METLIFE INC Depositary Shares, each representing a 1/1,000th interest in a share of 5.625% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series E Depositary Shares, each representing a 1/1,000th interest in a share of 4.75% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series F false 0001099219 --12-31 0001099219 2020-09-08 2020-09-08 0001099219 us-gaap:CommonStockMember 2020-09-08 2020-09-08 0001099219 us-gaap:SeriesAPreferredStockMember 2020-09-08 2020-09-08 0001099219 us-gaap:SeriesEPreferredStockMember 2020-09-08 2020-09-08 0001099219 us-gaap:SeriesFPreferredStockMember 2020-09-08 2020-09-08

 

 

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): September 8, 2020

 

 

METLIFE, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   1-15787   13-4075851

(State or Other Jurisdiction

of Incorporation)

 

(Commission

File Number)

 

(IRS Employer

Identification No.)

 

200 Park Avenue, New York, New York   10166-0188
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)   (Zip Code)

212-578-9500

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

N/A

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

 

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 

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, par value $0.01    MET    New York Stock Exchange
Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series A, par value $0.01    MET PRA    New York Stock Exchange
Depositary Shares, each representing a 1/1,000th interest in a share of 5.625% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series E    MET PRE    New York Stock Exchange
Depositary Shares, each representing a 1/1,000th interest in a share of 4.75% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series F    MET PRF    New York Stock Exchange

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

Emerging growth company  ☐

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.  ☐

 

 

 


Item 3.03

Material Modification to Rights of Security Holders

On September 10, 2020, MetLife, Inc. (the “Company”) closed the public offering of an aggregate of 1,000,000 shares of its 3.850% Fixed Rate Reset Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series G, par value $0.01 per share and liquidation preference of $1,000 per share (the “Preferred Stock”). The offering and sale of the Preferred Stock was registered under the Company’s registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-234761), and a prospectus supplement related to the Preferred Stock dated September 8, 2020 (filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5) under the Securities Act of 1933).

Upon issuance of the Preferred Stock by the Company on September 10, 2020, the Company’s ability to declare or pay dividends on, or purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire, shares of its common stock or any shares of the Company that rank junior to, or on parity with, the Preferred Stock became subject to certain restrictions in the event that the Company does not declare and pay (or set aside) dividends on the Preferred Stock for the last preceding dividend period. The terms of the Preferred Stock, including such restrictions, are more fully described in the Certificate of Designations for the Preferred Stock, a copy of which is attached as Exhibit 3.1 hereto and incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 5.03

Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year

On September 9, 2020, the Company filed a Certificate of Designations with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware to establish the preferences, limitations and relative rights of the Preferred Stock. The Certificate of Designations became effective upon filing, a copy of which is attached as Exhibit 3.1 hereto and incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 8.01

Other Events

On September 8, 2020, the Company entered into (i) an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) and (ii) a Pricing Agreement (the “Pricing Agreement”) with BNP Paribas Securities Corp., BofA Securities, Inc., Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, as representatives of the several underwriters named in Schedule I to the Pricing Agreement (the “Underwriters”), with respect to the offer and sale by the Company of the Preferred Stock. The Underwriting Agreement and the Pricing Agreement are being filed with this Current Report on Form 8-K as Exhibit 1.1 and Exhibit 1.2 hereto, respectively, and are incorporated herein by reference.

A copy of the opinion letter of Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, relating to the validity of the Preferred Stock, is attached as Exhibit 5.1 hereto.

 

Item 9.01

Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

Exhibit
No.

  

Description of Exhibit

  1.1    Underwriting Agreement, dated as of September 8, 2020, among MetLife, Inc. and BNP Paribas Securities Corp., BofA Securities, Inc., Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, as representatives of the several Underwriters named in Schedule 1 to the Pricing Agreement.
  1.2    Pricing Agreement, dated as of September 8, 2020, among MetLife, Inc. and BNP Paribas Securities Corp., BofA Securities, Inc., Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, as representatives of the several Underwriters named therein.
  3.1    Certificate of Designations with respect to the Preferred Stock of the Company, dated September 9, 2020.
  4.1    Form of Preferred Stock Certificate (included as Exhibit A to Exhibit 3.1 above).
  5.1    Opinion of Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP relating to the validity of the Preferred Stock.
23.1    Consent of Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1 above).
101    Pursuant to Rule 406 of Regulation S-T, the cover page is formatted in Inline XBRL (Inline eXtensible Business Reporting Language).
104    Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document and included in Exhibit 101).


SIGNATURE

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

 

 

METLIFE, INC.

Date: September 10, 2020

 

By:

 

/s/ Tamara L. Schock

 

Name:

 

Tamara L. Schock

 

Title:

 

Executive Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer

Exhibit 1.1

METLIFE, INC.

PREFERRED SHARES

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

September 8, 2020

To the Representatives of the several

Underwriters named in the respective

Pricing Agreements hereinafter described

Ladies and Gentlemen:

From time to time, MetLife, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to enter into one or more Pricing Agreements (each a “Pricing Agreement”) in the form of Annex I hereto, with such additions and deletions as the parties thereto may determine and, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein and therein, to issue and sell to the firms named in Schedule I to the applicable Pricing Agreement (with respect to such Pricing Agreement and the securities specified therein, the “Underwriters”) the respective numbers of the Company’s preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share, identified in Schedule I to the applicable Pricing Agreement under the caption “Total Number of Securities” (with respect to such Pricing Agreement, the “Securities”).

The terms and rights of any particular issuance of the Securities shall be as specified in the Pricing Agreement relating thereto and in or pursuant to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, as amended, including the applicable certificate of designations related to the Securities (together, the “Certificate of Designations”).

Particular sales of the Securities may be made from time to time to the Underwriters of such Securities, for whom the firms designated as representatives of the Underwriters of such Securities in the Pricing Agreement relating thereto will act as representatives (the “Representatives”). The term “Representatives” also refers to a single firm acting as sole representative of the Underwriters and to Underwriters who act without any firm being designated as their representative. This Underwriting Agreement shall not be construed as an obligation of the Company to sell any of the Securities or as an obligation of any of the Underwriters to purchase any of the Securities. The obligation of the Company to issue and sell any of the Securities and the obligation of any of the Underwriters to purchase any of the Securities shall be evidenced by the Pricing Agreement with respect to the Securities specified therein.

Each Pricing Agreement shall specify the total number of Securities, the initial public offering price of such Securities, the purchase price to the Underwriters of such Securities, the names of the Underwriters of such Securities, the names of the Representatives of such Underwriters and the number of Securities to be purchased by each Underwriter. In addition, such Pricing Agreement shall set forth the date, time and manner of delivery of such Securities and payment therefor. Such Pricing Agreement shall also specify (in a manner not inconsistent with the Certificate of Designations and the registration statement and prospectus with respect thereto) the


terms of the Securities. A Pricing Agreement shall be in the form of an executed writing (which may be in counterparts), and may be evidenced by an exchange of telegraphic communications or any other rapid transmission device designed to produce a written record of communications transmitted. The obligations of the Underwriters under this Agreement and each Pricing Agreement shall be several and not joint.

 

1.

Representations and Warranties. The Company represents and warrants to the Underwriters, and agrees with each of the Underwriters that, unless otherwise specified, as of the date hereof, as of the Applicable Time (as defined below) and as of the Closing Date (as defined below) as follows:

 

  (a)

The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-234761) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), which has become effective, for the registration under the Act of the Securities. The Company meets the requirements for use of Form S-3 under the Act. The Company proposes to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424 under the Act (“Rule 424”) a supplement or supplements to the form of prospectus included in such registration statement relating to the Securities and the plan of distribution thereof. Such registration statement, including the exhibits thereto, as amended at the date of this Agreement, is hereinafter called the “Registration Statement”; the Registration Statement at the time it originally became effective is herein called the “Original Registration Statement”; such prospectus in the form in which it appears in the Original Registration Statement is hereinafter called the “Base Prospectus”; and such supplemented form of final prospectus, in the form in which it shall first be filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424 (including the Base Prospectus as so supplemented), is hereinafter called the “Final Prospectus.” Any preliminary form of the Final Prospectus which has heretofore been filed pursuant to Rule 424 is hereinafter called a “Preliminary Prospectus.” Any reference herein to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus (as defined below) or the Final Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 which were filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), on or before the date of this Agreement, or the issue date of the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, as the case may be; and any reference herein to the terms “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Final Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any document filed under the Exchange Act after the date of this Agreement, or the issue date of the Base Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, as the case may be, deemed to be incorporated therein by reference; each Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing Prospectus and the prospectuses filed as part of the Registration Statement as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto, or filed pursuant to Rule 424, complied when so filed in all material respects with the Act and the rules thereunder and each Preliminary Prospectus, the Pricing

 

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  Prospectus and the Final Prospectus delivered to the Representatives for use in connection with this offering was identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission via the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval (“EDGAR”) system, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.

 

(b)   (i)   The Registration Statement, as amended as of any such time, and the Final Prospectus, as amended or supplemented as of any such time, will comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Act, the Exchange Act and the respective rules thereunder;

 

  (ii)

(A) The Registration Statement does not and will not, as of the applicable effective date as to each part of the Registration Statement, contain 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 not misleading and (B) the Final Prospectus does not and will not, as of its date and as of its filing date, contain 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 under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that for each of (A) and (B), the Company makes no representations or warranties as to the information contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement or the Final Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished in writing to the Company by such Underwriter expressly for use in the Registration Statement and the Final Prospectus;

 

  (iii)

As of the Applicable Time, the Issuer Free Writing Prospectus(es) (as defined below) listed on Schedule 1 hereto, if any, the Pricing Prospectus, and the final term sheet relating to the Securities set forth as Schedule II to the Pricing Agreement (the “Final Term Sheet”), all considered together (collectively, the “Disclosure Package”), will not 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 under which they were made, not misleading; and

 

  (iv)

As of the Applicable Time, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus listed on Schedule 1 hereto, if any, and Schedule 2 hereto will not conflict with the information contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Disclosure Package, and each such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as supplemented by and taken together with the Disclosure Package and any other such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, in each case as of the Applicable Time, will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, it is understood and agreed that in no event shall any such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, including but

 

3


  not limited to any electronic roadshow, be listed on Schedule 1 hereto and Schedule 2 hereto unless the Company (A) has consented to the use thereof and (B) shall have approved its contents before any such use, in each case in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.

As used in this subsection and elsewhere in this Underwriting Agreement:

Applicable Time” means 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) on September 8, 2020 or such other time as agreed by the Company and the Representatives and stated in the applicable Pricing Agreement.

Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433 under the Act (“Rule 433”), relating to the Securities.

Pricing Prospectus” means the Base Prospectus, as amended or supplemented (including by any Preliminary Prospectus) immediately prior to the Applicable Time.

 

  (c)

At the time the Company or another offering participant first made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) under the Act) of the Securities, the Company was not an “ineligible issuer” as defined in Rule 405 under the Act.

 

  (d)

(i) At the time of filing the Original Registration Statement, (ii) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or form of prospectus), (iii) at the time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c) under the Act) relied on the exemption of Rule 163 under the Act and (iv) as of the date of this Agreement, the Company was and is a “well-known seasoned issuer” as defined in Rule 405 under the Act. The Registration Statement is an “automatic shelf registration statement,” as defined in Rule 405 under the Act, that automatically became effective not more than three years prior to the date hereof; the Company has not received from the Commission any notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Act objecting to use of the automatic shelf registration statement and the Company has not otherwise ceased to be eligible to use the automatic shelf registration statement. The Company has paid or shall pay the required Commission filing fees relating to the Securities within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1) under the Act and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the Act.

 

  (e)

Each document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, when they became effective or at the time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied and will comply in all material respects with the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable.

 

  (f)

Neither the Company nor any Significant Subsidiary (as defined below) of the Company has sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Disclosure Package any loss or

 

4


  interference material to the business of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as a whole, other than as described in or contemplated by the Disclosure Package, from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree; and, since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Disclosure Package, other than as described or contemplated in the Disclosure Package, there has not been any (i) material addition, or development involving a prospective material addition, to the liability of any Significant Subsidiary for future policy benefits, policyholder account balances and other claims, other than in the ordinary course of business, (ii) material decrease in the surplus of any Significant Subsidiary or material change in the capital stock or other ownership interests (other than issuances of common stock upon the exercise of outstanding employee stock options or pursuant to existing employee compensation plans or on the conversion or exchange of convertible or exchangeable securities outstanding on the date of the applicable Pricing Agreement) of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary or any material increase in the long-term debt of the Company or its subsidiaries, considered as a whole, or (iii) material adverse change, or development involving a prospective material adverse change, in or affecting the business, financial position, reserves, surplus, equity or results of operations (in each case considered either on a statutory accounting or U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) basis, as applicable) of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as a whole. As of December 31, 2019, the subsidiaries of the Company that would qualify as a “Significant Subsidiary” of the Company under Regulation S-X were Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (“MLIC”), American Life Insurance Company and MetLife Insurance Company K.K.

 

  (g)

The Company and each Significant Subsidiary has good and marketable title in fee simple to all material real property and good and marketable title to all material personal property owned by it, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects that materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company or any Significant Subsidiary, except such as are described in the Disclosure Package or such as would not have a material adverse effect on the business, financial position, equity, reserves, surplus or results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries, considered as a whole (“Material Adverse Effect”), and any material real property and material buildings held under lease by the Company or any of its subsidiaries are held under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with such exceptions that do not materially interfere with the use made and currently proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company or any Significant Subsidiary.

 

  (h)

The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, with power and authority (corporate and other) to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Disclosure Package and has been duly qualified as a foreign corporation for the transaction of business and is in good standing under the laws

 

5


  of each other jurisdiction in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification and good standing, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified and in good standing would not have a Material Adverse Effect; MLIC was duly converted from a mutual life insurance company to a stock life insurance company on April 7, 2000 in accordance with the Plan of Reorganization of MLIC under Section 7312 of the New York Insurance Law; each Significant Subsidiary is validly existing as a corporation and is in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation, with power and authority (corporate and other) to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Disclosure Package; and each Significant Subsidiary is duly qualified as a foreign corporation for the transaction of business and is in good standing under the laws of each other jurisdiction in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification and good standing, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified and in good standing would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

  (i)

The Company has the corporate power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement, the applicable Pricing Agreement, the Certificate of Designations and the Securities and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby.

 

  (j)

The Company has an authorized capitalization as set forth and described in the Disclosure Package, and all of the issued shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and nonassessable; none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company were issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Company; except as disclosed in the Disclosure Package (by means required of the Company by GAAP or the U.S. federal securities laws) and for performance shares, restricted stock units, and stock options granted after June 30, 2020 pursuant to the MetLife, Inc. 2015 Stock and Incentive Compensation Plan, and deferred shares credited under deferred compensation plans, there are no outstanding options or warrants to purchase, or any preemptive rights or other rights to subscribe for or to purchase, any securities or obligations convertible into or any contracts or commitments to sell shares of the Company’s capital stock or any such options, rights, warrants, convertible securities or obligations; the description of the Company’s stock option plans and the options or other rights granted and exercised thereunder set forth in the Disclosure Package accurately and fairly describe the information required to be shown with respect to such plans, arrangements, options and rights; except as disclosed in the Disclosure Package, there are no rights of any person, corporation or other entity to require registration of any shares of common stock or any other securities of the Company in connection with the filing of the Registration Statement and the issuance and sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement and the applicable Pricing Agreement; all of the issued shares of capital stock or other ownership interests of MLIC have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and nonassessable and are owned directly or indirectly by the Company free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims.

 

6


  (k)

The Securities have been duly authorized and, when the Securities have been delivered and paid for pursuant to this Agreement and the applicable Pricing Agreement on the Closing Date, the Securities will have been validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable; the Securities and the Certificate of Designations conform in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus; and no securityholders of the Company have any preemptive or other similar rights with respect to the Securities.

 

  (l)

Each Significant Subsidiary that is required to be organized or licensed as an insurance company in its jurisdiction of incorporation (each, an “Insurance Subsidiary” and collectively, the “Insurance Subsidiaries”) is licensed as an insurance company in its respective jurisdiction of incorporation and is duly licensed or authorized as an insurer in each other jurisdiction where it is required to be so licensed or authorized to conduct its business, in each case with such exceptions as would not have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect; except as otherwise described in the Disclosure Package, each Insurance Subsidiary has all other approvals, orders, consents, authorizations, licenses, certificates, permits, registrations and qualifications (collectively, the “Approvals”) of and from all insurance regulatory authorities to conduct its business, with such exceptions as would not have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect; there is no pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened action, suit, proceeding or investigation that could reasonably be expected to lead to any revocation, termination or suspension of any such Approval, the revocation, termination or suspension of which would have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect; and, to the knowledge of the Company, no insurance regulatory agency or body has issued any order or decree impairing, restricting or prohibiting the payment of dividends by any Insurance Subsidiary to its parent which would have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.

 

  (m)

The Company and each Significant Subsidiary has all necessary Approvals of and from, and has made all filings, registrations and declarations (collectively, the “Filings”) with, all insurance regulatory authorities, all Federal, state, local and other governmental authorities, all self-regulatory organizations and all courts and other tribunals, which are necessary to own, lease, license and use its properties and assets and to conduct its business in the manner described in the Disclosure Package, except where the failure to have such Approvals or to make such Filings would not have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect; to the knowledge of the Company, the Company and each Significant Subsidiary is in compliance with all applicable laws, rules, regulations, orders, by-laws and similar requirements, including in connection with registrations or memberships in self-regulatory organizations, and all such Approvals and Filings are in full force and effect and neither the Company nor any Significant Subsidiary has received any notice of any event, inquiry, investigation or proceeding that would reasonably be expected to result in the suspension, revocation or limitation of any such Approval or otherwise impose any limitation on the conduct of the business

 

7


  of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary, except as described in the Disclosure Package or except for any such non-compliance, suspension, revocation or limitation which would not have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.

 

  (n)

Each Insurance Subsidiary is in compliance with and conducts its businesses in conformity with all applicable insurance laws and regulations of its respective jurisdiction of incorporation and the insurance laws and regulations of other jurisdictions which are applicable to it, in each case with such exceptions as would not have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.

 

  (o)

Each Significant Subsidiary which is engaged in the business of acting as a broker-dealer or an investment advisor (respectively, a “Broker-Dealer Subsidiary” and an “Investment Advisor Subsidiary”) is duly licensed or registered as a broker-dealer or investment advisor, as the case may be, in each jurisdiction where it is required to be so licensed or registered to conduct its business, in each case, with such exceptions as would not have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect; each Broker-Dealer Subsidiary and each Investment Advisor Subsidiary has all other necessary Approvals of and from all applicable regulatory authorities, including any self-regulatory organization, to conduct its businesses, in each case with such exceptions, as would not have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect; except as otherwise described in the Disclosure Package, none of the Broker-Dealer Subsidiaries or Investment Advisor Subsidiaries has received any notification from any applicable regulatory authority to the effect that any additional Approvals from such regulatory authority are needed to be obtained by such subsidiary in any case where it could be reasonably expected that (i) any of the Broker-Dealer Subsidiaries or Investment Advisor Subsidiaries would in fact be required either to obtain any such additional Approvals or cease or otherwise limit engaging in a certain business and (ii) the failure to have such Approvals or limiting such business would have a Material Adverse Effect; and each Broker-Dealer Subsidiary and each Investment Advisor Subsidiary is in compliance with the requirements of the broker-dealer and investment advisor laws and regulations of each jurisdiction which are applicable to such subsidiary, and has filed all notices, reports, documents or other information required to be filed thereunder, in each case with such exceptions as would not have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.

 

  (p)

The issue and sale of the Securities pursuant to any Pricing Agreement, and compliance by the Company with all of the provisions of the Securities, the Certificate of Designations, this Agreement and any Pricing Agreement, and the consummation of the transactions herein and therein contemplated, will not conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, or other written agreement or similar instrument to which the Company or any Significant Subsidiary is a party or by which the Company or any Significant Subsidiary is bound or to which any of the property or assets of

 

8


  the Company or any Significant Subsidiary is subject, or which affects the validity, performance or consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, nor will such action result in any violation of any statute or any order, rule or regulation of any court or insurance regulatory authority or other governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company or any Significant Subsidiary or any of their properties, in each case other than such breaches, conflicts, violations, or defaults which individually or in the aggregate, would not have a Material Adverse Effect and would not adversely affect the validity or performance of the Company’s obligations under the Securities, the Certificate of Designations, this Agreement and any Pricing Agreement; nor will such action result in any violation of the provisions of the certificate of incorporation or by-laws or other charter documents of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary; and no Approval of or Filing with any such court or insurance regulatory authority or other governmental agency or body is required for the issue or sale of the Securities, except, assuming the accuracy of the Underwriters’ representation in Section 9 of this Agreement, (i) the registration under the Act of the Securities which registration has become effective and (ii) such Approvals or Filings as may be required under state securities or Blue Sky laws in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Securities by the Underwriters and except for the filing of the Certificate of Designations with the Delaware Secretary of State.

 

  (q)

Other than as set forth in the Disclosure Package, there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or to which any property of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, challenging the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the applicable Pricing Agreements or which, if determined adversely to the Company or its subsidiaries, could reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect or would materially and adversely affect the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under the Certificate of Designations or this Agreement; and, to the knowledge of the Company, no such proceedings are threatened or contemplated by governmental authorities or threatened by others other than as set forth in the Disclosure Package.

 

  (r)

Neither the Company nor any Significant Subsidiary is in violation of any of its certificate of incorporation or by-laws or in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it is bound or to which any of its property or assets is subject, which violation or default would have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.

 

  (s)

The statements set forth in each of the Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus under the captions “Description of Capital Stock” and “Description of the Series G Preferred Shares,” insofar as they purport to constitute a summary of the terms of the Securities, fairly summarize such terms in all material respects.

 

9


  The discussion set forth in each of the Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus under the caption “Certain Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences” fairly summarizes in all material respects (subject to the limitations and qualifications set forth therein) the material United States federal income tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of the Securities.

 

  (t)

Other than as disclosed in the Disclosure Package, the financial statements of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries included or incorporated by reference in the Disclosure Package, together with the related schedules and notes, comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, and present fairly in all material respects the financial position, the results of operations and the changes in cash flows of such entities in conformity with GAAP at the respective dates or for the respective periods to which they apply; and such financial statements and related notes and schedules, if any, have been prepared in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the periods involved.

 

  (u)

Deloitte & Touche LLP, which has audited certain consolidated financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, is an Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm as required by the Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

 

  (v)

Neither the Company nor any Significant Subsidiary is, or after giving effect to the issue and sale of the Securities pursuant to any Pricing Agreement will be, an “investment company”, as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”), and the rules and regulations thereunder, although certain separate accounts of MLIC and of certain Insurance Subsidiaries are required to register as investment companies under the Investment Company Act.

 

  (w)

This Agreement and the applicable Pricing Agreement with respect to the applicable Securities have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

 

  (x)

None of the Company or its subsidiaries or, to the best of their knowledge, any of their directors, officers or affiliates, has taken or will take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to, or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in stabilization or manipulation of the price of the Securities in violation of Regulation M under the Exchange Act.

 

  (y)

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 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 GAAP.

 

10


  (z)

The Company and its consolidated subsidiaries employ disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act) that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the Commission’s rules and forms, and is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including its principal executive officer or officers and principal financial officer or officers, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding disclosure.

 

  (aa)

No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued under the Act and the Registration Statement is not the subject of a pending proceeding or examination under Section 8(d) or 8(e) of the Act, the Company is not the subject of a pending proceedings under Section 8A of the Act in connection with the offering of the Securities and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information has been complied with.

 

  (bb)

Except as would not individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect: (i) all tax returns required to be filed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries have been timely filed, (ii) (A) all taxes (whether imposed directly or through withholding) including any interest, fine, sales and use taxes, all taxes which the Company and each of its subsidiaries is obligated to withhold from amounts owing to employees, creditors and third parties with respect to the period covered by such tax returns, additions to tax, or penalties applicable thereto due or claimed to be due from such entities have been timely paid, and (B) no deficiency assessment with respect to a proposed adjustment of the Company or its subsidiaries’ federal, state, local or foreign taxes is pending or, to the best of the Company or its subsidiaries’ knowledge, threatened, in each case of (A) and (B), other than such taxes or adjustments that are being contested in good faith or for which adequate reserves have been provided, and (iii) to the Company and its subsidiaries’ knowledge, there is no tax lien, whether imposed by any federal, state, foreign or other taxing authority, outstanding against the assets, properties or business of the Company or its subsidiaries.

 

  (cc)

Other than as set forth in the Disclosure Package (A) (i) there has been no security breach or other compromise of any information technology and computer systems, networks, hardware, software, or equipment owned by the Company or its subsidiaries or of any data of the Company’s or its subsidiaries’ respective customers, employees, suppliers or vendors that they maintain or that, to their respective knowledge, any third party maintains on their behalf (collectively, “IT Systems and Data”) that had, or would reasonably be expected to have had a Material Adverse Effect on the Company and its subsidiaries and (ii) the Company and its subsidiaries have not been notified of, and have no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in, any security breach or other compromise to their IT Systems and Data that had, or would reasonably be expected to have had, individually or in the aggregate, a

 

11


  Material Adverse Effect on the Company and its subsidiaries; (B) the Company and its subsidiaries are presently in compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the protection of IT Systems and Data from a security breach or other compromise, except as would not, in the case of this clause (B), individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and (C) the Company and its subsidiaries have implemented backup and disaster recovery technology consistent with industry standards and practices.

 

2.

Purchase and Sale.

 

  (a)

Subject to the terms and conditions and in reliance upon the representations and warranties set forth herein, the Company agrees, as of the date hereof and as of the Applicable Time, to sell to each Underwriter, and each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, as of the date hereof and as of the Applicable Time, to purchase from the Company, at the purchase price set forth in Schedule III of the applicable Pricing Agreement (the “Purchase Price”), the number of Securities set forth opposite such Underwriter’s name in Schedule I to the applicable Pricing Agreement.

 

  (b)

[Reserved]

 

3.

Delivery and Payment. The Securities to be purchased by each Underwriter pursuant to the Pricing Agreement relating thereto, in the form acceptable to the Representatives, shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Company to Citigroup Global Markets Inc. for the account of such Underwriter at the office, on the date and at the time specified in the applicable Pricing Agreement (or such later date not later than five business days after such specified date as the Representatives shall designate), which date and time may be postponed by agreement between the Representatives and the Company or as provided in Section 8 hereof (such date and time of delivery and payment for the Securities being herein called the “Closing Date”). Delivery of the Securities shall be made to the Underwriters for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters against payment by the Underwriters of the purchase price thereof by wire transfer of Federal (same-day) funds to the account specified by the Company or as otherwise set forth in the applicable Pricing Agreement. The Company shall cause the Securities to be delivered by book-entry transfer through the facilities of DTC in such manner and in such amounts as Citigroup Global Markets Inc. shall direct.

 

4.

Company Covenants. The Company agrees with each of the Underwriters of any Securities:

 

  (a)

To prepare the Final Prospectus as amended and supplemented in relation to the applicable Securities in a form approved by the Representatives and to file timely such Final Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b); to make no further amendment or any supplement to the Registration Statement or Final Prospectus as amended or supplemented after the Applicable Time and prior to the Closing Date for such

 

12


  Securities unless the Representatives for such Securities shall have had a reasonable opportunity to review and comment upon any such amendment or supplement prior to any filing thereof; to advise the Representatives, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of the time when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any supplement to the Final Prospectus or any amended Final Prospectus has been filed and to furnish the Representatives with copies thereof; to file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act for so long as the delivery of a prospectus is required in connection with the offering or sale of such Securities and, during such same period, to advise the Representatives, promptly after it receives notice thereof, of (i) the issuance by the Commission of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of the Final Prospectus, (ii) the suspension of the qualification of such Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction or of the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for any such purpose, or (iii) any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement or Final Prospectus or for additional information; and, in the event of the issuance of any stop order or of any order preventing or suspending the use of the Final Prospectus or suspending any such qualification, promptly to use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal of such order;

 

  (b)

To give the Representatives notice of its intention to make any filing pursuant to the Exchange Act or the regulations of the Commission thereunder, other than filings made pursuant to Section 16 under the Exchange Act, during the period beginning from the Applicable Time and continuing to and including the Closing Date and to furnish the Representatives with copies of any such documents a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing. The Company shall prepare the Final Term Sheet and file such Final Term Sheet as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus within two business days after the date hereof; provided that the Company shall furnish the Representatives with copies of any such Final Term Sheet a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing and will not use or file any such document to which the Representatives or counsel to the Representatives shall object;

 

  (c)

Promptly from time to time to take such action as the Representatives may reasonably request to qualify such Securities for offering and sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives may reasonably request and to comply with such laws so as to permit the continuance of sales and dealings therein in such jurisdictions for so long as may be necessary to complete the distribution of such Securities, provided that in connection therewith the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation, to file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise subject;

 

  (d)

To furnish to the Representatives a copy of each proposed Issuer Free Writing Prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Company

 

13


  and not to use or refer to any proposed Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to which the Representatives reasonably object; if at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, the Final Prospectus or any Preliminary Prospectus or, when taken together with the Disclosure Package and any other such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading, to promptly notify the Representatives and, if requested by the Representatives, to promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission; provided, however, that this covenant shall not apply to any statements or omissions in an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by any Underwriter expressly for use therein;

 

  (e)

To furnish the Underwriters with copies of any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Final Prospectus in such quantities as the Representatives may from time to time reasonably request, and if, at any time prior to the earlier of (i) the completion of the distribution by each of the Underwriters of the Securities purchased by such Underwriter under this Agreement and (ii) the expiration of nine months after the date of the Final Prospectus, any event shall have occurred as a result of which any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Final Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made when such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Final Prospectus were delivered, not misleading, or, if for any other reason it shall be necessary during such period to amend or supplement any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Final Prospectus or to file under the Exchange Act any document incorporated by reference in any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Final Prospectus in order to comply with the Act or the Exchange Act, (i) to notify the Representatives and (ii) upon their request to prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter and to any dealer in securities as many copies as the Representatives may from time to time reasonably request of an amended Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or a supplement to the Final Prospectus or an amended Final Prospectus which will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance; and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Final Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto furnished to the Representatives shall be identical to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T;

 

  (f)

To make generally available to securityholders of the Company as soon as practicable, but in any event not later than eighteen months after the effective date of the Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c) under the Act), an

 

14


  earnings statement of the Company and its subsidiaries (which need not be audited) complying with Section 11(a) of the Act and the rules and regulations thereunder (including, at the option of the Company, Rule 158);

 

  (g)

During a period of 30 days from the date of the applicable Pricing Agreement, not to offer, sell, contract to offer or sell or otherwise dispose of any preferred stock of the Company or debt securities of the Company, in each case, having pricing characteristics similar to the Securities exceeding an aggregate liquidation preference and principal amount of $3 billion, except, for the avoidance of doubt, debt securities issued under the Global Note Issuance Programs of Metropolitan Life Global Funding I and Met Tower Global Funding or any commercial paper program of, or sponsored by, the Company or any subsidiaries, without the prior written consent of the Representatives, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld;

 

  (h)

During a period of five years from the effective date of the Registration Statement, to furnish to the Representatives copies of all reports or other communications (financial or other) furnished to stockholders of the Company, and to furnish to the Representatives as soon as they are available, copies of any reports and financial statements furnished to or filed with the Commission or any national securities exchange on which the Securities or any class of securities of the Company is listed (such financial statements to be on a consolidated basis to the extent the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries are consolidated in reports furnished to its stockholders generally or to the Commission), provided that reports and financial statements furnished to or filed with the Commission, and publicly available on EDGAR, or furnished on the Company’s website, shall be deemed to have been furnished to the Representatives under this Section 4(h);

 

  (i)

The Company agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Representatives, and each Underwriter represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Company and the Representatives, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (other than, for the avoidance of doubt, any Bloomberg L.P. or other electronic communication regarding any preliminary term sheets or comparable security prices and the Final Term Sheet filed pursuant to Section 4(b) hereto). Each Underwriter agrees, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Company and the Representatives, not to take any action that would result in the Company being required to file with the Commission under Rule 433(d) under the Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter that otherwise would not be required to be filed by the Company thereunder but for the action of such Underwriter (other than, for the avoidance of doubt, the Final Term Sheet filed pursuant to Section 4(b) hereto); and

 

  (j)

The Company agrees to use the net proceeds received by the Company from the sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement in the manner specified in the Pricing Prospectus.

 

15


5.

Fees and Expenses. The Company covenants and agrees with the several Underwriters that the Company will pay or cause to be paid the following: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of counsel and accountants to the Company in connection with the registration of the Securities under the Act and all other expenses in connection with the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus and the Final Prospectus and any amendments and supplements thereto and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers; (ii) the cost of printing or producing certificates representing the Securities, this Agreement, any Pricing Agreement, the Certificate of Designations, any Blue Sky Survey and any other documents in connection with the offering, purchase, sale and delivery of the Securities; (iii) all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Securities for offering and sale under state securities laws and insurance securities laws as provided in Section 4(c) hereof, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky Survey; (iv) the filing fees incident to, and the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with, securing any required review by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority of the terms of the sale of the Securities; (v) any fees charged by securities rating services for rating the Securities; (vi) the cost of preparing the Securities; (vii) the fees and expenses of any transfer agent, registrar or depositary for the Securities and the fees and disbursements of counsel for any such transfer agent, registrar or depositary for the Securities in connection with the Certificate of Designations and Securities sold and delivered pursuant to any Pricing Agreement; (viii) any travel expenses of the Company’s officers and employees and any other expenses of the Company in connection with attending or hosting meetings with prospective purchasers of the Securities; and (ix) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company hereunder which are not otherwise specifically provided for in this Section. Except as provided in this Section, and Sections 7 and 11 hereof, the Underwriters will pay all of their own costs and expenses, including the fees of their counsel, stock transfer taxes on resale of any of the Securities by them and any advertising expenses connected with any offers of the Securities that they may make.

 

6.

Conditions to Underwriters’ Obligations.

The obligations of the Underwriters to purchase any Securities under the Pricing Agreement relating to such Securities shall be subject, in their discretion, to the condition that all representations and warranties and other statements of the Company herein or in certificates of any officer of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company delivered pursuant to the provisions hereof are, at and as of the Closing Date true and correct, the condition that the Company shall have performed all of its obligations hereunder and under the Pricing Agreement relating to such Securities to be performed at or before the Closing Date, and the following additional conditions:

 

  (a)

The Final Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing by the rules and regulations under the Act and in accordance with Section 4(a) hereof; the Final Term Sheet shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule

 

16


  433(d); no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; and all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission shall have been complied with to the Representatives’ reasonable satisfaction;

 

  (b)

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, shall have furnished to the Underwriters their written opinion and letter, each dated such Closing Date, with respect to the valid existence and good standing of the Company and with respect to the Securities, being delivered on such Closing Date, the Registration Statement and the Final Prospectus, and such other related matters as the Underwriters may reasonably request, and such counsel shall have received such papers and information as they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters;

 

  (c)

Kristin H. Smith, Senior Vice President and Chief Counsel – General Corporate of MetLife Group, Inc., shall have furnished to the Underwriters her written opinion, dated the Closing Date, substantially in the form attached hereto as Annex II;

 

  (d)

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to the Underwriters their written opinion and letter, each dated the Closing Date, substantially in the forms attached hereto as Annex III-A with respect to certain corporate and tax matters, and Annex III-B with respect to the Registration Statement, Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, respectively;

 

  (e)

The Company will furnish the Representatives with such conformed copies of such opinions, certificates, letters and documents as the Representatives reasonably request;

 

  (f)

(A) On the date of the applicable Pricing Agreement, Deloitte & Touche LLP shall have furnished to the Representatives a letter, dated the date of that Pricing Agreement, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to you, confirming that they are independent registered public accountants with respect to the Company and the Company’s subsidiaries within the meaning of the Act and the Exchange Act and the respective applicable published rules and regulations thereunder, and further to the effect set forth in Annex V hereto, and (B) on the Closing Date for the applicable Securities, Deloitte & Touche LLP shall have furnished to the Representatives a letter, dated the date of delivery thereof, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to you, that reaffirms the statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to subclause (A) of this Section 6(f), except that the specified date referred to shall be a date not more than three business days prior to the Closing Date;

 

  (g)

(A) Neither the Company nor any Significant Subsidiary shall have sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Disclosure Package any loss or interference with its business

 

17


  from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Disclosure Package, and (B) since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Disclosure Package, there shall not have been any change in the surplus of any Significant Subsidiary or the capital stock of the Company or any increase in the long-term debt of the Company and its subsidiaries considered as a whole, or any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the business, financial position, reserves, surplus, equity or results of operations of the Company and the Significant Subsidiaries considered as a whole, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Disclosure Package, the effect of which, in any such case described in clause (A) or (B), is in the judgment of the Representatives so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or the delivery of the applicable Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Final Prospectus;

 

  (h)

After the Applicable Time (A) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded the debt securities of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary or the financial strength or claims paying ability of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary by A.M. Best & Co., Fitch Ratings, Inc., Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, and (B) no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, with possible negative implications, or shall have given notice of any intended or potential downgrading of, its rating of any debt security or the financial strength or the claims paying ability of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary, the effect of which, in any such case described in clause (A) or (B), is in the judgment of the Representatives so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering or the delivery of the applicable Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Final Prospectus;

 

  (i)

At or after the Applicable Time, there shall not have occurred any of the following: (A) a change in U.S. or international financial, political or economic conditions or currency exchange rates or exchange controls as would, in the reasonable judgment of the Representatives, be likely to prejudice materially the success of the proposed issue, sale or distribution of the applicable Securities, whether in the primary market or in respect of dealings in the secondary market; (B) a suspension or material limitation in trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange; (C) a suspension or material limitation in trading in the Company’s securities on the New York Stock Exchange; (D) a suspension or material limitation in clearing and/or settlement in securities generally; (E) a general moratorium on commercial banking activities declared by either Federal or New York State authorities; or (F) the material outbreak or escalation of hostilities involving the United States or the declaration by the United States of a national emergency or war or any other national or international calamity or emergency (including without limitation as a result of an act of terrorism) if the effect of any such event specified in this clause (F) in the judgment of the Representatives makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering

 

18


  or the delivery of the applicable Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Final Prospectus;

 

  (j)

The Company shall have complied with any request by the Representatives with respect to the furnishing of copies of the Final Prospectus in compliance with the provisions of Section 4(e) hereof;

 

  (k)

On the Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received a certificate of the Treasurer of the Company, dated as of the Closing Date, substantially in the form of Annex IV hereto; and

 

  (l)

On the Closing Date, the Company shall have executed and filed the Certificate of Designations with the Delaware Secretary of State.

 

7.

Indemnification and Contribution.

 

  (a)

The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its partners, directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Underwriter may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in (i) the Registration Statement or any amendment or supplement (when considered together with the document to which such supplement relates) thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (ii) any Preliminary Prospectus, Pricing Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement (when considered together with the document to which such supplement relates) thereto, or any “issuer information” filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Act, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and will reimburse each Underwriter for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Underwriter in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the Company shall not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability (or action in respect thereof) arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, Pricing Prospectus, the Registration Statement or the Final Prospectus, or any such amendment or supplement(s) in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter of the applicable Securities through the Representatives expressly for use therein.

 

19


  (b)

Each Underwriter will, severally and not jointly, indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors and officers who sign the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) to which the Company may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, Pricing Prospectus, the Registration Statement, or the Final Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement (when considered together with the document to which such supplement relates) thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, Pricing Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Final Prospectus or any such amendment or supplement in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Underwriter through the Representatives expressly for use therein; and will reimburse the Company for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim as such expenses are incurred.

 

  (c)

Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party shall, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under such subsection, notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof; the omission so to notify the indemnifying party shall relieve it from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party under such subsection, to the extent the indemnifying party is actually materially prejudiced by such omission. In case any such action shall be brought against any indemnified party and it shall notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall not, except with the consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party or any other indemnified party), and, after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified party under such subsection for any legal expenses of other counsel or any other expenses, in each case subsequently incurred by such indemnified party, in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation, unless (i) the indemnifying party and such indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to the contrary, (ii) the indemnifying party has failed within a reasonable time to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party or (iii) the named parties in any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include

 

20


  both the indemnifying party and such indemnified party and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect the settlement or compromise of, or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to, any pending or threatened action or claim in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified party is an actual or potential party to such action or claim) unless such settlement, compromise or judgment (i) includes an unconditional release of the indemnified party from all liability arising out of such action or claim and (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of any indemnified party. In no event shall the indemnifying party be liable for fees and expenses of more than one counsel (in addition to any local counsel) separate from their own counsel for all indemnified parties in connection with any one action or separate but similar or related actions in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same allegations or circumstances.

 

  (d)

If the indemnification provided for in this Section 7 is unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a) or (b) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to therein, other than due to the express provisions thereof, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) 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 applicable Securities to which any such loss, claim, damage or liability (or action in respect thereof) relates. If, however, the allocation provided by the immediately preceding sentence is not permitted by applicable law, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to such amount paid or payable by such indemnified party in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters of the applicable Securities on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and such Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from such offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover page of the Final Prospectus relating to the applicable Securities. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company on the one hand or the Underwriters on the other and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contributions

 

21


  pursuant to this subsection (d) were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this subsection (d). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to above in this subsection (d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (d), no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the applicable Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which 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 Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The obligations of the Underwriters of the applicable Securities in this subsection (d) to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations with respect to such Securities and not joint.

 

  (e)

The obligations of the Company under this Section 7 shall be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Act. The obligations of the Underwriters under this Section 7 shall be in addition to any liability which the respective Underwriters may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each officer and director of the Company (including any person who, with his consent, is named in the Registration Statement as about to become a director of the Company) and to each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Act.

 

8.

Defaulting Underwriters.

 

  (a)

If any Underwriter shall default in its obligation to purchase the Securities which it has agreed to purchase under the Pricing Agreement relating to such Securities, the Representatives may in their discretion arrange for themselves or another party or other parties to purchase such Securities on the terms contained herein. If within thirty-six hours after such default by any Underwriter the Representatives do not arrange for the purchase of such Securities, then the Company shall be entitled to a further period of thirty-six hours within which to procure another party or other parties satisfactory to the Representatives to purchase such Securities on such terms. In the event that, within the respective prescribed periods, the Representatives notify the Company that the Representatives have so arranged for the purchase of such Securities, or the Company notifies the Representatives that it has so arranged for the purchase of such Securities, the Representatives or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date

 

22


  for such Securities for a period of not more than seven days, in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be made necessary in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus as amended or supplemented, or in any other documents or arrangements, and the Company agrees to file promptly any amendments to the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus which in the opinion of the Representatives may thereby be made necessary. The term “Underwriter” as used in this Agreement shall include any person substituted under this Section with like effect as if such person had originally been a party to the Pricing Agreement with respect to such Securities.

 

  (b)

If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Securities of any defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the Representatives and the Company as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate number of shares of such Securities which remains unpurchased does not exceed ten percent of the aggregate number of shares of such Securities to be purchased on such Closing Date, then the Company shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the aggregate number of shares of such Securities which such Underwriter agreed to purchase under the Pricing Agreement relating to such Securities and, in addition, to require each nondefaulting Underwriter to purchase its pro rata share (based on the aggregate number of shares of such Securities which such Underwriter agreed to purchase under such Pricing Agreement) of such Securities of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.

 

  (c)

If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the Representatives and the Company as provided in subsection (a) above, the aggregate number of shares of such Securities which remains unpurchased exceeds ten percent of the aggregate number of shares of such Securities as referred to in subsection (b) above, or if the Company shall not exercise the right described in subsection (b) above to require non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then the Pricing Agreement relating to such Securities shall thereupon terminate, without liability on the part of any nondefaulting Underwriter or the Company, except for the expenses to be borne by the Company and the Underwriters as provided in Section 5 hereof and the indemnity and contribution agreements in Section 7 hereof; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.

 

9.

Offering Restrictions. Each Underwriter acknowledges, represents and agrees that it has not offered, sold or delivered and it will not offer, sell or deliver, any of the Securities, in or from any jurisdiction except under circumstances that are reasonably designed to result in compliance with the applicable securities laws and regulations thereof. In particular, each Underwriter acknowledges, represents and agrees as set forth in Annex VI to this Agreement.

 

23


10.

Survival. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company and the several Underwriters, as set forth in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them, respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation (or any statement as to the results thereof) made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any controlling person of any Underwriter, the Company or any officer or director or controlling person of the Company and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Securities.

 

11.

Effect of Termination of Pricing Agreement or Nondelivery of Securities. If any Pricing Agreement shall be terminated pursuant to Section 8 hereof, the Company shall not then be under any liability to any Underwriter with respect to the Securities covered by such Pricing Agreement except as provided in Section 5 and Section 7 hereof; but, if for any other reason, Securities are not delivered by or on behalf of the Company as provided herein, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters through the Representatives for all out-of-pocket expenses, including fees and disbursements of counsel, reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in making preparations for the purchase, sale and delivery of such Securities, but the Company shall then be under no further liability to any Underwriter in respect of such Securities except as provided in Section 5 and Section 7 hereof.

 

12.

Reliance upon Representatives. In all dealings hereunder, the Representatives shall act on behalf of the Underwriters of Securities and the parties hereto shall be entitled to act and rely upon any statement, request, notice or agreement on behalf of any Underwriter made or given by such of the Representatives, if any, as may be designated for such purpose in the applicable Pricing Agreements.

 

13.

Notices. All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication; notices to the Underwriters shall be directed to the address of the respective Representatives as set forth in Schedule III to the applicable Pricing Agreements, with a copy to Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, One Manhattan West, New York, New York 10001, attention: Dwight S. Yoo; and notices to the Company shall be delivered or sent by mail, telex or facsimile transmission to the address of the Company set forth in the Registration Statement, Attention: General Counsel, with a copy to Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10019, attention: John M. Schwolsky, Esq. and Benjamin Nixon, Esq. Any such statements, requests, notices or agreements shall take effect at the time of receipt thereof.

 

14.

Contractual Recognition of Bail-In. Notwithstanding, and to the exclusion of, any other term of this Agreement or any other agreements, arrangements, or understandings among the parties hereto, the Company and each Underwriter acknowledges, accepts, and agrees to be bound by:

 

  (a)

the effect of the exercise of Bail-in Powers by the Relevant Resolution Authority in relation to any BRRD Liability of each Covered Underwriter to the Company under this Agreement, that (without limitation) may include and result in any of the following, or some combination thereof: (i) the reduction of all, or a portion, of the BRRD Liability or outstanding amounts due thereon; (ii) the conversion of

 

24


  all, or a portion, of the BRRD Liability into shares, other securities or other obligations of the relevant Covered Underwriter or another person (and the issue to or conferral on the Company of such shares, securities or obligations); (iii) the cancellation of the BRRD Liability; or (iv) the amendment or alteration of any interest, if applicable, thereon, or the dates on which any payments are due, including by suspending payment for a temporary period;

 

  (b)

the variation of the terms of this Agreement as they relate to any BRRD Liability of a Covered Underwriter, as deemed necessary by the Relevant Resolution Authority, to give effect to the exercise of the Bail-in Powers by the Relevant Resolution Authority.

For the purposes of this Section 14,

Bail-in Legislation” means in relation to the United Kingdom and a member state of the European Economic Area which has implemented, or which at any time implements, the BRRD, the relevant implementing law, regulation, rule or requirement as described in the EU Bail-in Legislation Schedule from time to time.

Bail-in Powers” means any Write-down and Conversion Powers as defined in relation to the relevant Bail-in Legislation.

BRRD” means Directive 2014/59/EU establishing a framework for the recovery and resolution of credit institutions and investment firms.

BRRD Liability” has the same meaning as in such laws, regulations, rules or requirements implementing the BRRD under the applicable Bail-in Legislation.

Covered Underwriter” means any Underwriter subject to the Bail-In Legislation.

EU Bail-in Legislation Schedule” means the document described as such, then in effect, and published by the Loan Market Association (or any successor person) from time to time at http://www.lma.eu.com/pages.aspx?p=499.

Relevant Resolution Authority” means the resolution authority with the ability to exercise any Bail-in Powers in relation to the relevant Covered Underwriter.

 

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 Covered 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

 

25


  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,

Covered 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: (i) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b); (ii) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or (iii) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b).

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.

 

16.

Successors and Assigns. This Agreement and each Pricing Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure solely to the benefit of, the Underwriters, the Company, and, to the extent provided in Sections 7 and 10 hereof, the officers and directors of the Company and each person who controls the Company, or any Underwriter, and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement or any such Pricing Agreement. No purchaser of any of the Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed a successor or assign by reason merely of such purchase.

 

17.

GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT AND EACH PRICING AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, WITHOUT REGARD TO PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAW TO THE EXTENT THAT SUCH PRINCIPLES WOULD REQUIRE OR PERMIT THE APPLICATION OF THE LAWS OF ANOTHER JURISDICTION.

 

18.

Consent to Jurisdiction. The Company agrees that any legal suit, action or proceeding against the Company brought by any Underwriter or by any person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act, arising out of or based upon this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby may be instituted in any state or federal court in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, New York, and, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, waives any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any such proceeding, and irrevocably submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of such courts in any suit, action or proceeding.

 

26


19.

Counterparts. This Agreement and each Pricing Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties hereto and thereto in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument. Any signature to this Agreement and each Pricing Agreement may be delivered by facsimile, electronic mail (including pdf) or any electronic signature complying with the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000 or the New York Electronic Signature and Records Act or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. For the avoidance of doubt, the foregoing also applies to any amendment, extension or renewal of this Agreement and each Pricing Agreement.

 

20.

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

 

21.

Entire Agreement. This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between the Company and the Underwriters, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof.

 

22.

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.

 

27


23.

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, 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.

[Signature pages follow]

 

28


Very truly yours,

METLIFE, INC.

By:  

/s/ Lyndon Oliver

Name:

 

Lyndon Oliver

Title:

 

Executive Vice President and Treasurer

 

[Signature page to Preferred Shares Underwriting Agreement]


Accepted as of the date hereof on behalf of each of the Underwriters:

BNP PARIBAS SECURITIES CORP.

By:  

/s/ William Coughlin

Name:

 

William Coughlin

Title:

 

Vice President

 

[Signature page to Preferred Shares Underwriting Agreement]


BofA SECURITIES, INC.

By:  

/s/ Randolph B. Randolph

Name:

 

Randolph B. Randolph

Title:

 

Managing Director

 

[Signature page to Preferred Shares Underwriting Agreement]


CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC.

By:  

/s/ Adam D. Bordner

Name:

  Adam D. Border

Title:

 

Director

 

[Signature page to Preferred Shares Underwriting Agreement]


MORGAN STANLEY & CO. LLC

By:  

/s/ Ian Drewe

Name:

  Ian Drewe

Title:

 

Executive Director

 

[Signature page to Preferred Shares Underwriting Agreement]


WELLS FARGO SECURITIES, LLC

By:  

/s/ Carolyn Hurley

Name:

  Carolyn Hurley

Title:

 

Director

 

[Signature page to Preferred Shares Underwriting Agreement]


SCHEDULE 1

TO UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses included in the Disclosure Package:

Issuer Free Writing Prospectus containing the final term sheet filed by the Company with the Commission and dated September 8, 2020.


SCHEDULE 2

TO UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses not included in the Disclosure Package:

None.


ANNEX I

PRICING AGREEMENT

 

Annex I - 1


ANNEX II

KRISTIN H. SMITH OPINION

 

Annex II - 1


ANNEX III

WILLKIE FARR & GALLAGHER LLP OPINIONS

ANNEX III-A: OPINION

 

Annex III -1


ANNEX III-B: NEGATIVE ASSURANCE LETTER

 

Annex III - 2


ANNEX IV

METLIFE, INC.

OFFICER’S CERTIFICATE

MetLife, Inc. a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), does hereby certify, pursuant to Section 6(k) of the Underwriting Agreement, dated September 8, 2020 (the “Underwriting Agreement”), by and among the Company and BNP Paribas Securities Corp., BofA Securities, Inc., Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, as representatives (the “Representatives”) of the Underwriters named in Schedule I to the Pricing Agreement, dated September 8, 2020 (the “Pricing Agreement”), among the Company and the Representatives:

 

  (i)

the representations and warranties of the Company contained in Section 1 of the Underwriting Agreement are true and correct in all respects, as if made at and as of the date hereof; and

 

  (ii)

the Company has complied in all respects with all agreements and all conditions on its part to be performed under the Underwriting Agreement at or prior to the date hereof.

Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, counsel to the Company, may rely upon this certificate in delivering its opinion pursuant to Section 6(d) of the Underwriting Agreement. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, counsel to the Underwriters, may rely upon this certificate in delivering its opinion pursuant to Section 6(b) of the Underwriting Agreement.

[Remainder of page intentionally left blank.]

 

Annex IV - 1


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has hereunto signed his name as of September 10, 2020.

 

METLIFE, INC.

By:  

 

Name:

 

Title:

 

 

[Signature Page to Annex IV]


ANNEX V

DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP COMFORT LETTER

[Remainder of page intentionally left blank.]

 

Annex V - 1


ANNEX VI

OFFERING RESTRICTIONS

European Economic Area and the United Kingdom

In relation to each member state of the European Economic Area (the “EEA”) and the United Kingdom (each, a “Relevant State”), no offer of Series G Preferred Shares may be made to the public in that Relevant State other than to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined in the Prospectus Regulation, provided that no such offer of Series G Preferred Shares shall require MetLife, Inc. or any Underwriter to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Regulation or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 23 of the Prospectus Regulation.

For the purposes of this section, (i) the expression an “offer of Series G Preferred Shares to the public” in relation to any Series G Preferred Shares in any Relevant State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the Series G Preferred Shares to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for the Series G Preferred Shares and (ii) the expression “Prospectus Regulation” means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (as amended or superseded).

The prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus has been prepared on the basis that any offer of the Series G Preferred Shares in any Relevant State will be made pursuant to an exemption under the Prospectus Regulation from the requirement to publish a prospectus for offers of the Series G Preferred Shares. The prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus is not a prospectus for the purposes of the Prospectus Regulation.

The Series G Preferred Shares are not intended to be offered, sold or otherwise made available to and should not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to any retail investor in the EEA or the United Kingdom. For these purposes, a retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of Directive 2014/65/EU (as amended or superseded, “MiFID II”); or (ii) a customer within the meaning of Directive (EU) 2016/97 (as amended or superseded), where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II; or (iii) not a qualified investor as defined in the Prospectus Regulation. Consequently no key information document required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014 (as amended or superseded, the “PRIIPs Regulation”) for offering or selling the Series G Preferred Shares or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the EEA or the United Kingdom has been prepared and therefore offering or selling the Series G Preferred Shares or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the EEA or the United Kingdom may be unlawful under the PRIIPs Regulation.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, the prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are being distributed only to, and are directed only at, persons who are “qualified investors” (as defined in the Prospectus Regulation) (i) who have professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000

 

Annex VI - 1


(Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (as amended, the “Order”), (ii) who are high net worth companies (or persons to whom it may otherwise be lawfully communicated) falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order or (iii) who are persons to whom it would otherwise be lawful to distribute it (all such persons together being referred to as “relevant persons”).

Any person in the United Kingdom that is not a relevant person should not act or rely on the information included in the prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement or use it as basis for taking any action. In the United Kingdom, any investment or investment activity that the prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement relates to may be made or taken exclusively by relevant persons.

Canada

The Series G Preferred Shares may be sold only to purchasers purchasing, or deemed to be purchasing, as principal that are accredited investors, as defined in National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions or subsection 73.3(1) of the Securities Act (Ontario), and are permitted clients, as defined in National Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations. Any resale of the Series G Preferred Shares must be made in accordance with an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the prospectus requirements of applicable securities laws.

Securities legislation in certain provinces or territories of Canada may provide a purchaser with remedies for rescission or damages if the prospectus (including any amendment thereto) contains a misrepresentation, provided that the remedies for rescission or damages are exercised by the purchaser within the time limit prescribed by the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory. The purchaser should refer to any applicable provisions of the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory for particulars of these rights or consult with a legal advisor.

Pursuant to section 3A.3 of National Instrument 33-105 Underwriting Conflicts (NI 33-105), the underwriters are not required to comply with the disclosure requirements of NI 33-105 regarding underwriter conflicts of interest in connection with this offering.

Hong Kong

The Series G Preferred Shares may not be offered or sold by means of any document other than (i) in circumstances which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Cap.32, Laws of Hong Kong), or (ii) to “professional investors” within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap.571, Laws of Hong Kong) and any rules made thereunder, or (iii) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” within the meaning of the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Cap.32, Laws of Hong Kong), and no advertisement, invitation or document relating to the Series G Preferred Shares may be issued or may be in the possession of any person for the purpose of issue (in each case whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere), which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public in Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the laws of

 

Annex VI - 2


Hong Kong) other than with respect to Series G Preferred Shares which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571, Laws of Hong Kong) and any rules made thereunder.

Japan

The Series G Preferred Shares have not been and will not be registered under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act of Japan (Act No. 25 of 1948, as amended; the “Financial Instruments and Exchange Act”) and each Underwriter has agreed that it will not offer or sell any Series G Preferred Shares, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to, or for the benefit of, any “resident” of Japan (which term as used herein means any person resident in Japan, including any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan), or to others for re-offering or resale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to, or for the benefit of, a resident of Japan, except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of, and otherwise in compliance with, the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act and any other applicable laws, regulations and ministerial guidelines of Japan.

Singapore

The prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus have not been registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (the “MAS”). Accordingly, the prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of the Series G Preferred Shares may not be circulated or distributed, nor may the Series G Preferred Shares be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, whether directly or indirectly, to persons in Singapore other than (i) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore (the “SFA”), (ii) to a relevant person pursuant to Section 275(1), or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A), and in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275, of the SFA, or (iii) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the SFA.

Where the Series G Preferred Shares are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant person which is:

 

  (a)

a corporation (which is not an accredited investor (as defined in Section 4A of the SFA)) the sole business of which is to hold investments and the entire share capital of which is owned by one or more individuals, each of whom is an accredited investor; or

 

  (b)

a trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor) whose sole purpose is to hold investments and each beneficiary of the trust is an individual who is an accredited investor,

securities (as defined in Section 239(1) of the SFA) of that corporation or the beneficiaries’ rights and interest (howsoever described) in that trust shall not be transferred within six months after that corporation or that trust has acquired the Series G Preferred Shares pursuant to an offer made under Section 275 of the SFA except:

 

Annex VI - 3


  (i)

to an institutional investor or to a relevant person (as defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA) or to any person arising from an offer referred to in Section 275(1A), or Section 276(4)(i)(B) of the SFA;

 

  (ii)

where no consideration is or will be given for the transfer;

 

  (iii)

where the transfer is by operation of law;

 

  (iv)

as specified in Section 276(7) of the SFA; or

 

  (v)

as specified in Regulation 32 of the Securities and Futures (Offers of Investments) (Shares and Debentures) Regulations 2005 of Singapore.

Switzerland

The Series G Preferred Shares may not be publicly offered in Switzerland and will not be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (“SIX”) or on any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. The prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement does not constitute a prospectus within the meaning of, and has been prepared without regard to the disclosure standards for issuance prospectuses under art. 652a or art. 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations or the disclosure standards for listing prospectuses under art. 27 ff. of the SIX Listing Rules or the listing rules of any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. Neither the prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the Series G Preferred Shares or the offering may be publicly distributed or otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland.

Neither the prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the offering, the Company, the Series G Preferred Shares have been or will be filed with or approved by any Swiss regulatory authority. In particular, the prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement will not be filed with, and the offer of Series G Preferred Shares will not be supervised by, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA (“FINMA”), and the offer of Series G Preferred Shares has not been and will not be authorized under the Swiss Federal Act on Collective Investment Schemes (“CISA”). The investor protection afforded to acquirers of interests in collective investment schemes under the CISA does not extend to acquirers of Series G Preferred Shares.

Taiwan

The Series G Preferred Shares have not been and will not be registered with the Financial Supervisory Commission of Taiwan pursuant to relevant securities laws and regulations and may not be sold, issued or offered within Taiwan through a public offering or in circumstances which constitute an offer within the meaning of the Securities and Exchange Act of Taiwan that requires a registration or approval of the Financial Supervisory Commission of Taiwan. No person or entity in Taiwan has been authorized to offer, sell, give advice regarding or otherwise intermediate the offering and sale of the Series G Preferred Shares in Taiwan.

 

Annex VI - 4

Exhibit 1.2

PRICING AGREEMENT

September 8, 2020

BNP Paribas Securities Corp.

BofA Securities, Inc.

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

As Representatives of the several Underwriters

named in Schedule I hereto

c/o BNP Paribas Securities Corp.

787 Seventh Avenue

New York, NY 10019

c/o BofA Securities, Inc.

One Bryant Park

New York, NY 10036

c/o Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

388 Greenwich Street

New York, NY 10013

c/o Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

1585 Broadway, 29th Floor

New York, NY 10036

c/o Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

550 South Tryon Street

Charlotte, NC 28202

Ladies and Gentlemen:

MetLife, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein (this “Agreement”) and in the Underwriting Agreement, dated September 8, 2020 (the “Underwriting Agreement”), to issue and sell to the Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the “Underwriters”) the total number of Securities specified in Schedule I hereto.

Each of the provisions of the Underwriting Agreement is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and shall be deemed to be a part of this Agreement to the same extent as if such provisions had been set forth in full herein; and each of the representations and warranties set


forth therein shall be deemed to have been made at and as of the date of this Agreement, the Applicable Time, and the Closing Date. Each reference to the Representatives herein and in the provisions of the Underwriting Agreement so incorporated by reference shall be deemed to refer to you. Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Underwriting Agreement are used herein as therein defined. The Representatives designated to act on behalf of the Underwriters of the Securities pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement are designated as the “Joint Book-Running Managers” at the end of Schedule II hereto.

Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the Underwriting Agreement incorporated herein by reference, at the time and at the purchase price to the Underwriters set forth in Schedule III hereto, the Company agrees to issue, sell and deliver to each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company the number of Securities set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto under the caption “Total Number of Securities.” The date of the issuance, sale and delivery of the Securities is the “Settlement Date” set forth on Schedule II hereto and such date shall be considered a Closing Date under the Underwriting Agreement.

If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign and return to us counterparts hereof, and upon acceptance hereof by you, on behalf of each of the Underwriters, this letter and such acceptance hereof, including the provisions of the Underwriting Agreement incorporated herein by reference, shall constitute a binding agreement between each of the Underwriters and the Company. It is understood that your acceptance of this letter on behalf of each of the Underwriters is or will be pursuant to the authority set forth in a form of Agreement among Underwriters, the form of which shall be submitted to the Company for examination upon request, but without warranty on the part of the Representatives as to the authority of the signers thereof.

[Signature pages follow]

 

2


Very truly yours,
METLIFE, INC.
By:  

/s/ Lyndon Oliver

Name:   Lyndon Oliver
Title:   Executive Vice President and Treasurer

 

[Signature Page – Pricing Agreement (Series G Preferred Shares)]


Accepted as of the date hereof

on behalf of each of the Underwriters:

BNP PARIBAS SECURITIES CORP.
By:  

/s/ William Coughlin

Name:   William Coughlin
Title:   Vice President

 

[Signature Page – Pricing Agreement (Series G Preferred Shares)]


BofA SECURITIES, INC.
By:  

/s/ Randolph B. Randolph

Name:   Randolph B. Randolph
Title:   Managing Director

 

[Signature Page – Pricing Agreement (Series G Preferred Shares)]


CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC.
By:  

/s/ Adam D. Bordner

Name:   Adam D. Bordner
Title:   Director

 

[Signature Page – Pricing Agreement (Series G Preferred Shares)]


MORGAN STANLEY & CO. LLC
By:  

/s/ Ian Drewe

Name:   Ian Drewe
Title:   Executive Director

 

[Signature Page – Pricing Agreement (Series G Preferred Shares)]


WELLS FARGO SECURITIES, LLC
By:  

/s/ Carolyn Hurley

Name:   Carolyn Hurley
Title:   Director

 

[Signature Page – Pricing Agreement (Series G Preferred Shares)]


SCHEDULE I

TO PRICING AGREEMENT

 

Underwriters

   Total Number of Securities  

BNP Paribas Securities Corp.

     145,000  

BofA Securities, Inc.

     145,000  

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

     145,000  

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

     145,000  

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

     145,000  

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

     22,000  

HSBC Securities (USA) Inc.

     22,000  

Mizuho Securities USA LLC

     22,000  

Scotia Capital (USA) Inc.

     22,000  

SG Americas Securities, LLC

     22,000  

SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc.

     22,000  

TD Securities (USA) LLC

     22,000  

U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.

     22,000  

BNY Mellon Capital Markets, LLC

     9,000  

Commerz Markets LLC

     9,000  

Credit Agricole Securities (USA) Inc.

     9,000  

ICBC Standard Bank Plc

     9,000  

nabSecurities, LLC

     9,000  

NatWest Markets Securities Inc.

     9,000  

Santander Investment Securities Inc.

     9,000  

Siebert Williams Shank & Co., LLC

     9,000  

Standard Chartered Bank

     9,000  

UniCredit Capital Markets LLC

     9,000  

Academy Securities, Inc.

     4,500  

Penserra Securities LLC

     4,500  
  

 

 

 

Total

     1,000,000  

 

Schedule I - 1


SCHEDULE II

TO PRICING AGREEMENT

Filed pursuant to Rule 433

September 8, 2020

Relating to

Preliminary Prospectus Supplement dated September 8, 2020 to

Prospectus dated November 18, 2019

Registration Statement No. 333-234761

 

LOGO

MetLife, Inc.

1,000,000 Shares of 3.850% Fixed Rate Reset Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series G

Final Term Sheet

September 8, 2020

 

Issuer:    MetLife, Inc. (“Issuer”)
Securities:    3.850% Fixed Rate Reset Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series G (“Series G Preferred Shares”)
Number of Shares:    1,000,000
Liquidation Preference:    $1,000 per Series G Preferred Share
Aggregate Liquidation Preference:    $1,000,000,000
Price to the Public:    $1,000 per Series G Preferred Share
Underwriting Discount:    $10 per Series G Preferred Share
Proceeds to Issuer Before Expenses:    $990,000,000
Maturity Date:    Perpetual
First Reset Date:    September 15, 2025
Reset Date:    The First Reset Date and each date falling on the fifth anniversary of the preceding reset date
Reset Period:    The period from, and including, the First Reset Date to, but excluding, the next following reset date and thereafter each period from, and including, each reset date to, but excluding, the next following reset date

 

Schedule II - 1


Pricing Date:    September 8, 2020
Settlement Date:    September 10, 2020 (T+2)
Dividend Payment Dates:    The Issuer will pay dividends on a non-cumulative basis, semi-annually in arrears on the 15th day of March and September of each year, commencing on March 15, 2021.
Dividend Rate:    When, as and if declared by the Issuer’s board of directors or a duly authorized committee thereof, out of funds legally available for the payment of dividends, (i) from, and including, the Settlement Date to, but excluding, the First Reset Date, at a rate per annum of 3.850% on the liquidation preference amount of $1,000 per Series G Preferred Share and (ii) from, and including, the First Reset Date, during each reset period at a reset rate per annum equal to the “five-year treasury rate” (as defined in the preliminary prospectus supplement, based on rates published by the Federal Reserve Board, or, if such published rates cannot be determined, reference bank quotations) as of the most recent “reset dividend determination date” (as defined in the preliminary prospectus supplement), plus 3.576%, on the liquidation preference amount of $1,000 per Series G Preferred Share. If the five-year treasury rate for any reset period cannot be determined as described above, it will be 0.274% for the first reset period, and for subsequent reset periods, the same rate that was determined on the prior reset dividend determination date. See the preliminary prospectus supplement related to this offering for a full description of the procedures to calculate the “five-year treasury rate.”
Day Count Convention:    30/360
Payment Business Days:    New York
Optional Redemption:    Series G Preferred Shares are redeemable, in whole or in part, on any dividend payment date on or after the First Reset Date, at a redemption price equal to $1,000 per Series G Preferred Share, plus an amount equal to any dividends that have accrued but not been declared and paid for the then-current dividend period to, but excluding, such redemption date.

 

Schedule II - 2


Redemption after the Occurrence of a Rating Agency Event or Regulatory Capital Event:    Series G Preferred Shares are redeemable, in whole but not in part, at any time within 90 days (i) after the conclusion of any review or appeal process instituted by the Issuer following the occurrence of a “rating agency event” or, in the absence of any such review or appeal process, from such “rating agency event” or (ii) after the occurrence of a “regulatory capital event” (each as defined in the preliminary prospectus supplement), at a redemption price equal to (i) in the case of a rating agency event, $1,020 per Series G Preferred Share, plus an amount equal to any dividends per share that have accrued but not been declared and paid for the then-current dividend period to, but excluding, such redemption date or (ii) in the case of a regulatory capital event, $1,000 per Series G Preferred Share, plus an amount equal to any accrued and unpaid dividends per share that have accrued but not been declared and paid for the then-current dividend period to, but excluding, such redemption date.
Listing:    None
CUSIP/ISIN:    59156R CA4 / US59156RCA41
Joint Book-Running Managers:   

BNP Paribas Securities Corp.

BofA Securities, Inc.

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

Senior Co-Managers:   

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

HSBC Securities (USA) Inc.

Mizuho Securities USA LLC

Scotia Capital (USA) Inc.

SG Americas Securities, LLC

SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc.

TD Securities (USA) LLC

U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.

Co-Managers:   

BNY Mellon Capital Markets, LLC

Commerz Markets LLC

Credit Agricole Securities (USA) Inc.

ICBC Standard Bank Plc

nabSecurities, LLC

NatWest Markets Securities Inc.

 

Schedule II - 3


  

Santander Investment Securities Inc.

Siebert Williams Shank & Co., LLC

Standard Chartered Bank

UniCredit Capital Markets LLC

Junior Co-Managers:   

Academy Securities, Inc.

Penserra Securities LLC

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 website 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 BNP Paribas Securities Corp. toll-free at (800) 854-5674, BofA Securities, Inc. toll-free at (800) 294-1322, Citigroup Global Markets Inc. toll-free at (800) 831-9146, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC toll-free at (866) 718-1649 or Wells Fargo Securities, LLC toll-free at (800) 645-3751.

 

Schedule II - 4


SCHEDULE III

TO PRICING AGREEMENT

Underwriters’ Purchase Price of Securities: $990 per share

Closing Date: September 10, 2020

Addresses for Notices, etc. to the Representatives:

c/o BNP Paribas Securities Corp.

787 Seventh Avenue

New York, NY 10019

c/o BofA Securities, Inc.

One Bryant Park

New York, NY 10036

c/o Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

388 Greenwich Street

New York, NY 10013

c/o Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

1585 Broadway, 29th Floor

New York, NY 10036

c/o Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

550 South Tryon Street

Charlotte, NC 28202

 

Schedule III - 1

Exhibit 3.1

CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATIONS OF

3.850% FIXED RATE RESET NON-CUMULATIVE PREFERRED STOCK, SERIES G

OF

METLIFE, INC.

METLIFE, INC., a corporation organized and existing under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “Corporation”), in accordance with the provisions of Sections 103 and 151 thereof, does hereby certify:

The Terms Committee of the board of directors of the Corporation (the “Board of Directors”), in accordance with the resolutions of the Board of Directors dated December 10, 2019, the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws of the Corporation and applicable law, adopted resolutions setting forth the terms of a series of 1,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Corporation designated as “3.850% Fixed Rate Reset Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series G” at a meeting of the Terms Committee on September 8, 2020.

RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority vested in the Terms Committee and in accordance with the resolutions of the Board of Directors dated December 10, 2019, the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws of the Corporation and applicable law, a series of Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Corporation be and hereby is created, and that the designation and number of shares of such series, and the voting and other powers, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other rights, and the qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof, of the shares of such series, are as follows:

SECTION 1. DESIGNATION. The distinctive serial designation of such series of Preferred Stock is “3.850% Fixed Rate Reset Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series G” (the “Series G Preferred Stock”). Each share of Series G Preferred Stock shall be identical in all respects to every other share of Series G Preferred Stock.

SECTION 2. NUMBER OF SHARES. The authorized number of shares of Series G Preferred Stock shall be 1,000,000. Shares of Series G Preferred Stock that are redeemed, purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation, or converted into another series of Preferred Stock, shall be cancelled and shall revert to authorized but unissued shares of Series G Preferred Stock.

SECTION 3. DEFINITIONS. As used herein with respect to Series G Preferred Stock:

(a) “Agent Members” has the meaning specified in Section 12(b).

(b) “Business Day” means any day other than a day on which federal or state banking institutions in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, are authorized or obligated by law, executive order or regulation to close.


(c) “By-Laws” means the Amended and Restated By-Laws of the Corporation, effective September 25, 2018, as the same may be amended or restated from time to time.

(d) “Calculation Agent” means, at any time, the person or entity appointed by the Corporation and serving as such agent at such time. The Corporation may terminate any such appointment and may appoint a successor agent at any time and from time to time, provided that the Corporation shall use its best efforts to ensure that there is, at all relevant times when the Series G Preferred Stock is outstanding, a person or entity appointed and serving as such agent.

(e) “Capital Regulator” means any governmental agency, instrumentality or standard-setting organization, including, but not limited to, the Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Insurance Office, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners or any state insurance regulator, as may then have group-wide oversight of the Corporation’s regulatory capital.

(f) “Certificate of Designations” means this Certificate of Designations relating to the Series G Preferred Stock, as it may be amended from time to time.

(g) “Certificate of Incorporation” shall mean the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, as the same may be amended or restated from time to time, and shall include this Certificate of Designations.

(h) “Certificated Series G Preferred Stock” has the meaning specified in Section 12(a).

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

(j) “Dividend Payment Date” has the meaning specified in Section 4(a).

(k) “Dividend Period” has the meaning specified in Section 4(a).

(l) “Dividend Record Date” has the meaning specified in Section 4(a).

(m) “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

(n) “Federal Reserve Board” means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

(o) “First Reset Date” means September 15, 2025.

(p) “Five-Year Treasury Rate” means the rate determined in accordance with Section 4(b).

(q) “Global Depositary” has the meaning specified in Section 12(b).

(r) “Global Legend” has the meaning specified in Section 12(b).

(s) “Global Series G Preferred Stock” has the meaning specified in Section 12(b).

 

- 2 -


(t) “H.15 Daily Update” means the Selected Interest Rates (Daily)—H.15 release of the Federal Reserve Board, available at www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h15/update, or any successor site or publication.

(u) “Junior Stock” means the Common Stock, the Corporation’s Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock and any other class or series of stock of the Corporation (other than Series G Preferred Stock) that ranks junior to Series G Preferred Stock either or both as to the payment of dividends (whether such dividends are cumulative or non-cumulative) and/or as to the distribution of assets on any liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Corporation.

(v) “Liquidation Preference” has the meaning specified in Section 5(b).

(w) “Liquidation Preference Amount” means $1,000 per share of Series G Preferred Stock.

(x) “Nonpayment Event” has the meaning specified in Section 7(b).

(y) “Parity Stock” means the Corporation’s Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series A, the Corporation’s 5.250% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series C, the Corporation’s 5.875% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series D, the Corporation’s 5.625% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series E, the Corporation’s 4.75% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series F, and any other class or series of stock of the Corporation (other than Series G Preferred Stock) that ranks equally with the Series G Preferred Stock in the payment of dividends (whether such dividends are cumulative or non-cumulative) and in the distribution of assets on any liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Corporation.

(z) “Person” means a legal person, including any individual, corporation, estate, partnership, joint venture, association, joint stock company, company, limited liability company, trust, unincorporated association, or government or any agency or political subdivision thereof, or any other entity of whatever nature.

(aa) “Preferred Stock” means any and all series of preferred stock, having a par value of $0.01 per share, of the Corporation, including the Series G Preferred Stock.

(bb) “Preferred Stock Directors” has the meaning specified in Section 7(b).

(cc) “Rating Agency Event” means that any nationally recognized statistical rating organization as defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act, that then publishes a rating for the Corporation (a “Rating Agency”), amends, clarifies or changes the criteria it uses to assign equity credit to securities such as the Series G Preferred Stock, which amendment, clarification or change results in:

(i) the shortening of the length of time the Series G Preferred Stock is assigned a particular level of equity credit by that Rating Agency as compared to the length of time they would have been assigned that level of equity credit by that Rating Agency or its predecessor on the initial issuance of the Series G Preferred Stock; or

 

- 3 -


(ii) the lowering of the equity credit (including up to a lesser amount) assigned to the Series G Preferred Stock by that Rating Agency as compared to the equity credit assigned by that Rating Agency or its predecessor on the initial issuance of the Series G Preferred Stock.

(dd) “Registrar” means Computershare Inc. (or any successor thereto), in its capacity as registrar for the Series G Preferred Stock.

(ee) “Regulatory Capital Event” means that the Corporation provides notice to the holders of the Series G Preferred Stock that it has made a good faith determination that, as a result of:

(i) any amendment to, or change in, the laws, rules, regulations or regulatory standards of the United States or any political subdivision of or in the United States or any governmental agency, instrumentality or standard-setting organization as may then have group-wide oversight of the Corporation’s regulatory capital (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the Corporation’s Capital Regulator) that is enacted or becomes effective after the initial issuance of the Series G Preferred Stock;

(ii) any proposed amendment to, or change in, those laws, rules, regulations or regulatory standards that is announced or becomes effective after the initial issuance of the Series G Preferred Stock; or

(iii) any official administrative decision or judicial decision or administrative action or other official pronouncement interpreting or applying those laws, rules, regulations or regulatory standards that is announced after the initial issuance of the Series G Preferred Stock,

there is more than an insubstantial risk that the full liquidation preference of the Series G Preferred Stock outstanding from time to time would not qualify as “Tier 1 Capital” (or a substantially similar concept) for purposes of the capital adequacy rules or regulatory standards of any Capital Regulator to which the Corporation is or will be subject; provided that the proposal or adoption of any criterion that is substantially the same as the corresponding criterion in the capital adequacy rules of the Federal Reserve Board applicable to bank holding companies as of the initial issuance of the Series G Preferred Stock will not constitute a Regulatory Capital Event.

(ff) “Reset Date” means the First Reset Date and each date falling on the fifth anniversary of the preceding Reset Date.

(gg) “Reset Dividend Determination Date” means, in respect of any Reset Period, the day falling two Business Days prior to the beginning of such Reset Period.

(hh) “Reset Period” means the period from, and including, the First Reset Date to, but excluding, the next following Reset Date and thereafter each period from, and including, each Reset Date to, but excluding, the next following Reset Date.

 

- 4 -


(ii) “Reset Reference Bank Rate” means, in relation to a Reset Period and the Reset Dividend Determination Date in relation to such Reset Period, the rate determined by the Calculation Agent on the basis of the Reset Reference Bank Rate Quotations provided by the Reset Reference Banks to the Calculation Agent at approximately 4:30 p.m. (New York City time) on such Reset Dividend Determination Date, and: (a) if at least three such Reset Reference Bank Rate Quotations are provided to the Calculation Agent, the Reset Reference Bank Rate will be the arithmetic mean of the Reset Reference Bank Rate Quotations provided, eliminating the highest quotation (or, in the event of equality, one of the highest) and the lowest quotation (or, in the event of equality, one of the lowest), all as determined by the Calculation Agent; or (b) if only two Reset Reference Bank Rate Quotations are provided to the Calculation Agent, the Reset Reference Bank Rate will be the arithmetic mean of the Reset Reference Bank Rate Quotations provided, all as determined by the Calculation Agent; or (c) if only one Reset Reference Bank Rate Quotation is provided to the Calculation Agent, the Reset Reference Bank Rate will be the Reset Reference Bank Rate Quotation provided, as determined by the Calculation Agent.

(jj) “Reset Reference Bank Rate Quotation” means, in relation to a Reset Period and the Reset Dividend Determination Date in relation to such Reset Period, the bid-side yield quoted to the Calculation Agent by a Reset Reference Bank for the Reset U.S. Treasury Security at approximately 4:30 p.m. (New York City time) on such Reset Dividend Determination Date.

(kk) “Reset Reference Banks” means five banks which are primary U.S. Treasury securities dealers or market makers in pricing corporate bond issues denominated in U.S. dollars in New York City (excluding the Calculation Agent or any of its affiliates), as selected by the Corporation or its designee in its discretion, all of which will be contacted for purposes of providing a Reset Reference Bank Rate Quotation.

(ll) “Reset U.S. Treasury Security” means, on a Reset Dividend Determination Date, the U.S. Treasury security with a maturity date on, or in the absence of such a security, closest in time to, the Reset Date immediately following the Reset Date related to such Reset Dividend Determination Date and in a principal amount deemed customary for a single transaction in such U.S. Treasury securities in the New York City market. If multiple U.S. Treasury securities have their maturity dates equally close in time to, but not on, the Reset Date immediately following the Reset Date related to such Reset Dividend Determination Date, the U.S. Treasury security maturing earliest will be utilized. If more than one such security matures on the Reset Date immediately following the Reset Date related to such Reset Dividend Determination Date, or there is more than one such earliest maturing U.S. Treasury security, the U.S. Treasury security issued closest in time to the applicable Reset Dividend Determination Date will be used.

(mm) “Transfer Agent” means Computershare Inc. (or any successor thereto), in its capacity as transfer agent for the Series G Preferred Stock.

(nn) “Voting Preferred Stock” means, with regard to any election or removal of a Preferred Stock Director (as defined in Section 7(b) below) or any other matter as to which the holders of Series G Preferred Stock are entitled to vote as specified in Section 7 of this Certificate of Designations, any and all series of Preferred Stock (other than Series G Preferred Stock) that rank equally with Series G Preferred Stock either as to the payment of dividends or as

 

- 5 -


to the distribution of assets upon liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Corporation and upon which like voting rights have been conferred and are exercisable with respect to such matter.

SECTION 4. DIVIDENDS.

(a) RATE. Holders of Series G Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors or a duly authorized committee of the Board of Directors out of funds legally available for the payment of dividends under Delaware law, non-cumulative cash dividends per each share of Series G Preferred Stock at the rate determined as set forth below in this Section 4 applied to the Liquidation Preference Amount of $1,000 per share of Series G Preferred Stock. Such dividends shall be payable in arrears (as provided below in this Section 4(a)), but only when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors or a duly authorized committee of the Board of Directors, on the 15th day of March and September of each year, commencing on March 15, 2021 (each such date, a “Dividend Payment Date”); provided that if any such Dividend Payment Date is a day that is not a Business Day, the dividend with respect to such Dividend Payment Date shall instead be payable on the immediately succeeding Business Day, without interest or other payment in respect of such delayed payment. Dividends on Series G Preferred Stock shall not be cumulative. Accordingly, if the Board of Directors (or a duly authorized committee of the Board of Directors) does not declare a dividend on the Series G Preferred Stock payable in respect of any Dividend Period before the related Dividend Payment Date, such dividend will not accrue, the Corporation will have no obligation to pay a dividend for that Dividend Period on the Dividend Payment Date or at any future time, whether or not dividends on the Series G Preferred Stock are declared for any future Dividend Period and no interest, or sum of money in lieu of interest, will be payable in respect of any dividend not so declared.

If the Corporation is subject to a Capital Regulator, dividends on the Series G Preferred Stock shall not be declared, paid or set aside for payment if the Corporation fails to comply, or if such dividends would cause the Corporation to fail to comply, with any applicable capital adequacy guidelines of such Capital Regulator.

Dividends that are payable on Series G Preferred Stock on any Dividend Payment Date will be payable to holders of record of Series G Preferred Stock as they appear on the stock register of the Corporation on the applicable record date, which shall be the 15th calendar day before such Dividend Payment Date or such other record date fixed by the Board of Directors or a duly authorized committee of the Board of Directors that is not more than 60 nor less than 10 days prior to such Dividend Payment Date (each, a “Dividend Record Date”). Any such day that is a Dividend Record Date shall be a Dividend Record Date whether or not such day is a Business Day.

Each dividend period (a “Dividend Period”) shall commence on and include a Dividend Payment Date (other than the initial Dividend Period, which shall commence on and include September 10, 2020). Dividends payable on the Series G Preferred Stock shall be calculated on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months. Dividends payable in respect of a Dividend Period shall be payable in arrears - i.e., on the Dividend Payment Date on which such Dividend Period ends, but excludes.

 

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From September 10, 2020, to, but excluding, the First Reset Date, dividends on the Series G Preferred Stock shall accrue for each Dividend Period at a rate per annum equal to 3.850%.

From, and including, the First Reset Date, during each Reset Period, dividends on the Series G Preferred Stock shall accrue for each Dividend Period at a rate per annum equal to the Five-Year Treasury Rate as of the most recent Reset Dividend Determination Date plus 3.576%.

Holders of Series G Preferred Stock shall not be entitled to any dividends, whether payable in cash, securities or other property, other than dividends (if any) declared and payable on the Series G Preferred Stock as specified in this Section 4 (subject to the other provisions of this Certificate of Designations).

(b) FIVE-YEAR TREASURY RATE. As used in this Certificate of Designations, for any Reset Period commencing on or after the First Reset Date, the “Five-Year 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 under the caption “Treasury Constant Maturities” in the statistical release designated H.15 Daily Update published on the Reset Dividend Determination Date, as determined by the Calculation Agent, (ii) if no calculation is provided as described in clause (i), then the Five-Year Treasury Rate will be equal to the Reset Reference Bank Rate on such Reset Dividend Determination Date, and (iii) if the Five-Year Treasury Rate cannot be determined pursuant to the methods described in clauses (i) or (ii) above, then the Five-Year Treasury Rate will be (x) in the case of the Reset Period commencing on the First Reset Date, 0.274% or (y) in the case of each Reset Period other than the Reset Period commencing on the First Reset Date, the same rate that was determined as of the prior Reset Dividend Determination Date.

The applicable dividend rate for each 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 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 the First Reset Date will be on file at the principal offices of the Corporation, will be made available to any holder of shares of the Series G Preferred Stock upon request and will be final and binding in the absence of manifest error.

For any Reset Period commencing on or after the First Reset Date, the Five-Year Treasury Rate will be determined by the Calculation Agent on each Reset Dividend Determination Date.

The Corporation will give notice of the relevant Five-Year Treasury Rate as soon as practicable to the Transfer Agent and the holders of shares of the Series G Preferred Stock.

(c) PRIORITY OF DIVIDENDS. So long as any shares of Series G Preferred Stock remain outstanding for any Dividend Period, unless the full dividends for the latest completed Dividend Period on all outstanding shares of Series G Preferred Stock and Parity Stock have been declared and paid (or declared and a sum sufficient for the payment thereof has been set

 

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aside), no dividend shall be declared or paid on the Common Stock or any other shares of Junior Stock (other than a dividend payable solely in shares of Junior Stock), and no Common Stock or other Junior Stock shall be purchased, redeemed or otherwise acquired for consideration by the Corporation, directly or indirectly (other than as a result of a reclassification of Junior Stock for or into other 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 Junior Stock) during a Dividend Period.

When dividends are not paid (or declared and a sum sufficient for payment thereof set aside) in full on any Dividend Payment Date (or, in the case of Parity Stock having dividend payment dates different from the Dividend Payment Dates, on a dividend payment date falling within a Dividend Period) upon the Series G Preferred Stock and any shares of Parity Stock, all dividends declared on the Series G Preferred Stock and all such Parity Stock and payable on such Dividend Payment Date (or, in the case of Parity Stock having dividend payment dates different from the Dividend Payment Dates, on a dividend payment date falling within the Dividend Period related to such Dividend Payment Date) shall be declared pro rata so that the respective amounts of such dividends shall bear the same ratio to each other as all accrued but unpaid dividends per share on the Series G Preferred Stock and all Parity Stock payable on such Dividend Payment Date (or, in the case of Parity Stock having dividend payment dates different from the Dividend Payment Dates, on a dividend payment date falling within the Dividend Period related to such Dividend Payment Date) bear to each other.

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

SECTION 5. LIQUIDATION RIGHTS.

(a) VOLUNTARY OR INVOLUNTARY LIQUIDATION. In the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the affairs of the Corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary, holders of Series G Preferred Stock and all holders of any Parity Stock shall be entitled to receive, out of the assets of the Corporation or proceeds thereof (whether capital or surplus) available for distribution to stockholders of the Corporation, and after satisfaction of all liabilities and obligations to creditors of the Corporation, before any distribution of such assets or proceeds is made to or set aside for the holders of Common Stock and any other Junior Stock, in full an amount equal to $1,000 per share, together with an amount equal to all dividends (if any) that have been declared but not paid prior to the date of payment of such distribution (but without any amount in respect of dividends that have not been declared prior to such payment date).

(b) PARTIAL PAYMENT. If in any distribution described in Section 5(a) above the assets of the Corporation or proceeds thereof are not sufficient to pay the Liquidation Preferences (as defined below) in full to all holders of Series G Preferred Stock and all holders of any Parity Stock, the amounts paid to the holders of Series G Preferred Stock and to the holders of all such other Parity Stock shall be paid pro rata in accordance with the respective aggregate Liquidation

 

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Preferences of the holders of Series G Preferred Stock and the holders of all such other Parity Stock. In any such distribution, the “Liquidation Preference” of any holder of Preferred Stock of the Corporation shall mean the amount otherwise payable to such holder in such distribution (assuming no limitation on the assets of the Corporation available for such distribution), including an amount equal to any declared but unpaid dividends (and, in the case of any holder of stock (other than Series G Preferred Stock) on which dividends accrue on a cumulative basis, an amount equal to any unpaid, accrued cumulative dividends, whether or not declared, as applicable).

(c) RESIDUAL DISTRIBUTIONS. If the Liquidation Preference has been paid in full to all holders of Series G Preferred Stock and any Parity Stock, the holders of other stock of the Corporation shall be entitled to receive all remaining assets of the Corporation (or proceeds thereof) according to their respective rights and preferences.

(d) MERGER, CONSOLIDATION AND SALE OF ASSETS NOT LIQUIDATION. For purposes of this Section 5, the merger or consolidation of the Corporation with any other corporation or other entity, including a merger or consolidation in which the holders of Series G Preferred Stock receive cash, securities or other property for their shares, or the sale, lease or exchange (for cash, securities or other property) of all or substantially all of the assets of the Corporation, shall not constitute a liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Corporation.

SECTION 6. REDEMPTION.

(a) OPTIONAL REDEMPTION. The Series G Preferred Stock is perpetual and has no maturity date. The Corporation may, at its option, redeem the shares of Series G Preferred Stock at the time outstanding, upon notice given as provided in Section 6(c) below,

(i) in whole but not in part, within 90 days after the conclusion of any review or appeal process instituted by the Corporation following the occurrence of a Rating Agency Event or, in the absence of any such review or appeal process, from such Rating Agency Event, at a redemption price equal to $1,020 per share of Series G Preferred Stock, plus (except as provided below) an amount equal to any dividends per share of Series G Preferred Stock that have accrued but not been declared and paid for the then-current Dividend Period to, but excluding, the redemption date, or

(ii) (a) in whole but not in part, within 90 days after the occurrence of a Regulatory Capital Event, or (b) in whole or in part, on any Dividend Payment Date on or after the First Reset Date, in each case, at a redemption price equal to $1,000 per share of Series G Preferred Stock, plus an amount equal to any dividends per share of Series G Preferred Stock that have accrued but not been declared and paid for the then-current Dividend Period to, but excluding, such redemption date.

The redemption price for any shares of Series G Preferred Stock shall be payable on the redemption date to the holder of such shares against surrender of the certificate(s) evidencing such shares to the Corporation or its agent. Any declared but unpaid dividends payable on a redemption date that occurs subsequent to the Dividend Record Date for a Dividend Period shall not constitute a part of or be paid to the holder entitled to receive the redemption price on the

 

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redemption date, but rather shall be paid to the holder of record of the redeemed shares on the Dividend Record Date relating to such Dividend Payment Date as provided in Section 4 above. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Corporation may not redeem shares of Series G Preferred Stock without having received the prior approval of the Capital Regulator if then required under capital guidelines applicable to the Corporation and satisfying any other conditions to the redemption of the Series G Preferred Stock set forth in such capital guidelines or any other applicable regulations of the Capital Regulator.

(b) NO SINKING FUND. The Series G Preferred Stock will not be subject to any mandatory redemption, sinking fund, retirement fund or purchase fund or other similar provisions. Holders of Series G Preferred Stock will have no right to require redemption, repurchase or retirement of any shares of Series G Preferred Stock.

(c) NOTICE OF REDEMPTION. Notice of every redemption of shares of Series G Preferred Stock shall be given by first class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to the holders of record of the shares to be redeemed at their respective last addresses appearing on the books of the Corporation. Such mailing shall be at least 5 days and not more than 90 days before the date fixed for redemption. Any notice mailed as provided in this Subsection shall be conclusively presumed to have been duly given, whether or not the holder receives such notice, but failure duly to give such notice by mail, or any defect in such notice or in the mailing thereof, to any holder of shares of Series G Preferred Stock designated for redemption shall not affect the validity of the proceedings for the redemption of any other shares of Series G Preferred Stock. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Series G Preferred Stock or any depositary shares representing interests in the Series G Preferred Stock are issued in book-entry form through The Depository Trust Company or any other similar facility, notice of redemption may be given to the holders of Series G Preferred Stock at such time and in any manner permitted by such facility. Each such notice given to a holder shall state: (1) the redemption date; (2) the number of shares of Series G Preferred Stock to be redeemed and, if less than all the shares held by such holder are to be redeemed, the number of such shares to be redeemed from such holder; (3) the redemption price; and (4) the place or places where certificates for such shares are to be surrendered for payment of the redemption price.

(d) PARTIAL REDEMPTION. In case of any redemption of only part of the shares of Series G Preferred Stock at the time outstanding, the shares to be redeemed shall be selected either pro rata, by lot, or in the event the Series G Preferred Stock is Global Series G Preferred Stock, by such other method in accordance with the procedures of the Global Depositary. Subject to the provisions hereof, the Corporation shall have full power and authority to prescribe the terms and conditions upon which shares of Series G Preferred Stock shall be redeemed from time to time. If fewer than all the shares represented by any certificate are redeemed, a new certificate shall be issued representing the unredeemed shares without charge to the holder thereof.

(e) EFFECTIVENESS OF REDEMPTION. If notice of redemption has been duly given and if on or before the redemption date specified in the notice all funds necessary for the redemption have been set aside by the Corporation, separate and apart from its other funds, in trust for the pro rata benefit of the holders of the shares called for redemption, so as to be and continue to be available therefor, then, notwithstanding that any certificate for any share so called for redemption has not been surrendered for cancellation, on and after the redemption date

 

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dividends shall cease to accrue on all shares so called for redemption, all shares so called for redemption shall no longer be deemed outstanding and all rights with respect to such shares shall forthwith on such redemption date cease and terminate, except only the right of the holders thereof to receive the amount payable on such redemption, without interest. Any funds unclaimed at the end of three years from the redemption date shall, to the extent permitted by law, be released to the Corporation, after which time the holders of the shares so called for redemption shall look only to the Corporation for payment of the redemption price of such shares.

SECTION 7. VOTING RIGHTS.

(a) GENERAL. The holders of Series G Preferred Stock shall not have any voting rights except as set forth below or as otherwise from time to time required by law.

(b) RIGHT TO ELECT TWO DIRECTORS UPON NONPAYMENT EVENTS. If and whenever dividends on any shares of Series G Preferred Stock shall not have been declared and paid for at least three Dividend Periods, whether or not consecutive (a “Nonpayment Event”), the number of directors then constituting the Board of Directors shall automatically be increased by two and the holders of Series G Preferred Stock, together with the holders of any outstanding shares of Voting Preferred Stock, voting together as a single class, shall be entitled to elect the two additional directors (the “Preferred Stock Directors”), provided that it shall be a qualification for election for any such Preferred Stock Director that the election of such director shall not cause the Corporation to violate the corporate governance requirement of the New York Stock Exchange (or any other securities exchange or other trading facility on which securities of the Corporation may then be listed or traded) that listed or traded companies must have a majority of independent directors.

In the event that the holders of the Series G Preferred Stock, and such other holders of Voting Preferred Stock, shall be entitled to vote for the election of the Preferred Stock Directors following a Nonpayment Event, such directors shall be initially elected following such Nonpayment Event only at a special meeting called at the request of the holders of record of at least 20% of the Series G Preferred Stock or of any other such series of Voting Preferred Stock then outstanding (unless such request for a special meeting is received less than 90 days before the date fixed for the next annual or special meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation, in which event such election shall be held only at such next annual or special meeting of stockholders), and at each subsequent annual meeting of stockholders of the Corporation. Such request to call a special meeting for the initial election of the Preferred Stock Directors after a Nonpayment Event shall be made by written notice, signed by the requisite holders of Series G Preferred Stock or Voting Preferred Stock, and delivered to the Secretary of the Corporation in such manner as provided for in Section 9 below, or as may otherwise be required by law.

When dividends have been paid in full on the Series G Preferred Stock for at least two consecutive Dividend Periods after a Nonpayment Event, then the right of the holders of Series G Preferred Stock to elect the Preferred Stock Directors shall cease (but subject always to revesting of such voting rights in the case of any future Nonpayment Event pursuant to this Section 7 and the number of Dividend Periods in which dividends have not been declared and paid shall be reset to zero), and, if and when any rights of holders of Series G Preferred Stock

 

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and Voting Preferred Stock to elect the Preferred Stock Directors shall have ceased, the terms of office of all the Preferred Stock Directors shall forthwith terminate and the number of directors constituting the Board of Directors shall automatically be reduced accordingly.

Any Preferred Stock Director may be removed at any time without cause by the holders of record of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Series G Preferred Stock and Voting Preferred Stock, when they have the voting rights described above (voting together as a single class). So long as a Nonpayment Event shall continue, any vacancy in the office of a Preferred Stock Director (other than prior to the initial election of Preferred Stock Directors after a Nonpayment Event) may be filled by the written consent of the Preferred Stock Director remaining in office, or if none remains in office, by a vote of the holders of record of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Series G Preferred Stock and Voting Preferred Stock, when they have the voting rights described above (voting together as a single class). Any such vote of stockholders to remove, or to fill a vacancy in the office of, a Preferred Stock Director may be taken only at a special meeting of such stockholders, called as provided above for an initial election of Preferred Stock Director after a Nonpayment Event (unless such request is received less than 90 days before the date fixed for the next annual or special meeting of the stockholders, in which event such election shall be held at such next annual or special meeting of stockholders). The Preferred Stock Directors shall each be entitled to one vote per director on any matter that shall come before the Board of Directors for a vote. Each Preferred Stock Director elected at any special meeting of stockholders or by written consent of the other Preferred Stock Director shall hold office until the next annual meeting of the stockholders if such office shall not have previously terminated as above provided.

(c) OTHER VOTING RIGHTS. So long as any shares of Series G Preferred Stock are outstanding, in addition to any other vote or consent of stockholders required by law or by the Certificate of Incorporation, the vote or consent of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the shares of Series G Preferred Stock and any Voting Preferred Stock (subject to the last paragraph of this Section 7(c)) at the time outstanding and entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class, given in person or by proxy, either in writing without a meeting or by vote at any meeting called for the purpose, shall be necessary for effecting or validating:

(i) AUTHORIZATION OF SENIOR STOCK. Any amendment or alteration of the Certificate of Incorporation to authorize or create, or increase the authorized amount of, any shares of any class or series of capital stock of the Corporation ranking senior to the Series G Preferred Stock with respect to either or both the payment of dividends and/or the distribution of assets on any liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Corporation;

(ii) AMENDMENT OF SERIES G PREFERRED STOCK. Any amendment, alteration or repeal of any provision of the Certificate of Incorporation so as to materially and adversely affect the special rights, preferences, privileges or voting powers of the Series G Preferred Stock, taken as a whole; or

(iii) SHARE EXCHANGES, RECLASSIFICATIONS, MERGERS AND CONSOLIDATIONS. Any consummation of a binding share exchange or reclassification involving the Series G Preferred Stock, or of a merger or consolidation of the

 

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Corporation with another corporation or other entity, unless in each case (x) the shares of Series G Preferred Stock remain outstanding or, in the case of any such merger or consolidation with respect to which the Corporation is not the surviving or resulting entity, are converted into or exchanged for preference securities of the surviving or resulting entity or its ultimate parent, and (y) such Series G Preferred Stock remaining outstanding or such preference securities, as the case may be, have such rights, preferences, privileges and voting powers, and limitations and restrictions thereof, taken as a whole, as are not materially less favorable to the holders thereof than the rights, preferences, privileges and voting powers, and limitations and restrictions thereof, of the Series G Preferred Stock immediately prior to such consummation, taken as a whole;

provided, however, that for all purposes of this Section 7(c), any increase in the amount of the authorized or issued Series G Preferred Stock or authorized Preferred Stock, or the creation and issuance, or an increase in the authorized or issued amount, of any other series of Preferred Stock ranking equally with and/or junior to the Series G Preferred Stock with respect to the payment of dividends (whether such dividends are cumulative or non-cumulative) and/or the distribution of assets upon liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Corporation will not be deemed to materially and adversely affect the special rights, preferences, privileges or voting powers of the Series G Preferred Stock.

If any amendment, alteration, repeal, share exchange, reclassification, merger or consolidation specified in this Section 7(c) would materially and adversely affect the Series G Preferred Stock and one or more but not all other series of Preferred Stock, then only the Series G Preferred Stock and such series of Preferred Stock as are materially and adversely affected by and entitled to vote on the matter shall vote on the matter together as a single class (in lieu of all other series of Preferred Stock).

(d) CHANGES FOR CLARIFICATION. Without the consent of the holders of the Series G Preferred Stock, so long as such action does not adversely affect the special rights, preferences, privileges and voting powers, and limitations and restrictions thereof, of the Series G Preferred Stock, the Corporation may amend, alter, supplement or repeal any terms of the Series G Preferred Stock:

(i) to cure any ambiguity, or to cure, correct or supplement any provision contained in this Certificate of Designations that may be defective or inconsistent; or

(ii) to make any provision with respect to matters or questions arising with respect to the Series G Preferred Stock that is not inconsistent with the provisions of this Certificate of Designations.

(e) CHANGES AFTER PROVISION FOR REDEMPTION. No vote or consent of the holders of Series G Preferred Stock shall be required pursuant to Section 7(b), (c) or (d) above if, at or prior to the time when any such vote or consent would otherwise be required pursuant to such Section, all outstanding shares of Series G Preferred Stock shall have been redeemed, or shall have been called for redemption upon proper notice and sufficient funds shall have been set aside for such redemption, in each case pursuant to Section 6 above.

 

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(f) PROCEDURES FOR VOTING AND CONSENTS. The rules and procedures for calling and conducting any meeting of the holders of Series G Preferred Stock (including, without limitation, the fixing of a record date in connection therewith), the solicitation and use of proxies at such a meeting, the obtaining of written consents and any other aspect or matter with regard to such a meeting or such consents shall be governed by any rules the Board of Directors or a duly authorized committee of the Board of Directors, in its discretion, may adopt from time to time, which rules and procedures shall conform to the requirements of the Certificate of Incorporation, the By-Laws, applicable law and any national securities exchange or other trading facility on which the Series G Preferred Stock is listed or traded at the time. Whether the vote or consent of the holders of a plurality, majority or other portion of the shares of Series G Preferred Stock and any Voting Preferred Stock has been cast or given on any matter on which the holders of shares of Series G Preferred Stock are entitled to vote shall be determined by the Corporation by reference to the specified liquidation amounts of the shares voted or covered by the consent.

SECTION 8. RECORD HOLDERS. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Corporation and the Transfer Agent for the Series G Preferred Stock may deem and treat the record holder of any share of Series G Preferred Stock as the true and lawful owner thereof for all purposes, and neither the Corporation nor such Transfer Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.

SECTION 9. NOTICES. All notices or communications in respect of Series G Preferred Stock shall be sufficiently given if given in writing and delivered in person or by first class mail, postage prepaid, or if given in such other manner as may be permitted in this Certificate of Designations, in the Certificate of Incorporation or By-Laws or by applicable law.

SECTION 10. NO PREEMPTIVE RIGHTS. No share of Series G Preferred Stock shall have any rights of preemption whatsoever as to any securities of the Corporation, or any warrants, rights or options issued or granted with respect thereto, regardless of how such securities, or such warrants, rights or options, may be designated, issued or granted.

SECTION 11. OTHER RIGHTS. The shares of Series G Preferred Stock shall not have any voting powers, preferences or relative, participating, optional or other special rights, or qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, other than as set forth herein or in the Certificate of Incorporation or as provided by applicable law.

SECTION 12. FORM.

(a) CERTIFICATED SERIES G PREFERRED STOCK. The Series G Preferred Stock may be issued in the form of one or more definitive shares in fully registered form in substantially the form attached to the Certificate of Designations as Exhibit A (“Certificated Series G Preferred Stock”), which is incorporated in and expressly made a part of the Certificate of Designations. Each Certificated Series G Preferred Stock shall reflect the number of shares of Series G Preferred Stock represented thereby, and may have notations, legends, or endorsements required by law, stock exchange rules, agreements to which the Corporation is subject, if any, or usage (provided that any such notation, legend, or endorsement is in a form acceptable to the Corporation). Each Certificated Series G Preferred Stock shall be registered in the name or names of the Person or Persons specified by the Corporation in a written instrument to the Registrar.

 

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(b) GLOBAL SERIES G PREFERRED STOCK. If The Depositary Trust Company or another depositary reasonably acceptable to the Corporation (the “Global Depositary”) is willing to act as depositary for the Global Series G Preferred Stock, a holder who is an Agent Member may request the Corporation to issue one or more shares of Series G Preferred Stock in global form with the global legend (the “Global Legend”) as set forth on the form of Series G Preferred Stock certificate attached to the Certificate of Designations as Exhibit A (“Global Series G Preferred Stock”), in exchange for the Certificated Series G Preferred Stock held by such holder, with the same terms and of equal aggregate Liquidation Preference Amount. The Global Series G Preferred Stock may have notations, legends, or endorsements required by law, stock exchange rules, agreements to which the Corporation is subject, if any, or usage (provided that any such notation, legend, or endorsement is in a form acceptable to the Corporation). Any Global Series G Preferred Stock shall be deposited on behalf of the holders of the Series G Preferred Stock represented thereby with the Registrar, at the principal office of the Registrar at which at any particular time its registrar business is administered, which is currently located at Computershare Inc., 250 Royall Street, Canton, MA 02021, as custodian for the Global Depositary, and registered in the name of the Global Depositary or a nominee of the Global Depositary, duly executed by the Corporation and countersigned and registered by the Registrar as hereinafter provided. The aggregate number of shares represented by each Global Series G Preferred Stock may from time to time be increased or decreased by adjustments made on the records of the Registrar and the Global Depositary or its nominee as hereinafter provided. This Section 12(b) shall apply only to Global Series G Preferred Stock deposited with or on behalf of the Global Depositary. The Corporation shall execute and the Registrar shall, in accordance with this Section 12(b), countersign and deliver any Global Series G Preferred Stock that (i) shall be registered in the name of Cede & Co. or other nominee of the Global Depositary and (ii) shall be delivered by the Registrar to Cede & Co. or pursuant to instructions received from Cede & Co. or held by the Registrar as custodian for the Global Depositary pursuant to an agreement between the Global Depositary and the Registrar. Members of, or participants in, the Global Depositary (“Agent Members”) shall have no rights under the Certificate of Designations, with respect to any Global Series G Preferred Stock held on their behalf by the Global Depositary or by the Registrar as the custodian for the Global Depositary, or under such Global Series G Preferred Stock, and the Global Depositary may be treated by the Corporation, the Registrar, and any agent of the Corporation or the Registrar as the absolute owner of such Global Series G Preferred Stock for all purposes whatsoever. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall prevent the Corporation, the Registrar, or any agent of the Corporation or the Registrar from giving effect to any written certification, proxy, or other authorization furnished by the Global Depositary or impair, as between the Global Depositary and its Agent Members, the operation of customary practices of the Global Depositary governing the exercise of the rights of a holder of a beneficial interest in any Global Series G Preferred Stock. The holder of the Global Series G Preferred Stock may grant proxies or otherwise authorize any Person to take any action that a holder is entitled to take pursuant to the Global Series G Preferred Stock, the Certificate of Designations, or the Certificate of Incorporation. Owners of beneficial interests in Global Series G Preferred Stock shall not be entitled to receive physical delivery of Certificated Series G Preferred Stock, unless (x) the Global Depositary notifies the Corporation that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Global Depositary for the Global Series G Preferred Stock and the

 

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Corporation does not appoint a qualified replacement for the Global Depositary within 90 days after such notice, (y) the Global Depositary ceases to be a “clearing agency” registered pursuant to Section 17A of the Exchange Act when the depositary is required to be so registered and so notifies the Corporation, and the Corporation does not appoint a qualified replacement for the Global Depositary within 90 days after such notice or (z) the Corporation in its sole discretion and subject to the Global Depositary’s procedures determines that the Series G Preferred Stock shall be exchangeable for Certificated Series G Preferred Stock. In any such case, the Global Series G Preferred Stock shall be exchanged in whole for Certificated Series G Preferred Stock, with the same terms and of an equal aggregate Liquidation Preference Amount, and such Certificated Series G Preferred Stock shall be registered in the name or names of the Person or Persons specified by the Global Depositary in a written instrument delivered to the Transfer Agent and Registrar.

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, METLIFE, INC. has caused this certificate to be signed by Lyndon Oliver, Executive Vice President and Treasurer, this 9th of September, 2020.

 

METLIFE, INC.
By:  

/s/ Lyndon Oliver

Name:   Lyndon Oliver
Title:   Executive Vice President and Treasurer

 

[Signature Page to Series G Certificate of Designations]


Exhibit A


[FORM OF FACE OF CERTIFICATE]

[UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF [●], TO METLIFE, INC. OR COMPUTERSHARE INC., AS TRANSFER AGENT (THE “TRANSFER AGENT”), AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF [●] OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF [●] (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO [●], OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF [●]), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL IN AS MUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, [●], HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.

TRANSFERS OF THIS [GLOBAL] SERIES G PREFERRED STOCK SHALL BE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS IN WHOLE, BUT NOT IN PART, TO NOMINEES OF [●] OR TO A SUCCESSOR THEREOF OR SUCH SUCCESSOR’S NOMINEE AND TRANSFERS OF PORTIONS OF THIS [GLOBAL] SERIES G PREFERRED STOCK SHALL BE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH IN THE RELATED CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATIONS. IN CONNECTION WITH ANY TRANSFER, THE HOLDER WILL DELIVER TO THE TRANSFER AGENT SUCH CERTIFICATES AND OTHER INFORMATION AS SUCH TRANSFER AGENT MAY REASONABLY REQUIRE TO CONFIRM THAT THE TRANSFER COMPLIES WITH THE FOREGOING RESTRICTIONS.]

 

A-1


METLIFE, INC.

Incorporated under the laws of

the State of Delaware

 

CUSIP: 59156RCA4

   3.850% FIXED RATE                     SHARES
ISIN: US59156RCA41   

RESET NON-

CUMULATIVE

PREFERRED STOCK,

SERIES G

  

THIS CERTIFICATE IS TRANSFERRABLE IN

NEW YORK, NY:

This is to certify that                      is the registered owner of                      shares of fully paid and non-assessable 3.850% Fixed Rate Reset Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series G, $0.01 par value and a liquidation preference of $1,000 per share of MetLife, Inc., a Delaware 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 its duly authorized officers.

Dated:                                                                      

 

METLIFE, INC.
By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  
By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  

 

A-2


Countersigned and registered

 

COMPUTERSHARE INC.
By:  

 

Authorized Officer

 

A-3


[FORM OF REVERSE OF CERTIFICATE]

METLIFE, INC.

The Corporation will furnish without charge 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.

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.

 

A-4


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 WHATSOEVER.

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.

 

A-5

Exhibit 5.1

 

LOGO   

787 Seventh Avenue

New York, NY 10019-6099

Tel: 212 728 8000

Fax: 212 728 8111

September 10, 2020

MetLife, Inc.

200 Park Avenue

New York, NY 10166

 

  RE:

METLIFE, INC. – UNDERWRITTEN PUBLIC OFFERING OF PREFERRED STOCK

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as special counsel to MetLife, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the issuance and sale by the Company of 1,000,000 shares of its 3.850% Fixed Rate Reset Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series G, $0.01 par value per share, with a $1,000 liquidation preference per share (the “Securities”), pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, dated September 8, 2020 (the “Underwriting Agreement”), among the Company and the representatives (the “Representatives”) of the underwriters (the “Underwriters”) listed on Schedule I to the Pricing Agreement, dated September 8, 2020 (the “Pricing Agreement”), among the Company and the Representatives. The terms of the Securities are set forth in a certificate of designations filed by the Company with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on September 9, 2020 (the “Certificate of Designations”).

In the above capacity, we have reviewed: (a) the registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-234761) filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), which automatically became effective under the Securities Act on November 18, 2019, allowing for delayed offerings pursuant to Rule 415 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Securities Act (the “Rules and Regulations”), including the documents incorporated by reference therein (the “Registration Statement”); (b) the prospectus, dated November 18, 2019 (the “Base Prospectus”), filed as part of the Registration Statement; (c) the preliminary prospectus supplement, dated September 8, 2020, relating to the Securities, in the form filed by the Company with the Commission on September 8, 2020 pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations; (d) the prospectus supplement, dated September 8, 2020 (together with the Base Prospectus, the “Prospectus”), relating to the Securities, in the form filed by the Company with the Commission on September 9, 2020 pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Rules and Regulations; (e) the Issuer Free Writing Prospectus containing the final pricing terms of the Securities filed by the Company with the Commission on September 8, 2020; (f) an executed copy of the Underwriting Agreement; (g) an executed copy of the Pricing Agreement; (h) an executed copy of the Certificate of Designations; (i) a copy of the certificate representing the Securities executed by the Company; (j) a certificate of the Secretary of the Company, dated September 10, 2020, including the exhibits thereto; (k) a certificate, dated September 10, 2020

 

NEW YORK    WASHINGTON    HOUSTON    PALO ALTO    SAN FRANCISCO    CHICAGO    PARIS    LONDON    FRANKFURT    BRUSSELS    MILAN    ROME


MetLife, Inc.

September 10, 2020

Page 2

 

from the Office of the Secretary of the State of Delaware as to the existence and good standing in the State of Delaware of the Company; and (l) such other records of the corporate proceedings of the Company as we have deemed necessary as the basis for the opinions expressed herein.

We have also examined, have relied as to matters of fact upon and have assumed the accuracy of originals or copies certified, or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such records, agreements, documents and other instruments that we have deemed appropriate and such representations, statements and certificates or comparable documents of or from public officials and officers and representatives of the Company and of representations of such persons whom we have deemed appropriate, and have made such other investigations, as we have deemed relevant and necessary as a basis for the opinions hereinafter set forth. In such examination, and in connection with our review of all such documents, including the documents referred to in clauses (a) through (l) of the preceding paragraph, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as copies and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents.

Based upon and subject to the foregoing, and subject to the further limitations, qualifications and assumptions stated herein, we are of the opinion that the Securities have been duly authorized by the Company and, upon issuance and delivery of and payment for the Securities pursuant to the terms of the Underwriting Agreement and the Pricing Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

We express no opinion as to the effect of any federal or state laws regarding fraudulent transfers or conveyances. We express no opinion as to the laws of any jurisdiction other than the laws of the State of New York, the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and the federal laws of the United States. Furthermore, we express no opinion as to: (i) whether a United States federal court would accept jurisdiction in any dispute, action, suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to the Securities or the transactions contemplated thereby; and (ii) any waiver of inconvenient forum.

This opinion letter is rendered as of the date hereof based upon the facts and law in existence on the date hereof. We assume no obligation to update or supplement this opinion letter to reflect any circumstances that may come to our attention after the date hereof with respect to the opinion and statements set forth above, including any changes in applicable law that may occur after the date hereof.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Company’s Form 8-K to be filed in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities, and to the reference to us under the heading “Legal Opinions” in the Prospectus. In giving such consent, we do not thereby concede that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act.

Very truly yours,

/s/ Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP