Depositary Shares Representing a 1/1000th Ownership Interest in a Share of 6.625% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock Depositary Shares Representing a 1/40th Ownership Interest in a Share of 6.00% Non-Cumulative Perpetual Class B Preferred Stock, Series A Depositary Shares Representing a 1/1000th Ownership Interest in a Share of 4.95% Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series K OH false 0000035527 --12-31 0000035527 2020-07-27 2020-07-27 0000035527 us-gaap:CommonStockMember 2020-07-27 2020-07-27 0000035527 fitb:DepositarySharesRepresentingA11000thOwnershipInterestInAShareOf6.625FixedToFloatingRateNotCumulativePerpetualPreferredStockSeriesI2Member 2020-07-27 2020-07-27 0000035527 fitb:DepositarySharesRepresentingA140thOwnershipInterestInAShareOf6.00NotCumulativePerpetualClassBPreferredStockSeriesAMember 2020-07-27 2020-07-27 0000035527 fitb:DepositarySharesRepresentingA11000thOwnershipInterestInAShareOf4.95NotCumulativePerpetualPreferredStockSeriesKMember 2020-07-27 2020-07-27

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

 

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): July 27, 2020

 

 

 

LOGO

FIFTH THIRD BANCORP

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

 

 

OHIO

(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)

 

001-33653   31-0854434
(Commission File Number)   (IRS Employer Identification No.)

 

Fifth Third Center
38 Fountain Square Plaza, Cincinnati, Ohio
  45263
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)   (Zip Code)

(800) 972-3030

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

Not Applicable

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class

 

Trading
Symbol(s)

 

Name of each exchange
on which registered

Common Stock, Without Par Value   FITB   The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC
Depositary Shares Representing a 1/1000th Ownership Interest in a Share of 6.625% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series I   FITBI   The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC
Depositary Shares Representing a 1/40th Ownership Interest in a Share of 6.00% Non-Cumulative Perpetual Class B Preferred Stock, Series A   FITBP   The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC
Depositary Shares Representing a 1/1000th Ownership Interest in a Share of 4.95% Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series K   FITBO   The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC

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

Emerging growth company ☐

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

 

 

 


FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This report contains statements that we believe are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Rule 175 promulgated thereunder, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Rule 3b-6 promulgated thereunder. These statements relate to our financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance or business. They usually can be identified by the use of forward-looking language such as “will likely result,” “may,” “are expected to,” “is anticipated,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “projected,” “intends to,” or may include other similar words or phrases such as “believes,” “plans,” “trend,” “objective,” “continue,” “remain,” or similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “might,” “can,” or similar verbs. You should not place undue reliance on these statements, as they are subject to risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to the risk factors set forth in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, as amended from time to time by our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. When considering these forward-looking statements, you should keep in mind these risks and uncertainties, as well as any cautionary statements we may make. Moreover, you should treat these statements as speaking only as of the date they are made and based only on information then actually known to us.

There are a number of important factors that could cause future results to differ materially from historical performance and these forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such a difference include, but are not limited to: (1) effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic; (2) deteriorating credit quality; (3) loan concentration by location or industry of borrowers or collateral; (4) problems encountered by other financial institutions; (5) inadequate sources of funding or liquidity; (6) unfavorable actions of rating agencies; (7) inability to maintain or grow deposits; (8) limitations on the ability to receive dividends from subsidiaries; (9) cyber-security risks; (10) Fifth Third’s ability to secure confidential information and deliver products and services through the use of computer systems and telecommunications networks; (11) failures by third-party service providers; (12) inability to manage strategic initiatives and/or organizational changes; (13) inability to implement technology system enhancements; (14) failure of internal controls and other risk management systems; (15) losses related to fraud, theft or violence; (16) inability to attract and retain skilled personnel; (17) adverse impacts of government regulation; (18) governmental or regulatory changes or other actions; (19) failures to meet applicable capital requirements; (20) regulatory objections to Fifth Third’s capital plan; (21) regulation of Fifth Third’s derivatives activities; (22) deposit insurance premiums; (23) assessments for the orderly liquidation fund; (24) replacement of LIBOR; (25) weakness in the national or local economies; (26) global political and economic uncertainty or negative actions; (27) changes in interest rates; (28) changes and trends in capital markets; (29) fluctuation of Fifth Third’s stock price; (30) volatility in mortgage banking revenue; (31) litigation, investigations and enforcement proceedings by governmental authorities; (32) breaches of contractual covenants, representations and warranties; (33) competition and changes in the financial services industry; (34) changing retail distribution strategies, customer preferences and behavior; (35) risks relating to Fifth Third’s ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the merger with MB Financial, Inc.; (36) difficulties in identifying, acquiring or integrating suitable strategic partnerships, investments or acquisitions; (37) potential dilution from future acquisitions; (38) loss of income and/or difficulties encountered in the sale and separation of businesses, investments or other assets; (39) results of investments or acquired entities; (40) changes in accounting standards or interpretation or declines in the value of Fifth Third’s goodwill or other intangible assets; (41) inaccuracies or other failures from the use of models; (42) effects of critical accounting policies and judgments or the use of inaccurate estimates; (43) weather-related events, other natural disasters, or health emergencies; and (44) the impact of reputational risk created by these or other developments on such matters as business generation and retention, funding and liquidity.


You should refer to our periodic and current reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or “SEC,” for further information on other factors, which could cause actual results to be significantly different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Copies of those filings are available at no cost on the SEC’s Web site at www.sec.gov or on our Web site at www.53.com. We undertake no obligation to release revisions to these forward-looking statements or reflect events or circumstances after the date of this report.

Item 5.03 Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws

On July 29, 2020, Fifth Third Bancorp (“Fifth Third”) filed a Certificate of Amendment to its Amended Articles of Incorporation, as amended, of Fifth Third for the purpose of fixing the designations, preferences, limitations and relative rights of the 4.500% Fixed-Rate Reset Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series L no par value, $25,000 liquidation preference per share (“Series L Preferred Stock”). The Certificate of Amendment became effective upon filing, and a copy of the Certificate of Amendment is filed as Exhibit 4.1 to this Form 8-K.

Item 8.01 Other Events

Offering of Depositary Shares Representing Series L Preferred Stock. On July 30, 2020 Fifth Third closed the sale of 350,000 depositary shares, $1,000 liquidation preference per depositary share (“Depositary Shares”), each representing a 1/25th ownership interest in a share of Series L Preferred Stock (the “Depositary Shares Offering”). The net proceeds from the Depositary Shares Offering after estimated expenses and underwriting discounts to be paid by Fifth Third totaled approximately $345,710,320.

On July 27, 2020, Fifth Third entered into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Fifth Third Securities, Inc., and RBC Capital Markets, LLC, as representatives of the several underwriters, for the Depositary Shares Offering.

The Depositary Shares Offering is described in Fifth Third’s prospectus supplement dated July 27, 2020, together with the related prospectus dated March 28, 2019, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under Rule 424(b) on July 29, 2020.

The following documents are being filed with this Form 8-K: (i) the Underwriting Agreement as Exhibit 1.1; (ii) the Deposit Agreement dated as of July 30, 2020 among Fifth Third Bancorp, as issuer, and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, as depositary, transfer agent and registrar, and the holders from time to time of depositary receipts issued thereunder as Exhibit 4.3; (iii) the form of Certificate representing shares of Series L Preferred Stock as Exhibit 4.2; (iv) the form of Depositary Receipt as Exhibit 4.4; and (v) the related legal opinion as Exhibit 5.1.

The Underwriting Agreement contains various representations, warranties and agreements by Fifth Third, conditions to closing, indemnification rights and obligations of the parties, and termination provisions.

The Deposit Agreement sets forth the various rights and obligations of the parties thereto and establishes the relationships between the issuer, the depositary, the transfer agent and registrar.

The descriptions of the Underwriting Agreement, the Deposit Agreement and the Certificate of Amendment to Fifth Third’s Amended Articles of Incorporation, as amended, and other documents relating to this transaction do not purport to be complete and are qualified in their entirety by reference to the full text of such securities and documents, forms or copies of which are attached hereto as exhibits and are incorporated herein by reference.

*****************

The Depositary Shares being sold in the Depositary Shares Offering and the related shares of Series L Preferred Stock were registered by Fifth Third pursuant to an automatic shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (SEC File No. 333-230568) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 28, 2019.


Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits

 

  (d)

Exhibits

Exhibits below relate to Registration Number 333-230568 on Form S-3 of Fifth Third Bancorp and are filed herewith for incorporation by reference in such Registration Statement:

1.1 – Underwriting Agreement dated as of July 27, 2020 among Fifth Third Bancorp, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Fifth Third Securities, Inc., and RBC Capital Markets, LLC.

4.1 – Certificate of Amendment to the Amended Articles of Incorporation, as amended, of Fifth Third Bancorp with respect to its 4.500% Fixed-Rate Reset Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series L.

4.2 – Form of Certificate Representing the 4.500% Fixed-Rate Reset Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series L.

4.3 – Deposit Agreement dated as of July 30, 2020 among Fifth Third Bancorp, as issuer, and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, as depositary, transfer agent and registrar, and the holders from time to time of depositary receipts issued thereunder.

4.4 – Form of Depositary Receipt (included as Exhibit A to Exhibit 4.3).

5.1 – Opinion of Graydon Head & Ritchey LLP regarding legality of Depositary Shares and Series L Preferred Stock.

23.1 – Consent of Graydon Head & Ritchey LLP (included in opinion filed as Exhibit 5.1).

104    Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)


SIGNATURES

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

 

      FIFTH THIRD BANCORP
      (Registrant)
Date: July 30, 2020      

/s/ Tayfun Tuzun

      Tayfun Tuzun
      Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Exhibit 1.1

Execution Version

FIFTH THIRD BANCORP

Underwriting Agreement

July 27, 2020

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

Fifth Third Securities, Inc.

RBC Capital Markets, LLC

As Representatives of

the several Underwriters

listed in Schedule 1 hereto

 

c/o

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

 

1585 Broadway

 

New York, New York 10036

 

c/o

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

 

388 Greenwich Street

 

New York, New York 10013

 

c/o

Fifth Third Securities, Inc.

 

38 Fountain Square Plaza

 

Cincinnati, Ohio 45263

 

c/o

RBC Capital Markets, LLC

 

Brookfield Place

 

200 Vesey Street, 8th Floor

 

New York, New York 10281

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Fifth Third Bancorp, an Ohio corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell to the several Underwriters listed in Schedule 1 hereto (the “Underwriters”), for whom you are acting as representatives (the “Representatives”), 350,000 depositary shares (the “Securities” or the “Depositary Shares”), each representing 1/25th of a share of the Company’s Series L Preferred Stock, no par value per share and liquidation preference of $25,000 per share (each, an “Underlying


Preferred Share”). The Underlying Preferred Shares, when issued, will be deposited against delivery of depositary receipts (the “Depositary Receipts”), which will evidence the Securities that are to be issued by American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, as depositary (the “Depositary”), pursuant to the terms of a deposit agreement to be entered into among the Company, the Depositary, and the holders from time to time of Depositary Receipts delivered thereunder (the “Deposit Agreement”). The Securities shall have the terms set forth in Schedule 2 hereto.

The Company agrees to issue and sell the Securities to the several Underwriters as provided in this Agreement, and each Underwriter, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements set forth herein and subject to the conditions set forth herein, agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company the respective number of Securities set forth opposite such Underwriter’s name in Schedule 1 hereto at a price (the “Purchase Price”) equal to $990 per Security. The Company will not be obligated to deliver any of the Securities except upon payment for all the Securities to be purchased as provided herein.

The Company understands that the Underwriters intend to make a public offering of the Securities as soon after the effectiveness of this Agreement as in the judgment of the Representatives is advisable, and initially to offer the Securities on the terms set forth in the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus. Schedule 3 hereto sets forth the Time of Sale Information made available at the Time of Sale. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters may offer and sell Securities to or through any affiliate of an Underwriter and that any such affiliate may offer and sell Securities purchased by it to or through any Underwriter.

The Company further acknowledges that the only information furnished to the Company by the Representatives for purposes of Sections 3(a), 3(b), 3(c), 7(a) and 7(b) of the Underwriting Agreement Standard Provisions are set forth in Schedule 5 hereto.

Payment for and delivery of the Securities shall be made at the offices of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, 450 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10017, at 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on July 30, 2020, or at such other time or place on the same or such other date, not later than the fifth business day thereafter, as the Representatives and the Company may agree upon in writing (the “Closing Date”).

Payment for the Securities shall be made by wire transfer in immediately available funds to the account(s) specified by the Company to the Representatives against delivery of one or more global certificates representing the Securities (collectively, the “Global Certificate”) to the nominee of The Depository Trust Company, for the account of the Underwriters, with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the sale of the Securities duly paid by the Company. The Global Certificate will be made available to the Representatives for inspection not later than 1:00 P.M., New York City time, on the business day prior to the Closing Date.


All provisions contained in the document entitled Underwriting Agreement Standard Provisions attached as Exhibit A hereto are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety and shall be deemed to be a part of this Underwriting Agreement to the same extent as if such provisions had been set forth in full herein, except that if any term defined in such Underwriting Agreement Standard Provisions is otherwise defined herein, the definition set forth herein shall control. With respect to the Securities, the Time of Sale referred to in the Standard Provisions is 3:45 p.m. on July 27, 2020.

This Agreement may be signed in counterparts (which may include counterparts delivered by any standard form of telecommunication), each of which shall be an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.


If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please indicate your acceptance of this Agreement by signing in the space provided below.

 

Very truly yours,
FIFTH THIRD BANCORP
By:  

/s/ Bryan Preston

Title:   Treasurer

Accepted: July 27, 2020

MORGAN STANLEY & CO. LLC

CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC.

FIFTH THIRD SECURITIES, INC.

RBC CAPITAL MARKETS, LLC

For themselves and on behalf of the

several underwriters listed in

Schedule 1 hereto.

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]


MORGAN STANLEY & CO. LLC
By:  

/s/ Ian Drewe

Title:   Authorized Signatory

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]


CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC.
By:  

/s/ Adam D. Bordner

Title:   Authorized Signatory

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]


FIFTH THIRD SECURITIES, INC.
By:  

/s/ Maria T. Yamat

Title:   Authorized Signatory

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]


RBC CAPITAL MARKETS, LLC
By:  

/s/ Saurabh Monga

Title:   Authorized Signatory

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]


Schedule 1

 

Underwriter

   Number of
Securities
 

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

     91,000  

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

     84,000  

Fifth Third Securities, Inc.

     84,000  

RBC Capital Markets, LLC

     84,000  

CastleOak Securities, L.P.

     3,500  

Siebert Williams Shank & Co., LLC

     3,500  

Total

     350,000  
  

 

 

 


Schedule 2

Representatives and Address for Notices:

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

1585 Broadway, 29th Floor

New York, NY 10036

Attn: Investment Banking Division

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

388 Greenwich Street

New York, New York 10013

Attn: General Counsel

Fifth Third Securities, Inc.

38 Fountain Square Plaza

Cincinnati, Ohio 45263

Attn: Legal Department

RBC Capital Markets, LLC

Brookfield Place

200 Vesey Street, 8th Floor

New York, New York 10281

Attn: Scott Primrose/USDCM Transaction Management

Certain Terms of the Securities:

 

Security:   Depositary Shares, each representing a 1/25th interest in a share of Series L Preferred Stock
Aggregate Number of Securities:   350,000
Maturity Date:   Perpetual


Dividend Rate (Non-Cumulative):   From the original issue date to, but excluding, September 30, 2025 (the “first dividend reset date”), a fixed rate per annum equal to 4.500%, and from, and including, the first dividend reset date, for each dividend reset period (as defined in the preliminary prospectus supplement), a rate per annum equal to the Five-Year U.S. Treasury Rate (as defined in the preliminary prospectus supplement) as of the most recent reset dividend determination date (as defined in the preliminary prospectus supplement) plus 4.215%. The dividend rate will be reset on the first dividend reset date and on each date falling on the fifth anniversary of the preceding dividend reset date
Dividend Payment Dates   March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31 of each year, commencing September 30, 2020, on a non-cumulative basis when, as and if a dividend is declared on the Series L Preferred Stock by the board of directors of the Company


Schedule 3

Time of Sale Information

Preliminary Prospectus filed on July 27, 2020

Pricing Term Sheet dated July 27, 2020 attached as Schedule 4 hereto


Schedule 4

 

 

LOGO

350,000 Depositary Shares,

Each Representing a 1/25th Interest in a Share of

Series L Preferred Stock

(Non-Cumulative, Liquidation Amount $1000 per Depositary Share)

Pricing Term Sheet

 

Issuer:    Fifth Third Bancorp (the “Company”)
Securities Offered:    350,000 Depositary Shares (representing 14,000 shares of Series L Preferred Stock)
Security Type:    SEC Registered
Currency:    USD
Liquidation Amount:    $1,000 per Depositary Share ($25,000 per share of Series L Preferred Stock)
Price to Public:    $1,000 per Depositary Share
Expected Ratings*:    [Intentionally Omitted]
Trade Date:    July 27, 2020
Settlement Date:    July 30, 2020 (T+3)
Maturity Date:    Perpetual
Dividend Rate (Non-Cumulative):    From the original issue date to, but excluding, September 30, 2025 (the “first dividend reset date”), a fixed rate per annum equal to 4.500%, and from, and including, the first dividend reset date, for each dividend reset period (as defined in the preliminary prospectus supplement), a rate per annum equal to the Five-Year U.S. Treasury Rate (as defined in the preliminary prospectus supplement) as of the most recent reset dividend determination date (as defined in the preliminary prospectus supplement) plus 4.215%. The dividend rate will be reset on the first dividend reset date and on each date falling on the fifth anniversary of the preceding dividend reset date


Dividend Payment Dates:    March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31 of each year, commencing September 30, 2020, on a non-cumulative basis when, as and if a dividend is declared on the Series L Preferred Stock by the board of directors of the Company
Day Count Convention:    30/360
Optional Redemption:   

Subject to receiving required regulatory approvals, the Company may redeem the Series L Preferred Stock at its option, (i) in whole or in part, on any Dividend Payment Date on or after September 30, 2025, and (ii) following a “regulatory capital event”, as described in the preliminary prospectus supplement, in whole, but not in part, at in each case at 100% of their liquidation preference, plus declared but unpaid dividends, if any, without accumulation of undeclared dividends to the redemption date. Upon any redemption of the Series L Preferred Stock, the depositary will redeem a proportionate number of Depositary Shares.

 

Neither the holders of the Series L Preferred Stock nor the holders of Depositary Shares will have the right to require the redemption or repurchase of the Series L Preferred Stock.

Voting Rights:    None generally, except as required by Ohio law and described in the preliminary prospectus supplement.
Proceeds (Before Expenses) to Company:    $346,500,000
Ranking:    The Series L Preferred Stock will rank:
  

•  senior to Fifth Third’s common shares;

  

•  equally with our 5.10% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series H, our 6.625% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series I, our 4.90% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series J, our 6.00% Non-Cumulative Perpetual Class B Preferred Stock, Series A, and our 4.95% Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series K;

  

•  at least equally with all shares of preferred stock and all other equity securities the terms of which provide that such preferred stock or other equity securities rank on a parity with the Series L Preferred Stock; and


  

•  junior to Fifth Third’s secured and unsecured debt.

Use of Proceeds:    General corporate purposes
Form:    Book-entry only
CUSIP/ISIN:    316773 DB3 / US316773DB33
Joint Book-Running Managers:    Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC
   Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
   Fifth Third Securities, Inc.
   RBC Capital Markets, LLC
Co-Managers:    CastleOak Securities, L.P.
   Siebert Williams Shank & Co., LLC

* Note: A securities rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities and may be subject to revision or withdrawal at any time.

The issuer has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with the SEC for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement and other documents the issuer has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the issuer and this offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC Web site at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, the issuer, any underwriter or any dealer participating in the offering will arrange to send you the prospectus if you request it by calling Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC toll-free at 1-866-718-1649, Citigroup Global Markets Inc. toll-free at 1-800-831-9146, Fifth Third Securities, Inc. toll-free at 1-866-531-5353 and RBC Capital Markets, LLC toll-free at 1-866-375-6829.

Under Rule 15c6-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, trades in the secondary market generally are required to settle in two business days, unless the parties to such trade expressly agree otherwise. Accordingly, purchasers who wish to trade the Depositary Shares on the pricing date will be required, by virtue of the fact that the Depositary Shares initially will settle in three business days (T+3), to specify alternative settlement arrangements to prevent a failed settlement.


Schedule 5

 

  (a)

The name of each Underwriter and its participation in the sale of the Securities;

 

  (b)

The first sentence of the third paragraph of text under the caption “Underwriting (conflicts of interest)” in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, concerning the terms of the concession permitted to be offered to certain dealers;

 

  (c)

The sixth sentence of the sixth paragraph of text under the caption “Underwriting (conflicts of interest)” in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, concerning market making by the Underwriters; and

 

  (d)

The ninth paragraph of text under the caption “Underwriting (conflicts of interest)” in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, concerning short sales, stabilizing transactions and purchases to cover positions created by short sales.


Annex B

Form of Opinion of Graydon Head & Ritchey LLP

Based on the foregoing as well as such other documents as we have deemed necessary to enable us to render this opinion, we are of the opinion that:

(1) The Company has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Ohio, is duly registered as a bank holding company and qualified as a financial holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended. The Company has the corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its property and to conduct its business as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or to be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect on the current or future financial position, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

(2) To our knowledge, the execution and delivery by the Company of, and the performance by the Company of its obligations under, the Underwriting Agreement will not contravene (a) any applicable law, (b) any agreement or other instrument binding upon the Company or any of its Significant Subsidiaries, or (c) any judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having jurisdiction over the Company or any Significant Subsidiary, except, in the case of clauses (a), (b) and (c) above, that would not have a material adverse effect on the current or future financial position, stockholders’ equity or results of operation of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, and no consent, approval, authorization or order of, or qualification with, any governmental body or agency is required for the performance by the Company of its obligations under the Underwriting Agreement, except such as have been obtained under the Securities Act or may be required by the securities or Blue Sky laws of the various states in connection with the offer and sale of the Securities.

(3) To our knowledge, there are no current or pending legal, governmental or regulatory actions, suits or proceedings that are required under the Securities Act to be described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information or the Prospectus and that are not so described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus.

(4) The Preferred Stock conforms as to legal matters to the description thereof contained in each of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information.

(5) The Securities and the depositary receipt evidencing the Securities (the “Depositary Receipt”) conform as to legal matters to the description thereof contained in each of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information.


(6) The authorized capital stock of the Company conforms as to legal matters to the description thereof contained in each of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information.

(7) All of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company prior to the issuance of the Preferred Stock have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable.

(8) The Deposit Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and, constitutes a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms.

(9) The Securities have been duly authorized by the Company and, upon deposit of the Preferred Stock with the Depositary in accordance with the provisions of the Deposit Agreement and the due execution of the Depositary Receipt evidencing the Securities by one of the Depositary’s authorized officers, the Securities will be duly and validly issued and outstanding, fully paid and non- assessable and will represent legal and valid interests in the Preferred Stock.

(10) The shares of Preferred Stock have been duly authorized and, when issued in accordance with the provisions of the Underwriting Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, will conform as to legal matters in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information, and will entitle the holders of the Preferred Stock to the rights and benefits provided therein and in the Amended Articles of Incorporation. No holder of outstanding capital stock of the Company has any statutory preemptive or any contractual right to subscribe for any shares of the Preferred Stock.

(11) The Certificate of Amendment has been duly authorized and executed by the Company and filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Ohio.

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

(13) The execution and delivery by the Company of, and the performance by the Company of its obligations under, the Underwriting Agreement will not contravene any provision of the articles of incorporation or code of regulations of the Company.

(14) The Company is not, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Time of Sale Information will not be, required to register as an “investment company” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

(15) Although we assume no responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information, the Prospectus and any


amendment or supplement thereto, nothing has come to our attention to cause us to believe that the Registration Statement, at the time of its effective date (including the information, if any, deemed pursuant to Rule 430A, 430B or 430C to be part of the Registration Statement at the time of effectiveness), contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, that the Time of Sale Information, as of the Time of Sale (which we assume to be the date of the Underwriting Agreement) contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading or that the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto as of its date and the Closing Date contained or contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (other than the financial statements and other financial data contained therein, as to which we express no belief).

(16) The Registration Statement is an “automatic shelf registration statement” as defined under Rule 405 of the Securities Act that has been filed with the Commission not earlier than three years prior to the date of the Underwriting Agreement; each of the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus was filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act on the date specified therein; and to our knowledge: (i) no order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued, (ii) no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of such Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Securities Act has been received by the Company; and (iii) no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act against the Company or in connection with the offering is pending or threatened by the Commission.

(17) The Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus included in the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus (other than the financial statements and related schedules therein, as to which we express no opinion) comply as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act.

(18) The documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement thereto made by the Company prior to the Closing Date (other than the financial statements and related schedules therein, as to which we express no opinion), when they were filed with the Commission, complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder; and we have no reason to believe that any of such documents, when such documents were so filed, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made when such documents were so filed, not misleading.

(19) The statements in the Preliminary Prospectus and Prospectus under the headings “Certain U.S. federal income tax considerations”, “Description of the Series L Preferred Stock”, “Description of the Depositary Shares”, “Description of Fifth Third capital stock”


and “ERISA considerations” insofar as it purports to constitute a summary of matters of the U.S. Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and in the Registration Statement in Item 15, to the extent that they constitute summaries of the terms of Series L Preferred Stock, the Depositary Shares, the Company’s capital stock, matters of law or regulation or legal conclusions, fairly summarize the matters described therein in all material respects.

(20) To our knowledge there are no statutes, regulations or contracts and other documents that are required under the Securities Act to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and that have not been so filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement or described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus.


EXHIBIT A

FIFTH THIRD BANCORP

Underwriting Agreement Standard Provisions

From time to time, Fifth Third Bancorp, an Ohio corporation (the “Company”), may enter into one or more underwriting agreements that incorporate by reference these Standard Provisions (collectively with these Standard Provisions, an “Underwriting Agreement”) that provide for the sale of the securities designated in such Underwriting Agreement (the “Securities”) to the several Underwriters named therein (the “Underwriters”), for whom the Underwriter(s) named therein shall act as representative(s) (the “Representative(s)”). The Underwriting Agreement, including these Standard Provisions, is sometimes referred to herein as this “Agreement”.

1. Registration Statement. The Company has prepared and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Securities Act”), a registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333- 230568), including a prospectus (the “Basic Prospectus”), relating to certain securities to be issued from time to time by the Company. The Company has also filed, or proposes to file, with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act a prospectus supplement specifically relating to the Securities (the “Prospectus Supplement”). The registration statement, as amended at the time it becomes effective, including the information, if any, deemed pursuant to Rule 430A, 430B or 430C under the Securities Act to be part of the registration statement at the time of its effectiveness (“Rule 430 Information”), is referred to herein as the “Registration Statement”; and as used herein, the term “Prospectus” means the Basic Prospectus as supplemented by the prospectus supplement specifically relating to the Securities in the form first used (or made available upon request of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act) in connection with confirmation of sales of the Securities and the term “Preliminary Prospectus” means the preliminary prospectus supplement specifically relating to the Securities together with the Basic Prospectus. If the Company has filed an abbreviated registration statement pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act (the “Rule 462 Registration Statement”), then any reference herein to the term “Registration Statement” shall be deemed to include such Rule 462 Registration Statement. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to such terms in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus. References herein to the Registration Statement, the Basic Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein. The terms “supplement,” “amendment” and “amend” as used herein with respect to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any documents filed by the Company under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and

 

Exhibit A-1


regulations of the Commission thereunder (the “Exchange Act”) subsequent to the date of the Underwriting Agreement which are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Effective Time” means the effective date of the Registration Statement with respect to the offering of Securities, as determined for the Company pursuant to Section 11 of the Securities Act and Item 512 of Regulation S-K, as applicable.

At or prior to the time when sales of the Securities will be first made (the “Time of Sale”), the Company will prepare certain information (collectively, the “Time of Sale Information”) which information will be identified in Schedule 3 to the Underwriting Agreement for such offering of Securities as constituting part of the Time of Sale Information.

2. Purchase of the Securities by the Underwriters. (a) The Company agrees to issue and sell the Securities to the several Underwriters named in the Underwriting Agreement, and each Underwriter, on the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements set forth herein and subject to the conditions set forth herein, agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company the respective number of Securities set forth opposite such Underwriter’s name in Schedule 1 to the Underwriting Agreement at the Purchase Price set forth in the Underwriting Agreement.

(b) Payment for and delivery of the Securities will be made at the Closing Date provided for in the Underwriting Agreement.

(c) The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Underwriters named in the Underwriting Agreement are acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length contractual counterparty to the Company with respect to any offering of Securities contemplated hereby (including in connection with determining the terms of the offering) and not as a financial advisor or a fiduciary to, or an agent of, the Company or any other person. Additionally, no such Underwriter is advising the Company or any other person as to any legal, tax, investment, accounting or regulatory matters in any jurisdiction. The Company shall consult with its own advisors concerning such matters and shall be responsible for making its own independent investigation and appraisal of the transactions contemplated hereby, and such Underwriters shall have no responsibility or liability to the Company with respect thereto. Any review by such Underwriters named in the Underwriting Agreement of the Company, the transactions contemplated thereby or other matters relating to such transactions will be performed solely for the benefit of the Underwriters and shall not be on behalf of the Company.

 

Exhibit A-2


3. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to each Underwriter that:

(a) Registration Statement and Prospectus. The Registration Statement is an “automatic shelf registration statement” as defined under Rule 405 of the Securities Act that has been filed with the Commission not earlier than three years prior to the date hereof; and no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of such registration statement or any post-effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Securities Act has been received by the Company. No order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued by the Commission and no proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act against the Company or related to the offering has been initiated or threatened by the Commission; as of the Effective Time, the Registration Statement conformed in all material respects with the Securities Act and, if applicable, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (collectively, the “Trust Indenture Act”), and did not or will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading; and as of the date of the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto and as of the Closing Date, the Prospectus did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to (i) that part of the Registration Statement that constitutes the Statement of Eligibility and Qualification (Form T-1) of Wilmington Trust Company under the Trust Indenture Act or (ii) any statements or omissions in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein.

(b) Time of Sale Information. The Time of Sale Information, at the Time of Sale and at the Closing Date did not and will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in such Time of Sale Information. No statement of material fact included in the Prospectus has been omitted from the Time of Sale Information and no statement of material fact included in the Time of Sale Information that is required to be included in the Prospectus has been omitted therefrom.

(c) Issuer Free Writing Prospectus. Each “issuer free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act (an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”) that the Company is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act complied in all material respects with the Securities Act, has been or will be (within the time period specified in Rule 433) filed in accordance with the Securities Act (to the

 

Exhibit A-3


extent required thereby) and, when taken together with the Preliminary Prospectus accompanying, or delivered prior to delivery of, or filed prior to the first use of such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, did not, and at the Closing Date will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that the Company makes no representation and warranty with respect to any statements or omissions made in each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.

(d) Incorporated Documents. The documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information, when filed with the Commission, conformed or will conform, as the case may be, in all material respects, with the requirements of the Exchange Act and did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

(e) Financial Statements. The financial statements and the related notes thereto included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, and present fairly the financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries as of the dates indicated and the results of their operations and the changes in their cash flows for the periods specified; such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered thereby, and the supporting schedules included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement present fairly the information required to be stated therein; and the other financial information included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus has been derived from the accounting records of the Company and its subsidiaries and presents fairly the information shown thereby.

(f) [Reserved].

(g) Articles of Incorporation. The execution and filing of an amendment to the Company’s Articles of Incorporation (the “Certificate of Amendment”) designating the “Series L Preferred Stock” and establishing the rights, preferences and entitlements thereof, has been duly authorized by the Company and, as of the Closing Date, the Certificate of Amendment will have been duly executed and filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Ohio. The Company’s Articles of Incorporation, as so amended, is hereinafter referred to as the “Amended Articles of Incorporation.”

 

Exhibit A-4


(h) The Deposit Agreement. The Deposit Agreement has been duly authorized by the Company, and when duly executed and delivered by the Company, will constitute a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally or by equitable principles relating to enforceability. The Deposit Agreement conforms in all material respects to the description thereof in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information.

(i) The Underlying Preferred Shares. The Underlying Preferred Shares have been duly authorized by the Company and when the Securities (evidenced by the related Depositary Receipts) are issued and delivered in accordance with the terms of the Deposit Agreement, the Underlying Preferred Shares will be validly issued and outstanding, fully paid and non-assessable, not subject to any preemptive or other similar rights, will conform as to legal matters in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information, and will entitle the holders of the Underlying Preferred Shares to the rights and benefits provided therein and in the Amended Articles of Incorporation. The deposit of the Underlying Preferred Shares in respect of the Securities by the Company in accordance with the Deposit Agreement has been duly authorized and, when the Securities (evidenced by the related Depositary Receipts) are issued and delivered in accordance with the terms of the Deposit Agreement, the Securities will represent legal and valid interests in such Underlying Preferred Shares, and the Securities (evidenced by the related Depositary Receipts) will entitle holders thereof to the rights and benefits provided therein and in the Deposit Agreement.

(j) The Securities. The Securities have been duly authorized by the Company and, when issued and delivered as provided in the Deposit Agreement and paid for as provided in this Agreement, will be duly and validly issued and outstanding, fully paid and nonassessable, not subject to any preemptive or other similar rights, and will conform as to legal matters in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information.

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

(l) Organization and Good Standing. The Company has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Ohio, is duly registered as a bank holding company and qualified as a financial holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “Bank Holding Company Act”). The Company has the corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its property and to conduct its business as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or to be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect on the current or future financial position, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

 

Exhibit A-5


(m) Organization and Good Standing of Fifth Third Bank, National Association. Fifth Third Bank, National Association (“Fifth Third Bank”) has been duly formed, is validly existing as a bank, in good standing under the laws of the United States and is validly chartered as a national banking association. Fifth Third Bank has the corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its property and to conduct its business as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect on the current or future financial position, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole. Fifth Third Bank is the only “significant subsidiary “ (as such term is defined in Rule 1-02(w) of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act) of the Company.

(n) Bank Regulatory Compliance. Each of the Company and Fifth Third Bank is in compliance in all respects with all applicable laws administered by, and all applicable rules and regulations of, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve Board”), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”), the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (the “OCC”), the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and any other federal or state bank regulatory authority with jurisdiction over the Company or its Significant Subsidiaries (collectively, “Bank Regulatory Authorities”), other than where the failure to be in compliance would not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the current or future financial position, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

(o) Capital Stock. The authorized capital stock of the Company conforms as to legal matters to the description thereof contained in each of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information, and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable; and all of the issued shares of capital stock of each “Significant Subsidiary” have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and (except for directors’ qualifying shares and except as otherwise set forth in the Prospectus) are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims.

(p) Accuracy of Statements in Prospectus. The statements made in the Prospectus under the captions “Description of Fifth Third capital stock”, “Description of the Series L Preferred Stock” and “Description of the Depositary Shares” insofar as they purport to constitute summaries of the terms of the Securities and the Certificate of Amendment, constitute accurate summaries of the terms of such documents in all material respects;

 

Exhibit A-6


(q) No Conflicts; No Consents. The issue and sale of the Securities and the Underlying Preferred Shares, the execution and delivery by the Company of this Agreement, and the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement will not contravene (i) any provision of applicable law, (ii) the Company’s articles of incorporation, as amended, or the code of regulations of the Company, (iii) any agreement or other instrument binding upon the Company or any of the Company’s subsidiaries that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (v) any judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary, except, in the case of clauses (i), (iii) and (iv) above, that would not have a material adverse effect on the current or future financial position, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, and no consent, approval, authorization or order of, or qualification with, any governmental body or agency is required for the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement, except such as have been obtained under the Securities Act or as may be required by the securities or Blue Sky laws of the various states in connection with the offer and sale of the Securities.

(r) No Material Adverse Change. There has not occurred any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in the condition (financial or otherwise) or in the earnings, business, management or operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, from that set forth in the Time of Sale Information.

(s) Legal Proceedings. There are no legal or governmental proceedings pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or to which any of the properties of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject (i) other than proceedings accurately described in all material respects in the Time of Sale Information and proceedings that would not have a material adverse effect on the current or future financial position, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or on the power or ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement or to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Time of Sale Information or (ii) that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus and are not so described.

(t) Investment Company Act. The Company is not, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Securities, the deposit of the Underlying Preferred Shares with the Depositary and the application of the proceeds of the foregoing, as described in the Time of Sale Information, the Company will not be, required to register as an “investment company” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

Exhibit A-7


(u) No Unlawful Payments. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries: (i) has used any funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, property, entertainment or other unlawful expense relating to political activity; (ii) has made, taken or will take any action in furtherance of any direct or indirect unlawful payment, promise to pay, or authorization or approval of the payment or giving of money, property, gifts or anything else of value, directly or indirectly, to any foreign or domestic government official or employee to improperly influence official action or secure an improper advantage for the Company or its subsidiaries; (iii) is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “FCPA”) or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption laws; or (iv) has made, offered, agreed, requested or taken an act in furtherance of any unlawful bribe or other unlawful benefit, including, without limitation, any rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful or improper payment or benefit. The Company and its affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA and any applicable anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws or regulations and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.

(v) Compliance with Money Laundering Laws. The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are currently in material compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including without limitation those of the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by Title III of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (the “USA PATRIOT Act”), the applicable money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions and the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Anti-Money Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.

(w) Compliance with OFAC. Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, nor to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently the subject of any sanctions administered or imposed by the U.S. Government, including the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”) or the U.S. Department of State or any similar sanctions imposed by any other governmental body to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is currently the subject of Sanctions. The Company will not directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity (i) for the purpose of financing the activities of or business with any person or entity currently the subject of any Sanctions or (ii) in any other manner that will result in a violation by any person (including any person participating in the transaction, whether as an underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise) of Sanctions.

 

Exhibit A-8


(x) No Changes. Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in each of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information, (i) the Company and its subsidiaries have not incurred any material liability or obligation, direct or contingent, nor entered into any material transaction; (ii) the Company has not purchased any of its outstanding capital stock, nor declared, paid or otherwise made any dividend or distribution of any kind on its capital stock other than ordinary and customary dividends; and (iii) there has not been any material change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company and its subsidiaries, except in each case as described in each of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information, respectively.

(y) Dividend Payments. The Company is not subject to any order of the Federal Reserve Board which, as of the date hereof, prohibits the payment of dividends by it or any of its subsidiaries, except for the limitations on dividend payments during the third quarter of 2020 imposed on the Company by the Federal Reserve Board as part of its “Assessment of Bank Capital during the Recent Coronavirus Event” published on June 25, 2020.

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

(aa) Accounting Controls. The Company maintains a system of internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act) that complies with the requirements of the Exchange Act and has been designed by the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer, or under their supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. The Company’s internal control over financial reporting is effective and the Company is not aware of any material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting.

(bb) Internal Controls. Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, there has been 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.

 

Exhibit A-9


(cc) Disclosure Controls. The Company has established and maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act) that comply with the requirements of the Exchange Act; such disclosure controls and procedures have been 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 principal financial officer by others within those entities and such disclosure controls and procedures are effective.

4. Further Agreements of the Company. The Company covenants and agrees with each Underwriter that:

(a) Filings with the Commission. The Company will (i) pay the registration fees for this offering within the time period required by Rule 456(b)(1)(i) under the Securities Act (without giving effect to the proviso therein) and in any event prior to the Closing Date and (ii) file the Prospectus in a form approved by the Underwriters with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act not later than the close of business on the second business day following the date of determination of the public offering price of the Securities or, if applicable, such earlier time as may be required by Rule 424(b) and Rule 430A, 430B or 430C under the Securities Act. The Company will file any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (including the Term Sheet substantially in the form of Schedule 4 to the Underwriting Agreement) to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Securities Act; and the Company will furnish copies of the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (to the extent not previously delivered) to the Underwriters in New York City prior to 10:00 A.M., New York City time, on the business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement in such quantities as the Representatives may reasonably request.

(b) Amended Articles of Incorporation. Prior to the Closing Date, the Board of Directors of the Company, acting through its pricing committee, shall adopt the Certificate of Amendment designating the “Series L Preferred Stock” and establishing the rights, preferences and entitlements thereof, which shall conforms in all material respects to the description thereof in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Time of Sale Information. The Company shall file such Certificate of Amendment with the Secretary of State of the State of Ohio, accompanied by all fees required to be paid therewith, and cause the Amended Articles of Incorporation to become effective on or prior to the Closing Date.

(c) Delivery of Copies. The Company will deliver, without charge, to each Underwriter during the Prospectus Delivery Period (as defined below), as many copies of the Prospectus (including all amendments and supplements thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein) and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (if applicable) as the Representatives may reasonably request. As used herein, the term “Prospectus Delivery Period” means such period of time after the first date of the public offering of the Securities as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters a prospectus relating to the Securities is required by law to be delivered (or required to be delivered but for Rule 172 under the Securities Act) in connection with sales of the Securities by any Underwriter or dealer.

 

Exhibit A-10


(d) Amendments or Supplements; Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses Before making, preparing, using, authorizing, approving, referring to or filing any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus relating to the Securities, and before filing any amendment to the Registration Statement or supplement to the Basic Prospectus, the Company will furnish to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters a copy of the proposed Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, amendment or supplement for review and will not make, prepare, use, authorize, approve, refer to or file any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which the Representatives reasonably object unless, in the case of a filing, the Company is required by law to make such filing.

(e) Notice to the Representatives. The Company will advise the Representatives promptly, and confirm such advice in writing, (i) when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective; (ii) when any supplement to the Prospectus or any amendment to the Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus has been filed; (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or the receipt of any comments from the Commission relating to the Registration Statement or any other request by the Commission for any additional information; (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act; (v) of the occurrence of any event within the Prospectus Delivery Period as a result of which the Prospectus, the Time of Sale Information or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus, the Time of Sale Information or any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading; and (vi) of the receipt by the Company of any notice of objection of the Commission to the use of the Registration Statement or any post- effective amendment thereto pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Securities Act and (vii) of the receipt by the Company of any notice with respect to any suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offer and sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; and the Company will use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or suspending any such qualification of the Securities and, if any such order is issued, will obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.

 

Exhibit A-11


(f) Time of Sale Information. If at any time prior to the Closing Date (i) any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which the Time of Sale Information as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances, not misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Information to comply with law, the Company will immediately notify the Underwriters thereof and forthwith prepare and, subject to paragraph (c) above, file with the Commission (to the extent required) and furnish to the Underwriters and to such dealers as the Representatives may designate, such amendments or supplements to the Time of Sale Information as may be necessary so that the statements in the Time of Sale Information as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances, be misleading or so that the Time of Sale Information will comply with law.

(g) Ongoing Compliance. If during the Prospectus Delivery Period (i) any event shall occur or condition shall exist as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading or (ii) it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with law, the Company will immediately notify the Underwriters thereof and forthwith prepare and, subject to paragraph (d) above, file with the Commission and furnish to the Underwriters and to such dealers as the Representatives may designate, such amendments or supplements to the Prospectus as may be necessary so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances existing when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus will comply with law.

(h) Blue Sky Compliance. The Company will qualify the Securities for offer and sale under the securities or Blue Sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives shall reasonably request and will continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for distribution of the Securities; provided that the Company shall not be required to (i) qualify as a foreign corporation or other entity or as a dealer in securities in any such jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to so qualify, (ii) file any general consent to service of process in any such jurisdiction or (iii) subject itself to taxation in any such jurisdiction if it is not otherwise so subject.

(i) Earnings Statement. The Company will make generally available to its security holders (including holders of the Securities) and the Representatives as soon as practicable an earning statement (which need not be audited) of the Company and its subsidiaries, satisfying the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder (including Rule 158).

(j) Clear Market. During the period commencing on the date hereof through and including the Closing Date or such later date as is specified in the Underwriting Agreement, the Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, offer, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of any shares of preferred stock that are substantially similar to the Securities.

 

Exhibit A-12


(k) Use of Proceeds. The Company will apply the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus under the heading “Use of proceeds”.

(l) Filing of Exchange Act Documents. The Company will file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the Prospectus Delivery Period.

5. Certain Agreements of the Underwriters. Each Underwriter hereby represents and agrees that

(a) It has not and will not use, authorize use of, refer to, or participate in the planning for use of, any “free writing prospectus”, as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act (which term includes use of any written information furnished to the Commission by the Company and not incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and any press release issued by the Company) other than (i) a free writing prospectus that, solely a result of use by such underwriter, would not trigger an obligation to file such free writing prospectus with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433 and (other than any communications sent through the Bloomberg Message System or other similar systems) approved by the Company in advance in writing, (ii) any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus listed on Schedule 3 to the Underwriting Agreement or prepared pursuant to Section 3(c) or Section 4(d) above (including any electronic road show), or (iii) any free writing prospectus prepared by such underwriter and approved by the Company in advance in writing (each such free writing prospectus referred to in clauses (i) or (iii), an “Underwriter Free Writing Prospectus.”)

(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing the Underwriters may use a term sheet substantially in the form of Schedule 4 to the Underwriting Agreement without the consent of the Company.

(c) It is not subject to any pending proceeding under Section 8A of the Securities Act with respect to the offering (and will promptly notify the Company if any such proceeding against it is initiated during the Prospectus Delivery Period).

6. Conditions of Underwriters’ Obligations. The obligation of each Underwriter to purchase Securities on the Closing Date as provided herein is subject to the performance by the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:

(a) Registration Compliance; No Stop Order. If a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement is required to be filed under the Securities Act, such post- effective amendment shall have become effective, and the Representatives shall have

 

Exhibit A-13


received notice thereof, not later than 5:00 P.M., New York City time, on the date of the Underwriting Agreement; if applicable, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement shall have become effective by 10:00 a.m. New York City time on the business day following the date of the Underwriting Agreement; no order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be in effect, and no proceeding for such purpose, pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) or pursuant to Section 8A under the Securities Act shall be pending before or threatened by the Commission; the Prospectus and each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus shall have been timely filed with the Commission under the Securities Act (in the case of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, to the extent required by Rule 433 under the Securities Act) and in accordance with Section 4(a) hereof; and all requests by the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Representatives.

(b) Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of the Company contained herein shall be true and correct on the date hereof and on and as of the Closing Date; and the statements of the Company and its officers made in any certificates delivered pursuant to this Agreement shall be true and correct on and as of the Closing Date.

(c) No Downgrade. Subsequent to the earlier of (A) the Time of Sale and (B) the execution and delivery of this Agreement, (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded the Securities or any debt securities or preferred stock of or guaranteed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization”, as such term is defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act and (ii) no such organization (excluding Moody’s Investor Service) shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, or has changed its outlook with respect to, its rating of the Securities or of any debt securities or preferred stock of or guaranteed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries (other than an announcement with positive implications of a possible upgrading).

(d) No Material Adverse Change. No event or condition of a type described in Section 3(r) hereof shall have occurred or shall exist, which event or condition is not described in the Time of Sale Information (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) and the Prospectus (excluding any amendment or supplement thereto) and the effect of which in the judgment of the Representatives makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus.

(e) Officer’s Certificate. The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date a certificate of an executive officer of the Company who has specific knowledge of the Company’s financial matters and is satisfactory to the Representatives, (i) confirming that such officer has carefully reviewed the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus and, to the knowledge of such officer, the representations set forth in Sections 3(a) and 3(b) hereof are true and

 

Exhibit A-14


correct, (ii) confirming that the other representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct and that the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to the Closing Date and (iii) to the effect set forth in paragraphs (a), (c) and (d) above.

(f) Comfort Letters. On the date of this Agreement and on the Closing Date, (i) Deloitte & Touche LLP shall have furnished to the Representatives, at the request of the Company, letters, dated the respective dates of delivery thereof and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, containing statements and information of the type customarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus; provided that the letter delivered on the date of this Agreement shall use a “cut-off” date no more than three business days prior to the date of this Agreement and the letter delivered on the Closing Date shall use a “cut-off” date no more than three business days prior to the Closing Date; and (ii) the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives a certificate of the Chief Financial Officer of the Company dated the respective dates of delivery thereof and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, with respect to certain financial statements and certain financial information contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus.

(g) Opinion and 10b-5 Statement of Counsel for the Company. Graydon Head & Ritchey LLP, counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to the Representatives, at the request of the Company, their written opinion and 10b-5 Statement, dated the Closing Date and addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, to the effect set forth in Annex B-1 hereto.

(h) Opinion and 10b-5 Statement of Counsel for the Underwriters. The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date an opinion and 10b- 5 Statement of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, with respect to such matters as the Representatives may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received such documents and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.

(i) No Legal Impediment to Issuance. No action shall have been taken and no statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any federal, state or foreign governmental or regulatory authority that would, as of the Closing Date, prevent the issuance or sale of the Securities; and no injunction or order of any federal, state or foreign court shall have been issued that would, as of the Closing Date, prevent the issuance or sale of the Securities.

 

Exhibit A-15


(j) Good Standing. The Representatives shall have received on and as of the Closing Date satisfactory evidence of the good standing of the Company and Fifth Third Bank in their respective jurisdictions of organization and their good standing in such other jurisdictions as the Representatives may reasonably request, in each case in writing or any standard form of telecommunication from the appropriate governmental authorities of such jurisdictions.

(k) Certificate of Amendment. The Representatives shall have received prior to the Closing Date satisfactory evidence of the filing of the Certificate of Amendment to amend the Company’s Articles of Incorporation, as provided for in Section 4(b) of this Agreement.

(l) Additional Documents. On or prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall have furnished to the Representatives such further certificates and documents as the Representatives may reasonably request.

All opinions, letters, certificates and evidence mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall be deemed to be in compliance with the provisions hereof only if they are in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters.

7. Indemnification and Contribution.

(a) Indemnification of the Underwriters. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, legal fees and other expenses incurred in connection with any suit, action or proceeding or any claim asserted as such fees and expenses are incurred), joint or several, that arise out of, or are based upon, (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, not misleading, or (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Time of Sale Information, or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, in each case except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein.

(b) Indemnification of the Company. Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, its officers who

 

Exhibit A-16


signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act to the same extent as the indemnity set forth in paragraph (a) above, but only with respect to any losses, claims, damages or liabilities that arise out of, or are based upon, any untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission made in reliance upon and in conformity with any information relating to such Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Time of Sale Information.

(c) Notice and Procedures. If any suit, action, proceeding (including any governmental or regulatory investigation), claim or demand shall be brought or asserted against any person in respect of which indemnification may be sought pursuant to either paragraph (a) or (b) above, such person (the “Indemnified Person”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnification may be sought (the “Indemnifying Person”) in writing; provided that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have under this Section 7 except to the extent that it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) by such failure; and provided, further, that the failure to notify the Indemnifying Person shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have to an Indemnified Person otherwise than under this Section 7. If any such proceeding shall be brought or asserted against an Indemnified Person and it shall have notified the Indemnifying Person thereof, the Indemnifying Person shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person (who shall not, without the consent of the Indemnified Person, be counsel to the Indemnifying Person) to represent the Indemnified Person and any others entitled to indemnification pursuant to this Section 7 that the Indemnifying Person may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and expenses of such counsel related to such proceeding as incurred. In any such proceeding, any Indemnified Person shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Person unless (i) the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person shall have mutually agreed to the contrary, (ii) the Indemnifying Person has failed within a reasonable time to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnified Person; (iii) the Indemnified Person shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it that are different from or in addition to those available to the Indemnifying Person; or (iv) the named parties in any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the Indemnifying Person and the Indemnified Person and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. It is understood and agreed that the Indemnifying Person shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceeding in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the fees and expenses of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all Indemnified Persons, and that all such fees and expenses shall be reimbursed as they are incurred. Any such separate firm for any Underwriter, its affiliates, directors and officers and any control persons of such Underwriter shall be

 

Exhibit A-17


designated in writing by the Representatives and any such separate firm for the Company, its directors, its officers who signed the Registration Statement and any control persons of the Company shall be designated in writing by the Company. The Indemnifying Person shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the Indemnifying Person agrees to indemnify each Indemnified Person from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an Indemnified Person shall have requested that an Indemnifying Person reimburse the Indemnified Person for fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by this paragraph, the Indemnifying Person shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (A) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by the Indemnifying Person of such request and (B) the Indemnifying Person shall not have reimbursed the Indemnified Person in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement. No Indemnifying Person shall, without the written consent of the Indemnified Person, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any Indemnified Person is or could have been a party and indemnification could have been sought hereunder by such Indemnified Person, unless such settlement (x) includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Person, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Person, from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding and (y) does not include any statement as to or any admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of any Indemnified Person.

(d) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in paragraphs (a) and (b) above is unavailable to an Indemnified Person or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each Indemnifying Person under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such Indemnified Person thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such Indemnified Person as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Securities or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds (before deducting expenses) received by the Company from the sale of the Securities and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters in connection therewith, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate offering price of the Securities. The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be determined

 

Exhibit A-18


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

(e) Limitation on Liability. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 7 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in paragraph (d) above. The amount paid or payable by an Indemnified Person as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in paragraph (d) above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses incurred by such Indemnified Person in connection with any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 7, in no event shall an Underwriter be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriter with respect to the offering of the Securities exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 7 are several in proportion to their respective purchase obligations hereunder and not joint.

(f) Non-Exclusive Remedies. The remedies provided for in this Section 7 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any Indemnified Person at law or in equity.

8. Termination. This Agreement may be terminated in the absolute discretion of the Representatives, by notice to the Company, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on the New York Stock Exchange, the NYSE American, the Nasdaq Stock Market, the Chicago Board Options Exchange, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange or the Chicago Board of Trade, or the over-the-counter market; (ii) trading of any securities issued or guaranteed by the Company shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market; (iii) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by federal or New York State authorities; or (iv) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis, either within or outside the United States, that, in the judgment of the Representatives, is material and adverse and makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated by this Agreement, the Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus.

 

Exhibit A-19


9. Defaulting Underwriter. (a) If, on the Closing Date, any Underwriter defaults on its obligation to purchase the Securities that it has agreed to purchase hereunder, the non-defaulting Underwriters may in their discretion arrange for the purchase of such Securities by other persons satisfactory to the Company on the terms contained in this Agreement. If, within 36 hours after any such default by any Underwriter, the non-defaulting Underwriters do not arrange for the purchase of such Securities, then the Company shall be entitled to a further period of 36 hours within which to procure other persons satisfactory to the non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase such Securities on such terms. If other persons become obligated or agree to purchase the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter, either the non-defaulting Underwriters or the Company may postpone the Closing Date for up to five full business days in order to effect any changes that in the opinion of counsel for the Company or counsel for the Underwriters may be necessary in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or in any other document or arrangement, and the Company agrees to promptly prepare any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus that effects any such changes. As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” includes, for all purposes of this Agreement unless the context otherwise requires, any person not listed in the Underwriting Agreement that, pursuant to this Section 9, purchases Securities that a defaulting Underwriter agreed but failed to purchase.

(b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate principal amount of such Securities that remains unpurchased does not exceed one-ninth of the aggregate principal amount of all the Securities, then the Company shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the principal amount of Securities that such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder plus such Underwriter’s pro rata share (based on the principal amount of Securities that such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder) of the Securities of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made.

(c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate principal amount of such Securities that remains unpurchased exceeds one-ninth of the aggregate principal amount of all the Securities, or if the Company shall not exercise the right described in paragraph (b) above, then this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of the non-defaulting Underwriters. Any termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section 9 shall be without liability on the part of the Company, except that the Company will continue to be liable for the payment of expenses as set forth in Section 10 hereof and except that the provisions of Section 7 hereof shall not terminate and shall remain in effect.

(d) Nothing contained herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter of any liability it may have to the Company or any non-defaulting Underwriter for damages caused by its default.

 

Exhibit A-20


10. Payment of Expenses. (a) Whether or not the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, the Company will pay or cause to be paid all costs and expenses incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder, including without limitation, (i) the costs incident to the authorization, issuance, sale, preparation and delivery of the Securities or the Underlying Preferred Shares and any taxes payable in that connection; (ii) the costs incident to the preparation, printing and filing under the Securities Act of the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, any Time of Sale Information and the Prospectus (including all exhibits, amendments and supplements thereto) and the distribution thereof; (iii) the fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel and independent accountants; (iv) the fees and expenses incurred in connection with the registration or qualification and determination of eligibility for investment of the Securities under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives may designate and the preparation, printing and distribution of a Blue Sky Memorandum (including the related fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters); (v) any fees charged by rating agencies for rating the Securities; (vi) the fees and expenses of the Depositary and any paying agent (including related fees and expenses of any counsel to such parties); (vii) all expenses and application fees incurred in connection with any filing with, and clearance of any offering by, FINRA; and (viii) all expenses incurred by the Company in connection with any “road show” presentation to potential investors.

(b) If (i) this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 8, (ii) the Company for any reason fails to tender the Securities for delivery to the Underwriters or (iii) the Underwriters decline to purchase the Securities for any reason permitted under this Agreement, the Company agrees to reimburse the Underwriters for all out-of-pocket costs and expenses (including the fees and expenses of their counsel) reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in connection with this Agreement and the offering contemplated hereby.

11. Persons Entitled to Benefit of Agreement. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers and directors and any controlling persons referred to herein, and the affiliates of each Underwriter referred to in Section 7 hereof. Nothing in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any other person any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision contained herein. No purchaser of Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor merely by reason of such purchase.

12. Survival. The respective indemnities, rights of contribution, representations, warranties and agreements of the Company and the Underwriters contained in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of the Company or the Underwriters pursuant to this Agreement or any certificate delivered pursuant hereto

 

Exhibit A-21


shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Company, the Underwriters or any controlling persons of the Company or Underwriter and shall survive the delivery of and payment for the Securities. The provisions of Sections 7 and 10 hereof shall survive any termination of this Agreement.

13. Certain Defined Terms. For purposes of this Agreement, (a) except where otherwise expressly provided, the term “affiliate” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act; (b) the term “business day” means any day that is not a Saturday or Sunday, and that is not a day on which banking institutions in the City of New York are authorized or obligated by law, regulation or executive order to close; and (c) the term “subsidiary” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act.

14. Miscellaneous. (a) Authority of the Representatives. Any action by the Underwriters hereunder may be taken by the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters, and any such action taken by the Representatives shall be binding upon the Underwriters.

(b) Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted and confirmed by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be given to the Representatives at the address set forth in the Underwriting Agreement. Notices to the Company shall be given to it at Fifth Third Bancorp, 38 Fountain Square Plaza, MD 10AT76, Cincinnati, OH 45263, (fax: (513) 534-6757); Attention: General Counsel, or if different, to the address set forth in the Underwriting Agreement.

(c) Compliance with USA Patriot Act. In accordance with the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)), the Underwriters are required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies their respective clients, including the Company, which information may include the name and address of their respective clients, as well as other information that will allow the Underwriters to properly identify their respective clients.

(d) Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

(e) Amendments or Waivers. No amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement, nor any consent or approval to any departure therefrom, shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be in writing and signed by the parties hereto.

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

 

Exhibit A-22


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

15. 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 Section 15:

“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).

“Covered Entity” means any of the following:

a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b);

a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or

a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b).

“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.

“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.

 

Exhibit A-23

Exhibit 4.1

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DATE DOCUMENT ID DESCRIPTION FILING EXPED CERT COPY
07/29/2020 202021102370 AMENDMENT TO ARTICLES (AMD) 50.00 300.00 0.00 0.00
Receipt
This is not a bill. Please do not remit payment.
GRAYDON HEAD & RITCHEY LLP
ATTN:KYLE BLACK, PARALEGAL
312 WALNUT ST., SUITE 1800
CINCINNATI, OH 45202
STATE OF OHIO
CERTIFICATE
Ohio Secretary of State, Frank LaRose
458715
It is hereby certified that the Secretary of State of Ohio has custody of the business records for
FIFTH THIRD BANCORP
and, that said business records show the filing and recording of:
Document(s) Document Nofs):
AMENDMENT TO ARTICLES 202021102370
Effective Date: 07/29/2020
Witness my hand and the seal of the Secretary of State at Columbus, Ohio this 29th day of July, A.D. 2020.
Ohio Secretary of State
United States of America
State of Ohio
Office of the Secretary of State


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Form 540 Prescribed by:
Frank LaRose
Ohio Secretary of State
Toll Free: 877.767.3453
Central Ohio: 614.466.3910
OhioSoS.gov
business@OhioSoS.gov
File online or for more information: OhioBusinessCentral.gov
Mall this form to one of the following:
Regular Filing (non expedite)
P.O. Box 1329
Columbus, OH 43216
Expedite Filing (Two business day processing time.
Requires an additional $100.00)
P.O. Box 1390
Columbus, OH 43216
For screen readers, follow iiistructiQnslaaaled.at this path.
RECEIVED
JUL 29 2020
SECRETARY OF STATE
Certificate of Amendment
(For-Profit, Domestic Corporation)
Filing Fee: $50
Form Must Be Typed
Check appropriate box:
Amendment to existing Articles of Incorporation (125-AMDS)
Amended and Restated Articles (122-AMAP)—The following articles supersede the existing articles and all amendments thereto.
Complete the following information:
Name of Corporation
Fifth Third Bancorp
Charter Number
458715
Check one box below and provide information as required:
The articles are hereby amended by the Incorporators. Pursuant to Ohio Revised Code section 1701.70 ? (A), incorporators may adopt an amendment to the articles by a writing signed by them if initial directors are not named in the articles or elected and before subscriptions to shares have been received.
The articles are hereby amended by the Directors. Pursuant to Ohio Revised Code section 1701.70(A), directors may adopt amendments if initial directors were named in articles or elected, but subscriptions to shares have not been received. Also, Ohio Revised Code section 1701.70(B) sets forth additional cases in which directors may adopt an amendment to the articles.
1701.70(B)(1)The resolution was adopted pursuant to Ohio Revised Code section 1701.70(B) (In this space insert the number 1 through 10 to provide basis for adoption.) 1701.70(B)(1)
? The articles are hereby amended by the Shareholders pursuant to Ohio Revised Code section 1701.71.
? The articles are hereby amended and restated pursuant to Ohio Revised Code section 1701.72.
Form 540
Page 2 of 4
Last Revised: 06/2019
1701.70(B)(1)


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A copy of the resolution of amendment is attached to this document.
Note. If amended articles were adopted, they must set forth all provisions required in original articles except that articles amended by directors or shareholders need not contain any statement with respect to initial stated capital. See Ohio Revised Code section 1701.04 for required provisions.
By signing and submitting this form to the Ohio Secretary of State, the undersigned hereby certifies that he or she has the requisite authority to execute this document.
Required
Must be signed by all incorporators, if amended by incorporators, or an authorized officer if amended by directors or shareholders, pursuant to Ohio Revised Code section 1701.73(B) and (C).
If authorized representative is an individual, then they must sign in the “signature” box and print their name in the “Print Name” box.
If authorized representative is a business entity, not an individual, then please print the business name in the “signature” box, an authorized representative of the business entity must sign in the “By” box and print their name in the “Print Name” box.
Signature
Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, and Secretary
Susan B. Zaunbrecher
Print Name
Signature
By (if applicable)
Print Name
Form 540 Page 4 of 4 Last Revised: 06/2019


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ATTACHMENT TO CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT TO THE AMENDED ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION
OF
FIFTH THIRD BANCORP, AS AMENDED
RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority granted to and vested in the pricing committee (the “Pricing Committee”) of the Board of Directors of the corporation by resolutions of the Board of Directors of the corporation adopted at a meeting duly convened and held on July 27, 2020, and in accordance with Section 1701.70(B)(1) of the Ohio Revised Code and Article Fourth of the Amended Articles of Fifth Third Bancorp, as amended, the Pricing Committee, on behalf of the Board of Directors, hereby establishes the terms of the corporation’s 4.500% Fixed- Rate Reset Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series L, pursuant to the following resolutions.
RESOLVED, that Paragraph (A)(2)(e) of Article Fourth of the Amended Articles of Incorporation of Fifth Third Bancorp, as amended, be, and it hereby is, renumbered as Paragraph (A)(2)(f), and a new Paragraph (A)(2)(e) of Article Fourth of the Amended Articles of Incorporation of Fifth Third Bancorp, as amended, be and it hereby is, added to read as follows:
(e) 4.500% Fixed-Rate Reset Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series L. Fourteen Thousand (14,000) shares of the preferred stock of the corporation shall be designated “4.500% Fixed-Rate Reset Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series L.” Each of the Fourteen Thousand (14,000) shares of the 4.500% Fixed-Rate Reset Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series L, no par value, shall have a liquidation preference of $25,000 per share, and $350,000,000 in the aggregate, and shall have the rights, preferences and entitlements that follow:
1. Designation. The shares of such series shall be designated as the “4.500% Fixed-Rate Reset Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series L” (the “Series L Preferred Stock”).

2.

Definitions.

“Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or any other day on which banking institutions and trust companies in New York, New York are permitted or required by any applicable law to close.
“Calculation Agent” means any firm appointed by Fifth Third, acting as calculation agent. Upon request of the holder of any shares of Series L Preferred Stock, the calculation agent will provide the interest rate then in effect and, if determined, the interest rate that will become effective for the next quarterly Dividend Payment Period for the Series L Preferred Stock.
“Dividend Payment Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(i) hereof.

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“Dividend Payment Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(i) hereof.
“Dividend Reset Date” means the First Dividend Reset Date and each date falling on the fifth anniversary of the preceding Dividend Reset Date. Dividend Reset Dates, including the First Dividend Reset Date, will not be adjusted for Business Days.
“Dividend Reset Period” means the period commencing on and including the First Dividend Reset Date to, but excluding, the next following Dividend Reset Date and thereafter each period from and including each Dividend Reset Date to, but excluding, the next following Dividend Reset Date.
“First Dividend Reset Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(i) hereof.
“Five-Year U.S. Treasury Rate” means, as of any Reset Dividend Determination Date, as applicable:
(i) The average of the yields on actively traded U.S. treasury securities adjusted to constant maturity, for five-year maturities, for the five Business Days appearing (or, if fewer than five Business Days appear, such number of Business Days appearing) under the caption “Treasury Constant Maturities” in the most recently published H.15 as of 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) (the “Initial Base Rate”):, or
(ii) If there are no such published yields on actively traded U.S. treasury securities adjusted to constant maturity, for five-year maturities, then the rate will be determined by interpolation between the average of the yields on actively traded U.S. treasury securities adjusted to constant maturity for two series of actively traded U.S. treasury securities, (A) one maturing as close as possible to, but earlier than, the Dividend Reset Date following the next succeeding Reset Dividend Determination Date, and (B) the other maturing as close as possible to, but later than, the Dividend Reset Date following the next succeeding Reset Dividend Determination Date, in each case for the five Business Days appearing (or, if fewer than five Business Days appear, such number of business days appearing) in the H.15 as of 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time); or
(iii) If the corporation, in its sole discretion, determines on or prior to the relevant Reset Dividend Determination Date that the Five-Year U.S. Treasury Rate cannot be determined in the manner then applicable for such rate (which, as of the Original Issuance Date, is pursuant to the methods described in clauses (i) or (ii) above) (a “Benchmark Substitution Event”), the corporation may, in its sole discretion, designate an unaffiliated agent or advisor, which may include an unaffiliated underwriter for the offering of the shares of Series L Preferred Stock or any affiliate of any such underwriter (the “Designee”), to determine

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whether there is an industry-accepted successor rate to the then-applicable base rate (which, as of the Original Issuance Date, is the Initial Base Rate). If the Designee determines that there is such an industry-accepted successor rate, then the “Five-Year U.S. Treasury Rate” shall be such successor rate and, in that case, the Designee may then determine and adjust the Business Day convention, the definition of Business Day and the Reset Dividend Determination date to be used and any other relevant methodology for determining or otherwise calculating such successor rate, including any adjustment factor needed to make such successor rate comparable to the then-applicable base rate (which, as of the Original Issuance Date, is the Initial Base Rate) in each case, in a manner that is consistent with industry-accepted practices for the use of such successor rate (the “Adjustments”’). If the corporation, in its sole discretion, does not designate a Designee or if the Designee determines that there is no industry-accepted successor rate to then-applicable base rate, then the Five-Year U.S. Treasury Rate will be the same interest rate determined for the prior Reset Dividend Determination date or, if this sentence is applicable with respect to the first Reset Dividend Determination Date, 0.285%.
The applicable dividend rate for each Dividend Reset Period will be determined by the Calculation Agent, as of the applicable Reset Dividend Determination Date. Promptly upon such determination, the Calculation Agent will notify the corporation of the dividend rate for the Dividend Reset Period. The Calculation Agent’s determination of any dividend rate and its calculation of the amount of dividends for any Dividend Period beginning on or after September 30, 2025, and a record maintained by the corporation of any Benchmark Substitution Event and any Adjustments, will be on file at the corporation’s principal offices, will be made available to any holder of Series L Preferred Stock upon request and will be final and binding in the absence of manifest error.
“H.15” means the daily statistical release designated as such, or any successor publication, published by the Federal Reserve Board.
“Original Issuance Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(i) hereof.
“Reset Dividend Determination Date” means, in respect of any Dividend Payment Period during the Dividend Reset Period, the day falling three business days prior to the beginning of such Dividend Payment Period.

3.

Dividends.

(i) Dividends on shares of Series L Preferred Stock will not be mandatory. Holders of the Series L Preferred Stock, in preference to the holders of the corporation’s common stock and of any other shares of the corporation’s stock ranking junior to the Series L Preferred Stock as to payment of dividends, will be entitled to receive, only as and if

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declared by the Board of Directors, out of funds legally available for payment, cash dividends. Commencing on the original issuance date of the Series L Preferred Stock (the “Original Issuance Date”) through, but excluding September 30, 2025 (the “First Dividend Reset Date”), dividends on the Series L Preferred Stock will accrue, on a non-cumulative basis, at an annual rate of 4.500%. Commencing on and including the First Dividend Reset Date, for each Dividend Reset Period, dividends on the Series L Preferred Stock will accrue, on a non-cumulative basis, at a rate equal to the Five-Year U.S. Treasury Rate as of the most recent Reset Dividend Determination Date plus 4.215%.
Dividends on the liquidation preference of $25,000 per share of Series L Preferred Stock will be payable, when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors, quarterly in arrears on each March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31 beginning on September 30, 2020 (each such date a “Dividend Payment Date”). Each Dividend Payment Date shall relate to the immediately preceding Dividend Payment Period. A “Dividend Payment Period” means each period commencing on, and including, a Dividend Payment Date and ending on, but excluding, the next succeeding Dividend Payment Date, except that the first Dividend Payment Period shall commence on, and include, the Original Issuance Date of the Series L Preferred Stock and end on, but exclude, September 30, 2020. Declared dividends, if any, will be paid to holders of record of Series L Preferred Stock on the respective date fixed for that purpose by the Board of Directors in advance of payment of each particular dividend (a “Record Date”). If any Dividend Payment Date or any date fixed for payment upon redemption is not a Business Day, then such payment shall be payable on the next succeeding Business Day without any increase in the amount payable as a result of such postponement.
The dividend payable on the Series L Preferred Stock for any Dividend Payment Period will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.
(ii) Dividends on shares of Series L Preferred Stock will not be cumulative. Accordingly, if the Board of Directors does not declare a dividend on the Series L Preferred Stock payable in respect of any Dividend Payment Period before the related Dividend Payment Date, such dividend will not accrue and the corporation will have no obligation to pay a dividend for that Dividend Payment Period on the Dividend Payment Date or at any future time, whether or not dividends on the Series L Preferred Stock are declared for any future Dividend Payment Period.

4.

Ranking.

(i) The Series L Preferred Stock will rank (a) senior to the corporation’s common stock and all other equity securities that the corporation may issue in the future designated as ranking junior to the Series L Preferred Stock; (b) equally with the corporation’s outstanding Series H Preferred Stock, Series I Preferred Stock, Series J Preferred Stock, Class B Preferred Stock, Series A, and Series K Preferred Stock; and (c) equally with any other shares of preferred stock, and with all other equity securities that the corporation may issue in the future the terms of which provide that such preferred stock or other equity securities shall rank on a parity with the Series L Preferred Stock, in each case with respect to the payment of

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dividends and distribution of assets upon any liquidation, dissolution and winding-up of the corporation.
(ii) The corporation will not issue any series of preferred stock in the future that ranks senior to the Series L Preferred Stock, but the corporation may issue additional series ranking junior to or on a parity with the Series L Preferred Stock with respect to the payment of dividends and distribution of assets upon any liquidation, dissolution and winding up of the corporation. The corporation’s common stock and any preferred stock or other equity securities designated as ranking junior to the Series L Preferred Stock are referred to herein as “junior stock.”
(iii) So long as any shares of Series L Preferred Stock remain outstanding, unless the full dividends for the then-current Dividend Payment Period on all outstanding shares of Series L Preferred Stock have been paid, or declared and funds set aside therefor, on any day in the immediately succeeding Dividend Payment Period: (a) no dividend whatsoever shall be declared on any junior stock, other than a dividend payable solely in junior stock; and (b) the corporation and its subsidiaries may not purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire for consideration (other than as a result of reclassification of junior stock for or into junior stock, or the exchange or conversion of one share of junior stock for or into another share of junior stock, and other than through the use of the proceeds of a substantially contemporaneous sale of other shares of junior stock), nor will the corporation pay to or make available any monies for a sinking fund for the redemption of any junior stock.
(iv) On any Dividend Payment Date for which full dividends are not paid, or declared and funds set aside therefor, upon the Series L Preferred Stock and any shares of any class or series or any securities convertible into shares of any class or series of other equity securities designated as ranking on a parity with the Series L Preferred Stock as to payment of dividends ^Dividend Parity Stock”}, all dividends paid or declared for payment on that Dividend Payment Date with respect to the Series L Preferred Stock and the Dividend Parity Stock shall be shared: (a) first ratably by the holders of any shares of such other series of Dividend Parity Stock who have the right to receive dividends with respect to Dividend Payment Periods prior to the then-current Dividend Payment Period, in proportion to their respective amounts of the undeclared and unpaid dividends relating to prior Dividend Payment Periods; and (b) thereafter by the holders of the shares of Series L Preferred Stock and the Dividend Parity Stock on a pro rata basis.
(v) The corporation will not issue any new series of preferred stock having dividend payment dates that are not a March 31, June 30, September 30 or December 31 (or the next Business Day, if applicable).
5. Conversion. The Series L Preferred Stock are not convertible into shares of any other class or series of the corporation’s capital stock or any other security.

6.

Redemption.

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(i) Subject to receiving all required regulatory approvals (including prior approval by the Federal Reserve, if required), the Series L Preferred Stock may be redeemed at the option of the corporation, in whole or in part, at any time, or from time to time on any Dividend Payment Date on or after September 30, 2025 at a redemption price equal to $25,000 per share, plus an amount equal to any declared but unpaid dividends, without accumulation of any undeclared dividends. At any time after the corporation’s good faith determination that an event has occurred that would constitute a “regulatory capital event,” the corporation may at its option, subject to receiving all required regulatory approvals (including prior approval by the Federal Reserve, if required), provide notice of its intent to redeem the Series L Preferred Stock in accordance with the procedures described below, and subsequently redeem in whole, but not in part, at any time, the shares of Series L Preferred Stock at the time outstanding at a redemption price equal to $25,000 per share, plus an amount equal to any declared but unpaid dividends, without accumulation of any undeclared dividends.
A “regulatory capital event’ means the corporation’s reasonable determination that as a result of any: amendment to, clarification of, or change (including any announced prospective change) in the laws or regulations of the United States or any political subdivision of the United States that is enacted or becomes effective on or after the Original Issuance Date; proposed change in the laws or regulations of the United States or any political subdivision of the United States that is announced or becomes effective on or after the Original Issuance Date; or official administrative decision or judicial decision or administrative action or other official pronouncement interpreting or applying the laws or regulations of the United States or any political subdivision of the United States that is announced on or after the Original Issuance Date, there is more than an insubstantial risk that the corporation will not be entitled to treat the full liquidation preference amount of all shares of Series L Preferred Stock then outstanding as additional Tier 1 capital (or its equivalent) for purposes of the capital adequacy guidelines or regulations of the appropriate federal banking agency, as then in effect and applicable, for as long as any share of Series L Preferred Stock is outstanding.
(ii) Holders of Series L Preferred Stock do not have any right to require redemption of the Series L Preferred Stock.
(iii) The corporation will mail notice of every redemption of the Series L Preferred Stock by first class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to the holders of record of the Series L Preferred Stock to be redeemed at their respective last addresses appearing on the corporation’s books. The corporation may redeem the Series L Preferred Stock upon not less than 5 and not more than 60 days’ notice, which notice will be irrevocable, at a price of 100% of the liquidation preference of the redeemed Series L Preferred Stock, plus declared but unpaid dividends, if any, to, but excluding, the redemption date. Each notice shall state: (a) the redemption date; (b) the aggregate number of shares of Series L Preferred Stock to be redeemed, and if less than all shares of Series L Preferred Stock held by the holder are to be redeemed, the number of shares to be redeemed from the holder; (c) the redemption price; and (d) the place or places where the Series L Preferred Stock is to be redeemed.
(iv) If notice of redemption of any shares of Series L Preferred Stock

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has been duly given and if the funds necessary for such redemption have been irrevocably set aside by the corporation for the benefit of the holders of the shares of Series L Preferred Stock so called for redemption, then, on and after the redemption date, dividends will not accrue on such shares of Series L Preferred Stock, such shares of Series L Preferred Stock shall no longer be deemed outstanding and all rights of the holders of such shares will terminate, except the right to receive the redemption price. In case of any redemption of only part of the shares of Series L Preferred Stock at the time outstanding, the shares to be redeemed shall be selected either pro rata or in such other manner as the corporation may determine to be fair and equitable.
7. Status of Reacquired Shares. Shares of Series L Preferred Stock that are redeemed, repurchased or otherwise acquired by the corporation shall not be reissued as shares of Series L Preferred Stock but shall revert to authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock and may be reissued as shares of a different series of Preferred Stock in any future designation by the Board of Directors.

8.

Liquidation Rights.

(i) In the event that the corporation voluntarily or involuntarily liquidates, dissolves or winds up its affairs, holders of Series L Preferred Stock will be entitled to receive an amount per share referred to as the ‘’’‘Total Liquidation Amount,” equal to the fixed liquidation preference of $25,000 per share, plus any declared and unpaid dividends including, if applicable, a pro rata portion of any declared and unpaid dividends for the then-current Dividend Payment Period to the date of liquidation, without regard to any undeclared dividends. Holders of the Series L Preferred Stock will be entitled to receive the Total Liquidation Amount out of the corporation’s assets that are available for distribution to shareholders of the corporation’s capital stock ranking on a parity on liquidation to the Series L Preferred Stock, after payment or provision for payment of the corporation’s debts and other liabilities, but before any distribution of assets is made to holders of the corporation’s common stock or any other shares ranking, as to that distribution, junior to the Series L Preferred Stock.
(ii) If the corporation’s assets are not sufficient to pay the Total Liquidation Amount in full to all holders of Series L Preferred Stock and all holders of any shares of the corporation’s stock ranking as to any such distribution on a parity with the Series L Preferred Stock, the amounts paid to the holders of Series L Preferred Stock and to holders of such other shares will be paid pro rata in accordance with the respective Total Liquidation Amount and the aggregate liquidation amount of any such outstanding shares of parity stock.
(iii) If the Total Liquidation Amount per share of Series L Preferred Stock has been paid in full to all holders of Series L Preferred Stock and the liquidation preference of any other shares ranking on a parity with the Series L Preferred Stock has been paid in full, the holders of the corporation’s common stock or any other shares ranking, as to such distribution, junior to the Series L Preferred Stock will be entitled to receive all of the corporation’s remaining assets according to their respective rights and preferences.
(iv) For purposes of the liquidation rights, neither the sale, conveyance,

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exchange or transfer for cash, shares of stock, securities or other consideration, of all or substantially all of the corporation’s property and assets, nor the consolidation or merger by the corporation with or into any other corporation or by another corporation with or into the corporation, will constitute a liquidation, dissolution and winding-up of the corporation’s affairs.
9. Voting Rights.
Except as required by Ohio law, holders of the Series L Preferred Stock will not have any voting rights and will not be entitled to elect any directors. In situations in which Ohio law requires mandatory voting rights for a class of shares, the corporation will, unless prohibited by Ohio law, treat each series of the corporation’s preferred stock, including the Series L Preferred Stock, as a separate class for voting purposes.
10. Mergers and Consolidations.
The corporation will not effect any merger or consolidation of the corporation with or into any entity other than a corporation, or any merger or consolidation of the corporation with or into any other corporation unless (a) the Series L Preferred Stock remains issued and outstanding following the transaction, (b) holders of Series L Preferred Stock are issued a class or series of preferred stock of the surviving or resulting corporation, or a corporation controlling such corporation, having substantially identical voting powers, preferences and special rights, or (c) such merger is approved by a class vote of the holders of Series L Preferred Stock pursuant to the mandatory voting rights provided by Ohio law and as set forth in Section 9 above.
11. Preemptive or Subscription Rights. The holders of the Series L Preferred Stock shall not have any preemptive or subscription rights.
12. Form. The Series L Preferred Stock will be issued only in fully registered form.
8

Exhibit 4.2

 

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THIS CERTIFICATE IS IN GLOBAL FORM AND IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY, LLC, AS DEPOSITARY (THE “DEPOSITARY”), PURSUANT TO A DEPOSIT AGREEMENT AMONG FIFTH THIRD BANCORP, ISSUER, AND AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY, LLC, AS DEPOSITARY, TRANSFER AGENT AND REGISTRAR. UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITARY TO THE CORPORATION OR THE TRANSFER AGENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF THE DEPOSITARY OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITARY (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO THE DEPOSITARY OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITARY), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY, LLC, AS DEPOSITARY HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN. FIFTH THIRD BANCORP Incorporated under the laws of the State of Ohio NUMBER: L-0001 4.500% FIXED-RATE RESET NON-CUMULATIVE PERPETUAL SHARES: 14,000 CUSIP: 316773 DC1 PREFERRED STOCK, SERIES L ($25,000 LIQUIDATION PREFERENCE) This is to certify that American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, as Depositary is the registered owner of fourteen thousand (14,000) fully paid and non-assessable shares of 4.500% Fixed-Rate Reset Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series L, no par value, liquidation preference of $25,000 per share (the “Series L Preferred Stock”), of Fifth Third Bancorp, an Ohio corporation (the “Corporation”), transferable on the books of the Corporation by the holder hereof, in person or by duly authorized attorney, upon surrender of this Certificate properly endorsed. This Certificate is not valid unless countersigned and registered by the Transfer Agent and Registrar. Witness the signatures of the Corporation’s duly authorized officers. Dated: July 30, 2020 FIFTH THIRD BANCORP By Name: Susan B. Zaunbrecher Title: Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary Countersigned and registered: American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, as Transfer Agent and Registrar By: By: Name: Bryan Preston Title: Senior Vice President & Treasurer Authorized Officer


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(REVERSE OF CERTIFICATE) FIFTH THIRD BANCORP The Corporation will furnish without charge, within 5 days after receipt of written request therefor, to each stockholder who so requests the powers, designations, preferences and relative participating, optional or special rights of each class of stock or series thereof of the Corporation and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights. Such request should be addressed to the Corporation or the Transfer Agent. Subject to receiving all required regulatory approvals, the Corporation may redeem the Series L Preferred Stock at its option (i) in whole or in part, at any time, or from time to time, on any dividend payment date on or after September 30, 2025, and (ii) in whole, but not in part, at any time prior to September 30, 2025, following the occurrence of a “regulatory capital event” as such term is defined in the Corporation’s Articles of Incorporation, as amended. There will be no sinking fund for the redemption or purchase of the Series L Preferred Stock. No holder of the Series L Preferred Stock will have the right to require the redemption of the Series L Preferred Stock. The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of this certificate, shall be construed as though they were written out in full according to applicable laws or regulations: TEN COM as tenants in common TEN ENT as tenants by the entireties JT TEN as joint tenants with rights of survivorship and not as tenants in common UNIF GIFT MIN ACT Custodian (Cust) (Minor) under Uniform Gift to Minors Act (State) Additional abbreviations may also be used though not in the above list.


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For Value Received, the undersigned hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR OTHER IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE (PLEASE PRINT OR TYPEWRITE NAME AND ADDRESS, INCLUDING ZIP CODE OF ASSIGNEE) shares of the capital stock represented by the within Certificate, and do hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint Attorney to transfer the said stock on the books of the within named Corporation with full power of substitution in the premises. Dated: NOTICE: THE SIGNATURE TO THE ASSIGNMENT MUST CORRESPOND WITH THE NAME AS WRITTEN UPON THE FACE OF THE CERTIFICATE IN EVERY PARTICULAR, WITHOUT ALTERATION OR ENLARGEMENT OR ANY CHANGE WHATEVER Signature(s) Guaranteed: THE SIGNATURE(S) SHOULD BE GUARANTEED BY AN ELIGIBLE GUARANTOR INSTITUTION (BANKS, STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS WITH MEMBERSHIP IN AN APPROVED SIGNATURE GUARANTEE MEDALLION PROGRAM), PURSUANT TO RULE 17Ad-15 UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934.

Exhibit 4.3

DEPOSIT AGREEMENT

Dated July 30, 2020

FIFTH THIRD BANCORP,

AS ISSUER,

-and-

AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY, LLC,

AS DEPOSITARY, TRANSFER AGENT AND REGISTRAR

RELATING TO RECEIPTS, DEPOSITARY SHARES AND RELATED

4.500% FIXED-RATE RESET NON-CUMULATIVE

PERPETUAL PREFERRED STOCK, SERIES L


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     PAGE  

ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS

     1  

SECTION 1.01. “Certificate of Designation

     1  

SECTION 1.02. “Certificate of Incorporation

     1  

SECTION 1.03. “ Preferred Stock, Series L” or “ Preferred Stock

     1  

SECTION 1.04. “Common Stock

     1  

SECTION 1.05. “Company

     2  

SECTION 1.06. “Deposit Agreement

     2  

SECTION 1.07. “Depositary

     2  

SECTION 1.08. “Depositary Office

     2  

SECTION 1.09. “Depositary Share

     2  

SECTION 1.10. “Depositary’s Agent

     2  

SECTION 1.11. “DTC

     2  

SECTION 1.12. “DTC Receipt

     2  

SECTION 1.13. “Receipt

     2  

SECTION 1.14. “Record date

     2  

SECTION 1.15. “Record holder” or “holder

     2  

SECTION 1.16. “Redemption date

     2  

SECTION 1.17. “Redemption price

     2  

SECTION 1.18. “Registrar

     3  

SECTION 1.19. “Reorganization Event

     3  

SECTION 1.20. “Securities Act

     3  

SECTION 1.21. “Transfer Agent

     3  

 

i


ARTICLE II FORM OF RECEIPTS, DEPOSIT OF Preferred Stock, EXECUTION AND DELIVERY, TRANSFER, SURRENDER AND REDEMPTION OF RECEIPTS      4  

SECTION 2.01. Form and Transferability of Receipts

     4  

SECTION 2.02. Deposit of Preferred Stock; Execution and Delivery of Receipts in Respect Thereof

     6  

SECTION 2.03. Registration of Transfers of Receipts

     7  

SECTION 2.04. Combinations and Split-ups of Receipts

     7  

SECTION 2.05. Surrender of Receipts and Withdrawal of Preferred Stock

     7  

SECTION 2.06. Limitations on Execution and Delivery, Transfer, Split-up. Combination, Surrender and Exchange of Receipts

     8  

SECTION 2.07. Lost Receipts, etc.

     9  

SECTION 2.08. Cancellation and Destruction of Surrendered Receipts

     9  

SECTION 2.09. Optional Redemption of Preferred Stock for Cash

     9  

SECTION 2.10. Redemption Upon a Regulatory Capital Event

     11  

SECTION 2.11. No Pre-Release

     12  

ARTICLE III CERTAIN OBLIGATIONS OF HOLDERS OF RECEIPTS AND THE COMPANY

     13  

SECTION 3.01. Filing Proofs, Certificates and Other Information

     13  

SECTION 3.02. Payment of Fees and Expenses

     13  

SECTION 3.03. Representations and Warranties as to Preferred Stock

     13  

SECTION 3.04. Representation and Warranty as to Receipts and Depositary Shares

     13  

SECTION 3.05. Taxes

     14  

ARTICLE IV THE Preferred Stock; NOTICES

     15  

SECTION 4.01. Cash Distributions

     15  

SECTION 4.02. Distributions Other Than Cash

     15  

SECTION 4.03. Rights, Preferences or Privileges

     16  

SECTION 4.04. Notice of Dividends; Fixing of Record Date for Holders of Receipts

     17  

 

ii


SECTION 4.05. Voting Rights

     17  

SECTION 4.06. Changes Affecting Preferred Stock and Reorganization Events

     17  

SECTION 4.07. Inspection of Reports

     18  

SECTION 4.08. Lists of Receipt Holders

     18  

SECTION 4.09. Withholding

     18  

ARTICLE V THE DEPOSITARY AND THE COMPANY

     19  

SECTION 5.01. Maintenance of Offices, Agencies and Transfer Books by the Depositary and the Registrar

     19  

SECTION 5.02. Prevention or Delay in Performance by the Depositary, the Depositary’s Agents, the Registrar or the Company

     19  

SECTION 5.03. Obligations of the Depositary, the Depositary’s Agents, the Registrar and the Company

     20  

SECTION 5.04. Resignation and Removal of the Depositary; Appointment of Successor Depositary

     23  

SECTION 5.05. Notices, Reports and Documents

     24  

SECTION 5.06. Indemnification by the Company

     24  

SECTION 5.07. Fees, Charges and Expenses

     25  

ARTICLE VI AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION

     26  

SECTION 6.01. Amendment

     26  

SECTION 6.02. Termination

     26  

ARTICLE VII MISCELLANEOUS

     28  

SECTION 7.01. Counterparts

     28  

SECTION 7.02. Exclusive Benefits of Parties

     28  

SECTION 7.03. Invalidity of Provisions

     28  

SECTION 7.04. Notices

     28  

SECTION 7.05. Depositary’s Agents

     29  

SECTION 7.06. Holders of Receipts Are Parties

     30  

 

iii


SECTION 7.07. Governing Law

     30  

SECTION 7.08. Inspection of Deposit Agreement and Certificate of Designation

     30  

SECTION 7.09. Headings

     30  

 

iv


DEPOSIT AGREEMENT

DEPOSIT AGREEMENT, dated as of July 30, 2020, among FIFTH THIRD BANCORP, an Ohio corporation, AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST COMPANY, LLC, a New York limited liability company, as Depositary, Transfer Agent and Registrar, and all holders from time to time of Receipts (as hereinafter defined) issued hereunder.

WITNESSETH:

WHEREAS, it is desired to provide, as hereinafter set forth in this Deposit Agreement, for the deposit of shares of the Company’s Preferred Stock (as hereinafter defined) with the Depositary for the purposes set forth in this Deposit Agreement and for the issuance hereunder of Depositary Shares representing a fractional interest in the Preferred Stock deposited and for the execution and delivery of Receipts evidencing Depositary Shares; and

WHEREAS, the Receipts are to be substantially in the form of Exhibit A annexed to this Deposit Agreement, with appropriate insertions, modifications and omissions, as hereinafter provided in this Deposit Agreement.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises contained herein, it is agreed by and among the parties hereto as follows:

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS

The following definitions shall apply to the respective terms (in the singular and plural forms of such terms) used in this Deposit Agreement and the Receipts:

SECTION 1.01. “Certificate of Designation” shall mean the certificate that amends the Articles of Incorporation of the Company, as amended, adopted by a duly authorized committee of the Board of Directors of the Company establishing and setting forth the rights, preferences and privileges of the Preferred Stock, as filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Ohio on July 29, 2020 and attached hereto as Exhibit B, and as such certificate may be amended or restated from time to time.

SECTION 1.02. “Certificate of Incorporation” shall mean the Articles of Incorporation, as amended, of the Company, as restated or amended from time to time, including the amendment resulting from filing the Certificate of Designation.

SECTION 1.03. “ Preferred Stock, Series L” or “ Preferred Stock” shall mean shares of the Company’s 4.500% Fixed-Rate Reset Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series L (liquidation preference $25,000 per share), no par value, heretofore validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

SECTION 1.04. “Common Stock” shall mean the common stock, no par value, of the Company or any other shares of the capital stock of the Company into which such shares of common stock shall be reclassified or changed.

 

1


SECTION 1.05. “Company” shall mean Fifth Third Bancorp, an Ohio corporation, and its successors.

SECTION 1.06. “Deposit Agreement” shall mean this agreement, as the same may be amended, modified or supplemented from time to time.

SECTION 1.07. “Depositary” shall mean American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, a New York limited liability company, having its principal executive office in the United States and having a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000, and any successor as depositary hereunder.

SECTION 1.08. “Depositary Office” shall mean the principal office of the Depositary at which at any particular time its business in respect of matters governed by this Deposit Agreement shall be administered, which at the date of this Deposit Agreement is located at 6201 15th Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11219.

SECTION 1.09. “Depositary Share” shall mean the security representing a 1/25th ownership interest in a share of Preferred Stock deposited with the Depositary hereunder and the same proportionate interest in any and all other property received by the Depositary in respect of such share of Preferred Stock and held under this Deposit Agreement, all as evidenced by the Receipts issued hereunder. The initial number of Depositary Shares issued equals 350,000. Subject to the terms of this Deposit Agreement, each owner of a Depositary Share is entitled, proportionately, to all the rights, preferences and privileges of the Preferred Stock represented by such Depositary Share (including the dividend, voting, redemption, liquidation rights and other rights, preferences and privileges contained in the Certificate of Designation).

SECTION 1.10. “Depositarys Agent” shall mean an agent appointed by the Depositary as provided, and for the purposes specified, in Section 7.05.

SECTION 1.11. “DTC” means The Depository Trust Company.

SECTION 1.12. “DTC Receipt” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.01.

SECTION 1.13. “Receipt” shall, as the context requires, mean (i) a receipt issued hereunder to evidence one or more Depositary Shares, whether in definitive or temporary form, or (ii) a DTC Receipt, in each case substantially in the form set forth as Exhibit A hereto.

SECTION 1.14. “Record date” shall mean the date fixed pursuant to Section 4.04.

SECTION 1.15. “Record holder” or “holder” as applied to a Receipt shall mean the individual, entity or person in whose name a Receipt is registered on the books maintained by the Depositary for such purpose.

SECTION 1.16. “Redemption date” has the meaning set forth under Section 2.09.

SECTION 1.17. “Redemption price” has the meaning set forth under Section 2.09.

 

2


SECTION 1.18. “Registrar” shall mean American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC or any other entity appointed to register ownership and transfers of Receipts and the deposited Preferred Stock, as herein provided.

SECTION 1.19. “Reorganization Event” shall have the meaning set forth in the Certificate of Designation.

SECTION 1.20. “Securities Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

SECTION 1.21. “Transfer Agent” shall mean American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC or any other entity appointed to transfer the Receipts and the deposited Preferred Stock, as herein provided.

 

3


ARTICLE II

FORM OF RECEIPTS, DEPOSIT OF PREFERRED STOCK,

EXECUTION AND DELIVERY, TRANSFER, SURRENDER AND REDEMPTION OF

RECEIPTS

SECTION 2.01. Form and Transferability of Receipts. (a) Definitive Receipts shall be printed and shall be substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit A annexed to this Deposit Agreement, in each case with appropriate insertions, modifications and omissions, as hereinafter provided. Pending the preparation of definitive Receipts, the Depositary, upon, and pursuant to, the written order of the Company delivered in compliance with Section 2.02 shall be authorized and instructed to, and shall, execute and deliver temporary Receipts which shall be substantially of the tenor of the definitive Receipts in lieu of which they are issued and in each case with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as the persons executing such Receipts may determine (but which do not affect the rights or duties of the Depositary), as evidenced by their execution of such Receipts. If temporary Receipts are issued, the Company and the Depositary will cause definitive Receipts to be prepared without unreasonable delay. After the preparation of definitive Receipts, the temporary Receipts shall be exchangeable for definitive Receipts upon surrender of the temporary Receipts at the Depositary Office without charge to the holder. Upon surrender for cancellation of any one or more temporary Receipts, the Depositary is hereby authorized and instructed to, and shall, execute and deliver in exchange therefor definitive Receipts representing the same number of Depositary Shares as represented by the surrendered temporary Receipt or Receipts. Such exchange shall be made at the Company’s expense and without any charge therefor. Until so exchanged, the temporary Receipts shall in all respects be entitled to the same benefits under this Deposit Agreement, and with respect to the Preferred Stock deposited, as definitive Receipts.

(b) Receipts shall be executed by the Depositary by the manual or facsimile signature of a duly authorized signatory of the Depositary and shall also be countersigned by manual or facsimile signature of a duly authorized signatory of the Registrar; provided that no such countersignature shall be required if the Depositary acts as the Registrar. No Receipt shall be entitled to any benefits under this Deposit Agreement or be valid or obligatory for any purpose unless it shall have been executed as provided in the preceding sentence. The Depositary shall record on its books each Receipt executed as provided above and delivered as hereinafter provided. Receipts bearing the manual or facsimile signature of a duly authorized signatory of the Depositary who was at any time a proper signatory of the Depositary shall bind the Depositary, notwithstanding that such signatory ceased to hold such office prior to the execution and delivery of such Receipts by the Registrar or did not hold such office on the date of issuance of such Receipts.

(c) Receipts shall be in denominations of any number of whole Depositary Shares. All Receipts shall be dated the date of their issuance. Receipts may be endorsed with or have incorporated in the text thereof such legends or recitals or changes not inconsistent with the provisions of this Deposit Agreement as may be required by the Depositary and approved by the Company, or which the Company has determined are required to comply with any applicable law or regulation or with the rules and regulations of any securities exchange upon which the Depositary Shares may be listed for trading or to conform with any usage with respect thereto, or to indicate any special limitations or restrictions to which any particular Receipts are subject, in each case as directed by the Company.

 

4


(d) Title to any Receipt (and to the Depositary Shares evidenced by such Receipt) that is properly endorsed, or accompanied by a properly executed instrument of transfer, or endorsement shall be transferable by delivery with the same effect as in the case of a negotiable instrument; provided, however, that until transfer of a Receipt shall be registered on the books of the Depositary as provided in Section 2.03, the Depositary may, notwithstanding any notice to the contrary, treat the record holder thereof at such time as the absolute owner thereof for the purpose of determining the person entitled to distributions of dividends or other distributions or payments with respect to the Preferred Stock, to exercise any redemption or voting or to receive any notice provided for in this Deposit Agreement and for all other purposes.

(e) Notwithstanding the foregoing, upon request by the Company, the Depositary and the Company will make application to DTC for acceptance of all or a portion of the Receipts for its book-entry settlement system. In connection with any such request, the Company hereby appoints the Depositary acting through any authorized officer thereof as its attorney-in-fact, with full power to delegate, for purposes of executing any agreements, certifications or other instruments or documents necessary or desirable in order to effect the acceptance of such Receipts for DTC eligibility. So long as the Receipts are eligible for book-entry settlement with DTC, unless otherwise required by law, all Depositary Shares to be traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market with book-entry settlement through DTC shall be represented by a single receipt (the “DTC Receipt”), substantially in the form set forth in the attached Exhibit A, which shall be deposited with DTC (or its custodian) evidencing all such Depositary Shares and registered in the name of the nominee of DTC (initially expected to be Cede & Co.). The Transfer Agent shall hold the DTC Receipt as custodian for DTC. Ownership of beneficial interests in the DTC Receipt shall be shown on, and the transfer of such ownership shall be effected through, records maintained by (i) DTC or its nominee for such DTC Receipt, or (ii) institutions that have accounts with DTC.

(f) If issued, the DTC Receipt shall be exchangeable for definitive Receipts only if (i) DTC notifies the Company at any time that it is unwilling or unable to continue to make its book-entry settlement system available for the Receipts and a successor to DTC is not appointed by the Company within 90 days of the date the Company is so informed in writing, (ii) DTC notifies the Company at any time that it has ceased to be a clearing agency registered under applicable law and a successor to DTC is not appointed by the Company within 90 days of the date the Company is so informed in writing or (iii) the Company executes and delivers to DTC a notice to the effect that such DTC Receipt shall be so exchangeable. If the beneficial owners of interests in Depositary Shares are entitled to exchange such interests for definitive Receipts as the result of an event described in clause (i), (ii) or (iii) of the preceding sentence, then without unnecessary delay but in any event not later than the earliest date on which such beneficial interests may be so exchanged, the Depositary is hereby directed to and shall provide written instructions to DTC to deliver to the Depositary for cancellation the DTC Receipt, and the Company shall instruct the Depositary in writing to execute and deliver to the beneficial owners of the Depositary Shares previously evidenced by the DTC Receipt definitive Receipts in physical form evidencing such Depositary Shares. The DTC Receipt shall be in such form and shall bear such legend or legends as may be appropriate or required by DTC in order for it to accept the Depositary Shares for its book-entry settlement system.

 

5


Notwithstanding any other provision herein to the contrary, if the Receipts are at any time eligible for book-entry settlement through DTC, delivery of shares of Preferred Stock and other property in connection with the withdrawal or redemption of Depositary Shares will be made through DTC and in accordance with its procedures, unless the holder of the relevant Receipt otherwise requests and such request is reasonably acceptable to the Depositary and the Company.

SECTION 2.02. Deposit of Preferred Stock; Execution and Delivery of Receipts in Respect Thereof.

(a) Concurrently with the execution of this Deposit Agreement, the Company is delivering to the Depositary a certificate or certificates, registered in the name of the Depositary and evidencing 14,000 shares of Preferred Stock, properly endorsed or accompanied, if required by the Depositary, by a duly executed instrument of transfer or endorsement, in form satisfactory to the Depositary, together with (i) all such certifications as may be required by the Depositary in accordance with the provisions of this Deposit Agreement and (ii) a written order of the Company directing the Depositary to execute and deliver to, or upon the written order of, the person or persons stated in such order a Receipt or Receipts for the Depositary Shares representing such deposited Preferred Stock registered in such names specified in such written order. The Depositary acknowledges receipt of the aforementioned 14,000 shares of Preferred Stock and related documentation and agrees to hold such deposited Preferred Stock in an account to be established by the Depositary at the Depositary Office or at such other office as the Depositary shall determine. The Company hereby appoints American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC as the Registrar and Transfer Agent for the Preferred Stock deposited hereunder and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC hereby accepts such appointment and, as such, will reflect changes in the number of shares (including any fractional shares) of deposited Preferred Stock held by the Depositary by notation, book-entry or other appropriate method.

(b) If required by the Depositary, Preferred Stock presented for deposit by the Company at any time, whether or not the register of stockholders of the Company is closed, shall also be accompanied by an agreement or assignment, or other instrument satisfactory to the Depositary, that will provide for the prompt transfer to the Depositary or its nominee of any dividend or right to receive other property that any person in whose name the Preferred Stock is or has been registered may thereafter receive upon or in respect of such deposited Preferred Stock, or in lieu thereof such agreement of indemnity or other agreement as shall be satisfactory to the Depositary.

(c) Upon receipt by the Depositary of a certificate or certificates for Preferred Stock deposited hereunder, together with the other documents specified above, and upon registering such Preferred Stock in the name of the Depositary, the Depositary, subject to the terms and conditions of this Deposit Agreement, shall execute and deliver to, or upon the order of, the person or persons named in the written order delivered to the Depositary referred to in Section 2.02(a), a Receipt or Receipts for the number of whole Depositary Shares representing the Preferred Stock so deposited and registered in such name or names as may be requested by such person or persons. The Depositary shall execute and deliver such Receipt or Receipts at the Depositary Office, except that, at the request, risk and expense of any person requesting such delivery, such delivery may be made at such other place as may be designated by such person.

 

6


Other than in the case of splits, combinations or other reclassifications affecting the Preferred Stock, or in the case of dividends or other distributions of Preferred Stock, if any, there shall be deposited hereunder not more than the number of shares constituting the Preferred Stock as set forth in the Certificate of Designation, as such may be amended. To the extent that the Company issues shares of Preferred Stock in excess of the amount set forth in the Certificate of Designation as of the date hereof (which shares have been validly authorized by the Company), the Company shall notify the Depositary of such issuance in writing.

(d) The Company shall deliver to the Depositary from time to time such quantities of Receipts as the Depositary may request to enable the Depositary to perform its obligations under this Deposit Agreement.

SECTION 2.03. Registration of Transfers of Receipts.

The Company hereby appoints American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC as the Registrar and Transfer Agent for the Receipts and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC hereby accepts such appointment and, as such, shall register on its books from time to time transfers of Receipts upon any surrender thereof by the holder in person or by a duly authorized attorney, agent or representative properly endorsed or accompanied by a properly executed instrument of transfer or endorsement, together with evidence of the payment by the applicable party of any transfer taxes as may be required by law. Upon such surrender, the Depositary shall execute a new Receipt or Receipts and deliver the same to or upon the order of the person entitled thereto evidencing the same aggregate number of Depositary Shares evidenced by the Receipt or Receipts surrendered.

SECTION 2.04. Combinations and Split-ups of Receipts.

Upon surrender of a Receipt or Receipts at the Depositary Office or such other office as the Depositary may designate for the purpose of effecting a split-up or combination of Receipts, subject to the terms and conditions of this Deposit Agreement, the Depositary shall execute and deliver a new Receipt or Receipts in the authorized denominations requested evidencing the same aggregate number of Depositary Shares evidenced by the Receipt or Receipts surrendered.

SECTION 2.05. Surrender of Receipts and Withdrawal of Preferred Stock.

(a) Any holder of a Receipt or Receipts may withdraw any number of whole shares of deposited Preferred Stock represented by the Depositary Shares evidenced by such Receipt or Receipts and all money and other property, if any, represented by such Depositary Shares by surrendering such Receipt or Receipts to the Depositary or at such other office as the Depositary may designate for such withdrawals; provided, that a holder of a Receipt or Receipts may not withdraw such Preferred Stock (or money and other property, if any, represented thereby) which has previously been called for redemption. Upon such surrender, upon payment of the fee of the Depositary for the surrender of Receipts to the extent provided in Section 5.07 and payment of all taxes and governmental charges in connection with such surrender and withdrawal of Preferred Stock, and subject to the terms and conditions of this Deposit Agreement, without unreasonable delay, the Depositary shall deliver to such holder, or to the person or persons designated by such holder as hereinafter provided, the number of whole shares of such Preferred

 

7


Stock and all such money and other property, if any, represented by the Depositary Shares evidenced by the Receipt or Receipts so surrendered for withdrawal, but holders of such whole shares of Preferred Stock will not thereafter be entitled to deposit such Preferred Stock hereunder or to receive Depositary Shares therefor. If the Receipt or Receipts delivered by the holder to the Depositary in connection with such withdrawal shall evidence a number of Depositary Shares in excess of the number of Depositary Shares representing the number of whole shares of deposited Preferred Stock to be withdrawn, the Depositary shall at the same time, in addition to such number of whole shares of Preferred Stock and such money and other property, if any, to be withdrawn, deliver to such holder, or (subject to Section 2.03) upon his order, a new Receipt or Receipts evidencing such excess number of Depositary Shares. Delivery of such Preferred Stock and such money and other property being withdrawn may be made by the delivery of such certificates, documents of title and other instruments as the Depositary may deem appropriate, which, if required by the Depositary, shall be properly endorsed or accompanied by proper instruments of transfer.

(b) If the deposited Preferred Stock and the money and other property being withdrawn are to be delivered to a person or persons other than the record holder of the Receipt or Receipts being surrendered for withdrawal of Preferred Stock, such holder shall execute and deliver to the Depositary a written order so directing the Depositary and the Depositary may require that the Receipt or Receipts surrendered by such holder for withdrawal of such shares of Preferred Stock be properly endorsed in blank or accompanied by a properly executed instrument of transfer or endorsement in blank.

(c) The Depositary shall deliver the deposited Preferred Stock and the money and other property, if any, represented by the Depositary Shares evidenced by Receipts surrendered for withdrawal at the Depositary Office, except that, at the request, risk and expense of the holder surrendering such Receipt or Receipts and for the account of the holder thereof, such delivery may be made at such other place as may be designated by such holder.

SECTION 2.06. Limitations on Execution and Delivery, Transfer, Split-up. Combination, Surrender and Exchange of Receipts.

(a) As a condition precedent to the execution and delivery, transfer, split-up, combination, surrender or exchange of any Receipt, the Depositary, any of the Depositary’s Agents or the Company may require any or all of the following: (i) payment to it of a sum sufficient for the payment (or, in the event that the Company shall have made such payment, the reimbursement to it) of any tax or other governmental charge and stock transfer or registration fee with respect thereto (including any such tax or charge with respect to the Preferred Stock being deposited or withdrawn); (ii) the production of proof satisfactory to it as to the identity and genuineness of any signature (or the authority of any signature); and (iii) compliance with such regulations, if any, as the Depositary or the Company may establish consistent with the provisions of this Deposit Agreement as may be required by any securities exchange on which the deposited Preferred Stock, the Depositary Shares or the Receipts may be included for quotation or listed.

 

8


(b) The deposit of Preferred Stock may be refused, the delivery of Receipts against Preferred Stock may be suspended, the transfer of Receipts may be refused, and the transfer, split-up, combination, surrender, exchange or redemption of outstanding Receipts may be suspended (i) during any period when the register of stockholders of the Company is closed or (ii) if any such action is deemed reasonably necessary or advisable by the Depositary, any of the Depositary’s Agents or the Company at any time or from time to time because of any requirement of law or of any government or governmental body or commission, or under any other provision of this Deposit Agreement.

SECTION 2.07. Lost Receipts, etc.

In case any Receipt shall be mutilated and surrendered to the Depositary or destroyed or lost or stolen, the Depositary shall execute and deliver a Receipt of like form and tenor in exchange and substitution for such mutilated Receipt or in lieu of and in substitution for such destroyed, lost or stolen Receipt; provided, that the holder thereof shall have (a) filed with the Depositary (i) a request for such execution and delivery before the Depositary has notice that the Receipt has been acquired by a protected purchaser and (ii) an indemnity bond and (b) satisfied any other reasonable requirements imposed by the Depositary.

SECTION 2.08. Cancellation and Destruction of Surrendered Receipts.

All Receipts surrendered to the Depositary or any Depositary’s Agent shall be cancelled by the Depositary. Except as prohibited by applicable law or regulation, the Depositary is authorized, but not required, to destroy such Receipts so cancelled.

SECTION 2.09. Optional Redemption of Preferred Stock for Cash.

(a) Subject to receiving all required regulatory approvals, the Company may redeem the Preferred Stock at its option, in whole or in part, at any time, or from time to time, on any Dividend Payment Date (as defined in the Certificate of Designation) on or after September 30, 2025. There will be no sinking fund for the redemption or purchase of the Preferred Stock or the Depositary Shares. No holder of the Preferred Stock or of the Depositary Shares will have the right to require the redemption of the Preferred Stock.

(b) Whenever the Company shall elect to redeem shares of deposited Preferred Stock for cash at its option in accordance with the provisions of the Certificate of Designation, it shall (unless otherwise agreed in writing with the Depositary) give the Depositary not less than 5 and not more than 60 days’ prior written notice of the date fixed for redemption of such Preferred Stock (the “redemption date”) and of the number of such shares of Preferred Stock held by the Depositary to be redeemed and the applicable redemption price (the “redemption price”), as set forth in the Certificate of Designation. The Depositary shall mail through electronic mail or first-class postage prepaid mail, notice of the redemption of Preferred Stock and the proposed simultaneous redemption of the Depositary Shares representing the Preferred Stock to be redeemed, not less than 5 and not more than 60 days prior to the redemption date, to the holders of record on the record date fixed for such redemption pursuant to Section 4.04 of the Receipts evidencing the Depositary Shares to be so redeemed, at the addresses of such holders as the same appear on the records of the Depositary; but neither the failure to mail any such notice to one or more such holder nor any defect in any such notice shall affect the sufficiency of the proceedings for redemption except as to the holder to whom notice was defective or not given.

 

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(c) In connection with any redemption of the Preferred Stock at the option of the Company in accordance with the Certificate of Designation, the Company shall deliver an Officers’ Certificate to the Depositary stating that it has complied with all of the conditions to the exercise of its optional redemption rights set forth in the Certificate of Designation, and the Depositary shall have no duty or obligation to inquire or investigate whether the Company has complied with the terms of the Certificate of Designation.

(d) The Company shall also prepare and provide the Depositary with the notice provided for in Section 2.09(b), and each such notice shall state: (i) the redemption date; (ii) the redemption price; (iii) the number of shares of deposited Preferred Stock and Depositary Shares to be redeemed; (iv) if fewer than all Depositary Shares held by any holder are to be redeemed, the number of such Depositary Shares held by such holder to be so redeemed; and (v) the place or places where the Preferred Stock and the Receipts evidencing Depositary Shares to be redeemed are to be surrendered for payment of the redemption price.

(e) In the event that notice of redemption has been made as described in the immediately preceding paragraphs and the Company shall then have paid in full to the Depositary the redemption price (determined pursuant to the Certificate of Designation) of the Preferred Stock deposited with the Depositary to be redeemed, the Depositary shall redeem the number of Depositary Shares representing such Preferred Stock so called for redemption by the Company and on the redemption date (unless the Company shall have failed to pay for the shares of Preferred Stock to be redeemed by it as set forth in the Company’s notice provided for in the preceding paragraph), the Depositary Shares called for redemption shall be deemed no longer to be outstanding and all rights of the holders of Receipts evidencing such Depositary Shares (except the right to receive the redemption price) shall, to the extent of such Depositary Shares, cease and terminate. Upon surrender in accordance with said notice of the Receipts evidencing such Depositary Shares (properly endorsed or assigned for transfer, if the Depositary shall so require), such Depositary Shares shall be redeemed at a cash redemption price of $1,000 per Depositary Share, plus an amount equal to any declared but unpaid dividends to, but excluding, the redemption date, without accumulation of any undeclared dividends. The foregoing shall be further subject to the terms and conditions of the Certificate of Designation.

(f) In the event of any conflict between the provisions of the Deposit Agreement and the provisions of the Certificate of Designation, the provisions of the Certificate of Designation will govern and the Company will instruct the Depositary in writing accordingly of such governing terms; provided, however, that under no circumstances will the Certificate of Designation be deemed to change or modify any of the rights, duties or immunities of the Depositary contained herein.

(g) If fewer than all of the Depositary Shares evidenced by a Receipt are called for redemption, the Depositary will deliver to the holder of such Receipt upon its surrender to the Depositary, together with payment of the redemption price for and all other amounts payable in respect of the Depositary Shares called for redemption, a new Receipt evidencing the Depositary Shares evidenced by such prior Receipt and not called for redemption.

(h) If less than all of the Preferred Stock is redeemed pursuant to the Company’s exercise of its optional redemption right, the Depositary will select the Depositary Shares to be redeemed pursuant to this Section 2.09 on a pro rata basis, by lot or in such other manner as the Depositary may determine to be fair and equitable.

 

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SECTION 2.10. Redemption Upon a Regulatory Capital Event.

(a) Subject to receiving all required regulatory approvals, the Company may redeem the Preferred Stock at its option, in whole, but not in part, at any time prior to September 30, 2025, following the occurrence of a “regulatory capital event,” as defined in the Certificate of Designation. There will be no sinking fund for the redemption or purchase of the Preferred Stock or the Depositary Shares. No holder of the Preferred Stock or of the Depositary Shares will have the right to require the redemption of the Preferred Stock.

(b) Whenever the Company shall elect to redeem shares of deposited Preferred Stock pursuant to a regulatory capital event in accordance with the provisions of the Certificate of Designation, the Company shall (unless otherwise agreed in writing with the Depositary) give the Depositary not less than 5 and not more than 60 days’ prior written notice of the redemption date and of the number of such shares of Preferred Stock held by the Depositary to be redeemed and the applicable redemption price, as set forth in the Certificate of Designation. The Depositary shall mail as soon as reasonably practicable, by electronic mail or first-class postage prepaid mail, notice of the redemption of Preferred Stock and the proposed simultaneous redemption of the Depositary Shares representing the Preferred Stock to be redeemed to the holders of record on the record date fixed for such redemption pursuant to Section 4.04 of the Receipts evidencing the Depositary Shares to be so redeemed, at the addresses of such holders as the same appear on the records of the Depositary; but neither the failure to mail any such notice to one or more such holder nor any defect in any such notice shall affect the sufficiency of the proceedings for redemption except as to the holder to whom notice was defective or not given.

(c) In connection with any redemption of the Preferred Stock at the option of the Company upon a regulatory capital event in accordance with the Certificate of Designation, the Company shall deliver an Officers’ Certificate to the Depositary stating that it has complied with all of the conditions to the exercise of its optional redemption rights upon a regulatory capital event set forth in the Certificate of Designation, and the Depositary shall have no duty or obligation to inquire or investigate whether the Company has complied with the terms of the Certificate of Designation.

(d) The Company shall prepare and provide the Depositary with the notice provided for in Section 2.10(b), and each such notice shall state: (i) the regulatory capital event; (ii) the redemption date; (iii) the redemption price; (iv) the number of shares of deposited Preferred Stock and Depositary Shares to be redeemed; and (v) the place or places where the Preferred Stock and the Receipts evidencing Depositary Shares to be redeemed are to be surrendered for payment of the redemption price.

(e) In the event that notice of redemption has been made as described in the immediately preceding paragraphs and the Company shall then have paid in full to the Depositary the redemption price (determined pursuant to the Certificate of Designation) of the Preferred Stock deposited with the Depositary to be redeemed, the Depositary shall redeem the number of Depositary Shares representing such Preferred Stock so called for redemption by the

 

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Company and on the redemption date (unless the Company shall have failed to pay for the shares of Preferred Stock to be redeemed by it as set forth in the Company’s notice provided for in the preceding paragraph), the Depositary Shares called for redemption shall be deemed no longer to be outstanding and all rights of the holders of Receipts evidencing such Depositary Shares (except the right to receive the redemption price) shall, to the extent of such Depositary Shares, cease and terminate. Upon surrender in accordance with said notice of the Receipts evidencing such Depositary Shares (properly endorsed or assigned for transfer, if the Depositary shall so require), such Depositary Shares shall be redeemed at a cash redemption price of $1,000 per Depositary Share, plus an amount equal to any declared but unpaid dividends to, but excluding, the redemption date, without accumulation of any undeclared dividends. The foregoing shall be further subject to the terms and conditions of the Certificate of Designation.

(f) In the event of any conflict between the provisions of the Deposit Agreement and the provisions of the Certificate of Designation, the provisions of the Certificate of Designation will govern and the Company will instruct the Depositary in writing accordingly of such governing terms; provided, however, that under no circumstances will the Certificate of Designation be deemed to change or modify any of the rights, duties or immunities of the Depositary contained herein.

SECTION 2.11. No Pre-Release.

The Depositary shall not deliver any deposited Preferred Stock evidenced by Receipts prior to the receipt and cancellation of such Receipts or other similar method used with respect to Receipts held by DTC. The Depositary shall not issue any Receipts prior to the receipt by the Depositary of the corresponding Preferred Stock represented by the Depositary Shares evidenced by such Receipts. At no time will any Receipts be outstanding if such Receipts do not evidence the Depositary Shares representing Preferred Stock deposited with the Depositary.

 

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ARTICLE III

CERTAIN OBLIGATIONS OF HOLDERS OF RECEIPTS AND THE COMPANY

SECTION 3.01. Filing Proofs, Certificates and Other Information.

Any holder of a Receipt may be required from time to time to file with the Depositary such proof of residence, guarantee of signature or other information and to execute such certificates as the Depositary may reasonably deem necessary or proper or the Company may reasonably require by written request to the Depositary. The Depositary or the Company may withhold or delay the delivery of any Receipt, the transfer, redemption or exchange of any Receipt, the withdrawal of the deposited Preferred Stock represented by the Depositary Shares evidenced by any Receipt, the distribution of any dividend or other distribution or the sale of any rights or of the proceeds thereof, until such proof or other information is filed, or such certificates are executed.

SECTION 3.02. Payment of Fees and Expenses.

Holders of Receipts shall be obligated to make payments to the Depositary of certain fees and expenses and taxes or other governmental charges to the extent provided in Section 5.07, or provide evidence satisfactory to the Depositary that such fees and expenses and taxes or other governmental charges have been paid. Until such payment is made, transfer of any Receipt or any withdrawal of the Preferred Stock or money or other property, if any, represented by the Depositary Shares evidenced by such Receipt may be refused, any dividend or other distribution may be withheld, and any part or all of the Preferred Stock or other property represented by the Depositary Shares evidenced by such Receipt may be sold for the account of the holder thereof (after attempting by reasonable means to notify such holder a reasonable number of days prior to such sale). Any dividend or other distribution so withheld and the proceeds of any such sale may be applied to any payment of such fees or expenses, the holder of such Receipt remaining liable for any deficiency.

SECTION 3.03. Representations and Warranties as to Preferred Stock.

In the case of the initial deposit of the Preferred Stock hereunder, the Company represents and warrants that such Preferred Stock and each certificate therefor are validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. Such representations and warranties shall survive the deposit of the Preferred Stock and the issuance of Receipts.

SECTION 3.04. Representation and Warranty as to Receipts and Depositary Shares.

The Company hereby represents and warrants that the Receipts, when issued, will evidence legal and valid interests in the Depositary Shares and each Depositary Share will represent a legal and valid 1/25th ownership interest in a share of deposited Preferred Stock represented by such Depositary Share. Such representation and warranty shall survive the deposit of the Preferred Stock and the issuance of Receipts evidencing the Depositary Shares.

 

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SECTION 3.05. Taxes.

The Company will pay any and all stock transfer, documentary, stamp and similar taxes that may be payable in respect of any issuance or delivery of Depositary Shares or shares of Preferred Stock, Common Stock or other securities issued on account of Depositary Shares or certificates representing such shares or securities. The Company will not, however, be required to pay any such tax that may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in the issuance or delivery of shares of Preferred Stock, Depositary Shares, shares of Common Stock or other securities in a name other than that in which the Depositary Shares with respect to which such shares or other securities are issued or delivered were registered, or in respect of any payment to any person other than a payment to the registered holder thereof, and will not be required to make any such issuance, delivery or payment unless and until the person otherwise entitled to such issuance, delivery or payment has paid to the Company the amount of any such tax or has established, to the satisfaction of the Company, that such tax has been paid or is not payable.

 

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ARTICLE IV

THE PREFERRED STOCK; NOTICES

SECTION 4.01. Cash Distributions.

Whenever the Depositary shall receive any cash dividend or other cash distribution on the deposited Preferred Stock, including any cash received upon redemption of any shares of Preferred Stock pursuant to Section 2.09 or Section 2.10, the Depositary shall, subject to Section 3.02, distribute to record holders of Receipts on the record date fixed pursuant to Section 4.04 such amounts of such sum as are, as nearly as practicable, in proportion to the respective numbers of Depositary Shares evidenced by the Receipts held by such holders; provided, however, that in case the Company or the Depositary shall be required by law to and shall withhold from any cash dividend or other cash distribution in respect of the Preferred Stock represented by the Receipts held by any holder an amount on account of taxes or as otherwise required by law, regulation or court process, the amount made available for distribution or distributed in respect of Depositary Shares represented by such Receipts subject to such withholding shall be reduced accordingly. The Depositary, however, shall distribute or make available for distribution, as the case may be, only such amount as can be distributed without attributing to any holder of Receipts a fraction of one cent. Any such fractional amounts shall be rounded down to the nearest whole cent and so distributed to registered holders entitled thereto and any balance not so distributable shall be held by the Depositary (without liability for interest thereon) and shall be added to and be treated as part of the next succeeding distribution to record holders of such Receipts. Each holder of a Receipt shall provide the Depositary with a properly completed Form W-8 (i.e., Form W-8BEN, Form W-8EXP, Form W-8IMY, Form W8ECI or another applicable Form W-8) or Form W-9 (which form shall set forth such holder’s certified taxpayer identification number if requested on such form), as may be applicable. Each holder of a Receipt acknowledges that, in the event of non-compliance with the preceding sentence the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as amended, may require withholding by the Depositary of a portion of any of the distribution to be made hereunder.

SECTION 4.02. Distributions Other Than Cash.

Whenever the Depositary shall receive any distribution other than cash on the deposited Preferred Stock, the Depositary shall, subject to Section 3.02, distribute to record holders of Receipts on the record date fixed pursuant to Section 4.04 such amounts of the securities or property received by it as are, as nearly as practicable, in proportion to the respective numbers of Depositary Shares evidenced by the Receipts held by such holders, in any manner that the Depositary and the Company may deem equitable and practicable for accomplishing such distribution. The Depositary shall not make any distribution of securities to the holders of Receipts unless the Company shall have provided to the Depositary an opinion of counsel stating that such securities have been registered under the Securities Act or do not need to be registered.

 

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SECTION 4.03. Rights, Preferences or Privileges.

(a) If the Company shall at any time offer or cause to be offered to the persons in whose names deposited Preferred Stock is registered on the books of the Company any rights, preferences or privileges of any nature, such rights, preferences or privileges shall in each such instance be made available by the Depositary to the record holders of Receipts in such manner as the Company shall instruct (including by the issue to such record holders of warrants representing such rights, preferences or privileges); provided, however, that (a) if at the time of issue or offer of any such rights, preferences or privileges the Company determines upon advice of its legal counsel that it is not lawful or feasible to make such rights, preferences or privileges available to the holders of Receipts (by the issue of warrants or otherwise) or (b) if and to the extent instructed by holders of Receipts who do not desire to exercise such rights, preferences or privileges, the Depositary shall then, if so directed by the Company and provided with an opinion of counsel that if the Depositary undertakes such actions it will not be deemed an “issuer” under the Securities Act or an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and if applicable laws or the terms of such rights, preferences or privileges so permit, sell such rights, preferences or privileges of such holders at public or private sale, at such place or places and upon such terms as it may deem proper. The net proceeds of any such sale shall, subject to Section 3.01 and Section 3.02, be distributed by the Depositary to the record holders of Receipts entitled thereto as provided by Section 4.01 in the case of a distribution received in cash. The Depositary shall not make any distribution of such rights, preferences or privileges, unless the Company shall have provided to the Depositary an opinion of counsel stating that such rights, preferences or privileges have been registered under the Securities Act or do not need to be registered.

(b) If registration under the Securities Act of the securities to which any rights, preferences or privileges relate is required in order for holders of Receipts to be offered or sold the securities to which such rights, preferences or privileges relate, the Company agrees that it will promptly notify the Depositary of such requirement, that it will promptly file a registration statement pursuant to the Securities Act with respect to such rights, preferences or privileges and securities and use its commercially reasonable efforts and take all steps available to it to cause such registration statement to become effective sufficiently in advance of the expiration of such rights, preferences or privileges to enable such holders to exercise such rights, preferences or privileges. In no event shall the Depositary make available to the holders of Receipts any right, preference or privilege unless and until such a registration statement shall have become effective or unless the offering and sale of such securities to such holders are exempt from registration under the provisions of the Securities Act and the Company shall have provided to the Depositary an opinion of counsel to such effect.

(c) If any other action under the law of any jurisdiction or any governmental or administrative authorization, consent or permit is required in order for such rights, preferences or privileges to be made available to holders of Receipts, the Company agrees that it will promptly notify the Depositary of such requirement and to use its commercially reasonable efforts to take such action or obtain such authorization, consent or permit sufficiently in advance of the expiration of such rights, preferences or privileges to enable such holders to exercise such rights, preferences or privileges.

(d) The Depositary will not be deemed to have any knowledge of any item for which it is supposed to receive notification under any Section of this Deposit Agreement unless and until it has received such notification.

 

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SECTION 4.04. Notice of Dividends; Fixing of Record Date for Holders of Receipts.

Whenever any cash dividend or other cash distribution shall become payable, any distribution other than cash shall be made, or any rights, preferences or privileges shall at any time be offered, with respect to the deposited Preferred Stock, or whenever the Depositary shall receive notice of (i) any meeting at which holders of such Preferred Stock are entitled to vote or of which holders of such Preferred Stock are entitled to notice or (ii) any election on the part of the Company to redeem any shares of such Preferred Stock, the Depositary shall in each such instance fix a record date (which shall be the same date as the record date fixed by the Company with respect to the Preferred Stock) for the determination of the holders of Receipts who shall be entitled to receive such dividend, distribution, rights, preferences or privileges or the net proceeds of the sale thereof, to give instructions for the exercise of voting rights at any such meeting or to receive notice of such meeting or whose Depositary Shares are to be so redeemed.

SECTION 4.05. Voting Rights.

Upon receipt of notice of any meeting at which the holders of deposited Preferred Stock are entitled to vote, the Depositary shall, as soon as practicable thereafter, mail to the record holders of Receipts a notice, by electronic mail or first-class postage prepaid mail, which shall be provided by the Company and which shall contain (i) such information as is contained in such notice of meeting, (ii) a statement that the holders of Receipts at the close of business on a specified record date fixed pursuant to Section 4.04 will be entitled, subject to any applicable provision of law, to instruct the Depositary as to the exercise of the voting rights pertaining to the amount of Preferred Stock represented by their respective Depositary Shares and (iii) a brief statement as to the manner in which such instructions may be given. Upon the request of a holder of a Receipt on such record date, the Depositary shall insofar as practicable vote or cause to be voted the amount of Preferred Stock represented by the Depositary Shares evidenced by such Receipt in accordance with the instructions set forth in such request. To the extent any such instructions request the voting of a fractional interest of a share of deposited Preferred Stock, the Depositary shall aggregate such interest with all other fractional interests resulting from requests with the same voting instructions and shall vote the number of whole votes resulting from such aggregation in accordance with the instructions received in such requests. Each share of Preferred Stock is entitled to one vote and, accordingly, each Depositary Share is entitled to 1/25th of a vote. The Company hereby agrees to take all reasonable action that may be deemed necessary by the Depositary in order to enable the Depositary to vote such Preferred Stock or cause such Preferred Stock to be voted. In the absence of specific instructions from the holder of a Receipt, the Depositary will not vote the amount of Preferred Stock represented by such Depositary Shares. The Depositary shall not exercise any discretion in voting any Preferred Stock represented by the Depositary Shares evidenced by such Receipt.

SECTION 4.06. Changes Affecting Preferred Stock and Reorganization Events.

Upon any change in liquidation preference, par or stated value, split-up, combination or any other reclassification of the Preferred Stock, any Reorganization Event or any exchange of the Preferred Stock for cash, securities or other property, the Depositary shall, upon the written instructions of the Company setting forth any of the following adjustments, (i) reflect such adjustments in the Depositary’s books and records in the fraction of an interest represented by

 

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one Depositary Share in one share of Preferred Stock as may be required by or as is consistent with the provisions of the Certificate of Designation to fully reflect the effects of such change in liquidation preference, par or stated value, split-up, combination or other reclassification of Preferred Stock, of such Reorganization Event or of such exchange and (ii) treat any shares of stock or other securities or property (including cash) that shall be received by the Depositary in exchange for or in respect of the Preferred Stock as new deposited property under this Deposit Agreement, and Receipts then outstanding shall thenceforth represent the proportionate interests of holders thereof in the new deposited property so received in exchange for or in respect of such Preferred Stock. In any such case the Depositary may, upon the receipt of written request of the Company, execute and deliver additional Receipts, or may call for the surrender of all outstanding Receipts to be exchanged for new Receipts specifically describing such new deposited property.

SECTION 4.07. Inspection of Reports.

The Depositary shall make available for inspection by holders of Receipts at the Depositary Office and at such other places as it may from time to time deem advisable during normal business hours any reports and communications received from the Company that are both received by the Depositary as the holder of deposited Preferred Stock and made generally available to the holders of the Preferred Stock. In addition, the Depositary shall transmit, upon written request by the Company, certain notices and reports to the holders of Receipts as provided in Section 5.05.

SECTION 4.08. Lists of Receipt Holders.

Promptly upon request from time to time by the Company, the Registrar shall furnish to the Company a list, as of a recent date specified by the Company, of the names, addresses and holdings of Depositary Shares of all persons in whose names Receipts are registered on the books of the Registrar.

SECTION 4.09. Withholding.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Deposit Agreement, in the event that the Depositary determines that any distribution in property is subject to any tax or other governmental charge which the Depositary is obligated by law to withhold, the Depositary may dispose of, by public or private sale, all or a portion of such property in such amounts and in such manner as the Depositary deems necessary and practicable to pay such taxes, and the Depositary shall distribute the net proceeds of any such sale or the balance of any such property after deduction of such taxes to the holders of Receipts entitled thereto in proportion to the number of Depositary Shares held by them, respectively; provided, however, that in the event the Depositary determines that such distribution of property is subject to withholding tax only with respect to some but not all holders of Receipts, the Depositary will use its best efforts (i) to sell only that portion of such property distributable to such holders that is required to generate sufficient proceeds to pay such withholding tax and (ii) to effect any such sale in such a manner so as to avoid affecting the rights of any other holders of Receipts to receive such distribution in property.

 

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ARTICLE V

THE DEPOSITARY AND THE COMPANY

SECTION 5.01. Maintenance of Offices, Agencies and Transfer Books by the Depositary and the Registrar.

(a) The Depositary shall maintain at the Depositary Office facilities for the execution and delivery, transfer, surrender and exchange, split-up, combination and redemption of Receipts and deposit and withdrawal of Preferred Stock and at the offices of the Depositary’s Agents, if any, facilities for the delivery, transfer, surrender and exchange, split-up, combination and redemption of Receipts and deposit and withdrawal of Preferred Stock, all in accordance with the provisions of this Deposit Agreement.

(b) The Registrar shall keep books at the Depositary Office for the registration and transfer of Receipts, which books at all reasonable times shall be open for inspection by the record holders of Receipts as provided by applicable law. The Company may cause the Registrar to close such books, at any time or from time to time, when deemed expedient by it in connection with the performance of its duties hereunder.

(c) If the Receipts or the Depositary Shares evidenced thereby or the Preferred Stock represented by such Depositary Shares shall be listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market or any other stock exchange, the Depositary and the Company hereby appoint the Registrar to serve as the registrar for registration of such Receipts or Depositary Shares in accordance with the requirements of such exchange. The Registrar may be removed from serving as the registrar for registration of the Receipts or Depositary Shares in accordance with the requirements of the listing stock exchange by the Depositary or the Company, in which case the Company shall appoint a substitute registrar. If the Receipts, such Depositary Shares or such Preferred Stock are listed on one or more other stock exchanges, the Registrar will, at the request and expense of the Company, arrange such facilities for the delivery, transfer, surrender, redemption and exchange of such Receipts, such Depositary Shares or such Preferred Stock as may be required by law or applicable stock exchange regulations.

SECTION 5.02. Prevention or Delay in Performance by the Depositary, the Depositarys Agents, the Registrar or the Company.

None of the Depositary, any Depositary’s Agent, any Registrar, any Transfer Agent, or the Company shall incur any liability to any holder of any Receipt, if by reason of any provision of any present or future law or regulation thereunder of the United States of America or of any other governmental authority or, in the case of the Depositary, the Depositary’s Agent or the Registrar or Transfer Agent, by reason of any provision, present or future, of the Certificate of Incorporation or, in the case of the Company, the Depositary, the Depositary’s Agent, the Transfer Agent or the Registrar, by reason of any act of God or war or other circumstance beyond the control of the relevant party, the Depositary, any Depositary’s Agent, the Transfer Agent, the Registrar or the Company shall be prevented or forbidden from doing or performing any act or thing that the terms of this Deposit Agreement provide shall be done or performed; nor shall the Depositary, any Depositary’s Agent, the Transfer Agent, any Registrar or the Company incur any liability to any holder of a Receipt by reason of any nonperformance or delay, caused as aforesaid, in the performance of any act or thing that the terms of this Deposit Agreement provide shall or may be done or performed, or by reason of any exercise of, or failure to exercise, any discretion provided for in this Deposit Agreement.

 

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SECTION 5.03. Obligations of the Depositary, the Depositary’s Agents, the Registrar and the Company.

(a) Except as otherwise provided by this Deposit Agreement (including without limitation Section 5.06), the Company does not assume any obligation or shall be subject to any liability under this Deposit Agreement or any Receipt to holders of Receipts other than from acts or omissions arising out of conduct constituting bad faith, gross negligence or willful misconduct in the performance of such duties as are specifically set forth in this Deposit Agreement. Neither the Depositary nor any Depositary’s Agent nor any Transfer Agent or Registrar assumes any obligation or shall be subject to any liability under this Deposit Agreement to holders of Receipts, the Company or any other person or entity other than for its bad faith, gross negligence or willful misconduct (which bad faith, gross negligence or willful misconduct must be determined by a final, non-appealable order, judgment, decree or ruling of a court of competent jurisdiction). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, neither the Depositary, nor any Depositary’s Agent nor any Transfer Agent or Registrar shall be liable for any special, indirect, incidental, consequential, punitive or exemplary damages, including but not limited to, lost profits, even if such person or entity alleged to be liable has knowledge of the possibility of such damages. Any liability of the Depositary and any Registrar or Transfer Agent under this Deposit Agreement will be limited to the amount of annual fees paid by the Company to the Depositary or any Registrar or Transfer Agent.

(b) None of the Depositary, any Depositary’s Agent, any Registrar or Transfer Agent or the Company shall be under any obligation to appear in, prosecute or defend any action, suit or other proceeding with respect to the deposited Preferred Stock, Depositary Shares or Receipts that in its opinion may involve it in expense or liability, unless indemnity satisfactory to it against all expense and liability be furnished as often as may be required.

(c) None of the Depositary, any Depositary’s Agent, any Registrar or Transfer Agent or the Company shall be liable for any action or any failure to act by it in reliance upon the advice of legal counsel or accountants, or information provided by any person presenting Preferred Stock for deposit or any holder of a Receipt. The Depositary, any Depositary’s Agent, any Registrar or Transfer Agent and the Company may each rely and shall each be protected in acting upon any written notice, request, direction or other document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties.

(d) In the event the Depositary shall receive conflicting claims, requests or instructions from any holders of Receipts, on the one hand, and the Company, on the other hand, the Depositary shall be entitled to act on such claims, requests or instructions received from the Company, and shall incur no liability and shall be entitled to the full indemnification set forth in Section 5.06 in connection with any action so taken.

 

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(e) The Depositary shall not be responsible for any failure to carry out any instruction to vote any of the deposited Preferred Stock or for the manner or effect of any such vote made, as long as any such action or non-action does not result from bad faith, gross negligence or willful misconduct of the Depositary (which bad faith, gross negligence or willful misconduct must be determined by a final, non-appealable order, judgment, decree or ruling of a court of competent jurisdiction). The Depositary undertakes, and any Registrar or Transfer Agent shall be required to undertake, to perform such duties and only such duties as are specifically set forth in this Deposit Agreement, and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Deposit Agreement against the Depositary or any Registrar or Transfer Agent.

(f) The Depositary, its parent, affiliate, or subsidiaries, any Depositary’s Agent, and any Registrar or Transfer Agent may own, buy, sell or deal in any class of securities of the Company and its affiliates and in Receipts or Depositary Shares or become pecuniarily interested in any transaction in which the Company or its affiliates may be interested or contract with or lend money to or otherwise act as fully or as freely as if it were not the Depositary or the Depositary’s Agent hereunder. The Depositary may also act as transfer agent or registrar of any of the securities of the Company and its affiliates or act in any other capacity for the Company or its affiliates.

(g) It is intended that neither the Depositary nor any Depositary’s Agent shall be deemed to be an “issuer” of the securities under the federal securities laws or applicable state securities laws, it being expressly understood and agreed that the Depositary and any Depositary’s Agent are acting only in a ministerial capacity as Depositary for the deposited Preferred Stock; provided, however, that the Depositary agrees to comply with all information reporting and withholding requirements applicable to it under law or this Deposit Agreement in its capacity as Depositary.

(h) Neither the Depositary (or its officers, directors, employees, agents or affiliates) nor any Depositary’s Agent makes any representation or has any responsibility as to the validity of the registration statement pursuant to which the Depositary Shares are registered under the Securities Act, the deposited Preferred Stock, the Depositary Shares, the Receipts (except its countersignature thereon) or any instruments referred to therein or herein, or as to the correctness of any statement made therein or herein; provided, however, that the Depositary is responsible for its representations in this Deposit Agreement.

(i) The Company agrees that it will register the deposited Preferred Stock and the Depositary Shares in accordance with the applicable securities laws.

(j) In the event the Depositary, the Depositary’s Agent or any Registrar or Transfer Agent believes any ambiguity or uncertainty exists in any notice, instruction, direction, request or other communication, paper or document received by it pursuant to this Deposit Agreement, the Depositary, the Depositary’s Agent, Transfer Agent or Registrar shall promptly notify the Company of the details of such alleged ambiguity or uncertainty, and may, in its sole discretion, refrain from taking any action, and the Depositary, the Depositary’s Agent, Transfer Agent or Registrar shall be fully protected and shall incur no liability to any person from refraining from taking such action, absent bad faith, gross negligence or willful misconduct (which bad faith, gross negligence or willful misconduct must be determined by a final, non-appealable order,

 

21


judgment, decree or ruling of a court of competent jurisdiction), unless and until (i) the rights of all parties have been fully and finally adjudicated by a court of appropriate jurisdiction or (ii) the Depositary, the Depositary’s Agent, Transfer Agent or Registrar receives written instructions with respect to such matter signed by the Company that eliminates such ambiguity or uncertainty to the satisfaction of the Depositary, the Depositary’s Agent, Transfer Agent or Registrar.

(k) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Deposit Agreement, the Depositary, the Depositary’s Agent, Transfer Agent or Registrar shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter be proved or established by the Company prior to taking, suffering or omitting to take any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively provided and established by a certificate signed by any one of the President, any Executive Vice President, the Chief Financial Officer, Controller, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, Chief Executive Officer, the Secretary or Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Depositary, the Depositary’s Agent, Transfer Agent or Registrar; and such certificate shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Depositary, the Depositary’s Agent, Transfer Agent or Registrar, and the Depositary, the Depositary’s Agent, Transfer Agent or Registrar shall incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it under the provisions of this Deposit Agreement in reliance upon such certificate. The Depositary, the Depositary’s Agent, Transfer Agent or Registrar shall not be liable for or by reason of any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Deposit Agreement or in the Receipts (except its countersignature thereof) or be required to verify the same, but all such statements and recitals are and shall be deemed to have been made by the Company only.

(l) The Depositary, the Depositary’s Agent, Transfer Agent or Registrar will not be under any duty or responsibility to ensure compliance with any applicable federal or state securities laws in connection with the issuance, transfer or exchange of the Receipts, Stock or Depositary Shares.

(m) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, no amendment to the Certificate of Designation shall affect the rights, duties, obligations or immunities of the Depositary, Transfer Agent, the Depositary’s Agent or Registrar hereunder.

(n) The Depositary, Transfer Agent and any Registrar hereunder:

 

  (i)

shall have no duties or obligations other than those specifically set forth herein (and no implied duties or obligations), or as may subsequently be agreed to in writing by the parties;

 

  (ii)

shall have no obligation to make payment hereunder unless the Company shall have provided immediately available funds or securities or property, as the case may be, to pay in full amounts due and payable with respect thereto;

 

  (iii)

shall not be obligated to take any legal or other action hereunder; if, however, such person determines to take any legal or other action hereunder, and, where the taking of such action might in such person’s judgment subject or expose it to any expense or liability, such person shall not be required to act unless it shall have been furnished with an indemnity satisfactory to it;

 

22


  (iv)

may rely on and shall be authorized and protected in acting or failing to act upon any certificate, instrument, opinion, notice, letter, facsimile transmission or other document or security delivered to such person and believed by such person to be genuine and to have been signed by the proper party or parties, and shall have no responsibility for determining the accuracy thereof;

 

  (v)

may rely on and shall be authorized and protected in acting or failing to act upon the written, telephonic, electronic and oral instructions, with respect to any matter relating to such person’s actions as depositary covered by this Deposit Agreement (or supplementing or qualifying any such actions) of officers of the Company;

 

  (vi)

may consult counsel satisfactory to it, and the advice of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by the Depositary hereunder in accordance with the advice of such counsel;

 

  (vii)

shall not be called upon at any time to advise any person with respect to the Depositary Shares or Receipts;

 

  (viii)

shall not be liable or responsible for any recital or statement contained in any documents relating hereto or the Depositary Shares or Receipts; and

 

  (ix)

shall not be liable in any respect on account of the identity, authority or rights of the parties (other than with respect to the Depositary) executing or delivering or purporting to execute or deliver this Deposit Agreement or any documents or papers deposited or called for under this Deposit Agreement.

(o) The obligations of the Company set forth in this Section 5.03 shall survive the replacement, removal or resignation of any Depositary, Registrar, Transfer Agent or Depositary’s Agent or termination of this Deposit Agreement.

SECTION 5.04. Resignation and Removal of the Depositary; Appointment of Successor Depositary.

(a) The Depositary may at any time resign as Depositary hereunder by notice of its election to do so delivered to the Company, such resignation to take effect upon the appointment of a successor depositary and its acceptance of such appointment as hereinafter provided.

(b) The Depositary may at any time be removed by the Company by notice of such removal delivered to the Depositary, such removal to take effect upon the appointment of a successor depositary and its acceptance of such appointment as hereinafter provided. Upon any such removal or appointment, the Company shall send notice thereof by electronic mail or first-class mail, postage prepaid, to the holders of Receipts.

 

23


(c) In case at any time the Depositary acting hereunder shall resign or be removed, the Company shall, within 60 days after the delivery of the notice of resignation or removal, as the case may be, appoint a successor depositary, which shall be an entity having its principal office in the United States of America and having a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000. If a successor depositary shall not have been appointed and have accepted appointment in 60 days, the resigning Depositary may petition a court of competent jurisdiction to appoint a successor depositary. Every successor depositary shall execute and deliver to its predecessor and to the Company an instrument in writing accepting its appointment hereunder, and thereupon such successor depositary, without any further act or deed, shall become fully vested with all the rights, powers, duties and obligations of its predecessor and for all purposes shall be the Depositary under this Deposit Agreement, and such predecessor, upon payment of all sums due it and on the written request of the Company, shall promptly execute and deliver an instrument transferring to such successor all rights and powers of such predecessor hereunder, shall duly assign, transfer and deliver all rights, title and interest in the deposited Preferred Stock and any moneys or property held hereunder to such successor and shall deliver to such successor a list of the record holders of all outstanding Receipts.

(d) Any corporation or other entity into or with which the Depositary may be merged, consolidated or converted, or any corporation or other entity to which all or a substantial part of the assets of the Depositary may be transferred, shall be the successor of such Depositary without the execution or filing of any document or any further act. Such successor depositary may execute the Receipts either in the name of the predecessor depositary or in the name of the successor depositary.

(e) The provisions of this Section 5.04 as they apply to the Depositary apply to the Registrar and Transfer Agent, as if specifically enumerated herein.

SECTION 5.05. Notices, Reports and Documents.

The Company agrees that it will deliver to the Depositary and the Depositary will promptly after receipt of such notice, transmit to the record holders of Receipts, in each case at the address recorded in the Depositary’s books, copies of all notices and reports generally made available by the Company to holders of the Preferred Stock and not otherwise made publicly available. Such transmission will be at the Company’s expense and the Company will provide the Depositary with such number of copies of such documents as the Depositary may reasonably request. In addition, the Depositary will transmit to the record holders of Receipts at the Company’s expense such other documents as may be requested by the Company.

SECTION 5.06. Indemnification by the Company.

The Company shall indemnify the Depositary, any Depositary’s Agent and any Transfer Agent or Registrar against, and hold each of them harmless from, any loss, liability, damage, cost or expense (including the costs and expenses of defending itself) which may arise out of (i) acts performed or omitted in connection with this Deposit Agreement and the Receipts (a) by the

 

24


Depositary, any Transfer Agent or Registrar or any of their respective agents (including any Depositary’s Agent), except for any liability arising out of bad faith, gross negligence or willful misconduct (which bad faith, gross negligence or willful misconduct must be determined by a final, non-appealable order, judgment, decree or ruling of a court of competent jurisdiction) on the respective parts of any such person or persons, or (b) by the Company or any of its agents, or (ii) the offer, sale or registration of the Receipts or shares of Stock pursuant to the provisions hereof. The obligations of the Company set forth in this Section 5.06 shall survive the replacement, removal or resignation of any Depositary, Registrar, Transfer Agent or Depositary’s Agent or termination of this Deposit Agreement. In no event shall the Depositary have any right of set off or counterclaim against the Depositary Shares or the Preferred Stock.

SECTION 5.07. Fees, Charges and Expenses.

No charges and expenses of the Depositary or any Depositary’s Agent hereunder shall be payable by any person, except as provided in this Section 5.07. The Company shall pay all transfer and other taxes and governmental charges arising solely from the existence of this Deposit Agreement. The Company shall also pay all fees and expenses of the Depositary in connection with the initial deposit of the Preferred Stock and the initial issuance of the Depositary Shares evidenced by the Receipts, any redemption of the Preferred Stock at the option of the Company and all withdrawals of the Preferred Stock by holders of Receipts as previously agreed between the Depositary and the Company. All other fees and expenses of the Depositary and any Depositary’s Agent hereunder and of any Registrar or Transfer Agent (including, in each case, fees and expenses of counsel) incurred in the preparation, delivery, amendment, administration and execution of this Deposit Agreement and incident to the performance of their respective obligations hereunder will be paid by the Company as previously agreed between the Depositary and the Company or any Registrar or Transfer Agent; provided that Holders of Depositary Shares shall pay any transfer fees, taxes or governmental charges and other such charges as expressly provided in this Deposit Agreement. The Depositary (and if applicable, the Transfer Agent and Registrar) shall present its statement for fees and expenses to the Company annually or at such other intervals as the Company and the Depositary may agree.

 

25


ARTICLE VI

AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION

SECTION 6.01. Amendment.

The form of the Receipts and any provision of this Deposit Agreement may at any time and from time to time be amended by agreement between the Company and the Depositary without the consent of holders of Receipts in any respect that the Company and the Depositary may deem necessary or desirable; provided, however, that no such amendment (other than any change in the fees of any Depositary, Registrar or Transfer Agent that are payable by the Company) which (i) shall materially and adversely alter the rights of the holders of Receipts or (ii) would be materially and adversely inconsistent with the rights granted to the holders of the Preferred Stock pursuant to the Certificate of Incorporation shall be effective unless such amendment shall have been approved by the holders of Receipts evidencing at least a majority of the affected Depositary Shares then outstanding. In no event shall any amendment impair the right, subject to the provisions of Section 2.05 and Article III, of any holder of any Receipts evidencing such Depositary Shares to surrender any Receipt with instructions to the Depositary to deliver to the holder the deposited Preferred Stock and all money and other property, if any, represented thereby, except in order to comply with mandatory provisions of applicable law. Every holder who retains or acquires Receipts after an amendment becomes effective shall be deemed, by continuing to hold such Receipt, to consent and agree to such amendment and to be bound by this Deposit Agreement as amended thereby.

SECTION 6.02. Termination.

(a) This Deposit Agreement may be terminated by the Company upon not less than 35 days’ prior written notice to the Depositary, and the Depositary shall give notice of the termination to record holders of all outstanding Depositary Shares not less than 30 days’ before the termination date. In the event of such termination, the Depositary shall deliver or make available to each holder of a Receipt, upon surrender of the Receipt held by such holder, such number of whole or fractional shares of deposited Preferred Stock as are represented by the Depositary Shares evidenced by such Receipt, together with any other property held by the Depositary in respect of such Receipt. This Deposit Agreement will automatically terminate if (i) all outstanding Depositary Shares shall have been redeemed in accordance with the provisions hereof or (ii) there shall have been made a final distribution in respect of the deposited Preferred Stock in connection with any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company and such distribution shall have been distributed to the holders of Receipts entitled thereto.

(b) Upon the termination of this Deposit Agreement, the Depositary shall discontinue the transfer of Depositary Receipts, suspend the distribution of dividends and not give any further notices (other than notice of such termination) or perform any further acts, except that the Depositary will continue to collect dividends and other distributions on the Preferred Stock and deliver such dividends along with the Preferred Stock certificates in exchange for Receipts surrendered. At any time after the expiration of three years from the date of termination, the Depositary may sell the Preferred Stock and hold the proceeds of such sale, without interest, for the benefit of the record holders of Receipts who have not then surrendered their Receipts. After making such sale, the Depositary shall be discharged from all obligations under this Deposit Agreement, except to account for the proceeds of such sale.

 

26


(c) Upon the termination of this Deposit Agreement, the Company shall be discharged from all obligations under this Deposit Agreement except for its obligations to the Depositary, any Depositary’s Agent and any Transfer Agent or Registrar under Section 5.06 and Section 5.07.

 

27


ARTICLE VII

MISCELLANEOUS

SECTION 7.01. Counterparts.

This Deposit Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, and by each of the parties hereto on separate counterparts, each of which counterparts, when so executed and delivered, shall be deemed an original, but all such counterparts taken together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page to this Deposit Agreement by facsimile or any standard form of telecommunication shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Deposit Agreement.

SECTION 7.02. Exclusive Benefits of Parties.

This Deposit Agreement is for the exclusive benefit of the parties hereto, and their respective successors hereunder, and shall not be deemed to give any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim to any other person whatsoever.

SECTION 7.03. Invalidity of Provisions.

In case any one or more of the provisions contained in this Deposit Agreement or in the Receipts should be or become invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions contained herein or therein shall in no way be affected, prejudiced or disturbed thereby; provided, however, that if such provision affects the rights, duties, liabilities or obligations of the Depositary, the Depositary shall be entitled to resign immediately.

SECTION 7.04. Notices.

(a) Any and all notices to be given to the Company hereunder or under the Receipts shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if personally delivered or sent by mail, or by facsimile transmission confirmed by letter, addressed to the Company at:

Fifth Third Bancorp

38 Fountain Square Plaza

Cincinnati, Ohio 45263

Tel: (513) 534-5300

Fax: (513) 534-6757

Attention: H. Samuel Lind, Senior Vice President,

Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary

with a copy to :

Graydon Head & Ritchey, LLP

312 Walnut Street, Suite 1800

Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

Tel: (513) 621-6464

Fax: (513) 651-3836

Attention: Richard G. Schmalzl, Esq.

or at any other address of which the Company shall have notified the Depositary in writing.

 

28


(b) Any notices to be given to the Depositary, Transfer Agent or Registrar hereunder or under the Receipts shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if personally delivered or sent by mail, or telecopier confirmed by letter, addressed to the Depositary, Transfer Agent or Registrar:

American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC

6201 15th Avenue

Brooklyn, New York 11219

Attention: Ted Wiener

with a copy to:

American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC

10150 Mallard Creek Road

Suite 307

Charlotte, North Carolina 28262

Attention: Felix Orihuela

(d) Any notices given to any record holder of a Receipt hereunder or under the Receipts shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if personally delivered or sent by mail, recognized next-day courier service or telecopier confirmed by letter, addressed to such record holder at the address of such record holder as it appears on the books of the Depositary provided that any record holder may direct the Depositary to deliver notices to such record holder at an alternate address or in a specific manner that is reasonably requested by such record holder in a written request timely filed with the Depositary and that is reasonably acceptable to the Depositary.

(e) Delivery of a notice sent by mail shall be deemed to be effected at the time when a duly addressed letter containing the same (or a confirmation thereof in the case of a facsimile message) is deposited, postage prepaid, in a post office letter box, or in the case of a next-day courier service, when deposited with such courier, courier fees prepaid. The Depositary or the Company may, however, act upon any facsimile message received by it from the other or from any holder of a Receipt, notwithstanding that such facsimile message shall not subsequently be confirmed by letter as aforesaid.

SECTION 7.05. Depositarys Agents.

The Depositary may from time to time appoint Depositary’s Agents to act in any respect for the Depositary for the purposes of this Deposit Agreement and may at any time appoint additional Depositary’s Agents and vary or terminate the appointment of such Depositary’s Agents. The Depositary will notify the Company of any such action.

 

29


SECTION 7.06. Holders of Receipts Are Parties.

The holders of Receipts from time to time shall be deemed to be parties to this Deposit Agreement and shall be bound by all of the terms and conditions hereof and of the Receipts by acceptance of delivery thereof to the same extent as though such person executed this Deposit Agreement.

SECTION 7.07. Governing Law.

This Deposit Agreement and the Receipts and all rights hereunder and thereunder and provisions hereof and thereof shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the law of the State of Delaware applicable to agreements made and to be performed in said State, without regard to conflicts of laws principles thereof.

SECTION 7.08. Inspection of Deposit Agreement and Certificate of Designation.

Copies of this Deposit Agreement and the Certificate of Designation shall be filed with the Depositary and the Depositary’s Agents and shall be open to inspection during business hours at the Depositary Office by any holder of any Receipt.

SECTION 7.09. Headings.

The headings of articles and sections in this Deposit Agreement and in the form of the Receipt set forth in Exhibit A hereto have been inserted for convenience only and are not to be regarded as a part of this Deposit Agreement or to have any bearing upon the meaning or interpretation of any provision contained herein or in the Receipts.

 

30


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have duly executed this Deposit Agreement as of the day and year first above set forth and all holders of Receipts shall become parties hereto by and upon acceptance by them of delivery of Receipts issued in accordance with the terms hereof.

 

FIFTH THIRD BANCORP,
as Issuer

/s/ Tayfun Tuzun

By: Tayfun Tuzun
Title: Executive Vice President and Chief
Financial Officer
AMERICAN STOCK TRANSFER &
TRUST COMPANY, LLC,
as Depositary, Transfer Agent and Registrar

/s/ Michael Legregin

By: Michael Legregin
Title: Senior Vice President

 

31


EXHIBIT A

FORM OF FACE OF RECEIPT

UNLESS THIS RECEIPT IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION (“DTC”), NEW YORK, NEW YORK, TO THE CORPORATION OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY RECEIPT ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO., OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC) ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO. HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.

TRANSFERS OF THIS GLOBAL RECEIPT SHALL BE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS IN WHOLE, BUT NOT IN PART, TO NOMINEES OF DTC OR TO A SUCCESSOR THEREOF OR SUCH SUCCESSOR’S NOMINEE AND TRANSFERS OF PORTIONS OF THIS GLOBAL RECEIPT SHALL BE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH IN THE CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION REFERRED TO BELOW.

IN CONNECTION WITH ANY TRANSFER, THE HOLDER WILL DELIVER TO THE REGISTRAR AND TRANSFER AGENT SUCH CERTIFICATES AND OTHER INFORMATION AS SUCH REGISTRAR AND TRANSFER AGENT MAY REQUIRE TO CONFIRM THAT THE TRANSFER COMPLIES WITH THE RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFER AND OTHER PROVISIONS OF SAID AGREEMENT. ANY SALE OR OTHER TRANSFER NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH SAID AGREEMENT WILL BE VOID.

Certificate Number                Number of Depositary Shares

 

32


FIFTH THIRD BANCORP

RECEIPT FOR DEPOSITARY SHARES

EACH REPRESENTING 1/25TH OF A SHARE OF

[•]% FIXED-RATE RESET NON-CUMULATIVE

PERPETUAL PREFERRED STOCK, SERIES L

(LIQUIDATION PREFERENCE $25,000 PER SHARE)

American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, as Depositary (the “Depositary”), hereby certifies that ___________________ is the registered owner of Depositary Shares (“Depositary Shares”), each Depositary Share representing 1/25th of an ownership interest in a share of [•]% Fixed-Rate Reset Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series L, liquidation preference of $25,000 per share (the “Stock”), of Fifth Third Bancorp, an Ohio corporation (the “Company”), on deposit with the Depositary, subject to the terms and entitled to the benefits of the Deposit Agreement dated July [•], 2020 (the “Deposit Agreement”), among the Company, the Depositary, and the holders from time to time of Receipts for Depositary Shares (“Depositary Share Receipts”). By accepting this Depositary Share Receipt, the holder hereof becomes a party to and agrees to be bound by all the terms and conditions of the Deposit Agreement. This Depositary Share Receipt shall not be valid or obligatory for any purpose or entitled to any benefits under the Deposit Agreement unless it shall have been executed by the Depositary by the manual or facsimile signature of a duly authorized officer and, if a Registrar in respect of the Depositary Share Receipt (other than the Depositary) shall have been appointed, by the manual signature of a duly authorized officer of such Registrar.

Dated: July [•], 2020

 

   American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, as Depositary
   By:   

 

  
      Authorized Signatory   
Countersigned:    American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, as Registrar
   By:   

 

  
      Authorized Signatory   

 

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[FORM OF REVERSE OF RECEIPT]

The following abbreviations when used in the instructions on the face of this receipt shall be construed as though they were written out in full according to applicable laws or regulations.

 

TEN COM - as tenant in common    UNIF GIFT MIN ACT -
Custodian   
(Cust)         (Minor)   
TEN ENT - as tenants by the entireties    Under Uniform Gifts to Minors Act

JT TEN - as joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants in common

(State)

Additional abbreviations may also be used though not in the above list.

ASSIGNMENT

For value received, ________________________ hereby sell(s), assign(s) and

transfer(s) unto

PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR

OTHER IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE, AS APPLICABLE

PLEASE PRINT OR TYPEWRITE NAME AND ADDRESS

INCLUDING POSTAL ZIP CODE OF ASSIGNEE

Depositary Shares represented by the within

Receipt, and do hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint Attorney to transfer the said Depositary Shares on the books of the within named Depositary with full power of substitution in the premises.

Dated

NOTICE: The signature to the assignment must correspond with the name as written upon the face of this Receipt in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatever.

SIGNATURE GUARANTEED

NOTICE: The signature(s) should be guaranteed by an eligible guarantor institution (banks, stockbrokers, savings and loan associations, and credit unions with membership in an approved signature guarantee medallion program), pursuant to Rule 17Ad-15 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

 

34


EXHIBIT B

CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION

See Exhibit 4.1 to Form 8-K filed by Fifth Third Bancorp on July 30, 2020 for a copy of the Amendment to the Articles of Incorporation, as amended.

 

35

Exhibit 5.1

 

Richard G Schmalzl

Direct:513.629.2828

rschmalzl@graydon.law

  

LOGO

 

July 30, 2020

Fifth Third Bancorp

Fifth Third Center

38 Fountain Square Plaza

Cincinnati, OH 45263

Dear Ladies and Gentleman:

We have acted as counsel to Fifth Third Bancorp, an Ohio corporation (“Fifth Third”) in connection with the filing of the Prospectus Supplement dated as of July 27, 2020 to the Prospectus dated as of March 28, 2019, filed by Fifth Third with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), relating to the offer and sale by Fifth Third of 350,000 depositary shares (the “Depositary Shares”), each representing 1/25th ownership interest of a share of 4.500% Fixed-Rate Reset Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series L with a liquidation value per share of $25,000 (“Series L Preferred Stock”). The aggregate number of shares of Series L Preferred Stock being issued by Fifth Third in connection with the offer and sale of the Depositary Shares is 14,000 shares (the “Series L Preferred Shares”). The Prospectus Supplement is part of Fifth Third’s Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-230568), which was filed with the Commission on March 28, 2019.

We have reviewed the Prospectus Supplement and examined such corporate records, certificates, documents and matters of law as we have deemed necessary or appropriate as a basis for the opinion set forth below. We have further assumed (1) that all documents submitted to us as originals are authentic, (2) with respect to all documents supplied to us as drafts, the final, executed versions of such documents are identical in all material respects to the versions most recently supplied to us, (3) other than with respect to Fifth Third, each such final version (when executed) is valid and enforceable in accordance with its terms, (4) as to statements of officers of Fifth Third and certificates of public officials, that all such statements and certificates have been properly given and accurate, (5) the facts and information contained in the Prospectus Supplement are accurate and complete, and (6) the Depositary Shares will be sold at the offering price stated on the cover of the Prospectus Supplement.

In rendering such opinion, we have assumed that the certificates for the Depositary Shares and the Series L Preferred Shares conform to the specimens thereof examined by us, and that the Depositary Shares have been duly countersigned by a transfer agent and duly registered by a registrar of the Depositary Shares.

Based upon such examination and the assumptions set forth herein, we are of the opinion that the Depositary Shares and the Series L Preferred Shares are each validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and the holders of the Depositary Shares are entitled to the rights specified in the Deposit Agreement dated July 30, 2020.


The foregoing opinion is limited to the federal laws of the United States, the laws of the State of Ohio and the Delaware General Corporation Law, and we are expressing no opinion as to the effect of the laws of any other jurisdiction. We express no opinion as to whether, or the extent to which, the laws of any particular jurisdiction apply to the subject matter of the agreements and documents referred to herein, including without limitation the enforceability of the governing law provisions contained in such agreements and documents.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to Fifth Third’s Form 8-K (which is deemed incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement) and to the references to this firm under the heading “Validity of the securities” in the Registration Statement and Prospectus Supplement without admitting that we are “experts” within the meaning of the Act, or the rules and regulations of the Commission issued thereunder, with respect to any part of the Registration Statement, including this exhibit.

 

Very truly yours,
Graydon Head & Ritchey LLP
/s/ Richard G. Schmalzl
Richard G. Schmalzl, Partner