Attached files

file filename
EX-5.1 - EX-5.1 - Bonanza Creek Energy, Inc.a13-2742_8ex5d1.htm
8-K - 8-K - Bonanza Creek Energy, Inc.a13-2742_88k.htm

Exhibit 1.1

 

Execution Version

 

11,500,000 Shares

 

BONANZA CREEK ENERGY, INC.

 

Common Stock

 

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

 

January 31, 2013

 

CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) LLC

RAYMOND JAMES & ASSOCIATES, INC.,

As Representatives of the Several Underwriters,

c/o Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC,

Eleven Madison Avenue,

New York, N.Y. 10010-3629

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

1.                                      Introductory.  Project Black Bear LP, a Delaware limited partnership (the “Selling Stockholder”), agrees with the several Underwriters named in Schedule A hereto (the “Underwriters”) to sell to the several Underwriters an aggregate of 11,500,000 shares (the “Firm Securities”) of common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Securities”), of Bonanza Creek Energy, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and also proposes to sell to the Underwriters, at the option of the Underwriters, an aggregate of not more than 1,500,000 additional shares (the “Optional Securities”) of the Securities as set forth below. The Firm Securities and the Optional Securities that the Underwriters elect to purchase pursuant to Section 4 hereof are herein collectively called the “Offered Securities”.

 

2.                                      Representations and Warranties of the Company.  The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the several Underwriters that:

 

(a)                                 Filing and Effectiveness of Registration Statement; Certain Defined Terms.  The Company has filed with the Commission a registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-186019), including a related prospectus or prospectuses, covering the registration of the Offered Securities under the Act, which has become effective.  “Registration Statement” at any particular time means such registration statement in the form then filed with the Commission, including any amendment thereto, any document incorporated by reference therein and all 430B Information and all 430C Information with respect to such registration statement, that in any case has not been superseded or modified.  “Registration Statement” without reference to a time means the Registration Statement as of the Effective Time.  For purposes of this definition, 430B Information shall be considered to be included in the Registration Statement as of the time specified in Rule 430B.

 

For purposes of this Agreement:

 

430B Information” means information included in a prospectus then deemed to be a part of the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430B(e) or retroactively deemed to be a part of the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430B(f).

 

430C Information” means information included in a prospectus then deemed to be a part of the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 430C.

 

Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 



 

Applicable Time” means 5:00 pm (Eastern time) on the date of this Agreement.

 

Closing Date” has the meaning defined in Section 4 hereof.

 

Commission” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Effective Time” of the Registration Statement relating to the Offered Securities means the time of the first contract of sale for the Offered Securities.

 

Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

Final Prospectus” means the Statutory Prospectus that discloses the public offering price, other 430B Information and other final terms of the Offered Securities and otherwise satisfies Section 10(a) of the Act.

 

First Closing Date” has the meaning defined in Section 4 hereof.

 

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

 

Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, relating to the Offered Securities in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).

 

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

 

Optional Closing Date” has the meaning defined in Section 4 hereof.

 

Permitted Free Writing Prospectus” has the meaning defined in Section 7 hereof.

 

Rules and Regulations” means the rules and regulations of the Commission.

 

Securities Laws” means, collectively, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“Sarbanes-Oxley”), the Act, the Exchange Act, the Rules and Regulations, the auditing principles, rules, standards and practices applicable to auditors of “issuers” (as defined in Sarbanes-Oxley) promulgated or approved by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and, as applicable, and the rules of the New York Stock Exchange (“Exchange Rules”).

 

Statutory Prospectus” with reference to any particular time means the prospectus relating to the Offered Securities that is included in the Registration Statement immediately prior to that time, including all 430B Information and all 430C Information with respect to the Registration Statement.  For purposes of the foregoing definition, 430B Information shall be considered to be included in the Statutory Prospectus only as of the actual time that form of prospectus (including a prospectus supplement) is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) and not retroactively.

 

Unless otherwise specified, a reference to a “rule” is to the indicated rule under the Act.

 

(b)                                 Compliance with Securities Act Requirements.  (i) (A) At the time the Registration Statement initially became effective, (B) at the time of each amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Act (whether by post-effective amendment, incorporated report or form of prospectus), (C) at the Effective Time relating to the Offered Securities and (D) on the Closing Date, the Registration Statement conformed and will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations and did not and will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading and (ii) (A) on its date, (B) at the time of filing the Final Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) and (C) on the Closing Date, the Final Prospectus will

 

2



 

conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations, and will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.  The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any such document made in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information (as defined below).

 

(c)                                  Shelf Registration Statement.  The date of this Agreement is not more than three years subsequent to the initial effective time of the Registration Statement.  If, immediately prior to the third anniversary of the initial effective time of the Registration Statement, any of the Offered Securities remain unsold by the Underwriters, the Company will prior to that third anniversary file, if it has not already done so, a new shelf registration statement relating to the Offered Securities, in a form satisfactory to Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC (“Credit Suisse”), will use its best efforts to cause such registration statement to be declared effective within 180 days after that third anniversary, and will take all other action necessary or appropriate to permit the public offering and sale of the Offered Securities to continue as contemplated in the expired registration statement relating to the Offered Securities.  References herein to the Registration Statement shall include such new shelf registration statement.

 

(d)                                 Ineligible Issuer Status.  (i)  At the earliest time after the filing of the Registration Statement that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2)) of the Offered Securities and (ii) at the date of this Agreement, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405, including (x) the Company or any other subsidiary in the preceding three years not having been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor or having been made the subject of a judicial or administrative decree or order as described in Rule 405 and (y) the Company in the preceding three years not having been the subject of a bankruptcy petition or insolvency or similar proceeding, not having had a registration statement be the subject of a proceeding under Section 8 of the Act and not being the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the Act in connection with the offering of the Offered Securities, all as described in Rule 405.

 

(e)                                  General Disclosure Package.  As of the Applicable Time, neither (i) the General Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus issued at or prior to the Applicable Time and, the preliminary prospectus supplement, dated January 28, 2013, including the base prospectus, as amended, dated January 28, 2013, (which is the most recent Statutory Prospectus distributed to investors generally), and the other information, if any, stated in Schedule B to this Agreement to be included in the General Disclosure Package, all considered together (collectively, the “General Disclosure Package”), nor (ii) any individual Limited Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted 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.  The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Statutory Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with the Underwriter Information.

 

(f)                                   Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses.  Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Offered Securities or until any earlier date that the Company notified or notifies Credit Suisse and Raymond James & Associates, Inc. (collectively, the “Representatives”) as described in the next sentence, did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information then contained in the Registration Statement.  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 then contained in the Registration Statement or as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, if republished immediately following such event or development, 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 under which they were made, not misleading, (i) the Company has promptly notified or will promptly notify Credit Suisse and (ii) the Company has promptly amended or will promptly amend or supplement such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.

 

(g)                                  Good Standing of the Company.  The Company has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation, has the corporate power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the General Disclosure Package

 

3



 

and the Final Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect on the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business, operations, prospects or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole (“Material Adverse Effect”).

 

(h)                                 Subsidiaries.  Each subsidiary of the Company has been duly organized, is validly existing as a limited liability company in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, has the power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a Material Adverse Effect; all of the issued ownership interests of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued in accordance with the limited liability agreement applicable to each such subsidiary, are fully paid (to the extent required by such limited liability company agreements), are non-assessable (except as such non-assessability may be affected by matters described in Sections 18-607 and 18-804 of the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act or Section 17254 of the California Beverly-Killea Limited Liability Company Act, as applicable), are owned directly or indirectly by the Company and are free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims, except for liens, encumbrances, equities or claims granted under the Credit Agreement, dated as of March 29, 2011, among the Company, KeyBank, National Association (as successor in interest to BNP Paribas), as Administrative Agent, and the other lenders party thereto, as amended by Amendment No. 1, dated as of April 29, 2011, Amendment No. 2 & Agreement, dated as of September 15, 2011, Amendment No. 3 & Agreement, dated as of May 8, 2012, Amendment No. 4, dated as of July 31, 2012 and Amendment No. 5, dated as of October 30, 2012 and as may be further amended, restated or otherwise modified from time to time (the “Credit Facility”).

 

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

 

(j)                                    Offered Securities.  The Offered Securities and all other outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized; the authorized equity capitalization of the Company is as set forth in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus; all outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company (including the Offered Securities) are validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, will conform in all material respects to the information in the General Disclosure Package and to the description of such Offered Securities contained in the Final Prospectus; the stockholders of the Company have no preemptive rights with respect to the Securities; and none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been issued in violation of any preemptive or similar rights of any security holder.

 

(k)                                 Absence of Defaults and Conflicts Resulting from Transaction.  The execution and delivery by the Company of, and the performance by the Company of its obligations under, this Agreement will not contravene (i) any provision of applicable law, (ii) the certificate of incorporation or by-laws of the Company, (iii) any agreement or other instrument binding upon the Company or any of its subsidiaries that is material to the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (iv) any judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary, except for any contravention described in clauses (i) and (iii) that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.  No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or qualification with, any governmental body or agency is required for the performance by the Company of its obligations under this Agreement, except (i) registration of the Offered Securities under the Act or the Exchange Act, that has been effected (or, with respect to any registration statement to be filed hereunder pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Act, will be effected in accordance herewith), or any necessary qualification under securities or Blue Sky laws of the various states or by the rules and regulations of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) in connection with the offer and sale of the Offered Securities and (ii) where the failure to obtain such consent, approval, authorization, order or qualification would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(l)                                     No Material Adverse Change in Business.  There has not occurred any material adverse change, or any development involving a prospective material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business, operations or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a

 

4



 

whole, from that set forth in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus; including, except as described in the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus, any loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood, or any other calamity or from any labor dispute or government action, order, decree, or agency decision.

 

(m)                             Litigation.  There are no legal or governmental proceedings pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or to which any of the properties of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject (i) other than (A) proceedings accurately described in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, (B) proceedings that would not have a Material Adverse Effect, or (C) proceedings that would not materially and adversely affect the power or ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement or to consummate the transactions contemplated by the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus or (ii) that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Final Prospectus and are not so described; and there are no statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents that are required to be described in the Registration Statement or the Final Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not described or filed as required.

 

(n)                                 Investment Company Status.  The Company is not, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Offered Securities, will not be, required to register as an “investment company” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

(o)                                 Reserve Engineers.  Cawley, Gillespie & Associates, Inc., a reserve engineer that prepared reserve reports on estimated net proved oil and natural gas reserves held by the Company and its predecessors as of January 1, 2011 and January 1, 2012 respectively was, as of the date of preparation of such reserve reports, and is, as of the date hereof, an independent petroleum engineer with respect to the Company and its predecessors.  The information contained in the Registration Statement regarding estimated proved reserves is based upon the reserve reports prepared by Cawley, Gillespie & Associates, Inc.  The information provided to Cawley, Gillespie & Associates, Inc. by the Company, including, without limitation, information as to: production, costs of operation and development, current prices for production, agreements relating to current and future operations and sales of production, was true and correct in all material respects on the dates the reports were made.  Such information was provided to Cawley, Gillespie & Associates, Inc. in accordance with all customary industry practices.

 

(p)                                 Reserve Reports.  The reserve reports prepared by Cawley, Gillespie & Associates, Inc. setting forth the estimated proved reserves attributed to the oil and gas properties of the Company accurately reflect in all material respects the ownership interests of the Company, its subsidiaries and its predecessors in the properties therein.  Other than normal production of reserves, intervening market commodity price fluctuations, fluctuations in demand for such products, adverse weather conditions, unavailability or increased costs of rigs, equipment, supplies or personnel, the timing of third party operations and other facts, in each case in the ordinary course of business, and except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, the Company is not aware of any facts or circumstances that would result in a material adverse change in the aggregate net reserves, or the present value of future net cash flows therefrom, as described in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus, and reserve reports; and estimates of such reserves and present values as described in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus, and reflected in the reserve reports comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of Regulation S-X and Industry Guide 2 under the Securities Act.

 

(q)                                 Environmental Laws.  The Company and its subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with any and all applicable foreign, federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of human health and safety (to the extent such health and safety relate to exposure to hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants), the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants (“Environmental Laws”), (ii) have received all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses as they are currently being conducted and (iii) are in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval, except where such noncompliance with Environmental Laws, failure to receive required permits, licenses or other approvals or failure to comply with the terms and conditions of such permits, licenses or approvals would not, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.  Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package

 

5



 

and the Final Prospectus, none of the Company or its subsidiaries anticipates any material capital expenditures for fiscal years 2013 and 2014 required by Environmental Laws.  There are no costs or liabilities associated with Environmental Laws (including, without limitation, any capital or operating expenditures required for clean-up, closure of properties or compliance with Environmental Laws or any permit, license or approval, any related constraints on operating activities and any potential liabilities to third parties) which would, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(r)                                    Registration Rights.  Except for the Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of December 23, 2010, among the Company, Project Black Bear LP, Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Alberta and other parties thereto (the “Reg Rights Agreement”), there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person granting such person the right to require the Company to file a registration statement under the Act with respect to any securities of the Company or to require the Company to include such securities with the Offered Securities registered pursuant to the Registration Statement.

 

(s)                                   Anti-Corruption.  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, nor any director or officer, nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any employee, affiliate, agent or representative of the Company or of any of its subsidiaries, has taken or will take any action in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization or approval of the payment or giving of money, property, gifts or anything else of value, directly or indirectly, to any “government official” (including any officer or employee of a government or government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office) to influence official action or secure an improper advantage; and the Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with applicable anti-corruption laws and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to promote and achieve compliance with such laws and with the representation and warranty contained herein.

 

(t)                                    Anti-Money Laundering.  The operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in material compliance with all applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including those of the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by Title III of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act), and the applicable anti-money laundering statutes of jurisdictions where the Company and its subsidiaries conduct business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Anti-Money Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened.

 

(u)                                 Economic Sanctions.  (i)  Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries, nor any director or officer, nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any other employee, agent, affiliate or representative of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, is an individual or entity (“Person”) that is, or is owned or controlled by a Person that is: (A) the subject of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, the United Nations Security Council, the European Union, Her Majesty’s Treasury or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), or (B) located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of Sanctions (including, without limitation, Burma/Myanmar, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Sudan and Syria); and (ii) For the past 5 years, the Company and its subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in, are not now knowingly engaged in, and will not engage in, any dealings or transactions with any Person, or in any country or territory, that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject of Sanctions.

 

(v)                                 Subsequent Events.  Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in each of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, (i) the Company and its subsidiaries have not incurred any material liability or obligation, direct or contingent, nor entered into any material transaction; (ii) the Company has not purchased any of its outstanding capital stock, nor declared, paid or otherwise made any dividend or distribution of any kind on its capital stock other than ordinary and customary dividends; and (iii) there has not been any material change in the capital stock, short-term debt or long term debt of the Company and its subsidiaries, except in each case as described in each of the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, respectively.

 

6



 

(w)                               Title to Property.  The Company and its subsidiaries have (i) good and defensible title to all of the interests in oil and gas properties underlying the Company’s estimates of its net proved reserves contained in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus and (ii) good and marketable title to all other real and personal property reflected in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus as assets owned by them, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects except such as (x) are described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, (y) liens and encumbrances under operating agreements, unitization and pooling agreements, production sales contracts, farmout agreements and other oil and gas exploration participation and production agreements, in each case that secure payment of amounts not yet due and payable for the performance of other unmatured obligations and are of a scope and nature customary in the oil and gas industry or arise in connection with drilling and production operations, or (z) would not have a Material Adverse Effect.  Any other real property and buildings held under lease by the Company and its subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases, with such exceptions as are not material and do not interfere in any material respect with the use made and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company and its subsidiaries; and the working interests derived from oil, gas and mineral leases or mineral interests that constitute a portion of the real property held or leased by the Company or its subsidiaries reflect in all material respects the rights of the Company and its subsidiaries to explore, develop or produce hydrocarbons from such real property in the manner contemplated by the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, and the care taken by the Company and its subsidiaries with respect to acquiring or otherwise procuring such leases or other property interests was generally consistent with standard industry practices in the areas in which the Company operates for acquiring or procuring leases and interests therein to explore, develop or produce hydrocarbons.  With respect to interests in oil and gas leases obtained by or on behalf of the Company or its subsidiaries that have not yet been drilled or included in a unit for drilling, the Company or its subsidiaries have carried out such title investigations in accordance with the practices customary in the oil and gas industry in the areas in which the leased properties are located.

 

(x)                                 Possession of Intellectual Property.  The Company and its subsidiaries own or possess, or can acquire on reasonable terms, all material patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions, copyrights, know how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks and trade names currently employed by them in connection with the business now operated by them except where the failure to so own or possess would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any of the foregoing which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(y)                                 Absence of Labor Dispute.  No labor dispute with the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries exists, except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent except for any such dispute that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; and the Company is not aware of any existing, threatened or imminent labor disturbance by the employees of any of its principal suppliers, manufacturers or contractors that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(z)                                  Insurance.  The Company and each of its subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which they are engaged; neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied for; and neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not have a Material Adverse Effect, except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus.

 

(aa)                          Possession of Licenses and Permits.  The Company and its subsidiaries possess all certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate federal, state or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses in the manner contemplated by the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, except where the failure to possess such certificates, authorizations or permits would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect, and neither the

 

7



 

Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such certificate, authorization or permit which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus; and the Company does not reasonably expect any future inability to acquire such permits as are necessary to conduct its business in the manner contemplated by the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus.

 

(bb)                          Internal Controls.  The Company and each of its subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, since the end of the Company’s most recent audited fiscal year, there has been (i) no material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (ii) no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

(cc)                            Financial Statements.  The financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus present fairly the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as of the dates shown and their results of operations and cash flows for the periods shown, and such financial statements have been prepared in conformity with the generally accepted accounting principles in the United States applied on a consistent basis; and the schedules included in the Registration Statement present fairly the information required to be stated therein; and except as included in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, no other financial statement or supporting schedules are required to be included or incorporated by reference therein.

 

(dd)                          Sales of Securities.  Except as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, the Company has not sold, issued or distributed any Securities during the six-month period preceding the date hereof, including any sales pursuant to Rule 144A under, or Regulation D or S of, the Act, other than shares issued pursuant to employee benefit plans, qualified stock option plans or other employee compensation plans or pursuant to outstanding options, rights or warrants, or as otherwise directed by that certain Interim Award of Arbitrators, Case 72 198 Y 00661 11 JMLE, dated November 30, 2012 (the “Ruling”).

 

(ee)                            Tax Filings.  The Company and each of its subsidiaries have filed all federal, state, local and foreign tax returns required to be filed through the date of this Agreement or have requested extensions thereof (except where the failure to file would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect) and have paid all taxes required to be paid thereon (except for cases in which the failure to file or pay would not have a Material Adverse Effect, or, except as currently being contested in good faith and for which reserves required by U.S. GAAP have been created in the financial statements of the Company), and no tax deficiency has been determined adversely to the Company or any of its subsidiaries that has had (nor does the Company nor any of its subsidiaries have any notice or knowledge of any tax deficiency that could reasonably be expected to be determined adversely to the Company or its subsidiaries and that could reasonably be expected to have) a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(ff)                              Absence of Manipulation.  The Company has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action that is designed to or that has constituted or that would reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Securities in violation of the Act.

 

8



 

3.                                      Representations of the Selling Stockholder.  The Selling Stockholder represents, and agrees with, the Underwriter that:

 

(a)                                 Title to Securities.  The Selling Stockholder (1) has good and marketable title to, the Offered Securities proposed to be sold by the Selling Stockholder hereunder or good and marketable title to a valid “security entitlement” (within the meaning of Section 8-501 of the New York Uniform Commercial Code (the “New York UCC”) in respect to such Offered Securities, in each case, free of any voting trust arrangements, liens, encumbrances or equities, (2) immediately prior to each Closing Date hereinafter will have good and marketable title to, or a valid “security entitlement” in respect of, the Offered Securities proposed to be sold by the Selling Stockholder hereunder on such Closing Date or good and marketable title to a valid “security entitlement” within the meaning of Section 8-501 of the New York UCC in respect of such Offered Securities proposed to be sold by the Selling Stockholder hereunder on such Closing Date, in each case, free of any voting trust arrangements, liens, encumbrances or equities and (3) has legal power and authority to enter into this Agreement and to sell, assign, transfer and deliver the Offered Securities, or a security entitlement in respect of such Offered Securities, hereunder, free and clear of all voting trust arrangements, liens, encumbrances, equities and claims; and upon (I) payment for the Offered Securities to be sold by the Selling Stockholder pursuant to this Agreement on each Closing Date hereinafter, (II) delivery of such Offered Securities, as directed by the Underwriters, to Cede & Co. or such other nominee as may be designated by The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), (III) registration of such Offered Securities in the name of DTC, Cede & Co. or such other nominee, and DTC or another person on behalf of DTC maintaining possession of certificates representing such Offered Securities and (IV) DTC indicating by book entries on its books that security entitlements with respect to such Offered Securities have been credited to the Underwriters’ securities accounts, the Underwriters will acquire a security entitlement (within the meaning of Section 8-501 of the New York UCC) with respect to the Offered Securities and no action based on an adverse claim (as defined in Section 8-102 of the New York UCC) may be asserted against the Underwriters (assuming that (A) the Underwriters are purchasing the Offered Securities without notice of any adverse claim, (B) DTC is a “securities intermediary” as defined in Section 8-102 of the New York UCC and (C) the State of New York is the “security intermediary’s jurisdiction” of DTC for purposes of Section 8-110 of the New York UCC).

 

(b)                                 Absence of Further Requirements.  No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing with, any governmental agency or body or any court having jurisdiction over the Selling Stockholder or any of its properties is required to be obtained or made by the Selling Stockholder for the consummation by the Selling Stockholder of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Securities sold by the Selling Stockholder, except such as have been obtained and made under the Act and such as may be required under state securities laws.

 

(c)                                  Absence of Defaults and Conflicts Resulting from Transaction. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Selling Stockholder and the consummation by the Selling Stockholder of the transactions herein contemplated will not result in a breach or violation of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in the imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Selling Stockholder pursuant to, any statute, any rule, regulation or order of any governmental agency or body or any court having jurisdiction over the Selling Stockholder or any of its properties or any agreement or instrument to which the Selling Stockholder is a party or by which the Selling Stockholder is bound or to which any of the properties of the Selling Stockholder is subject, or the partnership agreement or certificate of limited partnership of the Selling Stockholder.

 

(d)                                 Authorization of Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Selling Stockholder.

 

(e)                                  Accuracy of Disclosure.  The Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, (i) at the time the Registration Statement initially became effective, at the Effective Time relating to the Offered Securities and on the Closing Date, with respect to the Registration Statement, (ii) as of the Applicable Time, with respect to the General Disclosure Package, and (iii) on its date, at the time of filing the Final Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) and on the Closing Date, with respect to the Final Prospectus, did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall only apply to any statements or omissions in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished by or on behalf of the Selling Stockholder specifically for use in the

 

9



 

Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus, together with any amendment or supplement thereto used by the Company or any Underwriter, as the case may be, it being understood that the only such information furnished by the Selling Stockholder consists of the information relating to such Selling Stockholder in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus under the heading “Selling Stockholder” and the footnote thereunder, excluding any percentages set forth therein (the “Selling Stockholder Information”).

 

(f)                                   No Distribution of Offering Material. The Selling Stockholder has not distributed and will not distribute any prospectus or other offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Securities.

 

(g)                                  No Reliance on Other Information. The sale of the Offered Securities by the Selling Stockholder is not prompted by any information concerning the Company or any of its subsidiaries that is not set forth in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package, the Final Prospectus or any supplement thereto.

 

(h)                                 No Finder’s Fee. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Selling Stockholder and any person that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or other like payment in connection with the sale of the Offered Securities.

 

(i)                                     Absence of Manipulation. The Selling Stockholder has not taken, directly or indirectly, any action that is designed to or that has constituted or that would reasonably be expected to cause or result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Securities.

 

(j)                                    Lock-Up Agreement. On or prior to the date hereof, the Selling Stockholder has executed and delivered to the Underwriters an agreement substantially in the form set forth in Annex B hereto.  Such agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Selling Stockholder and constitutes the valid and legally binding obligation of the Selling Stockholder, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles.

 

4.                                      Purchase, Sale and Delivery of Offered Securities.  On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Selling Stockholder agrees to sell to the several Underwriters, the Firm Securities, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Selling Stockholder, at a purchase price of $28.32 per share, the respective number of shares of Firm Securities set forth opposite the names of the Underwriters in Schedule A hereto.

 

At 9:00 am (Central time) on February 6, 2013, or at such other time not later than seven full business days thereafter as Credit Suisse and the Company determine (such time being herein referred to as the “First Closing Date”), the Selling Stockholder will deliver the Firm Securities to the Representatives at the office of Latham & Watkins LLP, Houston, Texas (the “Closing Location”), counsel for the Underwriters, or through the facilities of DTC, in either case for the accounts of the several Underwriters, against payment of the purchase price therefor by the Underwriters in Federal (same day) funds by wire transfer to an account at a bank designated by the Selling Stockholder to the Representatives prior to the First Closing Date.  For purposes of Rule 15c6-1 under the Exchange Act, the First Closing Date (if later than the otherwise applicable settlement date) shall be the settlement date for payment of funds and delivery of securities for all the Offered Securities sold pursuant to this Agreement. A meeting will be held at the Closing Location at or about 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the business day next preceding such First Closing Date, at which meeting the final drafts of the documents to be delivered pursuant to this Agreement will be available for review by the parties hereto.

 

From time to time not more than 30 days subsequent to the date of the Final Prospectus, the Underwriters may purchase all or less than all of the Optional Securities at the purchase price per Security to be paid for the Firm Securities, upon written notice from Credit Suisse given to the Selling Stockholder and the Company setting forth the aggregate number of shares of Optional Securities as to which the Underwriters are exercising the option and the time and place at which such Optional Securities will be delivered.  The Selling Stockholder agrees to sell to the

 

10



 

Underwriters the number of shares of Optional Securities specified in such notice and the Underwriters agree, severally and not jointly, to purchase such Optional Securities.  Such Optional Securities shall be purchased for the account of each Underwriter in the same proportion as the number of shares of Firm Securities set forth opposite such Underwriter’s name bears to the total number of shares of Firm Securities (subject to adjustment by Credit Suisse to eliminate fractions). No Optional Securities shall be sold or delivered unless the Firm Securities previously have been, or simultaneously are, sold and delivered. The right to purchase the Optional Securities or any portion thereof may be exercised from time to time and to the extent not previously exercised may be surrendered and terminated at any time upon notice by Credit Suisse to the Selling Stockholder.

 

Each time for the delivery of and payment for the Optional Securities, being herein referred to as an “Optional Closing Date”, which may be the First Closing Date (the First Closing Date and each Optional Closing Date, if any, being sometimes referred to as a “Closing Date”), shall be determined by Credit Suisse but shall be not later than five full business days after written notice of election to purchase Optional Securities is given to the Selling Stockholder and the Company. The Selling Stockholder will deliver the Optional Securities being purchased on each Optional Closing Date to the Representatives at the office of Latham & Watkins LLP, Houston, Texas, counsel for the Underwriters, or through the facilities of DTC, in either case for the accounts of the several Underwriters, against payment of the purchase price therefor by the Underwriters in Federal (same day) funds by wire transfer to an account at a bank designated by the Selling Stockholder to the Representatives prior to each such Optional Closing Date.  A meeting will be held at the Closing Location at or about 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the business day next preceding such Optional Closing Date, at which meeting the final drafts of the documents to be delivered pursuant to this Agreement will be available for review by the parties hereto.

 

5.                                      Offering by Underwriters.  It is understood that the several Underwriters propose to offer the Offered Securities for sale to the public as set forth in the Final Prospectus.

 

6.                                      Certain Agreements of the Company and the Selling Stockholder.  The Company and, in the case of the Section 6(j) and Section 6(k), the Selling Stockholder, agrees with the several Underwriters that:

 

(a)                                 Filing of Prospectuses.  The Company has filed or will file each Statutory Prospectus (including the Final Prospectus) pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 424(b) (without reliance on rule 424(b)(8)) not later than the second business day following the earlier of the date it is first used or the execution and delivery of this Agreement.  The Company has complied and will comply with Rule 433.

 

(b)                                 Filing of Amendments; Response to Commission Requests.  The Company will promptly advise the Representatives of any proposal to amend or supplement the Registration Statement or any Statutory Prospectus at any time and will offer the Representatives a reasonable opportunity to comment on any such amendment or supplement; and the Company will also advise the Representatives promptly of (i) the filing of any such amendment or supplement, (ii) any request by the Commission or its staff for any amendment to the Registration Statement, for any supplement to any Statutory Prospectus or for any additional information, (iii) the institution by the Commission of any stop order proceedings in respect of the Registration Statement or the threatening of any proceeding for that purpose, and (iv) the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Offered Securities in any jurisdiction or the institution or threatening of any proceedings for such purpose.  The Company will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order or the suspension of any such qualification and, if issued, to obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.

 

(c)                                  Continued Compliance with Securities Laws.  If, at any time when a prospectus relating to the Offered Securities is (or but for the exemption in Rule 172 would be) required to be delivered under the Act by any Underwriter or dealer, any event occurs as a result of which 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 to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or if it is necessary at any time to amend the Registration Statement or supplement the Final Prospectus to comply with the Act, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives of such event and will promptly prepare and file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and the dealers and any other dealers upon request of the Representatives, an amendment or supplement which will correct such statement or omission or an amendment which will effect such compliance.  Neither the Representatives’ consent to, nor the Underwriters’

 

11



 

delivery of, any such amendment or supplement shall constitute a waiver of any of the conditions set forth in Section 8 hereof.

 

(d)                                 Rule 158.  As soon as practicable, but not later than 16 months, after the date hereof, the Company will make generally available to its securityholders an earnings statement covering a period of at least 12 months beginning after the date hereof and satisfying the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158.

 

(e)                                  Furnishing of Prospectuses.  The Company will furnish to the Representatives copies of each Registration Statement, each related Statutory Prospectus, and, so long as a prospectus relating to the Offered Securities is (or but for the exemption in Rule 172 would be) required to be delivered under the Act, the Final Prospectus and all amendments and supplements to such documents, in each case in such quantities as the Representatives reasonably request. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to furnish the Final Prospectus on or prior to 3:00 P.M., New York time, on the business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement. All other such documents shall be so furnished as soon as available. The Company will pay the expenses of printing and distributing to the Underwriters all such documents.

 

(f)                                   Blue Sky Qualifications.  The Company will arrange for the qualification of the Offered Securities for sale under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives designate and will continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution; provided, that in connection therewith, the Company will not be required to file a general consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or as a dealer in securities in any jurisdiction in which it would not otherwise be required to so file or qualify, or subject itself to taxation for doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject.

 

(g)                                  Reporting Requirements.  During the period of five years hereafter, the Company will furnish to the Representative and, upon request, to each of the other Underwriters, as soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year, a copy of its annual report to stockholders for such year; and the Company will furnish to the Representatives (i) as soon as available, a copy of each report and any definitive proxy statement of the Company filed with the Commission under the Exchange Act or mailed to stockholders, and (ii) from time to time, such other information concerning the Company as the Representatives may reasonably request.  However, so long as the Company is subject to the reporting requirements of either Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act and is timely filing reports with the Commission on its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (“EDGAR”) or such materials as otherwise posted on the Company’s website, it is not required to furnish such reports or statements to the Underwriters.

 

(h)                                 Payment of Expenses.  The Company agrees with the several Underwriters that the Company will pay all expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Company and the Selling Stockholder under this Agreement, including but not limited to (i) any documented filing fees and reasonable attorney’s fees and expenses incurred by the Company or the Underwriters in connection with qualifying or registering (or obtaining exemptions from the qualification or registration of) all or any part of the Offered Securities for offer and sale under the state securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives designate and the preparation and printing of memoranda relating thereto, (ii) the documented filing fees incident to, and the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters, in connection with the FINRA’s review and approval of the Underwriters’ participation in the offering and distribution of the Offered Securities, provided, however, that the Underwriters agree that the maximum amount reimbursable for expenses advanced by the Underwriters shall be $50,000, (iii) costs and expenses relating to investor presentations or any “road show” in connection with the offering and sale of the Offered Securities including, without limitation, any travel expenses of the Company’s officers and employees, provided, however, that the Underwriters will pay for 50% of the costs and expenses of any chartered flight, except for flights on which there is no representative of the Representatives, (iv) fees and expenses incident to listing the Offered Securities on the New York Stock Exchange, (v) fees and expenses in connection with the registration of the Offered Securities under the Exchange Act, (vi) any transfer taxes on the sale by the Selling Stockholder of the Offered Securities to the Underwriters, (vii) expenses incurred in distributing preliminary prospectuses and the Final Prospectus (including any amendments and supplements thereto) to the Underwriters and expenses incurred in preparing, printing and distributing any Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses to investors or prospective investors and (viii) all other fees, costs and expenses referred to in Item 14 of Part II of the Registration Statement.  Except as provided in this Agreement, the Underwriters shall pay their own expenses, including the fees

 

12



 

and disbursement of their counsel.  Nothing in this Agreement shall modify the obligations of the Company and the Selling Stockholder with respect to payment of expenses pursuant to the Reg Rights Agreement.

 

(i)                                     Absence of Manipulation — Company.  The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Securities.

 

(j)                                    Absence of Manipulation — Selling Stockholder.  The Selling Stockholder will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Securities in violation of the Act, the Exchange Act and the Rules and Regulations.

 

(k)                                 Economic Sanctions.  The Selling Stockholder will not directly use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other Person, for the purpose or financing any activities or business of or with any Person that is currently the subject of Sanctions.

 

(l)                                     Restriction on Sale of Securities.

 

(A) For the period specified below (the “Lock-Up Period”), the Company will not, directly or indirectly, take any of the following actions with respect to its Securities or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for any of its Securities (“Lock-Up Securities”): (i) offer, sell, issue, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of Lock-Up Securities, (ii) offer, sell, issue, contract to sell, contract to purchase or grant any option, right or warrant to purchase Lock-Up Securities, (iii) enter into any swap, hedge or any other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, the economic consequences of ownership of Lock-Up Securities, (iv) establish or increase a put equivalent position or liquidate or decrease a call equivalent position in Lock-Up Securities within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act or (v) file with the Commission a registration statement under the Act relating to Lock-Up Securities, or publicly disclose the intention to take any such action, without the prior written consent of Credit Suisse, except (a) grants of employee stock options, restricted stock units, restricted stock or other equity-based awards in the ordinary course of business pursuant to the terms of an employee benefit plan or similar arrangement described in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus in effect on the date hereof, (b) issuances of Lock-Up Securities pursuant to the exercise or vesting of such options, restricted stock units or equity awards, (c) the filing of any registration statement required to be filed during the Lock-Up Period pursuant to the terms of Reg Rights Agreement or (d) as set forth in or pursuant to the Ruling.  The initial Lock-Up Period will commence on the date hereof and continue for 90 days after the date hereof or such earlier date that Credit Suisse consents to in writing; provided, however, that if (1) during the last 17 days of the initial Lock-Up Period, the Company releases earnings results or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs or (2) prior to the expiration of the initial Lock-Up Period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the initial Lock-Up Period, then in each case the Lock-Up Period will be extended until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the date of release of the earnings results or the occurrence of the materials news or material event, as applicable, unless Credit Suisse waives, in writing, such extension.  The Company will provide the Representatives with notice of any announcement described in clause (2) of the preceding sentence that gives rise to an extension of the Lock-Up Period.

 

(B) Agreement to announce lock-up waiver.  If Credit Suisse, in its sole discretion, agrees to release or waive the restrictions set forth in a lock-up letter described in Section 6(k) hereof for an officer or director of the Company and provides the Company with notice of the impending release or waiver at least three business days before the effective date of the release or waiver, the Company agrees to announce the impending release or waiver by a press release substantially in the form of Annex E hereto through a major news service at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver.

 

7.                                      Free Writing Prospectuses.  Each of the Company and the Selling Stockholder represents and agrees severally and not jointly that, unless it obtains the prior consent of Credit Suisse, and each Underwriter represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Company and Credit Suisse, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Offered Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or

 

13



 

that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405, required to be filed with the Commission.  Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Company and Credit Suisse is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.”  The Company represents that it has treated and agrees that it will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including timely Commission filing where required, legending and record keeping.

 

8.                                      Conditions of the Obligations of the Underwriters.  The obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Firm Securities on the First Closing Date and the Optional Securities to be purchased on each Optional Closing Date will be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company and the Selling Stockholder herein (as though made on such Closing Date), to the accuracy of the statements of officers of the Company and the Selling Stockholder made pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company and the Selling Stockholder of their obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions precedent:

 

(a)                                 Accountants’ Comfort Letter.  The Representatives shall have received letters, dated, respectively, the date hereof and each Closing Date, of Hein & Associates LLP confirming that they are a registered public accounting firm and independent public accountants within the meaning of the Securities Laws and substantially in the form of Annex A hereto (except that, in any letter dated a Closing Date, the specified date referred to in Annex A hereto shall be a date no more than three days prior to such Closing Date).

 

(b)                                 Filing of Prospectus.  The Final Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) within the applicable time period prescribed for such filing in accordance with the Rules and Regulations and Section 6(a) hereof. Prior to the Closing Date, 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, to the knowledge of the Company or the Representatives, shall be contemplated by the Commission.

 

(c)                                  No Material Adverse Change.  Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, there shall not have occurred (i) any change, or any development or event involving a prospective change, in the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole which, in the judgment of Credit Suisse, is material and adverse and makes it impractical or inadvisable to market the Offered Securities or proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Offered Securities on the Closing Date on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus; (ii) any downgrading in the rating of any debt securities of the Company by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act), or any public announcement that any such organization has under surveillance or review its rating of any debt securities of the Company (other than an announcement with positive implications of a possible upgrading, and no implication of a possible downgrading, of such rating); (iii) any change in U.S. or international financial, political or economic conditions or currency exchange rates or exchange controls the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of Credit Suisse, impractical to market or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Offered Securities, whether in the primary market or in respect of dealings in the secondary market; (iv) any suspension or material limitation of trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange, or any setting of minimum or maximum prices for trading on such exchange; (v) or any suspension of trading of any securities of the Company on any exchange or in the over-the-counter market; (vi) any banking moratorium declared by any U.S. federal or New York authorities; (vii) any major disruption of settlements of securities, payment or clearance services in the United States or any other country where such securities are listed or (viii) any attack on, outbreak or escalation of hostilities or act of terrorism involving the United States, any declaration of war by Congress or any other national or international calamity or emergency if, in the judgment of Credit Suisse, the effect of any such attack, outbreak, escalation, act, declaration, calamity or emergency is such as to make it impractical or inadvisable to market the Offered Securities or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Offered Securities.

 

(d)                                 Opinion of Counsel for Company.  The Representatives shall have received an opinion and negative assurance letter, addressed to the Underwriters, dated as of the Closing Date, of Mayer Brown LLP, counsel for the Company, substantially in the form attached hereto as Annex C-1 and Annex C-2, respectively.

 

14



 

(e)                                  Opinion of Counsel for Underwriters.  The Representatives shall have received from Latham & Watkins LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, such opinion or opinions, dated such Closing Date, with respect to such matters as the Representatives may require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they request for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters.

 

(f)                                   Opinion of Counsel for the Selling Stockholder.  The Representatives shall have received an opinion addressed to the Underwriters, dated as of the Closing Date, of counsel for the Selling Stockholder, substantially in the form attached hereto as Annex D.

 

(g)                                  Officer’s Certificate of the Company.  The Representatives shall have received a certificate, dated such Closing Date, of an executive officer of the Company and a principal financial or accounting officer of the Company in which such officers, in such capacity on behalf of the Company, shall state that: the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct as of such Closing Date; the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such Closing Date; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or, to the best of their knowledge and after reasonable investigation, are contemplated by the Commission; and, subsequent to the date of the most recent financial statements in the General Disclosure Package, there has been no material adverse change, nor any development or event involving a prospective material adverse change, in the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, business or properties of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole except as set forth in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus or as described in such certificate.

 

(h)                                 Officer’s Certificate of the Selling Stockholder.  The Representatives shall have received a certificate, dated such Closing Date, of an authorized signatory on behalf of the Selling Stockholder, in which such officer, in such capacity on behalf of the Selling Stockholder, shall state that the representations and warranties of such Selling Stockholder in this Agreement are true and correct as of such Closing Date and such Selling Stockholder has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such Closing Date.

 

(i)                                     Lock-Up Agreements.  On or prior to the date hereof, the Representatives shall have received lock-up letters from each of the stockholders, executive officers and directors of the Company listed on Schedule C hereto.

 

(j)                                    Certificate of the Chief Operating Officer.  The Representatives shall have received a certificate addressed to the Underwriters, dated as of the Closing Date, of the Chief Operating Officer of the Company, in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Representatives.

 

(k)                                 Cawley, Gillespie Comfort Letter.  The Representatives shall have received letters, dated respectively, the date hereof and each Closing Date, of Cawley, Gillespie & Associates, Inc. in form and substance acceptable to the Representatives.

 

The Company and the Selling Stockholder will furnish the Representatives with such conformed copies of such opinions, certificates, letters and documents as the Representatives reasonably request.  The Representatives may in its sole discretion waive on behalf of the Underwriters compliance with any conditions to the obligations of the Underwriters hereunder, whether in respect of an Optional Closing Date or otherwise.

 

9.                                      Indemnification and Contribution

 

(a)                                 Indemnification of Underwriters by the Company.  The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its partners, members, directors, officers, employees, agents, affiliates and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (each an “Indemnified Party”), against any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Indemnified Party may become subject, under the Act, the Exchange Act, other Federal or state statutory law or regulation or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact

 

15



 

contained in any part of any Registration Statement at any time, any Statutory Prospectus as of any time, the Final Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of any Statutory Prospectus, the Final Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, and will reimburse each Indemnified Party for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Indemnified Party in connection with investigating or defending against any loss, claim, damage, liability, action, litigation, investigation or proceeding whatsoever (whether or not such Indemnified Party is a party thereto), whether threatened or commenced, and in connection with the enforcement of this provision with respect to any of the above as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the Company will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement in or omission or alleged omission from any of such documents in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in subsection (c) below.

 

(b)                                 Indemnification of Underwriters by Selling Stockholder. The Selling Stockholder will indemnify and hold harmless each Indemnified Party against any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Indemnified Party may become subject, under the Act, the Exchange Act, other Federal or state statutory law or regulation or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in any part of any Registration Statement at any time, any Statutory Prospectus as of any time, the Final Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein (in the case of any Statutory Prospectus, the Final Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Selling Stockholder expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Selling Stockholder consists of the Selling Stockholder Information, and will reimburse each Indemnified Party for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Indemnified Party in connection with investigating or defending against any loss, claim, damage, liability, action, litigation, investigation or proceeding whatsoever (whether or not such Indemnified Party is a party thereto), whether threatened or commenced, and in connection with the enforcement of this provision with respect to any of the above as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that (x) the indemnification and reimbursement obligations provided for in this Section 9(b) shall only apply to untrue statements or alleged untrue statements or omissions or alleged omissions made in the Registration Statement, any Statutory Prospectus, the Final Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by the Selling Stockholder expressly for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by the Selling Stockholder consists of the Selling Stockholder Information, and (y) the Selling Stockholder will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement in or omission or alleged omission from any of such documents in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through Representative specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in subsection (c) below.

 

(c)                                  Indemnification of the Company and Selling Stockholder.  Each Underwriter will severally and not jointly indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors and each of its officers who signs a 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 and the Selling Stockholder, each of its directors and officers and each person, if any, who controls the Selling Stockholder within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (each, an “Underwriter Indemnified Party”) against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which such Underwriter Indemnified Party may become subject, under the Act, the Exchange Act, or other Federal or state statutory law or regulation or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in any Registration Statement at any time, any Statutory Prospectus at any time, the Final

 

16



 

Prospectus or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or arise out of or are based upon the omission or the alleged omission of 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 reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, and will reimburse any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Underwriter Indemnified Party in connection with investigating or defending against any such loss, claim, damage, liability, action, litigation, investigation or proceeding whatsoever (whether or not such Underwriter Indemnified Party is a party thereto), whether threatened or commenced, based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission as such expenses are incurred, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the following information in the Final Prospectus furnished on behalf of each Underwriter: the information concerning selling concessions in the fourth paragraph under the caption “Underwriting”, the information concerning stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids in accordance with Regulation M of the Exchange Act in the twelfth and thirteenth paragraphs under the caption “Underwriting” and the information concerning online and internet allocations in the fourteenth paragraph under the caption “Underwriting” (collectively, the “Underwriter Information”).

 

(d)                                 Actions against Parties; Notification.  Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against an indemnifying party under subsection (a), (b) or (c) above, notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof; but the failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have under subsection (a), (b) or (c) above except to the extent that it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) by such failure; and provided further that the failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have to an indemnified party otherwise than under subsection (a), (b) or (c) above.  In case any such action is brought against any indemnified party and it notifies an indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it may wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall not, except with the consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party), and after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party under this Section for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened action in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party unless such settlement (i) includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on any claims that are the subject matter of such action 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 an indemnified party.

 

(e)                                  Contribution.  If the indemnification provided for in this Section is unavailable or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under subsection (a), (b) or (c) above, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to in subsection (a), (b) or (c) above (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Stockholder on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Offered Securities or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company and the Selling Stockholder on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company and the Selling Stockholder on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Selling Stockholder bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters. 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, the Selling Stockholder or the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement or omission. The amount paid by an

 

17



 

indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to in the first sentence of this subsection (e) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any action or claim which is the subject of this subsection (e). Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (e), no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the 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 Underwriters’ obligations in this subsection (e) to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.  The Company, the Selling Stockholder and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 9(e) were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this Section 9(e).

 

10.                               Default of Underwriters.  If any Underwriter or Underwriters default in their obligations to purchase Offered Securities hereunder on either the First Closing Date or any Optional Closing Date and the aggregate number of shares of Offered Securities that such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase does not exceed 10% of the total number of shares of Offered Securities that the Underwriters are obligated to purchase on such Closing Date, Credit Suisse may make arrangements for the purchase of such Offered Securities by other persons, including any of the Underwriters, but if no such arrangements are made by such Closing Date, the non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated severally, in proportion to their respective commitments hereunder, to purchase the Offered Securities that such defaulting Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase on such Closing Date. If any Underwriter or Underwriters so default and the number of shares of Offered Securities with respect to which such default or defaults occur exceeds 10% of the total number of shares of Offered Securities that the Underwriters are obligated to purchase on such Closing Date and arrangements satisfactory to Credit Suisse, the Company and the Selling Stockholder for the purchase of such Offered Securities by other persons are not made within 36 hours after such default, this Agreement will terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter, the Company or the Selling Stockholder, except as provided in Section 11 (provided, that if such default occurs with respect to Optional Securities after the First Closing Date, this Agreement will not terminate as to the Firm Securities or any Optional Securities purchased prior to such termination). As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section. Nothing herein will relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.

 

11.                               Survival of Certain Representations and Obligations.  The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Selling Stockholder, of the Company or its officers and of the several Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation, or statement as to the results thereof, made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, the Selling Stockholder, the Company or any of their respective representatives, officers or directors or any controlling person, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Offered Securities. If the purchase of the Offered Securities by the Underwriters is not consummated for any reason other than solely because of the termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 10 hereof, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters for all out-of-pocket expenses (including fees and disbursements of counsel) reasonably incurred by them in connection with the offering of the Offered Securities, and the respective obligations of the Company and the Underwriters pursuant to Section 9 hereof shall remain in effect.  In addition, if any Offered Securities have been purchased hereunder, the representations and warranties in Section 2 and all obligations under Section 6 shall also remain in effect.

 

12.                               Notices.  All communications hereunder will be in writing and, if sent to the Underwriters, will be mailed or delivered and confirmed to the Representatives, c/o Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Eleven Madison Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010-3629, Attention:  LCD-IBD; if sent to the Company, will be mailed, delivered or telegraphed and confirmed to Bonanza Creek Energy, Inc., 410 17th Street, Suite 1400, Denver, Colorado 80202, Attention: General Counsel; or if sent to the Selling Stockholder, will be mailed or delivered and confirmed to Project Black Bear LP, 2 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario M4W 1A8 Canada, Attention: General Counsel; provided, however, that any notice to an Underwriter pursuant to Section 9 will be mailed, delivered or telegraphed and confirmed to such Underwriter, which address will be supplied to the Company by the Representatives upon request.

 

18



 

13.                               Successors.  This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers and directors and controlling persons referred to in Section 9, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder.

 

14.                               Representation of Underwriters.  The Representatives will act for the several Underwriters in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and any action under this Agreement taken by the Representatives will be binding upon all the Underwriters.

 

15.                               Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same Agreement.  This Agreement may be executed by facsimile signature or signature delivered by other electronic means and all such signatures shall be effective as originals. This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) among the Company, the Selling Stockholder and the Underwriters, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof.

 

16.                               Absence of Fiduciary Relationship.  Each of the Company and the Selling Stockholder, severally and not jointly, acknowledges and agrees that:

 

(a)                                 No Other Relationship.  The Representatives have been retained solely to act as an underwriter in connection with the sale of Offered Securities and no fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship between the Company and the Representatives has been created in respect of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the Final Prospectus, irrespective of whether the Representatives have advised or is advising the Company on other matters.

 

(b)                                 Arms’ Length Negotiations.  The price of the Offered Securities set forth in this Agreement was established by the Selling Stockholder following discussions and arms-length negotiations with the Representatives, and the Company and the Selling Stockholder are capable of evaluating and understanding and understands and accepts the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

(c)                                  Absence of Obligation to Disclose.  The Company and the Selling Stockholder have been advised that the Representatives and their affiliates are engaged in a broad range of transactions which may involve interests that differ from those of the Company or the Selling Stockholders and that the Representatives have no obligation to disclose such interests and transactions to the Company or the Selling Stockholder by virtue of any fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship.

 

(d)                                 Waiver.  Each of the Company and the Selling Stockholder, severally and not jointly, waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims it may have against the Representatives for breach of fiduciary duty or alleged breach of fiduciary duty and agrees that the Representatives shall have no liability (whether direct or indirect) to the Company or the Selling Stockholders in respect of such a fiduciary duty claim or to any person asserting a fiduciary duty claim on behalf of or in right of the Company, including stockholders, employees or creditors of the Company.

 

17.                               Applicable LawTHIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICT OF LAWS THAT WOULD RESULT IN THE APPLICATION OF ANY LAW OTHER THAN THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

 

18.                               Submission to Jurisdiction. The Company and the Selling Stockholder, severally and not jointly, hereby submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal and state courts in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.  Each of the Company and the Selling Stockholder, severally and not jointly, irrevocably and unconditionally waives any objection to the laying of venue of any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby in Federal and state courts in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York and irrevocably and unconditionally waives and agrees not to plead or claim in any such court that any such suit or proceeding in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.

 

19



 

[Signature Pages Follow]

 

20



 

If the foregoing is in accordance with the Representatives’ understanding of our agreement, kindly sign and return to the Company one of the counterparts hereof, whereupon it will become a binding agreement among the Company, the Selling Stockholder and the several Underwriters in accordance with its terms.

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

BONANZA CREEK ENERGY, INC.

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Christopher I. Humber

 

Name:

Christopher I. Humber

 

Title:

Senior Vice President, General
Counsel and Secretary

 



 

 

SELLING STOCKHOLDER

 

 

 

PROJECT BLACK BEAR LP

 

 

 

 

BY: PROJECT BLACK BEAR GP LLC, ITS GENERAL PARTNER

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BY: WEST FACE GENERAL PARTNER INC., ITS SOLE MEMBER

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Alexander A. Singh

 

Name:

Alexander A. Singh

 

Title:

General Counsel & Secretary

 



 

The foregoing Underwriting Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted as of the date first above written.

 

 

 

Acting on behalf of itself and as the Representatives of the several Underwriters

 

 

 

 

CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) LLC

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Robert Santangelo

 

 

 

Name: Robert Santangelo

 

 

 

Title: Managing Director

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RAYMOND JAMES & ASSOCIATES, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ James Murcheson

 

 

 

Name: James Murcheson

 

 

 

Title: Senior Vice President

 

 



 

SCHEDULE A

 

Underwriter

 

Number of
Firm Securities
to be Purchased

 

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC

 

4,025,004

 

Raymond James & Associates, Inc.

 

2,587,500

 

KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc.

 

1,265,000

 

BMO Capital Markets Corp.

 

862,500

 

Scotia Capital (USA) Inc.

 

747,500

 

Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated

 

251,562

 

Wunderlich Securities, Inc.

 

251,562

 

SG Americas Securities, LLC

 

251,562

 

SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Inc.

 

251,562

 

C.K. Cooper & Company, Inc.

 

251,562

 

Miller Tabak + Co., LLC

 

251,562

 

Burnham Securities Inc.

 

251,562

 

IBERIA Capital Partners L.L.C.

 

251,562

 

Total

 

11,500,000

 

 



 

SCHEDULE B

 

1.                                      General Use Free Writing Prospectuses (included in the General Disclosure Package)

 

“General Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” includes each of the following documents:

 

none.

 

2.                                      Other Information Included in the General Disclosure Package

 

The following information is also included in the General Disclosure Package:

 

1.  Number of Offered Securities.

 

2.  The price to the public of the Offered Securities.

 



 

SCHEDULE C

 

Project Black Bear, LP

 

West Face Capital Inc.

 

Richard J. Carty

 

Marvin M. Chronister

 

Kevin A. Neveu

 

Gregory P. Raih

 

James A. Watt

 

Michael R. Starzer

 

Gary A. Grove

 

Lynn Boone

 

Patrick A. Graham

 

Christopher I. Humber

 

Wade Jaques

 



 

ANNEX A

 

Form of Comfort Letter

 

The Representative shall have received letters, dated, respectively, the date hereof and the First Closing Date, of Hein & Associates LLP confirming that they are a registered public accounting firm and independent public accountants within the meaning of the Securities Laws to the effect that:

 

(i)  in their opinion the audited consolidated financial statements and schedules examined by them and included in the Registration Statements and the General Disclosure Package comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Securities Laws;

 

(ii)  with respect to the period(s) covered by the unaudited quarterly consolidated financial statements included in the Registration Statement and the General Disclosure Package, they have performed the procedures specified by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants for a review of interim financial information as described in AU 722, Interim Financial Information, on the unaudited quarterly consolidated financial statements (including the noted thereto) of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries included in the Registration Statement and the General Disclosure Package, and have made inquiries of certain officials of the Company who have responsibility for financial and accounting matters of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as to whether such unaudited quarterly consolidated financial statements comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Securities Act and the related published rules and regulations; they have read the latest unaudited monthly consolidated financial statements (including the notes thereto) and the supplementary summary unaudited financial information of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries made available by the Company and the minutes of the meetings of the stockholders, Board of Directors and committees of the Board of Directors of the Company; and have made inquiries of certain officials of the Company who have responsibility for financial and accounting matters of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as to whether the unaudited monthly financial statements are stated on a basis substantially consistent with that of the audited consolidated financial statements included in the Registration Statement and General Disclosure Package; and on the basis thereof, nothing came to their attention which caused them to believe that:

 

(A) the unaudited financial statements included in the Registration Statement or the General Disclosure Package do not comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Securities Laws, or that any material modifications should be made to the unaudited quarterly consolidated financial statements for them to be in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles; and

 

(B) with respect to the period subsequent to the date of the most recent unaudited quarterly consolidated financial statements included in the General Disclosure Package, at a specified date at the end of the most recent month, there were any increases in the short-term debt or long-term debt of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries, or any change in stockholders’ equity or the consolidated capital stock of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries or any decreases in the net current assets or net assets of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries, as compared with the amounts shown on the latest balance sheet included in the General Disclosure Package; or for the period from the day after the date of the most recent unaudited quarterly consolidated financial statements for such entities included in the General Disclosure Package to such specified date, there were any decreases, as compared with the corresponding period in the preceding year, in consolidated net sales or net operating income, or in the total or per share amounts of consolidated net income of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries, except for such changes, increases or decreases set forth in such letter which the General Disclosure Package discloses have occurred or may occur;

 



 

(iii)  With respect to any period as to which officials of the Company have advised that no consolidated financial statements as of any date or for any period subsequent to the specified date referred to in (ii)(B) above are available, they have made inquiries of certain officials of the Company who have responsibility for the financial and accounting matters of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries as to whether, at a specified date not more than three business days prior to the date of such letter, there were any increases in the short-term debt or long-term debt of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries, or any change in stockholders’ equity or the consolidated capital stock of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries or any decreases in the net assets of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries, as compared with the amounts shown on the most recent balance sheet for such entities included in the General Disclosure Package; or for the period from the day after the date of the most recent unaudited quarterly financial statements for such entities included in the General Disclosure Package to such specified date, there were any decreases, as compared with the corresponding period in the preceding year, in net sales, or net operating income, or in the total or per share amounts of consolidated net income of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries and, on the basis of such inquiries and the review of the minutes described in paragraph (ii) above, nothing came to their attention which caused them to believe that there was any such change, increase, or decrease, except for such changes, increases or decreases set forth in such letter which the General Disclosure Package discloses have occurred or may occur; and

 

(iv)  they have compared specified dollar amounts (or percentages derived from such dollar amounts) and other financial and statistical information contained in the Registration Statement, each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus (other than any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is an “electronic road show,” as defined in Rule 433(h)) and the General Disclosure Package (in each case to the extent that such dollar amounts, percentages and other financial and statistical information are derived from the general accounting records of the Company and its subsidiaries or are derived directly from such records by analysis or computation) with the results obtained from inquiries, a reading of such general accounting records and other procedures specified in such letter and have found such dollar amounts, percentages and other financial and statistical information to be in agreement with such results.

 

All financial statements and schedules included in material incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement or the General Disclosure Package shall be deemed included in the Registration Statement or the General Disclosure Package for purposes of this Schedule.

 



 

ANNEX B

 

Form of Lock-Up Agreement

 

January [          ], 2013

 

CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) LLC

RAYMOND JAMES & ASSOCIATES, INC.,

As Representatives of the Several Underwriters,

c/o Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC,

Eleven Madison Avenue,

New York, N.Y. 10010-3629

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

The undersigned understands that Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC (“Credit Suisse”) proposes to enter into an Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Bonanza Creek Energy, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), providing for the public offering (the “Public Offering”) by the several Underwriters, including Credit Suisse (the “Underwriters”), of shares (the “Shares”) of the common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), of Project Black Bear LP (the “Selling Stockholder”).

 

To induce the Underwriters that may participate in the Public Offering to continue their efforts in connection with the Public Offering, the undersigned hereby agrees that, without the prior written consent of Credit Suisse on behalf of the Underwriters, it will not, during the period commencing on the date hereof and ending 90 days after the date of the final prospectus relating to the Public Offering (the “Restricted Period”), (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock beneficially owned (as such term is used in Rule 13d-3 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)) by the undersigned or any other securities so owned convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or (2) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise.  The foregoing sentence shall not apply to (a) any shares of Common Stock to be sold by the undersigned in the Public Offering, (b) transactions relating to shares of Common Stock or other securities acquired in open market transactions after the completion of the Public Offering, provided that no filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act shall be required or shall be voluntarily made during the Restricted Period in connection with subsequent sales of Common Stock or other securities acquired in such open market transactions, (c) transfers of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into Common Stock as a bona fide gift, including as a result of the operation of law or estate intestate succession, (d) distributions of shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into Common Stock to partners, members or stockholders of the undersigned, to any trust, partnership, limited liability company or other entity for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or the immediate family of the undersigned (for the purposes of this letter agreement, “immediate family” shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage or adoption, not more remote than second cousin), or transfers to the undersigned’s affiliates or to any investment fund or other entity controlled or managed by the undersigned or the undersigned’s affiliates; provided that in the case of any transfer or distribution pursuant to clause (c) or (d), (i) each donee or distributee shall sign and deliver a letter agreement substantially in the form of this letter agreement and (ii) no filing under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, reporting a reduction in beneficial ownership of shares of Common Stock, shall be required or shall be voluntarily made during the Restricted Period in connection with any such transfer or distribution, (e) any shares of Common Stock indirectly beneficially owned by the undersigned to the extent the undersigned retains only shared voting power, and not any direct or indirect dispositive power, over such shares, (f) the establishment of a trading plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act for the transfer of shares of Common Stock, provided that such plan does not provide for the transfer of Common Stock during the Restricted

 



 

Period and no public announcement or filing under the Exchange Act regarding the establishment of such plan shall be required of or voluntarily made by or on behalf of the undersigned or the Company, (g) transfers of shares of Common Stock to the Company for purposes of satisfying withholding taxes on shares that vest during the Restricted Period under the Company’s Long Term Incentive Plan, (h) tenders of shares of Common Stock made in response to a bona fide third party take-over bid made to all holders of shares of Common Stock or any other acquisition transaction whereby all or substantially all of the shares of Common Stock are to be acquired by a third party or (i) as otherwise directed by or pursuant to that certain Interim Award of Arbitrators, Case 72 198 Y 00661 11 JMLE, dated November 30, 2012.  In addition, the undersigned agrees that, without the prior written consent of Credit Suisse on behalf of the Underwriters, it will not, during the period commencing on the date hereof and ending 90 days after the date of the final prospectus relating to the Public Offering, make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to, the registration of any shares of Common Stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock.  The undersigned also agrees and consents to the entry of stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent and registrar against the transfer of the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock except pursuant to the Public Offering or otherwise in compliance with the foregoing restrictions.

 

If:

 

(1)                                 during the last 17 days of the initial Restricted Period, the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs; or

 

(2)                                 prior to the expiration of the initial Restricted Period, the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the initial Restricted Period or provides notification to Credit Suisse of any earnings release, or material news or a material event that may give rise to an extension of the initial 90-day Restricted Period;

 

then, in either case, the Restricted Period will be extended until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event, as applicable, unless Credit Suisse, on behalf of the Underwriters, waives, in writing, such extension.

 

The undersigned shall not engage in any transaction that may be restricted by this letter agreement during the 34-day period beginning on the last day of the initial Restricted Period unless the undersigned requests and receives prior written confirmation from the Company or Credit Suisse that the Restricted Period (as the same may have been extended pursuant to the previous paragraph) has expired.

 

It is understood that, if the Company notifies the Underwriters that it does not intend to proceed with the Public Offering, if the Underwriting Agreement does not become effective, or if the Underwriting Agreement (other than the provisions thereof which survive termination) shall terminate or be terminated prior to payment for and delivery of the Shares of Common Stock to be included in the Public Offering, the undersigned will be released from all obligations under this letter agreement and this letter agreement shall be deemed void ab initio.

 

The undersigned understands that the Company and the Underwriters are relying upon this letter agreement in proceeding toward consummation of the Public Offering.  The undersigned further understands that this letter agreement is irrevocable and shall be binding upon the undersigned’s heirs, legal representatives, successors and assigns.

 

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

 

[Signature follows on next page]

 



 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Name)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Address)

 



 

ANNEX C-1

 

Form of Opinion of Mayer Brown LLP

 

(i)                                     the Company has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, has the corporate power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the General Disclosure Package and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing under the laws of each jurisdiction set forth opposite its name on Annex       hereto;

 

(ii)                                  each subsidiary of the Company has been duly organized, is validly existing as a limited liability company in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, has the power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the General Disclosure Package and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing under the laws of each jurisdiction set forth opposite its name on Annex      hereto, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a Material Adverse Effect;

 

(iii)                               the authorized capital stock of the Company conforms in all material respects as to legal matters to the description thereof contained in each of the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus;

 

(iv)                              the shares of Securities outstanding have been duly authorized and are validly issued, fully paid and non assessable;

 

(v)                                 all of the issued ownership interests of each subsidiary of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued, are fully paid (to the extent required by the limited liability company agreements of such subsidiary), are non-assessable (except as such non-assessability may be affected by matters described in Sections 18-607 and 18-804 of the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act or Section 17254 of the California Beverly-Killea Limited Liability Company Act, as applicable) and are owned directly or indirectly by the Company, free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, equities or claims, except for liens, encumbrances, equities or claims granted under the Credit Facility;

 

(vi)                              the Underwriting Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company;

 

(vii)                           the execution and delivery by the Company of, and the performance by the Company of its obligations under, the Underwriting Agreement will not contravene (i) any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law or the applicable laws of the State of New York or federal law, (ii) the certificate of incorporation or by-laws of the Company, (iii) any agreement or other instrument binding upon the Company or any of its subsidiaries filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, or (iv) to our knowledge, any judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having jurisdiction over the Company or any subsidiary, except for any contravention described in clauses (i) and (iii) that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.  No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or qualification with, any governmental body or agency is required for the performance by the Company of its obligations under the Underwriting Agreement except (i) registration of the Offered Securities under the Act or the Exchange Act that has been effected (or, with respect to any registration statement to be filed hereunder pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Act, will be effected in accordance with the Underwriting Agreement), or any necessary qualification under securities or blue sky laws of the various states or by the rules and regulations of the FINRA in connection with the offer and sale of the Offered Securities and (ii) where the failure to obtain such consent, approval, authorization, order or qualification would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect ;

 

(viii)                        the statements relating to legal matters, documents or proceedings included in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus under the captions “Description of Capital Stock,” and “Certain United States Federal Tax Considerations for Non-United States Holders,” insofar as they

 



 

constitute descriptions of agreements or refer to statements of law or legal conclusions, fairly summarize in all material respects such matters, documents or proceedings;

 

(ix)                              we do not know of any legal or governmental proceedings pending or threatened to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or to which any of the properties of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject that are required to be described in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus and are not so described or of any statutes, regulations, contracts or other documents that are required to be described in the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement that are not described or filed as required;

 

(x)                                 the Company is not, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Offered Securities, will not be, required to register as an “investment company” as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended; and

 

(xi)                              the Registration Statement, General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus (except for the financial statements and financial schedules and the estimated oil and natural gas reserve evaluations and related calculations and other financial and reserve data included therein, as to which we express no opinion) appear on their face to be appropriately responsive in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

 



 

ANNEX C-2

 

Form of Negative Assurance of Mayer Brown

 

Nothing has come to our attention that causes us to believe that:

 

(1) the Registration Statement or the prospectus included therein (except for the financial statements and financial schedules and the estimated oil and natural gas reserve evaluations and related calculations and other financial and reserve data included therein, as to which we do not express any belief) at the time the Registration Statement became effective contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading,

 

(2) the General Disclosure Package (except for the financial statements and financial schedules and the estimated oil and natural gas reserve evaluations and related calculations and other financial and reserve data included therein, as to which we do not express any belief) as of the date of the Underwriting Agreement or as amended or supplemented, if applicable, as of the Closing Date contained or contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading or

 

(3) the Final Prospectus (except for the financial statements and financial schedules and the estimated oil and natural gas reserve evaluations and related calculations and other financial and reserve data included therein, as to which we do not express any belief) as of its date or as amended or supplemented, if applicable, as of the Closing Date contained or contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 



 

ANNEX D

 

Form of Opinion of Sidley Austin LLP, Counsel to the Selling Stockholder

 

(i)  Upon (a) the payment to the Selling Stockholder of the purchase price for the Offered Securities to be sold by the Selling Stockholder as provided in the Underwriting Agreement, (b) the delivery of such Offered Securities, as directed by the Underwriters, to Cede & Co. (“Cede”) or such other nominee as may be designated by The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), and (c) the crediting of such Offered Securities on the books of DTC to “securities accounts” (as defined in Section 8-501(a) of the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect on the date of the opinion letter in the State of New York (the “UCC”)) of the Underwriters, (i) under Section 8-501 of the UCC, the Underwriters will acquire a “security entitlement” (within the meaning of Section 8-501(b) of the UCC) in respect of such Offered Securities, and (ii) no action based on any “adverse claim” (as defined in Section 8-102 of the UCC) to such Offered Securities may be successfully asserted against the Underwriters with respect to such security entitlement.  For purposes of rendering the opinion set forth in this paragraph, such counsel may assume that when such payment, delivery and crediting occur, (A) such Offered Securities will have been registered in the name of Cede or another nominee designated by DTC, in each case on the Company’s share registry in accordance with its certificate of incorporation, by-laws and applicable law, (B) DTC will be registered as a “clearing corporation” within the meaning of Section 8-102 of the UCC, (C) appropriate entries to the accounts of the several Underwriters on the records of DTC will have been made pursuant to the UCC, (D) the jurisdiction of DTC is New York and (E) no Underwriter will have “notice of an adverse claim” to any of the Offered Securities within the meaning of Section 8-105 of the UCC;

 

(ii)   The sale of the Offered Securities to be sold by the Selling Stockholder under the Underwriting Agreement and the consummation by the Selling Stockholder of the transactions therein contemplated will not violate the certificate of limited partnership or limited partnership agreement of the Selling Stockholder, result in a breach of, or constitute a default under, the Reg Rights Agreement, or contravene any provision of Applicable Laws.  The term “Applicable Laws” means the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act (as amended, the “DRULPA”) and those state laws of the State of New York, and those federal laws of the United States of America, which, in such counsel’s experience and without independent investigation, are normally applicable to transactions of the type contemplated by the Underwriting Agreement; provided, that the term “Applicable Laws” shall not include federal or state securities or blue sky laws (including, without limitation, the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended), antifraud laws or in each case any rules or regulations thereunder;

 

(iii)  No consent, approval, authorization or other order of any federal regulatory body, federal administrative agency or other federal governmental body of the United States of America or any state regulatory body, state administrative agency or other state governmental body of the State of New York is required to be obtained by the Selling Stockholder under Applicable Laws for the consummation by the Selling Stockholder of the transactions contemplated by the Underwriting Agreement in connection with the Offered Securities to be sold by the Selling Stockholder under the Underwriting Agreement;

 

(iv)  The Underwriting Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Selling Stockholder.

 



 

ANNEX E

 

Form of Press Release

 

Bonanza Creek Energy, Inc.

[Date]

 

(“Bonanza Creek”) announced today that Credit Suisse, the lead book-running manager in the Company’s recent public sale of       shares of common stock, is [waiving] [releasing] a lock-up restriction with respect to     shares of the Company’s common stock held by [certain officers or directors] [an officer or director] of the Company.  The [waiver] [release] will take effect on      ,         20    , and the shares may be sold on or after such date.

 

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