; provided, however, that in no event following the IPO shall such lockup restrictions last more than ninety (90) days; provided, further, if any party to a lock-up is released from its holdback period by the underwriters prior to the end of the applicable holdback period, then each other Stockholder shall be similarly released to the same extent and on a pro rata basis.

 

(g)           Expenses. All expenses incurred in connection with any registration statement or registered offering covering Shares held by Stockholders, including, without limitation, all registration and filing fees, printing expenses, fees and disbursements of counsel to the Company and to the Stockholders (provided that the Company shall only be responsible for the fees and disbursements of one outside counsel for all of the Stockholders) and of the independent certified public accountants, and the expense of qualifying such Shares under state blue sky laws, will be borne by the Company. However, underwriters’, brokers’ and dealers’ discounts and commissions applicable to Shares sold for the account of a Stockholder will be borne by such Stockholder.

 

3.3           Facilitating Registrations and Offerings.

 

(a)           General. If the Company becomes obligated under this Agreement to facilitate a registration and offering of Shares on behalf of the Stockholders, the Company will do so with the same degree of care and dispatch as would reasonably be expected in the case of a registration and offering by the Company of Shares for its own account. Without limiting this general obligation, the Company will fulfill its specific obligations as described in this Section 3.3.

 

(b)           Registration Statements. In connection with each registration statement that is demanded by the JCF Stockholders or as to which piggyback rights otherwise apply, the Company will:

 

(i)            prepare and file (or confidentially submit) with the SEC a registration statement covering the applicable Shares, (ii) prepare and file (or confidentially submit) such amendments or supplements to such registration statement and the prospectus used in connection therewith as may be necessary to keep such registration statement effective for a period ending when all of the securities covered by such registration statement have been disposed of in accordance with the intended methods of distribution by the sellers thereof set forth in such registration statement (but not in any event before the expiration of any longer period required under the Securities Act or, if such registration statement relates to an underwritten public offering, such longer period as in the opinion of counsel for the underwriters a prospectus is required by law to be delivered in connection with the sale of Shares by an underwriter or dealer), (iii) seek the effectiveness thereof, and (iv) file with the SEC prospectuses and prospectus supplements as may be required, all in consultation with the JCF Stockholders and as reasonably necessary in order to permit the offer and sale of the such Shares in accordance with the applicable plan of distribution;

 

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(ii)           within a reasonable time prior to the filing of any registration statement, any prospectus, any amendment to a registration statement, amendment or supplement to a prospectus or any free writing prospectus, provide copies of such documents to the selling Stockholders and to the underwriter or underwriters of an underwritten offering, if applicable, and to their respective counsel; fairly consider such reasonable changes in any such documents prior to or after the filing thereof as the counsel to the Stockholders or the underwriter or the underwriters may request; and make such of the representatives of the Company as shall be reasonably requested by the selling Stockholders or any underwriter available for discussion of such documents;

 

(iii)          cause each registration statement and the related prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto, as of the effective date of such registration statement, amendment or supplement and during the distribution of the registered Shares (x) to comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the SEC and (y) not to contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading;

 

(iv)          notify each Stockholder promptly, and, if requested by such Stockholder, confirm such advice in writing, (i) when a registration statement has become effective and when any post-effective amendments and supplements thereto become effective if such registration statement or post-effective amendment is not automatically effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462 under the Securities Act, (ii) of the issuance by the SEC or any state securities authority of any stop order, injunction or other order or requirement suspending the effectiveness of a registration statement or the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for that purpose, (iii) if, between the effective date of a registration statement and the closing of any sale of securities covered thereby pursuant to any agreement to which the Company is a party, the representations and warranties of the Company contained in such agreement cease to be true and correct in all material respects or if the Company receives any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Shares for sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation of any proceeding for such purpose, and (iv) of the happening of any event during the period a registration statement is effective as a result of which such registration statement or the related prospectus contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading and, if required by applicable law, prepare and file a supplement or amendment to such registration statement or prospectus so that, as thereafter delivered to the purchasers of Shares registered thereby, such registration statement or prospectus will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading;

 

(v)           furnish counsel for each underwriter, if any, and for the Stockholders copies of any correspondence with the SEC or any state securities authority relating to the registration statement or prospectus;

 

(vi)          otherwise comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the SEC, including making available to its security holders an earnings statement covering at least twelve (12) months which shall satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 thereunder (or any similar provision then in force);

 

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(vii)         use all reasonable efforts to obtain the withdrawal of any order suspending the effectiveness of a registration statement at the earliest possible time;

 

(c)           Non-Shelf Registered Offerings and Shelf Takedowns. In connection with any non-shelf registered offering or shelf takedown that is demanded by the JCF Stockholders or as to which piggyback rights otherwise apply, the Company will:

 

(i)            cooperate with the selling Stockholders and the sole underwriter or managing underwriter(s) of an underwritten offering of Shares, if any, to facilitate the timely preparation and delivery of certificates representing the Shares to be sold and not bearing any restrictive legends; and enable such Shares to be in such denominations (consistent with the provisions of the governing documents thereof) and registered in such names as the selling Stockholders or the sole underwriter or managing underwriter(s) of an underwritten offering of Shares, if any, may reasonably request at least five (5) days prior to any sale of such Shares;

 

(ii)           furnish to each Stockholder and to each underwriter, if any, participating in the relevant offering, without charge, as many copies of the applicable prospectus, including each preliminary prospectus, and any amendment or supplement thereto and such other documents as such Stockholder or underwriter may reasonably request in order to facilitate the public sale or other disposition of the Shares; the Company hereby consents to the use of the prospectus, including each preliminary prospectus, by each such Stockholder and underwriter in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares covered by the prospectus or the preliminary prospectus;

 

(iii)          (i) use all reasonable efforts to register or qualify the Shares being offered and sold, no later than the time the applicable registration statement becomes effective, under all applicable state securities or “blue sky” laws of such jurisdictions as each underwriter, if any, or any Stockholder holding Shares covered by a registration statement, shall reasonably request; (ii) use all reasonable efforts to keep each such registration or qualification effective during the period such registration statement is required to be kept effective; (iii) comply with the provisions of the Securities Act with respect to the disposition of all securities covered by such registration statement during such period in accordance with the intended methods of disposition by the sellers thereof set forth in the registration statement and (iv) do any and all other acts and things which may be reasonably necessary or advisable to enable each such underwriter, if any, and Stockholder to consummate the disposition in each such jurisdiction of such Shares owned by such Stockholder; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to consent to be subject to general service of process (other than service of process in connection with such registration or qualification or any sale of Shares in connection therewith) in any such jurisdiction;

 

(iv)          cause all Shares being sold to be qualified for inclusion in or listed on the principal U.S. securities exchange on which the Common Stock is then so qualified or listed;

 

(v)           cooperate and assist in any filings required to be made with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and in the performance of any due diligence investigation by any underwriter in an underwritten offering;

 

(vi)          use all reasonable efforts to facilitate the distribution and sale of any Shares to be offered pursuant to this Agreement, including without limitation by making road show presentations, holding meetings with and making calls to potential investors and taking such other actions as shall be requested by the Stockholders or the lead managing underwriter of an underwritten offering; and

 

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(vii)        enter into customary agreements (including, in the case of an underwritten offering, underwriting agreements in customary form, and including provisions with respect to indemnification and contribution in customary form and consistent with the provisions relating to indemnification and contribution contained herein) and take all other customary and appropriate actions in order to expedite or facilitate the disposition of such Shares and in connection therewith:

 

(1)           make such representations and warranties to the selling Stockholders and the underwriters, if any, in form, substance and scope as are customarily made by issuers to underwriters in similar underwritten offerings;

 

(2)           obtain opinions of counsel to the Company and updates thereof (which counsel and opinions (in form, scope and substance) shall be reasonably satisfactory to the lead managing underwriter, if any) addressed to each selling Stockholder and the underwriters, if any, covering the matters customarily covered in opinions requested in sales of securities or underwritten offerings and such other matters as may be reasonably requested by such Stockholders and underwriters;

 

(3)           obtain “cold comfort” letters and updates thereof from the Company’s independent certified public accountants addressed to the selling Stockholders, if permissible, and the underwriters, if any, which letters shall be customary in form and shall cover matters of the type customarily covered in “cold comfort” letters to underwriters in connection with primary underwritten offerings;

 

(4)           to the extent requested by the JCF Shareholders, cause the Company’s Directors and executive officers to enter into lock-up agreements in customary form; and

 

(5)           to the extent requested and customary for the relevant transaction, enter into a securities sales agreement with the Stockholders providing for, among other things, the appointment of such representative as agent for the selling Stockholders for the purpose of soliciting purchases of Shares, which agreement shall be customary in form, substance and scope and shall contain customary representations, warranties and covenants.

 

The above shall be done at such times as customarily occur in similar registered offerings or shelf takedowns.

 

(d)           Due Diligence. In connection with each registration and offering of Shares to be sold by Stockholders, the Company will, in accordance with customary practice, make available for inspection by representatives of the Stockholders participating in such offering and underwriters and any counsel or accountant retained by such Stockholder or underwriters all relevant financial and other records, pertinent corporate documents and properties of the Company and cause appropriate officers, managers and employees of the Company to supply all information reasonably requested by any such representative, underwriter, counsel or accountant in connection with their due diligence exercise.

 

(e)           Information from Stockholders. Each Stockholder that holds Shares covered by any registration statement will furnish to the Company such information regarding itself as is required to be included in the registration statement, the ownership of Shares by such Stockholder and the proposed distribution by such Stockholder of such Shares as the Company may from time to time reasonably request in writing.

 

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3.4           Indemnification.

 

(a)           Indemnification by the Company. In the event of any registration under the Securities Act by any registration statement pursuant to rights granted in this Agreement of Shares held by the Stockholders, the Company will hold harmless the Stockholders and each underwriter of such securities and each other person, if any, who controls any Stockholder or such underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act, against any losses, claims, damages, or liabilities (including legal fees and costs of court), joint or several, to which the Stockholders or such underwriter or controlling person may become subject under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages, or liabilities (or any actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact (i) contained, on its effective date, in any registration statement under which such securities were registered under the Securities Act or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing, and which arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (ii) contained in any preliminary prospectus, if used prior to the effective date of such registration statement, in the final prospectus (as amended or supplemented if the Company shall have filed with the SEC any amendment or supplement to the final prospectus), any free writing prospectus, any testing-the-waters materials or any road show, and which arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission (if so used) to state a material fact required to be stated in such prospectus or necessary to make the statements in such prospectus not misleading; and will reimburse the Stockholders and each such underwriter and each such controlling person for any legal or any other expenses reasonably incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, or liability; provided, however, that the Company shall not be liable to any Stockholder or its underwriters or controlling persons in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage, or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in such registration statement or such amendment or supplement, in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Company by such Stockholder or such underwriter specifically for use in the preparation thereof. The Company and the Stockholders hereby acknowledge and agree that, unless otherwise expressly agreed to in writing by the applicable Stockholders, the only information furnished or to be furnished to the Company for such use are statements specifically relating to (a) the beneficial ownership of Shares by such Stockholder and its Affiliates and (b) the name and address of such Stockholder.

 

(b)           Indemnification by the Stockholders. Each Stockholder will indemnify and hold harmless (in the same manner and to the same extent as set forth in Section 3.4(a)) the Company, each Director, each officer of the Company who shall sign the registration statement, and any person who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act, against any losses, claims, damages, or liabilities (including legal fees and costs of court), joint or several, to which the Company or such controlling person may become subject under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages, or liabilities (or any actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact (i) contained, on its effective date, in any registration statement under which such securities were registered under the Securities Act or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing, and which arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (ii) contained in any preliminary prospectus, if used prior to the effective date of such registration statement, in the final prospectus (as amended or supplemented if the Company shall have filed with the SEC any amendment or supplement to the final prospectus), any free writing prospectus, any testing-the-waters materials or any road show, and which arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission (if so used) to state a material fact required to be stated in such prospectus or necessary to make the statements in such prospectus not misleading, if such statement or omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished to the Company by such Stockholder specifically regarding such Stockholder for use in the preparation of such registration statement or amendment or supplement, and (ii) with respect to compliance by such Stockholder with applicable laws in effecting the sale or other disposition of the securities covered by such registration statement.

 

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(c)           Indemnification Procedures. Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party of notice of the commencement of any action involving a claim referred to in Section 3.4(a) and Section 3.4(b), the indemnified party will, if a resulting claim is to be made or may be made against and indemnifying party, give written notice to the indemnifying party of the commencement of the action. The failure of any indemnified party to give notice shall not relieve the indemnifying party of its obligations in this Section 3.4, except to the extent that the indemnifying party is actually prejudiced by the failure to give notice. If any such action is brought against an indemnified party, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate in and to assume the defense of the action with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party, and after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election to assume defense of the action, the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party for any legal or other expenses incurred by the latter in connection with the action’s defense. An indemnified party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any action or proceeding and participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at such indemnified party’s expense unless (a) the employment of such counsel has been specifically authorized in writing by the indemnifying party, which authorization shall not be unreasonably withheld, (ii) the indemnifying party has not assumed the defense and employed counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party within thirty (30) days after notice of any such action or proceeding, or (iii) the named parties to any such action or proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include the indemnified party and the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have been advised by such counsel that there may be one or more legal defenses available to the indemnified party that are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party (in which case the indemnifying party shall not have the right to assume the defense of such action or proceeding on behalf of the indemnified party), it being understood, however, that the indemnifying party shall not, in connection with any one such action or separate but substantially similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations or circumstances, be liable for the reasonable fees and expenses of more than one separate firm of attorneys (in addition to all local counsel which is necessary, in the good faith opinion of both counsel for the indemnifying party and counsel for the indemnified party in order to adequately represent the indemnified parties) for the indemnified party and that all such fees and expenses shall be reimbursed as they are incurred upon written request and presentation of invoices. Whether or not a defense is assumed by the indemnifying party, the indemnifying party will not be subject to any liability for any settlement made without its consent. No indemnifying party will consent to entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement which (i) does not include as an unconditional term the giving by the claimant or plaintiff, to the indemnified party, of a release from all liability in respect of such claim or litigation or (ii) involves the imposition of equitable remedies or the imposition of any non-financial obligations on the indemnified party.

 

(d)           Contribution. If the indemnification required by this Section 3.4 from the indemnifying party is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any indemnifiable losses, claims, damages, liabilities, or expenses, then the indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by the indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages, liabilities, or expenses in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect (i) the relative benefit of the indemnifying and indemnified parties and (ii) if the allocation in clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefit referred to in clause (i) and also the relative fault of the indemnified and indemnifying parties, in connection with the actions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages, liabilities, or expenses, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault of the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any action in question, including any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact, has been made by, or relates to information supplied by, such indemnifying party or parties, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information, and opportunity to correct or prevent such action. The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses, claims, damage, liabilities, and expenses referred to above shall be deemed to include any legal or other fees or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with any investigation or proceeding. The Company and the Stockholders agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 3.4(d) were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in the prior provisions of this Section 3.4(d). Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 3.4(d), no indemnifying party shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the securities were offered to the public by the indemnifying party exceeds the amount of any damages which the indemnifying party has otherwise been required to pay by reason of an untrue statement or omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such a fraudulent misrepresentation.

 

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(e)           Non-Exclusive Remedy. The indemnification and contribution provided for under this Agreement will be in addition to any other rights to indemnification or contribution that any indemnified party may have pursuant to law or contract (and the Company and its subsidiaries shall be considered the indemnitors of first resort in all such circumstances to which this Section 3 applies) and will remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the indemnified party or any officer, director or controlling Person of such indemnified party and will survive the Transfer of Shares and the termination or expiration of this Agreement.

 

3.5           Rule 144. If the Company is subject to the requirements of Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, the Company covenants that it will file any reports required to be filed by it under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act (or, if the Company is subject to the requirements of Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act but is not required to file such reports, it will, upon the request of the JCF Stockholder, make publicly available such information) and it will take such further action as any Stockholder may reasonably request, so as to enable such Stockholder to sell Shares without registration under the Securities Act within the limitation of the exemptions provided by (a) Rule 144 under the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended from time to time, or (b) any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the SEC. Upon the request of any Stockholder, the Company will deliver to such Stockholder a written statement as to whether it has complied with such requirements.

 

SECTION IV.        GOVERNANCE MATTERS

 

4.1           Board of Directors.

 

(a)           Composition of Initial Board. As of the Closing, the Board shall be comprised of seven (7) Directors, the following four (4) of whom shall be deemed to have been designated by the JCF Stockholders: Thomas Harding, Thomas Lydon, Jr., John Oros and Christopher Giles. The foregoing Directors shall be divided into three classes of Directors, each of whose members shall serve for staggered three-year terms as follows:

 

(i)            the Class I Directors shall initially be David Burton, Thomas Harding and Thomas Lydon, Jr.;

 

(ii)           the Class II Directors shall initially be John Oros and Christopher Giles; and

 

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(iii)          the Class III Directors shall initially be Beth Leonard and Ronald Vaske.

 

The initial term of the Class I Directors shall expire immediately following the Company’s 2026 annual meeting of stockholders at which Directors are elected. The initial term of the Class II Directors shall expire immediately following the Company’s 2027 annual meeting of stockholders at which Directors are elected. The initial term of the Class III Directors shall expire immediately following the Company’s 2027 annual meeting at which Directors are elected.

 

(b)           JCF Stockholders’ Representation. For so long as the JCF Stockholders and their Affiliates hold, in the aggregate, a number of shares of the outstanding Common Stock representing at least the percentages shown below, the Company shall take all Necessary Action to include in the slate of nominees recommended by the Board for election as Directors at each applicable annual or special meeting of stockholders at which Directors are to be elected that number of individuals designated by the JCF Stockholders (each, a “JCF Nominee”) that, if elected, will result in the number of JCF Directors serving on the Board that is shown below.

 

Percentage Number of Directors
50% or greater

4

(at least two (2) of which such JCF Directors must be “independent” Directors under applicable law and stock exchange listing standards)

Less than 50% but greater than or equal to 30% 3
Less than 30% but greater than or equal to 20% 2
Less than 20% but greater than or equal to 10% 1
Less than 10% 0

 

(c)           Additional Obligations. An individual designated by the JCF Stockholders for election (including pursuant to Section 4.1(b)) as a Director shall comply with any applicable requirements of the Company’s certificate of incorporation, bylaws and corporate governance guidelines (collectively, the “Company Director Requirements”), and the charter or related guidelines of any committee of the Board responsible for nominating Directors (such committee, if any, a “Nominating Committee”). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 4, in the event that the Board determines in good faith, after consultation with outside legal counsel, that its nomination, appointment or election of a particular JCF Nominee pursuant to this Section 4.1 would constitute a breach of its fiduciary duties to the Company’s stockholders or does not otherwise comply with any requirements of the Company Director Requirements, or the charter or related guidelines of the Nominating Committee, if any, then the Board shall inform the JCF Stockholders of such determination in writing and explain in reasonable detail the basis for such determination and the JCF Stockholders shall designate another individual for nomination, election or appointment to the Board (subject in each case to this Section 4.1(c)), and the Board and the Company shall take all of the actions required by this Section 4 with respect to the election of such substitute JCF Nominee. It is hereby acknowledged and agreed that the fact that a particular JCF Nominee is an Affiliate, director, professional, partner, member, manager, employee or agent of the JCF Stockholders or is not an independent director shall not in and of itself constitute an acceptable basis for such determination by the Board.

 

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(d)           Vacancies. The JCF Stockholders shall have the exclusive right to designate Directors for election to the Board to fill vacancies (for the remainder of the then current term) created by reason of death, disability, removal or resignation of JCF Directors to the Board of Directors, and the Company shall take all Necessary Action to cause any such vacancies to be filled by replacement Directors designated by the JCF Stockholders as promptly as reasonably practicable.

 

(e)           Committees. In accordance with the Company’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws, (i) the Board shall establish and maintain an audit committee of the Board, as well as all other committees of the Board the Company is required to have in accordance with applicable Laws and stock exchange regulations at such time, and (ii) the Board may from time to time by resolution establish and maintain other committees of the Board. Subject to applicable laws and stock exchange regulations, and subject to requisite independence requirements applicable to such committee, the JCF Stockholders shall have the right to have one (1) JCF Director appointed to serve on each committee of the Board for so long as the JCF Stockholders have the right to designate at least one (1) Director for nomination to the Board. In furtherance of the foregoing, the Company agrees to take all Necessary Action to have at least one (1) JCF Director appointed to serve on each committee of the Board (to the extent not prohibited by applicable laws or stock exchange regulations).

 

(f)            Controlled Company. The Company shall avail itself of all available “controlled company” exceptions to the corporate governance listing standards of any securities exchange on which shares of Common Stock are listed, unless waived in writing by the JCF Stockholders.

 

(g)           Company Agreement. The Company hereby agrees that it will take all Necessary Actions to cause the matters addressed by this Section 4.1 to be carried out in accordance with the provisions thereof. Without limiting the foregoing, the Secretary of the Company or such other officer or employee of the Company who may be fulfilling the duties of the Secretary, shall not record any vote or consent or other action contrary to the terms of this Section 4.1.

 

4.2           Consent Rights. So long as the JCF Stockholders and their Affiliates hold, in the aggregate, at least 10% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, in addition to any vote required by law or the applicable governing documents, the Company shall not take, and shall take all Necessary Action to cause its subsidiaries not to take, directly or indirectly (whether by amendment, merger, consolidation, reorganization or otherwise), any of the following actions without the prior written consent of the JCF Stockholders, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld:

 

(a)           any acquisition or disposition where aggregate consideration is greater than $100.0 million in a single transaction or series of related transactions;

 

(b)           any transaction in which any Person or group acquires more than 50% of the then outstanding capital stock of the Company or the power to elect a majority of the members of the Board;

 

(c)           any incurrence or refinancing of Indebtedness (as defined in the Credit Agreement) of the Company and its subsidiaries to the extent such incurrence or refinancing would result in the Company and its subsidiaries having Indebtedness in excess of $150.0 million in the aggregate;

 

(d)           any increase or decrease in the size of the Board;

 

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(e)           any reorganization, recapitalization, voluntary bankruptcy, liquidation, dissolution or winding-up; or

 

(f)            any amendment, alteration or repeal of any provision of the governing documents of the Company in a manner that adversely affects the powers, preferences or rights of the JCF Stockholders.

 

SECTION V.          MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

 

5.1           Access Rights. The Company shall, and shall cause its subsidiaries, officers, Directors, employees, auditors and other agents to (a) afford the JCF Stockholders and their officers, employees, auditors and other agents, during normal business hours and upon reasonable notice, at all reasonable times access to the Company’s and its subsidiaries’ officers, employees, auditors, legal counsel, properties, offices, plants and other facilities and to all books and records, and (b) afford the JCF Stockholders and their officers, employees, auditors and other agents the opportunity to discuss the affairs, finances and accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries with their respective officers from time to time as each such JCF Stockholder may reasonably request, in each case, until such time as such JCF Stockholder shall cease to own at least 10% of the Company’s outstanding Common Stock.

 

5.2           Confidentiality. Each Stockholder agrees that it will keep confidential and will not disclose, divulge or use for any purpose, other than to monitor its investment in the Company and its subsidiaries, any confidential information obtained from the Company pursuant to Section 5.1, unless such confidential information (a) is known or becomes known to the public in general (other than as a result of a breach of any confidentiality obligation by such Stockholder or its affiliates), (b) is or has been independently developed or conceived by such Stockholder without use of or reliance on the Company’s confidential information or (c) is or has been made known or disclosed to such Stockholder by a third party (other than an Affiliate of such Stockholder) without a breach of any confidentiality obligations such third party may have to the Company that is known to such Stockholder; provided, that, a Stockholder may disclose confidential information (i) to its attorneys, accountants, consultants and other professional advisors to the extent necessary to obtain their services in connection with monitoring its investment in the Company, (ii) to any prospective purchaser of any Shares from such Stockholder as long as such prospective purchaser executes a confidentiality agreement with the Company, in form and substance satisfactory to the Company, (iii) to any Affiliate, partner, member, limited partners, prospective partners or related investment fund of such Stockholder and their respective directors, employees, consultants and representatives, in each case in the ordinary course of business (provided that the recipients of such confidential information are subject to a customary confidentiality and non-disclosure obligation, and provided further that Stockholder will remain liable to the Company for any breaches of confidentiality and nondisclosure obligations by such persons), or (iv) as may otherwise be required by law or legal, judicial or regulatory process.

 

5.3           Reliance. Each covenant and agreement made by a party in this Agreement or in any certificate, instrument or other document delivered pursuant to this Agreement is material, shall be deemed to have been relied upon by the other parties and shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of any investigation. This Agreement shall not be construed so as to confer any right or benefit upon any Person other than the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns.

 

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5.4           Access to Agreement; Amendment and Waiver; Actions of the Board. For so long as this Agreement shall be in effect, this Agreement shall be made available for inspection by any Stockholder at the principal executive offices of the Company. Any party may waive in writing any provision hereof intended for its benefit, provided, that, in the case of any waiver by the Company, such waiver is consented to in writing by the JCF Majority Interest. No failure or delay on the part of any party in exercising any right, power or remedy hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof. The remedies provided for herein are cumulative and are not exclusive of any remedies that may be available to any party at law or in equity or otherwise. This Agreement may be amended only with the prior written consent of the JCF Majority Interest and the Company; provided that any amendment to this Agreement that adversely affects any Stockholder (other than any JCF Stockholder) in a disproportionate manner shall not be effective against such Stockholder without the prior written consent of such Stockholder. Any consent given as provided in the preceding sentence shall be binding on all parties (subject to the proviso in the preceding sentence). Further, with the prior written consent of the JCF Majority Interest and the Company, at any time hereafter Permitted Transferees may be made parties hereto, with any such additional parties shall be treated as “Stockholders” for all purposes hereunder, by executing a counterpart signature page in the form attached as Exhibit A hereto, which signature page shall be attached to this Agreement and become a part hereof without any further action of any other party hereto.

 

5.5           Notices. All notices, requests, demands and other communications provided for hereunder shall be in writing and mailed (by first class registered or certified mail, electronic mail, facsimile or postage prepaid), sent by express overnight courier service, or delivered to the applicable party at the respective address indicated below:

 

If to the Company:

 

Jefferson Capital, Inc. 

600 South Highway 169, Suite 1575

Minneapolis, Minnesota 55426

Attention: Matthew Pfohl (Matt.Pfohl@jcap.com)

 

With a copy (which shall not constitute notice):

 

Latham & Watkins LLP

1271 Avenue of the Americas

New York, New York 10020

Attention: Marc Jaffe (Marc.Jaffe@lw.com); Erika Weinberg (Erika.Weinberg@lw.com)

 

If to the JCF Stockholders:

 

J.C. Flowers & Co. LLC

1301 Avenue of the Americas, 16th Floor

New York, New York 10019

Attention: Sally Rocker (srocker@jcfco.com)

 

With a copy (which shall not constitute notice):

 

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

425 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10017

Attention: Barrie Covit (bcovit@stblaw.com); Edgar Lewandowski (elewandowski@stblaw.com)

 

If to any other Stockholder:

 

At such Person’s address for notice as set forth in the books and records of the Company, or, as to each of the foregoing, at such other address as shall be designated by a party in a written notice to other parties complying as to delivery with the terms of this Section 5.5. All such notices, requests, demands and other communications shall, when mailed, telegraphed or sent, respectively, be effective (i) two (2) days after being deposited in the mail or (ii) one (1) day after being deposited with the express overnight courier service, respectively, addressed as aforesaid.

 

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5.6           Counterparts; Electronic Delivery. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, and delivered via facsimile, .pdf or other electronic transmission, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same agreement. This Agreement, the agreements referred to herein, and each other agreement or instrument entered into in connection herewith or therewith or contemplated hereby or thereby, and any amendments hereto or thereto, to the extent executed and delivered by means of a photographic, photostatic, facsimile or similar reproduction of such signed writing using a facsimile machine or electronic mail shall be treated in all manner and respects as an original agreement or instrument and shall be considered to have the same binding legal effect as if it were the original signed version thereof delivered in person. At the request of any party hereto or to any such agreement or instrument, each other party hereto or thereto shall re-execute original forms thereof and deliver them to all other parties. No party hereto or to any such agreement or instrument shall raise the use of a facsimile machine or electronic mail to deliver a signature or the fact that any signature or agreement or instrument was transmitted or communicated through the use of a facsimile machine or electronic mail as a defense to the formation or enforceability of a contract and each such party forever waives any such defense.

 

5.7           Remedies; Severability. It is specifically understood and agreed that any breach of the provisions of this Agreement by any party will result in irreparable injury to the other parties, that the remedy at law alone will be an inadequate remedy for such breach, and that, in addition to any other legal or equitable remedies which they may have, such other parties may enforce their respective rights by actions for specific performance or injunctive relief (to the extent permitted at law or in equity). If any one or more of the provisions of this Agreement, or the application thereof in any circumstances, is held invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect for any reason, the validity, legality and enforceability of any such provision in every other respect and of the remaining provisions contained herein are not to be in any way impaired thereby, it being intended that all of the rights and privileges of the parties be enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law.

 

5.8           Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof.

 

5.9           Termination. This Agreement shall terminate on the earlier of (i) the election of the JCF Majority Interest or (ii) with respect any Stockholder, (A) the dissolution or liquidation of such Stockholder or (B) such date as such Stockholder may sell all of its Shares without regard to volume restrictions under Rule 144 under the Securities Act, during a three-month period without registration.

 

5.10         Governing Law. This Agreement is to be construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to its principles or rules of conflict of laws to the extent such principles or rules are not mandatorily applicable by statute and would require or permit the application of the laws of another jurisdiction.

 

5.11         Successors and Assigns; Beneficiaries. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties and the respective successors and assigns of the parties as contemplated herein. Any successor to the Company by way of merger or otherwise must specifically agree to be bound by the terms hereof as a condition of such succession.

 

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5.12         Consent to Jurisdiction; Specific Performance; WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL.

 

(a)            Each of the parties hereto irrevocably and unconditionally consents to the sole and exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in Wilmington, Delaware to resolve all disputes, claims or controversies arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any other agreement executed and delivered pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement or the negotiation, breach, validity, termination or performance hereof and thereof or the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby and agrees that it will not bring any such action in any court other than the federal or state courts located in Wilmington, Delaware. Each party further irrevocably waives any objection to proceeding in such courts based upon lack of personal jurisdiction or to the laying of venue in such courts and further irrevocably and unconditionally waives and agrees not to make a claim that such courts are an inconvenient forum. Each of the parties hereto hereby consents to service of process by registered mail at the address to which notices are to be given as provided in Section 5.5. Each of the parties hereto agrees that its or his submission to jurisdiction and its or his consent to service of process by mail is made for the express benefit of the other parties hereto. The choice of forum set forth in this Section shall not be deemed to preclude the enforcement of any judgment of a Delaware federal or state court, or the taking of any action under this Agreement to enforce such a judgment, in any other appropriate jurisdiction.

 

(b)           The parties agree that irreparable damage would occur in the event that any of the provisions of this Agreement were not performed in accordance with their specific terms or were otherwise breached. It is accordingly agreed that the parties shall be entitled to an injunction or injunctions to prevent breaches of this Agreement and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions of this Agreement, this being in addition to any other remedy to which such party is entitled at law or in equity.

 

(c)           EACH PARTY TO THIS AGREEMENT WAIVES TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION, PROCEEDING OR COUNTERCLAIM BROUGHT BY ANY OF THEM AGAINST THE OTHER ARISING OUT OF OR IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH THIS AGREEMENT, OR ANY OTHER AGREEMENTS EXECUTED AND DELIVERED PURSUANT TO OR IN CONNECTION HEREWITH OR THE NEGOTIATION, BREACH, VALIDITY, TERMINATION OR PERFORMANCE HEREOF AND THEREOF OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY AND THEREBY. FURTHER, (I) NO PARTY TO THIS AGREEMENT SHALL SEEK A JURY TRIAL IN ANY SUCH ACTION AND (II) NO PARTY WILL SEEK TO CONSOLIDATE ANY SUCH ACTION IN WHICH A JURY TRIAL HAS BEEN WAIVED WITH ANY OTHER ACTION IN WHICH A JURY TRIAL CANNOT BE OR HAS NOT BEEN WAIVED. EACH PARTY TO THIS AGREEMENT CERTIFIES THAT IT HAS BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT OR INSTRUMENT BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS SET FORTH ABOVE IN THIS SECTION 5.12. NO PARTY HAS IN ANY WAY AGREED WITH OR REPRESENTED TO ANY OTHER PARTY THAT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION WILL NOT BE FULLY ENFORCED IN ALL INSTANCES.

 

5.13         Further Assurances. The parties hereto agree to cooperate with each other, and at the request of any other party, to execute and deliver any further instruments or documents and to take all such further action as any other party may reasonably request in order to evidence or effectuate the provisions of this Agreement and to otherwise carry out the intent of the parties hereunder.

 

5.14         Regulatory Matters. The Company shall and shall cause its subsidiaries to keep the JCF Stockholders informed, on a current basis, of any events, discussions, notices or changes with respect to any criminal or regulatory investigation or action involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries, so that the JCF Stockholders and their respective Affiliates will have the opportunity to take appropriate steps to avoid or mitigate any regulatory consequences to them that might arise from such investigation or action.

 

5.15         No Third Party Liability. This Agreement may only be enforced against the named parties hereto. All claims or causes of action (whether in contract or tort) that may be based upon, arise out of or relate to this Agreement, or the negotiation, execution or performance of this Agreement (including any representation or warranty made in or in connection with this Agreement or as an inducement to enter into this Agreement), may be made only against the entities that are expressly identified as parties hereto.

 

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5.16         Removal of Legends. The Company shall remove any restrictive legends on any Shares held by any Stockholder promptly upon request by such Stockholder if such legend is not, in the reasonable determination of the Company upon the advice of legal counsel, required to comply with applicable securities laws; provided that the Company may require an opinion of legal counsel reasonably acceptable to the Company prior to any such removal other than in connection with a Transfer made pursuant to an effective registration statement.

 

5.17         Inconsistent Agreements. Neither the Company nor any Stockholder shall enter into any agreement or side letter with, or grant any proxy to, any Stockholder, the Company or any other Person (whether or not such proxy, agreements or side letters are with other Stockholders, holders of Shares that are not parties to this Agreement or otherwise) that conflicts with the provisions of this Agreement or which would obligate such Person to breach any provision of this Agreement.

 

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties are signing this Stockholders Agreement as of the date first set forth above.

 

  JEFFERSON CAPITAL, INC.
   
  By:  
    Name:
    Title:

 

[Signature Page to Stockholders Agreement]

 

 

 

  J.C. Flowers IV L.P.
   
  By:  
    Name: 
    Title:

 

  JCF IV Coinvest JCAP L.P.
   
  By:  
    Name: 
    Title:

 

[Signature Page to Stockholders Agreement]

 

 

 

EXHIBIT A

 

Joinder Agreement

 

By execution of this signature page, _______________ hereby agrees to become a Party to, and to be bound by the obligations of, and receive the benefits of, that certain Stockholders Agreement, dated as of June [ · ], 2025, by and among Jefferson Capital, Inc., a Delaware corporation, J.C. Flowers IV L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, and JCF IV Coinvest JCAP L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, as amended from time to time thereafter.

 

  [Name]
   
  By:  
  Name: 
  Title:
   
  Notice Address:
   
   

 

Accepted:

 

JEFFERSON CAPITAL, INc.  
   
By:               
Name:  
Title: